Chapter 79: Just Take It

At eight in the evening, the Brilliant Tower was still brightly lit. Lin Xiao sat outside the CEO’s office, looking somewhat bored.

Due to a heavy workload, the entire company was working overtime, and Wan Caixuan, as CEO, was leading by example. Unfortunately, that also made Lin Xiao’s job more demanding—since he was her personal bodyguard, he couldn’t leave until she did.

Finally, just before nine o’clock, the office door opened. Wan Caixuan stepped out, visibly exhausted, and saw Lin Xiao still seated in the corridor.

“You’ve had a long day; let’s head home.”

“No worries, it’s my duty,” said Lin Xiao with a shake of his head.

Wan Caixuan simply nodded, saying nothing. Perhaps due to exhaustion, she closed her eyes and rested during the drive back to Jiangnan Floral Estates under Lin Xiao’s care.

Lin Xiao didn’t disturb her. After dropping her off, he was about to leave the Rolls-Royce behind.

“You didn’t get much sleep last night, and it’s been another long day,” Wan Caixuan said, opening her eyes. “The recent assassination attempt failed, so there shouldn’t be any danger for a while. Take tomorrow off. And feel free to use the car.”

With that, she stepped out and made her way into the Jiangnan Floral Estates residential complex.

As he watched Wan Caixuan’s departing figure, Lin Xiao was surprised to have another day off after just one day of work.

Without giving it much thought, Lin Xiao drove the Rolls-Royce back to Yuan Yu’s home.

It was already nine o’clock by the time he arrived. The residential area was still lively, with people moving about.

The appearance of a brand-new Rolls-Royce on Maple Leaf Street in the Yongnan District caused quite a stir. Even in all of Jinghai City, such a luxury car was rarely seen—let alone in Yongnan, the city’s most underdeveloped district. And Maple Leaf Street was considered one of the least prominent areas even within that.

Many residents had lived their entire lives without ever seeing a car like that in person.

From the buildings lining the street, curious eyes peeked out—some filled with envy, others with jealousy or quiet resentment. A few even entertained the thought of stealing the car.

Lin Xiao parked the car near Yuan Yu’s apartment building and headed upstairs, only to find that she wasn’t home. A quick phone call revealed she was at the hospital visiting her mother.

After a moment of thought, Lin Xiao changed into a fresh set of clothes, then went back downstairs to drive to the hospital and pick her up.

He arrived at Jinghai First Hospital swiftly. Despite the late hour, the building was still brightly lit and busy.

As he approached the parking lot, Lin Xiao hesitated—then chose to park along the street instead. Before heading in, he stopped by a nearby supermarket and came out with a large bag filled with fruit and health supplements.

About twenty minutes later, he exited the store, heading toward the hospital’s lot—only to spot three figures gathered around his Rolls-Royce in the distance.

The car was parked in a relatively quiet spot, making their behavior stand out even more.

The three were circling the vehicle, inspecting it closely. One of them had already wrapped a hand around the door handle, subtly trying to open it.

Lin Xiao didn’t need to guess to know they were targeting the Rolls-Royce.

He was well aware that Wan Caixuan’s car was a top-of-the-line model—one of only ten ever produced worldwide. It was a limited edition of immense value.

Even a single tire was worth a small fortune, so it was no surprise the car stirred their greed.

Of course, the three might not have known its exact worth, but the Rolls-Royce logo and the sleek, refined design were more than enough to suggest its value.

They noticed Lin Xiao approaching with his bags, but his simple clothing didn’t match their image of someone who could own such a car. Naturally, they dismissed him without a second thought.

“This car’s clearly worth a fortune. In all my years doing this, I’ve never come across something this high-end,” a short man whispered to his two accomplices.

One of them, serving as the lookout, nodded. “Yeah, this thing screams money—has to be worth at least tens of millions. If we pull this off, we’ll be set for life.”

“Enough talk,” grumbled the middle-aged man gripping the door handle. “It’s quiet right now—get it open fast. If the owner comes back, we’re screwed.”

These three were members of a local car theft gang. Normally, their targets were modest: electric bikes, motorcycles, and the occasional car if luck was on their side.

They operated mostly at night, taking advantage of low foot traffic and poor lighting to carry out their work unnoticed.

While scouting for targets near the hospital that night, the three stumbled upon Lin Xiao’s Rolls-Royce parked in a quiet, isolated spot. With hardly anyone around, the sight of such a luxurious car immediately stirred their greed.

