Lin Wanrong savored the familiar fragrance, but for a moment, he couldn't recall what it was. He delicately touched the leaves with his hands, feeling their rough texture, and the scent was somewhat overpowering.
"What is this thing?" Lin Wanrong furrowed his brow, but he was certain he had encountered this before.
"Big brother, are you afraid?" Dong Qingshan asked beside Lin Wanrong. Despite his experience in brawls, being young and facing such a large-scale confrontation for the first time, he couldn't hide his nervousness.
Lin Wanrong nodded, saying, "I feel a bit uneasy for the first time, but I'll get used to it. By the way, Qingshan, do you know what kind of leaves these are?" He plucked a leaf and inquired.
Dong Qingshan scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and said, "I don't know what it is. We see a lot of them growing wild. Sometimes we dry them for firewood, but the smell is quite pungent."
Just as Lin Wanrong was about to speak, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from a distance. His hearing had become exceptionally keen since Wei Lao's initiation.
"Someone is coming," Lin Wanrong whispered.
Dong Qingshan's expression tightened, and he immediately signaled for the vegetation around them to quiet down.
A burly man approached from a distance, followed by twenty or thirty others, all with a menacing appearance. They walked crookedly and seemed accustomed to unruly behavior.
"That's Li Ergou up front," Dong Qingshan whispered to Lin Wanrong.
Lin Wanrong nodded, "Qingshan, how do you plan to handle this?"
"Go out, talk to them, and then start the fight," Dong Qingshan said with righteous determination.
"Talk? Nonsense." Lin Wanrong found it amusing, patting Dong Qingshan on the head, "When I signal, tell the little brothers to charge out. No one makes a sound, just hit anyone you see. Hit them as hard as you can until they cry for their parents. Don't stop for anyone."
"Big brother, you mean we won't talk?" Dong Qingshan, who initially had a sense of chivalry, dreamed of a fair and upright fight, had his dream shattered by Lin Wanrong's ruthless reality. However, he was not a fool; once the cumbersome notions were dispelled, he immediately became more agile.
"Talk? Do you think this is a martial arts competition, little brother? We're in the underworld, and what matters here is blood. The one with the quickest hands will survive," Lin Wanrong explained.
Dong Qingshan quickly understood, a hint of ferocity flashing in his eyes. "Right, big brother, we're fighting for turf. There's no need for righteousness. The winner is the king, and the loser is the enemy."
Lin Wanrong nodded in satisfaction and had Li Beidou relay the message.
After waiting for a while, seeing the approaching group, Li Ergou's voice came, "Where's Dong Qingshan? Why hasn't he shown up yet? We'll clean up that little thing later."
They were the overlords of the southern gate, not even considering Dong Qingshan. They hadn't even scouted ahead; they just boldly rushed over.
Lin Wanrong tightened his grip on the iron rod, moving slowly. He had consumed quite a bit of alcohol at noon, and his mind was not entirely clear. Being with these hooligans, he suddenly felt several years younger, a surge of excitement making his wheat-colored skin flush.
As Li Ergou entered the attack range, Lin Wanrong stood up abruptly, took a few quick steps, and charged out with the iron rod. The exhilarating blood rush made his skin turn red.
"Damn, the boss is even more fierce than me. Dong Qingshan stood behind Lin Wanrong, watching him charge out faster than himself.
Dong Qingshan roared, wielding an iron rod and rushing forward like a leopard.
The hooligans, their blood already boiling, brandished machetes, iron rods, and wooden sticks, following behind Dong Qingshan and Li Beidou. They charged out together, red-eyed, silently attacking whoever they saw.
Li Ergou was closest to Lin Wanrong. He dumbly watched a guy with healthy, wheat-colored skin charging at him with an iron rod. Was this guy from last night? Was the girl he messed with his sister?
Seizing the opportunity while Li Ergou was dazed, Lin Wanrong rushed forward, delivering a powerful blow to Li Ergou's head.
Although Wei Lao's initiation was not entirely successful, the force it provided should not be underestimated. Lin Wanrong's movements were much more agile, and his strength had increased significantly.
Li Ergou, who had worked his way up through struggles, was taken by surprise. Due to the suddenness of the attack and Lin Wanrong's formidable strength, Li Ergou couldn't dodge in time. Lin Wanrong's heavy blow knocked him unconscious on the spot.
Watching the crimson blood slowly flowing down, Lin Wanrong felt an indescribable pleasure. He licked his lips gently, then struck another heavy blow.
Li Ergou grunted, slowly collapsing, his eyes filled with incredulity.
One of Li Ergou's henchmen, witnessing their boss fall, swung a wooden stick heavily at Lin Wanrong's back.
Lin Wanrong let out a muffled groan, a huge bruise appearing on his back, but he didn't fall.
Turning around, he struck the henchman's face with a backhand swing. The fiery pain on his back gave him a perverse sense of satisfaction.
Dong Qingshan rushed over and, with a fierce blow, struck Li Ergou.
Lin Wanrong glanced at Li Ergou, knowing that even if this guy survived, he could only spend the rest of his life in bed.
In this battle, Dong Qingshan emerged victorious. Lin Wanrong, although having fought numerous times before, it was all before entering university. After entering university, using the trendy saying, everyone was civilized, and he never had the chance to fight, which he regretted.
In this world, he felt completely unrestrained, and today presented the opportunity to have a satisfying brawl, dispelling some of the frustrations accumulated in this world.
Dong Qingshan's subordinates, having witnessed Lin Wanrong's ruthless and swift actions, greatly admired him.
"Ouch!" Lin Wanrong felt the burning pain on his back only when he sat down. It was like being burned. That guy really went heavy. Lin Wanrong hated him but couldn't help admiring himself for turning the enemy's boss into an idiot.
"It's okay. Let my sister help you clean it up when we go back. Whenever I get injured in a fight, my sister always helps me," Dong Qingshan casually said, not having suffered much in the fight. Despite being twenty against thirty, since Lin Wanrong had taken down the enemy's leader right away, the battle was quite easy.
"Boss, you really know how to fight," Li Beidou, who had taken a hit on his buttocks, his pants torn, and his behind swollen, approached Lin Wanrong.
Lin Wanrong gritted his teeth, "Qingshan, Be
idou, remember, once you step on this path, there's no turning back. To succeed, you must be darker, more stable, and more ruthless than others."
"Boss, I understand." The two nodded together. "By the way, boss, are you still going to the Xiao family?"
As long as they didn't mention the Xiao family, Lin Wanrong was fine. Once they brought it up, Lin Wanrong suddenly shouted, "Not good!"
Ignoring the pain, he stood up and ran, his voice echoing from afar, "Get the team ready, dinner tonight!"