Underworld City

"Wu You Audio-Visual Store."

It was located near Cuiyuan New Village, only two blocks from Old Factory Street.

Fang Cheng got off the bus two stops early, left the bus station, and walked a little farther.

He soon spotted an inconspicuous red sign with white lettering wedged between a row of restaurants.

It was around nine-thirty, and the Audio-Visual Store had yet to close.

Through the glass sliding doors, he could see the boss chatting and laughing with two young men whose hair was dyed yellow.

Fang Cheng entered the store and glanced around.

Row after row of audio-visual racks held countless beautifully designed covers and dazzling discs.

The shop's décor was very simple—or it could be said that it had no design at all.

The merchandise on display, however, had an extremely distinctive style.

At a glance, the shelves were filled with action films featuring violent combat.

"Drunken Fist," "Kill Zone," "Way of the Dragon," "Kung Fu Jungle"...

There were traditional martial arts films, modern cop-and-gangster movies, old films, and the latest releases.

Besides those, there were also all kinds of martial arts and combat tutorials and competition documentaries.

Clearly, the boss was an extremely devoted "kung fu fanatic."

"Do you know Brother Long Wei? Before he became famous, he studied White Crane Style..."

"Martial Saint Li Cheng Long was taught by a Wing Chun master and was a direct disciple of the orthodox lineage..."

The boss was in his fifties. Even while discussing the various martial arts styles with the two young men, he rattled off facts like a walking encyclopedia, speaking endlessly.

"Traditional martial arts aren't bad either. The key is finding the right connections, and the most important thing is sincerity."

"I've looked at your faces and felt your bones. I wouldn't call you martial arts prodigies, but at least you have above-average potential."

"As they say, true skill is priceless. Here, these ten discs were carefully selected by me. Once you master them, forget starring in kung fu films—even if you go into the underworld, taking on ten men at once will be child's play."

"Is it really that miraculous?"

The two thin Yellow-Haired Youth were stunned by what they heard.

"I cheat neither old nor young. They're absolutely worth the price."

Seeing that they did not believe him, the boss immediately swore solemnly and pointed at Fang Cheng, who was searching for discs with his head lowered nearby.

"Look at this young man. He often comes here to buy discs. He watches and studies diligently every day. After watching them, he didn't just become more handsome—his physique became sturdier too."

"Fine. It's only five hundred yuan, right? We'll take them!"

The two young men sized up the tall and handsome Fang Cheng.

Then, without hesitation, they took out their money and bought a dozen deluxe discs.

Judging from the covers, they were all traditional martial arts teaching documentaries, such as "Five Animals Frolics Thirteen Forms Detailed Explanation" and "Wing Chun Secrets One Hundred Questions."

"Thank you for your patronage!"

"May you enjoy prosperous martial fortunes, Big Brother, and dominate Eastern Capital's underworld in no time..."

Watching the two generous customers leave, the boss kept spouting auspicious words, his smile blooming like a chrysanthemum.

Seeing this, Fang Cheng walked over.

"Uncle Wu, I'm looking for some discs about karate. Do you have any recommendations?"

At the sound of the question, the smile vanished from the boss's face. He turned to look at Fang Cheng.

"I do. Are you renting or buying today?"

"Renting."

Fang Cheng answered crisply.

The boss immediately shook his head and sighed. Limping slightly on his left leg, he walked toward the innermost audio-visual rack.

Before long, he returned to the counter with two karate teaching discs whose covers were somewhat dusty and handed them to Fang Cheng.

"How much?"

"Ten yuan, please."

"Didn't you say renting one disc for a week costs five yuan, and two discs get a twenty-percent discount?"

Hearing this, the boss widened his eyes and grumbled.

"You calculate things more carefully than a monkey. When will you be a little more generous and let me earn a bit more from you?"

Fang Cheng smiled, paid the deposit, put the two discs into his satchel, and walked out of the shop.

The owner of this Audio-Visual Store was named Wu Datong. Though his mouth was somewhat vicious, he was actually a decent person.

It was said that he had competed in martial arts tournaments when he was young. Later, he retired after suffering severe injuries and had run the Audio-Visual Store here for more than a decade.

The shop's name began with his surname and also carried the meaning of "meeting through martial arts."

Fang Cheng carried his bag as he walked along the dimly lit street.

As he went, the number of pedestrians did not decrease. Instead, there seemed to be more and more of them gathering.

