5: Chapter 5: Street Fighting Counterattack and the Police's Gaze

Zhang Cheng didn't know he had already been targeted by a mad dog.

After leaving the police station, he lived an exceptionally low-profile life. Aside from occasionally going out to a nearby small supermarket to buy some instant noodles and water, he spent most of his time locked away in that narrow, dilapidated rental room.

He was studying the system and planning his future. That feeling of possessing power obsessed him, but it also made him more clear-headed—before this massive state machine, he was still just an ant that could be crushed at any moment.

At around eight o'clock this evening, the sky had turned completely dark. Zhang Cheng carried a bag of freshly bought ham sausages and instant noodles, walking along a shortcut back home.

This was a small alley deep within an urban village, flanked by old single-story houses waiting for demolition. Half of the streetlights were broken, and the remaining half flickered dimly, stretching people's shadows long and short like ghosts.

As Zhang Cheng walked, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Under the streetlight ahead, four dark figures were leaning against the wall, the tips of their cigarettes glowing and fading in the darkness. Seeing Zhang Cheng approach, they threw down their cigarettes, crushed them ruthlessly with their toes, and then surrounded him in a fan shape.

The leader was a burly man with a face full of scars and a thick gold chain hanging around his neck; it was Wang Hu.

"Kid, you're looking pretty relaxed, aren't you?" Wang Hu smiled sinisterly, his voice carrying a streak of ruthlessness.

Zhang Cheng knew exactly what was happening, but he instantly forced a look of panic and fear onto his face. He instinctively took a step back, his voice trembling: "Wang... Brother Wang? What... what are you doing?"

"What am I doing? Don't you know?" Wang Hu grabbed Zhang Cheng by the collar and slammed him violently against the stain-covered wall.

The massive impact caused the wall's plaster to fall in flurries, but Zhang Cheng felt nothing. Instead, he complained in his head that the wall was too dirty and had ruined his clothes.

"My brother just died, and you're acting like nothing happened? You seem to be living quite comfortably!" Wang Hu stared with bloodshot, bulging eyes, spitting in Zhang Cheng's face as he spoke, "Was it you who hired someone to do it? Speak!"

"I've been framed! Brother Wang! The police have cleared everything, it was that vagrant..." Zhang Cheng defended himself desperately, curling his body into a ball, looking as if he were scared out of his wits.

"To hell with the police!"

Wang Hu didn't listen at all. A murderous light flashed in his eyes as he raised his thick knee and, with all his strength, delivered a vicious Muay Thai knee strike heavily into Zhang Cheng's lower abdomen.

If this had been the old Zhang Cheng, he probably would have suffered gastric hemorrhaging and gone into shock on the spot.

But now...

Thud!

The sound of a dull impact rang out.

Zhang Cheng only felt as if his abdomen had been hit by a soft pillow. With ten times the normal constitution, his muscle density was already comparable to a steel plate. In that moment just now, he even had to deliberately relax his abdominal muscles.

If he hadn't relaxed, not only would Wang Hu's strike have failed to hurt him, but the man would have shattered his own meniscus from hitting an 'iron plate.' He couldn't let this idiot notice anything unusual yet.

Even though it didn't hurt, he had to play the part.

"Argh—!"

Zhang Cheng let out an extremely shrill scream of agony. He doubled over like a cooked shrimp, clutching his stomach with both hands and trembling violently—of course, it was all an act.

"Heh, your body's pretty tough!" Wang Hu didn't notice anything wrong at all, only thinking the kid could take a hit. He spat on the ground, "Beat him! Beat him to death! Break both his legs and see how he runs then!"

The other three thugs didn't waste words either, surrounding him for a brutal beating.

Heavy work boots fell like raindrops on Zhang Cheng's back, legs, and arms.

To an outsider, Zhang Cheng was being beaten without any power to fight back, screaming repeatedly and shivering in fear.

But in reality, Zhang Cheng was curled up in the corner with his hands over his head, his face buried in the crook of his arm. In the shadow of his arm, where was the slightest hint of pain on his face?

His expression was terrifyingly calm; there was even a trace of a bored, cold sneer at the corner of his mouth.

If he didn't cooperate with a few screams, the play couldn't go on.

"The force is too light, it's not even as comfortable as a massage..." Zhang Cheng coldly evaluated the fists and feet landing on his body in his mind.

