"Wait!"

A crescent moon slowly rose in the sky.

Dim streetlights flickered on around the square.

The children and elders who had been playing here vanished without a trace.

"Our boss gave a strict order," the tall man in black said. "Sign this contract tonight, or you’re not leaving."

Seeing Huang Yingdie turn to leave, he grabbed her arm.

"Here’s two hundred thousand. Please don’t make us—"

Huang Yingdie spun without hesitation, delivering a spinning kick.

Caught off guard by the seemingly delicate girl’s sudden attack, he couldn’t dodge. His left cheek took the full hit with a *thud*. Pain and force made him stumble back several steps, only regaining balance with his companion’s support.

"Stop! Don’t fight!"

The man who’d first spoken to Xiaodie rushed between them.

"Boss Gao, talk this out. Don’t hurt her. She’s from the city—"

"Get out of the way!"

A knee strike slammed into the man’s stomach. The enraged tall man in black slowly approached Huang Yingdie, sneering. "Not bad, girl. Not bad. Heh. I’ll play with you."

"Yi Yao…"

Kneeling and spitting bile, the struck man gave me a look. "You… run…"

*Bang!*

The muffled gunshot cut off the youth’s voice—he looked under twenty. He collapsed with a *thud*, motionless.

Now, the small square held no one but us.

"Hold your fire," the tall man ordered his three henchmen. He stretched his body, walking slowly toward Xiaodie and me, face twisted. "You two can come at me together. No problem."

*Xiaodie, what kind of people do you know…*

The sudden emergency overwhelmed my mind. As I frantically planned escape, I scanned for useful tools.

Excluding the unconscious man on the ground, four armed men in black faced us. The odds were terrible.

The only good news? They might not harm us immediately.

"Who do you think you are!"

Xiaodie launched another kick. This time, the tall man caught her leg mid-air, holding it firmly.

"Taekwondo? Ah, I know that. Just flashy moves for stage shows."

He tossed her aside like a kitten, then approached me. "You’re Yi Yao, right? I know you. No wonder you’re calm—a true martial artist."

*Do you expect me to cry for you?*

I glanced cautiously at Huang Yingdie. "Are you okay?"

"I’m fine…"

Xiaodie clenched her fists, half-kneeling, glaring defiantly at him.

"Oh, tough guy? Still chatting. Guess I need to teach you a lesson."

I raised my leg into a defensive stance. A powerful blow struck my thigh.

"Women are just men’s playthings. Understand?"

After taking one hit, I stepped back, dodging two punches, and shifted to offense.

*No good. He’s over 180 cm tall—I can’t reach his head.*

My gaze locked on his chest.

*Heart’s on the left. If I kick there…*

"Don’t think we’ll go easy like that waste Huang Qinghao," he spat. "To me, he’s worthless except for his drugs."

"What did you say?"

Huang Yingdie, just standing, trembled with rage. "Is this how you men see us women?"

"Isn’t it? A real man has no mercy. Like taming a dog—beat the disobedient ones. If they still won’t listen? Drug them."

"Don’t flatter yourselves. We keep you only to bear children. Pretty wives make pretty kids. Don’t refuse a toast and take the punishment. Just be Qinghao’s woman. Save our boss the trouble."

*That’s it.*

As he finished, I sensed someone snapping.

Already hurt by men before, Huang Yingdie’s trust would plummet to negative.

"I dare say this to your faces, women. What? Not happy?"

Grinning under her murderous glare, he waved tauntingly. "Not happy? Come at me. I’ve got time today."

"You!"

Huang Yingdie started forward. I blocked her.

"I’ll handle this."

I pulled out prepared playing cards. Closing my eyes, I breathed deep. Opening them, I took the Card Clan’s offensive stance.

"What’s this? A new magic trick?"

I ignored him, eyeing the concealed silencer on his pants. "Since you’re so confident calling yourself a man, skip the firearms."

"Haha, fine."

He tossed his pistol to a henchman, clenched his fists in a Sanda stance. "Today, I’ll see how Shangjing’s taekwondo prodigy fights without taekwondo."

Moonlight gleamed bright.

The distant hum of cars faded on the road.

The moment the engine sound died, I charged.

Cards traced a strange circle in the air, slashing toward his neck.

*Card Brother was right. I just needed confidence.*

*And I can’t back down in front of my junior.*

"You’re trying to slit my throat with cards?"

My expression must have pressured him. He dropped his smirk, dodged the cards, and punched my chest.

*Gotcha.*

I bent, slid behind him, and kicked his knee hard. Drawing two knives from my shorts, I moved in front and kicked his stomach. With a *thud*, the whole thing took under ten seconds. The man—nearly two heads taller—lay flat on the ground.

"Don’t move!"

Under moonlight, I pressed the knives to his neck.

"Heh… hehe… I was careless."

Hands raised, he laughed bitterly. "Naive or cute? Aren’t you afraid my brothers will shoot? Think your knives beat bullets?"

I smiled slightly. "Then, do you think their pistols are faster? Or sniper rifles?"

As I spoke, infrared beams locked onto the temples of all four men in black.

"What!"

The man under my knife looked confused. "Did you call the police?"

"Do police work that fast?"

Card Brother emerged from darkness—suit, leather shoes, small top hat—playing cards. He gave me an approving look. "Not bad, Yi Yao. You sensed us. Mastered my moves. You’ve far exceeded my expectations."

"You said the same last time."

I sheathed the knives, stood, and pulled the bewildered Huang Yingdie over. "Xiaodie, this is Luo Wei. We call him Card Brother."

"Card… Brother?"

"Haha, just a nickname. Call me whatever."

Card Brother squatted beside the man. "You’re from Dashan’s side, right?"

The man glared defiantly. "So what? Your guns don’t scare me. Push me, and I’ll take you all down."

"Hey now, I swear—I’m not threatening you. Stand up and leave anytime."

"If you’re Dashan’s man, I’ll give him face. But Huang Yingdie and Yi Yao come with us tonight. Your mission’s ruined."

The man scrambled up, glaring at the still-squatting Card Brother. "What if I say no?"

"Risking your life for work? Fine." Card Brother pulled out a notebook, lit a lighter, and read: "Fang Wenhao. Shangjing local. Lives at 201, Unit 6, Building 18, Changning Street. Another house on Zhongyuan Street. Wife, daughter. Parents in Dingyuan Town… Want the others’ details too?"

The men’s faces turned ashen.

With identities so thoroughly investigated, an ambush must be waiting.

No one gambles their family’s lives for pride.

"Let’s go!"

Under swaying sniper beams, the four men slunk away from the square.

"They even shoot their own. These guys have tricks."

Card Brother ordered his men to carry away the unconscious body, then finally stood.

But he didn’t address me first. He looked at the girl beside me, troubled.

"You’re Huang Yingdie, right? Hmm… this might sound harsh. But if you don’t leave Shangjing City soon…"

Under hazy moonlight, he hesitated. "You’ll die."