Chapter 25 Robbery

After all, everyone had arrived empty-handed, so naturally, no one harbored ill intentions. On the way back, however, they were returning fully laden, and the heavy fog provided a natural screen, making it a perfect spot for an ambush.

It was already past two in the afternoon by the time she finished collecting the relief supplies. Taking advantage of the fact that there were dedicated personnel standing guard at the relief point, Bai Xiao found a secluded spot to have a quick lunch and replenish her stamina.

Many others thought the same way; after a whole morning of walking and queuing, they were already famished. They still had a long walk back with heavy loads, so they wouldn't be able to hold out without eating something.

After resting for a while, Bai Xiao moved her knife belt to her right hip to prevent her bag from blocking her from drawing it quickly in case of danger. Finally, she put on her outdoor backpack and fastened the built-in waist strap to ensure it wouldn't sway while she moved. Everything was ready for the return journey.

For the first half of the way back, there were many people, so Bai Xiao didn't turn on her headlamp. She followed the crowd at a moderate distance. After turning at two intersections, the people around her gradually thinned out.

Once there were basically no others heading the same way, Bai Xiao finally turned on her fog light.

As soon as the fog light was turned on, it illuminated four meters ahead, immediately allowing her to see clearly—was that a figure behind a large tree on the sidewalk?

The other party seemingly didn't expect the newcomer to suddenly turn on a light, let alone a rare head-mounted fog light. Coupled with the fact that she was a lone girl carrying a large pack of supplies, she was simply a piece of "fat meat" delivered right to their door.

The man hiding behind the tree twirled a small knife in his hand, gesturing behind him as he stepped out. "Everyone, come out. A big fish has been washed ashore."

As soon as he finished speaking, two tall, thin men stepped out from behind the fog. The three of them surrounded her with ill intent.

Seeing the three of them surrounding her simultaneously, Bai Xiao retreated slightly. After consuming an enhancement potion, she had tested her strength and speed; it could be said that she already surpassed an average male. Furthermore, after several days of game course training, while she couldn't claim to have mastered close-quarters combat, she had at least fully adapted to and gained control over her new physical capabilities.

Unless these men were skilled in martial arts, she wouldn't necessarily be at a disadvantage.

"Hey beauty, put the stuff down and we won't make things difficult for you. We can let you go."

The leader likely saw that the city could still organize relief stations and shelters, meaning it hadn't completely collapsed. Fearing a reckoning once the fog cleared, he didn't dare to truly commit any heinous acts.

"What if I say no?" Bai Xiao pulled out the dagger at her waist and held it in front of her.

Seeing a young girl trying to act tough by pulling out a small knife, the three men burst into laughter. "You think saying no is enough? Who are you trying to scare with that puny knife? If you don't put down the bag, we won't be polite. Lao San, go!"

The leader waved his hand to the left, and the man called Lao San rushed forward holding a fruit knife.

Bai Xiao could tell at a glance that he wasn't trained. She sidestepped to avoid the blade and, using his momentum, sliced upward with her right hand, cutting the web of his hand. The man let out a miserable scream, his hand losing control and letting go. The fruit knife hit the ground with a "ding" and was kicked away by Bai Xiao.

The man's forward momentum hadn't stopped, so Bai Xiao grabbed his forearm, spun around, and twisted his entire arm behind his neck. She then kicked the back of his knee, forcing the man called Lao San to fall to one knee with a thud.

The cut from his thumb to the back of his hand had been sliced open, and his arm was twisted behind him in a bizarre position. He immediately began wailing in pain.

The remaining two, seeing Lao San subdued in three moves and bleeding, flew into a rage and rushed forward together with their knives raised.

Bai Xiao gave a sharp pull, lifting the kneeling man, and then kicked him hard. Lao San was immediately used as a human shield and kicked toward the two rushing men.

"Ahhh!" Lao San screamed at the top of his lungs as he saw two knives stabbing toward him.

Seeing their brother coming at them, the other two hurriedly withdrew their knives. However, their forward momentum didn't stop, and they collided heavily with the person Bai Xiao had kicked. The three of them fell to the ground, howling.

"Now? Does my 'no' count?" Bai Xiao confiscated the knives from the two men and dragged the leader aside.

She stepped on the man's chest, leaned forward, rested her right arm on her knee, and extended her forearm, pressing the tip of the knife against his throat.

"Mercy, mercy! Beauty—no, Big Sister, we won't do it again! Please, be magnanimous and forgive us!" With the cold knife tip against his throat, he didn't even dare to speak loudly, fearing that if his movements were too large, his Adam's apple would bob and push itself into the blade.

"How many people have you robbed today?" Bai Xiao asked.

"None, none! The three of us just saw that not much food was being distributed and acted on a whim. You're the first," the man answered tremblingly.

"Heh, so I'm just unlucky then. Don't you know that robbery is a crime? I won't call the police to arrest you today—I doubt they have the capacity to handle it right now anyway—but you must be taught a lesson to prevent you from trying to rob anyone else."

Having said that, Bai Xiao moved the blade down and sliced a deep gash into the web of the man's right hand in the same manner.

"Ah!"

Bai Xiao left the man curled up in pain and wasted no more time, continuing back the way she came.

As she passed the other two, they lowered their heads, not daring to meet her eyes. Bai Xiao watched them out of the corner of her eye until the thick fog obscured them again before she felt safe enough to turn her head back forward.

She didn't put away her blood-stained dagger for the rest of the way. As a result, the occasional people she encountered saw the blood and didn't dare approach her to share the light.

Nothing else happened for the rest of the journey. Before entering the residential complex, Bai Xiao wiped the knife and sheathed it back into her belt.

She finally reached home around five o'clock. Bai Xiao took off her hat, mask, and headlamp. Having spent most of the day in the thick fog, her entire body was covered in moisture, as wet as if she had been caught in the rain.

She quickly took a hot shower and changed into fresh clothes.

Because of the distribution of supplies today, the group chat was as lively as the Lunar New Year.

[Binhe Mansion Homeowners Group (496)]

[6#-2-1003]: I didn't expect the road conditions to be so bad, yet the authorities could still set up so many relief points to distribute supplies. This is great; I feel like there's hope. I really hope this fog clears up soon.

[3#-1-802]: Yeah, going out is too difficult. I almost got lost. Fortunately, I had navigation. This round trip took most of the day. If it weren't for the fact that they gave out five days' worth of supplies at once, going every day would be unbearable.

[1#-2-401]: Tell me about it. I really don't know when this fog will clear. Looking at the news lately, the Meteorological Bureau hasn't responded, and not a single expert has analyzed the cause.

[3#-2-1102]: These past few days, there are videos of disaster-stricken cities everywhere online. I heard the platforms have even actively deleted a lot of them. In comparison, our Yunzhou City is considered quite stable.

[4#-2-502]: Stable? On the way back, I even encountered highway robbers. I was in a hurry and didn't take the main road. On the street behind our complex, there's a small path that's been taken over by a gang of over a dozen people. They've robbed several people. I heard something was wrong from a distance and took a detour to get back. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to keep this bag of stuff. I advise everyone not to go that way.

[5#-1-1301]: For real? Luckily, I came back with a group. Regardless, I feel like the patrol team Brother Xu mentioned is very necessary. It's too chaotic now; we need to unite.

[2#-1-801]: That's easy to say, but isn't the fee for those who don't want to patrol a bit too much? We only got 8 catties of food for five days today, and one patrol shift costs half a catty...

[5#-1-1301]: Why are you as selfish as that girl from 1201 in our building? She won't contribute food and won't join the patrol, and she even goes around threatening people with a bow.

Bai Xiao: ???