Chapter 13: Fractured Calm

Chapter 13: Fractured Calm

Lin Mu looked at them, his expression unreadable. He glanced at the faces in the crowd, some curious, others skeptical, and a few downright hostile. These were the same people who had ignored him or whispered behind his back when he was at his lowest.

He scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "And why should I tell any of you?" His voice was calm but carried an undertone of defiance. "I don't remember hearing this much questions when you b*ches and b*stards thought I was useless?."

" None of you cared about me before, so why should I care about what you think now?" Lin Mu said with a disdainful gaze as if just staying here and speaking to them was something he really resented.

His words sliced through the air, leaving a tense silence in their wake. The crowd exchanged glances, their curiosity turning to frustration.

"Hey, kid, don't act all high and mighty just because you've got some new trick up your sleeve," a burly man near the back of the crowd growled. His tone was laced with irritation, and he began pushing through the onlookers to confront Lin Mu. "You think you're better than us now?, Let's see if that speed helps you when you're flat on your back."

Lin Mu shook his head, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Seriously?, That's the best you could think off, beat the answer out of me?. Let me guess, you're one of those fools who peaked in high school and still think you're a big deal."

The burly man's face turned red as laughter rippled through the crowd. Embarrassed but unwilling to back down, he stepped closer, his fists clenched. "You've got a smart mouth, kid. Let's see how tough you are without that treadmill."

As if on cue, a few others stepped forward, including the middle aged man Lin Mu recognized as the one who had helped him earlier. Lin Mu's smirk faded, replaced by a cold, detached look.

"Wow," Lin Mu said, his voice low as he stared coldly at the man. "You're really going to join in?, Guess loyalty doesn't last long these days."

The middle aged man hesitated for a moment but stood his ground, emboldened by the others. " Just tell us what we want to know and we'll gladly let you leave here safe and sound."

" Nice...., a grown man openly threatening a child." Lin Mu's eyes darkened, his usual vibrant gaze giving way to an unsettling void-like stare, his pupils and iris instantly turned pitch black in the blink of an eye." If there's one thing I hate....it's a spineless coward too scared to leave the flock."

"Fine" Lin Mu said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You want to know what's changed?, Let me show you."

Before the burly man could react, Lin Mu moved. His figure turned into a blur. One moment he was standing still, and the next, he was behind the man, delivering a precise strike to the back of his knees.

CRACK!!!

"Arghh!!" The man groaned as he was forced down to his knee's with a grunt, his legs giving out beneath him. 

" You son a bitc–" Before the man could finish cursing, Lin Mu raised his leg and twisted his waist, before kicking the man on the right side of his face with his full strength.

CRACK!!!!

The sound of the man's jaw dislocating was heard as Lin Mu's shin smashed into him and sent him flying into the crowd, before knocking into some people and smacking them off their feet.

" I surrende–" The middle aged man barely had time to raise his hands in defense before Lin Mu grabbed him by the collar and shoved him back, sending him stumbling into another bystander. The others hesitated, their bravado evaporating as they realized they were outmatched.

"Still think I'm an easy mark?." Lin Mu asked, his voice icy. He looked down at the burly man, who was groaning on the floor and not unconscious, thanks to his superhuman ability, which was a superhuman body. 

"Next time you guys decide to pick a fight, make sure you're ready to finish it." Lin Mu's said before making his way forward.

The crowd parted as Lin Mu walked away, their shocked gazes following him. His steps were calm and measured, but the tension in the air was palpable.

By the time the gym's security team arrived, alerted by the commotion, Lin Mu was already gone. The guards questioned the onlookers, but none of them had a clear answer. They were too shaken to explain what had just happened.

---

In the Car

Li Fei sat in the backseat of her sleek black car, her arms crossed as she stared out the window. Her assistant, Gu Shen, sat in the front passenger seat, nervously fidgeting with his hands.

"Gu Shen." Li Fei said, breaking the silence. Her tone was calm, but there was an edge to it that made the assistant sit up straight, The only time she had ever called out his full name were on occasions were she was completely serious about something, and knowing Li Fei, Mister Gu knew not to get on her had side no matter what.

"Just who is that boy?, The one who was on the treadmill." Li Fei asked after a moment of silence.

Gu Shen hesitated, unsure of how to respond. "Miss Li, I... I'm not entirely sure, but—"

"Don't lie to me," Li Fei interrupted, her sharp gaze meeting his in the rearview mirror. "I saw you amongst the crowd. Let's just forget the part where you visibly disobeyed me for now, ok?."

" Y..Yes ma'am." 

" Good..., So back then, You recognized him, didn't you?. Tell me, Just what do you know about him."

" Since Miss Li is so curious, I guess there's no use hiding it." Gu Shen sighed, realizing he couldn't avoid the question. "That boy is called Lin Mu Miss Li. He's a bit infamous around here. Most people know him as the 'cursed brat.'"

Li Fei raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Cursed?, That's quite the label. Care to elaborate?."

" Of course Miss Li, The label isn't actually an ability but a form of insult the locals gave him for his lack of ability...well his former lack of ability anyways."