Chapter 352: Admission

Wang Tianping, with a gun pointed at him by Da Biao, was hesitant to go all out. After knocking down a few thugs, his wooden staff was forcibly taken, and he was pinned to the ground.

“Give me the baseball bat.”

Da Biao looked down at Wang Tianping, who was still struggling on the ground, and took a baseball bat from one of the thugs. He weighed it in his hand and grinned excitedly. “It’s been a while since I last broke someone’s limbs. Let’s use you for practice.”

As he finished speaking, he raised the baseball bat high and swung it down toward Wang Tianping’s arm.

Just as the bat was about to land, an unexpected change occurred.

Whiz!

A pebble, no bigger than a fingertip, shot out from the darkness, hitting the baseball bat with pinpoint accuracy.

The thick bat snapped into two pieces. The front half flew off, while Da Biao was left gripping only the broken handle.

The stone continued forward with strong momentum, smashing into the forehead of a thug.

Blood splattered as the thug let out a miserable scream and collapsed onto his back.

“Who’s there?!”

Da Biao reacted swiftly, tossing aside the broken bat. He once again pulled out his gun from his waistband, his sharp eyes scanning the surroundings.

The other thugs, startled by the sudden development, looked around in alarm, cursing and shouting in agitation.

Qiao Fei, hidden among the crowd, first glanced at the shattered baseball bat, then at the thug rolling on the ground, clutching his bleeding forehead. His expression darkened, his gaze flickering as if deep in thought.

A few seconds later, a shadowy figure emerged from the darkness. He moved steadily toward them.

“You’re the one who broke my bat?” Da Biao barked, glaring at the approaching figure.

But the figure remained silent, continuing forward at an unhurried pace.

“The hell’s wrong with you? You deaf? Da Biao asked you a question,” another thug shouted impatiently.

Still, the figure said nothing, simply drawing closer.

As he approached, the group finally saw him clearly.

A young man, no more than twenty years old. His face was unremarkable, but his eyes were calm. He wore no shirt, revealing a body chiseled like stone, every muscle well-defined. Below, he wore only a pair of loose jeans.

It was Lin Xiao who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

“Shit, this kid’s face ain’t much, but damn, his body’s built like a beast,” one thug muttered enviously, glancing down at his own beer belly.

Lin Xiao stopped a few meters away, his bare feet firmly planted on the ground. Each step he had taken was precise, each distance identical, measured to perfection, like a master craftsman had drawn them out.

“Uncle Wang, are you alright?”

Lin Xiao’s gaze swept over Wang Tianping, who was pinned to the ground, his face bruised and bleeding.

“I… I’m fine,” Wang Tianping gritted out. “Lin Xiao, this is too dangerous. You shouldn’t be here.”

He struggled again, but the three thugs pressing him down held firm, making escape impossible.

Seeing Lin Xiao completely ignoring him, Da Biao was enraged. He raised his gun, aiming it directly at Lin Xiao’s head, and sneered. “Hey, kid, you pretending you can’t hear me?”

Lin Xiao remained expressionless. “You’re just a dog. You’re not worthy of talking to me. Get your master out here.”

“What did you say?” Da Biao’s face flushed with rage, his veins bulging. “Say that again if you’ve got the guts!”

“Enough, Da Biao.” From the crowd, Qiao Fei stepped forward, his gaze cautious as he scrutinized Lin Xiao. “I am their leader, Qiao Fei. May I ask your name? And why you’re interfering in our business?”

Qiao Fei was no fool. To control such a ruthless crew, he was naturally far from ordinary.

From the moment Lin Xiao appeared, Qiao Fei had sensed it—this man was a real threat.

If he weren’t highly skilled, there was no way he could have snapped a baseball bat mid-air with just a pebble.

“Mr. Qiao, you bring such a large force to a small retreat. What exactly are you after?” Lin Xiao didn’t answer his question. Instead, he asked his own.

A flash of irritation crossed Qiao Fei’s face. It had been a long time since someone dared to talk to him this way, but he had bigger concerns right now.

“Since you ask, I’ll be frank.” Qiao Fei narrowed his eyes. “Two of my men were killed on the Qing Shi Highway. We are here to find the murderer and make him pay in blood.”

“So that’s what this is about. Now I understand.”

Qiao Fei suddenly had a bad feeling. “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s very simple.” Lin Xiao calmly spread his hands. “I killed your men.” He smiled faintly. “Actually, not two. Three. One of them got kicked off a cliff.”

The moment he spoke, silence fell over the entire scene. Yet beneath that silence, tension surged like an impending storm.

Qiao Fei’s face twitched, his expression turning dark and murderous.

Lin Xiao’s direct, unbothered admission was a slap in the face, stinging like fire. Because this meant one thing—Lin Xiao never considered them a threat to begin with.

Right then, Qiao Fei swore that no matter what, this man had to die. He would carve Lin Xiao into pieces to erase this humiliation.

Aside from Qiao Fei, the other gang members all glared at Lin Xiao, eyes brimming with hatred.

Every single one of them clenched their weapons, slowly tightening their encirclement around him.

“It was you, bastard? You killed our brothers?” Da Biao’s voice dripped with venom as he curled his finger around the trigger. “Tell me, why did you do it?”

“Because they deserved to die.” Lin Xiao arched a brow, lips curving into a faint smile. “People like you, if I see one, I kill one. If I see two, I kill a pair. If any of you want to join them, feel free to step forward.”

Though Lin Xiao’s tone remained light, there was a chilling finality to his words.

The gangsters’ bodies tensed.

They recalled the gruesome deaths of their fallen comrades, and for the first time, hesitation crept into their minds.

Even if they could kill Lin Xiao, how many of them would die first?

Without realizing it, their approach slowed.

Qiao Fei immediately noticed the wavering morale and barked, “Brothers, if we don’t take revenge today, who will ever avenge you if something happens? There are so many of us, are we really afraid of one man? Kill him!”

His words reignited their bloodlust.

“You’re dead, bastard!”

Da Biao hissed through clenched teeth and pulled the trigger.