Several boys climbed onto the car roof, ready to attack. One swung a wooden stick and charged. Fyren lifted his foot and kicked him square in the chest, sending the kid flying off the SUV roof to the ground.
Another attacker swung from behind. Fyren pivoted and kicked him down too. Two kicks, two down - an efficiency that impressed even these thugs. They quickly realized this lone intruder actually had skills.
The gang grew cautious, surrounding Fyren and aiming for his legs. Fyren dismounted with a side flip, startling the crowd who briefly retreated before surging forward again.
For Fyren, this was just a test. He wanted to see if the beginner-level "Great Sage's Tiger-subduing Fist" from his system actually worked. The results shocked even him.
Everyone was stunned. This wasn't a man - it was a fighting machine!
Dressed in his high-end suit and Italian leather shoes, Fyren unleashed brutally raw punches. No one could get near him! Attackers would blink and find Fyren vanished from their sight, only to be yanked by their hair and headbutted into car doors with twin bangs, left rolling in pain clutching their skulls.
Others found their arms twisted with inch-perfect precision, joints popped from sockets. Some took palm strikes to the throat, left gasping for air for over thirty seconds... Each opponent needed just one move. Any more would have insulted the technique's dignity.
Xena sat stunned in the car, phone recording while her whole body bounced with excitement. "Fuck! Fuck! This Fyren! Holy shit! OMG one-punch knockout! Fuck! That kick was insane! Fuck!..."
Under thirty seconds. Unbelievably fast. The field now held over twenty groaning bodies - some clutching dislocated shoulders, others moaning with head injuries, a few unconscious and foaming at the mouth...
Eason stood frozen, baseball bat dangling, his head swiveling between the carnage and Fyren like he'd seen a ghost. He cautiously approached. "You... take performance enhancers or something?"
Fyren glared. "Wipe your blood. Let's go talk to Hale."
They approached Hale's convertible. Even the gang leader sat dumbfounded, his two beautiful companions now visibly terrified. Fyren's ferocity was unreal - no opponent needed a second hit. Each first strike guaranteed instant incapacitation.
The two beauties had originally thought accompanying Hale would be glamorous - being pampered, flirting and smiling while watching Hale beat up Fyren. Instead, they witnessed a handsome man in a suit take down the entire group single-handedly like a god of war.
Now, Fyren's stone-cold expression terrified them. They feared he hadn't had enough and might come beat them too - a terrifying thought.
Fyren approached Hale. "Can we talk now?"
Hale slowly stood up, surveying his incapacitated crew with a stiff expression. "Hmph, didn't expect you to be such a fighter!"
Fyren stared him down. "Why attack my brother?"
Hale slowly drew a pistol from his shirt pocket, aiming at Fyren. "What good are fighting skills? You faster than a bullet? On your knees!"
Eason hadn't expected firearms. He immediately stepped in front of Fyren. "Don't you dare shoot! I fucking dare you!"
"Fuck! Think I won't?"
"I fucking know you won't! Shoot me then!"
Fyren pivoted away from Eason, now holding a stone. With a violent throw, the rock struck Hale's hand with a crack. Hale screamed, dropping the gun.
In one bound, Fyren pinned Hale to the seat, pressing a dagger to his throat. "Can't outrun bullets, but I can outrun your trigger finger."
Hale glared, then suddenly laughed viciously. "Alright, brother, you're tough! Today I, Hale, learned something. What's your name?"
"Fyren."
Hale froze. "Fyren? Of Crystalpeak City's Zhang family? President of Dasheng Group?"
"That's me."
Clear awe showed in Hale's expression. At any time, those with money, power and status commanded respect - even from enemies.
Hale nodded. "Didn't expect this. Rumors say the Zhang heir's a bootlicking scumbag. Seems unreliable - today proved that. But Young Master Fyren, I won't submit. Stab me if you dare! Otherwise, I'll keep ambushing Eason until he's wasted!"
Fyren chuckled, sheathing his dagger. "Why?"
Hale rubbed his throat, straightening his shirt. "Ask him what he did!"
Fyren turned to Eason, who shrugged. "I... didn't do anything."
Hale exploded. "He slept with my sister! If I can't avenge my sister, I shouldn't be in this business!"
Fyren's eyes widened at Eason. "True?"
Eason said, "I... didn't know she was his sister! Besides... it was consensual! I even offered her five hundred thousand afterward - she refused!"
Fyren looked back at Hale. "A consensual affair gives you no right to attack my brother!"
