Chapter 004: Ancestral Relic

Zhao Feng shook his head, deciding not to dwell on it any further.

The Zhao surname was native to the village of Xiaoxi, while all other surnames had migrated there later. At this moment, the yard outside the three-room bungalow was packed with people, leaving not so much as a gap to slip through.

A white Jinbei van blocked the main gate entirely. Around it stood some villagers and a crowd of unruly youths. Some had their hair dyed yellow, others sported tattoos—there were at least twenty or thirty of them.

Among the crowd, a middle-aged man and woman stood trembling with fear—Zhao Feng’s parents, Zhao Jun and Chen Lan. Zhao Jun was tall and robust—a former soldier who had returned to his hometown.

“Hey! Zhao Jun, today’s your last chance. When are you going to pay up?” A skinny youth with yellow hair, acting as if he owned the place, sneered down at them.

Zhao Jun, his hair cropped short, looked spirited and alert. He held Chen Lan’s hand and said, “Zhao Xiao, we’re from the same village. By seniority, you should call me Uncle!”

“Spit!” The yellow-haired Zhao Xiao spat on the ground. “Who do you think is your uncle?”

Zhao Jun quickly changed his approach. “Zhao Xiao, don’t get upset! We’re brothers, after all!” He forced a smile, his face stiff with anxiety.

“Brothers? With you? Spit!” Zhao Xiao kicked Zhao Jun in the stomach. To Zhao Jun, the blow was nothing, but he dared not retaliate. He kept up the forced smile. “Zhao Xiao, are you satisfied now?”

“Don’t give me that nonsense!” Zhao Xiao stretched out his right hand, and one of his cronies quickly handed him a baseball bat. “Today, you either pay, or you get your head cracked open!” He waved the bat menacingly.

Zhao Jun stepped forward, shielding Chen Lan behind him. He exhaled deeply. “Zhao Xiao, give me a little more time. I’ll ask my fellow soldiers for help.”

In truth, Zhao Jun said this deliberately, hinting to Zhao Xiao that he still had connections from his military days. That was precisely why Zhao Xiao and his gang didn’t dare to go too far—Zhao Jun’s background gave them pause.

Sure enough, Zhao Xiao’s expression darkened at his words. He stroked his chin, thinking of what to do next. Seeing Zhao Xiao hesitate, Zhao Jun let out a breath of relief. The crowd fell silent.

A full two minutes passed before Zhao Xiao finally dropped his hand from his chin. He fixed Zhao Jun with a stare. “Do you even know how much you owe?”

Zhao Jun shook his head.

“Let me enlighten you, then!” Zhao Xiao pulled a folded slip of paper from his pocket, opened it slowly, and held it up for Zhao Jun to see. “Take a good look—your signature is right there in black and white!”

Zhao Jun’s face grew grim.

Zhao Xiao continued, “It’s one million! Do you know what that means? I bet you don’t.” Zhao Jun shook his head slowly.

“If you save ten thousand a month, that’s a hundred thousand a year. Even if you ate and drank nothing, it would take you ten years to pay it off!” Zhao Xiao sneered, “Do you really think your old army buddies have that kind of money?”

Zhao Jun shook his head.

Zhao Xiao laughed coldly. “Uncle Zhao Jun, I’ve brought you a great idea!” Zhao Jun frowned—the sudden change in Zhao Xiao’s tone made him wary. But he held his tongue, curious to hear what Zhao Xiao would propose. He took a deep breath. “What idea?”

Zhao Xiao grinned. “Uncle Zhao, I heard you have an ancestral heirloom.”

A thunderclap seemed to explode in Zhao Jun’s mind. Fury twisted his features as he glared at Zhao Xiao. “Who told you that?”

“That’s none of your concern. All you need to know is—you’re about to get rich!” Zhao Xiao smirked.

Zhao Jun’s anger boiled over. In a flash of rage, he slapped Zhao Xiao hard across the face, spinning him half around. Zhao Xiao clutched his left cheek in stunned disbelief.

The scene froze. Villagers and gang members alike were shocked into silence.

But Zhao Jun instantly regretted his outburst—not because of guilt, but because these people were too dangerous. He remembered his own leg—he owed its state to their handiwork.

That night, as Zhao Jun was walking home as usual, a motorcycle had appeared out of nowhere. He never saw the faces, but the man on the back seat had swung a baseball bat and shattered his knee. He’d passed out from the pain.

He took a shaky breath. “Zhao Xiao, it was wrong of me. Uncle lost his temper.”

Zhao Xiao screamed, “You dare hit me? Get him! Break his other leg for me!”

With a roar, the gang members brandished their bats, advancing on Zhao Jun.

“What should we do?” Chen Lan clung desperately to Zhao Jun’s arm.

Zhao Jun patted her hand, pushing her protectively behind him. Zhao Xiao glared murderously at Zhao Jun. “How do you want to settle this?”

Zhao Jun pleaded, “Zhao Xiao, it was my fault. Don’t you remember, when you were a child, I used to give you candy?”

“Go to hell!” Zhao Xiao cursed, showing no mercy. He raised his bat, swinging it down with all his might.

Zhao Jun’s face darkened. He knew Zhao Xiao was no match for him, but he dared not fight back.

The bat whooshed through the air, aimed straight at Zhao Jun. In that instant, Zhao Jun wrapped Chen Lan tightly in his arms, ready to shield her from the blow.

He braced himself for pain—but none came. Dazed, Zhao Jun slowly opened his eyes. A bare-chested figure stood between him and the gang, the sunlight forming a halo around his head.

Both Zhao Jun and Chen Lan found the back strangely familiar.

Zhao Jun blinked. “You are…?”

The figure turned, and the sunlight lit up Zhao Feng’s face like a crown.

Zhao Feng grinned. “Dad! It’s me!”

Zhao Jun was stunned, then overjoyed. “Xiaofeng?! You’re back?”

Zhao Feng smiled. “That’s right, Dad. I’m home.”

Zhao Jun laughed heartily, so overwhelmed that he nearly jumped for joy. Limping, he threw his arms around Zhao Feng.

But Zhao Feng’s eyes were fixed on his father’s injured leg. His expression turned grim. “Dad, your leg…?”

Zhao Jun shook his head. “Xiaofeng, I’m fine. I’m just glad you’re back.”

“Who did this?” Zhao Feng’s anger simmered beneath the surface, his voice trembling.

Zhao Jun shook his head again. “Xiaofeng, I’m fine. Seeing you is enough.”

But Zhao Feng paid no heed. He slowly turned, eyes boring into Zhao Xiao.

Zhao Xiao, terrified by Zhao Feng’s presence, stammered, “Wh-what do you want?”