Chapter 143: Counter-Spear Play

"I think you're not as formidable as you cracked yourself up to be."

Xiao Cheng stepped out from around the corner and continued, "So, there was really no need for me to run in the first place."

Yun Shisan had chased him all the way. Although he hadn't suffered any major losses, he had been hit by one dirty trick after another and endured quite a bit of hardship. His suppressed anger was burning without an outlet, and now that Xiao Cheng had appeared, it played right into his hands!

"Kid, I—and our boss—hold no ill will toward you. Let me make that clear first. It was wrong of us to spy on you in secret, and I admit that. But we never intended to harm you. If you want to spar with me, I'm all for it. But after we finish, can we sit down and have a civilized chat?"

"Why waste your breath? You spied on me while I was taking a bath. Don't I have every right to beat you up for that?"

That statement sounded a bit gross, but if the angle of the surveillance camera mounted on the utility pole at the alley entrance was adjusted just right, it could indeed overlook the courtyard of Xiao Cheng's home. Usually, Xiao Cheng took his baths right there in the yard, using a self-made solar water heater fashioned from an iron bucket. From top to bottom, there was zero obstruction.

"It's been a while since I last got a beating. Come on!"

All nonsense aside, it was time to let fists and feet do the talking.

Today's Xiao Cheng was worlds apart from the person he had been when he first met Tiger Thai. He was right in the middle of a growth spurt, and whatever he ate instantly converted into raw strength. Strength had once been his only weakness, but in that department, he had made tremendous progress.

According to Tiger Thai's evaluation, Xiao Cheng in his weight class was now practically unrivaled among Sanda fighters. Foreigner had long stopped sparring with him; the way they used to train could no longer keep up with Xiao Cheng's rhythm. Meanwhile, Lord Tiger hadn't taught him any new forms or martial arts techniques, focusing solely on power yoga training.

Whenever someone acquired a bit of skill, they naturally wanted to test their limits. Lü Qi and Luohan around him were both burly and broad-shouldered, but neither had any professional training. If Xiao Cheng fought them, it would be no different from hitting a punching bag. Perhaps his strength wasn't quite there yet to deal lethal damage against their muscles, but they wouldn't even be able to lay a finger on him.

Therefore, seeing Yun Shisan, Xiao Cheng wanted to put his skills to the test.

Of course, Xiao Cheng had made a thorough assessment of Shisan's combat prowess. He certainly didn't expect that after training for a mere half-month, he could easily floor a seasoned professional standing right in front of him. Yet he remained utterly unfazed because he knew Yun Shisan wouldn't dare actually hurt him.

Indeed, Yun Shisan didn't dare let Xiao Cheng sustain any injuries, which meant his movements were severely restricted. He only dared to use two or three out of his ten tenths of strength, and even his speed was compromised. Besides, Xiao Cheng was no pushover; slippery as an eel, he always managed to exploit the fleeting window when Shisan's old momentum was spent and his new strength hadn't yet arisen to counterattack, as if every single move Shisan made was entirely within the boy's calculations.

The moment the fight broke out, Shisan began to silently curse his luck. The fellow opposite him was an absolute nightmare to deal with. In a genuine life-or-death duel, this kid would have been done for ages ago. But now, Seventh Master had explicitly forbidden him from harming the boy, or even offending him. This equated to a fight he was barred from winning, and he had no idea how it was all going to end.

Fists flew and legs kicked. Xiao Cheng was thoroughly enjoying himself, growing more and more confident with every exchange. The opponent definitely didn't dare to hurt him; right now, it felt just like sparring with Foreigner—and he was actually learning from it! This guy's skill level was much higher than Foreigner's; if he were allowed to unleash his full power, he'd probably be on par with Lord Tiger.

"Stop moving! Put your hands up!" Right in the middle of the exchange, Xiao Cheng suddenly twisted his body and, taking advantage of a lapse in Shisan's concentration, drew his gun once more.

This time, Yun Shisan didn't put on a front and obediently raised both hands. It was that same toy gun; the rubber bullets it fired couldn't even break the skin, causing nothing more than a sting. However, that very gun was currently pointed squarely at his crotch from point-blank range.

As a man, there were certain areas where one simply couldn't afford to take risks.

"Move an inch and I'll blow your nuts off! A toy gun, you say? Maybe it won't explode! But I reckon it feels no different from getting hit in the face—just a sharp pain. Care to test it out?"

