"One!"
The Brick Man threw the wrench to the ground, supporting his three companions as they left, paying no mind to the blood and broken pickaxe handles littering the ground. Today, he felt like they had been the ones to clean up the battlefield. They had lost—completely. The resilience and courage they'd always prided themselves on had finally cracked. Life in the underworld wasn't as simple as they had imagined; the cruelty of it could only be understood through real experience.
The weak feared the strong, the strong feared the reckless, and the reckless feared those who didn't care if they lived or died. To these men, Xu Bin had clearly become the kind who didn't care if he lived or died.
No one called the police, so none came. After they left, Zhong Yu helped the bloodied and mud-covered Xu Bin to a nearby hospital. Seeing his condition, she was so frightened she thought he might be seriously injured. But as the heat slowly faded from his body and his natural healing kicked in, the hospital examination revealed that he had only suffered superficial wounds—nothing serious, and not even needing hospitalization.
Zhong Yu insisted he stay in the hospital, but Xu Bin refused. After some dressing and bandaging, he was determined to return. Zhong Yu couldn't talk him out of it. They got some medication and a follow-up appointment was scheduled for two days later. Around dawn, they returned to the store. Zhong Yu originally wanted to lay low and find someone to mediate—after all, the group led by Lao San had powerful connections, especially with a well-known figure near the train station called Brother Yi.
Xu Bin remained silent but didn't object. Once back, he grabbed a bucket and a cloth and, with Zhong Yu's help, cleaned up the scene so at least the blood wouldn't be so obvious. The early summer morning light crept in around 4 a.m., and by the time Xu Bin had changed clothes and wiped himself off, street cleaners were already pushing their carts outside.
"Lao San's group is under Brother Yi. I'll call my dad and see if he knows anyone who can help smooth things over, otherwise…" Zhong Yu, who hadn't spoken to her parents in over half a year, picked up her phone for Xu Bin's sake. She opened her contacts and found that once-familiar number, preparing to call.
Xu Bin waved her off and sat down silently, his expression firm and resolute. "I'll handle this. You call someone in the morning to replace the glass door. Don't worry, I've got this. If it really doesn't work out, then we'll go to your dad. I'm not stupid—I won't just charge in. Here, take this money for now."
He handed over all the cash he had on him and in the store, keeping only 200 yuan in his pocket.
"I've got money," Zhong Yu said, shaking her head.
Xu Bin stuffed it into her hand anyway. "What's mine is yours. Why are you still being so formal with me?"
Zhong Yu took the money but asked, still worried, "So what's your plan? Tell me, don't keep me in the dark."
Xu Bin thought for a moment, then said seriously, "I figured this out—no matter what you do, once you start gaining attention, there'll be trouble. People will be jealous of your success. I might as well settle it all now, or I'll just face it again in the future. I'm going to call Boss Niu. He knows a lot of people. If he's willing to help, I can get a meeting with Brother Yi. I think it's best to talk face-to-face."
Talent is something you're born with, but it also needs the right environment to grow. Xu Bin had always had a rare calmness and a knack for handling big situations. He had just never faced such a difficult challenge until today. His performance was composed and thoughtful—even if a bit naive. But realistically, this was the most effective method available. You can't always be reactive. Sooner or later, problems you avoid will pile up and become harder to resolve.
Zhong Yu found herself at a loss. Subconsciously, she had already begun to rely on this man in front of her. His thoughts became hers. And a man who could take responsibility—shoulder burdens—was immensely attractive. Not in looks or height, but in essence. Especially to someone like Zhong Yu, who appeared strong on the outside but had a soft core.
At 7:30 a.m., Xu Bin took out his phone and called Boss Niu, a man known for large-scale renovation work.
The ringing went on for a while. Xu Bin nearly hung up when the line connected.
"Xu?" the voice on the other end sounded groggy, clearly woken up.
"Sorry to disturb your rest, Boss Niu."
"It's alright. Got something going on this early?"
"Yes, a little trouble. I was hoping you could help."
"Tell me what's up. If I can help, I will." A polite but measured response, leaving room to back out if things got complicated.
"My shop's near the station. Do you know a Brother Yi from around there? I had a run-in with some of his guys. I was hoping you could put in a word, maybe help resolve it."
"Xu, I can help, but I need the whole story. What happened exactly? Who started it? Whose fault was it? If we meet and the story turns out different, both our faces will be on the line. You get what I mean?"
"I understand, Boss Niu. Here's what happened…"
Xu Bin told the whole truth. Nothing to hide. He and a girl were dating—nothing shameful there. The other party came to provoke, smashed his shop, and tried to beat him up. He fought back, stabbed four of them, and they fled. Simple as that. Now, the question was: would Boss Niu help?
When he heard that Xu Bin had stabbed four guys and still driven the rest away, Boss Niu grew intrigued. He arranged to meet in an hour.
This time, Boss Niu didn't come walking from the pedestrian street. He arrived in a Mercedes SUV, with a bodyguard-type driver who looked like bad news. These days, martial arts school graduates often found work as private drivers/bodyguards for business owners—champions in boxing or sanda were particularly popular.
The shop's broken glass door had already been taken down by workers Zhong Yu had hired.
"Why not keep it? It could be evidence," Boss Niu asked casually as Xu Bin came out to greet him.
Xu Bin gave a self-deprecating smile. "Boss Niu, don't tease me. I can't afford to make enemies. I just hope you can help smooth things over."
Boss Niu, tall and impressive despite being in his 40s or 50s, nodded. "You're doing the right thing. In business, harmony is key. If you can back down, do it. Don't mess with those who've got nothing to lose. But don't be afraid either—it's not that easy to bully someone like you."
Xu Bin quickly expressed his thanks. That kind of attitude alone was worth gratitude.
"So, what's your plan?" Boss Niu asked, as if testing him.
Xu Bin hesitated, then took out a bank card. "There's ten thousand in here—for medical expenses."
Boss Niu said nothing.
Xu Bin took out another card. "Another ten thousand. That's everything I have."
Still no reaction.
Xu Bin exhaled through his nose, pulled out his spring-loaded knife. "That's all I've got. Unless someone wants to keep me from leaving, I'll take Zhong Yu with me. I've got skills—I can survive in any city."
Boss Niu nodded, his tone serious. "If you'd said, 'I don't care if I die,' I'd still help you, but only as a middleman. But you? You understand limits. You know how to advance and retreat. Just throwing your life away isn't enough. Knowing when to step back opens up new paths. Very good…"
He patted Xu Bin's shoulder. "Alright, get back to work. I've got a batch of used appliances coming in. I'll cover the cost of all parts. I'll pay you 300 extra per unit. But I want no signs of refurbishment on the outside, and they've got to work perfectly inside. I trust your skills, Xu. Can you handle that?"
Getting called at a time like this, Boss Niu had already figured out the truth: Xu Bin was either the one refurbishing the goods, or he had the right contacts to get them. If he dared take on this job, he was definitely talent.
Xu Bin was slightly confused by the sudden business offer. "Boss Niu, if it's not too many units, I don't even need to be paid. Just you coming all the way here—I'm already grateful."
Boss Niu squinted and chuckled. "Dinner tonight with Brother Yi. He's like a brother to me. Put your two grand away—we won't be needing that."