Chapter 1: Let Go of That Girl

As dusk fell, the sky gradually darkened and neon lights replaced the sunlight, illuminating the city. In Yang City, at Zhongsha Community Park, a boy and a dog rested together on the lawn.

The boy was in his teens, the dog an Alaskan Malamute. The boy's name was Lu Feng, standing at one meter seventy-five—neither fat nor thin, his posture upright, his appearance ordinary but agreeable. The Alaskan Malamute was massive, weighing nearly ninety kilograms, its black and white fur making it look both striking and formidable. However, two patches of white hair on its forehead gave its large head a comical, endearing look.

The dog nudged its big head toward the boy, who pushed it away and said, “If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken you out. It's all that old man's fault for saying dogs are more loyal than people. You stubbornly followed me for ten kilometers, and I got all sentimental and brought you along. In the end, we can’t take the train, can’t stay in hotels, and worst of all, you eat even more than I do!”

The Malamute seemed to realize it was being complained about and sensibly lay down, rubbing its head against the boy's leg.

“The old man said he gave me all his life savings for the journey—eighty-three yuan and seventy cents. I thought it was a fortune. When I got to the county, damn, it was just enough to order one dish of spicy boiled beef.” As Lu Feng spoke, his stomach began to grumble.

The Malamute seemed hungry too, sniffing around Lu Feng, trying to find any hidden food.

Lu Feng pushed the dog's head away, took out a sausage from his pocket, and said, “This is the last sausage. We've grown up together in the mountains, so we're like brothers. I’m the older one, but I won’t take advantage of you. Half each. If we can’t find the person we’re looking for after this meal, we’ll have to resort to robbing people.”

He tore open the sausage, bit half, and stuffed the other half into the Malamute’s mouth. “That’s dinner. Think of it as a diet—you’ve got more fat than I do.”

The Malamute swallowed the sausage in two bites, then nudged the boy again, searching for more. Realizing there was nothing left, it lay down and rested its chin on the boy’s leg.

Lu Feng stroked the dog's fur and muttered, “Qilin, what do you think Master meant when he told me to go down the mountain and clean up the family? He gave me a letter but wouldn't let me read it. When I do clean up, should I go hard… or even harder…”

The Malamute, called Qilin, twitched its ears, acknowledging the question but offering no opinion.

Night deepened, and even the streetlights couldn't pierce the tranquility.

Two furtive figures hurried into the community park. One had dyed yellow hair, the other wore an earring. Both had a roguish air, clearly up to no good.

They slipped behind some bushes and rummaged through a woman’s handbag, dumping out a mirror, lipstick, and a cellphone.

The one with the earring picked up the lipstick and snickered, “Hey! I know this wallet—Chanel, at least seven or eight thousand. We’ve struck it rich.”

Just then, a young woman ran into the park. She looked around and finally pointed toward the dark corner behind the bushes, calling out timidly, “Give me back my bag!”

The girl was strikingly beautiful, dressed in a simple chiffon dress. Her delicate, ethereal appearance was like a spirit fallen to earth, her gentle, tranquil aura as clear as a mountain lake. Only when her luminous eyes blinked did she stir up a ripple.

“Shrimp, that broad actually chased us here. What do we do?” Yellow Hair said anxiously.

The man with the earring stood up arrogantly, brandishing the fashionable bag and wallet. “Want it back? This bag and wallet are worth at least ten thousand. Someone’s rich, huh?”

“That bag is a gift from my family. You can’t take it, or I’ll call the police!” the girl said sternly, but her soft voice lacked any authority.

“Call your mom! I’ll give you something to call about!” the earring man cursed, suddenly lunging forward and dragging the girl into the shadows behind the bushes, out of reach of the streetlights.

“What are you doing? Hel—” The girl tried to scream, but the man clamped a hand over her mouth, stifling her cry.

Yellow Hair stammered, “Are we going to kidnap her?”

“Shut up!” the earring man snapped, kicking Yellow Hair. “Grab her arms, drag her in!”

Zhongsha Community was an old neighborhood. By evening, few people ventured into the park—except for the occasional streetwalker, so security at night was poor.

Lu Feng had sharp senses. Even from twenty or thirty meters away, he heard every word between the two thugs and the girl.

“Qilin, looks like we stumbled onto a robbery,” Lu Feng said as he stood up. “The old man said no robbing, but he didn’t say anything about robbing the robbers, did he?”

Qilin, the big dog, cocked its head, uncomprehending, and continued to sit quietly by Lu Feng’s side.

The two thugs dragged the girl behind the bushes. She struggled, but her strength was no match for the earring man’s grip.

