Chapter Twelve: The Plan

Jiang Xiaotian didn’t keep staring at the people; a lingering unease gnawed at his heart, so he quickened his pace and hurried to Zhang Wei’s home.

It was Zhang Wei’s mother who opened the door. Jiang Xiaotian greeted her politely, and she responded with a smile, though the fatigue on her face could not be concealed.

“Xiaotian, didn’t Zhang Wei tell you? He’s in the hospital. Apparently, he got into a fight… Oh, this boy…” Though her tone brimmed with disappointment, her eyes were filled with concern.

Jiang Xiaotian was shocked—Zhang Wei was hospitalized!

Upon further questioning, he learned that Zhang Wei’s girlfriend had been harassed by a group of strangers. Outraged, Zhang Wei confronted them; but they outnumbered him, and he ended up beaten and sent to the hospital.

Jiang Xiaotian rushed to the hospital. Fortunately, most of Zhang Wei’s injuries were superficial—the worst was a wound caused by a beer bottle, which required over a dozen stitches.

Zhang Wei himself was in decent shape. When Jiang Xiaotian entered the ward, Zhang Wei was sitting on the bed, chatting with his girlfriend.

“What’s wrong with you? Something this big happens and you don’t even tell me!” Jiang Xiaotian was anxious and a little angry.

Seeing him, Zhang Wei scratched his head sheepishly. “Ah, it’s really not that big a deal. I got carried away. Besides, you finally landed such a good job—I didn’t want to bother you.”

Jiang Xiaotian was momentarily speechless. This guy was always looking out for him like an older brother, yet he himself had never really helped Zhang Wei.

“Alright, Xiaotian, don’t be mad,” the girl beside them laughed. “You know his temperament. I was terrified, but he’s alright. Still, I’m really moved by what he did.”

Jiang Xiaotian greeted her affectionately as “sister-in-law.”

Zhang Wei had repeated his senior year in high school, so although they were in the same university grade, Zhang Wei was several years older. The girl was Han Yue, Zhang Wei’s longtime girlfriend, and their relationship was nearly at the stage of marriage.

Their love had always been something Jiang Xiaotian admired—now, he envied it even more.

“By the way, sister-in-law, where were you two when all this happened? How did the conflict start?” Jiang Xiaotian asked casually.

Han Yue bristled with anger at the memory. “Don’t even mention it. There are all kinds of people out there. We were having dinner, and some strange guys came over and asked for my contact info. I told them I had a boyfriend, and they said it didn’t matter—they actually said they preferred girls with boyfriends, right in front of Zhang Wei! If that’s not crazy, what is!”

The rest was easy to guess. Even as honest as Zhang Wei was, he couldn’t let that slide. He confronted them, but they were unreasonable; and with his lack of eloquence, things escalated into a fight.

“We called the police, but after giving our statements, they told us to wait at home. That area is pretty chaotic, so I doubt anything will come of it,” Han Yue said, feeling aggrieved. After all, Zhang Wei had been badly injured for her sake.

“Which restaurant was it?” Jiang Xiaotian pressed.

Han Yue was about to answer, but Zhang Wei stopped her. “Don’t worry about it, Xiaotian. I’m fine now, aren’t I?”

“I just want to know so I can avoid it in the future—if I take my girlfriend out, I’ll steer clear,” Jiang Xiaotian explained.

Zhang Wei considered it and realized it made sense. His younger friend was unlucky enough as it was; no need to keep secrets. Besides, Jiang Xiaotian was cautious—Zhang Wei wasn’t worried he’d cause trouble.

“It was the Jiujiang Restaurant on the old road. That whole area’s pretty rough—I only just found out myself. Don’t wander around there for no reason, or you might end up my hospital roommate, haha.” Zhang Wei chuckled, as was his nature.

Han Yue scoffed and thumped Zhang Wei on the head. “All you do is talk nonsense! Xiaotian, stay here and keep him company. I promised a friend I’d go shopping, she’s been waiting ages, so I’ll head out first.”

But not long after Han Yue left, Jiang Xiaotian also departed. He had intended to stay longer, but then his phone buzzed with a message, and he knew he had to hurry home.

The text was from Ling’er, brimming with complaint: “When a dragon is starving, it will eat people!”

Jiang Xiaotian nearly forgot about the hungry little sister waiting at home. On his way back, he bought all sorts of meat dishes and even some seafood—after all, Ling’er would reimburse him, so he might as well indulge.

Of course, he took a detour to check out the so-called old street.

It was bustling, but the atmosphere was distinctly different. Jiang Xiaotian now possessed a certain sensitivity to danger, so he was confident.

His friend had been beaten so badly—he couldn’t just sit by.

He’d let it slide today; let them enjoy a few more days of peace.

He didn’t know exactly who was behind it, but if the place was as chaotic as they said, there must be a ringleader. If he taught these scoundrels’ leader a lesson, perhaps they’d keep a lower profile in the future.

That evening, Jiang Xiaotian shared his plan with Ling’er. She was in the midst of a ravenous feast, paying no attention to his words, perfectly demonstrating what it meant to inhale food like a whirlwind.

Only after she’d eaten and drunk her fill did she finally nod lazily. “Go ahead, I won’t stop you. But with your pathetic skills, be careful you don’t end up in trouble!”

Jiang Xiaotian knew he was, at best, just a bit stronger and tougher than ordinary people.

But he couldn’t swallow this indignity.

Before, when he had no ability, he could only endure. Now that he had the power, why should his friends suffer?