They began discussing how to steal it.

Though they kept their voices low, Lin Xiao’s sharp senses caught every word as he approached.

A cold glint flickered in his eyes. Without warning, he stepped forward and delivered a solid kick to the short man’s backside.

“Move away from the car,” he ordered.

Caught completely off guard, the short man toppled forward and landed face-first on the ground—an undignified sight made worse by the fact that his face landed directly in a pile of dog feces. The stench caused him to jerk up, violently retching.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

The remaining members of the gang were instantly enraged, turning toward Lin Xiao with threatening glares.

However, faced with Lin Xiao’s towering stature and muscular build—and the fact that their illicit activity had been exposed—they felt a twinge of unease. As a result, they hesitated to retaliate immediately.

“That should be my question to you. That’s my car,” retorted Lin Xiao calmly, holding two large bags in his hands.

“This is your car?” One of the car thieves looked Lin Xiao up and down, then snorted with laughter. “You must be joking. Do you even know what this car is? A Rolls Royce. As if someone like you could afford to drive this.”

“This guy must be out of his mind, or has a screw loose,” another thief chimed in, his voice dripping with scorn. “He must be deluded if he thinks anyone would believe this car is his.”

The thief who had landed face-first in the dog waste glared at Lin Xiao, resentment burning in his eyes. After wiping his face, he growled through gritted teeth, “You better get on your knees and apologize. And pay me for emotional distress or you’re not leaving here in one piece.”

Lin Xiao had no interest in dragging out the conversation. With a flick of his wrist, he revealed the Rolls-Royce key, and said calmly, “If you leave now, we can forget this ever happened. If not, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Seeing the car key made all three thieves freeze. Their expressions shifted—startled and suddenly unsure.

“Could this… could this car really belong to him?”

“No way. Look at his clothes, cheap from head to toe. He looks like a complete loser, yet he’s driving a car as luxurious as this? Could he be hiding his true colors?”

The thieves stared in disbelief, a myriad of thoughts whirling in their minds.

Just then, the short thief—still reeling from his earlier humiliation—studied Lin Xiao more closely. A thought suddenly struck him.

“Wait a minute… he doesn’t look like someone who could actually afford this car. Could he be… one of us?”

The other two thieves exchanged glances.

They were accustomed to driving stolen cars. They began to believe that Lin Xiao was a thief like them, a fellow comrade in their illicit trade.

Thinking of this, they all harbored the idea of overpowering Lin Xiao to steal his car. After all, it was a car worth tens of millions; it was worth the risk. Lin Xiao saw the greed in their eyes, and a cold sneer appeared on his face. If these three dared to rob him, he would show them what it means to wish for death.

One of the car thieves lowered his voice and threatened ominously, “Kid, did you steal this car too? If you know what’s good for you, give us the car keys, or else we’ll call the cops.”

Lin Xiao stared at the thief who spoke, looking at him as though he was a fool.

“You’re going to call the cops?”

“Exactly. We’re calling the cops. You must be new around here; I’ve never heard of you,” the thief continued. “My boss is Brother Xue. Just hand us the keys, and he might let you join us and share the loot.”

Lin Xiao had no desire to engage with them further. He took a step forward and brushed past one of the thieves blocking his path.

Lin Xiao only planned to give them a little lesson, so he didn’t put much force into the push. Nevertheless, the thug staggered backward, finally sitting on the ground.

The remaining two thieves, infuriated, shouted, “You refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Since that’s how you want it, don’t blame us for being impolite!”

They lunged at Lin Xiao, fists swinging. But the outcome was inevitable. Without even raising his hands, Lin Xiao sent each of them sprawling with a single kick.

Though it was already past nine and the area was relatively quiet, the commotion quickly drew a crowd. As always, people were eager for a spectacle. Laughter and applause rang out as the thieves hit the ground.

Humiliated in front of onlookers, the three wished the earth would swallow them whole. Supporting each other, they struggled to their feet. None of them dared to attack again. The short one, still fuming, muttered, “This isn’t over. You’ll pay for this.”

Lin Xiao frowned. He didn’t appreciate threats.

If the street hadn’t been so crowded, he would’ve made sure they remembered this lesson properly. But under the circumstances, all he could do was watch as the three slinked off through the crowd—unscathed.