Agent Yi Leng

Chapter Vol. 1 Ch. 18

Dealing with amateurs like this untrained assassin wasn’t a challenge. Yi Leng could take on eight of them single-handedly.

He calmly sidestepped the attack, stuck out a foot to trip the young man, and gave a swift pull. The guy fell flat on his face, eating dirt, and his knife fell from his grip. Yet, the young man was persistent. Crawling over, he grabbed at the knife handle again, but a foot planted firmly on his back pinned him to the ground, rendering him immobile.

The young man struggled and protested, “Don’t step on me!”

Yi Leng immediately removed his foot and even apologized, “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

The young man scrambled to his feet, now covered in filth from the grimy alley floor. Despite his disheveled state, he still held the knife tightly, his eyes scanning Yi Leng’s body, searching for a spot to strike.

Yi Leng could tell his intentions just from his gaze and said, “Doesn’t matter where you aim; none of it’s a good idea. The upper half is all vital organs—heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen. Hit any of those, and you’re dead. Slice a major artery? You’ll bleed out in no time.”

The young man retorted, “I don’t care!” But this time, he didn’t dare rush headlong at Yi Leng. Instead, he cautiously approached, step by step.

About ten meters away, the back door of the hair salon opened. Yan Hua stepped out, holding a spittoon, and was startled by the scene. She set the spittoon down, grabbed a mop with a broken handle from nearby, and prepared to join the fight.

At that moment, Yi Leng decided to show off. He leapt into the air, performing a 360-degree spinning roundhouse kick. Time seemed to slow for the young man. All he could see was a black leather pant leg, under which was a white cotton sock with a Nike swoosh logo, followed by a heavily worn black leather shoe. That shoe smashed into his face with a resounding thud.

Yan Hua paused, lowered the mop, and lit a cigarette. She leaned against the doorframe, watching with interest.

The young man sprawled face-first on the ground, his head buzzing. Such a flashy spinning kick wasn’t ideal for generating force; had it been a solid side kick instead, the guy would probably already be unconscious.

Yi Leng walked over, grabbed the young man’s permed hair, and asked, “Who sent you?”

The young man was surprisingly honest. “I don’t know. In our line of work, it’s a rule not to ask for the client’s name.”

Yi Leng chuckled. “Very professional of you. But how much are they paying you to kill me? That’s not a secret, is it?”

The young man replied, “The latest iPhone.”

Yi Leng raised an eyebrow. “Is that all my life is worth?”

The young man explained, “Uncle, I’m not here to kill you. Just to stab you once—not fatal. If you let me stab you, I’ll give you the iPhone. This is my first job, and I can’t mess it up.”

Yi Leng was both amused and exasperated. This kid was clearly not all there. Risking someone’s life for a phone—what a ridiculous notion. He was lucky to have encountered Yi Leng. If it had been anyone else, that knife could have gone too deep, and two families would be ruined forever.

Yi Leng wasn’t much for lecturing but was more than capable of teaching a lesson. A good beating could reach the soul, followed by a trip to the police station for proper handling.

Before he could act, Yan Hua swung the mop and struck the young man. “I’ll teach you to go around stabbing people! Some assassin you are!”

The young man rolled on the ground, trying to dodge Yan Hua’s strikes. But by sheer bad luck, one hit landed on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious. He lay there, completely motionless.

Hearing the commotion, Wu Yumei and Xiao Hong rushed over. They froze in shock at the sight.

“Did you just kill him?” Xiao Hong asked.

Yi Leng crouched down to check the young man’s pupils and pulse. “He’s not dead, just stunned.” He then asked Xiao Hong to bring a half-basin of cold water and splashed it on the young man’s face. In the freezing winter air, the shock revived him instantly.

Wu Yumei took out her phone, ready to call the police, but Yi Leng stopped her. First, he dragged the young man into the kitchen and asked Xiao Hong to bring some rope to tie him up. Tying someone up was a skill in itself, and Xiao Hong’s clumsy attempts resulted in little more than wrapping the rope around in circles.

Yan Hua took over. In no time, she had the young man tied up securely, with his hands and feet bound behind his back in a way that tightened the restraints with every movement.

Yi Leng was quietly impressed. This wasn’t a simple technique. During his time at the International Relations Academy, he had learned a similar method from a tactical instructor, who called it the “butcher’s hogtie.” Once bound this way, no amount of strength could break free.

Xiao Hong marveled, “Sister Yan, where did you learn this?”

