They put up with his taunts long enough, but when he let the air out of the bicycle tyres belonging to one of them, they were forced to come out of the kitchen and beat him up with ladles. For all his threatening behaviour and shouting, this guy went down pretty quick - all mouth and NO ACTION. The MORAL OF THE STORY IS: never let the air out of a Chinaman's bicycle. That is the absolute LAST STRAW for him because he needs to get back home on it after work.