Chapter 2

Before his words had even faded, Huo Baichuan, wearing nothing but black swim trunks, casually grabbed a life ring and dove into the sea, swimming toward Tao Yan. Once he reached Tao Yan, he did not waste a word before chopping down with the edge of his hand, knocking the still-struggling little boy unconscious. He then peeled the boy off Tao Yan, tucked him under his arm, and fastened the life ring around Tao Yan. The entire sequence flowed in one smooth motion. By the time Tao Yan reacted, Huo Baichuan had already swum away with the unconscious boy under his arm.

Tao Yan watched Huo Baichuan's retreating back, somewhat helpless. He took off the life ring, plunged into the sea, and caught up with Huo Baichuan after a few strokes. Then he pulled the unconscious boy out from under Huo Baichuan's arm and stuffed him into the life ring.

No one knew which nerve that series of actions had struck, but Young Master Huo suddenly gave a derisive snort. Without even looking aside, he grabbed the rescue rope tied to the life ring and swam off with his head held high.

Tao Yan followed behind Huo Baichuan, slightly speechless. The two swam toward shore one after the other. Just as they were about to reach land, startled cries suddenly erupted around them. Everyone on the shore stared behind them in horror.

A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Tao Yan's heart. He instinctively looked back and saw ripples spreading across the seawater not far from them. The ripples rapidly grew larger, the vortex deeper, like a washing machine drum, instantly sucking in the unprepared Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan.

Several minutes later, the sea returned to its calm state. Tao Yan and Huo Baichuan, who had bravely saved someone, had vanished without a trace. Only the rescued little boy remained, wrapped in the life ring and floating alone on the sea.

The crowd stood dumbfounded. Several of Huo Baichuan's childhood friends on the yacht were the first to react. Staring at the unnaturally placid sea in panic, they broke down and cursed, "Fuck! Where did they go?"

Author's Note:

The Party's centennial is a day worth commemorating.

So I chose today to start this story (:з"∠)

May our motherland forever prosper and flourish!!!

Chapter 2

In his dazed state, Tao Yan could only hear faint rustling by his ear. Someone was speaking in a low voice, but he could not make out the words. Still, the malice carried in those whispers made him shudder. He struggled to open his eyes, only to feel a rough hand suddenly pry apart his eyelids as a cloudy liquid poured down from above. Tao Yan instinctively squeezed his eyes shut and twisted away. The liquid, reeking strongly of quicklime, spilled past his ear and all over the back of his head. A few drops even soaked his scalp.

Tao Yan felt a chill at the back of his head, followed by a startled cry from beside him.

Tao Yan kicked toward the sound. A pained scream rang out, accompanied by the clatter of a bowl shattering on the floor. He rolled over and rose with his back against the wall, staring in shock and suspicion at the man on the ground clutching his knee and howling in pain.

"Who are you? Why were you trying to pour quicklime water into my eyes?" Before he had finished speaking, Tao Yan suddenly noticed something wrong with his surroundings—the dusty cement floor, the dilapidated room with newspaper pasted over the walls, the bedding rolls carelessly spread on the floor, the several windows with broken glass, the man's outdated red tank top, blue work pants, and green rubber shoes, as well as his own suddenly youthful voice and much lower line of sight. Tao Yan discreetly lowered his gaze. His own clothes had been stripped off as well. He had been changed into a filthy, tattered tank top and shorts, though he had no idea whose they were.

A flash of incongruity raced through Tao Yan's mind, but he had no time to think further. The tightly shut door was suddenly kicked open, and two lean men wielding wooden clubs burst inside. Seeing Tao Yan standing against the wall, they charged at him without a word, swinging their clubs.

Tao Yan reacted quickly, grabbing one of the clubs and kicking the man in the stomach before wrenching the weapon from his hand. But he had no time to avoid the other club. He could only tilt his head aside as the club sliced past his ear with a sharp gust of wind, landing solidly on his left shoulder.

In an instant, searing pain spread from his left shoulder throughout his body. Tao Yan felt as though half of him had gone numb. He raised the club in his right hand and brought it down at the man's head. The man swiftly stepped aside and dodged the attack. At that moment, the man clutching his knee on the ground and the man Tao Yan had kicked in the stomach both pounced.

The three grown men surrounded Tao Yan in the corner. As a refined office worker who had spent years sitting at a desk and relied solely on the gym to stay fit, Tao Yan was suddenly under immense pressure facing three agile adult men at once. After several exchanges of fists and kicks, he was clearly unable to hold on. He could only watch as the man he had kicked down earlier grabbed a club from the floor and viciously swung it at his head. Yet the other two men had trapped him with nowhere to dodge.

The wind from the club was practically in front of his eyes. In that lightning-fast instant, Huo Baichuan, naked except for a pair of boxer briefs, rushed in from outside. He slammed the stool leg in his hand into the club already raised above Tao Yan's head. The tremendous force numbed the man's palm, making him release his grip involuntarily. The club brushed past Tao Yan's head and smashed directly into the opposite wall, clattering down into the corner.

Tao Yan stared in astonishment at Huo Baichuan, who had shrunk by more than half and now looked like a high school student. Even his ever-racing mind seemed about to crash.

Huo Baichuan looked at Tao Yan, who had likewise shrunk by more than half, surprise appearing on his face as well. But his astonishment did not last long before the men closing in on them interrupted it.

Facing the three vicious men charging at them, Huo Baichuan snorted coldly. Without looking back, he shoved the wooden club into Tao Yan's hands for protection and stepped forward himself. He drove a straight hook into the face of the man in the middle, knocking him unconscious on the spot. Then he closed in on another man and restrained him, twisted at the waist, and swept out with his leg, kicking the third man through the air. The man crashed heavily into the wall and slowly slid down. The momentum carried the second man, whom Huo Baichuan had pinned, toward the ground. Huo Baichuan tightened his arm, choking the second man, who struggled wildly in his hold, until he too suffocated and passed out.

In just a few breaths, the three men who had driven Tao Yan into such a desperate state had completely lost their ability to fight.