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Chapter 50: I Haven’t Even Tasted a Woman Yet, and I Don’t Want to Die

Catching the fragrance rising from the dishes, the masked man swallowed hard.

He removed his mask and revealed his face.

To Lu Li’s surprise, although the masked man’s skin was sallow, his lips cracked, and his expression haggard, he did not look very old; he seemed to be around 20 and still carried a trace of youthful innocence.

Trembling, the masked man picked up his chopsticks and lifted a piece of red-braised pork to his mouth.

“Th-this…” He had just taken one bite when he suddenly froze, as though some strange switch inside him had been flipped.

Lu Li grew tense and asked, “What, you don’t like the taste?”

In the next moment, two streams of tears burst past his sunglasses, and the masked man burst into loud sobs.

“It’s s-so delicious!” the masked man exclaimed.

“Is it really that good?” Lu Li, startled by his over-the-top reaction, took two deep breaths and tried to sound friendly as he asked.

Because he had rushed the cooking, Lu Li had skipped many of the perfecting steps; logically it should not have been tasty enough to make anyone cry.

The masked man nodded vigorously and stammered, “Delicious! It tastes exactly like my mom’s red-braised pork!”

He wiped his tears, his gaze toward Lu Li growing kinder. “I haven’t eaten my mom’s cooking for a long time. Thank you!”

He devoured the pork in huge mouthfuls, like a wolf on the brink of starvation, eating so hastily and crudely it looked as if someone might jump out and snatch it away at any moment.

Seeing him wolf it down, Lu Li secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he could keep the man’s emotions stable, today’s crisis could still be defused.

Just then, the masked man’s phone rang in his pocket.

He paused for a second and answered the call.

“Hello?” the masked man asked softly, covering the receiver.

“Hello!” At the same time, a hoarse voice came from the old janitor on the other end.

The diner had been quiet already; when the two voices sounded together, the whole place felt so silent that a pin drop would have echoed.

Hearing the voice, the old janitor jerked his head up and saw the masked man across the room.

The masked man did the same; their eyes met, and both of them froze.

Lu Li and Chu Zining also started; a buzz went through their clever minds, and the same thought surfaced.

“These two are together!”

Cold sweat instantly drenched Lu Li’s back, and his limbs turned icy.

“Damn it! How did I not think of this?”

Once these two joined forces, they would notice the abnormal situation outside; when cornered they would detonate the bomb, and he and Chu Zining would have no chance of survival!

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Li grabbed the masked man’s right hand, dislocated his wrist, and slapped the phone away.

The masked man had never expected Lu Li to explode into action; caught completely off guard, he reached for the case with his left hand, only for Lu Li to seize that hand as well and dislocate the wrist.

Using all his strength, Lu Li landed a thunderous slap that knocked the masked man unconscious, then lunged for the briefcase, but just as he got hold of it a deafening roar sounded beside his ear and a large hole appeared in the floor.

It was… a bullet!

Lu Li’s pupils contracted as he stiffly turned his head and saw the old janitor toss aside his oversized water mug and press the pistol he had drawn from it against the back of Chu Zining’s head.

“Kid, put the case down!” the old man’s hoarse voice rasped like sandpaper, carrying a hidden sharpness.

Lu Li forced a laugh and shielded himself with the case. “There’s a bomb in here; if you fire and a single spark hits it, we’ll all die together.”

The old man let out a cold laugh and locked both of Chu Zining’s wrists with one hand. “I’ve roamed the underworld for many years; you think a brat like you can scare me? Hand over the case nicely, or I’ll blow this little girl’s head off!”

Lu Li frowned tightly, his gaze fixed on the captured Chu Zining.

Chu Zining clenched her fists and looked deeply at Lu Li; she was about to make a move when the old man’s mocking voice sounded beside her ear, “If I were you, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to try any tricks. Tell me, are you faster, little girl, or is my trigger finger faster?”

Lu Li sensed Chu Zining’s intention as well and waved his hands repeatedly. “Hey, hey, hey, don’t… let’s talk this out, let’s talk this out. You crazy girl want to die, but I haven’t lived enough yet.”

He glared fiercely at Chu Zining, and she fell quiet, aggrieved.

He then looked at the old man and said amicably, “Grandpa, I’ll put the case down right now, just don’t do anything. I’m still young; I haven’t even tasted a woman yet, and I don’t want to die.”

Even the taciturn old man almost laughed at the sudden absurd line; he grunted and said, “Relax, I won’t kill you. Why would I want your life? There’s a bomb in the case and the goods I need; I only want the goods. Don’t try any tricks, or don’t blame me for shooting without mercy.”

Lu Li showed a relieved expression, slowly bent down, and handed the case over while saying kindly, “Here, I’m giving it to you; please take it carefully and don’t let the gun go off.”

The old man narrowed his eyes and watched Lu Li approach with contempt.

“Put the case on the floor and lie down. No funny business, or I’ll shoot the girl first and then you!” he added once Lu Li was close.

He had seen Lu Li’s swift moves against the masked man just now; those crisp, powerful strikes made it obvious he was trained.

He dared not let Lu Li get close without precautions.

Lu Li smiled gently, set the case down, and slowly lay prone, posing as completely harmless.

The old man released Chu Zining’s wrists and grabbed the case.

After glancing at the intact case, his gaze toward Lu Li grew dark, and a sneer curled at his lips.

“You really are lying there obediently without moving… what a first-class idiot.”

He angled the gun downward at Lu Li and said coldly, “Kid, let this old man teach you something: never trust anyone. Hope you learn it in your next life!”

There was no way he would leave a martial-arts threat alive!

“Bang!” Gunpowder ignited and the bullet flew!

Lu Li lay motionless on the ground, yet he was not hit; he simply seemed to have fallen asleep.

“Clatter.” The bullet struck the ceiling, shattered several tiles, and they crashed to the floor.

“Clack.” The old man’s pistol slipped from his hand, hit the ground, and skidded far away.

“What, you… !” The old man fell to the floor, staring at Chu Zining in shock.

Because just now, faster than the gun, was Chu Zining’s move!

In that split-second, the little girl he had looked down on had whipped up a lightning-quick high kick that struck his wrist, sent the gun flying, then followed with a flurry of blows that knocked him down and snatched the case back!

“You know martial arts too!” The old man was astounded; when he had subdued Chu Zining earlier she had been utterly helpless, so how…

… how had she suddenly turned into Tyson!

Chu Zining cracked her knuckles, stepped forward, grabbed the old man’s collar, and raised her fair palm.

“Old geezer, let me teach you something too: never look down on anyone! Hope you learn it before the firing squad!”

A heavy slap crashed down, the old man’s head lolled to the side, and he passed out on the spot.

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