Ten times constitution brought not only strength, but also abnormal defensive power and a high pain threshold. The strikes from these ordinary people did nothing but dirty his clothes; they couldn't cause any substantial harm.

"That's about enough."

Through the gap in his arms, Zhang Cheng watched Wang Hu, who was panting from the exertion and grinning as he pulled a cold, glinting switchblade from his waist, preparing to cut Zhang Cheng's face. Zhang Cheng's gaze instantly turned to ice.

I've played with you enough; it's time to send you on your way.

He murmured in his heart, his thoughts like lightning, instantly connecting to the system in his mind.

[Current Points: 1190] [Exchange: Junior Death Soldier x 2, consumes 20 points.] [Set Identity: Migrant workers with violent tendencies wandering from a nearby construction site after a late shift.] [Initial Command: Intervene immediately when I encounter a life-threatening situation! Target: Defeat the four attackers in front of me! Requirement: Be ruthless, target joints and soft spots! Afterward, disguise yourselves as 'passersby who can't stand bullying' and quickly blend into the night to leave!]

The command was issued in the blink of an eye.

Just as the blade in Wang Hu's hand was about to fall—

"Stop! What are you doing!"

A gruff roar, like a sudden clap of thunder, exploded at the mouth of the alley.

Wang Hu's hand shook, and he instinctively looked back.

Under the dim light, two men wearing cement-stained camouflage fatigues and yellow hard hats were charging over with long strides. They weren't particularly tall, but their momentum was like two human tanks.

"Damn it, where did these busybodies come from?" a thug cursed, pulling a telescopic baton from his pocket. "Get lost! Brother Hu is handling business!"

The two "migrant workers"—the newly summoned Junior Death Soldiers—didn't waste any words.

The burly man in the lead had a gaze as indifferent as if he were looking at a corpse. He suddenly tore off the hard hat from his head and pulled a solid steel pipe from behind his back!

Whoosh—

The steel pipe tore through the air with a chilling whistle, heading straight for the face of the thug with the baton.

Thwack!

A dull thud was followed by the sound of bone shattering. The thug didn't even have time to react before he let out a scream and collapsed to the ground like his bones had been removed.

An instant kill!

The other lean Junior Death Soldier was even faster. He ducked low, avoiding a flying kick from another thug, while a folding knife used for stripping wires appeared in his hand.

A flash of cold light.

Puchi! Puchi!

Two thugs fell almost simultaneously, one clutching his face and the other his thigh. Blood sprayed wildly, and screams instantly filled the alley.

In less than three seconds.

The three thugs who had been acting so arrogant just a moment ago were all incapacitated.

Wang Hu was stunned. He had been a hoodlum in this area for over a decade and had never seen such ruthless, efficient skills! These weren't migrant workers; these were clearly Yama kings who killed without blinking!

"Shit... you guys..."

The hand Wang Hu used to hold the switchblade began to tremble violently. That ruthlessness from before vanished without a trace like a deflated balloon as his two henchmen were instantly taken out.

The lean Junior Death Soldier didn't speak, merely approaching him step by step while holding the dripping folding knife. There was no anger or mockery in those eyes, only a cold indifference as if looking at dead pork.

This kind of gaze was more terrifying than murderous intent.

"Don't... don't come any closer!"

Wang Hu's legs went weak, and he uncontrollably backed away until his back hit the cold wall.

"I'm Wang Hu! The local police station chief is my..."

The lean Junior Death Soldier was deaf to his words and didn't stop. His cement-dusted rubber shoes stepped into a puddle with a "splat, splat" sound, each step feeling like it was treading on Wang Hu's heart.

Clang!

Wang Hu finally broke, and the switchblade fell to the ground.

The underworld big brother who had just threatened to "beat Zhang Cheng to death" and "make him wear mourning clothes" was now kneeling on the ground like a mangy dog with a broken spine.

"Big brother! Grandpa! A mistake! It's all a misunderstanding!"

With tears and snot flowing, Wang Hu kowtowed frantically before this silent god of death, his forehead thumping against the ground. Mixed with the mud and water, he looked as pathetic as could be.

"I was wrong! I shouldn't have touched that little brother! I have money... I have three hundred thousand! It's all in the car! As long as you don't kill me, I'll be your dog! Please, just let me go like a fart!"

This scene was fully witnessed by Zhang Cheng, who was huddled in the corner.

Zhang Cheng watched through the gap in his arms, an indescribable sense of gratification welling up in his heart.

