C10 The Model of a Debtor

These days, 180 RMB doesn't even cover a hot pot meal, and for a super foodie like Xiao Ge, it's far from enough.

Devouring four or five kilograms of meat in one sitting is nothing to Xiao Ge. Just last night, at the Big Fat Sheep Hotpot Mutton Restaurant, he polished off a whopping 1,000 yuan worth of mutton. Clearly, if he were to indulge, the 180 yuan in his pocket wouldn't even cover one meal. Even by his usual standards of eating until only half-full, that amount would barely stretch to two meals.

So, Xiao Ge was truly broke, too broke to afford a meal. To start his beautiful new life in Ningcheng, he needed to find a way to satisfy his hunger first. In other words, he needed to make money, or else resign himself to being a live-in son-in-law, dependent on others.

Determined to enjoy a lavish lunch, Xiao Ge set out to collect a debt. That deadbeat, Wang Manzi, owed him a cool 12,000 yuan.

Strolling down the bustling streets of southern Ningcheng during the morning rush, Xiao Ge's leisurely pace made him stick out like a sore thumb amidst the hurried crowd.

Suddenly, a dilapidated van without plates sped past him, screeched to a halt, and then reversed to stop right beside him.

The door flung open, and an enraged voice bellowed, "Freeze!"

Accompanied by the shout, a short, stocky bald man with a face full of scars emerged from the van, followed by two short-haired young men.

Xiao Ge recognized the voice and, turning around to see the bald man, he was taken aback. "Huh? Baldy, you're here to pay up? Nice, very nice. It's rare to find someone as conscientious as you. If all debtors were as responsible, the world would be a much more harmonious place. Baldy, you're setting a shining example. And speaking of shining, your dome is getting more luminous by the day!"

The bald man in question was none other than Wang Manzi. At present, Wang Manzi was far from radiant; in fact, he looked rather disheveled. Bloodshot eyes and a gaunt expression marred his face, and his right hand was encased in a plaster cast, slung around his neck with bandages—a testament to Xiao Ge's handiwork from the day before.

Trailing behind Wang Manzi were two short-haired young men, both in their early twenties, dressed in identical black tank tops. Each sported a prominent tattoo on their right arm—a fierce scorpion with claws outstretched and fangs exposed.

"Brother Manzi, is this the guy?" one of the short-haired young men asked, eyeing Xiao Ge with a hint of uncertainty.

"That's right, it's me. Now hand over the money," Xiao Ge responded promptly.

"The money for your mother!" Wang Manzi bellowed, "All of you, get him! Break his arms and legs!"

"Yes, Brother Manzi!" Despite their confusion, the two short-haired young men chorused their agreement. They stepped forward in unison, each reaching out to grab one of Xiao Ge's shoulders.

They intended to subdue Xiao Ge first, but their plans were futile against him.

"Dumb baldy, you really can't take a compliment, can you?" Xiao Ge sighed, then effortlessly lifted his hands and snatched the wrists of the two young men. With a slight tug downward...

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

"Ugh!"

"Damn it!"

The sharp snap of bones, followed by a scream and curses, signaled that both young men had their arms dislocated simultaneously.

"Have I ever mentioned I don't like violence?" Xiao Ge released their wrists, then suddenly lashed out with his feet, swiftly knocking both assailants to the ground. "If I haven't made myself clear before, let me reiterate—I really don't like violence. So, if you keep pushing me to resort to it, I'll get very unhappy. And when I'm unhappy, I tend to get even more violent. Got it now?"

The two short-haired young men lay on the ground, drenched in cold sweat—not from the heat, but from excruciating pain. They remained silent, fear flickering in their eyes. In that moment, they finally grasped why Wang Manzi's wrist had been broken.

Xiao Ge ignored the two short-haired young men and turned to Wang Manzi with a look of annoyance. "Listen up, Baldy, you've made me do something I hate, and now I'm ticked off. Because of that, I've decided to hike up your compensation from a 12% to a 20% increase. So now, you owe me twenty grand."

Before Wang Manzi could respond, Xiao Ge swiftly reached out, seized his bandaged right hand, and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Argh!" Wang Manzi's scream echoed through the street, his face contorting in agony.

Despite the commotion, Wang Manzi's cries barely turned heads. Most onlookers had already steered clear of the scene, and those who heard the screams made sure to keep their distance, preferring not to get involved.

"Ready to cough up the cash now, Baldy?" Xiao Ge pressed on, his grip tightening as he spoke with a calm assertiveness.

"F... Ah... You've got nerve, kid... Ah... You're ruthless... Ah... Fine, I'll pay..." Initially defiant, Wang Manzi's resistance crumbled under the escalating pain, his screams giving way to submission. The excruciating pain, akin to salt in a fresh wound, was more than he could handle.

"There you go. Debts must be paid; it's only fair. I'm a reasonable guy," Xiao Ge said, releasing Wang Manzi's hand with a satisfied nod. "Hand it over. I wouldn't want to hold you up from getting to the hospital."

Wang Manzi, through clenched teeth, pulled out his wallet with his good left hand. As he counted out the money, he looked at Xiao Ge with reluctant respect. "Alright, Xiao Ge, you win this round. If you're as tough as you say, leave your name."

"The name's Xiao Ge, the coolest dude around," Xiao Ge replied with a beaming smile. "I'm over at Ningcheng University. Feel free to drop by and pay up anytime."

Noticing Wang Manzi still fumbling with his cash, Xiao Ge chimed in, "Stop counting. You've only got 4,800 in there. You're short 15,200. Maybe your buddies can spot you the difference."

"Xiaoqi, Xiaoba, are you carrying any cash?" Wang Manzi was surprisingly accommodating, turning his attention to the two short-haired young men.

The pair had managed to pick themselves up off the ground by now. Despite the lingering pain, they each fumbled with their free hand to retrieve their wallets. Together, the three of them pooled their money and counted it. But after tallying it up, they only had $9,600—still short of the $10,000 mark.