Chapter 12: Humiliation

The snowflakes ceased their descent.

Chen Mo held his sister’s hand, walking along the road that led home.

Ning Xuan skipped joyfully. “Brother, there’s still some cola left from last night! Oh, and five pieces of braised pork. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Let’s hurry!”

Seeing the radiant smile on Ning Xuan’s face, Chen Mo felt a mysterious sense of happiness. He had never complained about being an orphan, nor envied others for their happy families. To Chen Mo, being able to live with his sister was the greatest blessing heaven could bestow. Even if it meant sacrificing his life, he would protect her smile.

“Well, well, isn’t this our neighborhood’s famous orphan siblings? Stop right there! I said stop!” A young man in a dark red down jacket stormed toward them, his voice booming.

This was Liu Kunlong, the notorious thug of Sunshine Housing Estate. He had dropped out of junior high, imitating the gangsters from Hong Kong films, recruited a handful of followers, and spent over a decade in the area living off robbery and extortion.

Chen Mo had often been bullied by Liu Kunlong. Sometimes, to avoid being robbed, he and his sister would wait until midnight before daring to return home.

“Damn you, you little bastards! How dare you run from Brother Long? I’ll kick you to death!” Liu Kunlong’s two henchmen followed close behind. One, with a head of dyed green hair, launched a flying kick at Chen Mo.

“Don’t hurt my brother!” Ning Xuan, though scared, clenched her fists, determined to protect him.

Chen Mo’s senses were sharp; he had already noticed the surveillance camera by the roadside. If he fought back here, the camera would capture everything. He didn’t want to leave evidence.

Bang!

The kick landed hard on Chen Mo’s back. With his abnormal constitution of 150 points, not even a special forces soldier’s kick could do him harm, but Chen Mo forced his brain to disable his attribute boosts. He fell into the snow in a clumsy, dog-like sprawl, his body smeared with dirty, snow-stained earth.

“Brother!” Ning Xuan’s eyes reddened as she rushed forward to help him up.

A low hum filled the air.

Angry and desperate, Ning Xuan tried to switch roles. Her body began to emit a faint blue glow.

Roar! Roar!

She let out a wild, terrifying sound, more beast than child.

Chen Mo grabbed her hand, stopping the transformation, whispering urgently, “Don’t do anything rash. There are cameras.”

Ning Xuan was clever; she understood what her brother meant. If they fought here, the two of them would surely be taken away by those strange men in black uniforms.

She spread her arms to shield them from the thugs. “Please, don’t hurt my brother. Today is the first day of the New Year. Happy New Year, Happy New Year.”

Liu Kunlong stared at Ning Xuan’s budding figure, licking his lips. “Tsk, tsk, Little Xuan, you’re getting prettier and prettier. You’ve developed nicely, a real gem. How about being my girlfriend? I promise I’ll never bully your brother again, and you’ll have spending money every month.”

The green-haired punk chimed in, “You hear that, little girl? Brother Long wants you to be his girlfriend!”

Chen Mo forced out each word through gritted teeth. “Brother Long, don’t go too far. My sister is only thirteen.”

Slap!

Liu Kunlong backhanded Chen Mo across the face. Blood seeped from between Chen Mo’s teeth.

“You little bastard, did I give you permission to talk? If I didn’t know your sister was thirteen, I’d have had her already!”

Liu Kunlong was lecherous, but he knew that forcing himself on a thirteen-year-old would mean life in prison, maybe even the death penalty. He was bold, but not that bold. He wasn’t in a rush—just a few more months and she’d be fourteen, then she’d have no choice.

The green-haired punk pinned Chen Mo to the ground, pressing his body down. “You little bastard, how dare you talk back to Brother Long! You’re asking for death! Quick, search him!”

Another thug rummaged through Chen Mo’s pockets. “Found it! The orphan’s got only twenty yuan on him!”

Die! Die! All of you, just die!

Ning Xuan could no longer restrain herself. She wanted nothing more than for those who hurt her brother to perish. She was about to switch roles…

“Stop! What are you doing?” Two security guards rushed over, brandishing electric batons. Ning Xuan halted her transformation.

After all, this government-built housing estate was intended to shelter the poor, firmly under official jurisdiction. If anything serious happened, these guards, paid by the government, would risk losing their jobs. So, when they saw a fight on the cameras, they hurried over.

But their voices were loud, their steps slow—deliberately giving the thugs time to escape. During the New Year, better to avoid trouble.

Sure enough, Liu Kunlong was unhurried. He stomped on Chen Mo’s face, grinding his head into the snow. “Listen up, you little bastard. I’ll give you one more week. If your sister isn’t my girlfriend, you two won’t survive in this estate! Pah!”

He spat on Chen Mo’s face, then calmly led his two henchmen away.

One guard shouted with exaggerated effort, “Stop! Don’t run!”

The other knelt beside them, concern in his voice, “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Chen Mo climbed out of the snow, dusted off the dirt, wiped the spit from his face, and forced a smile. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang. I’m fine.”

The guard’s heart ached for the orphan siblings. He pulled out a wrinkled fifty-yuan note, hesitated, but finally offered it. “Here, children, take it. Have a good New Year.”

Chen Mo politely declined. “Uncle Zhang, it’s alright. I can earn my own money.”

Security guard Zhang Dan Niu pressed the money into Chen Mo’s hand. “Don’t be stubborn, child. Think of it as New Year’s money for you two.”

Seeing Uncle Zhang’s insistence, Chen Mo accepted. “Thank you, Uncle Zhang. I’ll always remember your kindness.”

They waved goodbye. In this world of ice and snow, there was coldness, but also warmth.

Back home, Ning Xuan’s laughter was gone. Tears streamed down her face. “Brother, why didn’t you fight back? Didn’t you evolve? You should be able to beat them!”

Chen Mo clenched his teeth and forced a smile. “Sister, remember this: when dealing with those who have hurt you, either endure, or strike so hard there are no loose ends. In that situation, if I fought back, it might have felt good for a moment—but the guards would have arrested us. They fear Liu Kunlong, but not us. If we called the police, our troubles would only multiply.”

Ning Xuan’s lips quivered with rage. “So we’re just going to let them go? I want to transform into a mage and freeze them all to death!”

Chen Mo stroked her head gently, comforting her. “Don’t worry. Heaven will not overlook them.”