The sickly one in F4 was the group's darling.

Huang Mao dialed the number and put it on speakerphone.

beep - beep -

It rang twice before being answered. A deep male voice came through, tinged with impatience: "What is it?"

Huang Mao seemed to have been given a second life, his back straightened instantly, and his voice was shrill and urgent: "Brother Qi! It's me, A Mao! I'm at Sister's Hair Salon in Willow Lane. There's some idiot here, wearing a school uniform and acting all high and mighty. He beat up all the brothers."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Wearing school uniforms? How many of them?"

"Just one!" Huang Mao glared at Bai Ci. "He's as skinny as a bamboo pole, but he's ruthless. Master Qi, bring a few more men; this kid has definitely trained."

"Got it." The sound of a lighter flicked open; someone lit a cigarette. "Wait there. I want to see who dares to mess with my people on my turf."

The phone hangs up.

Huang Mao stuffed his phone into his pocket, and his whole demeanor seemed to change.

He leaned against the door frame, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and blew the smoke toward the ceiling.

"Did you hear that? Master Qi is here in person. He's been in the old town for so many years, and no one has ever dared to cause trouble on his turf."

He glanced sideways at Bai Ci, "Kid, weren't you pretty good at fighting just now? Let's see how many you can take on when Master Qi brings his men. Ten? Twenty?"

Bamboo Pole straightened his back and bared his teeth, speaking in a defiant tone: "Brother Mao, twenty is too few. Last time, that fool offended Master Qi and spent half a year in the hospital, still on crutches!"

"Half a year?" Potato clicked his tongue and replied, "That guy was caught and beaten up again less than two months after being discharged from the hospital, so he went straight back and stayed in the hospital again."

Huang Mao waved his hand, feigning magnanimity: "Kneel down now and kowtow three times, call me 'Master Mao,' and I'll talk to Master Qi later and ask him to go easy on you. How about that?"

He looked at Bai Ci, waiting for a reply.

Bai Ci didn't look at him; she was talking to Xiao Qi in her mind.

"Xiaoqi, is the recording finished?"

"It was turned on as soon as he came in. He said it himself, 'Two thousand a month, I guarantee your safety.' All the evidence of his extortion is saved. Including that hands-free call just now, his words 'Bring a few more people' were also recorded. I'll transfer it to your phone now." Xiaoqi's voice was crisp and clear.

Bai Ci took out her phone and opened the audio file.

Huang Mao's voice came through the phone, ringing out exceptionally clearly in the quiet shop:

"Two thousand a month, and I'll keep you safe."

"You think that's all?"

"Master Qi will be there soon."

"Bring a few more people with you; this kid has definitely trained."

Huang Mao's smile froze, and both Zhu Gan and Tu Dou's faces turned pale at the same time.

Bai Ci turned off the recording and put his phone back in his pocket. He looked at Huang Mao, his tone flat, as if he were saying that the weather was nice today.

"Do you think if this recording is sent to the Bureau of Order Enforcement, your boss Qi will come to your rescue?"

Huang Mao dropped the cigarette from his mouth. He opened his mouth, wanting to say, "You fucking tricked me," but only managed a few muffled breaths.

He recalled those three seconds when he was pinned to the ground and couldn't breathe.

The person who choked him spoke in the same tone, as calmly as if stating a pre-written conclusion.

Bamboo Pole tugged at Huang Mao's sleeve: "Mao, Brother Mao...when did he record this...?"

The potatoes have already started moving towards the door.

Huang Mao flung away the bamboo pole, forcing a tough front, but his lips were trembling.

"So what if you recorded it? When Master Qi comes, he'll deal with you just the same way!" His voice was loud, but his fingers were gripping the door frame tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Xiao Qi snorted in her mind: "Take care of you? Bye-bye, when the people from the Order Enforcement Bureau arrive, it's not certain who will take care of whom."

Bai Ci didn't reply. He changed the direction of his leg and was about to ask Xiao Qi to notify the Order Enforcement Bureau.

Behind the cashier, the proprietress gently tucked Niu Niu under the counter and hid her.

She heard the recording clearly: "Two thousand a month, guaranteed safety," and "Bring more people with you."

This kid has evidence, irrefutable evidence.

She didn't dare report Huang Maolai's disturbances to the Public Order Enforcement Bureau before because she had no evidence and even if she did, he wouldn't be detained for more than two days.

Things are different now. Huang Mao said in his phone call to call for reinforcements, "Wait there," meaning Master Qi's men will likely arrive soon.

She looked at Bai Ci sitting in the barber's chair; he had gotten into trouble with these people because he stood up for her.

The proprietress took a deep breath, pulled her phone out of her apron pocket, found the number she had saved for a long time but never dialed—the emergency hotline for the Enforcement Bureau—and dialed it.

