Even Dogs Wouldn't Run

That shout from the security guard was especially jarring amid the chaotic brawl.

In an instant, it drew the attention of several riders, and all their gazes focused on Li Jinshui.

"Fuck, I recognize this kid. He was the best-looking one in their team earlier, standing at the very back."

"Damn it, so sneaky. He took off his uniform and hid here—he was waiting for a chance to ambush us!"

"Get him!"

Several riders did not hesitate. Empty beer bottles, plastic chairs, stainless steel trays, and all manner of objects flew at Li Jinshui with shrieking winds.

"Damn, that kid's a security guard. No wonder he didn't dodge earlier." The surrounding crowd scattered.

"Fuck..."

Li Jinshui's pupils contracted. Instinctively, he wanted to dodge, but he could not bear to give up the proficiency that was about to be credited.

He could take this wave head-on!

He clenched his back teeth hard, tensed every muscle in his body, and held firm in the Basic Stance Technique.

Bang! Bang! Clang!

Several beer bottles and plastic stools struck Li Jinshui squarely.

A sharp pain shot through the top of his head. Half a broken bottle shard sliced open his brow, and dark-red blood ran down his cheek.

Whoosh!

In an instant, an eerie silence fell over the roadside eatery.

Everyone's movements froze, their faces filled with astonishment.

"Holy shit, th-this drew blood?"

"It was just one glass bottle. It shouldn't be that bad, right?"

The riders were dumbfounded. Everyone had been holding back in the fight. After all, they would still see one another sooner or later; no one truly wanted to go all out.

But what was up with this little security guard?

With all that stuff thrown at him, he had not even tried to dodge? He had actually caught beer bottles with his face?

"Something's wrong! This kid's vital energy and blood are pathetically weak. Don't tell me he hasn't even gotten started with the Basic Stance Technique?"

"What? Someone who hasn't even entered the door of Stake Standing can work as a security guard at Green Osmanthus Garden?"

The riders were all shocked. With strange, puzzled looks, they examined Li Jinshui, who was still holding his stance where he stood.

"He's still practicing Stake Standing here?"

Everyone instantly recognized the posture of the Basic Stance Technique, and their expressions grew even stranger.

"Whew..."

At that moment, Li Jinshui slowly exhaled and withdrew from the stance.

He had no choice. The dangerous environment was completely gone, and the vital energy and blood inside his body would not stir at all.

Still, he had not taken those hits for nothing. His proficiency had instantly jumped by 6 points, reaching 90/100!

He had made a killing this time!

Li Jinshui found it somewhat regrettable that it had ended so soon, but gaining proficiency still put him in a great mood.

He immediately raised his head, about to say something.

But when he met the gazes of the people around him, those eyes full of complexity, strangeness, and scrutiny pierced him in an instant.

"Y-you..."

Li Jinshui widened his eyes, his face flushing red. Veins bulged across his forehead. "Y-you can't just slander an innocent man out of thin air! I'm not mentally ill."

Then came a string of incomprehensible words—things like "gaming the edge of the judgment boundary" and "shattering the void to denounce quack doctors."

Everyone: "???"

Who said you were mentally ill?

The riders looked at one another, then suddenly came to a realization. Their expressions changed drastically!

"Everyone, get away! Spread out! This is a death-seeking build!"

"Don't touch him! If he dies from being bumped, half a month's deliveries will have been for nothing!"

As though they had seen a ghost, the riders hurriedly backed away and spread out.

Station Master Chen's face was even darker than the bottom of a pot. He stared hard at Captain Liu. "Liu, you're ruthless. You deliberately brought over a mentally ill guy who hasn't even started the Basic Stance Technique, planning to use the hands of our crowdsourced brothers to kill him so you could swindle a death benefit, huh? That's insurance fraud!"

"No, I didn't, I fucking..." Captain Liu found himself unable to defend himself, because Station Master Chen had guessed half of it right.