Yun Shisan cursed inwardly while plastering a fake smile on his face. "No testing needed. I was wrong, I surrender, okay?"

Knowing the gun was fake, he hadn't paid it much mind initially. Who would have thought a fake gun could be used like this? They had been right in the middle of a fistfight, and suddenly the kid whipped out a weapon. Now, that fake gun was pressing right against the real deal in his trousers, making his heart race with panic. He simply couldn't muster the courage to gamble on it.

"Who are you, and why are you spying on me?"

Shisan had originally intended to explain anyway, so he held nothing back. "My name is Yun Shisan, affiliated with the Strategic Human Resources Department of Mangyou Group. Monitoring you was never done with malicious intent. The duty of our department is to scout for talent on behalf of the company. We wanted to invite you to join us, which is why we conducted further observation."

Xiao Cheng narrowed his eyes as he listened. At this point, anything Shisan said could potentially be a lie, so until he could verify it, Xiao Cheng wouldn't believe a single word.

"Take off your pants!"

"Are you kidding me?" Yun Shisan, who had just been acting amiable, instantly lost his temper. A scholar can be killed but not humiliated; did he really think that thing was a real firearm?

"Relax, I have no interest in men. But if you don't take your pants off, I'm afraid you might launch a sneak attack on my back. Just unbuckle your belt will do."

As Xiao Cheng spoke, he kept one hand steady with the gun pointing at Shisan while using the other to reach for the man's belt. Yun Shisan wasn't going to stand for that. He twisted his torso and blocked the muzzle with his thigh—even if a shot went off now, it would only hit his thigh, and since that area was thick-skinned, he could take the hit! Then, taking a small half-step back, he hooked his foot upward and kicked Xiao Cheng's pistol high into the air, before leaping forward and grabbing the weapon firmly in his hand.

The moment his gun was kicked into the air, Wen Xiaocheng didn't even harbor a single thought of trying to snatch it back. He spun around and bolted. By the time Yun Shisan caught the gun, Xiao Cheng was already heading down the stairs.

"This kid! What a piece of work!" The mere thought of Xiao Cheng pointing that pathetic piece of junk right at his crotch made Yun Shisan's blood boil. But the monk might run, yet the temple can't flee; he couldn't expect to exact revenge today. The mission was a failure, so he'd just have to wait for Seventh Master to come and clean up the mess.

Actually, the mission couldn't strictly be called a failure. Everything that needed to be understood had been understood. This kid was definitely the kind of freakish genius the boss often talked about. Leaving aside how he managed to trace his hotel using rental car information, even his choice of tactical positioning just now demonstrated intelligence far beyond ordinary people! Still, he was far too young, prone to childish impulses...

Just as these thoughts crossed his mind, he heard the sound of an engine starting downstairs. Shisan was startled and leaned out the window to look down. The white Foton he had driven there was already driving away!

"What the hell! This kid didn't learn anything good from that auto mechanic; he even knows how to steal cars now!" The moment that thought hit him, Shisan realized something was terribly wrong. He patted his pockets. "Holy crap! Where's my wallet?"

His phone, his wallet, and his car keys were all gone! The only thing left on him was the wireless earpiece hooked over his ear, and the little bastard hadn't even left him a lighter!

***

This was only the second time Xiao Cheng had ever driven a car. Previously, he had only sneaked a few practice sessions in Foreigner's Volkswagen Santana. For someone with an IQ well over three hundred, driving required no learning curve whatsoever. At that moment, he kept one hand on the steering wheel while pulling out his phone with the other, dialing the police emergency number.

"Hello! Is this the police? I'm by the Siyuan River in Dongfeng Town, near the unfinished building. Just now, I saw a young man in his early twenties carrying a gun and heading inside the unfinished building! He's about one meter eighty-two tall, quite solidly built, weighing around one hundred and fifty or sixty pounds, with a square face—looks a bit like Daniel Wu. He was wearing a white shirt with pointed collars and gray jeans... Oh, right, he had two pimples on his face!"

"Yes! He has a gun!"

***

Nobody guessed it right. I must say, as an author, I feel rather smug at a moment like this. I've always maintained that novels where you can guess the ending right from the start hold no real value. Unexpected yet entirely logical—that is the effect I strive to achieve. New readers aside, my loyal fans who have read all my works should think back to Liu Mang's Harvard admission letter or Liu, Guan, and Zhang's real estate flyer ads. This is the classic Wen Lidao formula through and through—how on earth did you guys manage to crash and burn here?