Chapter

I turned around warily and saw several men trailing me. They moved hesitantly but were closing in from multiple directions, their expressions hostile and intent—clearly, my recent windfall at the stone-gambling market had drawn their attention.

My heart tightened with apprehension; I knew I was in trouble.

I quickened my pace, trying to shake them off, but they sped up as well, clearly unwilling to let me go easily.

Ahead lay a dead end. My heart sank, but it was too late to turn back; I could only grit my teeth and press on.

At the far end of the alley, I backed up against the wall, coldly watching as they advanced step by step. In the corner stood a few sacks of cement and a pile of broken bricks—someone must have been repairing the house.

I glanced at the red bricks, considering grabbing one.

But one of them sneered, “If you pick that up, I’ll chop off your hand!”

They fanned out in a semicircle, trapping me in the corner. The leader, a bald man, smirked, “You’re pretty capable, kid. First time here and you managed to cut such fine jade.”

“Too bad. We’ve never seen a talented young man like you in this market before. Only one explanation—you cheated!”

Suppressing my fear, I realized they’d come prepared. There was no way I’d leave here unless I handed something over.

I addressed the bald man, “Let’s talk this over. You’re after money, aren’t you?”

I decided to pay up to avoid disaster. I wasn’t who I used to be—I was confident I could earn more, not just here but in other markets as well. The only one to blame today was myself, for not knowing enough about the business, for not knowing which markets were shady and which were reputable. I’d walked into the wrong place and drawn unwanted attention.

Seeing my willingness, the bald man’s sneer faded, replaced by a look of satisfaction. He nodded, approving my grasp of the situation. “Smart boy. Hand over the cash and we won’t make things difficult.”

I opened my bag with three hundred thousand inside, weighing my options for escape. There were five of them, and thirty thousand here. I said, “Let’s split it evenly. There’s plenty of time ahead. You know I earned this money through hard work. Dividing it is a good lesson for me, too.”

The bald man’s face darkened. He motioned his men closer, his voice icy: “Are you bargaining with me? You think half is enough? How naïve!”

“I’m not here to make a deal with you. This is a robbery—get it?”

My heart clenched—I knew these men wouldn’t let me off so easily. It seemed paying up was my only option.

I handed all the money to the bald man, silently praying I’d get out alive. He took the cash with a satisfied grin, passed it to one of his lackeys, then fixed his cold gaze on me.

“Did you really think you’d get off this easily?” he sneered. “No one comes here without more money. You’d better hand over everything you’ve got.”

I froze, anger flaring inside but not daring to show it.

That’s when I truly understood: there’s no reasoning with a thief.

My only mistake was not being cautious enough.

“I really have nothing left,” I said, carefully pulling out the last two hundred yuan from my pocket. “You’ve already taken all I had.”

The bald man snorted dismissively, clearly unconvinced. He signaled for his men to search me. I had no choice but to stand there as they rifled through my pockets.

After several minutes, they’d turned out everything I had—aside from the two hundred yuan, there was nothing else.

The bald man frowned, clearly displeased. “Seems you’re honest enough,” he said coldly. “But remember this lesson. In your next life, don’t ever cross paths with us again!”

I nodded, quietly relieved—until I caught the undertone in his words.

A cruel glint flashed in the bald man’s eyes. He said chillingly to his men, “He knows too much. Leave no witnesses.”

Before the words had faded, his men lunged at me.

My heart pounded, knowing this was truly a matter of life and death.

I fought back with all I had, but against five burly men, my strength was nothing. Blows landed like rain; I felt my ribs crack, the pain nearly making me lose consciousness.

“Finish him! What’s the knife for, just for show?”

Just as I thought my life would end here, a thunderous shout came from the mouth of the alley: “Stop!”

The voice rang out like thunder, freezing the men in their tracks.

I managed to lift my head and saw a tall man striding into the alley.

My attackers hesitated, all eyes turning toward him.

He advanced step by step, his tone cold: “Are you all blind? Don’t you know whose turf this is? You dare cause trouble at my doorstep—do you have a death wish?”

The bald man turned to look, about to retort. Seeing the man was alone, he sneered, “Big guy, even if you can fight, can you take on all five of us?”

“We’re just passing by, picking up a little something. What are you here for—to die?”

The big man—Hu San—looked at them with cold contempt. “No wonder you dare make trouble here—you’re outsiders!”

“So what if we’re outsiders? A knife from out of town still draws blood from locals.”

Hearing their threats, Hu San only chuckled, retrieving a pair of brass knuckles from his jacket pocket and slipping them on.

His smile brimmed with disdain, as if these men before him were nothing.

“They say a mighty dragon can’t suppress a local snake. I’d like to see if you mangy dogs can bring me down today.”

His voice was low and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority.

The bald man’s face darkened further. With a look, he signaled his men, who closed in, their knives flashing coldly.

He sneered, “You really don’t know what’s good for you, big man. Let us teach you what rules are.”

Hu San snorted dismissively, his footsteps light as he stepped forward, closing the distance to one of the knife-wielding men in an instant.

Before the man could react, Hu San’s fist crashed into his face, the brass knuckles tearing into flesh. Blood spurted instantly.

The man screamed, clutching his face and stumbling back.

“Next,” Hu San said coldly, his eyes radiating lethal intent.