C4 There Is Still a Long Way to Go!

"Xiao Mu, go home and wait for Mom," Qin Mian urged, quickly wiping away her tears as she saw her son. She knew the loan sharks were merciless, and the thought of them harming Lee Mu was unbearable. How could she go on if something happened to him?

"Listen to me, I can handle this. Go home," Qin Mian pleaded, nearly collapsing as she tearfully pushed her son toward the door.

"Look who we have here, the little runt," sneered the man in the floral shirt, releasing the auntie and shoving Qin Mian aside. He gave Lee Mu a shove and barked, "Stop your act, runt. You're just in time. If you don't pay up today, I'll trash your shop and break you!"

No sooner had the man in the floral shirt spoken than his henchmen whipped out their fruit knives, strutting out with a wild look in their eyes, ready to strike.

Even the auntie who had been there moments ago was now terrified, frantically seeking refuge among the crowd.

The man in the floral shirt was relentless. "So you're a college student, huh? I've fought all sorts of people, but never a college student. How about this?" he taunted, spreading his legs and pointing at his crotch. "Crawl through here and call me 'daddy.' Maybe, out of respect for your obedience, I'll give you a few more days."

"Hahaha... Kid, Brother Hua is being generous with you," the onlookers jeered.

"Yeah, what are you waiting for? Get moving and call each of us 'daddy,'" another chimed in.

"Thirty thousand bucks. Just call me 'dad.' It's a good deal, isn't it?"

Lee Mu scanned their mocking faces, a cold smile on his lips, yet he remained silent.

"Mom, go lock up the shop. We're closed for business today," Lee Mu instructed, passing the box he was carrying to Qin Mian.

The raucous laughter from the men in floral shirts continued unabated.

"What kind of college student is this? A total loser, can't even talk back..."

Bang!

The man in the floral shirt's taunt was cut short by a scream as he doubled over in pain. As he crouched, blood began to seep through the fingers he had clamped over his head.

"Fight if you want to fight. Why all the talk?" In that instant, everyone was stunned, watching Lee Mu clutching a shattered clay pot in his hand. The pot, an item for sale, was displayed right by the entrance of the shop. It was hard to believe that this usually slender and amiable guy could be so ruthless when provoked.

Without hesitation, Lee Mu marched over and seized the man in the flowery shirt, who was crouched on the ground, sucking in breaths of cold air. His gaze was icy as he demanded, "Did you just say you want to be my dad?"

The pain gave way to towering fury. The man in the flowery shirt was supposed to be a big shot. How could he lose face in front of his underlings?

"Damn you, you little punk! You dare to lay hands on me? You're a dead man!" The flowery shirt spat out curses as he struggled.

Lee Mu was relentless. With one hand, he gripped the man's wrist and twisted it with dominating force.

"Ah—Damn it!"

The man in the flowery shirt glared at Lee Mu, panting heavily. The severe pain shooting through his arm forced him to his knees before Lee Mu. He had no choice but to kneil; the angle and pressure Lee Mu applied to his wrist meant that if he didn't kneel, his wrist would snap. Only by lowering his body could he alleviate the pain or, rather, prevent his wrist from breaking.

"Someone, help!" The man in the flowery shirt managed to press out a few words through clenched teeth.

His henchmen made a move to approach, but a single look from Lee Mu stopped them in their tracks.

It was terrifying!

That calm, even cold-blooded stare made it clear to them that if they dared to intervene, their fate wouldn't be much better than their boss's.

"To be a thug, you've got to have some professional integrity. You're a thug, so why the hell are you calling for help, huh?" Lee Mu delivered a resounding slap, splitting the man's lip and drawing blood, a stark contrast to his earlier bravado.

"You just said my mom's a widow and I'm a bastard, didn't you?" Lee Mu pressed on.

The man in the flowery shirt had been a notorious figure on Peaceful Street for years, always leaving others crying and howling after a beating. He never imagined he'd be the one capsizing in the gutter today. Now, seething with rage and humiliation, he still refused to back down.

"Go to hell, you little bastard! If you're so tough, kill me!"

Lee Mu raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Cut it out. We live in a society governed by law. Killing you would land me in prison, wouldn't it?"

With that, Lee Mu shrugged off his shoulder, letting his backpack slide down. In full view of the onlookers, he pulled out a needle bag, the same set used by KM Pharmaceuticals for Xu Jin's acupuncture treatments.

"This one will do." Lee Mu selected a needle and inspected it in the sunlight, ensuring it was the right length and thickness.

"What... what are you going to do?" The man in the floral shirt was visibly shaken.

"Nothing much, just playing around."

Playing?

What kind of game is this when I'm already in such a state...

Sweat beaded on the man's temples as he swallowed hard. Suddenly, a piercing pain shot through his palm, making his whole body shudder. Before he could let out a scream, an intense discomfort spread from within.

First, his palm went numb. Then, his blood felt like it was ablaze. Following that, he was overwhelmed by a feverish ache and fatigue throughout his body.

"What the hell are you doing to me...?" Fear like he had never known before consumed the man in the floral shirt.

I just came to settle a score, and you hit me, then stuck me with a needle. Is this the act of a human being?

As the man in the floral shirt contemplated how he might get back at Lee Mu, Lee Mu crouched down, needle in hand.

"Does it hurt?"

"It hurts, it hurts... No, it doesn't hurt—" The man was on the verge of tears.

"How about now?" Lee Mu twisted the needle slightly, his demeanor genuinely concerned, as if tending to a patient.

"Ah—It hurts!" The man's agonized scream tore through the air.

The pain was real this time. The tiny needle embedded in his palm seemed to tug at every nerve in his body. Any slight movement sent waves of excruciating pain through him, as if his nerves were on the brink of snapping.

"It should hurt. Pain is a reminder. Now, tell me, how much money does my mother owe you?"

"Big brother, big brother, I admit I was wrong. I truly realize my mistake. Please, no more questions. I don't want the money. I've still got cash on me, two thousand in my pocket. Take it all, it's yours, big brother. Just remove the needle, I'm begging you!" The man in the floral shirt was a mess of tears and snot, wishing he could kneel down right there to beg for his life.

It wasn't that he was a coward; it was just that Lee Mu's methods were somewhat inhumane.

In all his years on the streets, he'd never seen anyone fight with a needle, and it hurt like hell!

"I'll pay back the money my mom owes you. Come get it in three days," Lee Mu said as he actually pulled out two thousand from the floral shirt's pocket, shamelessly counting it before pocketing the cash. "This two thousand is a voluntary contribution from you, not part of the debt. Consider it compensation for the damage to my family's store. Sound fair?"

"Everything's fair, all good, big brother. Whatever you say goes. Just take the needle out, please. I can't stand it much longer." The man in the floral shirt was bawling, ready to agree to anything, even if it meant calling Lee Mu his father.

"Given your willingness to compensate, alright then," Lee Mu conceded with a nod, standing up. He grasped the needle in the man's hand and pulled it out, cautioning, "You might get a fever, diarrhea, lose your appetite, and possibly bleed from your nose and even in your stool. But don't worry, just tough it out."

"Big, big brother, are you sure... Bleeding in the stool, just endure it and it'll be okay?"

The man in the floral shirt felt a sense of impending doom. It was just a needle prick; why would it cause bleeding?

He didn't know and was too scared to ask. Watching Lee Mu put away the needle and head back to the grocery store, he hurriedly signaled his underlings to help him leave quickly. Before departing, he shot Lee Mu a venomous look.

Little bastard, we'll see what the future holds!