The reason for this unusual sight...

Was simply that a hugely popular outdoor night market, North Point Night Market, was nearby.

It had rained continuously for the past few days, leaving many nearby residents and university students cooped up and restless.

Now that they had free time, they all chose to go out for a stroll and clear their minds.

A burst of energetic music drifted over from nearby.

Fang Cheng looked up.

Under the night sky, colorful neon signs stood in chaotic profusion.

Stalls selling all kinds of goods had been set up along both sides of the street ahead, and enticing aromas wafted faintly through the air.

The deserted streets of the daytime became especially vibrant after nightfall as the crowds swelled and people from every walk of life mixed together.

Although Jiangbei ranked at the bottom economically, its nightlife was among the richest of the city's fifteen districts.

If one had to choose the place that best represented Eastern Capital's "common people," this was undoubtedly it.

Many out-of-town tourists visiting Eastern Capital even came here specifically to experience the lively atmosphere of ordinary street life.

Seeing the Bright Lights and bustling crowds ahead, Fang Cheng's heart stirred.

Remembering that Zhou Xiumei was also setting up a stall here, he quickened his pace and turned into the night market.

"Clearance sale! Don't miss it as you pass by! Rare opportunity..."

"Cheap sale! Brand-name athletic shoes! Over three hundred yuan, now only a little over one hundred..."

"Spicy chicken skewers! One yuan per skewer, spicy chicken skewers..."

Calls to customers rose and fell, filling his ears.

The iron wok at the Food Stall clanged loudly, while the smell of oil smoke mixed with the fragrance of scallions and garlic and assaulted his nostrils in waves.

Though the winter night's temperature had fallen to around zero degrees, this place was positively ablaze with activity.

Fang Cheng strolled through the crowd, his gaze sweeping around, until he caught sight of a familiar, graceful figure.

Among the vendors lining the street, a woman in a white down jacket with a scarf wrapped around her mouth stood out particularly sharply.

In the biting wind, her hair fell to her shoulders. She sat upright on the Steps with her knees pressed together, a red cloth mat spread out before her.

Various small, exquisite handicrafts in cute, cartoonish shapes were arranged on it.

Their workmanship and appearance were evidently excellent, attracting a steady stream of older men and young fellows who came over to ask the price.

Looking at her slightly flushed face and busy figure as she raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow, Fang Cheng smiled faintly.

It seemed that Xiumei's business was doing quite well today.

He was just about to go over, greet her, and lend a hand.

But several ruffian-looking men squatted down in front of the stall, laughing and joking.

"Adai sure didn't lie. Her skin is fair, her eyes are big, and she's really beautiful!"

"Little sister, why work so hard setting up a stall to support your family? Wouldn't it be better to follow Brother Fei and enjoy the good life?"

"Oh, she's shy. It's so rare to see such an innocent girl nowadays. I like it..."

These men behaved frivolously and spoke filthily. They were clearly Thugs from the surrounding area.

Several other customers choosing goods nearby quickly moved away, afraid of getting involved in trouble.

Zhou Xiumei frowned and lowered her head as she replied in a muffled voice.

"I don't do business with you. Please leave..."

Yet her pitiful, vulnerable appearance made the Thugs' eyes widen even further.

The Thug called Brother Fei reached out, intending to pull away the scarf covering her mouth and get a clear look at her true appearance.

Zhou Xiumei jumped in fright and hurriedly stood up to dodge.

But the other man still grabbed the sleeve of her thick down jacket, making it difficult for her to break free.

She wrinkled her pretty face and struggled with all her might, speaking with restrained anger.

"Let go! Let go quickly! I'm calling the cops!"

"Heh heh, the cops may not be able to do much here..."

Just as the Thugs were grinning and teasing the harmless young woman like a little white rabbit...

A hand suddenly reached over and seized Brother Fei's Wrist.

"You... ah!"

Brother Fei froze for a moment and was just about to curse the intruder when a bone-piercing pain shot through his wrist.

The next instant, he let out a string of shrieks.

"Quick, quick, quick, let go!"

The crowd stared over in astonishment and saw a Young Handsome Man standing directly before Brother Fei.

His seemingly slender, long Fingers were like Iron Tongs, clamping tightly around Brother Fei's Wrist.

"Brother Cheng—"

Zhou Xiumei cried out in delighted surprise.

Her Eyes glittered brightly, but then filled with worry.