Chapter 98: Murder!

"Fuck!" Hearing that, Lei Yang rushed forward to slap Xiao Cheng, but Lv Qi, being tall and burly, blocked in front and caught the blow with one hand. Lei Yang flushed with rage and slapped Lv Qi across the face.

"You fucking looking for death, huh?"

Lv Qi didn't retaliate...

He wasn't afraid of a fight, only that he didn't want to get beaten up and fined after the recent lesson.

Xiao Cheng sighed inwardly, shook his head, and smiled. "Brother Lei Yang, let's talk it out—no need to fight. You want to force yourself on Ding Si Na? It has nothing to do with us. We won't stop you if you're in the mood!"

With that, he shoved Ding Si Na forward and whispered, "Scream for help!"

Ding Si Na froze, then understood. When Lei Yang reached to grab her, she let out a piercing cry for help. Behind her, Xiao Cheng sneered coldly, "Lv Wudi, it's your turn now. Call it a fight, not chivalry. Got it?"

The words unleashed the beast in Lv Qi's chest. The massive man shook his frame, gripped the bicycle handlebars, and spun the bike into a half-circle. As the group scrambled backward, Xiao Cheng reached out and pulled Ding Si Na to safety.

Now it was Lv Wudi's show. At 1.86 meters tall and weighing over two hundred jin (around one hundred kilograms), he swung his arms like a giant teddy bear. With one swing, the tattooed hooligan crashed to the ground. Lei Yang barely managed a punch; Lv Qi brushed it aside and staggered backward four or five steps with heavy thuds.

These street thugs looked tough but fought as one. None wanted to fall behind, charging up only to be hurled back by Lv Qi one by one.

Xiao Cheng watched in stunned disbelief. He had thought his own skills would make short work of Lv Qi, but seeing the fight unfold, his heart raced. Lv Wudi fought like a mad bear, ignoring every blow. Even a solid punch to the stomach only made him grunt. Yet when he seized someone, it was a spinning cycle of flips.

Clearly he was holding back. He relied mostly on slaps, rarely using his fists. Otherwise these boys' builds would have crumbled under him—except Lei Yang, and even that one might not survive a full strike.

Ding Si Na stood beside Xiao Cheng, lips pursed. "Why aren't you helping?"

Xiao Cheng sneered inwardly. "Lv Qi beat all these so-called brothers by himself, and I'm bearing witness too!"

While they had been trading barbs earlier, Xiao Cheng had quietly activated his phone's recording function. Whether the situation became a fight or a rescue depended entirely on how they framed it. Charging in made them parties to the incident; the words they spoke were their statements. Standing aside as observers turned them into witnesses, whose testimony carried far greater weight.

More importantly, Lv Wudi alone could handle them all.

His arms were as thick as a normal person's thighs, muscles coiled like iron. Xiao Cheng watched and ran mental simulations. Against an opponent like Lv Qi, punches would do little damage. Attacking the head was risky—he was tall and broad, making it easy to expose his own openings. Without weapons and barring underhanded tactics like gouging eyes or striking the groin, there was no winning move.

He quietly set his goal: through rigorous summer training, he would one day be able to knock out a brute like Lv Wudi with a single punch.

On the battlefield, five hooligans had each been taken down at least once. In the eyes of school bullies, he was a godlike figure. Today that image had shattered. Five against one, yet he could not defeat a junior high school student.

Lv Wudi who fought one against five!

Lv Qi was holding back. The five were disheveled but largely unharmed. Still, being outnumbered and beaten by a mere junior high student was humiliating—especially with Ding Si Na watching.

Lei Yang's eyes burned red. Gritting his teeth, he charged again. He took the slap without flinching, twisted around to lock onto Lv Qi's waist, and shouted to the earring-wearing thug behind him, "Xiaotao! Stab him!"

Wen Xiao Cheng, still pretending to watch from the sidelines, nearly soiled himself. He bolted forward like lightning. At the same time, the earring guy drew a switchblade, face twisted in fury, lunging at Lv Qi. They arrived at the same moment. Xiao Cheng caught a glint of cold steel. That second stretched like time had frozen. In his mind he ran through a hundred simulations, but no matter what he chose, he was a heartbeat too slow.

The switchblade sank into Lv Qi's lower belly. Xiao Cheng shoved him at the last instant. The blade didn't go all the way through, but it buried six or seven centimeters deep. Lv Qi roared in agony, snatched the knife, and kicked Xiaotao away with savage force. He staggered, then collapsed heavily to the ground.

Lei Yang, still clutching his waist from behind, froze in terror and released him like he had been shocked.

Xiao Cheng's face twisted with fury. He swung a full punch into Lei Yang's jaw, then turned to grab Xiaotao. The man rolled and scrambled backward. Lv Qi lay on the pavement, sweat pouring down his forehead, the blade still embedded in his gut, blood already flooding his abdomen.

Lei Yang's teeth rattled from the strike. Realizing the wound was fatal, he panicked. After taking the punch he had finally snapped into clarity. He shouted "Run!" and the group scattered toward the opposite side of the road like startled birds.

Though the area around the unfinished building wasn't bustling, school had just let out, so some pedestrians still walked the streets. Earlier, people who saw the fight had kept their distance. Now that blood was visible, someone screamed "Murder!" The crowd scattered in panic, fearing to be caught in the crossfire.

"Make way! Make way!" Lei Yang and his companions reached the opposite side. Five men, three motorcycles, hands shaking, they fumbled with keys for a long time without inserting them into the locks. Xiao Cheng wanted to chase but hesitated and gave up. These were local thugs; they couldn't escape far. The priority now was to save Lv Qi.

He glanced back. Lv Qi lay sprawled on the ground, blood soaking his pants crimson. Ding Si Na trembled beside him, unsure what to do.

Switchblades were among the most lethal controlled weapons. Even non-vital stabs could kill from blood loss if help arrived too late. Time was life, yet this riverside alley, especially around the unfinished building, had few people and mostly bicycles. No car could be flagged down.

"What do we do? What do we do?" Ding Si Na pressed desperately on the wound, blood everywhere, tears streaming down her face. "Xiao Cheng, think of something fast—there's so much blood!"

Xiao Cheng was torn. The medical system in the small town was primitive; the town hospital lacked surgical facilities, and this switchblade injury was hopeless. Residents here knew that even calling 120, the ambulance would take at least half an hour. In half an hour, the blood would be gone!

"Professor Dai, must be home, must be home!" Xiao Cheng muttered, dialing the number. Professor Dai lived in Riverside Garden along Siyuan River—the closest by far—and he owned a car!

Beep… beep… beep…

Grandpa, Grandpa! You're my real grandpa—pick up the phone, damn it!

"You little rascal, finally remembered your old man..." The line connected.

"Shut up and listen. Emergency! Are you at home? A friend of mine was stabbed—bleeding badly, can't flag a car. Hurry and drive over to save him!"

"Where?"

"Unfinished building! The spot where we were watching the fight. I'm right across the road!"

"Got it. I'm coming right now!"

One update a day, aren't you moved? It's Monday today, and I'm shamelessly asking for rewards.