Just as he laid on his bed, daydreaming and contemplating his next move, he suddenly heard a banging noise at the door. The unexpected sound startled Wang Ye.
Indeed, it wasn't merely a knock on the door but more of a violent pounding...
He raised his eyebrows, as if recalling something.
This seemed like a repeat of a previous incident - the only difference was that this time it concerned Song Xiaogang, not himself...
The noises had clearly awakened both Xiao Hei and Song Xiaogang.
"Who is it?" Song Xiaogang asked aloud.
"Open up, we need to ask Song Xiaogang something," the person outside replied in Chinese.
Upon hearing that it was another Chinese student studying abroad looking for him, Song Xiaogang quickly rolled out of bed, put on his slippers, turned on the internal lights, and went to open the door.
Wang Ye wanted to caution him against opening the door but couldn't think of a valid excuse in time.
When Song Xiaogang opened the door, he saw three young men standing outside, one tall and fat, one of medium build, and one who was short and skinny.
"Big Liu, why are you looking for me? And this is..." Song Xiaogang inquired.
He seemed to recognize the two taller men, but he had no recollection of the small, thin one.
Then what happened next was just as Wang Ye had expected...
The skinny man lifted up his eyes to look at Song Xiaogang and asked in an elongated voice, "Are you Song Xiaogang?"
From his voice, it seemed he had been drinking.
Song Xiaogang nodded and replied, "Yes, I am."
He was puzzled, wondering why these men were looking for him in the middle of the night.
But before he could finish his thought, he saw the short guy suddenly leap forward and kick him.
The incident was so abrupt that Song Xiaogang was taken wholly unprepared.
The kick landed solidly on his stomach...
Even for a robust man like him, that kick was tough to handle.
"Thud thud thud..." He stumbled back several steps, holding his stomach.
By now, Wang Ye had also sat up and clearly saw Song Xiaogang's face turning as white as a sheet, indicating that the kick had been really hard!
"Bloody hell, it was you who insulted me yesterday, wasn't it! You dared to insult me, motherf..." The skinny man raged, cursing as he rushed in, raising his leg to kick Song Xiaogang again.
But this time, Song Xiaogang was mentally prepared and swiftly dodged the incoming kick.
Given Song Xiaogang's physique, Wang Ye knew that he should've been able to easily overpower the skinny guy. He also knew that Song Xiaogang was no ordinary brute.
The guy had spent more than a decade training in the Tagou Martial Arts School!
Considering his skills and his size, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he could take on ten men like the skinny guy!
But, for some reason, Song Xiaogang made no move to fight back. He simply held his stomach with one hand, fending off the skinny man with the other while hurriedly explaining, "You must have misunderstood, mate. I've never insulted you. I don't even know who you are!"
Flipping his long hair back, the skinny man continued to rant, "Stop your bullshit, it was you! You were the one at the meal yesterday, insulting me, calling me a loafer, right! Dammit, you're damn right I'm a hooligan, and I'm here to beat you up!"
Upon hearing the skinny man's accusations, Song Xiaogang recalled the incident.
Yesterday was New Year's Day. The Boss of the Chinese Restaurant downstairs had invited all the Chinese international students from the preparatory building for a festive meal.
The Chinese Restaurant was located in an ancillary building of their dormitory, exuding an ancient flavor with its classic Chinese decoration.
The Boss, too, was a student studying abroad, currently pursuing his Ph.D. Rumor had it that he had a decent reputation here and was quite a 'Lao Mo'.
During that meal, the skinny guy sat at a table adjacent to Song Xiaogang, constantly boasting about how he had been a big shot back in China, and how no one dared to mess with him in his small hometown.
Claiming that he had come abroad only to avoid getting into trouble for assaulting someone...
Upon hearing his boasts, Song Xiaogang couldn't help but laugh, commenting to a mate next to him that the guy was just a loafer, nothing to brag about.
Presumably, the skinny man had overheard that comment, resulting in this late-night visit...
Alas, he was too outspoken for his own good. Speaking thoughtlessly abroad could indeed invite trouble!
In the brief moment that Song Xiaogang was lost in thought, the skinny guy walloped him several times.
From what he could perceive, this short guy indeed had a lot of fighting experience. Although his build was small, he didn't hold back...
Given the significant height difference, he always had to leap to launch an attack...
Song Xiaogang was entirely on the defensive, laying no counter-attacks, and the two guys who had accompanied the skinny man seemed to be deliberately acting as intermediaries.
They each held one of Song Xiaogang's arms, muttering to themselves.
"Alright, alright, let's just take a breather, we're all friends here, let's be peaceful."
"Stop it, stop it, that's enough, don't really start fighting."...
Although their words seemed to be attempting to break up the fight, their actions were restraining Song Xiaogang, leaving him unable to defend himself and forced to passively take the blows.
...
As soon as the fight commenced, Xiao Hei, who shared the room, quickly jumped out of bed, discretely exiting the room.
Now only Wang Ye, Song Xiaogang, and the three intruding guys were left in the room.
"Damn you! I'll make you pay for insulting me, I'll kill you!"
The short guy continued to swear as he grabbed a Laoganma chilli sauce bottle from a nearby table, leaping to smash it onto Song Xiaogang's head...
Wang Ye, unable to stand by and watch any longer, intervened. Up till now, he had remained silent on the sidelines.
But now, he stepped forward and with a swift front kick, solidly hit the skinny guy's shoulder.
Wang Ye was no weakling either. While he hadn't undergone martial arts training like Song Xiaogang, his stature was evident.
As a result of his kick, the skinny guy was sent flying, crashing into the tall guy who was holding Song Xiaogang back.
"Enough! You enjoy bullying others, don't you? You want to escalate this situation, right? Seems like you all want a taste of what it's like to be in a Moscow prison! Bursting into someone else's dorm and assaulting them in the middle of the night, shall I call the Administrator?" Wang Ye sternly retorted.
The skinny guy, blindsided by Wang Ye's kick, stumbled. His head spinning partly due to the alcohol he had consumed, and partly due to the kick he had received, he was quite disoriented, struggling to comprehend what had just happened.
Weren't they beating someone up? When did the tables turn...
His companions, seeing Wang Ye retaliate... rather, kick back, were at a loss for words. They wanted to say something but were subsequently silenced by Wang Ye's reprimand, leaving them dumbstruck.
Because what Wang Ye was saying was indeed their chief concern!
This was Moscow, a foreign land!
To be truthful, who wouldn't fear attracting trouble abroad?...
The reason they dared to come here at all was that they had been fortified by a bit of alcohol and the small man's bragging about his extensive street experience, surmising that Song Xiaogang wouldn't dare hit back.
Moreover, they had just come over to teach Song Xiaogang a lesson. As long as Song Xiaogang kept mum about the incident, it wouldn't create any trouble at all.
While he had correctly read Song Xiaogang's nature, he had entirely overlooked the unpredictable Wang Ye...