"What... what the hell is this?"
Wang Jinhui was furious. The room was filled with a foul odor as a large amount of mud-like paste rained down, covering him from head to toe. He had even accidentally opened his mouth in surprise and swallowed some of the substance!
It was bitter, astringent, salty, and still warm, containing partially digested roots and bark. Anyone who had lived in the countryside would recognize it – cow dung! And not just any cow dung, but that of a water buffalo. Don't ask Wang Jinhui how he knew with such certainty!
"Who? Who did this?"
Wang Jinhui roared in anger, covered in the exploded cow dung. The intense stench made his face pale and ugly, his thick fingers trembling with rage.
On a street outside the county guesthouse, Brother Hu sat astride his motorized scooter, surrounded by a horde of his lackeys.
"Xiangzi, are you sure this is okay?" Brother Hu asked Xiangzi again, his face etched with worry.
"Don't worry, Brother Hu," Xiangzi replied with a smug smile. "I used to work in my second uncle's firecracker factory. The string-pull firecrackers I make are absolutely problem-free. As soon as Wang Jinhui opens the gift box and pulls the string, the firecracker will explode, scattering the cow dung everywhere. It'll be a real colorful mess for him!"
Xiangzi became incredibly smug and excited as he spoke. "This cow dung is fresh and warm..."
"Stop, cut it out! Don't talk about such disgusting things!" Brother Hu's face twitched. "I'm worried your firecracker might injure him. Little Factory Manager Wang said no illegal or improper actions are allowed. If you injure him, it might go against Little Factory Manager's instructions!" Brother Hu seemed concerned.
"You can rest assured, put your mind at ease, boss!" Xiangzi said with an indescribable smugness. "It absolutely won't injure that son of a bitch. To ensure the right amount of explosive powder, I experimented all night. I blew up over a dozen clumps of cow dung, almost flooding my second uncle's room with it. I don't dare face him now, for fear he'll chase me down! So, boss, you can rest assured, the firecracker's power is just enough to explode the cow dung and won't hurt this guy. I... hey, hey, where are you guys going? Don't leave!"
Xiangzi's words were cut short as he noticed his surrounding brothers rapidly backing away. They were fleeing from him as if he were some venomous snake or ferocious beast!
"Hey, why are you all running? Boss, don't go!" Xiangzi called out to Brother Hu, confused.
"If I don't go, I'm your grandson!" Brother Hu retorted, revving his scooter and speeding away. The other lackeys scattered like birds. Who wouldn't run? This guy was a madman! Exploding cow dung over ten times in one night – didn't that mean he must have had enough cow dung on him to bathe many times over? A madman, not to be trifled with! They figured even his second uncle wouldn't be able to lay a hand on him. The whole group of hoodlums shivered inwardly and quickly fled.
...
In the guesthouse room, Wang Jinhui, covered in cow dung, roared like an enraged wild boar. His wife wasn't faring any better, with half her body splattered. She immediately let out a piercing scream. The loud noise attracted a guesthouse attendant, but upon opening the door, she was utterly shocked by the scene before her! It was the first time anyone had exploded cow dung in a guesthouse, truly an unprecedented event, and likely one with no followers. Amidst the shouts and screams, the attendant, with a helpless expression, reported the incident to the public security bureau. After all, most people had no experience dealing with such situations.
When the public security bureau officers arrived, their expressions were peculiar. They weren't afraid of hardship or exhaustion, nor had they shied away from bloody and violent scenes. But this… particularly odorous… situation. Cough cough! And it was Wang Jinhui, who had left such a memorable impression with his split yesterday…
Captain Miao Wanli, suppressing a smile, managed to conduct the interviews and take statements. The attendant innocently reported that a young man wearing a mask and helmet had placed the gift box at the reception, and they had no idea what was inside.
"So, it was probably just a prank. Did you have any conflict with someone?" Captain Miao Wanli said helplessly to Wang Jinhui.
"Captain, my husband has always been kind to others. How could he offend anyone?" Wang Jinhui's wife chimed in, her voice full of grievance.
"Wang Yu! It must be Wang Yu! He's retaliating against us!"
Feeling the stench assaulting his nostrils, Captain Miao Wanli subtly shifted his position.
"Don't make baseless accusations without evidence. And even if we find out who did it, you didn't suffer any physical harm, so what do you expect us to do? Detain someone for throwing feces?"
Uh… Captain Miao Wanli's words left Wang Jinhui speechless. He could only watch helplessly as the public security officers departed from the guesthouse entrance.
Back in the room, Wang Jinhui felt a dry mouth and sore throat, having swallowed some of the stuff earlier. The sensation was truly… something. Even after washing several times, he still felt the pervasive odor on his body.
"Damn it, if I catch who did this, I'll make them pay..." Wang Jinhui grumbled indignantly, picking up his teacup and draining it in one gulp.
Huh? When did his wife become so thoughtful? She even poured him a cup of warm water? Why did it taste a bit salty, though? Probably due to heavy limescale in the water, Wang Jinhui mused. He then saw his wife approaching with her own tea. "Old Wang ah, I never thought you, who wouldn't even pick up an overturned soy sauce bottle, would actively pour me water." His wife said with surprise.
"What? Didn't you pour the water?" Wang Jinhui suddenly froze, and then he heard a rumbling sound in his stomach.
"Uh oh! There's something wrong with this water!"