Street Stories: A True Account of a Group of Blind Men in the Underworld

"Don't touch her..."

Qiao Yang roared again, and for the first time, panic and disarray surged in his blind eyes.

He could ignore the flashing blades and break bones with his bare hands, but his opponent had grasped his most vulnerable spot—Su Yue.

If she suffers even the slightest mishap, he could tear this group of people to pieces and still not be able to save her.

Seeing that Qiao Yang had finally given in, the third son of the Huang family's face became even more ferocious, and he was so smug that he almost burst into wild laughter:

"Wouldn't it have been better to do this earlier? Blind man, I'll give you one choice—cripple your own arm, and I'll let this little wench go!"

The short knife pressed down even tighter against Su Yue's neck, the blade slicing through her skin and drawing blood.

"No... Mr. Qiao, please leave me alone!" Su Yue's eyes were red with anxiety as she shook her head desperately.

Qiao Yang trembled all over, gritted his teeth and growled:

"I promise you! Release her, and I'll cut off my own arm!"

As he finished speaking, he slowly raised his right hand, his gaze empty yet resolute. His fingers were slightly bent, as if he intended to shatter his own shoulder bone!

Both the third son of the Huang family and the bodyguard with the knife wore cruel smiles.

They wanted to see with their own eyes this blind fortune teller who had defeated two young masters of the Huang family and swept away a group of thugs, become a complete cripple!

"Let's do it!"

The third son of the Huang family urged him on sternly.

Qiao Yang took a deep breath, his shoulder bones tensed, and his strength was gathered—

At this critical moment!

"Bang--!"

A crisp gunshot pierced the night sky!

Immediately following was the sound of synchronized footsteps, like thunder, sweeping down from the banks of the Haihe River!

"Don't move!"

Several powerful flashlights instantly pierced the darkness, illuminating the Haihe Riverbank as if it were daytime!

A patrol of soldiers in military uniforms, armed with rifles, quickly surrounded them, their guns pointed at Huang's third son and his men!

Leading the group was a middle-aged military officer with a stern face and a pistol at his waist. He strode forward, his gaze sweeping across the scene like a hawk's, and shouted sternly:

"Third son of the Huang family! You disregard the law, commit violence and assault, ambush and kill on the road at night, and today you dare to commit further atrocities on the banks of the Haihe River!"

"Stop right there! Run again, and you'll be shot on sight!"

The third son of the Huang family froze, his soul nearly leaving his body in fright!

He never expected that the military control commissioners would suddenly appear out of nowhere!

"Go! Go quickly!"

He no longer cared about Qiao Yang and Su Yue, and turned to disappear into the darkness. The bodyguard was also terrified, letting go of Su Yue and running for his life after him.

"Trying to run away?"

The middle-aged officer sneered and fired another shot.

The bullet grazed the foot of Huang's third son and entered the ground, scaring him so much that his legs went weak and he knelt down on the spot, his crotch soaked.

The soldiers rushed forward and instantly pinned the two men to the ground, locking their handcuffs with a "click"!

Having narrowly escaped death, Su Yue was limp and collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Upon hearing the sound, Qiao Yang's tense body suddenly relaxed, the force in his shoulder dissipated, he staggered a step, grabbed the tree trunk beside him, and let out a long breath.

The middle-aged officer strode up to Qiao Yang, his expression turning solemn yet tinged with respect:

"Mr. Qiao, we're sorry you had to suffer this injustice. Fortunately, you came to the Military Control Commission to report the situation yesterday. We already have evidence of the Huang brothers' crimes of oppressing the people, abducting women, and hiring thugs."

"We just received a report from the lookouts at Tianjin Hospital, and they've come specifically to close in and wipe out this gang of thieves!"

Qiao Yang slowly straightened up, his face regaining its usual calm, though his voice still carried a hint of lingering fear:

"Thank you for arriving in time, sir; otherwise... the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"This is what we should do. The leaders of the Military Control Commission asked me to convey their regards to you!"