This is a so-called "underworld big brother"? Before absolute power, it turns out he's just a pile of rotten meat that knows how to beg for mercy.

However, the Junior Death Soldier did not pause for a second because of his begging. The system's command was to "defeat," which meant completely destroying the opponent's ability to resist.

In the Junior Death Soldier's logic, begging for mercy was invalid.

Just as Wang Hu raised his mud-stained face, thinking the other party might hesitate because of the money—

The lean Junior Death Soldier's hand shot out like an iron pincer, instantly gripping Wang Hu's right hand that had originally held the knife.

The hope in Wang Hu's eyes instantly turned into extreme terror: "No—!"

Crack!

The crisp, ear-piercing sound of bone snapping echoed in the alley, drowning out Wang Hu's scream.

"AAAAAH!!!"

Wang Hu let out a pig-slaughtering howl, his whole body twitching in pain. His wrist had been snapped backward, and white bone fragments pierced through the flesh.

But it wasn't over yet.

The lean Junior Death Soldier remained expressionless, as if he had just snapped a twig. He raised his heavy, stab-resistant work shoe and kicked Wang Hu's wailing mouth with brutal force!

Thud!

This kick carried immense power, directly shattering half of Wang Hu's teeth and kicking his screams back into his stomach.

Wang Hu flew backward and slammed heavily against the wall, sliding down like a pile of mud. His mouth was full of bloody foam, and he was breathing more out than in.

Wiped out.

In less than a minute, the four hoodlums who usually acted so imperiously had all become cripples.

The two Junior Death Soldiers did not linger. They glanced at each other as if confirming the mission was complete. Then, they both shouted:

"Run! The police are coming!" "Don't go looking for trouble, let's get out of here!"

The two picked up their hard hats and turned to run, their figures quickly disappearing into the labyrinthine alleys.

A deathly silence returned to the alley, save for the faint sound of sirens in the distance and Wang Hu's intermittent gasps from the intense pain.

He lay paralyzed in the mud, mouth bloody and eyes glazed.

At this moment, Zhang Cheng, who had been huddled in the corner, slowly stood up.

He brushed the dust off his clothes with slow, deliberate movements. Where was the slightest hint of his previous "shivering" state?

Zhang Cheng walked over to Wang Hu and crouched down. By the dim streetlight, he studied that once-arrogant but now distorted face with great interest.

"Uh... help... help me..."

Through eyes clouded with blood, Wang Hu saw Zhang Cheng approach and instinctively groaned for help.

Zhang Cheng smiled.

That smile looked exceptionally cold under the flickering light. He reached out and gently patted Wang Hu's swollen, pig-like cheek. The movement was as gentle as if he were soothing a pet, but the words he spoke were like knives:

"Brother Wang, where did that ruthlessness from earlier go?"

"Didn't you say you called the shots around here? Weren't you going to make me wear mourning clothes? I'm standing right here; why don't you get up and finish me?"

Wang Hu's pupils contracted sharply. Looking at this youth who seemed like a completely different person, a chill more terrifying than the prospect of death shot from his tailbone to his crown.

"You... it's you..." Wang Hu mumbled indistinctly, his eyes filled with unbelievable terror, "You did this..."

"Shh—"

Zhang Cheng raised a finger to his lips in a silencing gesture, the mockery in his eyes deepening.

"You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. The police will be here soon. You'd better tell the police officers clearly that you were beaten like this by 'heroic' passersby. As for me..."

Zhang Cheng leaned into Wang Hu's ear, his voice dropped to a very low whisper, like a demon's murmur:

"I'm just a poor victim you bullied, aren't I?"

"When you were begging for mercy just now, you said you were willing to be a dog? A pity those two big brothers thought you were too dirty. But it's okay; looking at you lying on the ground now..."

Zhang Cheng stood up and looked down at the twitching Wang Hu in the mud, using his toe to disdainfully push aside Wang Hu's broken hand.

"You really do look quite like a dog."

"Ah... wu..." Wang Hu's heart was overcome with rage and pain. He spat out a mouthful of dark blood, rolled his eyes, and completely fainted.

Zhang Cheng withdrew his gaze coldly and quickly adjusted his expression. He messed up his clothes, smeared some mud on his face, and then ran toward the mouth of the alley, stumbling and shouting with a sob in his voice:

"Help! Murder! Police officers, come quickly!"