Chapter 5: Lynx

After finishing her noodles, Lin Weiwei left; she was always busy.

It was the weekend, and Lin Shanshan wanted to go shopping. She invited her best friend along, bringing Lin Yuan as their designated helper, and together they headed to the mall.

Her friend, Zhou Xiaoyu, was also a beauty, but she had a petite, doll-like charm, sporting twin ponytails that bobbed as she walked, drawing all eyes to her. With two stunning young women entering the mall, they instantly became the center of attention.

Lin Yuan trailed behind them at a distance, unnoticed by anyone.

“Shanshan, who’s that guy?” Zhou Xiaoyu whispered.

“He’s my bodyguard,” Lin Shanshan replied with a grin. “But as you can see, he’s hardly the tough type. I don’t expect him to protect me; he’s just here to carry our things.”

“Excellent! No need to call in any sycophants to help this time. We finally have our own helper!” Zhou Xiaoyu was delighted.

“How many sycophants do you actually have, Xiaoyu? Every time we go shopping, you summon a new one,” Lin Shanshan sighed at her friend, worried that someday such antics would land her in trouble.

“I have no idea—I’ve never counted. And their numbers seem to grow daily,” Zhou Xiaoyu replied. As one of the campus belles at Ocean University, it was hardly an exaggeration to say she was surrounded by admirers.

The two girls chatted and laughed, soon arriving at the clothing section.

“Country bumpkin, carry these for us,” Lin Shanshan said, handing Lin Yuan a heap of bags as they left the boutique.

“Here’s your share, country bumpkin,” she added after they left a snack shop, not stingy with his portion.

“Thank you,” Lin Yuan replied, holding the snacks, genuinely pleased.

Little did he know, from afar, a shifty youth with dyed yellow hair was watching him intently.

“Damn, this kid is walking so close to the boss’s girl. The big boss said any guy hanging around her is fair game—we don’t need to report it, just handle it ourselves,” thought the yellow-haired youth, thrilled at the chance to earn credit.

Two hours later, in the parking lot.

“All right, country bumpkin, Xiaoyu and I are heading back. If you want to wander, go ahead, but remember to come home tonight and cook,” Lin Shanshan said, speeding off in her pink Beetle.

“Finally done shopping. Now, I need to figure out how to make some money—I have to pay back the ten thousand to Han Ling soon,” Lin Yuan fretted. Though he possessed many skills, none seemed useful now that he was off the mountain.

“Oh well, I’ll eat first,” he decided, leaving the parking lot and heading to a snack street beside a nearby high school.

He ordered a plate of fried noodles at a street stall, pondering ways to earn money.

Just then, a young man with purple hair, flanked by two yellow-haired lackeys, swaggered over. They wore flashy plaid shirts, cigarettes dangling from their mouths, and stared down their noses at Lin Yuan.

“It’s Brother Wildcat and his crew—let’s get out of here!” cried the students at the snack stall, grabbing their bags and fleeing.

Seeing that Tiger was targeting Lin Yuan, they felt both relieved and a little gleeful—this guy was doomed for provoking Wildcat!

A group of students pointed and whispered from afar, some pulling out their phones to record.

The purple-haired youth strode up to Lin Yuan, slammed his fist on the table, revealing tattooed arms, and said coldly, towering over him, “Kid, you’ve stirred up trouble, you know that?”

Lin Yuan glanced up, “Perfect—someone bringing me money.”

He had just been worrying about how to quickly earn ten thousand to pay his debt, and now an opportunity had appeared.

“Bringing you money? Hell no! Grab him—break both his legs!” snarled the purple-haired youth.

“Come on, kid, let’s chat in that alley. We’ve got something good for you,” said the two yellow-haired thugs, approaching Lin Yuan and draping their arms over his shoulders, acting friendly.

“No need to be so sneaky about giving me money,” Lin Yuan replied naively.

“Heh, as the saying goes, wealth shouldn’t be flaunted. Let’s go,” the thugs sneered, ignoring Lin Yuan’s willingness, dragging him toward the alley.

“That guy’s finished.”

“He shouldn’t have messed with Wildcat—doesn’t he know Wildcat’s the bully of this street?”

“You only know half the story. Wildcat’s boss is Dragon, and Dragon’s boss is Young Master Jiang!”

“Who’s Young Master Jiang?”

“One of the Four Young Masters of Binhai!”

“What? The Four Young Masters of Binhai! No wonder Wildcat acts untouchable—no one can rein him in!”

“So, I’m telling you, this kid is done for.”

At that moment, stall owners, watching students, and nearby passersby could only silently pray for Lin Yuan.

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from the alley, sending chills through everyone and silencing the crowd.

They could easily imagine the delicate young man, Lin Yuan, being viciously beaten by Wildcat’s men. The mere thought made their legs tremble.

“Wildcat, stop! Let him go!” called out a well-meaning bystander, but received no reply.

“Wildcat, spare him!” shouted a stout aunt.

Inside the alley—

“Big brother, stop—ahhh!”

“Ugh…”

The three thugs lay sprawled on the ground, as Lin Yuan, wielding a steel pipe, took turns beating them, their cries unceasing.

“I’m new to Binhai and haven’t offended anyone—why are you bothering me?” Lin Yuan asked coolly.

“B-big brother, it’s not our idea—it’s the boss’s orders. You were walking too close to the boss’s girl!” Wildcat clutched his head, fearful of another blow.

“The boss’s girl? That must be that ‘Shang’ person?” Lin Yuan recalled Lin Shanshan’s note.

“Yes, yes! Our boss is Jiang Shang. He ordered us to watch her every move, and any man who gets near her gets his legs broken!” Wildcat eagerly shifted the blame. “Big brother, we’re just tools—could you let us go?”

“Eat these,” Lin Yuan produced three glossy black pills.

“What are these?” asked Wildcat, bewildered.

“Poison,” Lin Yuan answered.

“What?” The three thugs blanched.

“If you don’t, I’ll break nine of your legs,” Lin Yuan threatened.

“No, we’ll eat them! We’ll eat them!” Terrified, the three quickly took the pills from Lin Yuan and swallowed them whole.

“How much money do you have on you?” Lin Yuan demanded, looming over them.

“I have five thousand,” said one yellow-haired thug.

“I have six thousand,” said the other.

“I have thirty thousand,” Wildcat said, feeling utterly humiliated. Usually, he extorted others—today, he was the victim. How disgraceful!

“Hand it all over!” Lin Yuan ordered.

“Big brother, we don’t have cash,” Wildcat said with a wry smile.

“That’s fine. Go to the bank and withdraw it for me. Since you’ve taken my poison, I’m not worried about you running away,” Lin Yuan replied, turning to leave.

“Big brother, we’ll get it for you right away!” The mention of poison sent the three scrambling after Lin Yuan.

“Big brother, what kind of poison is that?” Wildcat asked, bowing and scraping as he followed.

Just as they stepped out of the alley, everyone witnessed the scene.

The crowd was dumbstruck.