Chapter 9: This Is What They Call All's Fair in War!

“Thief! Someone help!”

Gu Wenqin turned around, cupped her hands around her mouth, and shouted loudly.

“Daring to cause trouble on my turf?”

Old Lin heard the commotion, grabbed a wooden stick from behind the door, and rushed toward the warehouse. Despite his limp, he was sprinting with surprising agility.

Most of the factory workers were women; they crowded by the window, craning their necks. “Did you see the thief?”

“Yes, several of them! Guys, come downstairs and lend a hand!”

The few male workers grabbed whatever tools they could find and hurried downstairs.

“Stealing from our factory? They’re asking for trouble!” “Catch them first, beat them up, then hand them over to the police.”

Although Pinghu Town had no mountains, it was home to deep, bottomless lakes.

Reeds swayed in the wind, and the locals were known for their fierce spirit.

At that moment, Tang Ye had already reached the wall!

Someone on top of the wall was climbing over, hands gripping the edge, while another person below pushed up his hips.

Tang Ye grabbed the thief’s ankle dangling in midair and yanked hard.

“Come down!”

“Ouch!”

The man’s body was slender; falling from the two-meter-high wall, he clutched his side in pain, twisting and wincing.

Seeing the plan foiled, the man below steeled himself and pulled out a switchblade from his pocket. “You’ve got some nerve, kid. Get lost now, or I’ll cripple you.”

Tang Ye eyed him warily, his right hand pressing down calmly. “Don’t be impulsive. You’re just thieves—if the value isn’t high, maybe a few days in detention. But if you use a knife, that’s robbery, starting at ten years. Here’s the deal: drop the stuff, and I’ll let you go. Let’s pretend none of this happened, but never come back.”

Hearing this, the thief hesitated slightly.

Tang Ye’s left hand already gripped a brick, hidden behind his waist. Taking advantage of the thief’s distraction, he threw it hard.

“Damn you!”

Tang Ye was well-read and athletic, having been part of the university martial arts club. He didn’t take these petty thieves lightly.

The brick struck the thief’s head, making him dizzy. He clutched his forehead, groaning in pain.

“Damn, you play dirty.”

“That’s called using every trick in the book.”

Tang Ye swung a fist straight at the thief’s face.

Within seconds, the second thief was also knocked to the ground by Tang Ye.

But the danger was not over.

A shout came from behind.

Gu Wenqin suddenly found herself trapped by a tall man’s arm around her neck. She struggled to pull his arm away, but his grip was strong, squeezing the breath from her lungs with just a little pressure.

Several men wore black hoods, their faces obscured in shadow.

“Anyone comes near, I’ll stab her to death.”

Old Lin arrived, worried for Gu Wenqin’s safety. He angrily struck the ground with his stick, cursing, “You won’t walk the straight path, choosing the crooked one instead. You’ve got hands and feet, why resort to stealing?”

---

Tang Ye stopped about two meters away, his expression grave. “This isn’t just simple robbery anymore.I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.