Chapter 102: Kindness Invites Exploitation

Scarface arrogantly believed he had Zhao Ming completely under his control and acted with wild cockiness. However, he never expected Ling Tian to suddenly utter a single sentence that left him utterly speechless.

Zhao Ming was also momentarily stunned, but more than that, he was frightened. Having grown up in the same village as Scarface, Zhao Ming knew all too well what kind of person he was. Scarface had been a slacker since childhood, involved in countless petty thefts and mischief, notorious as a scoundrel. As he grew older, he remained aimless, constantly roaming around with a gang of lackeys, shaking down one place or extorting another.

In short, Scarface had never done a single good deed.

If by any chance he really angered Scarface and Scarface dared to lay hands on him, then Ling Tian would suffer the consequences alongside him. Zhao Ming was a poor wretch with nothing to lose; getting hit a few times wouldn’t matter much. But if his brothers were dragged into trouble because of him, that would be unforgivable. The more Zhao Ming thought about it, the more terrified he became. He turned to Ling Tian and said, “I’ll hold them off for a while—you make your escape. Just remember not to run into the alley; he knows this place too well.”

Ling Tian replied coolly, “You just sit here and watch while you drink your tea. Leave the rest to me.”

Scarface blinked hard, looking at Ling Tian with puzzled eyes. “You’re pretty arrogant, kid. Where do you come from?” Scarface wasn’t a fool after all these years; sensing Ling Tian’s extraordinary bearing, he refrained from striking immediately and instead chose to gather information first. But deep down, Scarface was only worried because Zhao Ming was such a pauper—how could he possibly have any impressive friends?

Since Zhao Ming’s parents had died, his relatives all avoided him, even dodging him on the street, fearing he would ask to borrow money.

If even your own relatives avoid you, what kind of decent friends can you have?

Ling Tian glanced disdainfully at Scarface and said, “You haven’t answered my question yet.”

Scarface frowned in confusion. “Did you ask me a question just now?”

Ling Tian said lightly, “I asked why, if being a prostitute is so enjoyable, you don’t send your mother to do it instead? Or is it that your mother was already a prostitute, playing around with every wild man outside, and that’s how you came to be such a bastard? I want to know, which of these two options would you choose?”

Ling Tian added with a sneer, “Or perhaps you choose both?”

Scarface was dumbfounded. Was that even a question? It was pure insult—brutal and merciless!

One of the gang members standing behind Scarface stepped forward and whispered, “Brother Scarface, this guy insulted your mother as a prostitute and called you a bastard. Aren’t you angry?” The others nodded enthusiastically, insisting that Scarface should teach the boy a harsh lesson to protect his reputation.

Scarface was trembling with rage, his face turning deathly pale. Having ruled the village for so many years, he had always been the one bullying others. When had anyone ever dared to be so insolent in front of him? If he didn’t show this kid who was boss today, how would he ever maintain his standing in the village?

Smack—

Scarface raised his hand and slapped the gang member who had spoken, then shouted angrily, “I’m not deaf! No need for you to repeat yourself. Get your heads in the game! Today, I’m going to cripple this brat and make sure everyone knows that Brother Scarface’s reputation isn’t just talk—it’s built on real blood and real fights!”

Ling Tian raised his hand and delivered a heavy slap to Scarface’s face. Though Ling Tian did not use any internal energy, the sheer physical force was enough to overwhelm him. Scarface spun three times on the spot before collapsing to the ground. The four gang members rushed forward, scrambling to help him up.

Stunned by the sudden slap, Scarface only realized he was on the ground after a moment. His face burned fiercely with pain as he instinctively touched it, wincing in agony. One cautious gang member said, “Brother Scarface, that guy is fierce! One slap and your face is swollen like a pig’s head.”

“Are you all stupid? I got hit and you’re just standing there watching?” Scarface cursed loudly. “What are you waiting for? Get moving and finish him off!”

The underlings scrambled to grab weapons and prepare to attack, but Ling Tian’s speed was too fast. Before they could move, four loud slaps rang out almost simultaneously. Each of the four gang members suddenly bore a red, swollen handprint on their faces.

The heavy slaps drained their strength; they collapsed to the ground, clutching their faces and rolling in pain.

Ling Tian stepped in front of Scarface, expressionless, and asked, “You said you wanted to cripple me—how exactly did you plan to do that?”

Scarface shook his head vigorously and retreated a few steps, too frightened to speak. His four trusted lackeys were rolling on the ground in pain before he could even see how Ling Tian had moved. All he heard was the crisp sound of slaps, seemingly from a single source. Clearly, Ling Tian’s speed was simply too incredible.

“I… ha ha, big brother, I was just joking earlier. Zhao Ming and I grew up like brothers, naked and poor together. How could I possibly extort my good brother?” Scarface quickly put on a smile, his face crawling with sycophancy toward Ling Tian. If he had a tail, he would have been wagging it like a begging dog.

Zhao Ming stared at Ling Tian in disbelief, then glanced at Scarface, who was now groveling like a lapdog. Just moments ago, Zhao Ming had been ready to fight desperately, but in the blink of an eye, the situation had reversed. The seemingly gentle Ling Tian had effortlessly taken down Scarface and his men.

“Good brothers? Damn you.” The anger Zhao Ming had been suppressing finally exploded, and he cursed loudly.

“You bastard! It’s one thing to bully me, but to mess with my brother—and even dare to lay eyes on my sister?” The more Zhao Ming cursed, the angrier he grew. Eventually, he charged forward and kicked Scarface fiercely…

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