"You reckless fool!"
The middle-aged man sneered as the teenager charged toward him.
He was reminded of the wild beasts he had once trapped in the mountains.
Before resigning to their fate, they too would desperately ram against the cage door.
Usually, a few brutal kicks at that point would make them obedient.
The middle-aged man squinted at the furiously rushing teenager, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Just as the boy was about to reach him, the man moved.
"SMACK!"
His thick right leg, like a whip, tore through the curtain of rain, brutally kicking the boy.
The boy didn't even utter a grunt before being sent flying sideways by the blow. He slammed into the nearby wall and rolled into the darkness at its base.
"PTUI!"
The middle-aged man twisted his neck, spitting out the rainwater that had trickled into his mouth. He then walked step by step towards the boy.
"Damn you! Think I'm your stepping stone?"
The man looked down at the boy curled up on the ground, laughing and cursing disdainfully.
He squatted, reaching out to grab the teenager.
But just as his hand neared, an icy palm firmly grasped his wrist.
Still got some fight in you?
The man was taken aback. He instinctively raised his free left fist, ready to smash it down.
Just then, a terrifying force surged from his wrist.
Before he could react...
"CRACK—"
...he watched helplessly as his captured wrist snapped like a dry twig.
His entire hand was still firmly gripped by the boy, the torn tendons and fascia at the break site pulling from beneath his skin, causing excruciating pain.
The boy violently yanked his hand back.
Dragged by the pain, the middle-aged man involuntarily lurched forward.
"BANG—"
It felt as if something had viciously slammed into his head, forcing him to involuntarily reel backward.
Then he was hoisted up.
In the pouring rain, two figures, pressed tightly together, charged forward madly.
Finally...
"BANG—"
...they crashed heavily into the van parked at the alley's entrance.
The van shuddered violently. Its front was slightly dented, and a headlight cover shattered with a CRACK.
Then... everything quieted.
Rain fell. Lightning flashed through the dark clouds.
The group of men in raincoats, armed with clubs and cleavers, stood dumbfounded, utterly caught off guard by the swiftness of events.
"Hei... Hei!"
Someone snapped out of it and yelled.
By the now-silent front of the van, a figure slowly rose, turned, and faced them all.
The orange headlights shone from behind him, the downpour merging into the shadows at his feet.
"Hei?"
The blond-haired youth in the lead vigorously wiped the rain from his face. Gripping his steel pipe, he cautiously took two steps forward, trying to make out the figure's face.
But the figure suddenly lunged the next second.
A timely clap of thunder split the night sky, illuminating the figure.
It was a handsome face, lips pressed tight, its fierce expression tinged with a hint of trepidation.
"Shit!"
The blond youth, startled, blurted out, "This isn't Hei—"
"BANG—"
Before he could finish, he was struck head-on and sent tumbling back into the crowd behind him.
The fight erupted once more in an instant!
「...」
With two attribute points suddenly dumped entirely into Strength, Lu Yuan felt as if a wild beast had been forcibly stuffed into his body!
This beast roared savagely within him, driving his rampage.
He instantly sent the blond youth blocking his way flying and then barreled ferociously into the crowd.
Both of Lu Yuan's hands were clenched into fists.
In his state of "Absolute Focus," all the din of the heavy rain seemed to recede, leaving only the whistle of weapons cutting through the air beside his ears.
He could clearly see every action of the people before him, their faces contorted with expressions of shock, rage, fear, or ferocity.
Using his forward momentum, Lu Yuan viciously punched a crew-cut youth in front of him squarely in the face.
The youth collapsed like a puppet struck on the head, falling to the ground without a sound.
Then, Lu Yuan fiercely kicked another man holding a cleaver in the chest!
"CRACK—"
Lu Yuan felt like he had broken something.
The man he kicked shot backward like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the people behind.
Just then, he felt a blow to his back.
Whirling around, Lu Yuan saw a man holding a baseball bat staring at him fiercely.
But as their eyes met, the man couldn't help but flinch.