"Hello, I need to report a crime. Someone is extorting money from my shop, and they've called over a dozen people who are on their way. The address is Willow Lane in the old town, Sister's Hair Salon."

She lowered her voice and spoke quickly. The person on the other end asked something, and she replied, "Yes, still in the store. I have a recording as evidence," and then hung up. She placed her phone screen-down on the counter, looked up, her hands still trembling, but her eyes were no longer panicked.

Bai Ci turned to look at her, and the two exchanged a glance. Bai Ci's lips twitched slightly, but very faintly.

The proprietress didn't say anything. She patted Niu Niu's head and stood up straight.

Upon hearing the noise, Huang Mao turned his head sharply, the last trace of color draining from his face.

"You fucking called the police?!" His voice was shrill and trembling as he pointed at the proprietress, then at Bai Ci, "You, you!"

Potato had already started shuffling towards the back door, his heels hitting the doorframe, his voice weak: "Brother Mao, if the enforcement bureau comes, we'll all have to go in..."

"Brother Mao!" Bamboo Pole cried out in a panic, "Are we leaving or not? If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

Huang Mao flung the bamboo pole away and turned to leave.

He took a step, stood in the doorway, placed his hand on the doorknob, and remained motionless.

The bamboo pole and the potato looked at each other, neither daring to urge him.

Aren't you going to run?

Huang Mao's back stiffened.

Bai Ci chewed the candy a couple of times. "In that phone call just now, you gave Qi Ye the address. He told you to wait. Now that you've run away, if he brings his men and finds nothing there, do you think he'll believe you were scared away, or that you sold him out?"

Huang Mao's hand slid off the doorknob.

"You called people to ambush me, then ran away." Bai Ci tilted her head, her light brown eyes as calm as a frozen lake. "What does your Master Qi dislike the most?"

Huang Mao's lips were trembling. Of course he knew what Master Qi hated most: trouble, people under him who thought they were clever, and the Bureau of Order Enforcement.

He doesn't ask why anyone offended him with any of these three things.

Last year, a kid was caught stealing something. After he got out, he ran to Master Qi, kowtowed three times, and said he would never dare to do it again.

Master Qi didn't say anything, but had him dragged out, and no one ever saw that kid again.

Huang Mao leaned against the doorframe, his forehead covered in cold sweat. If he ran, Master Qi wouldn't let him go. If he didn't run, the enforcement bureau would arrive soon.

"Bye-bye," Xiaoqi whispered in her mind, "You've made him so scared that he doesn't even dare to run away. This guy just thought he had two choices, but now he realizes he has none."

Bamboo Pole tugged at Huang Mao's sleeve, his voice barely audible: "Brother Mao, are we going or not...?"

Huang Mao didn't answer; his feet seemed nailed to the floor tiles, and he couldn't move an inch.

Bamboo Pole leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Mao, why hasn't Master Qi arrived yet... Brother Mao, should we retreat first?"

"Soon!" Huang Mao gritted his teeth. "What's the rush? Master Qi said he'd come, and he definitely will."

Potato squatted by the door, his neck hunched, his voice weak: "But...but Brother Mao, he has a recording...what if Master Qi comes and runs into the Enforcement Bureau...?"

"Shut up!" Huang Mao kicked out, but Tudou dodged to the side and missed.

Huang Mao didn't move; he gripped the door, his knees still throbbing.

The three seconds he was pinned to the ground, unable to breathe, felt like they were branded into his bones. He didn't want to admit it, but he really didn't dare to look at Bai Ci.

He glanced again at the alley outside the door; it was deserted. Master Qi hadn't arrived yet, and the Enforcement Bureau personnel would likely arrive at any moment.

He swallowed hard and suddenly stood up straight.

"So what if I report it!" He suddenly raised his voice, startling Bamboo Pole. "So what if the enforcement bureau comes? If we're in trouble, so will they be! He assaulted someone, so he'll be in jail too!"

He pointed at Bai Ci.

Bamboo Pole paused for a moment, then quickly added, "Yes! He attacked too! We all got hurt!"

Potato peeked out from the corner, his voice still weak, but the tone had already changed: "Well, that's right, there are three of us and only one of him. If the enforcement bureau comes, it's hard to say who will come out on top."

Huang Mao patted Tudou's head, speaking faster and faster, as if emboldened by his own words: "Besides, Master Qi knows a lot of people. Which enforcement officer in the old city doesn't give him face? Once Master Qi arrives, one phone call will settle everything. So what if it's a recording? Once it's in Master Qi's hands, it's no longer evidence."

Bamboo Pole nodded vigorously beside him, and Potato chimed in, "That's right! If Master Qi said he'd come, he definitely would!"

Huang Mao lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, his hand still trembling, but his mouth didn't stop: "Let him report it. I want to see if the Enforcement Bureau arrives faster, or if Master Qi arrives faster?"