Chapter 101: Bullying

“This room of mine, even if the rats come, they’d probably pity me and bring some food rather than steal anything. The only real expense is changing the lock.” Zhao Ming chuckled self-deprecatingly and reached out to push the door. With a creaking scrape, the door swung open, and a musty stench wafted out from inside.

Already accustomed to it, Zhao Ming smiled and said, “I haven’t been back for a week straight, plus it’s been humid lately—the place is nearly moldy.”

Ling Tian teased, “Nearly moldy? It’s obviously already moldy. Come on in; don’t just stand outside like a fool.”

They entered one after the other. The house was a simple one-bedroom with a small living room and a tiny bedroom. The furnishings were sparse: a worn wooden tea table, several small wooden stools, and a battered wooden bed. Inside the bedroom was a modest dressing table and another wooden bed. Clearly, Zhao Ming usually stayed in the living room, while his sister occupied the bedroom.

Ling Tian moved a small stool and sat down, pouring two cups of boiled water from a thermos flask, handing one to Zhao Ming. Then he asked, “Is it just you now? What about your sister?”

“My sister dropped out of school to work. Since her job covers food and lodging, she rarely comes back—maybe once every two weeks,” Zhao Ming replied as he took the cup. He rummaged through a box and found a small packet of tea leaves, pinching a little to add to both their cups. “Life’s been tough, so I don’t have much to offer you,” he said sheepishly.

Ling Tian smiled warmly. “Since when have I been the type to care about wealth?”

“Tonight, you’re in the bedroom, I’ll stay in the living room,” Zhao Ming said, taking a sip of the tea, which tasted bitter. He took another sip, frowned, and looked down to find the tea leaves were moldy.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door, accompanied by several voices. Ling Tian frowned slightly, irritated by the noisy disturbance at such a late hour.

Zhao Ming waved dismissively. “People living around here aren’t exactly respectable. It’s not just loud footsteps; sometimes you can even hear women moaning—loud enough to wake the dead.”

“So, you’re not exactly a gentleman yourself?” Ling Tian teased.

“What can I do? I don’t want to hear it either, but when they’re that loud, I’m forced to listen. Anyway, get some rest early. Tomorrow I’ll take you around nearby to try some street food. Don’t be fooled by how rundown this place looks; the snacks here are surprisingly delicious,” Zhao Ming said with a smile.

“Who the hell’s in the mood for snacks? I’ve been waiting for you here for three days, and now you finally show up,” came a shout from outside. Suddenly, the door was kicked open, revealing a burly man bare-chested, wearing a thick gold chain around his neck and sporting a scar across his face.

Behind him followed four thugs dressed in eccentric clothes with wild hairstyles, each holding steel pipes and smoking cigarettes, wearing expressions that dared anyone to challenge them.

“Scarface, this guy owes us money and still has the nerve to eat street food. Let me help you teach this ungrateful brat a lesson,” one of the thugs said, flicking his cigarette to the ground and stomping it out with exaggerated bravado.

Scarface waved them off. “We’re here to collect debts, not to fight. Step back, all of you.”

Zhao Ming’s face darkened at the sight of the group. He quickly stood and shielded Ling Tian behind him. Grabbing a thick wooden stick from the corner, he held it out in front of him and said in a low voice, “Scarface, you keep coming back to me again and again. What exactly do you want?”

Scarface chuckled, smacking his lips. “Zhao Ming, didn’t I tell you? When your mother was still alive, she borrowed five hundred yuan from me. Now with interest piled on, it’s fifteen thousand. Since we live in the same area, I’m cutting you some slack—I’ll let you off a bit and just want ten thousand.”

Ling Tian frowned and tugged at Zhao Ming’s arm, asking, “What’s going on here?”

Zhao Ming smiled bitterly. “We’re from the same village. After it turned into an urban village, incomes didn’t grow much, but expenses increased a lot. This punk lives for partying and drinking. When he’s short on cash, he resorts to extortion. He keeps claiming my mother borrowed him five hundred yuan while she was alive.”

Ling Tian’s face turned pale with anger. Scarface was shameless, using Zhao Ming’s deceased mother as an excuse to extort him. Zhao Ming had grown silent under the weight of life’s pressures, letting anyone bully him a little.

“Enough with the nonsense. If you don’t pay today, I’ll cripple you. By the way, who’s this friend of yours? You look pretty pissed off,” Scarface said with a smirk, waving his steel pipe. “If you want to pay off his debt, fine. But if you have other ideas, I’ll bash your brains out.”

As soon as he finished, Scarface’s thugs rushed inside and slammed the door shut. Their swift and practiced movements showed they were no strangers to these kinds of visits.

Ling Tian never went easy on such heartless thugs. People like these deserved worse than death.

Just as Ling Tian prepared to strike, Zhao Ming stepped forward, pointing his wooden stick at Scarface. “What else can you do besides bullying honest folks? Don’t think you can keep picking on me just because I’m quiet. I’ve tolerated you for too long, not wanting to make trouble. From now on, I won’t back down another inch. And if you lay a finger on my friend, I’ll fight you to the death.”

Scarface was taken aback by Zhao Ming’s uncharacteristic boldness. Usually, Zhao Ming wouldn’t even dare to fight back when Scarface slapped him around. What had gotten into him today?

Still, Scarface clearly didn’t take him seriously. He feigned worry. “What’s going on? Today, Zhao Ming, who couldn’t even fart when hit before, is suddenly acting tough. Listen, today’s your last chance to pay me back. If you don’t, I’m taking your sister and making her a prostitute. Honestly, your sister may be small and skinny, but she’s quite pretty. And from what I’ve seen, she’s still a virgin.”

Having lost all other family, Zhao Ming would not allow anyone to threaten his only kin. He shouted in fury, “You dare!”

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