“It’s you, Lin Tiesheng!” The bald man raised his hand, sent a text message, and then swept his gaze over the people around Lin Tiesheng. “Are these your family?”
An old man and an old woman, so poor they couldn’t even afford cosmetic procedures, their faces wrinkled enough to crush a fly.
A bratty kid with spiky hair, looking cocky and definitely not like a decent person at first glance.
The girl next to him was pretty, quiet and gentle. Unfortunately, growing up in a family like this, she was destined to become nothing but a toy.
As for the other small, thin girl, her eyes were bright, and the way she looked at him was like a wolf cub.
But so what?
Even if she’s a wolf cub, if her family of origin is bad, she’ll still have to obediently crawl into a worm.
“Tsk, tsk, Lin Tiesheng, how did you end up like this? Weren’t you going to treat your wife? How come things just got worse?” The bald man’s tone was extremely unpleasant.
Lin Tiesheng sighed inwardly. The Fifth Star Ring was so vast, why did he have to run into Shi Qiang of all people?
He took several deep breaths, put on a fawning smile, and said weakly, “Oh, it’s Shi Qiang! Haven’t seen you in so long, you’ve become so impressive, I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Lin Chiyang frowned, his fists clenched so tight they creaked.
Shi Qiang laughed heartily. “Lin Tiesheng, you used to be so arrogant, so proud. I thought your mouth was tougher than a mech. Didn’t expect you to be so sensible now.”
Lin Tiesheng gave an embarrassed laugh. “Middle-aged, with the old above and the young below, all the edges have been worn smooth.”
Shi Qiang crossed his arms over his chest and said mockingly, “So what did you come back to the Fifth Star Ring for? After causing such a huge disaster, how do you have the face to come back?”
A flash of pain crossed Lin Tiesheng’s eyes, but he forced a smile. “I’m a useless man now. I can find any hole to curl up and die in, it doesn’t matter if I rot away. But my kids are still young. I have to fight for their future.”
“Wow, fatherly love is like a mountain, truly touching.” Shi Qiang’s tone was sarcastic.
His eyes scanned the three Lin siblings like he was appraising goods, commenting without restraint, “Your son’s physique, he’s only fit for mining. But your son and daughter have good faces. Send them to Red Street, they should be pretty popular.”
Finished speaking, he pulled a wallet from his pocket, extracted a few Star Dollars, took a big leap, and stopped right in front of Lin Chiyang.
He held the bills between his fingers and slapped them against Lin Chiyang’s right cheek, smack, smack. His eyes narrowed, and he said crudely, “I’ll buy you for the night first. I’ve never tried a Lin Tiesheng son’s chrysanthemum before. I really wonder if it’s as tight as Lin Tiesheng’s mouth.”
A slight smile curled at the corner of Lin Chiyang’s mouth. Gradually, that smile changed, turning into something fierce and terrifying.
The next second, he threw a right hook, connecting with Shi Qiang’s jaw.
Crack.
That was the sound of bone fracturing.
Shi Qiang’s head snapped to the side. He straightened it, pushed his dislocated jaw back into place, and his eyes turned icy cold.
Lin Chiyang watched him warily, his right hand throbbing with pain. His own bones had cracked, but Shi Qiang seemed completely unharmed.
Before Lin Chiyang could react, he was sent flying by a single punch.
“Big Brother!” Lin Xiaohe rushed over quickly, catching Lin Chiyang as he fell from the air. They tumbled several times on the ground, dissipating the force.
“Cough, cough.” Lin Chiyang coughed up mouthfuls of blood.
Lin Xiaohe’s eyes instantly turned red, and she glared fiercely at Shi Qiang.
“What are you looking at?! Look again, and I’ll dig those eyeballs right out of your head!” Shi Qiang hated the look in Lin Xiaohe’s eyes; it reminded him of the old Lin Tiesheng.
Lin Xiaohe handed her big brother to her second sister, her face dark and grim as she walked toward Shi Qiang.
Today, she was going to show Shi Qiang why flowers were so red!
“Hah, Lin Tiesheng, you useless coward. Your legs are useless, not your balls, and yet you need a little girl to stand up for you.”
Shi Qiang completely disregarded Lin Xiaohe. With arms and legs that thin, he could crush her with one finger.
Lin Tiesheng grabbed Lin Xiaohe and shook his head at her.
The military academy assessment was the most important thing. They couldn’t let a small matter like this delay it.
Lin Xiaohe was furious, glaring fixedly at Shi Qiang.
Shi Qiang sneered contemptuously, “Not convinced? Come on, hit me!”
Lin Xiaohe noticed the security patrol frequently glancing their way and took a deep breath. “You’re trying to provoke us, make us fight you proactively. If I get hurt, that’s what you want. If I don’t get hurt, you’ll find a way to blow this up and get us detained.”
Although Lin Xiaohe was extremely angry, her words were logical, her gaze firm and powerful, sharp and bright.
“Shi Qiang, tell the people behind you, if you’re so capable, fight them on the battlefield with real swords and spears. Don’t try these petty tricks. Don’t you look down on the common people of the Sixth Star Ring? You actually resort to underhanded tactics to deal with people like us who have no background. What? You have so little confidence in your own strength?”
Shi Qiang’s pupils contracted slightly. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lin Xiaohe chuckled lightly, her whole body relaxing. “You’re too impatient. No matter what grievances you had with my dad before, you’re doing better than him now. If you want to step on my dad, the best way is to show off your wealth and strength. But you?”
Shi Qiang’s heart sank. She was right; he had acted too hastily.
Lin Xiaohe continued, “I never believe in small probability events. What a coincidence, us meeting in the waiting area of the Fifth Star Ring? What a coincidence, you, a VIP sitting in the Class A waiting area, coming to our corner? All these coincidences piled up? That’s deliberate.”
Shi Qiang wanted to argue, but a command suddenly came through his earpiece.
He listened intently, and his entire demeanor changed. He was no longer the mindless troublemaker; his gaze became sharp as a knife.
He stood there quietly, like a lurking wild beast, ready to break free at any moment, creating an oppressive atmosphere.
The passengers around who had been quietly watching the drama, feeling this aura, quickly moved further away.
This was the real Shi Qiang!
He stared fixedly at Lin Xiaohe for a good several minutes before letting out a scornful laugh. “Lin Xiaohe, the special admittee to the Central Military Academy? Hah, I admit, you’ve got some small cleverness. But that small cleverness, in the face of absolute power, will only hasten your death.”
He lowered his head, looking at Lin Xiaohe as if she were a dead man: “Like begets like. You’ll never catch up to someone else’s starting point, no matter how hard you try. Go back to the Sixth Star Ring and farm your land!”
Lin Xiaohe said seriously, “If a person has no dream, what’s the difference between them and a salted fish?”
“A dream? Heh, making a name for yourself, bringing honor to your ancestors?” The disdain in Shi Qiang’s eyes was almost overflowing.
“No!” Lin Xiaohe explained, “My dream is to live well, for my family to live with quality.”
To be able to afford clean water, afford internet access, afford medical treatment, and hopefully have water to bathe with.
Was this requirement too high?
Shi Qiang thought it was very high: “Those born in the mud should stay in the mud obediently. Because that’s will of heaven.”
“Whoever stops me from having a good life, I’ll kill them. If it’s heaven that won’t allow it, then I’ll pierce a hole through this heaven!” Lin Xiaohe was overflowing with killing intent.
