Chapter 14: Threats Upon First Meeting

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Pain—searing, agonizing pain!

My arms, thighs, shoulders, back, and head were all throbbing with intense agony. This was the first sensation Hua Shi'er felt as he regained consciousness.

Beyond the pain, a sticky liquid dripped from his head, trickling down his face and into his mouth. It was warm, slightly salty, and tasted of fresh blood.

"What is going on?"

Hua Shi'er’s mind felt hazy, as if he had suffered a heavy blow. He could only perceive that he was being forcibly pinned down. Before he could grasp his current situation, he heard someone bark a threat:

"Kiss him! Hurry up and kiss him! Are you really trying to get him killed? Are you going to kiss him or not? Do it now!"

Then, a cold, trembling, yet incredibly soft sensation brushed against his lips before pulling away instantly.

The sudden kiss jolted Hua Shi'er back to full awareness.

He saw a familiar face drenched in tears. A slender girl was kneeling before him, her expression a mix of terror and humiliation. It didn't take a genius to realize that she was the one who had just kissed him.

And this girl was none other than Chen Nian!

Seeing the scene, the plot details regarding this moment immediately flooded Hua Shi'er’s mind. This was the first encounter between Liu Beishan and Chen Nian.

Liu Beishan had been ambushed and beaten by three men. Chen Nian, who happened to be passing by on her way home from school, had quietly tried to call the police. The attackers caught her in the act, thwarted the call, and retaliated by beating her as well. They not only stole her fifty yuan but also forced her to kiss the bloodied Liu Beishan, threatening to keep beating him if she refused.

That explained the scene he had just witnessed.

Everything before him, along with the pain in his body, confirmed one thing: Hua Shi'er was currently inhabiting the body of Liu Beishan.

Sure enough, a flood of unfamiliar memories surged into his mind, which he instantly absorbed—these were the memories of Liu Beishan.

Hua Shi'er couldn't help but smile bitterly to himself. "Last time I became Shaq to beat people up, and this time I’ve swapped back, only to be the one getting beaten!"

However, he was relieved to feel that this body was also brimming with power. It proved that the strength of the peak Shaq he had previously acquired remained with him. True to the system's word, the rewards extracted could indeed be used in the task worlds.

In the original plot, Liu Beishan would have mustered his remaining strength to lunge at the ringleader and land a few blows. Though he would eventually be beaten down by the accomplices, it would result in a mutual injury scenario.

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If Hua Shi'er were to use his current strength to lash out, none of the three thugs beating him would get away unscathed. But he chose not to.

Liu Beishan was a street kid who hadn't reached adulthood; his decision to fight back at the cost of mutual injury was limited by his own perspective. Hua Shi'er, however, was an adult with a higher education. Faced with this situation, he certainly wouldn't blindly fight three people at once; he had a much better way to handle it.

The three thugs saw that Chen Nian had actually kissed Liu Beishan and burst into laughter. "Haha, she actually did it!"

The ringleader kicked Hua Shi'er and sneered:

"Daring to bully my brother? You should’ve asked around to see who I am..."

With that, he and the other two thugs exchanged a few more harsh words before calling out in triumph:

"Alright, let’s go!"

Before leaving, the ringleader pointed at Hua Shi'er and threatened, "Be careful! I'll beat you every time I see you from now on!"

Hua Shi'er lay on the ground, turning his head to watch the three figures fade into the distance. A strange, mocking smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

They wanted a next time?

This time alone would make the three of them regret it for the rest of their lives!

Strangely enough, the final few kicks he had taken didn't hurt much—it felt as if a couple of kindergarteners had nudged him. It was only when the movement aggravated his existing injuries that he felt any real pain.

There was no time to analyze why, however. He turned his head toward Chen Nian and saw the girl kneeling on the ground, her eyes brimming with tears. There was worry in her gaze, but also a hint of resentment for being dragged into this mess.

Hua Shi'er offered her a smile, but his blood-covered face only succeeded in startling her.

"Don't be afraid. It's over now. Thank you for just now."

Chen Nian didn't care about his gratitude. When the thugs had pushed her to the ground, her phone had fallen and shattered.

She sobbed, "My screen is broken."

Chen Nian came from a single-parent home. Her mother was caught up in pyramid schemes and was constantly on the run from debt collectors, so their financial situation was dire. Repairing a phone was a heavy burden for her. Consequently, she deeply regretted getting involved in this mess and was full of complaints toward Hua Shi'er.

Hua Shi'er lay on the ground, too lazy to stand up. He simply waved a hand and said, "Don't worry, I'll pay for it!"

With that, he fished Liu Beishan’s phone out of his jeans pocket and dialed the emergency number:

"Hello, I’d like to report a crime. I’ve been assaulted, and someone else was robbed at the scene. I am in the Fujiang District..."

Having acquired Liu Beishan’s memories, Hua Shi'er accurately reported their current location.

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This was how an adult handled things. In a society governed by law, the best weapon to protect oneself was the legal system!

If he had fought back as in the original plot, given Liu Beishan’s history of frequenting the police station, the incident might have been dismissed as a mutual brawl. But now, he was the victim. He could openly use the law to seek justice and crush the other side.

Chen Nian stared at Hua Shi'er in astonishment and asked weakly:

"Aren't you afraid they'll come after you later? Aren't you afraid of their retaliation?"

Hua Shi'er chuckled:

"There is no minimum amount for robbery; stealing even one yuan is enough for a prison sentence. They stole fifty yuan from you, which warrants a sentence of three to ten years in prison, plus fines. Even if some of those bastards are under eighteen, they'll still get at least a year and a half. If they want to retaliate, they can do it after they get out of jail."

He understood this not only because of his general knowledge of the law but also because he often watched videos of legal experts online.

Chen Nian stood there in a daze for a long time. Then, she stood up from the ground, glanced at Hua Shi'er, and whispered:

"The college entrance exam is coming up. I have school tomorrow, and I don't want to get into trouble. It will delay my studies..."

After a brief silence, Chen Nian lowered her head and said, "I'm sorry!"

She picked up her schoolbag and turned to leave.

Hua Shi'er was slightly taken aback, but thinking of Chen Nian’s timid and cowardly personality in the original story, he understood. When her classmate committed suicide due to bullying, she didn't have the courage to tell the police the truth; how could she possibly dare to get involved in this?

He didn't get up to stop her. Instead, he said calmly:

"I’ve already called the police. I will tell them everything. Even if you don't want to get involved, the police will come to you for questioning. There are security cameras on the street outside this alley; it won't be hard for them to find you."

Chen Nian paused, her expression a mix of grievance and stubbornness:

"I’ll say it again: I don’t want any trouble. I will tell them I didn't see anything!"

Hua Shi'er sneered:

"You think those three are trouble? I’m sorry, you’re wrong. I am the real trouble. My name is Xiao Bei. Go ahead and ask around on the streets..."

He lowered his voice, adding a threat:

"You want to take the college entrance exam, right? If you dare to lie to the police, believe me, I have a thousand ways to make you miss it. If you don't believe me, feel free to try!"