Chapter One Hundred and Four: An Old Acquaintance

Scar was becoming increasingly confused. Based on his years of experience in bullying others, logically, Ling Tian and Zhao Ming should have fled immediately rather than waiting to be beaten. What on earth was going on? No, that wasn't right. When that kid had beaten him up earlier, he could have handled two hundred people just as easily as twenty.

Damn it! I don't believe it. They have the same two arms and one head as everyone else; what could he possibly do? Even if he were skilled, so what? As the saying goes, "two fists cannot beat four hands." With dozens of people swarming him, there was no way they couldn't take him down.

Yet, for some reason, whenever Scar thought of Ling Tian’s deep, irresistible gaze, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Brother Scar, it's been twenty minutes. Why hasn't the Big Boss arrived yet?" A few impatient underlings approached him and asked in low voices. These few were smart enough to address Scar’s boss as "Big Boss."

Scar was deep in thought and, being interrupted, immediately cursed, "Big Boss? I'm the one who's a big boss, you idiot! Stop bothering me and go play somewhere else." Having dismissed them, Scar crouched by the doorway, smoking a cigarette in frustration. From time to time, he looked up at the building. The lights were still on, which meant Ling Tian and Zhao Ming were still inside.

"Damn it, stop thinking. Once the Big Boss arrives, everything will be settled. I refuse to believe there’s anything the Big Boss can’t handle around here." Scar tossed his half-finished cigarette to the ground and crushed it viciously. "Brothers, you’ve all rested enough. When the Big Boss arrives, we’ll all go up together and finish those two brats."

They had arrived with great momentum, but twenty minutes had passed. The thugs were yawning or dozing off; some who were clearly sleep-deprived had even lain down on the ground and started snoring. A few of the girls, bored out of their minds, began wandering through the crowd, looking for guys they liked so they could get a room and have some fun once the fight was over.

Inside, Ling Tian and Zhao Ming were drinking tea and chatting about their high school days.

Compared to the calm and composed Ling Tian, Zhao Ming was clearly distracted. He chatted absentmindedly, his eyes constantly darting toward the door.

Hearing the chaotic footsteps outside, an anxious Zhao Ming stood up, intending to go out and take a look, but Ling Tian stopped him. "Don't be so nervous. Sit down and keep drinking your tea. How about we play a game of Go? It’s been a long time." Ling Tian said with a faint smile.

Zhao Ming felt like crying; he had no heart for games. It was true that Ling Tian was strong—he had taken down five people without breaking a sweat—but judging by the noise outside, there must be twenty or thirty people. No matter how good Ling Tian was, facing that many people was hopeless.

"Ling Tian, let’s call the police. Otherwise, this will get out of hand. It doesn't matter if they beat me up, but I can't let you get dragged into this." Zhao Ming paced back and forth, unable to sit still, his eyes fixed on the door, desperate to know what was happening outside.

"It’s nothing to worry about. They’re just a flock of sheep," Ling Tian said calmly. He pulled out a cigarette, tossed it to Zhao Ming, lit it, and took a slow, leisurely puff.

Zhao Ming was frantic. "These people aren't good news. They might not dare to kill, but with so many of them, things will get messy. What if someone slips up? My life is cheap, but I don't want you to be implicated."

Ling Tian smiled slightly. "Let me give you an analogy: which is more powerful, one tiger or one hundred sheep?"

Zhao Ming didn't even think. "Of course, the tiger is stronger. Even though there are many sheep, they have no aggression; they would just run away in fear when they see a tiger. But what does that have to do with this?"

Ling Tian chuckled. "I am that tiger, and the people outside are the sheep. So, just sit back and wait."

"Wait for what?" Zhao Ming asked, puzzled. As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how foolish the question was. Ling Tian was waiting here clearly because he wanted to resolve the matter once and for all. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Scar would call for reinforcements to save face. As long as they defeated Scar thoroughly this time, leaving him with no more cards to play, Zhao Ming would have no more worries.

Time ticked away. Ling Tian sipped his tea with pleasure. Having figured it out, Zhao Ming returned to his seat, no longer as nervous as before. He had no idea how many people were outside; if he knew there were over thirty men and a notorious underworld boss on his way, he would have collapsed in terror.

Suddenly, a flurry of chaotic footsteps echoed outside. Ling Tian abruptly set down his teacup and looked at Zhao Ming with a serious expression. "Alright, let's go out."

Zhao Ming had been dying to see what was happening. Seeing Ling Tian walk out, he followed closely behind. Ling Tian reminded him before they stepped out, "Don't say or do anything. Just stand by and watch the show."

