"I-I'm sorry, I lost my balance just now. It wasn't intentional." Lin Yu gazed at the two menacing hoodlums with bewildered panic, consciously shrinking his body backward, a picture of sheer fright. Meanwhile, the chubby man in white, adjusting his glasses, secretly relished the moment. "Stab him, stab this bastard..." He silently cheered on the pickpocket trio, albeit refraining from vocal encouragement.
"Not intentional? You think I'll buy that excuse!" The yellow-haired lad rubbed his head and swung a hefty slap. Coincidentally, the bus suddenly braked, causing the young man to stagger backward, narrowly evading the blow. The full force of the slap landed on an upright pole in the carriage, a solid iron object.
A weird cry emitted as the yellow-haired lad clutched his wrist, crouching in agony. Force had its reciprocation; excessive strength caused not much harm to the rail, but nearly fractured his palm bones.
"Are you alright? I truly didn't mean it." Lin Yu seemed genuinely terrified, apologizing fervently. His trembling demeanor drew a mixture of bemusement and disdainful glances from the passengers. They found it somewhat amusing and disdainful that someone of his stature and strength could be so intimidated by a few small-time thugs. What happened to the vigor he displayed earlier against the chubby man? It appeared he was more inclined to bully the weak than confront the strong—little did they realize, he was just as cowardly, lacking the courage to stand up for himself.
The rotund man in the distance observed these scenes unfolding, experiencing an inexplicable sense of satisfaction. Dark thoughts fermented within him, yearning for these assailants to pummel the lad, causing him to bleed profusely, to make this pseudo-moralistic individual suffer more—refusing to admit his own abject weakness, the suppressed lowliness within him at this moment fumed and raged, craving vindictive actions.
Coincidentally, the bus halted, and the middle door swung open.
"Get him off the bus!" The yellow-haired lad bellowed, asserting dominance.
"Go, get off! We'll deal with you." The tall, thin ruffian grabbed Lin Yu's collar, dragging him towards the door. Simultaneously, the stout one kicked Lin Yu's legs from behind, aiming for his knee. Somehow, his kick missed, and facing the middle door's stairs, he lost his balance, comically rolling down like a ball. The carriage resonated with stifled laughter.
"Don't hit him, please..." The scavenging old man stood up in alarm, trying to intervene. However, the group had already shoved and pushed Lin Yu off the bus. The middle door slammed shut, departing, leaving the old man clinging to the window, his aged face displaying fear and panic.
"Kind sirs, spare me, please. Where are you taking me?" Lin Yu, shoved and jostled by the infuriated thugs, appeared fearful and shaky, his voice trembling.
"Join us for a meal." The yellow-haired lad sneered maliciously, feeling infuriated. Opening the wallet he snatched from the chubby man, he found merely seventy-odd dollars. Not only had this trip been in vain, but his identity was also exposed on the bus, rendering it impossible to continue operations. Furthermore, the frustration of the failure escalated his pent-up anger, craving an outlet.
"Thank you, but I'm not hungry." Lin Yu hastily waved his hands in confusion.
"To hell with you! You're done!" The tall, thin thug pushed him into an alleyway. It was a secluded spot; even if someone was killed here, no one would discover it. The yellow-haired lad advanced menacingly, while the stout one picked up a brick, keeping a watchful eye.
"What are you going to do?" Lin Yu finally sensed the danger, nervously swallowing and pressing against the wall.
"Do? We're going to kill you!" The yellow-haired lad, who hadn't managed to strike Lin Yu during the bus incident, now frustrated by a botched initial heist and his pent-up anger, was like a cannon ready to explode.
However, as his fist moved forward, it froze in mid-air.
"Sir, I'm not a woman, nor do I engage in romantic dalliances, so your wish to end me might remain unfulfilled." Lin Yu effortlessly grabbed the yellow-haired lad's fist, his frightened and panicked demeanor vanishing. Instead, a hint of disdain and mockery lingered on his lips. His gaze, akin to an elephant observing an ant, carried a subtle sharpness, akin to a blade drawn from icy waters.
An inexplicable fear surged within the yellow-haired lad. Instinctively, his leg kicked out, aiming for Lin Yu's abdomen. But as he kicked, he suddenly felt a surge of force on his fist, as if caught in a vice, the sound of bones cracking resonating.
"Ah..." The yellow-haired lad cried out, his entire leg softened, and he knelt involuntarily, tears of pain nearly flowing. His fist had been shattered and deformed.
!
"Let go of our boss." The slender tall one beside, flaunting and brandishing the glistening knife up and down for a flashy display and intimidation, hadn't anticipated that in a split second, their leader would already be kneeling down. His mixture of shock and fury led him to thrust the knife toward Lin Yu's abdomen.
"Ah..." This time, it was still Yellow-Haired who screamed in pain. Lin Yu merely gave a slight tug, pulling Yellow-Haired's fist to shield his own body. The razor-sharp knife immediately punctured through Yellow-Haired's arm, causing a gush of blood.
"Get the hell off me..." The stocky accomplice, sensing the unfavorable situation, rushed over for support. Before he could reach, a brick flew toward them. Lin Yu swiftly lifted his foot, connecting it to the slender tall one's shin bone as he was stepping back with the knife. The tall one stumbled sideways, colliding with the brick thrown by the stocky accomplice. With a dull thud, the slender one clutched his head, wailing in pain. A sizable gash opened on the left side of his forehead, blood streaming profusely.
After releasing Yellow-Haired, who had been nearly breathless from his screams, Lin Yu stepped over the collapsed slender tall one, who was still holding his head on the ground. Lin Yu then approached the dumbfounded stocky man, wearing a friendly smile reminiscent of a national leader meeting a leader from a small African nation.
"Well done, striking with precision!" He reached out to pat the stocky man's shoulder, praising him.