When the girls heard Lin Xinghai's calm words after the security team left, their faces turned pale. Instinctively, they all looked at him—the very reason they had chosen him as a roommate was for protection at a moment like this.
Lin Xinghai, however, only fell silent in thought. He wasn't afraid of the so-called Axe Gang. Thugs like them could fight, sure, but their strength had limits. If they had the ability to challenge true genetic optimizers, they wouldn't be lingering in Xiacheng as street rats.
His only hesitation was whether he should act. After all, once the fight ended, he could walk away. But Liu Miaomiao and the others would still be living here, facing the consequences of whatever he did.
"How much is the protection fee?" Lin Xinghai finally asked.
"Three points a month," Shen Yimei answered quickly.
The girls let out a breath of relief. Liu Miaomiao even shot her a glance. "Yimei, you should've said that earlier."
"Three points isn't much," she added, stealing a glance at Lin Xinghai. "Better to pay than stir up trouble."
What surprised her was his reaction. Lin Xinghai didn't argue, didn't scowl—he simply sat there, calm as ever. In her impression, he had never been this easy to talk to.
With no objection from him, the girls quickly agreed to pay.
But outside, the noise of shouting and scuffling grew louder, closer. Now and then, the thud of fists and kicks broke through the din—signs of futile resistance. Moments later, the chaos stopped at their door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The fragile door rattled under heavy kicks. The bolt creaked dangerously, as if one more hit would splinter it.
Lin Xinghai frowned but said nothing.
Shen Yimei, standing nearest, opened the door. It was immediately kicked wide, slamming into the wall.
Five young men swaggered in, their dyed hair wild, axe tattoos crawling up their arms. The one in front cursed, "What the hell took so long? You think you don't know who we—"
His words cut off when his eyes swept over the room. His gaze lingered on Liu Miaomiao and Wang Yao, and the crude greed in his eyes needed no explanation. The others behind him weren't much better, smirking as their stares devoured every detail of the women.
In a place like Xiacheng, beauty was rare—and dangerously valuable.
The leader cleared his throat and forced a false smile. "Ladies, we're here for the protection fee. Five points."
"What? Five points per person? It was three!" Liu Miaomiao snapped, her face darkening.
The gangster smirked. "Three points are the standard. But beauties like you? Not so easy to protect. Naturally, the price is higher." His eyes slid deliberately over her curves. "Of course… if you can't afford it, we accept other forms of payment."
The others chuckled, their leers growing bolder.
Liu Miaomiao's heart sank. This had gone far beyond what she'd expected.
Before panic could spread further, Lin Xinghai stood. He calmly stepped in front of the women, his expression unreadable.
He had already used his detection ability.
Name: Wang DamaoConstitution: 15Strength: 19Speed: 11Genetic Optimization: 19%
Lin Xinghai's lips curved faintly. Five at once wouldn't be a problem.
"Five points per person, right?" His tone was light, but his eyes had grown cold.
Only then did the thugs notice there was a man in the room. Their stares hardened instantly with jealousy.
"Sorry," Wang Damao sneered. "The price just went up—ten points each."
"Alright," Lin Xinghai replied smoothly. He extended a hand. "Ten points per person. Pay up."
The thugs blinked, caught off guard.
Lin Xinghai knew their intentions. Even if he flashed his mercenary badge and scared them off, they'd already crossed the line. Letting them slink away would feel like letting them spit in his face. And besides—he needed money.
These thugs had been raking in protection fees unchecked. Why shouldn't he collect instead?
"I'm just upholding justice," Lin Xinghai murmured inwardly, giving himself the excuse.
Wang Damao and his crew looked at him as though he'd lost his mind. Even Liu Miaomiao wasn't confident—she had heard how these yellow-haired punks could drop a two-hundred-pound man with a single punch.
"Lin Xinghai!" she called anxiously.
"Relax." He smiled over his shoulder, utterly calm.
That only enraged Wang Damao. "You're in my way!" he snarled, lunging forward with a punch aimed at Lin Xinghai's head.
But Lin Xinghai only shifted slightly. "Too slow."
With his speed nearly triple the thug's, dodging was effortless.
"What—!" Wang Damao's eyes widened in shock.
He had no time to recover before Lin Xinghai countered. One clean punch slammed into his chest.
Boom!
The impact sounded like a hammer on steel. Wang Damao staggered back violently, colliding with one of his companions before finally catching his balance, his face pale with pain.