"What, you want to start something?"
"Come on. Right here."
The young man named Xu Peng stood his ground, a mocking look in his eyes as he stared at Zhao Yuanqing and pointed to his own temple.
Amid the taunts, Zhao Yuanqing's expression soured, his fists clenched tight.
Reason kept him in check, but Xu Peng simply let out a cold laugh.
"Heh, you've got some self-control..."
His eyes filled with contempt. He then raised a hand and waved sharply behind him.
"Bring him to me!"
His sharp voice echoed through the workshop as two Rock Gang members roughly dragged a figure forward.
The middle-aged man, dressed in decent work clothes, staggered along. His hair was a mess, and his face was bruised and swollen as if he'd been beaten.
When they saw his face clearly, Zhao Yuanqing and the three other mechanics' pupils contracted, their expressions changing drastically.
"Old Dong?!"
"Xia-Xiaozhao..."
The man, Old Dong, the owner of the repair shop, opened his mouth. His voice was hoarse as he raised his swollen eyelids, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
With an impatient look, Xu Peng, who stood to the side, dug at his ear and snapped, "Speak up!"
"Xia-Xiaozhao, you should go collect your wages in a bit."
Old Dong trembled, finally lowering his head as he spoke.
Zhao Yuanqing's expression froze.
"Old Dong?"
'Is he firing me?'
"You've worked really hard during this time. Really."
Old Dong's voice grew quiet, and his gaze darted away, not daring to meet those staring eyes again. "Let's just leave it at that, Xiaozhao."
"You don't need to come in anymore. Is that okay?"
A chill went through Zhao Yuanqing's heart. How could he not understand what was happening?
"Is it because of Xu Peng..."
"No, no, no! The Rock Gang already promised they won't collect protection money from us anymore."
Waving his hands frantically, Old Dong kept his head down. "Let's just leave it, Xiaozhao. I'm begging you, don't ask anymore, okay?"
His voice was hoarse, almost pleading, but the bruises on his face and his disheveled, pathetic appearance said it all.
The atmosphere grew heavy. Zhao Yuanqing's fists tightened, his face a mask of disbelief, anger, and a hint of desolate sorrow.
When the Rock Gang first came to collect protection money, he was the one who went to Brother Hao to get it sorted out.
'And this is how it ends?'
"He's telling you to get lost."
Xu Peng stood to the side, sneering. "Didn't you have a lot of backbone before? What, you planning to stick around like some mangy dog that won't leave?"
The words were sharp, piercing Zhao Yuanqing's heart.
He finally snapped back to his senses, turning his head to glare at Xu Peng, his voice practically a growl. "Xu Peng..."
"I'm right here. What's up?"
His nose ring trembled slightly as Xu Peng casually held a motorcycle helmet, his gaze deliberately provocative.
Seeing that Zhao Yuanqing was about to act rashly, a coworker beside him grit his teeth and quickly stepped forward to hold him back.
But then, Xu Peng raised an eyebrow as if he just remembered something. "Oh, right. I forgot one more thing."
He lifted his bionic prosthetic arm, pointed at Zhao Yuanqing, and said to his fellow gang members with a grin, "He's an orphan."
"HAHAHAHA!"
Roars of laughter erupted as the Rock Gang members all joined in.
The uninhibited laughter echoed through the workshop, so loud it seemed to make the fluorescent lights on the ceiling tremble.
In that instant, Zhao Yuanqing could no longer hold back. His eyes went wide and bloodshot as he violently broke free from his coworker's grip.
As he lunged forward, he threw a punch fueled by pure rage, aimed straight at Xu Peng's head.
But it was as if they had been waiting for this exact moment.
BANG!
A burly man in a tank top beside Xu Peng shot out with astonishing speed, intercepting the attack and catching the fist in his palm despite moving second.
Looking closely, one could see the man's arms were abnormally thick, with a shimmering silver line running along each bicep.
'Bionic prosthetics?'
Zhao Yuanqing's expression soured, his heart sinking.
He felt the man's massive hand clamp down like a vise, exerting a brutish force that locked his fist in place, making it impossible to pull free.
He never expected that it wasn't just Xu Peng; his cronies had prosthetics installed too.
"Too weak."
The man in the tank top said mockingly, stepping forward like a Giant Bear closing in for an embrace.
In an instant, with a twist and a shove, the man locked Zhao Yuanqing's arms and subdued him on the spot, forcing his body down uncontrollably until he was half-kneeling on the ground.
"I thought you were so tough?"