The two walked down the stairs and reached the entrance to see a shocking sight. Ling Tian remained calm, but Zhao Ming was worried sick—not for himself, but for Ling Tian.

Outside the entrance, the narrow, dim alleyway was packed with people. There were at least fifty of them, some waving weapons and shouting wildly. A tall, burly man, shirtless and sporting a black tattoo, stood at the front, stepping on a chair to assert his status. Scar stood beside him, all smiles, handing out cigarettes and water.

When Ling Tian saw the man, a cold sneer curled his lips. He thought to himself, "An old acquaintance? That makes things even easier."

"Big Boss, you’re finally here. Have a smoke first," Scar said with a sycophantic grin, offering a cigarette.

Black Bear took it with satisfaction, took a drag, and said, "Don't worry. Since you're my underling now, I'll handle whatever happens."

"The Big Boss is indeed the Big Boss. I'll be counting on you from now on," Scar replied hurriedly. "Although this urban village doesn't have much wealth, even a small rat is still meat. I'll make sure you get your share."

Black Bear nodded in satisfaction. "Call your men over. Let me meet them."

Scar rushed into the crowd, dragging his sleepy underlings awake. "Damn it! You're all falling asleep? Get up! Can't you see the Big Boss is here?"

It took a full five minutes for Scar to organize his men. The thirty or so of his own men stood with the fifty brought by Black Bear, forming a loose, chaotic group. They all looked like hooligans, and the people Black Bear brought weren't much better—some were even disabled.

"Brothers, let me introduce you. This is my boss, which means he is your boss too. Follow me and call him 'Big Boss'!" Scar shouted.

Eighty-plus people shouted in unison: "Greetings, Big Boss!"

In the middle of the night, the roar was deafening; half the village must have heard them.

Black Bear savored the feeling of being the boss, the center of attention. It was much better than his time as a subordinate at Sun Yibin’s Le Chao Bar. Whenever he thought of Sun Yibin, he trembled with rage. Back at the bar, he had been severely taught a lesson by Ling Tian, and instead of standing up for him, Sun Yibin had frozen him out.

As the saying goes, it’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix. The ostracized Black Bear had secretly run off to recruit his own men. To boost his numbers, he even recruited beggars from the street and snatched a few businesses. In his rush to grow, he hadn't even spared low-level thugs like Scar.

"Haha! Brothers, I, Black Bear, will never treat you badly. If I eat meat, you will never just have soup!" Black Bear shouted excitedly. The feeling of being the boss was just too good—far better than his time at Le Chao Bar, even if he had lived better back then.

Scar struck while the iron was hot. "Brothers, did you hear the Big Boss? From now on, we share the beauties and we share the drinks. Following Brother Black Bear is a sure path to success."

Truth be told, just looking at Black Bear’s size and tattoos, he was indeed intimidating. Having spent years following Sun Yibin, he had picked up a leader's air, and at first glance, he really looked the part of an underworld boss.

The crowd erupted in cheers, shouting "Big Boss," and the atmosphere reached a peak.

Black Bear laughed boisterously. "Brothers, I brought gifts today! A one-hundred-yuan red envelope for everyone as a sign of respect. After we're done here, I'll have someone hand them out, and then I'll take you all for barbecue and beer to enjoy yourselves!"

There was money to be made! Even if it wasn't much, it was free!

The crowd exploded, screaming "Long live the Big Boss!"

"Are you going to let us sleep or what? Why all the shouting in the middle of the night?" The surrounding residents opened their windows to see what was going on, wondering why it was so noisy.

"Get back inside and go to sleep! Can't you see we're doing business?" Scar shouted back.

Hearing Scar’s voice, the residents quickly shut their windows.

"That feels damn good!" Scar laughed.

Standing at the doorway watching the farce, Ling Tian gave a look of disdain. "Scum is always scum. They only know how to bully honest people and think they’re so powerful."

"Boss, they're out!" an underling yelled upon seeing Ling Tian and Zhao Ming at the entrance.

Scar laughed triumphantly. "Kid, I didn't expect you to actually come out. Open your dog eyes and look—how many people are outside? Even if everyone just spits on you, you'd drown!" Scar looked back at the eighty-plus men, then at Black Bear, glowing with pride.

When the underlings realized the targets were only two people, they grew excited, shouting and cheering for Scar.

Suddenly, Scar noticed a strange look in Black Bear’s eyes. He was standing on the chair, staring blankly at Ling Tian.