Chapter 5 Station Thugs
1223 Words
Chen Jiapei wore overalls with a plaid shirt underneath and a sun hat she had brought back from a tourist site.
She was dragging her suitcase, pacing back and forth across the open square in front of the train station, looking for her brother. Not spotting him, she sighed and was about to maneuver her heavy luggage through the dense crowd when someone approached her.
“Hey there, beauty, need help with your luggage?”
The speaker was a young man dressed oddly, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he lazily observed the throng of people coming and going. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Tossing away the cigarette, he rushed over, his eagerness and seemingly sincere offer perfectly timed—he was sure this approach would win her over.
“No, thank you,” Chen Jiapei declined without hesitation. She had encountered people like this far too often—always finding excuses to approach others. It was exhausting to deal with them.
“Hey now, that’s no way to talk. You’ve got so much stuff, and it’s hard to manage all by yourself, isn’t it?
I’m just trying to help, doing a good deed like the role model Lei Feng. What could go wrong in such a crowded place?”
The young man clearly hadn’t expected the sweet and innocent-looking girl to reject him so bluntly. His face flushed with embarrassment as people nearby cast amused glances in his direction, their expressions taunting him.
“Sorry, perhaps I wasn’t clear. I can handle these things myself. Besides, my brother is on his way to pick me up. Even if I couldn’t manage on my own, I wouldn’t need help from someone who gets angry just because they’ve been turned down.”
Her voice was firm, cutting off any chance for the situation to escalate.
“Oh? Who are you trying to scare, little girl?”
The ruffian pulled out a lighter and lit another cigarette, trailing after her at a leisurely pace. No matter how quickly Chen Jiapei walked, he matched her stride. A group of similarly idle companions snickered and followed him, their eyes gleaming with mischief.
The square was bustling, and with a security post nearby, they didn’t dare cause any trouble—yet.
Chen Jiahua glanced at his phone and felt a partial sense of relief after receiving her message. His companions,
Ye Yun and Wei Sanpang, were exchanging light banter, joking in half-serious, half-teasing tones.
“Hua-ge, when’s your sister getting here? It’s been over 20 minutes since her train was supposed to arrive.
Are you sure you got the right time?”
“Of course I’m sure. Sanpang, didn’t I just cover your internet café tab? How accurate was your info?”
Wei Sanpang, having tucked the ostentatious gold chain around his neck into his pocket, looked almost respectable in his presentable outfit. Anyone unfamiliar with him wouldn’t guess that this seemingly harmless, chubby man was actually a gangster.
“No mistakes, Hua-ge!” Wei Sanpang protested. “Maybe she didn’t hear you clearly about where to meet?”
Chen Jiahua was about to scold him further when Ye Yun interrupted. “Look, there she is!” he said, pointing to the approaching figure.
“Why are there a few shady-looking guys following her?” Wei Sanpang muttered, squinting.
“Brother!” Chen Jiapei called out, finally allowing herself a moment of relief. However, she quickly noticed that the group of hooligans had dared to follow her even here.
“You’re back—good. I told you, working part-time is a great way to experience life’s hardships,” Chen
Jiahua said, his tense expression softening into a smile. He reached out to take her luggage, while Ye Yun and Sanpang quickly helped load the bags into the minivan.
“You guys aren’t going anywhere!”
The cocky leader of the group of ruffians strutted forward, thrilled that the girl had unknowingly led them into a quiet alley. But his smugness quickly evaporated when he saw the imposing men now standing around her.
Ye Yun and Wei Sanpang exchanged amused glances. Where did this punk get his courage?
“Why can’t we leave?” Chen Jiahua asked casually, lighting a cheap cigarette. His tall stature and piercing eyes exuded the aura of a predator ready to strike.
“Because I said so. You’re not going anywhere unless…”
“Unless you leave that little chick with us. My brothers and I want a turn with her!” one of the hooligans shouted, his voice dripping with malicious glee.
Ye Yun and Sanpang instinctively looked at Chen Jiahua. They both thought the same thing: This kid must have a death wish.
“Brother, how many times have I told you not to smoke?” Chen Jiapei scolded, unfazed by the gang’s threats. Her main concern seemed to be her brother’s bad habit.
“Yezi, beat them as hard as you can,” Chen Jiahua said, ignoring her.
“Hua-ge, now that’s music to my ears,” Ye Yun replied.
Chen Jiahua strolled forward calmly and delivered a single, casual kick. The leader of the gang, who stood about 1.78 meters tall and weighed 75 kilograms, flew backward two or three meters before crashing to the ground.
The rest of the gang froze, stunned. It was as if they had just witnessed Pan Changjiang dunk on Yao Ming. The leader, who had once held his ground against multiple opponents in street brawls, had been sent flying by a single kick?
This wasn’t a movie—this was terrifyingly real!
Ye Yun and Sanpang sprang into action, grabbing two of the thugs by their hair and slapping them across the face repeatedly. The ruffians attempted to fight back, but their opponents were clearly seasoned fighters.
Within moments, the gang was reduced to a pitiful mess, their cries for mercy echoing through the alley.
“Big brothers, we were wrong! Please stop hitting us!” they pleaded.
Sanpang laughed heartily, pointing at each of them in turn while keeping a firm grip on one thug’s hair.
“Hua-ge, they’re begging for mercy. How should we deal with them?”
Chen Jiahua walked over leisurely, sneering. “What did you do wrong? Whoever answers first gets to leave.”
“I—”
Before the leader could speak, a wiry member of the group blurted out, “We’re just a bunch of scumbags who didn’t recognize your greatness. It was our mistake to provoke you. Please spare us—we won’t dare to do it again!”
The leader glared daggers at the wiry man, who quickly lowered his head in shame.
“Good,” Chen Jiahua said, clapping his hands. “Admitting you’re scumbags is a start. You lot hang around the west station square, stealing and causing trouble. Do you even realize how much harm you’re causing to society? Think about the damage you’re doing to Jiapei City’s image.”
The gang stared at him in bewilderment. Was this thug trying to lecture them like a police officer?
Chen Jiahua turned to Ye Yun. “Does anyone from our company oversee this area?”
“
Yes, Hyena’s in charge here. He’s probably busy at the restaurant right now. Hua-ge, take Jiapei back first. I’ll call him to deal with this.”
- Writer
