Chapter 211 - 208: Xingyu Internet Cafe
Junhao Nightclub.
"Bao Dachang, you motherfucker! I almost got fucking killed because of you, you know that?!"
Back at the nightclub, Xue Biao was still seething. He gritted his teeth, pointed at Bao Dachang’s nose, and let loose a torrent of curses.
"Brother Biao, I’m sorry! I... I... I didn’t do it on purpose! I didn’t know!" Bao Dachang wailed, his face a mask of misery. "That Ye Xing clearly lives in the same complex as me. Everyone there is just a normal family. Is... is he really that much trouble?"
"Heh," Xue Biao glanced at Bao Dachang, a cold, humorless smile on his face. "You can go try him again, but I won’t be the one collecting your corpse."
Bao Dachang shuddered violently and shook his head repeatedly. Then, he asked in confusion, "But there’s no one like him in the Luoxian County underworld, is there? What’s the deal with this Brother Xing? He just looks like a gentle, recent college grad."
"Brother Xing *is* a recent college grad," Xue Biao said in a low voice. "But even though he’s not in the underworld, he’s more terrifying than anyone in it. Brother Qiang once told me that Brother Xing has the aura of a killer. His fighting skills are monstrous. He took down our entire martial arts hall by himself, Brother Qiang included. Not long ago, he easily defeated the American underground boxing champion, Crov!" Xue Biao’s voice deepened. "I have to say, Bao Dachang, you’ve got some serious fucking balls. Daring to act so brazenly in front of Brother Xing with just four guys. You should know, forget four henchmen, even forty wouldn’t have been enough."
Bao Dachang and the others fell silent, as quiet as cicadas in winter. They hadn’t heard about the underground boxing match, but the story of someone taking down the martial arts hall had been circulating wildly within their organization. They just never knew that the mysterious master who did it was actually Ye Xing. Bao Dachang couldn’t help but recall being tripped twice in a row earlier. It all clicked into place. ’So it wasn’t a coincidence, and it definitely wasn’t some weird fluke,’ he thought. ’His fighting skills are so far beyond mine that he was just toying with me.’
"Alright, Bao Dachang, I can’t be bothered to waste any more words on you. Pack your things and get out!" Xue Biao said flatly.
"Brother Biao, no! It took me years of grinding to get to this position. Don’t kick me out," Bao Dachang pleaded desperately. "Brother Biao, I’ve been with you for so long—"
"The problem is, right now I’m a Mud Bodhisattva crossing a river—I can’t even save myself!" Xue Biao said, his face a mask of worry. "If Brother Qiang finds out about what happened today, I probably won’t be able to keep my position either."
"Then what do we do?! Brother Biao, you’re Brother Qiang’s right-hand man. Can’t you plead with him?" Bao Dachang was in a full-blown panic. He really didn’t want to leave the organization. After all, he’d put in so much time and had a decent little position at the nightclub. Life was pretty comfortable. If he left, he’d have to start all over, and his future would be completely uncertain.
"Pleading with Brother Qiang won’t do much good. This whole thing depends on Brother Xing. If you can get his forgiveness, with just a single word from him, forget about just letting you come back—he could easily make you the head of this whole nightclub," Xue Biao sighed. "Alright, I’m done talking nonsense with you. Just go. Find your own way in the world."
...
A cool night breeze blew as dark clouds obscured the moon, plunging the night into inky blackness.
On the streets of Ice Sea, cars flowed in an endless stream. Along both sides, the neon signs of shops flickered, bathing the road in a multi-colored glow.
"RING RING RING! You are my little apple, I can never love you enough, red..."
As he walked onto the Charming Commercial Street in Ice Sea New City, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. Ye Xing immediately took it out, swiped the screen, and answered the call.
"Hello, is this Dr. Ye? You see, I’m—" A strange man’s voice came from the phone.
"Sorry, wrong number. I’m not a doctor," Ye Xing said, his eyes shifting slightly as he hung up the phone.
It was obvious the man had either truly dialed the wrong number or was calling to seek medical treatment. After the incident at Yiming Clinic, it was likely that word of Ye Xing’s medical skills had gotten out. It really wasn’t surprising that someone would call for help.
𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦
However, Ye Xing wasn’t a doctor at all, and the whole "a healer’s heart is like a parent’s" mentality didn’t apply to him in the slightest. In his own words, ’I’m not a doctor, so I have no obligation to treat patients. Treating someone is a favor; not treating them is my prerogative.’ So, even if someone came to him seeking treatment, he would normally ignore them.
This wasn’t to say he was cold-blooded. For one, he wasn’t a doctor and had no such obligation. For another, he didn’t want to be too conspicuous and risk exposing his methods involving the Thunder Heart Spring Wood. Besides, there were so many sick people in the country—millions, tens of millions. Even if he had a bleeding heart and worked himself to death, he couldn’t treat them all. Given that, he’d rather just have some peace and quiet.
Birth, old age, sickness, and death—everyone has their own path in life. Unless it was a chance encounter or a matter of fate, Ye Xing didn’t want to get involved in such trivial matters, especially not for complete strangers.
"HONK—" "BEEP BEEP BEEP!"
The sound of car horns was incessant on the street. A car approached from the front, its headlights blindingly bright, and Ye Xing couldn’t help but turn his head away.
Suddenly, his gaze shifted and fell on a storefront to his side.
"Xingyu Internet Cafe!"
Looking at the internet cafe’s sign, Ye Xing felt a stir in his heart. He recalled the little moments from his student days: pulling all-nighters at internet cafes playing games and reading novels, grouping up with his buddies for some League. Scene after scene from the past surfaced in his mind. In the blink of an eye, he had already graduated from college. Time flew, stirring up a sense of nostalgia.
’I haven’t been to an internet cafe in a long time, not since graduation. It’s only a little after eight now... well, I might as well play a couple rounds of League of Legends before heading home,’ Ye Xing thought. With that, he walked into the internet cafe.
He walked up to the counter, took out his ID card, and put ten yuan on his account. Then, Ye Xing found an empty seat and sat down.
Next to Ye Xing sat a boy of about thirteen or fourteen, probably still in elementary school. He had likely sneaked out with his parents’ ID to get online.
This boy was also playing League of Legends, but his skills were, to put it mildly, a disaster.
Ye Xing watched the boy play League of Legends while he logged into his own account.
The boy was playing the ADC Vayne. He had already died twenty-one times and only had three kills. His teammates were actually playing pretty well, but it was useless. Their inhibitor was already down, and super minions were spawning. They would lose for sure within five minutes.
Sure enough, after the enemy team took Baron, they pushed in one wave and destroyed the boy’s base.
"Argh, we lost again! Dammit, why do I keep losing?! This is so frustrating, I haven’t won a single game!" the boy yelled, slamming his hand on the desk in anger. He suddenly noticed the big brother who had sat down next to him was also playing League of Legends and was at the login screen. "Hey, you play League of Legends too? Are you on the Ionia server?"
"Hm?"
"Bro, can you carry me? I keep losing. I just want to win one game!" the boy pleaded, looking at Ye Xing with a pitiful expression.
"Uh..." Ye Xing was taken aback for a second, then gave a wry smile. "My skills are pretty bad too, and I haven’t played in months."