Hale said angrily, "My sister was tricked into his bed! He promised to marry her, so she stayed with him. Then afterward he tried to pay her off with half a million! Damn right I'm not letting this go for half a million!"
Fyren turned to Eason again.
Eason hurriedly explained, "It's a misunderstanding! A real misunderstanding! I saw a pretty girl near my car, asked her out, and then... you know the normal process. But then she started playing with my feelings! You know how exhausting that is!"
Fyren felt utterly exasperated.
He said to Hale, "We can discuss this properly. Why resort to violence?"
Hale retorted, "I demanded he take responsibility, but he acted even more arrogant than me! I, Hale, haven't survived this long by begging people to marry my sister!"
Eason shot back, "I'm no rookie either! You think you can just collect debts from me like I'm some nobody?"
"Then what?"
"What do you mean 'then what'?"
"What do you want?"
"What do YOU want?"
"Stop! Stop stop stop stop!" Fyren spread his arms to silence both men.
Pointing at Eason, Fyren scolded, "You! Never doing anything productive, just picking up girls left and right! Brother, whether they're easy or decent women, you should figure that out before getting involved! Now you've taken advantage and refuse responsibility? If I were her brother, I'd beat you too!"
Then to Hale: "And you! Just because you've got some reputation and a few lackeys, you think you can solve everything with violence? This is a relationship issue, not some gang negotiation! What good comes from beating him up? Is this how you protect your sister?"
Eason looked utterly confused. "Fyren, what the hell are you...?"
"Right," Hale echoed the confusion. "I get you scolding him, and even your points against me make some sense. But when you scold us both together, I'm completely lost!"
Fyren explained, "It takes two to make these decisions - whether to get involved or not. So what's the point of beating him to death? You go to jail, and your sister brings you prison meals every day? These things can't be forced."
"He tricked my sister with no intention of responsibility!"
"I told you it's a misunderstanding, and he's willing to make amends."
"I don't want amends - I want one of his legs!"
"What's the point of taking his thick, fatty leg?"
Fyren asked, "Where is your sister? Have you even asked her opinion?"
"What's there to ask?" Hale said. "My sister definitely agrees with me beating him up!"
"Call off your men, invite your sister out, and let's have dinner together."
Hale eyed Fyren suspiciously. "What's your game?"
"We need to find a solution, but it has to be with your sister present. We need to hear both their thoughts and feelings."
...
At a Chinese restaurant.
Fyren stared at Hale's sister and froze momentarily.
While Hale looked rough and intimidating, his sister appeared remarkably well-behaved and innocent. Dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans, her face flushed red as she kept her head slightly bowed, barely daring to look up at anyone.
Fyren leaned close to Eason and whispered, "You damn fatty, you've got good taste. This girl's top quality."
"Nonsense," Eason muttered. "At first I thought she was doing some schoolgirl roleplay thing. Only after meeting did I realize she's a genuine college student."
Fyren remarked, "How's it possible Hale looks so shabby while his sister's this pretty?"
Xena chimed in, "Eighty percent chance they're half-siblings with different fathers. Their genes don't match at all."
Hale glared at them. "Why don't you say it louder? I'm not deaf! And what's this 'different fathers' nonsense? That's not how it works!"
Fyren laughed awkwardly. "Aigooo, sorry sorry sorry! It's just... first time meeting your sister, got a bit excited! What's your name, sis?"
"Susan." Though shy, Susan managed a polite smile toward Fyren, though she turned bashful again when her gaze met Eason's.
Fyren thought to himself: This is promising - the girl actually likes this fat guy!
With a warm smile, Fyren said, "Susan, we're all adults here. No need to be nervous about these matters. Here's the situation - because of... well, your relationship with Eason, your brother got quite angry. He's protective of his sister and nearly came to blows with this fat... I mean, with Eason..."
Susan immediately grew concerned. "Brother! Why would you hit people?"
Hale suddenly became flustered. "No, no hitting happened... I got hit too, see?" He showed the back of his injured hand.
"Ahem, alright alright, minor misunderstanding already cleared up," Fyren interjected.
Susan said earnestly, "Brother Eason, I'm so sorry. My brother dropped out young, always solving things with his fists. He's simple-minded but means well. Please don't be angry with him."
Eason grew equally flustered. "Oh, no no, it's fine! Just some car damage, no big deal."
Fyren quickly intervened, thinking their apologies were making things sound worse.
"Sister Susan, do you genuinely like Eason? Honestly, besides his money, what do you see in him?"
Susan laughed softly. "Fyren, you guys really don't remember me?"
"Huh?"
Both Fyren and Eason froze in surprise.