When Fang Cheng and his group reached the warehouse's back entrance, more than a dozen bikers had already blocked them in with their motorcycles.
The female high schoolers were the only ones who could just barely keep their composure. Everyone else was already panic-stricken and terrified.
Even the high schoolers were only calm on the surface. One of them still clutched Fang Cheng's clothes tightly.
It was no wonder they were so afraid. In the suburbs, where the government's reach was limited, all sorts of criminal gangs ran rampant. Bikers did whatever they pleased, and people getting killed was an everyday occurrence.
A Mohawked man stopped his motorcycle, planted one foot on the ground, and casually lit a cigarette. With a grin, he asked, "Hey, kid, what're you doing hiding out here with a bunch of women in the middle of the night?"
The other bikers circled Fang Cheng and the others on their motorcycles, laughing and whooping now and then as they enjoyed watching the women tremble in fear.
Fang Cheng ignored the Mohawked man and asked Kanzaki Rin, "How much longer until the Vampires get here?"
"They'll be here any moment!"
Kanzaki Rin's voice was heavy with worry.
The Vampires had come back, and now there was also a group of lawless thugs.
On top of that, Fang Cheng was dragging around a group of deadweight.
The situation had turned so dire in an instant that none of their earlier contingency plans were any use.
Even the worst-case scenario Kanzaki Rin had anticipated hadn't been this bad.
"What are you going to do?"
"Whatever."
The Mohawked man's question had been ignored without a shred of courtesy. One of his underlings immediately piped up, "Hey, kid, what's with the silent act? Didn't you hear the boss?"
Only then did Fang Cheng look up at him. "What are you planning to do?"
Everyone's eyes turned to the Mohawked man. He was the leader of these thugs, so only he could decide.
The Mohawked man had finished his cigarette.
He flicked the butt away and casually ordered, "Kill the man. Keep the women so we can have some fun."
"Whoo!"
The thugs cheered in unison at their boss's decision.
The women nearly collapsed to the ground. A few of them had already started crying.
They had only just escaped the tiger's den. Before they could see the light of day, they had fallen into the wolves' jaws.
"Wait!"
Fang Cheng suddenly raised his hand and called out, "I have something to say."
Everyone turned their eyes to him, wanting to see what this kid could possibly say in such a situation.
Even Kanzaki Rin, hiding in the car, was listening closely, wanting to know how Fang Cheng would get them out of this perilous predicament.
With everyone watching him, Fang Cheng spread his hands and smiled. "Why not kill the women and keep the men so you can have some fun?"
The scene fell instantly silent.
The thugs weren't the only ones dumbfounded. Even the people beside Fang Cheng stared at him, stunned.
One of the Mohawked man's underlings rubbed his chin. "Huh, that actually sounds pretty good..."
Before he could finish, the Mohawked man smacked him hard on the head. "What are you saying? Want me to send you to a host club so you can have some fun?"
The other thugs immediately burst into laughter.
The underling was mortified, and he promptly took his anger out on Fang Cheng. "Hey, are you messing with us?"
As he spoke, he pulled a dagger from his clothes and hurled it at Fang Cheng with all his might.
The female high schooler screamed in fright and hurriedly shielded the little boy with both hands.
Fang Cheng reached up and caught the spinning dagger, then took a deep breath.
He could already smell the stench of blood rapidly thickening in the air.
Fang Cheng's move didn't intimidate the thugs. Instead, they burst out laughing again.
"Hey, Kansai, your aim sucks."
"That throw had no force behind it. Even a high school kid could catch it."
"Exactly. You've disgraced the Night King Gang. You'd better apologize, hahahaha!"
"You might as well go work at a host club."
Kansai, the one who had thrown the dagger, quickly flushed red.
He didn't dare take his anger out on his companions, so he roared, twisted the throttle, and yanked hard on the handlebars.
The motorcycle let out a beastlike roar. Kansai lifted its front wheel and surged out from the crowd, charging toward Fang Cheng.
The women screamed, but none of them dared run. They could only huddle tightly behind Fang Cheng.
The female high schooler tried to pull Fang Cheng out of the way. But before she could move him, Kansai's motorcycle lost its balance and crashed to the ground with a bang.
Kansai rolled a long way before finally landing on his back. A dagger was now buried in his chest, piercing his heart.
The scene fell silent once more.
The thugs looked at Kansai's corpse, then at Fang Cheng's empty hands. Confusion showed in their eyes.
Not one of them had seen when Fang Cheng had made his move.
The Mohawked man was lighting another cigarette when he suddenly froze.
He stared at Fang Cheng, eyes narrowing and the corners of his mouth drooping as a fierce expression came over his face.
"Can't you smell the blood?"
Fang Cheng fanned at his nose. "It stinks."
That instantly enraged the thugs. They all thought Fang Cheng was provoking them.
"You little bastard..."
The Mohawked man crushed the cigarette in his hand. Just as he was about to order his underlings to rush Fang Cheng all at once, his voice suddenly faltered.
A thin, middle-aged man in a black trench coat had appeared beside him at some point.
The man's skin was pale, his eye sockets sunken, and his eyes were a deep black, with almost no visible whites.
At first glance, he looked like a ghost, utterly devoid of life.
The Mohawked man turned to stare at the middle-aged man beside him. Every hair on his body stood on end, and a chill rose from the depths of his heart.
The others had also noticed the middle-aged man who had appeared out of nowhere.
The smell of urine suddenly spread through the air. Someone among the people behind Fang Cheng had been so frightened they'd wet themselves.
After the middle-aged man appeared, they pressed tightly together behind Fang Cheng, too afraid to look up, trembling like small animals.
The female high schooler pointed at the middle-aged man with a trembling finger. Her face was pale, and she opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a word.
"Hey! You bastard, who the hell are you?"
"Get away from the boss!"
The thugs thought the Mohawked man was under threat and began shouting at the newcomer.
The middle-aged man completely ignored them, keeping his eyes fixed on Fang Cheng.
Fang Cheng stared right back at him. In their eyes, there was no one else—only each other.
"Everyone, shut up!"
The Mohawked man suddenly roared, silencing the thugs.
He was closest to the middle-aged man, and his animal instincts told him better than anyone just how terrifying this man was, despite looking as though a gust of wind could knock him over.
You couldn't survive in a world crawling with monsters without learning a thing or two.
The Mohawked man did his best to sound calm, but his voice still trembled slightly. "Sir, is... there something you need?"
Only then did the middle-aged man slowly turn to look at him, offering a kindly smile.
"Don't be afraid. It's all right."
Before the Mohawked man could breathe a sigh of relief, he felt himself fly through the air. His vision spun wildly.
When he hit the ground, he could still see his headless body sitting on the motorcycle, blood spurting from its neck.
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