Chapter 4

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"Damn it, Afei, don't hit the head, I just washed my car this morning..." The driver, a burly man, shouted through the rearview mirror when he saw Afei, the purse snatcher, raising the steel pipe to hit Xia Yunjie's head.

However, before the driver could finish his sentence, there was a "bang!" The sound of the steel pipe hitting a head echoed in the car, followed by Afei suddenly clutching his head and screaming, "My head, my head, it's bleeding!"

The car seemed to become suddenly quiet, with only Afei still wailing and clutching his head. Everyone, including the driver, stared at Xia Yunjie through the rearview mirror, who was holding the steel pipe as if nothing had happened.

They still couldn't figure out how the steel pipe, which was in Afei's hand and aimed at Xia Yunjie's head, suddenly turned around and hit Afei instead.

"Didn't expect you to be a martial arts expert, little brother. No wonder you dared to meddle and even dare to come alone to the dragon's den and the tiger's lair!" The bald man, who was the leader, quickly regained his composure and looked at Xia Yunjie with a mix of ferocity and caution.

"Dragon's den and tiger's lair? You guys are worthy of such a title? Please, don't be so thick-skinned, okay?" Xia Yunjie couldn't help but sneer.

"Damn it! Beat him!" The bald man, seeing Xia Yunjie mock him, immediately cursed and raised the steel pipe to hit Xia Yunjie's head.

The others also immediately joined in.

As the saying goes, a flurry of punches can even kill a master. They believed that with three people attacking in such a confined space, even if Xia Yunjie was a master, he would only be able to cry and protect his head.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Three sounds of steel pipes hitting heads suddenly echoed in the car, followed by three screams. Then came an emergency brake, as the driver, seeing the leader and others with bleeding heads, instinctively slammed on the brakes.

"If you don't want your head to end up like theirs, you'd better drive properly. Oh, and take us to Nanshan Road." Xia Yunjie, seeing the car stop, frowned slightly, then lightly tapped the driver's head with the steel pipe and said calmly.

The driver shuddered at the cold touch of the steel pipe, cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Yes, yes, I'll drive right away." The driver's voice trembled as he started the car again.

Seeing the car moving again, Xia Yunjie's expression relaxed. He then held the steel pipe with both hands, bending and straightening it as if it were a resistance band.

The bald man and the others, who were still clutching their heads, broke out in cold sweat.

This was a genuine steel pipe, yet the young man in front of them was using it like a resistance band, and with such ease. What kind of monster was this? If he decided to use their "tender arms and legs" for practice, what would happen?

Thinking of this, the bald man and the others all looked at their muscular arms with fear, as if their once-prided muscles had suddenly become very tender.

"This, this, big brother, it's my fault for not recognizing your greatness. I, I apologize, and I won't do it again!" The bald man, known as Bald Qiang, was a somewhat famous figure in Jiangzhou, with a gang of about twenty to thirty people under him, including car thieves, pickpockets, and purse snatchers like Afei. But today, he was completely intimidated by the young man in front of him, speaking in a stammer.

"An apology is enough? Should I hit you with a steel pipe and then apologize? Would that be okay?" Xia Yunjie continued to practice with the "resistance band" and said disdainfully.

Bald Qiang and the others all wished they could cry out in frustration. What kind of justice was this? Who was hitting whom with the steel pipe?

"Then, then, big brother, what do you want?" Although Bald Qiang wanted to point at his bleeding head and ask who hit whom, the situation forced him to ask cautiously.

Xia Yunjie didn't answer Bald Qiang's question but looked at Afei, who was trembling and regretting his decision, and said calmly, "You know what to do!"

Afei was slightly stunned but then realized what Xia Yunjie meant. He immediately shouted at Bald Qiang and the others, "Hand over your wallets!" He was almost about to shout "Robbery!"

"Damn it! Afei, are you out of your mind?" Bald Qiang and the others, seeing Afei dare to rob them, slapped him hard.

Afei, slapped and clutching his head, looked at Bald Qiang and then at Xia Yunjie, feeling wronged.

"Is Brother Qiang unwilling?" Xia Yunjie, seeing Bald Qiang almost lose his mind, asked calmly.

Bald Qiang, in a fit of rage, was suddenly doused with a bucket of cold water when he heard Xia Yunjie's voice. He shuddered, realizing that Afei wasn't out of his mind, but he himself was.

