Hoodlum 09

The grating sound of metal scraping against metal was unbearably unpleasant to the ears.

Wang Xiaoqiang covered his ears, watching in disbelief as Fang Zhiyi scraped his way from one end of the bike shed to the other. Though Wang Xiaoqiang had vandalized bikes before, he’d only ever done it stealthily—one or two at most. Was this thug really this bold?

As he pondered, Fang Zhiyi walked up to him. "Give me your hand."

Wang Xiaoqiang froze.

Fang Zhiyi’s expression grew increasingly menacing. "Give me your hand!"

Trembling, Wang Xiaoqiang extended his hand.

Fang Zhiyi placed the metal scraper in his palm, then clenched his fingers around it before turning and kicking the first bike with a forceful stomp.

Clang, clang, clatter, crash… A whole row of bikes toppled over. Wang Xiaoqiang stood rooted to the spot, stunned by the sheer absurdity of what had just happened.

The commotion drew a small crowd. Their eyes first landed on the fallen bikes, then on Wang Xiaoqiang.

"Someone call for help! Wang Xiaoqiang knocked over all the bikes!"

It had to be said—Granny Wang’s parenting was something else. She knew better than to make enemies of everyone at once, so Wang Xiaoqiang’s mischief had always been confined to their own building and the two adjacent ones. But today, he was in deep trouble.

Snapping out of his daze, Wang Xiaoqiang raised his hands in protest. "No! It wasn’t me! It was—" He turned, but Fang Zhiyi was already gone.

The people who had rushed over spotted the metal scraper in his hand, still smeared with paint. One of them seized his wrist. "Look! He even scraped the bikes!"

More onlookers gathered.

Combined with Wang Xiaoqiang’s recent threats of revenge, their anger flared.

Wang Xiaoqiang couldn’t understand how things had escalated so quickly. Then he caught sight of Fang Zhiyi in the crowd, who was now speaking righteously: "Make his family pay! They have to compensate for this!"

"Damn right!"

Wang Xiaoqiang struggled. "It was him! It was him!"

Fang Zhiyi gave him a cold glance. "You’re trying to frame me just because you hold a grudge? I may not be a saint, but everyone knows I’d never do something like this."

"Exactly!"

"This kid’s vindictive as hell!"

"We need to have a serious talk with the Wang family!"

Wang Xiaoqiang was on the verge of tears.

As the saying goes, the person who wrongs you knows exactly how innocent you are.

Fueled by Fang Zhiyi’s instigation, the furious mob marched to the Wang residence. When Granny Wang opened the door and saw the crowd, she didn’t back down. Instead, after snatching her grandson to safety, she planted her hands on her hips and started hurling insults right back at them.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Wang Xiaoqiang shouted, "It was Fang Zhiyi! Not me!"

But Fang Zhiyi merely watched with amusement. No one listened—even if Fang Zhiyi wasn’t exactly a model citizen in their eyes, he’d never caused trouble for the neighbors before!

And when those who had suffered under Wang Xiaoqiang’s antics in the past stepped forward, the accusations grew louder.

People are like that—once they’re part of a mob, their courage multiplies. Even the formidable Granny Wang began to pale. Among the crowd, Fang Zhiyi even spotted the couple from across the hall.

They looked rather pleased with themselves.

The chaos only subsided when Old Yu arrived with a few officers. Granny Wang was seething, her chest heaving like an enraged toad as she shakily pointed at her neighbors.

When the security footage was checked, the cameras turned out to be broken—the last recorded image showed Wang Xiaoqiang standing at the scene.

With eyewitness testimonies from the first arrivals, Old Yu ordered the Wang family to pay compensation.

Granny Wang tried to argue, but under the officers’ stern gazes, she could only clench her fists in frustration. In the end, she fainted from sheer rage.

With the Wang family drama settled, the two enforcers from the Gao Family upstairs finally collected their five thousand yuan. They’d been living with Old Man Gao and his wife for a full month, eating their food and making their presence uncomfortably known—though they never crossed any serious lines.

"Five thousand, plus legal interest—one hundred fifty-six." They strictly followed Fang Zhiyi’s instructions, collecting the exact interest owed. Though reluctant, Old Man Gao paid up, relieved to finally be rid of the two troublemakers.

As they left, the enforcers tampered with the electrical panel on their way out, ensuring the voltage would be unstable—just for their own satisfaction.

Old Man Gao sat on the couch, dazed. Old Lady Gao sidled up to him and grumbled, "They ate two months’ worth of our living expenses in just one month!"

They had considered calling the police, but what would they even say? That the men were staying with them? At most, the enforcers would get a slap on the wrist, but then their own history of fraud would be exposed to their grandson. So they endured, and now, finally, they felt a weight lift.

Before nightfall, Fang Zhiyi spotted the two old Gaos prowling the streets again. Old Lady Gao’s beady eyes darted around, scanning the passing cars. Fang Zhiyi smirked—some habits truly died hard.

Just as they picked their next target and prepared to stage another accident, Old Man Gao’s burner phone rang.

It was his son, whom he barely saw once a year. Nervously, he answered.

"What the hell have you two been doing back home?" the voice on the other end demanded.

Old Man Gao stammered, "N-Nothing! Why are you calling?" Despite his fear, he still tried to maintain his paternal authority.

At that moment, Fang Zhiyi walked past and casually tossed out, "Oh, the same old clothes again? Planning another scam, Old Man Gao? Old Lady Gao? Better watch out for those hundred-ton trucks."

"You—!" But Fang Zhiyi was already gone.

The voice on the phone roared, "A video of you two faking accidents got sent to my workplace! Do you have any idea how humiliated I am? Huh?!"

Old Man Gao stood frozen, staring at Fang Zhiyi’s retreating figure. His mouth opened and closed, but no words came out—only the sound of his son’s furious tirade.

Old Lady Gao received a similar call from their daughter—same tone, same accusations.

When Fang Zhiyi returned home the next day, he heard that the Gao children had rushed back overnight to take their parents away. Their belongings had been hastily packed, and Old Man Gao seemed utterly broken—his steps unsteady, his mouth slightly slack.

"Host, that’s not very honorable. You said you wouldn’t send the videos if they paid," Little Hei remarked.

Fang Zhiyi turned. "When did I say that?"

Little Hei paused. Now that he thought about it, Fang Zhiyi never actually promised.

"Besides, I was merciful. I didn’t send anything to their grandson’s school." Fang Zhiyi glanced at the now-quiet upstairs, then caught himself mid-smirk and slapped his own mouth. "Close call. Almost turned into one of those cringey ‘smug villain’ types."

Lately, he’d been swamped with work. His efficiency and sharp mind had earned him the boss’s trust, and now he was being assigned more responsibilities—like taking over the underground gambling den run by Baldie and finding ways to launder the money through their loan business.