Chapter 74: Good Intentions
Chapter 74: Good Intentions
Twenty meters.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
The dark figure, unaware of someone approaching from behind, held a piece of wire and kept twisting it.
"Click!"
A crisp sound echoed, and the door lock opened.
A smile instantly appeared on the figure's face.
Just then, a voice sounded from behind.
"Not bad at all, huh?"
"Oh, it's just a way to make a living."
The figure responded instinctively.
As soon as the words left his mouth, his face changed dramatically, and he didn't even bother to retrieve the wire stuck in the lock. He turned and ran.
Jiang Cheng didn't hesitate and struck the man's thigh with his stick.
The figure let out a painful cry and hadn't taken a step forward before he fell to the ground with a thud, clutching his injured leg and wailing.
"Is it you?"
Jiang Cheng looked at the person on the ground in surprise.
This man lived just a bit further east, separated by a few households. He had come to borrow money from Jiang Cheng yesterday.
Jiang Cheng didn't have any money himself, so naturally, he didn't lend it.
Unexpectedly, the man had resorted to such underhanded tactics and decided to break into his home.
After all, when someone was at home, the door was locked from the inside. Only when no one was home would it be locked from the outside. Moreover, many people had seen Jiang Cheng leave with his grandmother, Chen Sao, and the others at noon.
Thinking of this, Jiang Cheng narrowed his eyes and stepped forward.
"No! Please, Xiao Cheng!"
Ge Wei Dong was terrified and begged for mercy, "I won't dare, I won't dare."
"Isn't it too late to say this now?" Jiang Cheng said coldly.
"Xiao Cheng, I had no choice."
Ge Wei Dong choked up, "In a couple of days, it will be time for the Wild Wolf Gang to collect their fee. I've borrowed from everyone I know, but I still need more. I was truly desperate, so I resorted to this. Xiao Cheng, please have mercy, spare me this time. I'll kowtow to you, I'll kowtow."
As he spoke, he painfully turned his body to kowtow.
"Alright."
Jiang Cheng's eyebrows furrowed.
A man in his forties was kowtowing to him, and he wasn't even concerned about losing face. Jiang Cheng, on the other hand, was worried about reducing his lifespan.
"Xiao Cheng..."
Ge Wei Dong paused his movement and lifted his head to look at Jiang Cheng, his eyes filled with pleading.
"Please, let me go. I won't dare again, I really won't."
"I just struck you with a stick, and that's the end of it. If there's a next time, it won't be as simple as this."
"No, no, it won't happen again."
The man shook his head repeatedly and struggled to stand up, then limped towards his home.
Watching his retreating figure, Jiang Cheng tightened his grip on the short stick and slowly relaxed his hold.
He sighed softly in his heart.
Approaching the door, Jiang Cheng noticed that the lock had already been opened, and his eyebrows furrowed.
This lock was indeed good-looking but useless; it could be opened with a single thin wire. There were quite a few people in the slum area who knew this trick. It was just a coincidence that he had returned at the right time. What if, tomorrow, when he went out to set up his stall, someone tried to break in?
Jiang Cheng's gaze shifted to Chen Sao's house next door.
What if, while he was still asleep in his room, Chen Sao's house was ransacked, leaving it in disarray? Although Chen Sao had taken the valuable items with her, it was impossible to take everything, including clothes, bedding, cooking utensils, and other items, which still had some value. If the Wild Wolf Gang left, and Chen Sao returned to find her house empty, it would be devastating.
Jiang Cheng shook his head.
He made a decision. First, he would move all the items from Chen Sao's house into his own.
This way, even if someone broke in during the night, they wouldn't be able to steal anything.
More importantly, this would also help when the Wild Wolf Gang came to collect their management fee in a couple of days.
After pushing his tricycle back, Jiang Cheng had a simple dinner and then began the task of moving houses.
Chen Sao's house wasn't filled with many possessions, and Jiang Cheng, being diligent in his tidying, managed to clear out the house in less than two hours.
After locking the door again, Jiang Cheng breathed a sigh of relief.
The next problem was how to ensure the safety of his home during the time he was away.
He had initially planned to take advantage of the elderly man's absence to continue his martial arts training at the dojo, but now that he had a better understanding of the situation, he couldn't go there.
