Chapter 222 — Now Genuinely Afraid

Yet the blond's expression turned ghastly. Even a fool in his position could see now that the man before him was a legend-class fighter!

The blond was no fighter himself, but he had spent enough years on the streets to have heard of those mythic Heaven, Earth, Dark, and Yellow-tier masters rumored to walk the martial world — men who could scale walls and leap over roofs, who could strike pressure points from across a room.

He had no idea whether Wei Zhao belonged to that rarefied category, but judging from the clean efficiency with which the man had set and dislocated bones just moments ago, he was no ordinary hand. And if what his trusted subordinate had told him afterward was accurate, Wei Zhao's methods were not far off from those fabled pressure-point strikes.

He did not believe Wei Zhao could be all that formidable, but he knew beyond doubt that a man of his own meager skill was no match. Even if this kid was not an actual Yellow-tier master, he had to be at least half-tier — and the moment that thought crossed the blond's mind, the urge to flee took root.

"Wow, your right hand looks awful. How about we switch to the left this time? Since you're awake, let's get back to my questions." Wei Zhao squatted down, seized the blond's left hand, and prepared to resume his little dislocation game.

"Don't... Big Brother, whatever you want to know, I'll tell you..." The blond was truly frightened now. He looked up at Wei Zhao, voice cracking in a plea.

"Oh? Then tell me — were you sent by that Zou-what's-his-name?" Wei Zhao asked.

"Yes." The blond answered without hesitation.

"Good. Go on home then. Tell that Zou-what's-his-name I'll be coming to see him." Wei Zhao said.

"Yes, Big Brother, I'll pass the message." The blond nodded hastily.

Crack — another sharp snap. Wei Zhao released the blond's left hand, but by then it, too, had been dislocated.

"Ow... Big Brother, I already told you everything, why did you still..." The blond leapt off the floor with a howl, gazing at Wei Zhao with wounded grievance.

"I have a gentle face. I was afraid you wouldn't realize I'm the ruthless sort, and you'd come back to cause trouble in this hospital again next time." Wei Zhao watched him with an utterly unrepentant grin, not a shred of sympathy in sight.

"..." The blond was on the verge of tears. "Big Brother, I know now — you're the ruthless sort. Rest assured, I'm never coming back..."

How could the blond fail to grasp Wei Zhao's meaning? The man was warning him never to set foot in this hospital again to stir up trouble. But did he still dare? The blond lived on the streets, but he was no idiot. Someone demonstrably stronger than himself — and he was supposed to walk right back into the lion's den? Only a brain-dead fool would do that.

"All right then, get going. I won't see you out." Wei Zhao waved a hand, signaling that the blond could滚 — could get lost.

Director Ma had arrived long before and was standing in the doorway, too afraid to enter. A nurse had told him there was a fight in this ward, and he had rushed over in a panic to see what was happening. One glance was enough. Now he finally understood why Wei Zhao had asked him to find a few surgeons. The things that had just shambled out of that room genuinely did need an orthopedist.

Wei Zhao was an excellent judge of character. In the blond's eyes he had seen true terror, not the hollow, calculated surrender of a man biding his time. Some people, once broken, stay broken. Others only bend on the surface while nursing the old conviction that revenge is a dish best served years later.

If the blond had not truly submitted but was merely planning retaliation, Wei Zhao would not have minded making him vanish from the face of the earth for no reason anyone could explain. Back in his old squad, Wei Zhao had been legendary for shielding his people — and the rule was simple: if you touch anyone under my protection, I will touch your entire family first.

He had returned to the glittering sprawl of the city. His old squadmates were gone, but in their place he had found friends. These friends, like the comrades who had come before them, were equally sacred — equally his reversed scale.

Tang Zhi had long since clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. Even a hard-edged woman like Liu Xinlan stood frozen, eyes wide with astonishment. Song Huiping went further, covering Xiaofen's eyes with both hands.

Because what Wei Zhao had done was simply too brutal. True, he had dealt with a pack of villains — but the sheer ruthlessness of his methods chilled every onlooker to the bone. Only in Kang **'s eyes burned an unmistakable excitement.

He had already brawled with Wei Zhao up on the rooftop, and when it came to fighting, most men could muster nothing but hot-blooded enthusiasm — terror and fear had no place in the equation.

"Men like that only understand one thing — a lesson they won't forget. Otherwise they'll just keep coming back for more." Wei Zhao caught the expressions on every face around him and shrugged with a trace of sheepish embarrassment.

"Boss, you were incredible just now. That move — could you teach me? Crack, and the other guy's hand is done for..." Kang ** looked on with undisguised envy.

"I could teach you, but who would you use for a demonstration?" Wei Zhao said, grinning at Kang **.

"Uh... then never mind..." Kang ** weakly withdrew his hand and shook his head.

The tense atmosphere in the ward was instantly lightened by this humorous exchange between Wei Zhao and Kang **. Even Song Huiping smiled along with them. Xiaofen had likely seen too much of life and death to be much frightened by what had happened earlier; hearing Kang **'s words now, she smiled too.

In the afternoon, Tang's mother was going to set up her stall at the snack street, and Tang Zhi would naturally help her mother. Since Xiaofen was out of danger, Tang Zhi prepared to leave. With Tang Zhi gone, there was little point in Wei Zhao staying, so he left with her.

Kang ** and Liu Xinlan were left behind to look after Xiaofen. Kang ** had by now surely made up his mind; at eighteen he was *** and passionate. Though Xiaofen had all sorts of flaws, the stubborn Kang ** had already overlooked them...

Wei Zhao was a little more rational than Kang **, though not by much. The fine days of campus life were sweet as honey to him, while those days of *** and bloodshed were drifting ever further away...

Watching Tang Zhi sit silently in the passenger seat, head lowered, Wei Zhao smiled. She still wore that put-upon look, as though he bullied her every hour of every day.

The car drove into the shantytown, and Wei Zhao parked where he had the day before.

The shantytown had recovered its usual bustle and ease. Old folks sat leisurely at their doorsteps chatting with neighbors, children ran about everywhere, and at the sight of Wei Zhao's car they crowded around curiously to see what was going on.

The shadow of yesterday's leap had dispersed, and the three-story building had returned to its former calm.

"Shall I walk you back?" Wei Zhao frowned, because he had spotted that Li Erlan strolling over this way, unhurried and at his ease.

Tang Zhi hesitated, then gave a murmured "Mm" and nodded. Compared with brutes like Li Erlan and Zou Ruoming, who had no notion of reason, she would rather deal with a well-mannered villain like Wei Zhao.

In truth, when Tang Zhi called Wei Zhao well-mannered, she meant chiefly the way he treated her: though he pursued her, he never forced himself on her, and now and then he could even tolerate her little moods and temper. This steadily weakened the defenses she had built against him, for she had come to believe that so long as she did not give her consent, Wei Zhao would never do anything untoward.