CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: THE MIDDLEMAN PROFITS FROM THE MARGIN

"Xia Liang, run! I see he has a weapon! You’re no match for him, just run! Call the police to save me after you get away!" Qingxue cried out anxiously upon seeing the newcomer. At this moment, she found herself actually worried about Xia Liang’s safety.

Hearing this, Xia Liang sighed.

"Ahem, Qingxue," he said, stretching his neck. "We were classmates, after all. You should have a little faith in me. While being handsome is one of my strengths, I’m actually a pretty good fighter."

Seeing Xia Liang’s demeanor only made Qingxue more worried. "Xia Liang, now is not the time to be stubborn. I’m truly grateful, but... you have to go. I can’t drag you into this."

Qingxue shook her head, simultaneously gesturing with her eyes for Xia Liang to hurry up and leave. She knew his capabilities all too well. He had been utterly hopeless in physical activities back in school, so how could he possibly be a match for this fierce-looking man?

"...Uh, alright then." Xia Liang gave a helpless shrug. What could he say? It was better to just prove himself with his actions.

At the same time, he was touched. In a situation like this, Qingxue’s first concern wasn’t for herself, but for him.

"Tsk, tsk. Big words," Scarface sneered, striding toward Xia Liang. "A clueless greenhorn trying to play the hero and save the damsel in distress? Hmph!" Just some kid. He didn’t take him seriously at all.

"You little brat! In your next life, learn when to stay out of things you can’t handle!"

With that, he raised his hand. The dagger in his grip glinted coldly in the moonlight as he stabbed toward Xia Liang’s body.

To the onlookers, Xia Liang seemed to be paralyzed with fear, standing completely still. Worry on Qingxue’s face slowly turned to despair. Scarface was already imagining how he’d torture both of them later.

What they didn’t know was that in Xia Liang’s eyes, Scarface’s movements were as slow as a crawling turtle, like a slow-motion scene from a movie.

Just as the dagger was about to plunge into his body, Xia Liang’s hand shot out and grabbed Scarface’s wrist.

Scarface felt as if his wrist was caught in a pair of iron pincers. Before he could react to his astonishment, Xia Liang gave a slight twist. The man was forced to his knees, screaming in agony.

"Ah... ah... You’re killing me!"

Scarface felt as though his hand was about to be snapped in two, the intense pain twisting his entire face into a grimace.

Qingxue witnessed the entire exchange, her mind reeling in shock. When did Xia Liang become so strong?!

"Hm?" But for some reason, as Xia Liang looked at the contorted face, it seemed vaguely familiar. He couldn’t help but ask, "Why do I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before?"

At those words, Scarface was both shocked and terrified. To think that after so many years on the run, I’d be taken down by some snot-nosed kid today.

Just as Scarface was resigning himself to his fate, Xia Liang suddenly had a revelation.

"Hey, you’re Fatty’s uncle!"

What the heck?

Not only was Qingxue taken aback, but even Scarface was flabbergasted. What on earth was this kid talking about? Though confused, Scarface still nodded quickly.

"That’s right! I’m Fatty’s uncle! You must be a friend of his, right? He’s mentioned you to me. Whoa, this is a huge misunderstanding! We’re on the same side! Just let me go, and we can talk this over."

Hearing this, Xia Liang was a bit puzzled, but confident in his own strength, he let the man go. He kept his spiritual power circulating, however, just in case.

Once Xia Liang released his grip, Scarface hurriedly flexed his hand, which felt like it was about to break. How does this skinny-looking kid have so much strength? And who the hell is this Fatty? Since when do I have such a caring nephew?

As Scarface was lost in confusion, Xia Liang spoke first.

"Spill it! What’s going on here? And why did you run away? Fatty’s family is very worried about you!"

Hearing Xia Liang’s barrage of questions, Scarface was too tired to even retort. Why the hell did I run away? Because I’m a wanted man, of course! But I can’t just say that, can I? If I do, he’ll drag me to the Security Bureau in a heartbeat!

Thinking this, Scarface remained silent, his left hand slowly inching toward his waist.

Seeing Scarface’s silence, Xia Liang shook his head and pulled out his phone to call Fatty. The only reason he recognized Scarface was because of a social media post Fatty had shared a while back.

URGENT! TO ALL FRIENDS! My uncle went missing on May 1, 2020, in Third Platform Village, Qingyun City! He suffers from rage disorder and is mentally unstable. To avoid any unnecessary harm, please keep your distance. If you see him, just give me a call. A cash reward of ten cents will be given immediately upon his safe return! Below this was a phone number and a photo of Scarface.

When Scarface saw Xia Liang pull out his phone, his first thought was that he was calling the police. No longer caring about making a large movement, he yanked a black object from his waistband.

Behind him, Qingxue saw it clearly in the moonlight. It was a gun. She immediately shouted, "Xia Liang, watch out! He’s got a gun!"

"Damn it! You bitch!" Scarface roared in anger. After I’m done with this freakish kid, I’ll make you wish you were never born!

But before Scarface could even raise the pistol to aim, Xia Liang had already moved. His body blurred, closing the distance to Scarface in an instant. He drove a kick into the man’s stomach.

The next second, Scarface felt as if he’d been hit by a car, his body flying backward.

THUD!

He slammed into a large tree and passed out. Xia Liang still couldn’t quite wrap his head around the situation. Why did Fatty’s uncle have a gun? How did he know he was Fatty’s friend, yet still try to attack him?

But with an acquaintance right in front of him, those questions would have to wait. He ignored the unconscious Scarface and walked straight over to Qingxue.

"How was that? Class President Xue, I didn’t disappoint you, did I?"

Unexpectedly, Qingxue’s delicate face hardened. She spoke with a hint of anger. "Don’t you realize how dangerous that was? I told you to run, so why didn’t you? Thank God you’re okay. If anything had happened to you, I would have felt guilty for the rest of my life."

"Um..." Xia Liang stared at her, unblinking.

The heart that had been frozen over by Yang Ying began to thaw, a crack forming in the ice.

He looked at her earnest expression. Some things really don’t change. She’s still always thinking of others first. Though a bit exasperated, Xia Liang sighed.

"Hey, School Beauty Xue, everything turned out fine, didn’t it?"

In response, Qingxue just glared at him with her wide eyes. "But what if it hadn’t!"

That left Xia Liang speechless, and he rolled his eyes.