A look of contempt on his face, Xu Peng finally turned his head slowly, looking down on him.
"The last time we came to collect protection money, you dared to fight back."
"But now... oh, I get it."
He glanced at the trembling mechanic and Old Dong, then said lightly, "It's because Chen Junhao isn't here, right?"
As the taunts continued, Zhao Yuanqing grit his teeth, his face flushing red as he tried to struggle.
But his arms were locked in a painful hold, and the big man pinning him was immensely strong. He couldn't break free.
"Chen Junhao is so impressive. If he were here, I really wouldn't dare to come."
"But what a pity. He's not here."
Xu Peng's mockery continued, as if he was using this chance to vent all his frustration from last time and settle the score.
Then, in front of everyone, he gave a disdainful smirk, raised his hand, and patted Zhao Yuanqing's cheek, his threat blatant. "You're the one who threw the first punch this time."
"Heh heh, according to the rules, I'd like to see who can protect you now."
The air grew cold. Old Dong and the other mechanics couldn't bear to watch, opening their mouths to speak but lacking the courage.
But then, a mocking light gleamed in Xu Peng's eyes. "However..." he drawled, grabbing Zhao Yuanqing's hair and yanking his head up, "...if you're willing to get on your knees and kowtow, maybe I'll consider letting you off, depending on my mood..."
"Ptui!"
Veins bulged on Zhao Yuanqing's forehead as he spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm.
His furious eyes were locked on Xu Peng, without a trace of fear.
The atmosphere fell silent. The other Rock Gang members were momentarily stunned.
Xu Peng, the target, turned his head slightly. After wiping the spittle from his face, his expression slowly darkened, becoming utterly cold.
"Such a tough guy..."
He was silent for a moment. The next instant, with a vicious look on his face, he raised the motorcycle helmet in his hand and swung it viciously at Zhao Yuanqing's head.
"Then I'll just have to break you!!"
WHOOSH!
The sound of it cutting through the air was sharp, instantly filling Zhao Yuanqing's entire field of vision.
Just as it was about to connect...
THUD!!
The air seemed to explode!
A heavy stomp echoed from outside the workshop, and a figure tore through the night wind, rushing in.
"GET LOST!!"
The cold shout exploded like a sudden clap of thunder, reverberating throughout the workshop.
Everyone's ears rang, and they instinctively turned to look.
Xu Peng also froze, his attention diverted as he looked back.
In that instant, their eyes met.
Lu Chao had already exploded with his full power, crossing a dozen meters to appear at his side.
Power surged through his right arm without restraint. To the naked eye, the color of his fist changed from a healthy red to the pale gray of hard rock.
SHREEE!!
A piercing whistle erupted as the punch, unstoppable as a javelin, shot forward. The moment his foot planted, it violently smashed out, aiming straight for Xu Peng's chest.
"Damn it!"
His expression changed drastically as Xu Peng finally came to his senses.
A chill shot up his spine, and goosebumps broke out all over his body.
In his panic, energy coursed through his bionic prosthetic. He tightened his grip on the motorcycle helmet and instinctively threw it up in front of him to block.
The next second.
BANG!!
The sturdy helmet exploded, sending shards of the visor and hard plastic shell flying in all directions, cutting his face.
A full-power blow from a Fighting Level expert. Two hundred kilograms of force erupted, pouring out in that single instant to brutally tear through all defenses.
Then, the Baiyan Fist broke through the obstruction and, with its remaining force, violently slammed into Xu Peng's chest and abdomen.
CRACK!
The sharp sound of a bone breaking was accompanied by the knuckles on his bionic right arm twisting out of shape, letting out a SZZZT of sparks.
Immediately after, before Xu Peng could be sent flying, Lu Chao's left hand shot out, his five fingers like an Eagle Claw, and grabbed the back of his head.
Then, with a cold, hard expression, he viciously smashed the man's head against the door of a nearby truck.
BAM!
BAM! BAM! BAM!!
Again and again, the truck door visibly twisted, buckled, and caved inward.
Blood splattered and dripped, leaving a trail like splattered ink on the dented door.
The scene left the surrounding Rock Gang members frozen in place, their eyes wide with shock.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. Four or five seconds later, all movement ceased.
Xu Peng's eyes were swollen shut, his wet hair and head covered in blood as Lu Chao tossed him aside.
THUMP!
He crashed to the ground, knocking over several black bottles of motor oil.
Dust kicked up from the floor as black motor oil flowed out, finally mixing with the blood.