The population of Meteor Street is close to 10 million. The architectural layout is a cross, with four broad and straight main streets dividing the area into four regions.
Here, there is no government interference. The entire Meteor Street is managed by the Council of Elders, which consists of four elders governing the four regions in the south, east, west, and northwest. Although there are factions, there is no factional conflict.
Machi's residence is located in the West Street area. By passing through a narrow alley, you can reach the main road of West Street. If you continue to the end, you will reach the exit of Meteor Street. The area outside the city is full of rubbish, and trucks frequently arrive from outside to dump garbage indiscriminately.
Ryuuji and Machi walked side by side and came to the main road of West Street.
There were many people on the street. When they saw Ryuuji, they all cast looks of contempt at him. Some people even spat on him, but no one did anything more outrageous.
"What's going on?"
The hostility shown by the residents baffled Ryuuji. Was it because he was an outsider? But Meteor Street accepted anything; there was no reason to resist him unless it was because he wasn't a child.
Moreover, if they resisted his arrival, they wouldn't have been so calm for the past twenty days.
"Machi, what's the matter with them?" Ryuuji was puzzled and a little furious. He quietly closed the distance between them and asked in a low voice.
Machi glanced at him and said faintly, "They don't know your situation. Because you've been staying in my house and never leaving, they treat you like a sheltered child."
Self-reliance is a basic quality for survival on Meteor Street. From the moment one is abandoned here, the idea of self-reliance is etched into the bone marrow. Even babies who have lost their limbs since birth find ways to survive by the age of four or five. Let alone people with sound limbs; age does not grant the right to act like a child.
In this kind of environment, it wasn't surprising that Ryuuji, who had been hiding in Machi's house for nearly a month, was being spat on. If he had a hot temper and a straightforward personality, it was likely his bones would have been loosened by now.
"Sheltered kid..." Ryuuji's mouth twitched. To be honest, hearing these words spoken in such a plain tone by a young girl felt very strange, but he couldn't refute it.
Ryuuji gave a wry smile and habitually stretched out his index finger to rub his forehead, really wanting to slap these unidentifiable people, but knowing it wouldn't change anything.
"I was thinking about improving the food first, but now it seems I have to get rid of the 'sheltered kid' label first." Ryuuji curled his lips, deciding that within a few days, he would show them through actions that Machi had made a wise choice in inviting him.
Calming down, Ryuuji stopped paying attention to the surrounding eyes.
Machi looked at the calm Ryuuji and raised her eyebrows. She had never asked about Ryuuji's origins because Meteor Street did not refuse anyone and naturally did not care about their background.
However, she felt that Ryuuji, who seemed about the same age as herself, was too indifferent in the face of so many contemptuous gazes, lacking the spirit that someone of his age should have.
How could Machi have known that Ryuuji, who seemed to be a teenager, actually had the soul of an adult?
"Aren't you angry?" Machi asked.
"Hey, how could I care about these short-sighted people?" Ryuuji shrugged freely, but suddenly saw a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt giving him the finger. His face suddenly turned dark.
International gestures are universally understood.
Ryuuji silently responded with his own middle finger.
"..." Machi silently observed Ryuuji's gesture and then the middle-aged man, her eyes narrowing slightly.
When the middle-aged man saw Ryuuji's response, his face showed anger, but there was a cunning look in his eyes as he moved toward Ryuuji.
"Machi, if he makes the first move, is it okay if I hit him?" Ryuuji looked at the approaching middle-aged man, eager to test the results of his practice over the past half month.
Your strength isn't even close to mine, and you want to fight him...
Machi thought silently, not answering Ryuuji's question, but stepping directly in front of him, quietly observing the middle-aged man.
Seeing Machi's actions, Ryuuji was slightly taken aback. Although he was moved that Machi was willing to prevent trouble for him, he couldn't hide behind a little girl.
When the residents of Meteor Street saw this, they were ready to watch the show. Seeing Ryuuji hiding behind Machi, their opinion of him dropped to the level of worthless.
At this moment, they wanted the middle-aged man to teach Ryuuji a good lesson. If it weren't for the unwritten rule against seriously injuring fellow Meteor Street residents, they would have wanted the middle-aged man to break Ryuuji's neck to avoid being an eyesore.
The residents of Meteor Street seemed to have very good physical fitness. This middle-aged man was tall and sturdy, standing a full head above Machi.
The middle-aged man's eyes narrowed, he cracked his knuckles, and said coldly, "Machi, this is between him and me."
Machi silently pulled a thin string from between her hands, answering the middle-aged man with action.
This middle-aged man is called Marza, and he holds a grudge against Machi. She knows he is genuinely looking for trouble. While she managed to avoid conflict in the past, she feels she won't be able to this time.
"My strength is definitely inferior to Marza's. I can't afford to be hit by him or resist directly. The risk is too high. I need to find a way to wrap his legs with a thread first, limiting his mobility so I can attack freely," Machi thought quickly.
"Not backing down means you've taken on this matter," Marza said slowly, revealing a cold smile.
"It has nothing to do with him," Machi said flatly.
Marza's eyes turned cold, and without warning, he threw a punch at Machi. There was no hesitation, and it was clearly meant to be a surprise attack.
Machi's eyes narrowed suddenly. The fist was as large as a casserole, and though it wasn't very fast, the suddenness of the punch, combined with their close proximity, meant Machi couldn't dodge in time even though she was prepared for a fight.
"I can only block it!"
Her thoughts flashed like lightning, and she decisively abandoned the idea of dodging, raising her delicate arms to cross them in front of her.
A look of contempt flashed in Marza's eyes.
At that moment, Ryuuji suddenly moved. As he stepped forward, he quickly pushed Machi aside.
Pushed by Ryuuji, Machi's body fell to the right. She widened her eyes and looked at Ryuuji's calm face. At that moment, her thought was: Is this guy tired of living?
Marza's fist bypassed Machi and headed straight for Ryuuji.
"Die!" Marza grinned, revealing his yellow teeth.
"Boom!"
With a dull sound, Marza's casserole-sized fist stopped, blocked by a small hand, unable to move an inch further.
"Huh?" Marza was taken aback.
The onlookers were also shocked. The person they had dismissed as a "little white face" had blocked Marza's fist with apparent ease.
Everyone from West Street knew that Marza's strength was considerable, yet his punch was so easily deflected?
Ryuuji's upper body was covered with a thin layer of nen. Not only did he feel no pain after catching Marza's fist, but he also felt no pressure, thinking that his half-month of training had indeed paid off.
"Woah, that punch was so powerful!"
Ryuuji chuckled, his supposed praise dripping with sarcasm.
"You brat!" Marza gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with rage, feeling utterly humiliated.
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