Chapter 174: Playing With Human Hearts

This punch was far heavier than Wen Shilin’s feeble strike earlier, sending Zhuo Shuqing sprawling to the ground with a dull thud. Everyone still caught in the brawl froze, staring at the scene in shock.

"Cough cough cough cough—!!" Zhuo Shuqing writhed on the ground, coughing violently. First, he spat out mouthfuls of blood, then began vomiting teeth…

One, two, three…

Before he could utter a single word, Zhuo Shuqing had already spat out four or five teeth—basically all the teeth on one side of his face were gone. One side of his cheek swelled visibly red, the pain twisting his features into agony.

He looked up at the unfamiliar man in the brown overcoat, his eyes filled with profound confusion…

Zhuo Shuqing had never met this person before, nor did he understand why he had suddenly punched him. Even now, his mind was still reeling. Staggering to his feet, his gradually clearing eyes began burning with unprecedented fury!

Trembling, he pointed a finger at Chen Ling, his gaze screaming with the desire to tear him apart limb by limb.

Just as he was about to say something, Chen Ling narrowed his eyes slightly and the invisible python coiled around Zhuo Shuqing’s body took another bite at his head.

Zhuo Shuqing froze in place.

It was as if he had become an emotionless monk who had spent ten years in secluded meditation, only to return to the mortal world and face his enemy with nothing but serenity in his heart.

He had let go.

The surrounding thugs tensed, ready to swarm and teach this stranger a lesson at Zhuo Shuqing’s command. But after watching him expectantly for a long while, Zhuo Shuqing finally spoke with eerie calm, "Who are you? I don’t think we’ve met."

[Audience Expectation +3]

The moment these words left his mouth, everyone was stunned.

Wen Shilin couldn’t believe his ears. After his own punch earlier, Zhuo Shuqing had wanted him beaten to death—yet now, after this stranger had knocked out half his teeth, he wasn’t the slightest bit angry?

Had he misjudged Zhuo Shuqing? Was the man actually… magnanimous?

All eyes turned to Chen Ling in shock. In their understanding, after Chen Ling’s punch, the previously domineering Zhuo Shuqing had suddenly become docile—not even daring to curse. The only explanation was that Zhuo Shuqing already knew and feared Chen Ling… yet he had just claimed they’d never met.

Or perhaps… Chen Ling’s punch had been so terrifying that it had broken Zhuo Shuqing’s spirit?

After weighing the possibilities, this seemed the only plausible explanation.

"Just passing by," Chen Ling replied flatly.

"Passing by? Then why hit me?"

"What you did was disgusting. I couldn’t help myself."

Zhuo Shuqing shook his head and answered earnestly, "That’s not right."

"Right or wrong isn’t for you to decide." Chen Ling glanced at him. "Or do you want another punch?"

"……No."

"Then get lost."

Zhuo Shuqing’s gaze swept over the crowd behind him, rationality flickering in his eyes. He had already gotten what he wanted, and Wen Shilin had been taught a lesson—there was no reason to stay any longer. After a moment of contemplation, he finally spoke, "Forget it. Let’s go."

Under the dumbfounded stares of the crowd, Zhuo Shuqing turned and walked toward the end of the alley without hesitation.

The thugs holding clubs were instantly dumbstruck. Before coming, Zhuo Shuqing had explicitly told them to teach these people a lesson. Now, after the fight had already started and victory was within reach, he had taken one punch and decided to leave?

If they left like this, not only would the beating they’d endured be for nothing, but their reputation would be ruined if word got out that they’d been scared off by refugees.

The thugs looked at their leader in confusion, waiting for his orders. After a brief internal struggle, he gritted his teeth and followed Zhuo Shuqing.

Once he caught up, he whispered urgently, "Boss, what’s going on? Just so we’re clear—no refunds! The boys have already fought this far!"

Just as Zhuo Shuqing was about to respond, Chen Ling’s mind stirred—

The python that had swallowed Zhuo Shuqing’s rage earlier slightly parted its jaws and spat the anger back into his mind.

Zhuo Shuqing looked at the frowning thug leader, and a surge of inexplicable fury erupted in his chest!

What Chen Ling had stolen was the rage Zhuo Shuqing had felt after having half his teeth knocked out—completely different from the mild irritation Wen Shilin’s punch had provoked. As this fury flooded back into his mind, his eyes instantly reddened.

Slap!

He couldn’t stop himself from slapping the thug across the face, the crisp sound echoing through the alley as he roared:

"Who the hell do you think you are?! When I say leave, we leave! Shut your damn mouth!"

The air froze into dead silence.

[Audience Expectation +3]

The other thugs, witnessing this, were stunned for a moment before their faces twisted with rage. They immediately swarmed forward, surrounding Zhuo Shuqing and his assistant.

The slap left the thug leader’s ears ringing. It took him a long while to recover before he glared at Zhuo Shuqing in disbelief.

"You—"

After the slap, having vented some of his anger, Zhuo Shuqing regained a sliver of rationality. He stared blankly at his hands, his mind utterly blank.

The sudden surge of fury had completely overridden his senses—he hadn’t even realized what he was doing… Like most unintentional criminals, he had been blinded by emotion.

"Fck this! I’m not taking this sht for your lousy money!" The thug leader had finally had enough. "Beat them to a pulp!"

At his command, the thugs rushed forward, pummeling Zhuo Shuqing and his assistant mercilessly. Amid the screams, Zhuo Shuqing was soon beaten beyond recognition.

[Audience Expectation +1…+1…+1…]

This bizarre reversal left the District Three survivors and Wen Shilin utterly bewildered. They couldn’t comprehend Zhuo Shuqing’s erratic mood swings, but seeing him get beaten by the thugs he had hired was deeply satisfying.

Bang!

The flash of a camera lit up the alley. At some point, Chen Ling had picked up Zhuo Shuqing’s camera and snapped a shot of the chaotic scene.

In the glare of the flash, the film immortalized Zhuo Shuqing’s miserable state. Afterward, Chen Ling tossed the camera—still containing the incriminating photo of Zhao Yi striking someone—to Wen Shilin and turned to walk away.

He calmly passed through the furious, clamoring thugs, adjusting his slightly disheveled collar after the punch. In the shadows of the alley, the corner of his lips curled upward.

"The power to play with human hearts… How interesting."