He had indeed seen that Li Jinshui had no background and no strength, and thought he might as well make use of trash. If Li Jinshui were accidentally beaten to death by the other side in tonight's brawl, he really could pocket a subsidy on the side.

But this kind of thing depended on it being an accident!

Who the fuck had ever seen someone take off his riot gear, run to the edge of a battlefield to practice Stake Standing, and catch beer bottles with his face?

How was that an accident?

It was practically having "I want to commit insurance fraud" carved into his forehead!

More importantly, could this kid really be mentally ill?

Captain Liu's eye twitched violently.

He suddenly remembered the letter of introduction Li Jinshui had brought when he joined the Security Squad. It had been issued by Cherished Brain Hospital in the outer district!

"Fuck me..." Captain Liu felt his vision go black, cold sweat pouring down his back.

A brain hospital?

Mental illness?

It all fit. It all fucking fit!

Were hospitals that brazen nowadays?

They dared release people whose mental illnesses had not been cured and stuff them into their Security Squad?

But... something was off. Hadn't this kid been perfectly normal before?

Was it an intermittent episode? Or had he learned of Captain Liu's plans and deliberately put on this mad act to screw him over?

"Li Jinshui, you..." Captain Liu's face darkened as he was about to question him.

"Wait!"

Station Master Chen suddenly interrupted him and asked before Captain Liu could speak, "Young man, tell me honestly. Do you have some terminal illness?"

"A terminal illness?"

Li Jinshui froze, then smiled in relief.

Great. They only think I have a terminal illness, not that I'm mentally ill!

With a modest, shy smile, he waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no. I'm very healthy. I'm not sick at all."

"Then is there some difficulty in your family?" Station Master Chen frowned and continued asking.

"Of course not. I'm just an orphan," Li Jinshui replied.

An orphan?

The delivery riders present all sank into grim silence, their cold gazes sweeping toward Captain Liu.

Station Master Chen abruptly turned and glared at him. Seeing Captain Liu's expression as ugly as though he had eaten shit, a mocking smile immediately rose on his face. "Liu, and you still say you aren't committing insurance fraud? You're even feeding off an orphan with no family!"

"Fuck." Captain Liu flew into a rage. Flustered and enraged, he pointed at Station Master Chen and the others as he cursed, "Quit throwing mud at me! Believe it or not, I'll put every last one of you on the access-control blacklist?"

At those words, Station Master Chen and the others' momentum faltered. For a long while, no one answered.

"Captain Liu."

Only after a moment did Station Master Chen speak again, his tone softening somewhat. "Everyone's just trying to make a living. None of us has it easy. How about this? I'll raise the passage fee by twenty percent. As for the residential access controls before the end of the year, please show us some mercy. We'll also cover the damages from tonight's smashed-up venue. Let everything else be wiped clean with one stroke. What do you say?"

"Hmph, why didn't you use this attitude from the start? You even threw mud at me?"

Captain Liu put on airs and refused to let him off verbally, but in truth, he was taking the offered way down.

After all, if the accusation of insurance fraud truly stuck to him, he would be unable to bear the consequences. For all he knew, even this captain's uniform would be stripped from him.

"Fine. Bring over the passage fee tomorrow."

Without waiting for Station Master Chen to respond, he waved his hand and called for the security guards to turn and leave.

Seeing this, Li Jinshui followed without another word.

But as he passed Station Master Chen, the man pointedly remarked, "You're a clever young man. Take my advice: you won't be able to stay in the Security Squad. You'd best leave early. Once you've gotten started with Stake Standing, you can come deliver food with me."

Li Jinshui paused at those words.

If I keep being a security guard, I can at least lie low for another two or three months. I can collect my salary and practice Stake Standing while on duty.

Deliver food?

Even dogs wouldn't run!

He shook his head without speaking and left directly.

Station Master Chen watched his retreating figure and clicked his tongue, feeling somewhat regretful.

Whether Li Jinshui was mentally ill was not important. Their crowdsourced team mainly liked talents who wanted orders but not their lives, and this kid clearly had that kind of potential.