The drinking began, with the customary downing of three full glasses. It was then that Rou Mingrui witnessed a bizarre scene he would never forget. Fire Alkaline Brother filled his glass to the brim, tipped it into his mouth... but didn’t swallow. Instead, he pulled a rubber tube from his waistband, inserted it into his mouth, and funneled the liquor through the tube.

“Sorry about this, brother,” Fire Alkaline Brother said, as if the act were perfectly normal.

Rou Mingrui could only give a thumbs-up. “Impressive.”

After three cups, the group picked up their chopsticks and began eating. Fire Alkaline Brother delicately picked a piece of braised intestine, chewed it thoroughly, then pulled out a small funnel. Attaching it to the rubber tube, he spat the chewed food into the funnel, added a bit of water to dilute it, and raised the tube high to let the mush slide down into his stomach.

One of his long-time lackeys, ever loyal as the comedic sidekick, asked, “Fire Alkaline Brother, why don’t you tell us how you got your name?”

Lighting a cigarette, Fire Alkaline Brother exhaled a plume of smoke, his mind drifting back to years gone by.

“It was the early ’90s,” he began. “I was young and reckless, ended up seriously injuring someone and got sent to prison. Back then, the legal system was underdeveloped, and prison conditions were rough. If you got seriously ill, you could apply for medical parole. So, many inmates tried everything to get sick—even self-harm.”

“Among all the methods, swallowing fire alkaline was the most extreme,” he continued. “Fire alkaline, or sodium hydroxide, is highly corrosive and used for cleaning. Some guys would secretly pocket a chunk while working and swallow it when no one was looking. Within minutes, they’d be coughing up blood. Sodium hydroxide would burn through the esophagus, leaving them permanently disabled. But hey, it got them out of prison.”

“For some, nothing mattered as long as they got out,” Fire Alkaline Brother said, his tone tinged with melancholy. Taking another sip through his tube, he added, “Of course, some didn’t know their limits. They swallowed too much, and the stuff burned straight through their stomachs. Those guys didn’t make it.”

Rou Mingrui, awestruck, raised his glass. “You’re as ruthless as the legends say, Fire Alkaline Brother. Truly Jiangwei’s most hardcore figure. I salute you.”

Just then, Yi Leng entered the room, carrying the Da Hong Pao tea. Fire Alkaline Brother beckoned him over. “Join us.”

Yi Leng smiled, raised his cup, and joined the toast.

“Brother, take a seat,” Fire Alkaline Brother said. “I came here today because I wanted to meet you. I heard you dislocated Yin Bingsong’s arm yesterday?”

Yi Leng chuckled. “I wouldn’t call it that big a deal.”

“Let’s not downplay it. Yin Bingsong is a formidable figure,” Fire Alkaline Brother replied. “I’ve had my share of disputes with him, and you saved me the trouble of dealing with him. I owe you a drink for that.”

Yi Leng accepted the toast and replied modestly, “I’m just a cook. I still have much to learn from you, Fire Alkaline Brother.”

Fire Alkaline Brother shook his head. “Don’t learn from me. I’ve spent decades in this life, gaining nothing but an empty reputation. I’ve failed my parents, my children, and my wife. She was once the school belle, but ever since marrying me, she hasn’t had a single good day. Listen to me, brother: once you enter this world, there’s no going back. These days, it’s not about fights and feuds anymore—it’s about brains, connections, and making money.”

Yi Leng nodded. “I appreciate the advice.”

Just then, the table began to shake violently. Fire Alkaline Brother’s subordinates removed the wooden plank covering the freezer and revealed what was underneath—a bound man with a gag in his mouth!

The notorious Fire Alkaline Brother was momentarily stunned, while Rou Mingrui stumbled back in shock, his gaze toward Yi Leng now filled with fear.

Yi Leng explained calmly, “Sorry about this. That kid was sent by Yin Bingsong to kill me. I caught him and decided to teach him a lesson. Don’t worry, he’s alive.”

He opened the freezer lid and pulled out the young man—Zhang Cong—who was indeed still alive but looked frozen stiff.

Zhang Cong sat up, glaring at Fire Alkaline Brother with cold resentment.

Fire Alkaline Brother yanked the gag from Zhang Cong’s mouth, his composure faltering. “You little bastard—why is it you?”

Zhang Cong, his tongue still numb, retorted, “Old bastard—why can you drink here but I can’t chill in the freezer?”

[--------------------------------------------]

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