But what about during the day? He couldn't skip the dojo in the morning, and he couldn't avoid going to the streets to set up his stall in the afternoon, could he?
"Perhaps I can ask someone from the neighborhood to keep an eye on my place."
A thought flashed through Jiang Cheng's mind.
These petty thieves usually operated at night, and the rare ones active during the day would be scared off by a few shouts.
However, for added security, it would be best to carry the cash from home on his person from now on.
After that, Jiang Cheng spent the next two hours practicing the stance training, and then he practiced with the double sticks for a while before getting ready for bed.
The next morning, Jiang Cheng went out for a walk, and after a short while, he found someone willing to watch over his house for ten yuan a day. He asked two nearby households to keep an eye on his place during the day to prevent any thieves, and he would return early in the evening, so they wouldn't need to watch it then.
The two households readily agreed.
After all, they were just sitting idle at home anyway, and by sitting at the door with a small stool, they could earn three or four pounds of rice. Why wouldn't they be happy to do it?
One of the families asked Jiang Cheng if he had caught a thief last night, as they had vaguely heard some noises.
Jiang Cheng smiled but didn't say anything.
After finishing these tasks, he locked the door and headed towards the dojo.
These petty thieves and thugs were all small-time players.
The real dangerous ones were the members of the Wild Wolf Gang.
He had to make use of this time to improve his proficiency with the double sticks.
Arriving at the second floor of the dojo, someone was already there.
Before Jiang Cheng had a chance to speak, the other party took the initiative to greet him.
"Jiang Shidi, good morning."
"Good morning, Lin Shixiong."
Jiang Cheng hurriedly replied.
"Your family has been sent to the outer city, right?" Lin Quanliang walked over, his tone filled with concern.
"Yes, they've been sent there. Thank you, Bai Shijie."
"That's good. Bai Shijie is indeed a very kind person. By the way, Jiang Shidi, your double sticks are really impressive. If you have time, let's spar together? I've also been practicing martial arts for some time now. If there's anything you don't understand later, you can ask me."
Lin Quanliang's face was full of smiles.
"I couldn't ask for more."
Jiang Cheng smiled.
These thieves and thugs were minor characters.
The truly formidable ones were the members of the Wild Wolf Gang.
He had to seize the time to improve his proficiency with the double sticks.
Arriving at the second floor of the dojo, someone was already there.
Before Jiang Cheng had a chance to speak, the other party took the initiative to greet him.
"Jiang Shidi, good morning."
"Good morning, Lin Shixiong."
Jiang Cheng hurriedly replied.
"Your family has been sent to the outer city, right?" Lin Quanliang walked over, his tone filled with concern.
"Yes, they've been sent there. Thank you, Bai Shijie."
"That's good. Bai Shijie is indeed a very kind person. By the way, Jiang Shidi, your double sticks are really impressive. If you have time, let's spar together? I've also been practicing martial arts for some time now. If there's anything you don't understand later, you can ask me."
Lin Quanliang's face was full of smiles.
"I couldn't ask for more."
Jiang Cheng smiled.
The dojo members might not gain much from sparring with weapons, but once he learned martial arts, his proficiency would soar.
Therefore, sparring with weapons was fine, as it benefited both parties.
"Alright, then it's settled."
Lin Quanliang laughed and patted Jiang Cheng's shoulder lightly, "Jiang Shidi, in a couple of days, let's gather some of the senior members for a meal. We all know each other, including Sun Xiaoli and the others. How about you join us?"
"This..."
Jiang Cheng scratched his head.
"Lin Shixiong, it's not that I don't want to give you face, but I'm afraid I won't have the time because..."
"It's just a meal, it won't take up much of your time. If it's really not possible, we can compensate you for your lost work time, right?" Lin Quanliang interrupted.
Jiang Cheng waved his hands repeatedly, "What are you saying, Lin Shixiong?"
"Then can't you just come? Alright, it's settled then."
Lin Quanliang made the decision and lowered his voice, glancing upstairs, "About yesterday's matter, Xiao Shixiong also knows. Be more careful."
After saying this, he smiled and turned to leave.
(End of Chapter)
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