Hooligan 013

Wang Xiaoqiang was already an adult. He had been released for two years but was still under supervision.

Having been “corrected” for several years, his time inside kept getting extended because he constantly caused trouble. By the time he finally got out, he was already eighteen.

Thinking about all the suffering he endured over the years, his heart filled with resentment—resentment toward Fang Zhiyi, toward the neighbors, and even toward his own parents and Granny Wang. How could Granny Wang not save him?

Although they did come to visit him, just seeing them annoyed him. Why could they live freely outside?

Wang Xiaoqiang returned home but ignored his noticeably aged Granny Wang, coldly surveying the house. It was still the same as before—messy and rundown.

He had grown taller and stronger, but his temper had become even more violent. Sometimes, he would even lash out at his parents over something as trivial as food not suiting his taste. The only consolation was that Li Tiantian’s family seemed to have moved away; Fang Zhiyi hadn’t come back for a long time. According to Granny Wang, that little thug had been sent to prison.

Wang Xiaoqiang felt a bit of satisfaction. He was determined to wait for Fang Zhiyi’s release and then kill him to avenge himself!

One night, Wang Xiaoqiang’s parents quietly packed their bags and fled the home they had lived in for so many years. They simply couldn’t stand their son anymore; the fear he brought them had only grown stronger.

The next day, upon learning of his parents’ disappearance, Wang Xiaoqiang went into another violent rage. He even shoved Granny Wang, who was trying to calm him down. Watching Granny Wang collapse against the cabinet, he didn’t care at all. After Wang Xiaoqiang left, Granny Wang cried out for help loudly. It took a long time before someone took pity and called for emergency assistance.

Due to the impact on her lumbar spine, Granny Wang became completely paralyzed. Yet her will to live remained strong. She did not die, but her condition was worse than death.

Wang Xiaoqiang had no intention of taking care of her. He basically fed her whatever was convenient and never bothered to clean up her waste.

She lived in decay on her little bed, watching the very grandson she once doted on. For the first time, she felt regret—not because she hadn’t properly educated Wang Xiaoqiang, but because she hadn’t instilled in him a stronger sense of filial piety.

“Old Yu, you retired and didn’t even invite me out for a meal?” Fang Zhiyi walked into Old Yu’s house wearing a floral shirt.

Old Yu saw him and laughed, mockingly calling him a “rascal.”

The two sat and talked for a long time.

“Are you really determined to be a thug for life?”

Fang Zhiyi straightened up upon hearing this: “Please be more professional—call me a gangster.”

“Bah!” Old Yu reached out to hit him, but Fang Zhiyi dodged.

“You still don’t have an official position, yet you keep working undercover? I heard from Director Zhang that you’re heading to Nanshi next month?”

Fang Zhiyi nodded. “The public security situation there isn’t great either.”

“Do you really think of yourself as a crusader for justice?”

Fang Zhiyi grinned and revealed his tattoo: “What else can I do? I can’t pass the official exams, so I do what I can. Wherever there’s light, there’s shadow—that’s an eternal truth. I’d rather be the shadow than those things lurking in the dark.”

Old Yu looked at him with a complicated expression: “Sigh, you’ve grown up. Just be careful, alright?”

“When are you leaving?”

“I still have some things to wrap up. Once I’m done, I’ll head out!”

“Stay for dinner today.”

“I’ve got over a dozen guys waiting for me outside. You sure you can handle cooking for them?”

“Get lost, get lost, just scram!”

Wang Xiaoqiang walked along the riverbank, his mood sour. That old woman was unbearable—he should have thrown her out long ago. But she still had a fair amount of savings, so he needed to get that first.

He kicked a trash bin, scattering garbage everywhere, and felt a bit better.

Ahead, two girls were strolling. Wang Xiaoqiang squinted at them, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. Back in the correctional facility, a cellmate had told him that women were quite an experience.

Glancing around, he saw no cameras by the river. Just as he was about to approach and put his idea into action, a hard blow landed on the back of his knee.

