"Uh..."
Xu Mo had seen shameless people before, but never to this extent. Even if this man was indeed Lin Yijing's biological father, selling his daughter's lifelong happiness just to pay off his debts—there were probably only a handful of fathers in the world as despicable as him.
However, no matter what, he was still Lin Yijing's father. No matter how serious the situation was, it was ultimately their family matter, and Xu Mo, an outsider, wasn't in a position to interfere... Not to mention, Lin Yijing's father had just made such an awkward request.
Lin Yijing was completely disheartened by her father's words. She spoke coldly, "Go back. Even if my mother and I had the money, we wouldn't waste it on your endless debts... Also, Xu Mo is just my classmate. Don't drag him into this."
Two young men watched the father and daughter from afar, as if enjoying a show. Seeing that Lin Yijing's father had no more tricks up his sleeve, the man with the ear stud stepped forward, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Old Lin, since your daughter isn't willing to pay off your debt, I'd say don't waste your energy. Just come with us... Sell off some unnecessary body parts, and the remaining money might still be enough for your retirement."
Although the man's words seemed polite, they sounded like a devil's whisper in Lin Yijing's father's ears. He knew these people looked amicable on the surface, but they were ruthless at heart. If they took him away, he might not end up chopped into pieces like in the movies, but he could certainly forget about ever being whole again.
"No! Don't touch me!"
Lin Yijing's father suddenly turned and shoved the ear-stud man away. He then threw himself at Lin Yijing's feet, clinging to her legs and sobbing bitterly. "Jingjing! I know I'm a worthless man! I've let you and your mother down! Please, help me one last time! I swear I'll never gamble again! I'll turn over a new leaf, beg your mother for forgiveness, and we'll live happily as a family again, just like before, alright?"
Whether or not Lin Yijing's father was truly sincere, his words undoubtedly struck a soft spot in her heart. She recalled those happy and carefree days before she turned ten, the love her father once showed her. For a moment, her firm resolve wavered.
"I don't know if I should trust you again... But if you really promise to come back and live properly with Mom and me, then... I can give you one last chance."
She crouched down, helped him up, gently smoothed out the wrinkles in his clothes, and tearfully said, "Dad, this is really the last chance. Can you promise me?"
"I promise! I promise! As long as I get through this, I'll make it up to you and your mother. If I ever gamble again, I'll... I'll..."
Lin Yijing's father frantically looked around, then suddenly picked up half a brick from the ground and smashed it down on his own left pinky finger.
"Dad! What are you doing?! Stop! I believe you! I believe you!"
Lin Yijing screamed and rushed to support her father, her hands trembling as she wrapped his mangled finger in layer after layer of tissues. The father and daughter then held each other and wept bitterly.
Regardless of whether Lin Yijing's father was truly repentant, seeing them reunite and reconcile warmed Xu Mo's heart for her sake... However, not everyone felt the same.
"I thought today's cut was in the bag, but I ended up watching some sappy family drama instead..."
The ear-stud man flicked his cigarette against the wall, scattering sparks. He took a step forward, impatiently saying, "Alright, Old Lin, since someone is willing to cover your debt, we won't make things difficult for you. Just pay back the three hundred and fifty thousand you owe, so we can report back to Second Master Lei!"
"What?! Three hundred and fifty thousand?"
Lin Yijing nearly collapsed at the number, staring in disbelief at her father, who looked utterly ashamed. Three hundred and fifty thousand... Even if she and her mother sold everything they owned, they might not be able to come up with even a fraction of that.
"I'm sorry, Jingjing! I had no choice! You have to save me! If these guys from the Southern City Gang take me away, I'm done for!"
Seeing that Lin Yijing was hesitating, her father immediately began wailing and throwing himself at her feet again, slapping his own face repeatedly in repentance.
"Dad, don't do this. Let's talk properly..."
Even though she resented his weakness, this was still the father who had held her as a child. Lin Yijing couldn't bear to watch him be taken away to have his organs harvested. She helped him up with a sigh, then turned to the two men and pleaded, "Brothers, you can see our situation. Coming up with three hundred and fifty thousand all at once is impossible. Could you give us a few years to repay you slowly?"
"Are you kidding me?! You think the Southern City Gang is a charity?! I'm not making things difficult for you—one day, just one! By this time tomorrow, you better have the money, or you can spend the rest of your life taking care of your crippled old man!"
The ear-stud man lit another cigarette and was about to leave with his companion when he suddenly paused. Taking out his lighter, he flicked it on and held it up to Lin Yijing's face, his eyes flashing with greed.
"Old Lin, I just noticed—you really raised a fine daughter! With that face and figure of hers, if she worked at our Wonderland Maze nightclub for a year, forget three hundred and fifty thousand—she could make three and a half million easily..."
As the man's hand reached for Lin Yijing's face, a fair and slender hand shot out from below, clamping down on his wrist like an iron vise. A searing pain surged through his body, nearly forcing him to his knees.
"Shit! Paji, what the hell are you doing?! Someone's looking for trouble—take him out!"
Hearing the ear-stud man's cry for help, the other young man hesitated for a moment before pulling a dagger from his waistband, his face twisting with malice as he lunged at Xu Mo's back.
A forty-centimeter-long Spartan short sword appeared in Xu Mo's hand, glowing faintly yellow. With a casual swing, it struck the dagger's blade.
Sparks flew as the weapons clashed. The man, clearly outmatched in strength and skill, lost his grip on the dagger, which spun away and nicked the back of his hand, leaving a deep gash.
Before he could react, Xu Mo shoved the ear-stud man into his injured companion. The two lost their balance and tumbled to the ground.
"You bastard—"
The ear-stud man struggled to his feet, but before he could finish his curse, a silver streak flashed before his eyes.
With a sharp clang, the Spartan short sword embedded itself in the brick wall behind him—just thirty centimeters from his head, buried almost to the hilt.
Even as a low-level thug in the Southern City Gang, the ear-stud man had never encountered someone as terrifying as Xu Mo. His face turned deathly pale, and he couldn't utter another word.
"One month. In one month, I'll pay back the three hundred and fifty thousand, including interest. But if you dare to show up here again before then..."
Xu Mo retrieved his sword and slashed at the wall several times. Brick dust rained down, revealing a massive, deep-cut character—"Kill"—etched into the decrepit wall.
"Y-Yes! Sir! We won't come back this month! Please, just pretend we never existed!"
The two men, too terrified to even utter empty threats, scrambled away as fast as they could.
Even Lin Yijing was shaken by Xu Mo's sudden burst of killing intent. After a long silence, she hesitantly asked, "Xu Mo... Are you okay?"
Xu Mo snapped back to reality, looking at the "Kill" character on the wall and the sword in his hand. After a brief pause, he muttered apologetically, "Sorry... That scene just now... reminded me of something. I lost control."