The sunlight streamed gently through the thin curtains, casting stripes across LiWei's face as he stirred from sleep. For a moment, he just lay there, eyes half-open, mind adrift between dreams and reality. The memories of what happened to him this week lingered faintly—the luxurious car, Jiang Yue's unexpected request, Tao's sugar baby nonsense, and the strange, momentary blush on that cold CEO's face.
He rubbed his eyes with a sigh, sat up, and checked the time on his phone. It was Saturday. No classes today.
His stomach rumbled. "Ah... Right. Real-life responsibilities."
As he descended the stairs toward the kitchen, he noticed his father's absence. That was odd. Usually, he'd be reading the morning news or tinkering with the old fan on weekends.
His mom glanced up from the stove, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Your dad's out. Something happened yesterday... You should ask Uncle Qin. He's outside fixing his bike."
LiWei nodded, heart thudding. He stepped outside and spotted Uncle Qin crouched by his old motorbike, grease on his hands and a cigarette dangling from his lips.
"Uncle," LiWei called out, walking over. "What happened to my dad's face yesterday? I saw the bruises."
Uncle Qin looked up, his face creasing with concern. "He told you not to worry about that."
"I'm not worried," LiWei said, leaning against the wall. "I'm curious. And I hate guessing games in the morning."
Uncle Qin exhaled smoke slowly, tapping the ash. "Your dad… he took a delivery job. Extra cash, you know. That place near Hongfang street."
LiWei frowned. "That rough part of the city?"
"Yeah. But it was supposed to be simple. Just deliver a package, get the payment, and leave. But the bastard on the receiving end—some small-time thug—refused to pay. When your dad asked again… they roughed him up. Didn't even let him say a word."
The words sank into LiWei's chest like a weight. His fingers clenched unconsciously.
"Do you know the guy's name?" LiWei asked, trying to keep his voice even.
"Kid... you're not thinking of going there, are you?" Uncle Qin narrowed his eyes.
"Of course not," LiWei replied with a grin. "I just want to make sure I never accidentally walk down that street. You know, for... academic reasons."
Uncle Qin squinted at him, unconvinced. "Name's Bao Hu. Big guy. Thinks he owns that block. Wears a gold chain so thick, it could tow a truck."
"Got it," LiWei said, giving him a two-finger salute. "Appreciate it, Uncle!"
Uncle Qin grunted. "Don't do anything stupid."
"No promises," LiWei muttered under his breath.
A couple hours later, LiWei stood at the edge of Hongfang Street. The place looked like every crime drama he'd ever watched: shady bars, busted neon signs, motorbikes parked sideways, and guys with more tattoos than IQ points.
He casually approached a small group playing cards on crates.
"Hey," he said, slipping into their shadow. "I'm looking for Bao Hu."
One of them—missing two front teeth and rocking a mullet from the 90s—looked up. "What's a kid like you want with Big Bao?"
"He's my brother," LiWei lied without blinking. "Mom's worried he didn't come home last night."
The men squinted at him, then burst out laughing. "Your brother? A shrimp like you?"
"He's at the back alley behind Lotus Pub," one finally said, still chuckling. "Try not to wet your pants."
LiWei ignored them and walked ahead.
There they were—three thugs loitering by the alley, one of them clearly Bao Hu: tall, meaty, thick gold chain, and chewing loudly on a toothpick like it owed him money.
"Yo," LiWei called out, hands in his hoodie pocket.
Bao Hu turned lazily. "What now?"
"You beat up my dad yesterday. I'm here for a refund," LiWei said flatly.
The other two laughed so hard one of them wheezed.
"Your dad?" Bao Hu echoed mockingly. "Oh, that delivery man? Weakling. Didn't know his place."
"You should've paid him."
"And you should've stayed home, little boy."
At that moment, LiWei felt it—that strange electric hum in his blood again. His heart skipped, a weird tingle spread through his limbs, and for a split second, everything slowed down. He blinked, and in that instant, his pupils gleamed with a faint purple light.
"You want to fight, kid?" one thug jeered, cracking his knuckles.
"No," LiWei said. "I want to finish this before lunch."
The next moment was a blur—bam!
LiWei shot forward like a bullet, ducked under the first guy's swing, and yeeted him across the alley like a sack of rice. The second one tried to grab him, but LiWei instinctively elbowed him in the gut with enough force to knock the air—and possibly the man's lunch—right out of him.
Bao Hu stood, dumbfounded.
"You on steroids?" he growled.
"I'm on vibes," LiWei replied, and punched him so hard the man landed in a pile of trash bags, which promptly exploded in a dramatic mess of dirt and peels.
He stood there breathing hard, hands trembling slightly. The alley was silent except for the groans of the fallen.
Then he whispered to himself, "What... the hell was that?"
His hands weren't even sore.
He looked down at them—no blood, no bruises. Just a tingling warmth.
Strength he'd never trained for. Reflexes that weren't normal.
He stepped back, heart racing.
"Guess I really am the main character…" he jokingly thought
He quickly left there because the noise will definitely attract someone
After leaving,a shadow appeared in front of Bao Hu and the two
Hmm…. Strength and speed of an awakened reaching the middle stage without any meditation techniques and also a good control over the power
Did he train or he is a genius.
The shadow could hear the sound of footsteps coming and he blends with the shadow and left the place