C30 A Gangster Attack

Dusk was settling in, and the farmers' market had already shut its doors.

The old man tending to the livestock had repeatedly urged Shen Yong to hurry up and move his ox cart.

There was no way the old man would stick around to watch over the cart into the night!

Leaning against his cart on the roadside, Shen Yong realized he hadn't eaten all day; his stomach was loudly protesting its emptiness.

Patting his pocket, he found only ten yuan left—hardly enough for a bowl of noodles.

Ultimately, Shen Yong settled for a meager serving of stinky tofu mixed with cold noodles, finishing every last bite without a drop of soup to spare.

Clutching his Fruit Twelve phone, Shen Yong lamented, "Buying such an expensive piece of junk, I sacrificed meals and drinks for this! What was I thinking? Indeed, trying to show off comes at a cost!"

The night had fully descended, and still, Zhang Chuntao had not returned.

Worry began to gnaw at Shen Yong.

He wondered, could Chuntao have encountered some thugs or bullies?

Might she have been harassed, or worse, assaulted?

Shen Yong's fears, though chilling, weren't entirely unfounded.

The gender imbalance was stark—there were over thirty million more men of marriageable age than women!

This surplus of men outnumbered the entire population of some smaller nations!

As a result, many were doomed to remain unwed bachelors.

These bachelors, largely concentrated in rural areas and small towns, were often destitute, lacking the drive to strive for better, harboring ill intentions, and spending their days lost in fanciful daydreams of a stunning beauty falling from the sky right into their laps.

Little did they realize that 99.99% of the beauties shared the same aspirations as village chief Lee Kun, desperately seeking to marry a 'quadruple-threat' guy—a handsome man with a house, car, money, and a strong sense of responsibility in the city!

Moreover, the house had to be spacious, the car luxurious, the bank account hefty, and the sense of responsibility unwavering!

Only a 'quadruple-threat hunk' like this would have a bevy of beauties mindlessly throwing themselves at him!

Those lazy, spineless old bachelors could only clutch their phones at night, hiding under the covers, scrolling through unsavory websites to satisfy their urges.

The braver bachelors, unable to calm their restless hearts or suppress their sinister thoughts, would lurk in the shadows, preying on any woman who found herself alone.

Zhang Chuntao, with her stunning looks and sizzling figure, dressed so breezily, was bound to catch the eye of these audacious men, who would stealthily follow her, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"Help! Help! Shen Yong, come save me!"

Lost in thought, Shen Yong was jolted back to reality by a desperate plea for help.

Following the voice, he saw a beautiful woman running frantically towards him in the faint light, chased by two men stripped to the waist.

It was none other than Zhang Chuntao!

"Damn! My hunch was right! Beauties really do attract the worst kind of attention!"

"Don't worry, Ms. Chuntao! Shen Yong to the rescue!"

Shen Yong called out, dashing towards Zhang Chuntao.

But what a twist of fate!

As Shen Yong reached her, Zhang Chuntao stepped on a skewed sewer grate.

She stumbled, falling straight into Shen Yong's arms, her lips landing perfectly on his.

Without a moment to relish the accidental kiss, Shen Yong lifted Zhang Chuntao out of harm's way, wiping his mouth and asking in bewilderment, "Why pout if you're going to fall? Were you aiming to kiss the earth? You hit me with your front teeth, you know?"

"I had no idea!" Zhang Chuntao retorted, annoyed. "Put me down! Your breath is foul!"

"Ha! I just had stinky tofu with cold noodles; of course it stinks!" Shen Yong chuckled.

Zhang Chuntao was at a loss for words. She'd barely snagged a small victory over Shen Yong, only to be rebuffed in such a manner!

"Hey, kid! Back off from that lady! She caught our eye first, and we're calling dibs. I'd think twice about competing with us if I were you. Otherwise, you'll regret it!"

A man brandishing a rope shouted.

Shen Yong had spent three years at Cloud River No.1 High School, and on weekends, he'd frequent the local fight club to work out, spar, and decompress from the pressures of academia.

His regular visits to the club had given him insight into the underworld of Cloud River County's Gray Road. However, he was stumped today upon hearing about two gangs: the Justice Association and some solo club—both were completely new to him.

"A solo club? What's that supposed to be?"

Shen Yong inquired, genuinely confused.

Another fellow, clutching a burlap sack, let out a scoff and said, "Look at you, all country bumpkin style! It figures you wouldn't know about our solo club. Just remember, we're not the kind of trouble you want to mess with!"

"Got it! Now, both of you can beat it! I've got to head home today and don't have time for this nonsense," Shen Yong responded, nodding and shooing them away with his hand.

He had promised his parents that morning, before heading into town, that he'd be back before nightfall, whether or not the Juicy Sweet Peaches sold out.

But the sky was already pitch black, and he hadn't even begun his journey home. He had stayed put, waiting for Zhang Chuntao.

Now that Zhang Chuntao was back, safe and unharmed, Shen Yong didn't see the point in holding a grudge and was ready to let the two thugs off the hook.

But as the saying goes, the trees may crave calm, but the wind will not cease.

"You've got some nerve telling us to get lost! You looking for trouble?" the man with the rope bellowed. "Today, I'm taking you with me! You'll fetch a decent price at the black coal kiln. You might be scrawny, but youth has its value!"

With that, he yanked on the rope and advanced toward Shen Yong, intent on capturing him.

"Hey! Qian Sheng! Hold up! Do you see what I'm seeing? This guy's got a Fruit 12 phone! Anyone who can afford a Fruit phone has got to be loaded!"

The man with the burlap sack spoke up with a grave tone, "How much do you think we could get for tying him up? He's already an adult, and a guy at that. We'd be lucky to get ten thousand dollars for him! His phone is worth more than he is! Let's just have him wire us the money directly! That way, we don't have to give a cut to the association. It'll all be ours. Isn't that perfect?"

"You're spot on! Money Bag! Your attention to detail is impressive! How did that slip my mind?!"

Qian Sheng halted and barked at Shen Yong, "Listen up, rich boy! We're not asking for much. Just wire 100,000 yuan to each of us, and we'll let you go!"

Shen Yong gleaned from their conversation that their real target was Zhang Chuntao. They wanted to do more than just harm her; they planned to sell her!

Despicable human traffickers!

Absolutely loathsome!

They were beyond redemption!

"Want money? In your dreams! You two traffickers! You'll get what's coming to you, just wait for the thunderbolt!" Shen Yong retorted icily.