CHAPTER 108: CHAPTER 103: TRICKS! ON CUNNING, I NEVER ADMIT DEFEAT_3

"Hmph! You’re coming with us. Let’s go, boys."

After saying this, the man gave his companion a look and was about to turn and leave. However, at that exact moment, Chen Pingchuan’s angry shout exploded in their ears like a thunderclap.

"Hold on!"

The three burly men turned around slowly. They glared viciously at Chen Pingchuan, their expressions fierce. "What’s this?" one of them growled. "Does our new friend want to stand up for him?"

Contrary to what the man had imagined, Chen Pingchuan simply shook his head, denying the man’s accusation. Just as a contemptuous smile began to form on the thug’s face, Chen Pingchuan’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "You think you can just walk away after taking someone’s property? The world doesn’t work like that."

As Chen Pingchuan finished speaking, the boy and the three thugs alike stared at him in astonishment.

They had been running this scam for a long time. Aside from locals or those they had duped before, they could cheat almost anyone who came through. Whether it was a hero trying to right a wrong, someone trying to buy the boy’s freedom, or a rich kid with deep pockets, they always found a way to get their cut.

In fact, their lookouts at the base entrance had spotted Chen Pingchuan and Belia from the start.

The surrounding vendors were unfazed by the scene, merely watching the commotion with interest.

The lead thug had a fleshy, ferocious face marked with a long scar. He scrutinized Chen Pingchuan for a long time but didn’t see the fearful reaction he was hoping for.

The man’s expression shifted. This time, I might have messed with the wrong person, he thought.

He immediately switched to his backup plan for situations like this. First, he brutally kicked the small boy. He showed no mercy, sending the child flying several meters. The boy cried out in genuine pain. This time, it wasn’t an act.

Then, adopting a boisterous tone, the burly man feigned a friendlier attitude.

"Hahaha! My friend, you’re truly something else! I, Hu Laosan, love making new friends. Judging by your clothes, this must be your first time at our Doomsday Bunker, right? I’ve been here for a year, so if there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask. I’ll tell you everything I know, holding nothing back."

His limited vocabulary exhausted, Hu Laosan changed tactics again. He kicked the small boy once more. The kick sent the boy sprawling, his head smacking against a rock. A sizable gash opened on his forehead, and blood trickled down his face onto the ground.

"You little brat! Hurry up and give the man his property back! How many times have I told you not to pull your petty tricks on new wanderers? Life is hard for everyone, so why can’t you just listen?"

Hearing this, the boy clutched his wound with his left hand while his right tremblingly pulled a folded, yellowish-white map from inside his shirt.

It was the very same route map to the Doomsday Bunker that Chen Pingchuan had acquired from the small settlement.

The boy hadn’t known what he was stealing at the time. Since Chen Pingchuan had nothing else on him, the boy had just swiped the map.

Hu Laosan roughly snatched the map from the boy’s hand and gave it a quick scan. Seeing it was nothing of value, he cautiously offered it to Chen Pingchuan with a fawning tone.

"Brother, here’s your map. Please hold onto it tight this time. As for this kid, we’ll teach him a lesson when we get back. Or, if you prefer, we could just hand him over to you. It’s just... he still owes us money, so..."

Hu Laosan rubbed his fingers together, his meaning perfectly clear. If Chen Pingchuan wanted to press the issue, he would have to pay up. And if the price was right, they wouldn’t mind handing the boy over to him.

Chen Pingchuan didn’t raise a hand to take the proffered map. He just looked at their clumsy performance and chuckled softly.

"Xiaoya, today I’m going to teach you an essential skill for surviving in the wasteland."

Just as Chen Pingchuan finished speaking...