His tone, replete with compassion for humanity, sent shivers down the spines of several individuals. Initially, he asked for a mere finger; now, his demand escalated to a whole hand. This sudden inflation of price seemed unfair and devoid of humanity.
"Let's confront him!" The slender and tall figure, possessing some grit, rushed forward, only to be kicked down by Lin Yu. Then, Lin Yu's new Li-Ning-brand shoes trod upon his right wrist. With a light twist, a crisp sound of bone fracture echoed, piercing the skin with bone shards. The slender individual fainted immediately from the intense pain.
"I admire people with backbone the most. I'm curious, are you also one with such courage?" Lin Yu grinned as he looked toward the remaining two.
"Oh, no..." The stout individual, terrified, was about to flee. Before he could, a punch appeared before his eyes, causing a nosebleed. He fell stiffly, and Lin Yu stepped on his right wrist. With the crunch of breaking bones, the stout man joined the ranks of the disabled. Fortunately, he lost consciousness before feeling the excruciating pain of his shattered wrist.
"Crack, crack." The sound of bones fracturing made the girl shudder, burying her head in Lin Yu's embrace, trembling.
"What about you? As the ringleader, you should have some self-awareness. If I take action, well, your disabilities will multiply." Lin Yu gazed at Yellow Hair with pity.
Yellow Hair, however, remained resolute. Clenching his teeth, he picked up a dagger, roaring like a wolf. He rammed the blade through his already incapacitated right hand. Blood spurted like an arrow. Knowing he couldn't preserve his hands if he didn't act, he endured the pain.
Despite his severe injuries, he surprisingly remained conscious, worthy of his leadership role.
"You're obedient. Let me bandage the wound for you. I detest blood; it makes me faint." Lin Yu smiled, nodded at him, and walked away. Soon, he disappeared into an alley, turning onto a secluded path. Distantly, police sirens wailed, indicating their imminent arrival.
Observing Lin Yu's departure, the two thieves dared not linger. Dragging the half-disabled stout man, they hastened away, fearing they might be the first ones to be dealt with if they stayed to report the incident to the police.
However, Lin Yu found it challenging to walk away. The young woman remained tightly wrapped around his waist, embracing him ever since she met him for the second time. Her arms seemed fused to his body, making him feel like a husband caught in an affair with his mistress, unable to shake her off.
After walking a few steps with the girl still clinging to him, Lin Yu eventually stopped. Wiping his sweat, he helplessly asked, "Miss, how long do you plan to hold onto me like this?" He tried to pry her arms away but failed, afraid of hurting her, so he desisted.
"Ah..." It was then that the girl reacted, realizing she had been clinging to him for two blocks. Hastily releasing her grip, she glanced around like a startled deer, as if fearing the thugs might come after her.
A rare gust of breeze swept by, cooling her chest. Just as she was about to say "Thank you," she noticed Lin Yu's peculiar gaze, especially fixed on her chest. Lowering her head to look, she realized her torn blouse barely concealed anything. Instantly covering her chest, she let out a scream. Her slap missed as Lin Yu had already smiled and evaded to the side, his eyes still darting mischievously over her.
In a moment, the goodwill that had surfaced vanished. "Thug, pervert!" She stamped her feet, angrily forgetting that this rascal had just saved her.
"I feel you've converged in essence with those three ungrateful thieves..." Lin Yu chuckled, tossing a bag he had been holding all this while. Simultaneously, he turned away. The bag contained his torn clothes, which he had been reluctant to discard but now found a purpose for. This time, it was the girl's turn to express herself through art.
"Who wants your filthy clothes? Ugh, it's so dirty!" The girl grabbed the clothes, planning to throw them away but reconsidered, remembering she needed to cover herself. She reluctantly put them on, covering her modesty. Her forehead was covered in a fine sweat. The heat combined with the embarrassment left her flustered.
Taking multiple approaches to prevent sweating was in vain.
Glancing up, she found the young man had already walked far ahead. Anxious, she hurriedly chased after him, calling out, "Hey, where are you going?"
"Is it your concern?" Lin Yu's words wounded her pride.
"I, I can be concerned because I am the conscience of society!" The girl choked but then tried to assert herself.
"Conscience?" Lin Yu didn't understand and turned curiously toward her.
"The conscience of society. Haven't you ever said that journalists are the conscience of society?" The girl huffed, looking at him sideways, leaving Lin Yu, with his multiple bachelor's and master's degrees from prestigious foreign universities, feeling uncultured.
"Why not just say you're a journalist? Why use such flowery language and adopt a pseudonym, being so sarcastic and pretentious?" Lin Yu waved his hand, turning away again.
"Hey, where exactly are you going?" The girl kept close behind him.
Lin Yu sighed. This girl was indeed persistent, stubbornly holding on
like a dog with a bone. He touched his nose, reluctantly answering, "To do something very noble."
"A noble deed? Are you going to right some wrongs?" The girl's anger quickly dissipated, replaced by indescribable excitement.
She had just experienced what a modern-day hero in the city was like. Although his methods were a bit ruthless and he had a lecherous eye, his actions were admirable, satisfying, and liberating, leaving her excited and relieved.