In the bustling street food district, a bizarre scene was unfolding.
A group of more than a dozen small-time troublemakers, led by Ji Ba, swarmed towards Su Ming. Each troublemaker wielded bottles, chairs, and other makeshift weapons.
Su Ming, with one hand gripping a Ji Mao, dodged their attacks with ease, his body moving in a blur. After each evasion, he would pause briefly before delivering a powerful kick. In the next moment, one of the troublemakers would be sent flying several meters, unable to get back up.
Within just a few seconds, all the troublemakers, including Ji Ba, were down, except for Ji Mao, who was still standing, held in Su Ming's grip. Though he was on his feet, Ji Mao's face was pale, drenched in sweat, and he was continuously wailing in pain.
"Is this guy even human? Damn!"
"More than a dozen people, and he took them all down?"
"Could he be some kind of martial arts expert?"
The crowd whipped out their phones, taking photos and videos, and some even started live-streaming the event. The scene was being watched by more and more people.
On one streamer's screen, the comments were flooding in:
"Wow, is this a movie? It looks so real!"
"Yeah, that guy is so handsome! I wonder if he's a celebrity; he's way hotter than those pretty boys!"
"Wait, this doesn't look like a movie at all!"
"Right, this looks like the street food district near our university. Holy crap, who films movies in a street food district?"
The streamer, finally realizing the situation, quickly explained, "Everyone, this isn't a movie. This is real. The location is the street food district near Jiangzhou University!"
"What? You're kidding, right?"
"Who can take down over a dozen people single-handedly, and without using their hands, just kicks?"
"My friends and I are totally shocked!"
As the comments continued to flood in, the streamer let out a wry smile.
"Big bro, I was wrong, please let me go, I'm dying!" Ji Mao, nearly passing out from pain, pleaded.
"Qianqian, call the police!" Su Ming ignored him and shouted to Fan Qianqian.
"Okay, okay, got it!" Fan Qianqian, finally snapping out of her shock, quickly pulled out her phone and dialed the police.
Bang!
Su Ming then kicked Ji Mao away, sat down on a chair, and listened to the system's prompt.
Ding! Congratulations, host, you have completed the task. You have received a barbecue recipe, which has been stored in your bedroom!
"Perfect for the food court. I wonder how this recipe compares to Xiangzi's techniques," Su Ming thought to himself.
Fan Qianqian, having finished calling the police, walked over. Zhang Lin had already taken a seat, staring at Su Ming with wide eyes.
"Su Ming, do you know kung fu? Can I be your disciple? I want to learn!"
Su Ming's lips twitched, and he said helplessly, "Why would a girl like you need to learn kung fu?"
"Wow! You didn't deny it, so you really do know kung fu! Great hero, please accept my humble bow!" Zhang Lin made a respectful gesture.
"Linlin, we should thank Su Ming. If it weren't for him, we'd be in big trouble," Fan Qianqian rolled her eyes, unable to bear it any longer.
"Hehe... A true hero does not seek rewards. No need to thank me!" Zhang Lin's words made Fan Qianqian roll her eyes again.
"Su Ming, I'm really sorry. We meant to thank you, but..."
Su Ming waved his hand, interrupting, "No need to apologize, everything's fine."
Fan Qianqian nodded lightly, deciding not to say more.
Soon, the police arrived. To everyone's surprise, it was Ning Fengqing leading the team again.
"Su Ming?" Ning Fengqing was stunned to see him. For three consecutive days, she had been called out to incidents involving Su Ming, and each time, the situation seemed more serious.
"I'm the victim here!" Su Ming shrugged innocently.
Ning Fengqing couldn't help but glance at the pile of troublemakers on the ground, rolling her eyes. These fools had no idea what they were getting into. Su Ming had the combat skills of a military king, and he was also a master of the most feared and brutal form of Chinese martial arts: Bajiquan.
"Alright, follow the usual procedure, come with me!" Ning Fengqing gestured for the officers to load Ji Ba and the others into the police car.
"You take them two. My car is over there, I'll drive over," Ning Fengqing glanced at Su Ming, nodded, and then motioned for Fan Qianqian and Zhang Lin to follow her to the police car.
Fan Qianqian and Zhang Lin hurried to catch up.
Su Ming found the shop owner, settled the damages, and then drove to the police station. After giving their statements, the three of them left the station, not bothering about the fate of Ji Ba and his gang.
From what Ning Fengqing had said, these troublemakers were repeat offenders, and some had only recently been released on bail. This time, they might be looking at a couple of years in prison.
"Su Ming, try to stay out of trouble. I don't want to see you every day, and when I do, it's always bad news," Ning Fengqing told him as he left the station.
Su Ming smiled wryly. He didn't want to cause trouble either, but it always seemed to find him. Was this the so-called protagonist's aura?
Outside the station, Su Ming watched as the ride-sharing car carrying Fan Qianqian and Zhang Lin drove away, then got into his own car and headed home.
Meanwhile, at the villa, Gao Xiang and Li Gao had returned and were lying on the sofa, watching TV.
"Xiangzi, I think we should move out of Brother Ming's place and stay at the food court instead. It's comfortable here, but it might be awkward if Goddess Lin comes and finds us here," Gao Xiang suggested.
"I agree. Brother Ming has been so good to us, we should consider his feelings. But there's no place to stay at the food court. Maybe we should rent a place?"
"Rent a place for what?" Su Ming, who had just returned, heard Gao Xiang's words and was confused.
"Brother Ming! We have something to discuss with you!" The two immediately sat up and explained their idea.
Su Ming frowned, thinking for a moment, then nodded. "No need to rent. I have a place nearby, fully furnished. You can move in there."
He handed them the keys to Huaxi Shuige.
"Damn, Brother Ming, what else are you hiding from us? You haven't done much in recent years, have you?" Gao Xiang looked at Su Ming with suspicion.
"Ah... Since you've noticed, I guess I can't hide it anymore. I was trying to live a normal life with you guys..."
"Stop!" "We get it!" Before Su Ming could finish, they interrupted him, grabbed the keys, and left the villa in a hurry, leaving Su Ming dumbfounded.