Hades Crown Prince

5.Destitute

Fashion, trends, the holy land of working class, and other synonymous terms all come together in this province. At this moment, Yangcheng is vibrant and full of life. The streets and alleys are crowded with people, and the local young people are dressed fashionably, exuding an air of confidence. Youngsters with hairstyles like Yu Xuan’s can be seen everywhere.

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan, with their bags slung over their shoulders, stood in the square outside the train station, taking in this new world. They were both incredibly shocked. The bustling scene before them made them involuntarily swallow, and both were itching to try their hand at it.

"Fatty, our time has come!" Chen Buqi straightened his back and said loudly.

"Of course, bro. In the future, my name, Yu Xuan, will resound throughout this place!" Yu Xuan flicked his bangs aside confidently.

Just as Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan were about to take their first step into the world, a group of burly men grabbed them by the collars and shoved them toward a corner tower near the train station. As the two were still in a daze, dozens of fists the size of clay pots rained down on them.

"Bang, bang, screech, thud…" A few minutes later, the two, beaten into something resembling pigs' heads, were thrown to the ground, staring in terror at their attackers.

While Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan were still processing why they had been beaten, the large men began rummaging through their belongings. Their bags were turned inside out, but there was nothing of value. Then, the men began stripping the two of their pants, finally taking all the money hidden in their underwear.

"Sorry, little brothers," said the middle-aged man with dragon tattoos on his arms, squatting down and smiling at Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan. "I’m a little short on cash lately, so I’m borrowing some from you two."

"Big brother, if you need money, just ask. No need to beat us up," Chen Buqi said, looking at the leader of the group in disbelief.

"Hehe, after borrowing your money, I’ll give you some advice: Fatty, you should cut your hair; otherwise, you might get beaten to death." The big brother tugged at Yu Xuan's bangs.

After taking the money, the group patted their backsides and walked off. The surrounding travelers merely gave them a curious glance and then went on with their own business. Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan helped each other up, gathering their scattered belongings.

"Bro, we’re just going to let it go like that?" Yu Xuan gritted his teeth, glaring at the men walking away.

"Let it go? I’ve memorized their faces. Let’s go find the police," Chen Buqi wiped the blood from his nose.

Just as the two of them, burning with anger, were heading to the police station, a skinny man with a matchstick in his mouth bumped into Yu Xuan while cleaning his ears. Chen Buqi, quick on his feet, pulled Yu Xuan out of the way. The man was momentarily stunned, then grabbed Yu Xuan's hand and shouted that Yu Xuan had bumped into him, causing his ear to be damaged, and that Yu Xuan should pay for it!

"D*mn it!" Both of them, already furious, surrounded the skinny man and gave him a beating!

"What are you doing? Don’t leave!" A group of men from the crowd rushed in, cursing.

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan realized something was wrong and kicked the skinny man in the head before running away. The skinny man had been in this business for years but had never encountered such bold and reckless young men. Lying on the ground, he didn’t recover for a while, and when his accomplices arrived, he was still holding his head.

"D*mn, this is really a dragon’s den! We just got off the train and this happens," Chen Buqi panted, leaning against a wall to catch his breath.

"D*mn…" Yu Xuan also collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion.

It wasn’t until evening that the two slowly made their way into the city. By now, the two young men no longer had the fervor they once had for this city.

Staring at the various street foods, both of them, already starving, stood by the glass windows, watching longingly.

"Buqi, do you think those chicken feet are good?" Yu Xuan drooled as he looked at the neatly arranged snacks in the glass window.

"That baozi (steamed bun) looks even better," Chen Buqi said, watching a child bite into a juicy char siu bun.

"Buqi, do you think we’re like the first emperor, who couldn’t finish what he started and died halfway?" Yu Xuan turned around, looking pitifully at Chen Buqi.

Chen Buqi was shocked. He never thought Yu Xuan would say something so profound.

"What are you looking at me like that for? I graduated high school, okay?" Yu Xuan flicked his bangs, revealing another panda-eye.

"Alright, let’s go!" Chen Buqi helplessly turned around to leave.

"D*mn it, if only I had grabbed that box of meat," Yu Xuan reluctantly turned to leave.

Just then, a man wearing flip-flops, beach shorts, and a white tank top walked out of the shop with a smile.

"Hey, little brothers, wait up." The man called out to Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan.

"Is there something?" Chen Buqi looked at the man.

"Little brothers, I see by your clothes that you're Taoists?" The man said, with a toothpick in his mouth, walking toward them.

Chen Buqi, dressed in a Taoist robe, sized up the man carefully. He couldn’t afford to be careless after running into two big pits as soon as they left the train station.

"Don’t worry, I’m treating you to a meal. This restaurant is mine," the man said nonchalantly, pointing to the tea restaurant sign behind him.

"Let’s go!" Chen Buqi immediately led Yu Xuan into the restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan ate their fill of various dishes, their hunger finally satisfied. The man sat cross-legged with a smile, playing with a hand string, watching the two of them.

"Are you full yet?" Chen Buqi drank tea, watching Yu Xuan stuff his face with chicken feet.

"Almost, almost, just a little more." Yu Xuan mumbled, his mouth full.

"Give my brother another bowl of roast duck noodles," Chen Buqi said without hesitation.

"No problem!" The man didn’t get angry, immediately signaling the waiter.

After eating and drinking their fill, Chen Buqi took a small black wooden plaque from his waist and tossed it to the man. The man froze for a moment.

"I’m not eating your food for nothing. Your family’s issue isn’t as complicated as you think. The child is young, and he saw something unclean outside, which scared him. Take this and put it by the child’s bed, and he’ll be fine tomorrow." Chen Buqi said nonchalantly.

The once leisurely and calm man immediately stood up, staring at Chen Buqi, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Let’s go, Fatty." Chen Buqi stood up, grabbing his bundle.

"Master, please wait. I was rude just now. May I offer you a seat upstairs?" The man hurriedly stood in front of Chen Buqi.

Chen Buqi and Yu Xuan, with their backpacks on, exchanged a glance and shook their heads. These two were genuinely scared!

"Sorry, after eating your meal, I solved one of your problems. We’re even now. If there’s something else, we’ll meet again when fate allows," Chen Buqi said with a bow.

"I understand, I understand. My name is Bi Jia, I’m from Yangcheng, and I own a few restaurants here. If you two little brothers want to eat something in the future, just come by," said Bi Jia, who had traveled around the world and knew the temperament of people like them. He quickly said everything nicely.

Afterward, he had the waiter pack a few portions of dim sum and handed an envelope to Chen Buqi.

"Thank you, Brother Bi. I’m Chen Buqi, and this is my brother, Yu Xuan," Chen Buqi accepted Bi Jia’s kindness without hesitation. At this point, the two brothers were so poor they could barely make it.