Yellow Hair asked nervously, “What should we do now?”

“Scared? There isn’t a soul around here at night. What’s there to fear? We’ve already done it—might as well go all the way. This chick’s gorgeous and got a hot body. She’s yours after I’m done. Hold her legs and strip her—I'm going to have some fun.” The earring man grinned wickedly.

“But what if she calls the police? That’s a serious crime…” Yellow Hair hesitated. Petty theft didn’t scare him, but this was different.

Another kick from the earring man. “Take out your phone. You film while I do her. Make it clear. If she dares talk, I’ll send the video to her parents. You think her parents will delete it or keep it for themselves?”

“They’ll definitely keep it!” Yellow Hair’s lust overcame his fear, and he leered.

The earring man kept one hand over the girl’s mouth and started fumbling with her blouse, cursing, “So what if you’re rich? I can’t stand your kind—clothes worth tens of thousands. Let’s see what you have left when you’re naked. You’re nothing but trash for the taking!”

Hearing these vile words, tears streamed down the girl’s face. She struggled desperately but couldn’t break free. Panic and fury robbed her of breath, and she fainted.

Yellow Hair felt for her breath, alarmed. “Her breathing’s weak. Did we kill her?”

The earring man released her mouth and sneered, “She’s not going to die that easily. And if she does, I’ll just consider it a bullseye.”

Silently, Lu Feng appeared at the edge of the bushes, pointed at the two thugs, and declared with righteous indignation, “Hey! Let the girl go, and face me! Wait... That sounded wrong... Ahem. Let the girl go, if you have the guts, come at me!”

The two looked at each other and stared at Lu Feng as if he were an idiot.

“Looking to die?” the earring man threatened.

“No,” Lu Feng shook his head sincerely.

“Then get lost!”

Lu Feng wagged his finger, “Can’t do that. You try leaving first.”

“Well, well, a tough guy.” The earring man sneered. “Know who I am? Ever heard of Shanwei? Ask around. If you don’t want to die, scram. If you talk about tonight, you’ll learn what three cuts and six holes means.”

Lu Feng scratched his head, impatient. “Shanwei whatever—I’ve never heard of you. You’re being robbed. Leave the money and the girl, then get lost!”

The earring man signaled to Yellow Hair, “Take care of him!”

The two thugs circled Lu Feng, the earring man lifting his shirt to reveal a machete tucked into his belt.

At that moment, the Malamute padded out from behind Lu Feng, tilting its head as it examined them.

“Dog! That’s a huge dog!” Yellow Hair recoiled in fear.

The earring man, exasperated, kicked him again. “Are you stupid? That’s just a dumb husky. Even if you stab it, it won’t bite!”

Lu Feng’s expression turned cold. In a blur, he moved—so fast it was impossible to see. The earring man was sent flying, rolling across the ground over a dozen times before coming to a stop, dazed and clueless as to what had happened. Groaning in pain, he looked up to find Lu Feng standing above him.

Lu Feng bent down, looking him in the eye, and corrected him seriously, “Qilin may be silly, but he is not a husky.”

Seeing Lu Feng so close, the earring man’s eyes flashed with malice. He stealthily reached for his machete.

“Die!” He drew the weapon and thrust at Lu Feng’s abdomen. But instantly, the knife vanished from his grasp.

In a lightning-fast motion, Lu Feng snatched it away and, with a swift movement, drove it through the back of the earring man’s hand, pinning it to the ground.

The earring man stared in horror at his hand, impaled by the blade.

“Aaaagh!” he howled in pain, sweat streaming down his face.

Yellow Hair stood frozen, staring wide-eyed as the usually formidable earring man was effortlessly subdued. Panic overtook him, and he turned to run.

Qilin leapt, tackling him to the ground.

Yellow Hair screamed and thrashed, terrified the dog would bite, but Qilin merely pinned him, not biting.

He struggled, and each time he tried to get up, Qilin knocked him down again. After several attempts, he finally learned his lesson and lay still.

The earring man, drenched in cold sweat, stared at the blade impaled through his hand, realizing he’d picked the wrong target tonight. Gritting his teeth through the pain, he said, “Fine, you got me. At least tell me your name. I’ll pay you back for this someday…”

His nickname was Shrimp Head, a low-level gangster with a track record of brawls, turf fights, and small-time crimes. Most of his victims were ordinary people, who usually avoided him. But Lu Feng’s skills were terrifying—so much so that Shrimp Head assumed he was an enforcer from a rival gang, sent to teach him a lesson.

“Enough talk! I’m here to rob the robbers. Leave the money and the girl, and get lost!” Lu Feng said, looming over him.