The officer turned to look at the third son of the Huang family, who was being held captive and whose face was ashen, and gave a stern order:

"Take them all away! Thoroughly investigate all the crimes committed by the Huang family; leave no one unpunished!"

The soldiers escorted the wailing Huang family's third son and others away.

The banks of the Haihe River have returned to silence, with only the gentle sound of the evening breeze rustling the water.

Qiao Yang groped his way to Su Yue's side and asked softly:

"Miss Su, are you alright?"

Su Yue looked up at the blind man before her, who was more reliable than anyone else, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

She shook her head vigorously, grabbed his hand, and choked out:

"I'm alright... Mr. Joe, I'm fine now."

Qiao Yang gently patted the back of her hand, his tone calm yet reassuring:

"That's all in the past. With the military control commission in place, the landscape of Tianjin has changed."

The two walked slowly back along the riverbank. The tension of being on the brink of life and death had now turned into an indescribable sense of relief.

Before long, two figures stopped in front of Su Yue's house.

The dim streetlights cast long shadows of the two people, and a night breeze added an air of unspoken ambiguity.

Su Yue's heart warmed, and she immediately tried to persuade him to stay:

"Mr. Qiao, would you like to come in and have a cup of tea before you leave?"

Qiao Yang gently shook his head, his tone gentle yet firm:

"No, it's getting late. I don't want to disturb your family. You should get some rest too."

Su Yue's nose suddenly stung, her eyes instantly reddened, and her voice choked with sobs:

"Mr. Qiao, you almost risked your life for me... I, Su Yue, am afraid I can never repay this immense kindness in my lifetime!"

Qiao Yang smiled faintly, waved his hand, and said calmly:

"It was nothing, Miss Su, please don't take it to heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned and left, his back straight as a pine tree, which made Su Yue's heart tremble.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking.

Just as Liu Shang and his apprentice Qiao Yang got up, the door to the ward was gently pushed open.

Su Yue walked in carrying a steaming hot food box, and the aroma instantly filled the entire room.

"Mr. Qiao, Mr. Liu, I brought you some authentic Tianjin breakfast."

As soon as the food box was opened, the aroma of the crispy rice crust with sauce was rich, the sesame flatbread was crispy and fragrant, and there were freshly fried candies, glistening and tempting.

Liu Shang took a few deep breaths of the fragrant air, then quickly waved his hand and said:

"Miss Su, we can't accept this! My son and I haven't even finished the Goubuli steamed buns you gave us yesterday!"

After hearing this, Qiao Yang burst into laughter, deliberately making a joke:

"Miss Su, are you taking us for gluttons? Do you think we country folk have an astonishing appetite?"

Su Yue blushed, glaring at him with a mixture of embarrassment and annoyance, but her glare held no power whatsoever; instead, it only made her look charming and alluring.

"Mr. Qiao is just making fun of me! I don't mean it that way... If you and Mr. Liu could really eat three to five pounds in one meal, I'd be happy to deliver it to you every day!"

These words made the master and apprentice laugh heartily, creating an extremely harmonious atmosphere.

After eating and drinking his fill, Qiao Yang put on his satchel, leaned on the inconspicuous horse pole, and his demeanor suddenly changed.

The previous gentleness vanished without a trace, replaced by an unfathomable confidence.

"I'm going to that wealthy family we talked about last night."

Su Yue immediately stepped forward:

"Mr. Qiao, I'll show you the way!"

Qiao Yang gently raised his hand to stop her, his eyes resolute:

"You can't go. If you go on stage, I'll ruin the performance."

As for how to persuade the wealthy businessman to give up the idea of ​​marrying Wen Jing, and how to get him to willingly pay for Wen Jing's father's medical treatment—

Qiao Yang had already rehearsed the whole thing twice in his mind.

A confident smile curled at the corner of his lips. Dealing with this kind of person was easier for him than catching a turtle in a jar!