Volume One, Chapter 81: Breaking the Siege

Jiang Chen stood atop a tall building, gazing into the distance at the unfolding situation. From the moment he sensed those few powerful auras, he knew something was wrong at the border—someone had slipped through. His mind was a mess; on one hand, he had to deal with the Chosen One's subordinates, and on the other, he worried about the safety of Qingcheng. Even though Qingcheng wasn't particularly connected to him, his friends and confidants all lived there. Qingcheng couldn't be destroyed.

As those powerful energies faded, Jiang Chen returned home. In the days that followed, he didn't go out much but stayed at school, attending classes, growing closer to Lin Mo, and, as a result, heading home with Lin Ning every day.

On the bus, Jiang Chen sat next to Lin Ning while Lin Mo got off one stop early, saying he was going to buy something to eat.

Jiang Chen immediately saw through the boy's intentions, but really, was it okay to sell out your own sister like that?

Feelings needed a foundation, after all.

From the moment Lin Mo got off, Lin Ning's face visibly flushed.

"Why are you blushing?" Jiang Chen turned to her.

The young girl nervously fiddled with her fingers and whispered, "Where do you want to go to university after the college entrance exam?"

Which university?

Jiang Chen understood her intent—did she want to go to the same university as him?

But that couldn't be, right? They weren't that close yet. She was probably just making conversation.

Jiang Chen replied calmly, "I'm planning to go to Qingcheng University, but if my scores are high enough, anywhere would be fine."

That was the truth. Aside from revenge and returning to the capital, his usual activities would most likely be centered around Qingcheng.

"Um, could you just decide on one? Would that be okay?" Lin Ning had no idea how she'd ended up saying something so embarrassing.

Jiang Chen answered honestly, "If I have to choose, then Qingcheng University. The scores required aren't low either—over 650."

Lin Ning's eyes widened in surprise. "I'm planning to apply to Qingcheng University too. We'll be schoolmates then."

Jiang Chen nodded. "Good, we'll be schoolmates."

At the next stop, Jiang Chen got off as well, since he was heading to his rented place. But just as he stepped off the bus and hadn't walked far, he saw a group of people surrounding Lin Ning. Petite as she was, Lin Ning shrank into a corner, clearly frightened.

"Lin Ning, isn't it about time you paid back the money you owe? The interest from all these days is enough to buy your entire family," sneered a man wearing a thick gold chain, a prominent scar slashing across his face.

Lin Ning pulled two thousand yuan from her schoolbag. "This is the two thousand I borrowed from you. Here."

But the scar-faced man slapped the money from her hand. "Two thousand? It's twenty thousand now. Don't you know about interest?"

Lin Ning frowned. "That's impossible. When you lent me the money, you never mentioned interest, and it's only been five days. How could there be so much?"

The scar-faced man grinned. "If I say there's interest, then there is. If I say it's twenty thousand, then it's twenty thousand. You'd better get the money together. If you can't pay it back in five days, you'll owe forty thousand."

Jiang Chen listened nearby—this was interest upon interest upon interest.

Even loan sharks weren't this ruthless.

Lin Ning declared, "Impossible. There's no way I'll give you twenty thousand. I'm calling the police. None of you will get away."

The scar-faced man's face twisted in anger. "Calling the police? You dare? Hold her down!"

He reached out.

Crack—

A scream followed. The pain twisted the scar-faced man's features.

"Ah—" Jiang Chen kicked him in the chest. "Robbery, is it? Two thousand turns into twenty thousand?"

"Who the hell are you, kid?"

The scar-faced man usually put on a tough act, but when faced with the scions of the wealthy and powerful, he was all deference and wouldn't dare cross them. In truth, he only bullied ordinary people, never daring to act tough with anyone formidable.

Jiang Chen fixed him with a cold stare. "I'm nobody, just a poor student. But soon, you're going to be a cripple."

"Fuck him up!" roared the scar-faced man, and his lackeys charged without hesitation.

Jiang Chen said to Lin Ning, "Step back."

Lin Ning grabbed Jiang Chen's arm, terrified. "Don't... don't fight them. We can't afford to provoke these people."

Only then did Jiang Chen remember that his current identity was nothing more than a student.

"Don't worry. I never do anything I'm not prepared for." As he spoke, an iron rod came swinging toward him.

He sidestepped, grabbed one man's head, and slammed it into the ground.

Jiang Chen never showed mercy to bullies. He fought with ruthless efficiency—not lethal, but enough to keep these thugs bedridden for half a year.

He controlled his strength perfectly, crippling only their hands and legs, nothing else. This was already merciful; in his line of duty, he wouldn't have spared their lives.

Lin Ning covered her eyes with one hand but couldn't help peeking through her fingers. At first, she worried Jiang Chen might get hurt, but she needn't have—he wasn't even touched, and not one of them so much as grazed his clothing.

Every last lackey was beaten by Jiang Chen. Out of nearly twenty men, not one could stand. The ground was littered with their groaning forms.

"Well, do you still want your money? If you do, I can fetch you something from the kitchen, but I can't guarantee your hands and feet will still be intact when I come back," Jiang Chen said coolly, his tone mild yet threatening.

With a thud, the scar-faced man fell to his knees, banging his head against the concrete again and again. "Big Brother, please don't kill me! I'm sorry, I was wrong! I don't want the twenty thousand, I don't want it—can’t you let it go?"

Jiang Chen raised his brows. "You say you don’t want it and that’s it? No way. You must want it. If you don’t, you’re not leaving here today."

Terror was written all over the scar-faced man's face. "No, please, Big Brother, I was really wrong, I swear! Please don’t kill me!"

He’d seen a lot in his time, but never someone who could fight like this. Men like this were usually the enforcers for big company bosses, dealing with the dirtiest business. He’d crossed paths with some before, but they’d simply ignored him—there was no conflict of interest.

But this time was different.

"Kill you? You think too highly of yourself. Dirtying my hands with you isn’t worth it."

Jiang Chen wondered how anyone could be so arrogant.

Did everyone think themselves worth his time?