Chapter 84

Among the three men with Chang Huazhong, Jiuzhi was a fat man weighing over two hundred jin!

He sat directly facing the door; Chang Huazhong sat beside him, while Xiaomaque sat opposite, and Huoya sat across from Chang Huazhong, with Huoya’s back directly facing the restaurant’s kitchen, where a narrow corridor beside the kitchen led to a simple toilet.

This way, Xiaomaque could see everyone entering or leaving the restaurant’s entrance, Huoya blocked anyone coming from the kitchen or toilet, the largest of them all—Jiuzhi—blocked anyone entering through the door, and Chang Huazhong sat with his back against the wall, the safest position of all!

But this seating arrangement had a small flaw: Huoya, who entered first, couldn’t see anyone emerging from the kitchen or toilet.

Still, with Jiuzhi present, even three or five ordinary men posed no threat, and besides, from their experience, none of the people in the restaurant looked dangerous.

The signature dish, dry-fried chicken, hadn’t arrived yet, when a man wearing a woolen cap emerged from the toilet; his path angled directly toward Chang Huazhong’s seat.

Chang Huazhong glanced at him—a regular young man—and paid him no mind.

At this moment, the young man had reached behind Huoya and was about to pass him toward the door.

Suddenly, he spun around, instantly standing behind the massive, gatekeeper-like Jiuzhi, pulling a sharp dagger from his coat, stepping sharply forward with his left foot, half his body already crossing Jiuzhi’s broad frame, the dagger’s tip aimed straight at Chang Huazhong, who sat against the wall!

The attacker was Ling Wei! When Huoya left, he hadn’t gone—he’d hidden in the toilet! He’d overheard Huoya’s conversation with the owner and decided to strike Chang Huazhong now!

Xiaomaque, sitting opposite Jiuzhi, sensed something wrong the moment Ling Wei turned; he snatched the wine bottle on the table, sprang to his feet, and hurled it at Ling Wei!

Huoya now saw Ling Wei turn and pull out the dagger—he instantly recognized him as the diner he’d thought had left—and reached for his spring knife at his waist!

Jiuzhi, seeing Xiaomaque move, knew something was happening behind him; he shifted sideways to let the flying bottle pass, then sprang up from his chair with his massive body, moving like a living shield to block in front of Chang Huazhong!

Yet all three men moved only after Ling Wei had acted.

Ling Wei darted like a monkey, dodging the thrown bottle, reaching before Jiuzhi could—his dagger tip now mere millimeters from Chang Huazhong’s throat!

Just as he was about to spill Chang Huazhong’s blood, a powerful force slammed into his back!

Instantly, his throat tightened, suffocating, as if something had gripped his neck with iron force!

Jiuzhi, seeing how fast Ling Wei moved and realizing he was already one body-length behind, reacted in desperation—his palm, large as a fan, clamped down on Ling Wei’s back!

Ling Wei wore a padded jacket with the zipper pulled high; Jiuzhi’s sudden grab yanked the fabric taut—the already-raised collar tightened violently around Ling Wei’s neck!

The sudden suffocation froze Ling Wei’s motion for a split second—perhaps less than a second—before his body was yanked upward with a sharp *whoosh!* “Clatter!” A storm of shattered bowls and plates hit the floor, followed by screams from several girls and shouts from men!

After seeing Ling Wei lying on the ground with his dagger, and Huoya and Xiaomaque now holding their daggers, the other diners froze for a moment, then screamed “Murder!” and fled in panic!

All of this happened in two or three seconds! Ling Wei, flung by Jiuzhi’s grip, pushed off the ground with one hand and sprang to his feet!

At that moment, Chang Huazhong shouted: “Catch him! Xiao Fei’s death might be his doing!”

Chang Huazhong’s mind reacted fast—he instantly realized this might be the gunman who’d shot at him but killed Chang Xiaofei by mistake.

Jiuzhi and Huoya were already preparing to attack the standing Ling Wei; Xiaomaque stood before Chang Huazhong, spring knife in hand, guarding him.

The situation seemed dire for Ling Wei!

In truth, there was no time for him to think—Jiuzhi, closest to him, had already seized a chair and smashed it toward the still-rising Ling Wei with thunderous force!

The chair, fueled by Jiuzhi’s massive frame, hurtled through the air with a whistle—Ling Wei pressed his left toe hard into the ground and recoiled backward, barely dodging the flying chair!

After evading Jiuzhi’s strike, he didn’t pause—he kicked off the fallen chair with his right foot and shot toward Chang Huazhong like a cannonball!

Xiaomaque, standing before Chang Huazhong, stared unblinking at the charging Ling Wei; his spring knife flashed out, aimed straight at Ling Wei’s abdomen!

Mid-air, Ling Wei somehow twisted—before his body touched ground, he kicked upward with his left toe, striking Xiaomaque’s wrist holding the knife!

*Snap!* Xiaomaque felt his wrist crushed as if struck by a sledgehammer—his grip vanished instantly, and the spring knife clattered to the floor!

Now Ling Wei stood before him—he could almost see his own reflection in the man’s black pupils!

*Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff!* He felt a cold blade stab him rapidly several times—then Chang Huazhong shouted: “Damn! Maque’s been stabbed!”

Jiuzhi, having missed his chair strike, saw Ling Wei wound Xiaomaque in less than a breath—he roared, gripped the table’s edge with both hands, and shoved it toward Ling Wei—he meant to pin Ling Wei against the wall!

Ling Wei, having stabbed Xiaomaque several times, knew this fat man was dangerous—he dared not be trapped! He glanced at the speeding table, then suddenly crouched low—his body twisted like an eel, sliding beneath the table!

The tile floor was slick with soup and grease, reducing friction—Ling Wei slid clean under Jiuzhi’s pushed table, then kicked hard at his thick lower leg!

The kick carried serious force! Though Ling Wei was slight, he still weighed over a hundred jin—he slammed his foot into Jiuzhi’s shin, making Jiuzhi cry out in pain and bend over to clutch his leg—but Ling Wei didn’t linger; these men weren’t his targets.

He rolled through the grease and oil on the ground, closing in on Chang Huazhong again!

His eyes blazed—he shouted: “Chang Huazhong! I want your life!”

Before the words ended, his dagger slashed upward toward Chang Huazhong’s groin!

Everything happened too fast! Chang Huazhong scrambled backward—but still moved half a beat too slow!

The blade was about to cut his genitals—when a black military boot kicked in from the side!

*Thud!* The boot struck Ling Wei’s right ribs solidly!

He felt his chest shake violently—his right hand swung the dagger from left to right, slicing toward the direction of the kicking foot!