"Sorry, big brother, sorry, big brother, I'll give it to you." Bald Qiang hurriedly took out his wallet and handed it to Afei.

The other two also handed over their wallets to Afei.

Afei, seeing the leader and his companions obediently hand over their wallets, felt a sense of satisfaction. Seeing the driver not moving, he patted his shoulder and said arrogantly, "Abiao, and yours too."

The driver, thinking he could avoid trouble by driving, was furious at Afei's "duty," but he didn't dare to hesitate and quickly handed over his wallet to Afei.

Afei collected all the wallets, took out the money, counted it, and respectfully handed it to Xia Yunjie, saying softly, "A total of 651.3 yuan, big brother."

"Is that all? You guys must be really poor. Here's your tip." Xia Yunjie, expecting at least a thousand yuan from a car with four wheels and five people, including a leader, was disappointed. He handed the 1.3 yuan in coins to Afei and sneered, then looked at Bald Qiang's neck.

Bald Qiang was wearing a thick, golden necklace.

Afei, seeing Xia Yunjie's gaze, quickly reached out to Bald Qiang and said, "Brother Qiang, the gold necklace!"

In 2003, gold was about 100 yuan per gram. Bald Qiang's necklace, though not solid, weighed about 40 to 50 grams, worth around 4,000 to 5,000 yuan, a significant amount. Bald Qiang, seeing Afei reach for the necklace, wanted to kick him.

It turned out Afei was colluding with an outsider to rob him!

Of course, he could think this, but he didn't dare to hesitate. He quickly took off the necklace and handed it to Afei.

The other three, including the driver, seeing the leader hand over the necklace, also quickly took off theirs, as they were cheap imitations.

"You can keep them, I'm not interested in brass!" Before they could take off their necklaces, Xia Yunjie's disdainful voice echoed in the car.

"Damn, what is this guy? Even if he deals in gold, his eyesight can't be that sharp, to tell real gold from fake just by looking?" Everyone in the car was stunned, staring at Xia Yunjie, who was calmly putting the money and the gold necklace in his pocket.

"Brother Qiang, right?" Xia Yunjie, after putting away the money and the necklace, turned to Bald Qiang.

"Don't, don't, big brother, just call me Bald Qiang." Bald Qiang, hearing Xia Yunjie call him, was so scared that his hair stood on end. He was afraid this monster would use his arms as a steel pipe.

"Brother Qiang, I'm actually quite reasonable. As long as you don't bother me, I won't bother you. So, remember this lesson and don't come looking for me again. If you must, remember to carry more money next time and wear real necklaces. It's embarrassing for a man to wear fake jewelry, even I find it embarrassing!" Xia Yunjie said slowly.

"Never, never, we won't dare to bother you again, big brother!" Bald Qiang, with a mournful face, hurriedly said.

"Good, Abiao, stop the car by the roadside and let Bald Qiang and the others off. Too many people make the air stuffy, it's uncomfortable." Xia Yunjie nodded and lightly tapped Abiao's shoulder with the steel pipe.

Abiao shuddered and quickly stopped the car by the roadside. Bald Qiang and the others got off with mournful faces.

As soon as they got off, the minivan drove away. Bald Qiang and the others, feeling utterly defeated, wondered who was the real gangster.

Deya Community was quite far from Nanshan Road, and it would take at least half an hour by bus. But with a private car, it was much faster. Xia Yunjie arrived at Nanshan Road around 4:40 PM.

Seeing it was still early, Xia Yunjie got off at the Nanshan Road intersection. As soon as he got off, the minivan sped away, as if afraid Xia Yunjie would chase after it.

Nanshan Road, lined with trees and filled with bars, was the most famous bar street in Jiangzhou. Walking on Nanshan Road, one could always find a sense of endless night and fleeting life. There were all kinds of bars, from noisy and rock-filled to small and cozy, and from elegant and refined to rustic and understated. At night, the neon lights would flicker, creating a unique allure in the darkness.

It wasn't evening yet, so Nanshan Road was quiet, with few pedestrians. The tall sycamore trees on both sides provided a rare shade in the summer heat.

With a job secured and a windfall, Xia Yunjie walked slowly on Nanshan Road, feeling relaxed and content. He had 800 yuan and a gold necklace worth about 4,000 to 5,000 yuan in his pocket, and his financial crisis was temporarily averted.

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