Volume One: Black and White Senior YearChapter Eight: The Formidable Woman

Indeed, as Long Kun struggled to his feet, four men with menacing expressions approached from all directions. Meanwhile, the drunken, aggressive woman swayed unsteadily, muttering incoherently under her breath.

A short man among them was the first to speak, laughing mockingly. "Ha! Looks like we're not the only ones here tonight. Compared to this kid's attempt at... well, let's just say our robbery seems downright civilized."

Evidently, the woman's earlier scream had misled the four men into assuming Long Kun was one of their kind, albeit operating in a slightly different trade.

A somewhat plump man chuckled lewdly, "Hah, it's obvious this kid's a rookie. Couldn't even get started before getting taken down by the girl herself." Turning to the still-dizzy woman, he sneered, "Missy, this guy's useless. Let me show you how it's done."

To their surprise, the drunken woman, despite her state, comprehended his words. She raised her head, glanced at him, and then shook it disdainfully. "I must be really drunk... imagining a pig talking to me."

Roars of laughter erupted, leaving the plump man's face flushed with humiliation. Normally, he was used to being called a pig, but to be mocked by a target during a heist? The indignity was unbearable. Furious, he lunged forward, attempting to seize the woman to regain control of the situation. Unfortunately for him, his outcome mirrored Long Kun's earlier predicament — with a wail, he too collapsed to the ground.

The remaining robbers, now realizing the woman wasn't as helpless as she seemed, formed a tight circle around her. Despite her unsteady stance, she countered their moves with surprising efficiency, landing punches and kicks in all directions. Within moments, all four men were writhing on the ground in pain.

As Long Kun sighed in relief and prepared to get up, the woman, seeing her opponents defeated, let out a silly laugh. "You filthy scoundrels are no match for me! Ha!" She rubbed her eyes, muttered, "Mission accomplished. Level cleared. Time to sleep," and promptly collapsed on the spot.

The sudden turn of events left Long Kun on the verge of tears. So, this lady thought she was playing a game?

The surroundings fell into an eerie silence. Even the robbers, previously groaning in pain, quieted down. After a long pause, they cautiously rose to their feet, ensuring the woman wasn't feigning unconsciousness. Once reassured, the plump man let out a heavy sigh. "Damn, that woman's got some serious strength." Long Kun couldn't agree more — his back and waist were still aching.

"Check her pockets," the plump man commanded one of his companions. "Her clothes look fancy. Could they be real Chanel, or just cheap knockoffs from the street market?"

"Are you kidding? It's definitely fake," another retorted. "Who with real money walks down this road? If it weren't for the crackdowns elsewhere, I wouldn't even be here tonight." His gaze shifted to Long Kun, lying motionless. "As for this guy, strip him of anything valuable, then get rid of him."

Feigning unconsciousness, Long Kun rolled his eyes inwardly. Was he acting that convincingly?

"Hey, Luo Shao," Long Kun whispered inwardly, "are you seriously not going to step in? If I die, wouldn't you be stuck wandering as a ghost?"

Finally, Luo An's voice responded, tinged with exasperation. "Long Kun, I deeply regret possessing your body. Not only did you get floored by a woman, but now you're playing dead?"

"Hey, aren't you supposed to help me?" Long Kun retorted defensively.

"Unbelievable. Could you be any more useless?"

"Didn't you just lecture me yesterday about not rushing in recklessly and that sometimes playing dead is a valid survival strategy?"

"... Fine. You win."

In the end, under Luo An's guidance, an utterly battered Long Kun managed to drag the drunken woman away, leaving behind the four groaning robbers in the dirt.

From a distance, two figures watched as Long Kun and the woman disappeared into the night. The taller of the two let out a soft, melodic sigh. "Xiao An, is this what you've been working so hard for?" Her voice carried an indescribable loneliness.

After a pause, her tone turned icy. "Luo Xi, take care of those fools. Leave no witnesses."

"Understood," the other figure replied, moving toward the defeated robbers. The woman, disinterested in the inevitable massacre, turned gracefully and vanished into the shadows.

Back in his dingy room, Long Kun's plans to study had completely evaporated. His body ached as if it had been run over. After dumping the unconscious woman on the sole bed in the room, he collapsed beside her and immediately fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, he awoke to his alarm, only to discover his entire body still throbbed with pain. Glancing at the bed, he found it disheveled but empty. The woman was gone.

"She left?" Long Kun muttered incredulously.

Luo An's voice echoed lazily in his mind. "She's long gone, kid."

"She didn't even say thank you?"

"Thank you? She nearly crippled you this morning. You should be grateful she didn't finish the job."

"What do you mean?"

"You were… uh, very handsy in your sleep. She woke up furious. Honestly, you're lucky she showed mercy."

Long Kun's face burned. "I didn't… did I?"

Luo An chuckled. "You did. And yes, you kissed her too."

"My first kiss!" Long Kun groaned. "I was saving that for the class monitor."

"Dream on, kid. You're in no shape to woo anyone right now."

Stifling his embarrassment, Long Kun resolved to focus on one thing: becoming stronger, no matter what it took.