"Ah!"
Liu Daqiang screamed in agony as the heavy iron gate pressed down on him. His broken ribs dug deeper into his body, and tears streamed down his face as he begged for mercy. "Little Li... No, Brother Li, go easy! If you press down any harder, I really will die."
"Tell me, how much are you planning to pay to buy your life back?" Li Jinshui said, then lifted his foot off the gate.
Liu Daqiang finally breathed a sigh of relief, then put on a mournful expression again. "Brother Li, you know how it is with me. I have so many expenses. How could I have any money left in my bank account? If you don't believe me, I'll show you my account."
He struggled to pull his phone from his pocket, but all he managed to take out was a handful of broken parts. He stared at them, dumbfounded.
"Brother Li, my password is six eights. If you don't believe me, take my card and check." Afraid he'd get kicked again, Liu Daqiang hurriedly shouted and tossed out his wallet.
Li Jinshui's expression darkened. He remembered now.
Liu Daqiang really was a dissolute old man. Whatever money he had went toward buying Exotic Beast Meat and indulging in food, drink, and entertainment. He'd long since stopped trying to improve his martial arts.
That was the situation most unmarried martial artists found themselves in.
With limited talent and aptitude, and no enormous reserves of talent to draw on, these people were already getting old. It was difficult for them to make much progress in martial arts, so they often chose to live in the moment and enjoy themselves while they could, afraid they'd die before spending all their money.
An old rascal like Liu Daqiang, who indulged in every vice, probably really hadn't managed to save anything.
"Then did I come all this way for nothing?"
Li Jinshui frowned and looked around the house again.
If he made Liu Daqiang sell the house and pay him...
"Brother Li, I already mortgaged the house a long time ago. I still have to make loan payments every month." Seeing Li Jinshui's expression, Liu Daqiang added timidly.
"Hahaha, good. Very good." Li Jinshui burst out laughing. "Liu Daqiang, since you're penniless, you've already earned yourself a death sentence."
As he spoke, Li Jinshui raised his foot, looking ready to stomp on Liu Daqiang's head.
"Wait!"
Liu Daqiang finally panicked for real. He hurriedly shouted, "I have Supplement Potions! Three C-grade Potions. If you spare me, I'll tell you where they're hidden."
"Oh?" Li Jinshui lowered his leg.
"Brother Li, I, Old Liu, was blind before. You're a magnanimous man, so please let me off this once. I promise that from now on, whenever I see you, I'll immediately lie down and roll out of your way. I won't even dirty your eyes." By now, Liu Daqiang had realized the difference between them and continued to beg with utter humility.
He knew that even if he handed over his three C-Grade Supplement Potions, Li Jinshui might still kill him.
But there was nothing else he could do. All he could do was act as humble as possible and hope it would lessen Li Jinshui's urge to kill him.
"Old Liu, there's no need to go that far. The two of us only had a minor disagreement. It's not like we have some deep-seated grudge. If you're willing to offer three C-grade Potions as compensation, I'd be happy to let you go. But..."
Li Jinshui wore a calm, kindly smile. "Didn't you say you had no money? How come you have three C-grade Potions?"
At eighty thousand yuan apiece, those three potions were worth a total of two hundred and forty thousand yuan.
How could a washed-up martial artist like Liu Daqiang spend money on potions?
"These potions were actually given to Manager Zhang. I just haven't had the chance to hand them over yet. But don't worry. As long as you let me go, I'll borrow money as soon as I get out and easily make up the difference. And if you ever need me for anything, I'll do whatever you say." Liu Daqiang hurried to explain.
Li Jinshui nodded slowly. "All right. Where are the potions hidden? I'll take them and leave."
"Th-Then you agree to let me go?" Liu Daqiang was still a little worried.
"Of course. You're the Security Squad captain, after all. You're more useful alive than dead. I, Li Jinshui, may be young, but I know the importance of keeping my word. Once I've said something, it's as good as a nail hammered into place. If I went back on my word whenever I felt like it, how could I ever show my face again?"
"Good, good. Thank you, Brother Li."
Liu Daqiang finally relaxed. Young people cared about their reputation, so he'd probably managed to save his life. "The potions are in the wardrobe in the bedroom. There's a hidden compartment, and there's a safe inside."
"All right. Get up on your own." Li Jinshui nodded and turned toward the bedroom.
Liu Daqiang finally let himself relax completely. Two hundred and forty thousand was definitely worth paying to save his life, but it still hurt. That much money could've paid for a whole month of fun at a club.
Damn it, how had this bastard suddenly become a First-rate Martial Artist?
He turned his head slightly to look at Li Jinshui's back. His eyes brimmed with venom and hatred.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of cold light suddenly streaked through the dark, dilapidated house, piercing Liu Daqiang right between the brows.
"..." Liu Daqiang's body jerked. The venom in his eyes froze, then gradually faded as he died.
Li Jinshui withdrew his hand without breaking stride and walked straight into the bedroom.
"Hmph. I told you to get up on your own, but you've been lying there without moving for ages. You can't even manage a little thing like that, yet you said you'd do whatever I told you? You were obviously watching me from behind and secretly plotting your revenge."
A moment later, Li Jinshui darted out of the urban village. A black mask already covered his face, and after a few quick bounds, he'd crossed over a hundred meters.
It was already past four in the morning, but the sky remained pitch-black, and a bone-chilling cold hung over the streets.
As he hurried along, Li Jinshui pulled out his phone and called Ye Mei.
The call went through, but no one answered.
He took Old Huang off his blacklist and called him back.
This time, the phone said the other party's phone was switched off.
"Well, looks like it's not over yet. The situation isn't looking good for those former leaders."
Li Jinshui put away his phone and pursed his lips.
Sure enough, the doctor had been right. In the end, a person had to rely on himself!
He kept going, hoping to make it back to the new station before dawn.
But as he crossed an old neighborhood, boisterous laughter came from the darkness ahead, mixed with the faint sound of a woman crying in despair.
Li Jinshui stopped and turned toward the noise.
The heavy security shutter of an old storefront on the street had clearly been forced open, leaving a gap more than half a meter wide.
The noise was coming from inside the shop.
Just then, several slovenly men emerged. They looked like thugs, and lewd smiles were plastered across their faces.
Li Jinshui could tell at a glance that they were drifters, probably gang members, too.
He'd never been the sort to meddle in other people's business or go looking for trouble. But he also knew that, as a great protagonist favored by fate, he couldn't escape the cause-and-effect of certain wish-fulfillment tropes.
In a situation like this, even if he didn't start anything, those men would surely see him, provoke and mock him, then get put in their place and crushed by his overwhelming strength.
"Ugh, how dull. Still, those scumbags have Qi-Blood fluctuations. They're weak, but they're at least Third-Rate Martial Artists."
Li Jinshui didn't hesitate for long. Even a mosquito's leg was meat. He might as well use the opportunity to build up his Lightning Pulse Step proficiency.
He immediately strode toward them with a swagger, deliberately welcoming the trouble.
But the men only glanced at him before looking away with mild disdain. They treated Li Jinshui like he wasn't even there and showed no interest in him at all.
They continued joking and teasing one another where they stood, their conversation full of vulgarities. One of them joked about how his buddy had practiced hardening techniques for his whole life, so his entire body was hard—except for his weapon, which was soft. Another joked about being short and fast, not even lasting three seconds.
Li Jinshui couldn't stand it anymore. He immediately cursed at them. "Fuck! Who the hell are you insulting? Looking for trouble, are you?"