Chapter 27: An Unfavorable Start (2) Young nobles from Wuling frequented the eastern gold market, their silver saddles gleaming atop white steeds, cutting through the spring breeze.

Fang Yu took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and refrained from shouting. He could tell that the thief was alone, most likely committing the crime solo. The distance between them was about a hundred meters; Fang Yu wasn’t confident he could catch up over that stretch, and anyone capable of such thievery wouldn’t be slow on their feet.

As the thief was about to enter the next block, Fang Yu tiptoed forward in quick, small steps, waiting until the thief turned the corner before bursting into a full sprint. The wind whistled past his ears, and after ten seconds or so, Fang Yu rounded the street to find the thief about twenty meters ahead, crouched in a shadowy corner, rifling through the wallets and belongings of the four.

“Damn it, give those back!” Fang Yu could no longer hold back. He launched himself forward at a hundred-meter dash pace, sprinting straight at the thief.

The thief hadn’t expected Fang Yu and his friends to wake so quickly and hesitated for a moment, missing his chance to escape. Hastily stashing the wallets, he was about to make his move when Fang Yu’s fists and feet arrived.

With a thud, Fang Yu kicked the thief square in the chest, sending him flying two or three meters and crashing heavily against a nearby trash can.

It was only now that Fang Yu got a clear look: the man before him was a scrawny, disheveled youth of about thirty, with a shifty demeanor.

The kick forced the thief into a dead end. He glared at Fang Yu with venomous, triangular eyes, his hand reaching behind his waist.

“Damn, he’s got a weapon!” Fang Yu thought grimly. He’d been reborn from 2022 and nearly forgot how chaotic the coastal regions once were; in those days, even provincial capitals had motorcycle thieves snatching bags at train stations.

Both sides were caught in a stalemate. The small thief, seeing Fang Yu’s tall frame—over six feet—felt some trepidation. The sky was already lightening, and the longer he delayed, the worse it would be for him.

Fang Yu was wary of the knife in the thief’s hand; as the saying goes, you shouldn’t chase a cornered criminal. He rolled his eyes, then spoke in a low voice:

“Brother, I know it’s not easy making a living. We’re all running our own roads and sailing our own boats. What you took is my brothers’ life-saving money. Return it, and we’ll part ways in peace.”

Hearing this, the thief relaxed a little; he hadn’t expected the youth—barely twenty by the look of him—to be so calm.

“Alright, alright, I admit defeat today. Let me go, and we’ll each go our own way.”

Fang Yu nodded, extending his hand.

“No problem. Give us back our things first. I’m sure you can tell I’m not from around here. Dawn’s breaking soon—no need to make it ugly for everyone.”

The thief gritted his teeth, untied a cloth bundle from his waist, and tossed it forward.

“Catch, brother!”

Fang Yu caught the bundle in midair, weighed it, and judged that nothing was missing—the thief had been interrupted while checking the loot, leaving no time to hide anything.

He quickly found his own wallet and opened it: everything was there. The others’ belongings weren’t as important; Cheng Chen and the rest hadn’t brought much cash, so any loss would be minor.

He exhaled in relief, turned, and stepped aside.

“You’ve got guts, brother. Let’s pretend none of this ever happened—I never saw you.”

With that, Fang Yu jogged back the way he came, not looking back. He feared the thief might suddenly attack, and it was also a way to show he wouldn’t remember the man’s face, nor did he want to.

When he hurried back to the hotel, Cheng Chen and the others were already loudly confronting the owner at the front desk.

“What kind of lousy hotel is this? A thief sneaks in at midnight—pay up!”

The owner, seeing three student-looking young men, wasn’t intimidated. He slammed the table, barking,

“Come on, I warned you before check-in: keep your valuables with you. If you lose them, it’s not my fault!”

Cheng Chen glared, ready to take action, but Fang Yu arrived in time to pull him back.

“Enough, we’ve got our things back. Don’t stir up trouble; if we have to, we’ll just find another hotel.”

Cheng Chen, still indignant, slapped the desk.

“No way, we paid for this! If you won’t compensate us, at least refund the room fee!”

“Forget it, it’s just sixty yuan—not worth it. Let’s go!”

After much persuasion, Fang Yu managed to calm Cheng Chen. The four young men packed up their luggage, cursing under their breath, and this time made sure not to be careless. Fang Yu found a somewhat upscale hotel and paid 260 yuan for two twin rooms.

It was already nine in the morning. Fang Yu glanced at his companions and put on a smile.

“Alright, brothers, this mess was all my fault for trying to save a little money. Come on, let’s go get some milk tea!”

“How is this your fault? It’s clearly—wait, milk tea? Where?” Zhao Bin’s eyes lit up; he loved milk tea drinks.

“Milk tea from Haizhou is famous nationwide. Haven’t you seen the TV dramas?”

“I’ve watched them, but I don’t know which shop is best.”

“We’ll find out! We’ll try every shop, one cup at a time—if one isn’t enough, ten will do. We’ll drink for three days and I refuse to believe we can’t find a good one. A cup of milk tea costs nothing.”

Unable to sleep, the four decided to head out, wandering through streets and alleys. Every time they found a milk tea shop, they bought a cup, with Zhao Bin sampling first.

“Ugh—Fang Yu, I can’t drink any more. I’ve had more milk tea today than in the past year!” Zhao Bin groaned, his belly slightly swollen.

“Boss Fang, I can’t take it either, ugh—” Lu Zhen wore the same miserable expression.

“Damn, after a whole day, not one suits your taste?” Fang Yu was dissatisfied with their performance.

“They all taste about the same—too much creamer, not enough tea. Feels like they’re all made on a production line,” Zhao Bin forced himself to analyze.

Fang Yu sighed; he couldn’t drive his brothers to their deaths.

“Alright, you’ve worked hard today. Come on, dinner’s on me—hot pot tonight!”

“Hot pot in this heat?”

“You know nothing. Haizhou’s beef hot pot is renowned across the country.”

By dusk, the four young men were gathered around a steaming pot of beef, mouths watering.

“A hundred yuan for so much meat?”

Fang Yu was pleased; prices back then were truly low. In 2022, this meal would cost at least four or five hundred.

“Alright, dig in. Tomorrow we keep searching for milk tea. When we find the right one, I’ll treat everyone to seafood!”

“Seriously? You still have money for seafood?” No one knew how much he’d brought.

“Stop talking, start eating! Boss, bring a dozen beers!”

The other three weren’t drinkers, but that didn’t stop them from blushing as they drank. By the time they were halfway drunk, Fang Yu finally relaxed. After all, he’d been reborn; happiness mattered most, right? Are you hungry? Should I make you a bowl of noodles?