Chapter 23: One Against Five, the Advantage Is Mine

The three motorcycles pulled to a stop, surrounding the two of them. Lu Fan carefully sized up the five men: two were quite burly, one was of a build similar to his own, and the other two were on the leaner side.

He reached into his satchel, pulled out a length of rope, folded it a few times, and gripped it in his hand.

"Kid, you made quite a haul today, didn't you? We don't mean any harm, we're just looking to get our hands on some cash. If you're smart, you'll hand it over, and I'll let you leave safely."

The man with the triangular eyes took two steps forward, crossing his arms and speaking in a slow, unhurried tone. The others appeared relaxed and at ease, either crossing their arms or leaning against their motorcycles with their hands in their pockets.

Lu Fan stared at the man and said, "Judging by your looks, you're just the type to pick pockets or swipe goods at the night market. What you're doing now is robbery—that's a completely different nature than petty thievery."

"Besides, plenty of people saw you when we left the night market. If anything happens to the two of us, not one of you will be able to get away."

"Heh, I didn't realize you were so well-versed in these things. But don't you know? The more you know, the faster you die."

Lu Fan was silent for a moment, then asked, "If I hand the money over to you, will you let us leave safely?"

"Of course. We're only after the money. We'd rather not hurt anyone if we don't have to."

"Fine. Let her leave first, and I'll stay behind. In ten minutes, I'll give you the money."

"Do you take us for fools? What if she goes and calls the police once she's away?"

"Rest assured, she won't call the police. Besides, we have to keep running our stall at the Baoshan Night Market. We'll be seeing each other around, so I won't go looking for trouble for myself."

The man with the triangular eyes fell into deep thought, clearly weighing the credibility of Lu Fan's words.

A skinny man behind him suddenly spoke up: "Boss, that girl is a real beauty. I've never seen anyone that pretty in my entire life."

"Yeah, yeah, Boss! Since we're already robbing them, it wouldn't hurt to have some fun. Let the brothers enjoy themselves."

"Shut up! Once we have money, you can find any woman you want."

Lu Fan squinted, eyeing the two who had spoken.

The man with the triangular eyes thought for a moment before saying, "Letting her run for ten minutes is out of the question. Ten minutes on a bicycle is enough to reach the Dongping District Police Station. I'll give her a one-minute head start, and you hand over the money."

Bai Lu, who had been hiding behind Lu Fan, suddenly stepped to his side. She held a pencil, pressed it against her own neck, and said with a trembling voice, "I'm not leaving. You can take the money, but if you have any other ideas, I'll kill myself right now. Then you'll all be murderers."

The scene left everyone stunned. They were about to let her go, and she pulls this? Threatening them with her own life?

Lu Fan knew Bai Lu's character. This woman could be truly gentle when she was soft, and incredibly tough when she was firm. She wasn't just bluffing; she really would do it.

Lu Fan patted her on the shoulder and said, "Don't be like this. It's one against five, we still have the advantage."

Bai Lu turned to look at him, confused. The others were also bewildered; they felt that the two people they had encountered tonight were both mentally unstable. One was threatening them with her own life, and the other was claiming to have the advantage in a one-versus-five fight.

The four men in the back looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"What, did you change your mind, friend? Don't want to hand over the money willingly?" The man with the triangular eyes stared at him viciously.

"That's right. And I'm going to break both of those two's legs," Lu Fan said, pointing at the two who had spoken earlier.

"Bold."

"Boss, let me handle this. I'm going to break all three of his legs." The man Lu Fan had pointed to was incensed by embarrassment and anger. He gripped a steel pipe and slammed it against his palm repeatedly.

The man with the triangular eyes took two steps back and gave a wave. The man charged forward.

Lu Fan also took two steps forward, putting some distance between himself and Bai Lu. He sidestepped the incoming pipe, wrapped the rope around the man's wrist, and with a agile twist, flipped the man over his head, slamming him heavily onto the ground.

Before the man could struggle to his feet, Lu Fan stepped forward and stomped hard on his knee joint. A sickening crunch echoed through the air, and the man began to howl, clutching his knee.

"Ahhh... Boss! Kill him! Kill him now!"

Lu Fan frowned and kicked the man in the temple. The man went limp and passed out instantly.

The entire sequence of movements had been as fluid and graceful as a performance. If one didn't know it was a real fight, it would be easy to be deceived.

"Old Third! Old Third!" The man with the triangular eyes shouted twice, then turned his gaze back to Lu Fan.

