Seeing the money land in her account, Gu Chen nodded with satisfaction and prepared to let him go.
After all, she had to keep her word.
However, she didn’t realize that one of the thugs she had kicked back earlier was quietly getting up.
While everyone was watching Black Tiger pay, no one noticed this guy snatching a stray brick from the ground.
He lunged forward suddenly, swinging it violently toward Gu Chen’s head!
*Bang!!*
This time, even Gu Chen didn’t have time to react.
She thought she was finished.
But after a moment, she realized the brick had never landed.
Hoshino Airi had stepped in!
“You bad people!”
After kicking the brick away, her eyes flashed with anger.
Her hands and feet moved in a blur, fast as lightning!
After a few moves, the thug who had tried to sneak attack her was completely unconscious.
This shocked the crowd once again.
They had thought Gu Chen was surprising enough, but who would have expected this seemingly fragile Lolita Japanese girl to be so strong?
‘Turns out, I’m the clown here…’
“Holy crap, you — have you practiced martial arts?”
Gu Chen could tell at a glance.
Those moves certainly weren’t for show.
Both her speed and power were incredible, definitely not inferior to her own!
Gu Chen felt like Airi could have handled these three thugs all by herself.
“Yes, I’ve studied Karate and swordsmanship. My mother said I could use it to protect myself,” Hoshino Airi replied with a nod.
Strictly speaking, she was a Karate black belt and held a 6th dan in Kendo.
To reach such a level at her age, she could be called a genius, having possessed extraordinary martial arts talent since childhood.
If she hadn’t seen Gu Chen in such a critical situation, she wouldn’t have stepped in, preferring to maintain a low profile.
“You should have said so earlier.”
Gu Chen gave a wry smile.
‘Damn, I really do feel like a clown…’
“Brother Tiger!! We’re here!”
At that moment, a shout echoed from outside the courtyard.
“I’m over here! Get in here and kill them!”
Black Tiger’s emotions flared again.
He screamed at the top of his lungs, terrified they wouldn’t hear him.
He hadn’t intended to call for reinforcements, but he had been afraid they would escape through another route, so he had summoned his brothers to surround the house.
Although they hadn’t arrived before the door was broken down, they were getting here at just the right time.
Having suffered such a loss, there was no way he would let this go easily.
“You can die first!”
Gu Chen’s eyes narrowed.
She delivered a heavy kick to Black Tiger’s face.
The man passed out before he could even scream.
She had to deal with the three in front of her first.
“Sister Long, this is bad! There are seven or eight people coming. What do we do?”
A Huang peeked out from the doorway, his legs trembling with fear.
They could put up a fight against three people, but against so many, they truly stood no chance.
“What are you afraid of!”
Long Fei’s confidence returned after seeing the strength displayed by Gu Chen and Hoshino Airi.
“I only smoke Xuanhemen, and I only love one person in my life! Brothers, we can’t lose face. Let’s give them everything we’ve got!”
Besides, these two had helped her earn a huge sum of money.
If she hid now, how could she ever show her face again?
“Miss Gu… Gu Chen, let’s fight side by side!”
Hoshino Airi picked up a suitable bamboo pole and gripped it firmly.
“Alright.”
Gu Chen’s lips twitched.
As expected of someone from the Island Country, she was so dramatic and hot-blooded.
Gu Chen half-expected her to say something about the “bond between comrades” next.
Since trouble had found them, there was no way to hide.
To be honest, Gu Chen was a bit nervous about taking on seven or eight people alone, but with a partner of the same caliber, her confidence soared.
The two of them walked out of the iron gate to face the newcomers.
Sure enough, there were seven or eight men, though fortunately, they weren’t carrying weapons.
“Go!”
At the command, Gu Chen and Hoshino Airi charged.
The thugs rushed forward with strange shouts…
*Thud!*
“Ah!”
Gu Chen kicked the man in the lead, the counterforce pushing her back half a step.
*Whoosh— Whoosh— Snap!*
Hoshino Airi followed right behind her.
The bamboo pole in her hand whistled through the air like a swimming dragon.
Every strike was heavy and precise, hitting the most painful spots on their bodies.
In just a few moves, two thugs were down.
‘She’s even stronger than I expected!’
Gu Chen was inwardly stunned.
Even though Airi was using a weapon, her combat prowess was top-tier.
Even if Gu Chen had to face her, she probably wouldn’t gain the slightest advantage.
Behind them, Long Fei and her group joined the fray, and the scene descended into chaos.
Fortunately, the alley was very narrow, allowing at most three people to pass side by side.
If they had been surrounded, the situation would have been much worse.
Long Fei and her boys quickly swarmed the thugs who had fallen to the ground, raining down punches and kicks so they couldn’t get back up.
Cries of pain echoed through the alley.
A few minutes later, the battle was over.
Not one of the seven or eight thugs was still standing.
Gu Chen was panting for breath, and Hoshino Airi leaned over slightly as she tossed the bamboo pole aside.
“The two of you, thanks for the help. I’ve finally vented some frustration today.”
Long Fei’s face was filled with satisfaction.
Not only had she made money, but she had also taught a lesson to the group that usually bullied her.
She was in a great mood.
“It’s fine. But won’t you get in trouble after all this?”
Gu Chen waved her hand dismissively.
These people had backgrounds; she didn’t live here, so she wasn’t worried, but Long Fei was different.
“Don’t worry, Boss Ma will help us settle this.”
“Boss Ma?”
Who was this new character?
But seeing how confident she looked, Gu Chen figured she could handle it.
She took the group to a nearby pharmacy and bought a bottle of red tincture and some Yunnan Baiyao for A Huang and Dou Zi.
Their injuries weren’t serious — just some soft tissue bruising and swelling.
“Hoshino Airi, listen, don’t come back here anymore. It might be dangerous.”
As they left the pharmacy, Gu Chen gave her a kind warning.
What happened today was a big deal.
Airi had no relatives here, so if she returned, she would be an easy target for revenge.
“Just call me Airi.”
Airi paused, looking troubled.
“But I still have to find someone. I can only find clues here. I’ll be careful.”
“Sigh.”
Gu Chen let out a breath.
After the fight, she had developed a sense of respect for the girl and decided to help her look.
“Who exactly are you looking for?”
“I’m looking for my brother…”
“What’s his name? Where does he live?”
Gu Chen found it strange.
She had lived here as a child and had never heard of any family having a sister from the Island Country.
“I don’t know. I only know he used to live on Willow Street. I also have a photo of him.”
Airi shook her head.
“A photo? Let me see.”
This was a decent lead.
If she recognized him, she could tell Airi who he was.
Airi immediately pulled out her phone and found a long-cherished photo.
“This!!!”
Gu Chen stared at the yellowed image, her eyes widening.
She pointed at the screen and said in disbelief, “How the hell is anyone supposed to recognize this!”
The photo showed a child who looked about 2 or 3 years old, and the image quality was incredibly blurry.
Even the person themselves probably wouldn’t recognize it as them.
Even if this person had been Gu Chen’s neighbor and she had seen him every day back then, most people don’t have memories from before age 3.
Trying to find someone with this was a complete joke.