With that offhand "be my guest" from Fang Yu, Lin Ruofei, who had felt a faint flicker of reassurance only moments before, felt the blood drain from her face.
Shameless coward, useless good-for-nothing… Had the situation not been so dire and unpredictable, Lin Ruofei would have flown into a fit of rage and torn into Fang Yu right then and there. Yet in that moment, she did not utter a single word. Whether from the bitter cold or crippling fear, her body trembled uncontrollably.
Fang Yu, standing off to the side, merely folded his arms across his chest, his expression one of lazy, unruffled ease.
Hm? The man with the flashlight stared at Fang Yu, his face etched with bewilderment. What was wrong with this man? Wasn't he supposed to be the girl's bodyguard? Why was he standing aside and letting them seize her? Could there be some kind of trick afoot here?
After staring Fang Yu up and down for a full half minute, the man let out a cold sneer. So this was nothing more than a pretty face with no guts to back it up, he thought.
And so, he strode toward Lin Ruofei, a sneer still plastered across his face. "Sorry for the trouble, little lady. A man's got to honor his debts, and someone's paid us good money for you." Even as he spoke, he reached out a hand toward her shoulder.
But just then, Fang Yu's voice rang out suddenly. "Before you lay a finger on her, gentlemen, I'm afraid there's a fee to pay first."
The man froze mid-movement, his hand hanging frozen in the air. He spun around, staring at the young man striding toward him, and let out a cold huff. "You got a death wish, kid? You really think you can stop us?"
Fang Yu gave a faint nod, stepping forward and speaking with perfect solemnity. "Something like that."
"Who the hell do you think you are, kid? You dare meddle in Lord Ghost's business?" The man's face darkened with rage, and he shone the flashlight beam directly into Fang Yu's eyes.
Fang Yu's eyes narrowed slightly, yet he made no move to look away. By now, the rest of the men had closed in, surrounding him on all sides.
"Heh, I think you've got the wrong idea, brother." Fang Yu waved a dismissive hand, his tone calm and casual. "I just heard you say someone's paid you for this. Must be a pretty penny, am I right?"
"So what if it is?" The man snapped back with another cold sneer.
"So how about we strike a little deal?" Fang Yu stepped closer to the man, clapping him lightly on the arm, his voice low and smooth. "See, I'm this young lady's bodyguard. If she gets taken, I lose my job, plain and simple. No job means no paycheck, and no paycheck means my wife and kids go hungry…"
"So what's your point?" The man sneered, realizing he'd run into nothing more than a spineless rookie.
"So if you compensate me for my lost wages, I'll pack up and get out of your hair, no questions asked." Fang Yu spoke with utter, earnest sincerity.
"Kid, no one talks to Lord Ghost like that and gets away with it." The man let out a frigid huff, and a dagger materialized in his hand as if from thin air.
"Whoa! You won't pay up, and now you're pulling a knife on me?" Fang Yu hopped back in an exaggerated show of alarm, flicking his wrist out in a casual, almost lazy motion.
A bloodcurdling scream split the night air, and the dagger that had been in Lord Ghost's hand was suddenly, inexplicably, clasped in Fang Yu's.
"Kill him! Tear him apart!" Lord Ghost howled in agony and rage. He hadn't even seen the kid move, yet in the blink of an eye, his wrist had been snapped clean in two. This boy was absolutely terrifying.
At Lord Ghost's command, the men surrounding them all drew their weapons—some baseball bats, others machetes. It was clear this had been a premeditated hit from the very start.
"What's this? Ganging up on me all at once?" A faint smile played across Fang Yu's lips, and he moved in a blur, materializing beside Lin Ruofei's car in the blink of an eye.
"You…" Lin Ruofei stared at him, half-ready to praise him for his sudden show of bravery. But what he did next left her utterly dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open in shock.