"I didn't expect you to be a pro. Since you're a fighter, we don't need to worry about underworld etiquette. Brothers, grab your weapons and attack together. Take him down!"

The other three quickly grabbed weapons from their motorcycles: one clutched a long U-lock, one a watermelon knife, and one a baseball bat. The man with the triangular eyes pulled a butterfly knife from his pocket, performed a flourish, and adopted a boxing stance, holding the blade in a reverse grip.

Lu Fan frowned slightly. The man with the triangular eyes was clearly trained with a knife; daring to use a reverse grip showed technical skill. Such an opponent was tricky. As for the other three, regardless of their training, their weapons weren't terribly threatening; as long as he avoided vital areas, he could take a hit or two. But a reverse-grip knife—one strike could cause a massive gash, effectively ending the fight instantly.

If it were one-on-one, his concentration would be absolute, and he wouldn't be afraid. But in a chaotic melee, if one of them caught him off guard, he would be done for.

Lu Fan smiled at them and said, "Not playing fair, are we? Then I don't need to be polite either."

With that, he tossed the rope aside, reached behind his back, and pulled out a dark, heavy Black Star pistol. He racked the slide with a crisp, practiced motion, aiming it at the man with the triangular eyes.

The man and his three accomplices froze instantly, their eyes locked on the weapon. The dark, hollow muzzle emitted a cold, lethal glint, making their knees knock and their legs turn to lead. They couldn't move another step, nor did they have the courage to run.

"B-boss!"

Lu Fan gestured with the gun. "Drop your weapons and get over to the middle of the road and squat down."

"Boss, it's our eyes that were blind..."

"What are you babbling about? Didn't you hear me tell you to squat?"

Lu Fan barked the command and kicked the man with the triangular eyes in the abdomen. The man curled up in the middle of the road, clutching his stomach, his butterfly knife clattering to the ground.

Lu Fan glanced at the others. The three men immediately dropped their weapons, put their hands behind their heads, and squatted down next to their boss. Lu Fan kicked the weapons aside and tossed the rope to them.

"Tie yourselves up. Don't try anything funny; my gun has a hair-trigger."

Once they were bound, the man with the triangular eyes regained his composure and joined the others in their squat.

"Boss, please, spare us. We have old parents and young children at home; we only resorted to this because we had no other way to get some money."

Lu Fan put the gun away. "Don't worry, I'm not a cop. I'm not going to turn you in to the police station. But when you live this life, shouldn't you keep your eyes open? Don't you know who you can provoke and who you can't?"

"Boss, you looked so harmless."

"And now?"

"We know we can't mess with you."

"Good. Now, who was it I said I was going to break the legs of? Was it you?" Lu Fan nudged one of the men with his foot.

The man immediately cried out in protest, "It wasn't me! It was Old Fifth. He's the one who said those things to Old Third about the lady."

Lu Fan picked up the steel pipe and tossed it to them. "I do what I say. Do it yourselves."

The man with the triangular eyes looked at one of them. "Old Fifth, don't blame your brother. Blame your own foul mouth. Take this as a lesson to watch what you say in the future."

"You two, hold him down for me. I'll make it quick. At least you and Old Third can keep each other company in the hospital."

"I'll kill your f—"

The man called Old Fifth began to curse loudly, his body struggling violently. The man with the triangular eyes struck several times until the lower leg snapped, and the curses turned into wails.

"Alright, now our debt is settled. From here on out, we mind our own business."

"Yes, thank you, Boss!"

"Thank you, Boss!"

"Thank you, Boss!"

The three men knelt on the ground, overflowing with gratitude. Lu Fan waved to Bai Lu, "Let's go!"

However, after a few steps, he turned his bicycle around and came back. The three men, confused, looked at him with dread.

Lu Fan pondered for a moment, then pointed to the three motorcycles. "How about I trade this bicycle, which means a lot to me, for one of your motorcycles?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Boss, take whichever one you like, don't talk about trading!"

"That won't do. Business must be fair, just, and sincere. Are you willing or not?"

"Willing! We're willing!"

"Good, it's a deal."

Lu Fan took his satchel and placed it on a newer-looking motorcycle. Just as he was about to get on, he asked, "This isn't stolen, is it?"

"No, no, this one isn't. I bought it just last month. It's a Honda 125. The receipt is still there. I'll bring it to your stall another day."

"No need, I believe you. Don't ever show your faces in front of me again. We are not walking the same path."