Chapter 53: Let her never come back!

Zhou Xiangdong quickly snapped out of his anger, forced a smile onto his face, and said, “Heroine, what would you like to say?”

“I’ll come back here tomorrow at the same time. Just make sure you’re here waiting,” Chang Suisui replied, completely ignoring the brief flash of ferocity that crossed his face.

Of course, she knew that beating Zhou Xiangdong and his gang once wouldn’t make them obedient. So… she decided to beat them a few more times, until they were obedient. After all, anyone involved in the dirty business with Zhao Hang couldn’t be much of a saint either. Since Xie Yu was worried she’d get bullied in town, then these petty thugs might as well learn to behave and start doing something decent.

With that thought in mind, she watched Zhou Xiangdong nod repeatedly in agreement, then turned and left.

One of the burly thugs finally shuffled over to Zhou Xiangdong and asked, “Boss, should we follow her and see where this chick is from?”

Zhou Xiangdong’s face twitched. “Follow her? Can you beat her?”

Just now, with skills like hers, even ten of them couldn’t take her down. Follow her? So they could get their heads cracked open?

The burly man shrank back, clearly cowed. He really couldn’t win in a fight. Who would’ve guessed this girl was such a powerhouse?

Zhou Xiangdong glanced at the group’s drooping heads and rolled his eyes. “What are you idiots still standing around for? Go gather reinforcements! Didn’t you hear that chick say she’s coming back tomorrow?”

Everyone froze for a second, then instantly understood Zhou Xiangdong’s intention. If ten of them couldn’t beat her, they’d call in more people. No way they’d lose again!

Smiles spread across their faces as they began imagining how they’d deal with her once they caught her tomorrow.

“Don’t worry, Boss! When that chick shows up tomorrow, she’s not leaving in one piece!”

“Yeah! We’ll teach her a real good lesson!”

“Once we’ve had our fun, we’ll sell her off — might even make some money!”

…

Zhou Xiangdong immediately kicked the thug who made the comment about selling her. “You bastard! I may be a thug, but I don’t deal in trafficking. If that’s what you’re thinking, get the hell out now!”

“Boss, I’m sorry! I was just… talking crap!” The kicked man scrambled up with a forced grin, terrified of angering Zhou Xiangdong further.

The rest of the gang fell completely silent, afraid to even breathe loudly.

Zhou Xiangdong gave him another glare before turning to the guy who had looked guilty earlier — Zhang Ergou. “Zhang, get over here. The rest of you, go get reinforcements.”

Zhang Ergou lowered his head and walked over to Zhou Xiangdong, about to speak when he was met with a murderous glare.

“Tell me. Do you know Zhao Hang?”

Zhou Xiangdong’s tone sharpened, his gaze locking on the trembling Zhang Ergou.

Zhang Ergou turned pale. His hands clenched tightly in front of him, and his lips trembled, but he couldn’t get a word out — as if opening his mouth would get him punched.

Zhou Xiangdong’s patience snapped. He stepped forward suddenly, the scuff of his boot on the ground unnervingly loud in the quiet alley.

“Speak up, damn it!” he roared, and kicked Zhang Ergou hard in the leg.

The blow was so powerful Zhang almost dropped to his knees, his face contorted in pain.

Zhou Xiangdong glared down at him, every word squeezed out from between clenched teeth. “Don’t try to bullshit me.”

If it weren’t for this Zhao Hang mess, he wouldn’t have been ambushed and humiliated like this. Just thinking about how Zhang Ergou was involved made his liver ache with rage.

Zhang Ergou used to be from Hongqi Village. Later, his older brother got a job in town and married a city woman, so the family moved to the city. Zhang joined Zhou’s gang around that time. Zhou had never thought this cowardly guy would stir up so much trouble.

Terrified by the sudden kick, Zhang Ergou finally stammered through tear-filled eyes, “I… I know Zhao Hang. He’s a sent-down youth from Hongqi Village. He… he asked me to help rough up a female sent-down youth. Said if she came to our turf, I should get some guys to… to…”

As he spoke, his voice grew quieter and more garbled.

Zhou Xiangdong’s face turned even darker. He kicked Zhang again, this time in the stomach, making him double over and nearly throw up.

“You damn idiot! You took on this kind of dirty job?”

His voice was full of contempt and scorn.

Zhang Ergou hurriedly waved his hands, snot and tears pouring down. “No, no! I just thought we’d tear her clothes a bit and beat her up! I never planned to… to do that…”

He had taken the job for ten yuan — who would’ve thought it’d turn into this?

“You thought?!” Zhou Xiangdong kicked him several more times, each one precise and heavy, venting all his fury.

“You even know what happens if the cops catch you? You’ll drag the whole crew down with you!”

At first, he had thought the woman who came to the alley looking for someone was just a loose woman. After all, they were notorious thugs in town. A woman showing up alone in the middle of the night? What else could she be?

But now he realized — she came for revenge.

The more he thought about how badly he got beaten, the more his facial muscles twitched.

Zhang Ergou clung to the ground and begged, “Boss, I was wrong! I won’t do it again! Please forgive me, be the bigger man!”

Zhou Xiangdong took a deep breath, squatted down beside him, and said with a fake smile, “Forgive you? Be the bigger man? Who forgave me, huh?”

Zhang Ergou: “…”

At this point, he deeply regretted letting greed cloud his judgment and taking Zhao Hang’s dirty job.

Zhou Xiangdong shot him a side glance and patted him on the shoulder. “You better pray we can catch that chick tomorrow. Otherwise…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but Zhang Ergou shuddered.

He knew Zhou Xiangdong’s temper — the guy ruled the town like a tyrant. Now that someone had trampled all over his dignity, Zhou wouldn’t let it go.

And once Zhou got his revenge, he, Zhang Ergou, would be the next to suffer.

Thinking about it, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead. He forced a miserable smile and said, “Boss, I… I might have a way… to fix things…”