Madam He's voice was low, her head bowed as she stared at the floor and sighed. The wrinkles on her face deepened with stress.
They had been buying and selling antiques here for years, always feeling safe in this shopping district.
The community had welcomed her and her husband with open arms—it had always been a warm, peaceful place to live.
That was why it was so hard to let it go.
"They threatened all the tenants here to sell their shops for cheap," Madam He continued. "They want to build a mall and bulldoze all our hard work."
"Tch! Those scumbag thugs! How dare they kick and punch me like that!"
Mr. Wu growled, touching the bandage on his head, brows furrowed in pain and anger.
"Calm down, husband," Madam He said gently, worry in her voice as she adjusted the bandage.
"You'll make the wound worse if you keep moving like that."
"It's fine, Lin… I'm just sorry I couldn't protect us. I'm so weak… pathetic." Mr. Wu turned his head, unable to meet his wife's eyes.
"If I still had the strength I did in my youth, I would've been the one kicking their asses…"
Zhao Yiming shook his head, anger burning in his chest. He couldn't understand how some people could be so vile—thriving on fear, bullying the weak like they were gods.
And yet, they were nothing but cowards.
'They can't be forgiven,' he thought.
Luo Yanyu clenched her fists, her brows tight with fury. "What trash!" she growled.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure those bastards never come back here again!"
She gripped Madam He's hand tightly. "I'll protect both of you!"
Madam He looked touched—but her husband wasn't convinced. He scowled and gently pulled their hands apart.
"You can't do that, brat! You'll just get yourselves into trouble!" he sighed. "All of you—leave this place while you still can and never come back."
"Mister Wu! Please don't say that!" Luo Yanyu insisted. "Look at us—we're not normal people. We know who we're up against."
She leaned forward, her voice deadly serious, eyes sharp and glowing crimson. "Those thugs are from the Golden Earth Group."
"They're violent, ruthless—and they'll kill if they have to. You can't even report them to the police. They're like slippery eels, always getting away."
"Leader's right," Li Daijin added. "We're with Black Orchid. This district is actually part of our territory. That means it's our problem too."
The old couple exchanged glances. Silent, but fully understanding each other. Madam He gently squeezed her husband's hand.
"I understand," Mr. Wu finally muttered.
"But don't go dying on us, brat. And I swear, if I see you lying on the ground like a dead dog, I'll drag you back up just to scold you!"
Luo Yanyu and her crew let out a collective sigh of relief.
"Ah, forgive my husband's tone," Madam He added quickly. "He may sound harsh, but he means well."
Mr. Wu immediately protested with a "Tch!"—which only made the others laugh. Despite the tension, the couple's closeness brought a moment of warmth to the room.
However, all eyes suddenly turned to Zhao Yiming—the star of the show just moments ago—who had fallen completely silent.
But he wasn't quiet because he didn't want to help. No, he was trying to calm his nerves and think clearly. After all, their enemies weren't just some petty crooks—it was an entire gang, violent and organized.
He'd been given a second chance by that insane god, a chance to repent and live a better life. So if he wanted to do something drastic, like take them all out, he'd have to be discreet—anonymous, even.
He was deep in thought when he felt a sharp slap across his cheek.
"Oi—what was that for?!" Zhao Yiming groaned.
Luo Yanyu had her arms crossed, eyebrows raised. "Are you gonna help us or not?"
"Of course I am! But… this ain't the kind of fight I can just barge into head-first, you know…"
"I need a disguise. A costume or at least a mask," he muttered, suddenly struck by a wild idea.
Back in the day, his daughter used to love watching superhero movies. All those costumed freaks in colorful suits and masks saving people… Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to wear one too.
But the moment he said it, Luo Yanyu burst into uncontrollable laughter and slapped his shoulder.
"What?! Costume? Mask? Don't tell me you want to fight in a catsuit or something! Get real!"
Zhang Chuan snorted. "We should just buy a tight, colorful outfit for you and enter the next parade while we're at it."
"Huh? There's a parade?" Zhao Yiming asked, genuinely confused.
Their laughter exploded again. Zhao Yiming sighed and shook his head. "You youngsters… always thinking it's a joke."
But he didn't argue. Let them laugh. Anonymity was important—not just for him, but for everyone around him too.
After a while, their laughter calmed down. Luo Yanyu's face was red like she'd drunk a whole bottle of wine, while the others wiped away tears from their eyes, still shaking their heads at his "absurd" request.
"I'm serious!" he huffed.
"My identity can't be exposed. I'm not doing this to be a hero—I just want to protect people quietly, then go back to drinking tea and minding my own business."
"Fine, fine," Luo Yanyu waved her hand dismissively, still giggling.
"Use whatever ridiculous thing you want—just promise us you won't make us laugh in the middle of a fight!"
She was the type to laugh easily, but once she started, she couldn't stop.
"So you're in, right, Brother Zhao?" Li Daijin asked again, grinning.
"Of course, I'm in!"
Then suddenly, a system chime echoed in his ears:
[Ding!]
[You have triggered a hidden route: Defenders of the Old Street!]
[In this route, build as many connections with the tenants and the old couple as possible to gain their trust, respect, and generate loads of money!]
[The God of Richness & Love sends you a message!]
["Finally, something interesting! Will Zhao Yiming brave this blood-soaked route for love—or run from desire like a scared little puppy? Can't wait to see what happens next!"]
Zhao Yiming's eyes twitched. Wow… is that perverted deity finally acting sane for once? The message was weirdly coherent this time.
But before he could think more about it—
"Ah… Shouldn't we report this to the big boss, Leader?" Li Daijin said suddenly, his face going pale.
Luo Yanyu stopped laughing instantly. She straightened her posture on the sofa, her smile wiped clean.
"Right… We need to inform Madam Ruan," she said, her tone grave.
The atmosphere shifted immediately. Tension crept into the room like a cold wind.
Zhao Yiming raised an eyebrow. "Well then… shall we go?"