The immense force made him drop to his knees, then another hit slammed into his back, knocking him face down.

Anger surged through Wang Xiaoqiang. He rolled over and saw several men behind him wielding steel pipes.

“Heard you’re dodging debts, huh?”

Wang Xiaoqiang froze. When had he ever owed money? Before he could respond, another blow struck his mouth. The metallic, rusty taste filled his mouth, silencing him instantly.

At that moment, a familiar figure stepped out from behind the men. Wang Xiaoqiang almost forgot the pain—that was his nemesis! Fang Zhiyi!

He had been meaning to find him, never expecting Fang to come looking for him first!

But as he calmed down, he realized the situation was off. Then came more beating. After a while, one of the men grabbed him by the hair and peered closely.

“Boss, looks like we got the wrong guy.”

Fang Zhiyi covered his forehead with one hand. “How careless. Let’s get out of here.” After taking a few steps, he added, “If you beat the wrong guy, you owe him an apology.”

“Sorry!” The thugs staggered toward the dazed Wang Xiaoqiang and bowed deeply. Fang Zhiyi pulled out a few bills and tossed them onto him. “Here, for your medical expenses.”

The group left without looking back.

Wang Xiaoqiang took the money and went home. Seeing his battered state, Granny Wang surprisingly showed no concern. She had long since lost the will to care and just kept complaining about being hungry as he walked in.

Suppressing his anger, Wang Xiaoqiang grabbed a handful of noodles and threw them at her, cursing the old hag under his breath before retreating to his room.

After a night of rest, he prepared to confront Fang Zhiyi for revenge. But as soon as he stepped outside, someone threw a sack over his head and beat him mercilessly. The same routine followed—the attackers claimed they had mistaken him for someone else, apologized, and handed over a few bills.

Even Wang Xiaoqiang wasn’t stupid enough to believe this was a coincidence. He was furious but helpless.

By the fourth time he was “mistaken,” Wang Xiaoqiang returned home covered in bruises. The attackers always chose places without surveillance, and Wang Xiaoqiang refused to report to the police. Having lived through correctional life, he was filled with hatred toward society.

His entire body aching, he glared at the old woman who kept lamenting, fury suddenly surging within him. An inexplicable, wicked fire ignited in his mind. Without hesitation, he grabbed Granny Wang by the neck with dirty hands, cursing her with words too vile to repeat. Granny Wang faintly recognized those familiar insults—they were the very same words she had once uttered herself.

Just as she was about to die, the door was kicked open. Police officers, alerted by a kind-hearted neighbor, rushed in and subdued Wang Xiaoqiang.

He was sent back to prison, charged with attempted murder.

Wang Xiaoqiang never expected that even behind bars, he would face the same torment as before. He was still “mistaken for someone else” and brutally beaten. Unlike the juvenile detention center he had been in previously, this place was filled with ruthless adult criminals—more cunning and cruel. Their attacks left no visible marks, making it impossible to prove the abuse.

Wang Xiaoqiang plotted his revenge. One night, when everyone was asleep, he launched a surprise attack on the man who had beaten him the worst. But he was quickly overpowered. During a work detail, an “accident” occurred—Wang Xiaoqiang’s legs were crushed, and he was rushed to the hospital.

Granted medical parole, he was sent home, only to learn that Granny Wang had taken her own life shortly after he was incarcerated. Rumor had it that no institution wanted to take her in because, after a brief recovery, she began revealing her true nature—cursing the heavens and earth alike, unbearable to anyone around her.

Watching Wang Xiaoqiang, powerless and unable to even make a ripple, Fang Zhiyi struck the final blow. He uploaded Wang Xiaoqiang’s past, medical records, and antisocial behaviors online, focusing especially on the neighborhood around their community. Wang Xiaoqiang was completely ostracized. Adults forbade their children from coming near him. Even when he ventured out in his wheelchair, he was met with disdain. Yet, despite losing his legs, his rage burned fiercely—helpless but furious.