Chapter 250: Interception

The man first gave Lin Xiao a disdainful glance, then his eyes landed on Yuan Yu, and a greedy, fiery glint appeared in his beady eyes. “Kid, you’ve got some luck with women, but too bad you won’t get to enjoy it.”

“Who are you?” Lin Xiao asked calmly, scanning the group.

“Who we are doesn’t concern you.” The fierce-looking man cracked his neck, making a series of popping sounds. “But you pissed off someone you shouldn’t have. Someone’s paid us to take your hands. I suggest you don’t resist, or it won’t be worth losing your life over.”

Lin Xiao frowned, recalling the events of the afternoon. “Did Fang Tianping send you?”

The fierce-looking man hesitated for a moment, then sneered.

“Who knows, maybe he did, maybe he didn’t. We’re just here to do a job. Boys, get him!”

At his signal, the thugs behind him surged towards Lin Xiao aggressively.

Lin Xiao stood his ground, unmoving, watching the approaching thugs with cold eyes. It wasn’t until the one in front was almost upon him that he suddenly kicked out.

The thug hit by Lin Xiao’s kick flew backward, screaming as he was sent four or five meters away, slamming into a thick tree. The tree shook violently, and leaves rained down.

The thugs’ momentum came to an abrupt halt, all of them stunned by Lin Xiao’s display of strength.

Sending a man flying four or five meters with a single kick—that kind of power was terrifying.

For a moment, none of them dared to advance further. They surrounded Lin Xiao, faces fierce, but they were hesitant. They feared his retaliation.

Lin Xiao couldn’t care less about their thoughts. To him, these thugs were insignificant.

That kick just now had only used a third of his strength, mainly because he didn’t want to make too much noise and wake up Yuan Yu, who was sleeping soundly in his arms.

If he had used his full strength, it wouldn’t have just sent the thug flying, it could have killed him.

Yuan Yu, with her eyes closed, slept sweetly in Lin Xiao’s arms, her rosy lips slightly puckered. Even with the commotion around her and Lin Xiao about to engage in a fight, she showed no signs of waking up.

The man with the fierce expression was the leader of this gang. Hiding among the others, he gasped when he saw Lin Xiao kick a person flying with just one strike.

‘This guy is really tough,’ he thought.

But he wasn’t ready to give up just yet. His employer had paid a hefty sum—enough to buy a life—and had significant influence in Jinghai City. If he fled without a fight, he’d not only forfeit the rest of his money but also risk angering the employer, which would be a foolish move.

“My mood’s pretty good today, and I don’t want to get into a fight. So I’m giving you all a chance. Leave now,” Lin Xiao said calmly.

“Don’t think that just because you’re strong, we’re scared of you. No matter how tough you are, you’re still just one person,” the gang leader swallowed hard, trying to bolster his men’s courage. “Everyone, get him! I don’t believe he can handle all of us at once!”

Lin Xiao’s gaze turned icy.

“You’re like fools who won’t learn until they hit the Yellow River or see the coffin. If you want to court death, then make your move.”

The gang leader shouted, “Attack!”

Leading the charge, he swung the heavy steel pipe at Lin Xiao’s head.

Lin Xiao shifted slightly, easily dodging the attack. Then, with a powerful kick to the leader’s stomach, he sent him flying.

The leader was lifted off the ground, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Before he could scream, another kick landed on his face, silencing him and twisting his head around as he crashed to the ground.

The leader’s eyes rolled back, and he fell unconscious without a sound.

This all happened in a split second. The other thugs hadn’t even started their assault when their leader was already down.

An eerie silence fell over the scene, broken only by the heavy breathing of the thugs.

Lin Xiao stepped on the leader’s back, scanning each thug’s face with a cold gaze.

Everyone he looked at lowered their heads, unable to meet his eyes.

“Big Brother Lin, what’s going on?”

Yuan Yu groggily opened her eyes, the commotion had woken her from a deep sleep. Still tipsy, her voice sounded like she was talking in her sleep.

“What’s happening?” she mumbled.

“Nothing, just go back to sleep.” Lin Xiao gently covered her ears and eyes with one hand.

“Okay…” Yuan Yu’s eyes closed again.

Once she was settled, Lin Xiao calmly addressed the surrounding thugs.

“Your leader is already down. What do you plan to do next?”

The thugs exchanged glances and, almost in unison, retreated into the darkness.

With their leader defeated, there was no point in fighting. They’d rather run than risk further harm.

Lin Xiao glanced at the leader on the ground, contemplating whether to interrogate him to find out who had hired them.

He had a strong suspicion that Fang Tianping was behind this. From the first moment he met Fang Tianping, Lin Xiao felt he wasn’t a good person.

Lin Xiao also suspected that Fang Tianping’s pursuit of Huang Xinyu wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. There had to be a deeper scheme. And he had merely gotten caught in the crossfire.

“I should warn Auntie Xinyu. She likely already knows, otherwise, she wouldn’t be so cold towards Fang Tianping,” Lin Xiao thought as he continued towards Maple Leaf Street with Yuan Yu in his arms. “As for Fang Tianping, I’ll have someone investigate him. If he’s truly as bad as I think, I’ll deal with him myself.”

Without showing any emotion, Lin Xiao had already decided Fang Tianping’s fate. An eye for an eye. Since Fang Tianping had tried to harm him, Lin Xiao wouldn’t hold back.

Back home, Lin Xiao laid Yuan Yu on the bed, carefully removing her outerwear and shoes before covering her with a blanket.

Just as he was about to leave, Yuan Yu grabbed his hand.

Looking back, Lin Xiao saw that Yuan Yu was still asleep. Her action had been a subconscious move.

“Big Brother Lin, I…” Even in her sleep, Yuan Yu murmured his name.

Lin Xiao couldn’t help but smile. He sat by her side for a while, waiting until she was deeply asleep before leaving her room.