Chapter 54: No Chance for a Comeback?

“Wrong direction? Not at all! I’m absolutely running the right way!” Li Sicheng replied without so much as looking back.

Though his build wasn’t particularly robust, the strength in his hands was anything but weak. Zeng Yi, who weighed nearly two hundred pounds, struggled with all his might to resist, trying to slow their pace, but it was futile. Instead, he was dragged along in a wild sprint, far faster than anything he'd managed during PE class that afternoon.

“Still insist you’re not running the wrong way? Look carefully—we’re not escaping, we’re charging right at them!” Zeng Yi screeched.

To his mind, Li Sicheng must have been scared senseless. How else could he possibly be running toward the gang of thugs rather than away from them?

He simply couldn’t believe that Li Sicheng could take on the dozen or so thugs blocking the school gate all by himself.

Such people were superheroes, mere figments of fantasy—not something that could exist in the real world.

Amid Zeng Yi’s increasingly frantic cries, Li Sicheng finally stopped running.

By now, they had exited the gates of Nanshan High School. The mob Cheng Haoyu had assembled was rapidly closing in.

Seeing the snarling faces rushing toward them, Zeng Yi’s legs nearly buckled with fear. He barely had time to catch his breath before tugging at Li Sicheng, desperate to retreat: “Sicheng, you finally realize you’re running the wrong way! Why are you just standing there? Run! Head back into the school! Those thugs may be bold, but they won’t dare chase us inside!”

These street toughs usually ambushed people outside school, rarely venturing in for a fight. If they crossed that threshold, the consequences would escalate—no longer a matter of compensation or scapegoats, but something far more serious.

“Don’t move.” Instead of fleeing, Li Sicheng tightened his grip. “Why run? Didn’t I tell you before—stick close to me, don’t leave my side!”

At this, Zeng Yi’s face went utterly pale, his voice trembling with tears. “Sicheng, if we don’t run now, it’ll be too late… Those thugs Cheng Haoyu brought are about to surround us!”

“Relax.” Li Sicheng remained nonchalant, utterly unconcerned by the encroaching mob. He smiled and said, “Where we’re standing now is one of the luckiest spots in Yong City tonight! If we stay put, we’ll turn bad luck into good. Even if the sky falls, it won’t touch us!”

“Feng shui? Sicheng, is this really the time for superstition? We’re not choosing a site for a house—what does feng shui have to do with anything? Is it going to summon help to deal with these thugs?”

As he spoke, Zeng Yi desperately pulled at Li Sicheng.

But try as he might, he couldn’t budge him an inch.

“Feng shui may not summon help, but it can deal with these thugs for us.” Li Sicheng answered with a cheerful smile, nodding toward the snarling mob. “Would you mind hurrying up? The sooner you finish, the sooner I can go home.”

His demeanor, response, and words were those of someone greeting old friends. Anyone watching would be confused about his relationship with these street toughs.

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Zeng Yi, however, was anything but convinced. “We’re doomed—Sicheng’s lost his mind!”

Meanwhile, across the street in a milk tea shop, Cheng Haoyu watched with a mix of surprise and malicious delight. “Looks like the kid’s scared, trying to cozy up to Brother Ironhead and his crew. Too late for fear now! You made me lose face, now you’ll pay in blood! If I don’t break your leg tonight, I’m not Cheng!”

On the other side, Lin Siyu, supported by her driver and Tan Xiaoxiao, reached the school gate. Seeing the thugs surround Li Sicheng and Zeng Yi, her heart was filled with worry rather than satisfaction. She urged, “Xiaoxiao, quick, call the police!”

Tan Xiaoxiao was puzzled. “Call the police? Didn’t you say at noon you wanted to see that big faker beaten up? Why the change of heart? Is it because he carried you to the infirmary this afternoon? Hey… Siyu, you’re not starting to like him, are you?”

“How… how could I! Xiaoxiao, don’t be ridiculous—I’d never ever like that liar! I’m telling you to call the police for another reason… because… oh, right! Because I don’t want Nanshan High’s reputation damaged!” Lin Siyu quickly found an excuse, her prideful nature on full display.

“Really?” Tan Xiaoxiao remained skeptical.

“Of course! You know my sister is on the school board! If there’s bloodshed at the gate, she’ll be implicated. I don’t want that to happen!” Lin Siyu built on her excuse, making it sound plausible.

Tan Xiaoxiao was convinced and stopped questioning her. “You’re right. If there’s trouble at the gate, it’ll affect Sister Muxue. Alright, I’ll call the police.” She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed.

The mob Cheng Haoyu had assembled had no idea the police were being called. Even if they knew, they wouldn’t care. They figured they could teach Li Sicheng a lesson long before the authorities arrived.

Soon enough, the dozen or so thugs surged forward, surrounding Li Sicheng and Zeng Yi so tightly there was no hope of escape.

A bald young man with tattoos on his arm stood before Li Sicheng, sizing him up before threatening, “Kid, you’re pretty cocky—running toward us instead of away!”

Another thug jeered, “Brother Baldy, I don’t think he’s cocky—he’s resigned to his fate. He even told us to hurry up. Isn’t he just ready for a beating?”

“Hahaha…”

“That’s right—he’s scared silly!”

“Damn, I thought tonight we’d have a tough opponent. Turns out he’s a coward. What a disappointment!”

The thugs encircling Li Sicheng and Zeng Yi burst into laughter.

At that moment, everyone—thugs, Zeng Yi, Lin Siyu—believed Li Sicheng was done for. No one thought he had any chance to turn the tables surrounded by so many.

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Amid the laughter, Zeng Yi’s face grew even more ashen. He seemed to foresee his fate, crouching on the ground with his hands over his head, shivering, hoping only that the beating wouldn’t be too brutal.

Li Sicheng, however, responded very differently.

Facing the hostile mob, he remained calm, showing not a trace of panic or fear.

Such composure was striking.

Across the street, Cheng Haoyu frowned, unsettled by the scene. “Strange—why isn’t he scared at all? This calm is unnatural!”

Whenever Cheng Haoyu had called in thugs before, the victims always broke down, crying and begging for mercy—just like Zeng Yi now. Li Sicheng’s composure suggested he might have some kind of plan.

It wasn’t just Cheng Haoyu who sensed something odd; the thugs surrounding Li Sicheng felt it too.

Before they could figure out why, Li Sicheng suddenly released Zeng Yi’s hand and reached into his jacket.

Seeing this, a nearby thug tensed, shrieking, “Brother Baldy, watch out—he’s got a weapon!”

Brother Baldy jumped back in alarm, grabbing another thug to use as a human shield.

With his ‘battle experience,’ Brother Baldy knew even a rabbit would bite when cornered—let alone a hot-blooded youth. If the kid snapped and fought desperately, someone was bound to get hurt, no matter their numbers. He certainly didn’t want to be the one injured.

But soon, Brother Baldy’s expression froze, turning awkward.

Because what Li Sicheng pulled from his jacket wasn’t a weapon at all—it was a bulging envelope. He made no aggressive moves, simply held it out, indicating Brother Baldy should take it.

Brother Baldy felt thoroughly embarrassed, his face alternating between pale and flushed. He shoved aside the unfortunate thug he'd grabbed as a shield and slapped the shrieking thug across the face, barking, “Why are you yelling? I always teach you—stay calm, don’t panic! You didn’t even see what he was pulling out before you started screeching. Useless!”

The scolded thug dared not protest, only muttering to himself, “Weren’t you panicking too? You grabbed Huang Mao as a shield…”

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