chapter 7 Ruffian

Izaiah continued to sleep soundly while Melanion practiced his breathing exercises according to the martial arts manual, determined to forge his own path in this bustling city. After all, showing weakness was not an option.
However, Melanion's cultivation was soon interrupted by a voice.
"Water... I need water."
The speaker was Tashiany, who had been lying on the sofa and had finally awakened after a long slumber.
"Are you awake?"
After pouring a glass of water for Tashiany, Melanion switched on the living room light.
"Where is this?"
As Tashiany took in her surroundings, a look of wariness flashed across her face. A man and a woman alone in a room did not bode well.
"Don't worry, this is my place. You were drunk and I had nowhere else to take you, so I brought you here temporarily. I swear I didn't do anything."
Hearing this, Tashiany checked her clothing, which was intact, and couldn't help but feel a growing fondness for Melanion.
"They didn't do anything to you after I passed out, did they?" Tashiany asked after taking a sip of water.
"What could they do to a big guy like me? They just let me go," Melanion said helplessly.
"It's a pity to miss such an excellent opportunity for collaboration," Tashiany said with a hint of regret.
"There's nothing to regret. The contract with Mr. Webb has already been signed." At that moment, Melanion spoke up and placed the previously signed contract in front of Tashiany.
"What?" Tashiany's face showed disbelief.
At the dinner table, Aion had made it clear that he would sign the contract only if Tashiany drank to his satisfaction. So what was this all about?
After carefully reading the contract, Tashiany gasped in shock. The parts modified by Melanion were so outrageous that Aion had actually agreed to sign?
"With these changes, the Tripplelane Group will be lucky not to lose money, let alone make a profit. How could he possibly agree to sign?" Tashiany asked in astonishment.
"Perhaps the Tripplelane Group has deep pockets and intends to give our company a helping hand?"
"Absolutely not!"
Hearing this, Tashiany immediately shook her head. Businessmen prioritize profits; there was no way they would sign such an unfair contract. Clearly, there was something she didn't understand.
"Spill it. What's the deal with this contract?"
"The truth is, Aion needed me, so he signed," Melanion said, recounting the events that had taken place, which amused Tashiany.
Her own underlings not only fought among themselves but also managed to beat Aion to a pulp. Aion could never have imagined such a bizarre turn of events in his wildest dreams.
"You handled this very well. I'll make sure to reward you generously."
Gurgle~
Just as she finished speaking, a strange noise came from Tashiany's stomach, causing her to show an embarrassed smile.
"There's nothing to eat at home. How about I take you out for a meal?"
"I should be the one treating you after such a big favor you've done for the company."
"I can afford this little expense. Let's not push it back and forth," Melanion said, and without further ado, they left.
In the vicinity of the old neighborhood, there were no fancy restaurants or western eateries, but there were plenty of night beer and barbecue stalls. Melanion chose one that he frequented.
Tashiany probably had never been to such a place before, so Melanion noticed her slightly furrowed brows.
"Is the environment here not to your liking?" Melanion asked.
"It's fine," Tashiany shook her head.
"Hey Melanion, what brings you here today? Oh, is this your girlfriend?"
At this point, the stall owner, a talkative middle-aged man, came over.
"Don't talk nonsense, she's my boss," Melanion said sternly to the owner.
However, even though he said that, the owner's words undeniably flattered Melanion. If he could have a beautiful girlfriend like Tashiany, he'd probably wake up from his sleep laughing.
The envious glances from the surrounding diners clearly showed how fatally attractive Tashiany was to these men.
"I get it, I get it," the owner gave Melanion a knowing look.
Tashiany, standing by, could roughly make out what the two men were talking about and rolled her eyes. However, she didn't intervene and let the man have his moment.
"What are you planning to eat today?" the owner asked, bringing out the menu.
"Mr. Corey, just bring us something to fill our stomachs. My paycheck hasn't come through yet."
"How can that be? Look, today I'll treat you guys. Just wait a moment."
Melanion often helped out at these places when he was free. After all, he had been an orphan since childhood and was without relatives in Fliagoria City, so he gradually got to know the local shopkeepers.
Seeing Melanion tight on cash, the owner was naturally understanding.
It's not proper to just serve anything when inviting someone for a meal; a man needs to save face, doesn't he?
"It seems you're quite familiar with them?" Tashiany asked.
"Fairly familiar, they're all neighbors. We see each other often, so we've gotten to know each other."
It was just after dusk and the stall's business hadn't really started yet, so before long, a full table of dishes was served to Melanion and Tashiany, including all kinds of barbecue and spicy dishes.
Despite Tashiany's wealthy background and her accustomed taste for delicacies, she hadn't eaten anything all day. Suddenly faced with these tempting foods, she couldn't help but feel enticed.
"Mr. Corey, why did you prepare so much?" Melanion asked in confusion.
"Kid, didn't I say I'm treating today? Eat as much as you like, it's on me."
"How can I accept that?" Melanion felt embarrassed.
"A grown man shouldn't be so fussy. If you really feel indebted, just come over and keep me company when you're free."
"Alright."
After a hearty laugh, Mr. Corey went off to take care of other things.
"Let's start," Melanion said, picking up his chopsticks without any hesitation.
Tashiany, though skeptical about the cleanliness of the food, couldn't resist joining in after seeing Melanion enjoying his meal so much.
"Mmm, it tastes good," she said, putting a piece of meat in her mouth and instantly being won over by the savory flavor.
After tasting various exotic delicacies, the cheap street food had a charm of its own.
Both of them hadn't eaten much all day, so they quickly devoured half the table of dishes. Tashiany ate a lot because she was genuinely hungry, while Melanion was dining in the presence of a beautiful woman, which made the food seem even more appetizing.
However, good times are often fleeting. Just as Melanion and Tashiany were enjoying their feast, a group of uninvited guests suddenly arrived.
Clang~
A stool was rudely placed next to Melanion, and a burly man with a face full of flesh sat down, his greedy eyes fixed on Tashiany, almost drooling.
Seeing this, Tashiany frowned in disgust.
"What's the meaning of this, brother?" Melanion's face darkened as he asked.
"Are you blind? Our Mr. Moore has taken a fancy to this little lady. If you don't want to get beaten, scram," a minion behind the fat man barked.
The other diners didn't dare to watch and scattered in all directions.
"Mr. Moore, haven't I already paid this month's protection money?" At this moment, Mr. Corey stopped what he was doing and rushed over.
He kept making eye signals to Melanion while speaking, seemingly urging him to quickly take Tashiany and leave.
"Get lost, I'm not here to collect protection money today," Mr. Moore didn't even glance at Mr. Corey, his gaze constantly roving over Tashiany.
"Mr. Moore, they are my relatives. Here's five hundred bucks, can we maybe settle this...?" Mr. Corey said, taking out five hundred yuan from his pocket, hoping to settle things amicably with money.
"Damn it, don't make me lose face. If you keep blabbering, do you believe I'll smash your stall?" But this group was not buying it, and Mr. Moore slapped the money out of Mr. Corey's hand onto the ground.