VIP Volume, Chapter 091: Are You Ready?

The first thug to strike put on a ingratiating smile and said to Iron Head, “Boss, this kid even dares to hit you. Beating him to death would be only fair.”

Iron Head roared, “I can handle my own business. I don’t need you, Chen Ergou, sticking your nose in! You call it tough to gang up on a worthless nobody who isn’t even a proper fighter? Do you want me to have any face left in this town?”

Ye Dajun let out a furious shout, kicked one of the thugs blocking him aside, and rushed to Ye Xiaoxuan. He hauled him up from the ground and brushed at his head, asking, “Little Three, are you all right?”

Ye Xiaoxuan got to his feet, patted the brick dust from his hair, shook his head at Ye Dajun, and walked over to the first thug who had smashed him with a brick. “Your name is Chen Ergou, right? A distant relative of Chen Tianfeng. I’ve got you memorized.”

Chen Ergou was terrified out of his wits. Five or six men had smashed him with bricks, and yet he was unharmed, not even bleeding or dizzy. Was this kid practicing some iron-head technique?

Chen Tianfeng suddenly remembered the scene from the other day when Ye Xiaoxuan had dueled him with guns, and he shivered. What shocked him even more was how Ye Xiaoxuan had figured out his connection to Chen Ergou. He cried out in astonishment, “How did you know he’s my relative?”

Ye Xiaoxuan snorted. “I was talking out of my ass and guessed. Somehow I guessed right.”

Chen Tianfeng was so furious he nearly coughed up blood, but he did not dare linger. His eyes flickered, and he prepared to slip away.

By now Ye Xiaoxuan could not be bothered with anyone else. He kept his eyes fixed on Iron Head and said, “So you’re saying head-bashing isn’t your specialty? You should’ve said so sooner.”

Iron Head was hopping with rage. “How the hell was I supposed to say anything? You came at me without warning. I didn’t even understand what you were trying to do!”

Hao Liuzhi gloated, “So you’re a martial guard? You couldn’t even defend yourself, and you had the nerve to call our Xuanzi trash?”

A crowd of underlings immediately pointed at him and cursed, “What the hell did you say? Say that again!”

But Iron Head’s expression turned grave as he shouted, “Shut up!” Then he looked Ye Xiaoxuan up and down and said, “You really do have some tricks.”

Ye Xiaoxuan said impatiently, “Cut the nonsense. Tell me what you’re good at, and let’s compare already. After we’re done, you can go register with Old Cucumber, and from then on you’ll belong to my Bad Kid crew.”

Iron Head hesitated. Seeing how confident Ye Xiaoxuan looked, he actually no longer dared to speak.

When Ye Xiaoxuan saw that he could not come up with anything after a long while, he decided to find a solution himself. Glancing at the shovel Ye Dajun had left by the doorway, his eyes lit up. He ran over at once, grabbed it, and handed it to Iron Head. “Use this to split me open. Anywhere you like.”

Iron Head stared coldly at the shovel in his hands. The pale blade at the front glinted with a chilling light. With his skill, if he swung it down on a person, he could chop off half their body.

Ye Xiaoxuan pinched the tip of the shovel with two fingers, set it against his own throat, and crooked four fingers at Iron Head. “Come on.”

Not only Iron Head, but even the crowd of underlings were dumbfounded. Even Chen Tianfeng, who had already been about to leave, froze as well. Could this kid be trying to frame someone? Was he planning to die anyway, and had come up with this trick to get Iron Head to kill him so he could extort money afterward?

Iron Head tilted his head and stared at Ye Xiaoxuan for a long time before finally understanding what he was after. He gave a fair appraisal: “You’re insane.”

The underlings nodded along. “Yeah, he’s crazy.”

Even Ye Dajun and Hao Liuzhi looked at Ye Xiaoxuan and said, “Little Three, Xuanzi, your wife will come back sooner or later. Even if she doesn’t, you can find another one. Don’t do anything rash!”

