Chapter Two: Taking Action

“No money? Then what’s that necklace around your neck?” The young man in black barked, his tone harsh and his face menacingly dark.

“I… I… This is the only thing my mother left me. You can’t take it…” The girl’s body trembled, tears streaming down like raindrops, one after another. Yet her hands remained tightly clasped around her neck, defiance written all over her face.

“Damn it, you dare resist? Hand it over!” The young man cared nothing for whether it was a keepsake, nor did he show any mercy just because she was a girl. He raised his hand and struck her hard across the face, sending her hair flying loose. Seeing she still wouldn’t let go, he kicked her viciously in the stomach.

A dull thud resounded through the silent bus, carrying far in the hush where even a pin drop could be heard. The delicate girl was instantly flung against the metal siding of the vehicle.

“Bastard!” A man in his thirties, unable to bear the sight any longer, grabbed his bundle and hurled it aside. Taking advantage of the robber’s surprise that someone would dare resist, he lunged forward and seized the hand holding the knife.

Bang!

The man was not only strong but clearly skilled. With a jarring shoulder check and a twist of the arm, the knife clattered to the floor from the young man’s grasp.

Crash!

He didn’t let down his guard. Keeping hold of the assailant’s arm, he executed a swift over-the-shoulder throw, then kicked the knife out of reach.

“Ah…” The bus aisle was narrow, but that only meant the young man’s body was repeatedly battered against iron bars and seats. The man’s moves were ruthless and efficient, leaving the would-be robber sprawled, his body limp and powerless, unable to get up.

The sudden turn of events stunned the young man in blue for a moment; then a savage gleam flashed in his eyes. He raised his knife and surged forward, intent on stabbing the rescuer.

Zhang Ye, who had been waiting for his chance, could hold back no longer. The moment the young man moved, he sprang into action.

Though he looked only fifteen or sixteen, Zhang Ye had grown up running and training with his grandfather. In his past life, after an experience like this, he’d specifically sought out a master to learn martial arts, developing skills that would let him fend off four or five ordinary attackers at once. Though he hadn’t trained systematically in this life, his technique was still fluid and precise.

With a sudden burst, Zhang Ye leapt forward and kicked at the attacker’s ankle. As the man staggered, losing his balance, Zhang Ye’s hand shot out and seized the knife hand in an iron grip, twisting it sharply.

Crack!

In his past life, Zhang Ye’s master had specialized in kicks, but he had an elder brother who was a former special forces soldier, an expert in joint locks and grappling. Zhang Ye had suffered countless defeats in practice, but also learned much. Though not yet on his brother’s level, dealing with a desperate thug who thought a knife was enough to rob dozens of people was child’s play for him.

“Ah…” The young man’s face contorted in agony, his howl as shrill as the midnight wind.

Zhang Ye’s expression remained cold and unfeeling. His hands flashed again, and two more sharp cracks rang out as he dislocated both of the attacker’s hands.

“You’re the one I’ve been waiting for!”

Of the three robbers, the one Zhang Ye hated most was the one lurking in the crowd. His movements now were more decisive and efficient than in his past life, but he hadn’t forgotten the one who had caused him a lifetime of pain.

As soon as he acted, Zhang Ye sensed the fierce man seated behind him move as well, standing up. Bystanders, not understanding, thought the man was going to help subdue the robbers. In his past life, Zhang Ye had been fooled by this; this time, he would not repeat that mistake. He spun and lashed out with a kick.

His skills might not be as sharp and forceful as in his previous life, but with over a decade of daily practice, his movements were still swift and practiced.

Crash!

His kick landed squarely in the man’s stomach, sending him flying.

With Zhang Ye and the other man subduing the two armed thugs, the rest of the passengers finally snapped out of their paralysis. They sprang from their seats and rushed at the robbers.

Angry and unrestrained, they rained blows and kicks down like a storm, making the two knife-wielding youths scream in pain.

With the help of the crowd, Zhang Ye was free to focus on the third robber. But the man reacted with shocking speed, forcing himself upright despite the pain and seizing a nearby woman, pressing his knife to her throat.

“Don’t move. If you don’t want her dead, you’d better behave,” he snarled, lifting her with a cruel smile, madness flickering in his eyes.

In an instant, the chaos and clamor of the bus faded back to tense, fearful silence. Everyone froze.

“All of you, off the bus. Take those two with you,” Zhang Ye commanded in a loud voice.

He stood tall, a youth of fifteen or sixteen, not especially imposing in stature. Yet as he straightened his back, whether seen from the front or behind, he seemed upright as a pine, unbending as a spear, as if no imaginable burden could bend his shoulders.

Though young, not especially tall, and with a voice still unbroken, his presence compelled the twenty-some passengers to obey. All but a few robust men escorted the two subdued robbers off the bus.

In his past life, bearing a fierce, narrow scar, most people would have become withdrawn or depressed, some even driven to suicide by the burden. But not Zhang Ye. He faced the world head-on, neither hiding nor disguising himself, meeting the stares of classmates, friends, and family with calm dignity.

He had always stood straighter and been stronger than others. Even in the final moments, when assassins orchestrated a fatal car crash, he sat upright at the wheel, looking directly at the oncoming truck, as if determined to see and remember everything.

If escape was impossible, if all effort was futile, then he would face it with composure.

He never lacked decisiveness, but he would never compromise. Now, too, was such a moment.