Chapter 35

The youngest of the boys in the cargo yard was no more than thirteen years old, and none of them were particularly tall. When these five people entered, it was like tigers entering a flock of sheep.

Fighting was one thing, but when faced with these ruffians, the boys were all afraid and scattered to the sides.

A nine-year-old boy, either frightened or for some other reason, was a bit slow in dodging and was slapped across the face by the leader of the group. He was knocked to the side and started crying, holding his face.

There was no question of a fight now. Zhao Jin frowned. He didn't notice that everyone in the yard, except for Wang Zhaojing, Chen Sheng, and himself, had a look of fear on their faces. Even Liu Yong and Shi Manqiang, who were usually fearless, were like this. Sun Dalei was an exception; he didn't know what to do, looking back and forth between the two sides.

The five ruffians looked around and then walked directly to the earthen platform, where the bundles and steamer baskets containing pastries and food were placed.

"This... This is from the Black Tiger Wealth Temple's Copperhead..."

Finally, someone spoke up about their origin, though the voice was very low. Looking back, it was Liu Yong speaking softly. Zhao Jin knew the Black Tiger Wealth Temple, a small temple in the southern part of the city with little incense, but he didn't know the background of Copperhead.

The five ruffians walked straight to the earthen platform, opened the bundles, and the leader of the group clicked his tongue, picked up a piece of osmanthus cake, took a few bites, and threw the rest to the ground, hitting a boy on the head. The boy, holding his head, didn't dare to say a word.

The ruffians quickly opened the bundles and food boxes. The leader laughed and said, "There are indeed good things here. Take them all back for our brothers to eat tonight!"

The other four agreed and immediately started packing. While packing, they didn't forget to eat, and while eating, they didn't finish. They imitated their leader, throwing the food at the boys, laughing when they hit someone.

The boys in the cargo yard were stunned, completely at a loss for how to deal with the situation. The leader, who had only eaten half of a meat bun, threw it down, aiming at a boy who dodged to the side, and the meat bun missed.

Many children looked at the half-eaten meat bun with pain in their eyes. For most of them, being able to eat enough was already a luxury, and white flour and fatty foods were rare. If they could win such things by fighting, it would be one thing, but to see them wasted by these ruffians was another.

The leader, missing his target, became angry and quickly walked down from the earthen platform. He kicked the boy who had dodged to the ground and shouted, "Brat, you dare to dodge!"

The boys nearby gasped and scattered. The ruffian kicked a few more times and glared, saying, "This place is my territory. You've been playing here for days without paying. Today, I'm here to collect. This food is the first payment. Tomorrow, you'll have to bring more food and... five hundred coins..."

He stumbled over the word "coins," clearly calculating how much he could squeeze out of the children.

"Don't move, Tiger Lord hasn't let you go yet, and you dare to leave!"

Some children tried to leave but were stopped by the ruffian's loud shout, standing there in fear.

The leader looked at the frightened eyes of the boys and felt even more pleased, threatening, "Don't think you can get away by not coming tomorrow. Tiger Lord knows where you live. If you don't come, I'll come to you..."

"Scum, get out!" The leader, known as "Tiger Lord," was interrupted mid-sentence.

The five ruffians were stunned, then furious. The leader's triangular eyes narrowed, and he shouted, "Who said that..."

"I did!" The ruffian's words were cut off again.

Thinking he could do whatever he wanted in front of these children, the repeated interruptions made the leader furious. He glared and prepared to lash out, but he saw a boy who wasn't the tallest or the strongest, with a fair complexion, step forward, holding a five-foot-long wooden pole.

Zhao Jin was indeed fairer than most of the boys in the cargo yard, but he wasn't particularly outstanding in any other way.

However, the ruffians didn't notice that all the boys' eyes were on Zhao Jin, and their looks were not of surprise but admiration. The boys were first shocked, then felt it was only right. If Zhao Jin didn't stand up, who would? Only Zhao Jin had the courage!

The leader laughed in anger, pointing at Zhao Jin and saying, "A little brat who hasn't even grown hair, daring to talk nonsense, go to..."

As he spoke, the leader kicked at Zhao Jin, expecting the boy to be kicked away and cry on the ground. But to his surprise, Zhao Jin dodged.

At the moment Zhao Jin dodged, he swung the wooden pole and struck the leader's groin with great force, cutting off all his words. The ruffian's face contorted in pain, and he clutched his groin, stepping back. Fortunately, he was wearing padded pants, or he would have been knocked down.

The leader, clutching his groin, and the other four ruffians were stunned. They never expected these boys, who were seven or eight years younger, to fight back. Even the leader was shocked by the sudden pain.

But Zhao Jin didn't give them time to react. He swung the pole, gripped it with both hands, and thrust forward with a standard spear technique.

The leader was bent over, and Zhao Jin's pole struck his forehead with a "thud." The ruffian's head snapped back, and he fell to the ground, motionless.

The boys were all shocked, and some even shouted. No one expected Zhao Jin to dare to fight, and no one expected him to knock down the fierce ruffian. They never imagined such a development. They only heard Zhao Jin shouting, "This is our place, get out!"

Hearing this, Chen Sheng tightened his grip on the short stick and charged forward.

The four ruffians behind the leader finally reacted. The one closest threw his food and reached for Zhao Jin.

At that moment, Zhao Jin's momentum was spent, and he was about to be caught. He thought it was bad, but his fighting spirit from the orphanage kicked in. He opened his mouth, ready to bite if caught.

The hand reached halfway when it was struck by a curved short stick. The ruffian cried out in pain and quickly pulled his hand back. His wrist was already black. Chen Sheng, having landed a hit, roared and swung the stick at the ruffian's neck, knocking him down.

Seeing Chen Sheng join the fight, the boys' blood boiled. They were like a stack of dry grass ignited, burning fiercely. They all charged forward.

The remaining three ruffians, seeing two of their companions down, were even angrier. They were surrounded by boys who were shorter, and they didn't think they would lose. They believed their companions had fallen by chance and due to underestimation. They thought that if they could catch and beat one child, the others would be scared.

"Damn you..." One ruffian roared, but before he could finish, a figure pounced on him, hugging him tightly. A child couldn't have much strength, and the ruffian tried to shake him off.

But he couldn't shake him off and was thrown off balance, falling to the ground. How could a child be so heavy? Before he could react, he was stomped on the stomach, curling up in pain.

A large, fat boy got up, looking back angrily and saying, "I got him, you... you... took advantage."

This was Sun Dalei. With his size and weight, even an adult couldn't match him. The pounce was unexpected, and the follow-up stomp was from Liu Yong.

Another ruffian was down, and the other two's steps faltered. They shouted even louder, flailing their arms wildly, looking fierce. They scared a few boys, and one ruffian took the opportunity to speed up, thinking to run away rather than fight.

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