Volume One, Chapter 13: No Mercy, No Relenting—Strike When Needed, Kneel When Required

When the name Huo Chenyuan echoed through the microphone across the entire auditorium, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.

The mobilization meeting ended, and the students received their competition and examination permits in batches.

Just as Jiang Yu received her documents, she was surrounded by several figures.

Leading them was Qin Xuewei.

She was wearing a brand-new blue dress today, her face adorned with a reserved smile, yet her tone remained disdainful.

“Jiang Yu, I heard you’re living at Officer Huo’s house now?”

A girl beside her quickly chimed in, “Yeah, yeah, so you must be pretty close to Brother Chenyuan? What does he usually like? Can you help me pass him a letter?”

“Brother Chenyuan is so serious. Do you think he likes us at all?”

Their chatter buzzed like bees around nectar.

Jiang Yu’s gaze drifted beyond them to a short distance away.

Huo Chenyuan was surrounded by several city officials, standing tall and dignified like a pine tree, his face a mask of formal composure that shut out the burning gazes of all who tried to approach.

“Not close,” Jiang Yu said coolly, brushing past them and heading straight toward Huo Chenyuan.

Qin Xuewei’s smile stiffened, watching helplessly as Jiang Yu moved through the crowd of complicated glances and stood before that man.

Huo Chenyuan had just finished a conversation and was about to leave when he saw his frail stepsister standing before him.

“Something you need?” His voice and expression were equally cold and emotionless.

“Officer Huo,” Jiang Yu looked up, using the most distant form of address, “Could you tell me how to get to the city library? I want to look up some materials.”

Huo Chenyuan’s gaze lingered on her for two seconds. In those clear eyes, there was none of the admiration or bashfulness other girls showed—only a calm, still lake.

He succinctly gave her directions and added, “The shortcut through the old town alley is the quickest way from here.”

“Thank you.” Jiang Yu nodded and turned to leave, without hesitation or delay.

Huo Chenyuan watched her retreating figure, his brow twitching ever so slightly.

...

The alley was a quiet, old street, its bluestone slabs polished smooth by time.

On both sides, worn courtyard walls stood under the long shadows cast by dim yellow street lamps.

Jiang Yu had just reached the middle of the alley when both ends were suddenly blocked.

Five rough-looking young men swaggered forward to surround her.

The leader, a blond with slanted eyes, immediately recognized her and a lecherous grin spread across his face. “Well, well, if it isn’t the Jiang family’s lapdog. So, you’ve flown high following your mother’s remarriage, huh?”

Jiang Yu’s steps faltered, her eyes turning cold.

Memories from her past life surged up like rotting sludge.

She recognized these men as brothers of her third brother, Jiang Baoguo, from the factory.

In her past life, Jiang Baoguo constantly stirred trouble outside—fighting, brawling—and every time, she was forced by her father, Jiang Weimin, to go door to door with the little eggs and fabric the family had, apologizing to these scumbags.

She remembered this blond clearly.

Back then, he would take the offerings with a sense of entitlement, reaching out his oil-stained, grimy hand—black dirt caked under his nails—to pat her face lecherously, even attempting to slide his greasy fingers down her cheek to her neck.

Reeking of foul cigarettes, he sneered, “Your brother’s a loser, but you’re a good little dog. What’s the matter? Not cleaning up your brother’s mess today? Come on, bark like a dog, then kneel and kowtow. I’ll let this slide.”

Back then, she could only lower her head in humiliation, apologizing again and again, enduring their shameless mockery.

“Why so quiet now?” another thug stepped closer, greedily scanning her from head to toe.

“I heard you’re living in the military compound now, got some money, huh? The brothers are a bit tight lately, mind lending some? If you don’t have cash...”

He burst into a vile laugh: “You could just pay us in ‘kind’! Let the brothers have a feel, or crawl under me—how about it?”

“Hahaha, make her wag her tail! Wasn’t she the best at that before?”

The men in their floral shirts laughed raucously.

How could a person stoop so low?

Jiang Yu thought, she used to never dare fight back.

But now it was different.

Her hand, hanging by her side, quietly slipped into her bag, clutching a cold, hard metal object—a wrench used for machine repairs.

She looked up, “Finished talking?”

“Hey, this little brat’s got some nerve!” The blond lost patience, waving his hand, “Get her! Let her remember how she used to be a dog!”

A thug sneered and lunged first, reaching for Jiang Yu’s hair.

Little punk.

She didn’t retreat but moved forward, twisting her body at an impossible angle to dodge, and at the same time, the cold gleam of her wrench flashed!

“Crack!”

A bone-chilling snap rang out.

The thug’s arm bent outward at a twisted angle. He didn’t even have time to realize what happened before pain swept through his entire body.

“Ah—!”

His scream shattered the alley’s silence.

The remaining four were dumbfounded, momentarily frozen.

“Damn!” one stepped back, face pale with terror. “Isn’t this the Jiang family’s punching bag? How dare she...”

The Jiang Yu they remembered was the woman who kept her head down and didn’t dare breathe heavily. How could she break a man’s arm with one move?

The blond leader’s face darkened with cruelty as he barked, “What the hell are you all standing there for? She’s alone! Attack together, break her!”

Jiang Yu thought, if I can twist machine parts, how could I not break your arms and legs?

She didn’t give them a chance to surround her.

As the blond shouted, she surged forward, her wrench slicing through the air like the coldest weapon.

No flashy moves—only strikes that landed solidly.

The hatred and endurance from her past life, now repaid to them!

“Bang!” A thug’s knee was struck; he groaned and dropped to his knees stiffly.

“Crack!” Another tried to block but his wristI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.