```
That's the way!
Wu Jie swiftly dodged, slipping past Lin Hu's heavy punch, and countered with a hook punch right on the chin.
Fierce strength, precise targeting of vital points!
One hit and Lin Hu saw stars, stumbling backward.
The two underlings flanking from both sides were no match; one kick sent each flying.
The skills of a professional fighter—how could these street thugs compare?
After knocking them down in a few moves, Wu Jie dislocated their shoulders.
He collected all their wallets and phones, piled them together, and then used his phone to send Tang Xiao a short video.
"These are their ID cards, this is their pride. The lighting's not great, but make do with it!"
After recording, Wu Jie flung the ID cards directly onto Lin Hu's face.
"Kid, I had no idea you knew martial arts!"
Lin Hu, broad-backed and stocky, might have learned some martial arts, but he was no match for Wu Jie.
Now, with dislocated shoulders and a broken leg, he sat paralyzed on the ground, unable to move.
"Son of a bitch!"
Wu Jie cursed spontaneously.
What could he do?
The system cheerfully reported that Lin Hu's hatred had only increased by +20.
From this, it was evident how much Wang Kun looked down on Wu Jie, sending such a worthless thug to beat him up.
"There's a lot you didn't see coming!" Wu Jie stepped on Lin Hu's broken leg. "Feels good? Is the pressure just right?"
"I... fuck your mom!"
Lin Hu wished he could kill Wu Jie right then.
The leg was already broken, yet Wu Jie pressed down hard on the wound and had the nerve to ask if it was comfortable... Did he think this was a massage?
Ding!
[System: You've gained Lin Hu's hatred +20]
Wu Jie wasn't satisfied and pressed down with his foot on the others for a 'massage'.
"Appreciate you guys accompanying me all this way, time for a little relaxation!"
"Wu Jie! You son of a bitch, if you have the guts, kill me; otherwise, I swear I'll slaughter you!"
Lin Hu glared furiously, roaring with all his might.
"Killing is against the law, but self-defense isn't! So... I'll wait for you to come at me, or how else can I 'defend' myself by killing you?"
Wu Jie chuckled, pulled Lin Hu's hand to unlock his phone with the fingerprint, then dialed the most recent number.
The call connected quickly, and Wu Jie turned on speakerphone.
"Huzi, how's it going? Take a video with the phone app and send it to me. As long as I see him squirming in pain, you'll get every penny of your final payment."
Hearing Wang Kun's voice, Lin Hu was mortified.
Wu Jie squirming in pain?
Damn! It should be the three of them, right?
"Mr. Wang, we... we're screwed. This kid damn knows martial arts, I..."
Before Lin Hu could finish, Wu Jie turned off the speakerphone, picked up the phone, stood up with a smile and said:
"Mr. Wang, hello, this is Wu Jie! I had no idea you were so hospitable, not only inviting me to a lavish meal but also arranging for three people to accompany me home—it's very considerate of you!"
Wang Kun didn't say a word!
Probably had no idea what to say.
After several seconds, Wang Kun finally asked coldly, "Aren't you just an ordinary employee? Huzi and his three men are not your match?"
Wu Jie laughed heartily, "A country boy used to digging soil, handling manure, and farming, I've got enough strength to deal with a few petty animals, I hope that didn't embarrass you, Mr. Wang!"
"Fine! You've got guts, kid, but don't think you've won just because you've beaten Lin Hu and his crew. I'm not afraid of you! You better watch your back from now on, I'm not letting this go!!"
Leaving a threatening message, Wang Kun hung up the call.
```
Ding!
[System: Harvested +6000 Hate from Wang Kun]
Wu Jie wiped his cellphone clean of fingerprints, snapped it shut, and tossed it in front of Lin Hu.
"Go back and tell your Mr. Wang," he said, "I'm not afraid of a man with nothing to lose. If he wants to play, I'll see it through to the end. If he takes it too far, I'll cut him down like chopping a chicken!"
Lin Hu didn't make a sound, and only after Wu Jie had walked far away did he, glaring resentfully, grit his teeth in pain and use his dislocated hand to pick up the phone and call an ambulance.
Not far away, in a small grove.
Wu Jie hadn't gone straight home but was sitting in a pavilion, chatting idly with Tang Xiao over voice call.
"If you were hurt by Lin Hu and his gang, he would soon forget you, not even knowing your name. But now, it's the exact opposite. From what I know of these young nobles, you are in danger. You've successfully fueled his competitive spirit, and he will definitely find ways to hit back and retaliate until you kneel and beg for mercy!"
Wu Jie laughed, "Yeah, right now our relationship is just of superior and subordinate in the workplace. Can you imagine if he found out we're lovers? He'd definitely have the heart to kill me!"
Tang Xiao laughed, "So... scared of being my fake boyfriend? If you are, it's still not too late to terminate our cooperation. Otherwise, once our relationship comes to light and more suitors learn about you, it'll be hard for you to shake them off."
Wu Jie huffed, "Scared? I'm not scared of anything but poverty."
Tang Xiao chuckled, "That's the spirit. You should rest early then. If Wang Kun goes too far, remember to tell me in time. Try not to kill anyone, though."
"Of course, I intend to live a long life. As for his dog life... heh, I'll do my best!"
After hanging up the call, the sound of an alarm rang out; the ambulance had come for the rescue.
Wu Jie didn't join the commotion. After confirming he wasn't being followed, he hurried back to his shared rental house.
Before, he was driving luxury cars and dining with beautiful women in high-end Western restaurants with per capita expenses of thousands or even tens of thousands...
Now, he was listening to the creaking of the adjacent bed and standing in agony, holding it in at the door of the only restroom in his shared rental...
Wu Jie felt like his life was going to the dogs.
If he had known it would come to this, he would have drunk less of those juices that cost hundreds of bucks a glass and opted for more Kobe beef!
Finally!
The bathroom door opened, and it was the programmer guy who lived in the next room.
He always takes ages in the bathroom, never getting up until his legs numbed from squatting.
"Hey, the toilet is clogged, and I haven't flushed it yet!"
Bang!
Wu Jie slammed the door shut.
"No worries, I can't hold it any longer!"
Whoosh...
What a relief!
After flushing the toilet and taking a quick shower, Wu Jie went back to his room. His first task wasn't to go into the live stream to attract hate, but to look for a new place online.
Dammit!
He was, after all, a man possessed by a system, with savings of over two hundred thousand.
Though it was in energy points, there was no way he should still be living like this, right?
Time to move!
His requirements weren't high: a master bedroom with a private bathroom, or a small studio apartment would do just fine.
But when he looked at the prices, damn, were they expensive!
In well-connected neighborhoods with complete amenities, a nicely furnished one-bedroom apartment starts at at least four thousand a month. A master bedroom with its own bathroom starts at no less than fifteen hundred.
As for buying a house...
He might as well wash up and go to bed. With prices soaring to tens of thousands per square meter, even selling Wu Jie wouldn't cover it.
With the principles of saving money yet living comfortably, and considering that he had to play the fake boyfriend to a beautiful CEO and couldn't live too shabbily, Wu Jie picked out a few one-bedroom apartments.
Rent plus utilities and property fee would be about five thousand. He noted down the contact information, planning to reach out to the landlords over the weekend to see the apartments.
However, Tang Xin suddenly sent a message, and it was to his surprise, a voice note.
He played it, and her voice was crisp and pleasant, charming and melodious.
"Principle! Why aren't you in the live stream tonight, not online gaming either? Hurry, I'm waiting for you to join for a round of 'chicken-eating'!"