Chapter 38

Green widened his eyes, a slight smile on his face, and gazed at the robber opposite him with an innocent expression. He had been skilled at this kind of expression when he was a card player, easily able to distract the other person. Sure enough, after a short while, the young man guarding him averted his gaze, looking around the room aimlessly.

There was nothing much to see in this room, just a basement without any ventilation windows, previously used for storing miscellaneous items. Since the house had been converted from a residence to a rental, the original items had been cleared out, leaving only the indentations where cabinets once stood and some broken wooden strips in the corners. Green twisted his wrist, and with his slender fingers, he began to manipulate the ropes that bound him, gradually bringing the knots under his control.

His face still maintained the smile and the gaze, while his ten nimble fingers worked tirelessly. After figuring out the method used to tie him, Green silently untied the knots and quickly retied them into a slipknot he could control. If he encountered a dangerous situation, he could simply flick his wrist to free himself.

Mike’s belongings had been stolen, putting him in a very awkward position, especially since Mike had asked two days ago if there was a way to “ship” goods. He had finally built a good reputation and credibility in town, finally able to start a new life and shed his past identity as a gambler. Was it all going to be ruined by these clumsy thieves?

It wasn’t wrong to call them clumsy thieves. From their conversations, Green pieced together the whole story. This group wanted to find a window to monitor a target but entered the wrong room. The small thief—though he didn’t know what he looked like, the voice suggested he was short—broke into Mike’s room and walked in boldly.

The tools the middle-aged man had placed in the correct room naturally didn’t fly into Mike’s room, so the thieves searched everywhere and found a bag of salt. Realizing they had entered the wrong room, they hurriedly left.

As for what they were monitoring and what their goal was, Green didn’t care; he only cared about the bag of salt. Now that he had figured out their numbers and equipment, he could consider making a move.

Footsteps came from outside the wooden door, and two more people entered. Green maintained his original expression, using his breathing to quicken his heartbeat and get his body excited. Especially his hands, which were his forte.

With a creak, the door opened. Now, in the basement, there was one crossbow, two short swords, a long spear, a whip, and an unknown number of throwing knives.

“Green, our boss has a proposal,” the short, sharp-featured man said, standing up straight and looking dignified. “Forget everything you’ve seen, keep your mouth shut, and leave town for a while. If you agree, you can go.”

“Can you return what you took?” Green asked. “You’re doing big things; these petty gains shouldn’t even be on your radar, right?”

“Hmm…” The short man thought for a moment, believing he had a good idea. “If you don’t say anything for a week, we can talk. But getting everything back is almost impossible.”

“Oh, great, I won’t say anything, and I’ll come back in a week.”

The short man’s lips curled slightly, inwardly mocking this person who didn’t know his own weight. They wouldn’t be here in an hour, let alone a week.

“Since that’s settled, you can leave now.”

“No, wait a moment, I need to keep him for a few minutes,” another thief licked his lips, looking at Green with a creepy, strange gaze. He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a hairy, muscular chest. “I want to talk to this former famous gambler a bit more.”

“Do you know who I am?” Green blinked.

The thieves exchanged glances and chuckled. “We’ve seen you in action at the gambling tables; it was truly enviable. If it weren’t for the fact that you were once a thief, we wouldn’t give you this chance. The Iron Claw Union would be happy to have you join and return to your old ways. You don’t need to take risks; just watch over a couple of places to ensure no other players cheat.”

“I… I’ll think about it. I just hope you keep your promise. I… don’t have any plans in that direction for now.”

“Ha ha, you’ll change your mind.” The hairy-chested thief laughed, impatiently dismissing his companions. Then he closed the wooden door, his gaze lingering on Green’s legs. “I wonder how long you can hold out. I’m looking forward to a surprise from you.”

“Uh, I don’t think this is a good idea.” Green loosened the knots on his back, calmly wrapping the rope around his hands. His eyes, however, were full of panic, mixed with surprise and fear.

“I like your expression now.” The hairy-chested thief squatted down, his hand moving up from Green’s knee. “In a few minutes, you’ll definitely go from straight to bent.”

Green wouldn’t let those hands touch his vital areas; it wouldn’t align with the mainstream aesthetic. His arms spun like a windmill, wrapping the rope around his opponent’s neck and tying a knot, pressing against the hairy-chested thief’s throat.

The sudden change completely caught the hairy-chested thief off guard. The last bit of air in his throat turned into a hoarse, low “Uh…” He reached out to grab Green, but “Mad Rat” had anticipated this move. He flipped over his opponent’s shoulder, hiding behind him.

Using his knee to press against the center of his opponent’s back, he pulled the rope tightly. The hairy-chested thief knocked over a chair in his panic, losing his only chance to use it as a weapon and his only hope of saving himself. The rope was pulled so tight that it made the neck bones creak. Green didn’t let up; his nimble hands had become a vise, capable of even breaking steel.

He was furious, applying more force, inwardly cursing: Knowing my identity, you can’t leave. I won’t let anyone ruin my current life. Besides, you disgusting guy even wanted to do that to me. If you succeed, how will I ever face anyone again?

But from his mouth came a voice that would make anyone’s skin crawl, half seductive, half terrified: “Oh… this can’t be… how is this possible… you… you stop…”

This voice, muffled through the door, faintly reached the other thieves. They exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

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