Ye Xiaoxuan ignored them. Seeing that Iron Head had even set the shovel down, he glared and said, “What’s wrong with you? Are you even a man? How can you go back on your word? Hold it properly!”

He walked over and stuffed the shovel back into Iron Head’s hands, angling the blade fifteen degrees upward. The one-and-a-half-meter handle was clenched in Iron Head’s grip, while the back end of the shovel pressed squarely against his chest.

After arranging him into position, Ye Xiaoxuan stepped back two paces, estimated the distance, and nodded in satisfaction. Then he gave Iron Head an OK gesture.

Iron Head had stood there like a wooden puppet the whole time, letting himself be moved around. He had already been so thoroughly thrown off by this lunatic that he was practically a fool, not understanding at all what was happening.

Ye Xiaoxuan retreated a few more steps and asked, “Ready?”

Iron Head blankly held the shovel and stared at him, not knowing what kind of trick this was, much less whether he should answer OK or not.

And then, at that very moment, Ye Xiaoxuan suddenly charged forward. He was so fast he looked like a gust of wind, yet his neck stretched out ridiculously long, his arms hanging straight down, his running posture bizarre, like an ostrich with its wings clipped.

By the time his neck was almost touching the blade, Iron Head finally understood his intention. Terror instantly seized him, and he thought, This is bad!

But it was too late to put the shovel down. It felt as if a sharp knife had been stabbed into his chest. His ears rang with a roar, and his whole body was sent flying backward two meters before crashing heavily to the ground. Ye Xiaoxuan, too, was rebounded by the force and fell over.

Silence.

A strange, eerie silence.

Of the dozen-odd people present, not one could be heard breathing. Yet each could hear only the pounding of their own heart.

At last, Hao Liuzhi and Chen Tianfeng screamed at the same time, “He killed someone! There’s been a death!”

Ye Dajun cried out miserably and rushed toward Ye Xiaoxuan.

Ye Xiaoxuan sprang up in a flash, startling Ye Dajun so badly that he yelped and staggered back several steps, staring at his monstrous brother in shock.

Ye Xiaoxuan, pale-faced, dashed to Iron Head’s side and said, “Iron Head’s dead? I killed someone?”

The crowd scattered in panic, then stood at a distance, looking at Ye Xiaoxuan in horror.

“Brother,” Ye Xiaoxuan said to Ye Dajun, “I killed someone. What do I do?”

Ye Dajun walked over cautiously, pinched Ye Xiaoxuan’s arm, then felt his neck, and asked, “You’re fine?”

Ye Xiaoxuan shook his head. “Why would I not be fine? Did I kill Iron Head?”

Only then, seeing that Ye Xiaoxuan was unharmed, did Ye Dajun relax. Grinning from ear to ear, he said, “You didn’t kill him. We just thought he’d killed you. Since you’re fine, then everything’s fine.”

Chen Ergou said tearfully, “Not necessarily. My boss doesn’t look so good.”

Everyone looked at Iron Head. The back of the shovel had jammed against him so hard that foam was coming from his mouth, and his eyes had rolled back until there was no black left in them. He looked like a dead fish, whites showing all around, with far more breath going out than coming in.

Ye Xiaoxuan shook Iron Head’s body without mercy. “Hey, don’t pass out yet. What else do we have to do for me to win? Can I plant the flag?”

Chen Ergou looked as though he were about to burst into tears. “Boss, even if we’re going to compete, shouldn’t we wake him up first? Please, let us go. If we don’t get Iron Head to a hospital soon, he’s done for!”

At that, Ye Xiaoxuan could only release him regretfully, and the underlings shouted and carried Iron Head away.

Seeing that Chen Tianfeng was still standing there, wide-eyed and dumbstruck, Ye Dajun snapped, “Everyone’s gone. Why are you still standing there? Get lost!”

Chen Tianfeng shuddered, then immediately put on a flattering smile and said to Ye Dajun, “Brother Dajun, how can you treat your brothers like this? From this moment on, I, Chen Tianfeng, am a man of the Bad Kid crew!”