Lu Yuan gritted his teeth and threw a left hook.
The man didn't have time to raise his arms before the punch sent him flying sideways, crashing into a pile of junk in the corner by the wall with a clatter.
By now, the expressions on the two remaining men had turned to sheer terror.
Their Adam's apples bobbed uncontrollably, and they began to shrink back timidly.
A flicker of ferocity crossed Lu Yuan's face as he strode menacingly towards them...
「Two minutes later.」
The battle was completely over.
Lu Yuan stood amidst a group of men sprawled on the ground, panting heavily.
Rainwater poured down on him, gradually extinguishing the fire that had been raging in his chest.
He was completely soaked to the bone but seemed oblivious.
Only when his violently pounding heart gradually slowed its rhythm did he begin to regain his composure.
Lu Yuan picked up a baseball bat from the ground and went around, delivering a few more blows to each of the fallen men.
He did this to ensure they couldn't get back up, and also to check if he had accidentally beaten any of them to death.
After all, he had struck with great force, and for several of them, he had aimed for vital spots.
When he finished with the last one—the blond youth whose leg he had just brutally broken—Lu Yuan casually tossed the baseball bat aside. The youth stared up at him as if seeing a ghost.
Lu Yuan paid him no mind.
He didn't know when his heart had become so hard. Probably... it was when he'd been pushed to the brink before.
Lu Yuan took out his phone from his pocket, clumsily wiping the water from the screen.
The screen lit up, showing several missed calls from his mom and dad.
Thankfully, it isn't broken...
Lu Yuan let out a slight sigh of relief and then returned his mother's call.
"...I'm coming, I'll be home right away."
After hanging up, he casually took a phone from one of the groaning, rain-soaked men on the ground and dialed the police.
Once all this was done, Lu Yuan walked a couple more steps down the alley.
He saw a small, partially open door from which a faint light emanated.
He felt his other pants pocket, sensing the pink hairpin inside. After a moment's hesitation, he carefully pushed the door open and went in.
The room was empty.
The bare room contained only a traditional, square red table littered with cigarette butts on the floor around it. Beside it, an old standing fan creaked as it oscillated.
Lu Yuan immediately spotted a black oilcloth bag discarded in a corner.
As if hearing him enter, the bag rustled slightly.
Lu Yuan wiped the rainwater from his face and strode quickly towards the bag.
He crouched in front of it and heard increasingly rapid breathing coming from within...
Taking a deep breath, he quickly flung the bag open.
"RUSTLE—"
The instant the bag was opened, the person inside trembled violently as if startled but made no sound.
A small, pale face quickly came into Lu Yuan's view.
Lu Yuan froze.
Lying before him was a small, thin girl whose mouth was sealed with duct tape.
She was still wearing her school uniform. It was blue and white, with "Burnt Rock No.1 Middle School" embroidered on the chest.
She had large eyes and a pointed chin.
She looked to be around the same age as Ling Yue and wore an identical hairpin.
Yet, she was even prettier than Ling Yue.
A mistake?
Only then did Lu Yuan realize his misunderstanding.
But she was also kidnapped.
Lu Yuan shook his head, banishing the irrelevant thoughts. He then tore the tape from the girl's mouth and said gently, "Don't be scared. I'll get you out of here."
The girl didn't speak, merely stared at Lu Yuan, her face a mask of terror.
When Lu Yuan tried to help her up, she kept shrinking away.
So he simply scooped her up into his arms.
"POUR—"
The heavy rain continued to fall outside.
Lu Yuan sprinted quickly through the alley, carrying the girl, whom he had covered with the black oilcloth bag.
Upon reaching the alley entrance, he jumped directly onto the van blocking it and vaulted over its roof.
Once outside the alley, Lu Yuan ducked under the awning of a nearby shop.
He carefully set the girl down.
Lifting the oilcloth bag that covered her, he saw the schoolgirl curled up like a kitten in his arms, the terror on her face having faded considerably.
It seemed she finally realized she had been rescued.