Long Hu gang

The bald man approached Liu Xiaoyu with a grin, "Little beauty, don't you know it's dangerous to wander around alone?" Liu Xiaoyu rolled her eyes, "I'm here with my husband, not alone."

"Where's your husband? I don't see him," he asked. Liu Xiaoyu pointed towards Noah, who was squatting on a distant oil tank, "There... that's him."

The bald man signaled one of the young men with a glance. Understanding the cue, the young man picked up his machete and headed towards Noah.

"Haha, how about you hang out with us from now on? I'll make sure you have food on your plate. In these times, that useless husband of yours won't be able to keep you alive."

Hearing this, Liu Xiaoyu's expression cooled, then suddenly brightened with a smile, reaching out to the bald man, "Okay, take me with you then."

The bald man was overjoyed, "Smart girl, I promise you'll live comfortably, hahaha..." As he reached out to embrace Liu Xiaoyu, a glint of cold light flashed in her eyes. Supporting herself on the motorcycle, she delivered a fierce kick to the bald man's chest.

A normal person would have been solidly hit, but the bald man reacted quickly, raising his arm to block Liu Xiaoyu's kick. However, he underestimated Liu Xiaoyu's strength and was sent flying, his left arm broken by the force of the kick. "You're the worthless one, your whole family is worthless, pah!" Insulting her Noah was something Liu Xiaoyu could not tolerate.

The bald man staggered to his feet, his left arm limply at his side, cold sweat streaming down his forehead from the intense pain, gritting his teeth, "Damn, you're an awakener too?" Cursing his luck, he realized Liu Xiaoyu's strength was beyond normal, a clear sign of an awakener's power. As an awakener himself, he was acutely aware of how terrifying the power of an awakener could be.

Forced into a corner, one should not lightly provoke an awakener. But now that enmity was established, they had no choice but to eliminate the threat completely. The bald man, not underestimating his opponent, quickly pulled out a dagger from his waist and launched his ability with a cold shout, "Eagle Eye Tracking," throwing the dagger straight at Liu Xiaoyu.

Liu Xiaoyu, already on guard, dodged the incoming dagger with ease. The dagger missed, but the bald man laughed unnaturally, "Die, bitch!"

The dagger that had flown past silently curved back, aiming at Liu Xiaoyu again. By the time Liu Xiaoyu noticed, it was too late; the dagger, gleaming with a cold light, was inches away, and evasion seemed impossible.

Just as the dagger was about to strike Liu Xiaoyu, it suddenly stopped in mid-air, hanging silently. The menacing smile on the bald man's face froze. His ability, "Eagle Eye Tracking," ensured that any weapon he threw would almost certainly hit its target, automatically tracking the target until it hit, making his thrown knives more terrifying than bullets. Yet, this supposedly unmissable knife was now motionless.

"How is this possible? What did you do?" the bald man roared at Liu Xiaoyu in anger. "A Grade-B ability, not bad," a detached voice commented. Noah walked slowly in front of Liu Xiaoyu, flicking her on the forehead, "Remember next time to finish them off immediately. Don't give your opponent a chance to breathe. There are many types of abilities; don't get caught off guard."

In theory, a higher-level ability is stronger, but that doesn't mean higher-level abilities can absolutely overpower lower-level ones. The strength of an ability greatly depends on its user. Properly utilized, a lower-level ability can defeat a higher-level ability.

Had Liu Xiaoyu taken the opportunity to press her advantage and not given the opponent a chance to throw his knife, she could have used her brute strength to kill him before he had a chance to use his ability. Liu Xiaoyu, covering her forehead, bashfully stuck out her tongue, "Got it, hubby~~"

Noah looked puzzled, "Since when did I become your husband? I wasn't aware." "Isn't there a saying that one can only repay a life-saving debt with a promise of marriage? You've saved me twice already, and me offering myself in marriage as thanks is already me being very reserved," she retorted. Noah chuckled, "Repaying a debt doesn't necessarily mean you have to offer yourself in marriage. Can't you just work like an ox or a horse instead?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Liu Xiaoyu pouted, then, as if realizing something, she slyly smiled, "It's pretty much the same thing." Noah, trying not to laugh, gave her a thumbs up, "Your driving skills are unparalleled; the wheels almost ran over my face."

Liu Xiaoyu hugged Noah, giggling. 'Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...' The sound of slicing air followed as several knives flew towards them. The bald man, seeing them ignore him, angrily threw a series of knives in a sneak attack, "Die, all of you!"

Noah glanced casually, and the knives froze mid-air. "It was you, wasn't it? You're an awakener too!" The bald man pointed at Noah, trembling. By now, even a fool could tell they had encountered someone formidable. "Look, it's all a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding," the bald man instinctively backed away, scanning his surroundings for his men, wondering why they hadn't come to help yet.

But what he saw nearly scared him out of his wits.

The ground was strewn with bodies; all of the bald man's underlings were already dead. Each one had been silently killed, impaled through the mouth or throat by rebar and machetes, without even a chance to scream. The bald man, terrified out of his wits, collapsed to the ground, shaking uncontrollably.

"Bro, I was wrong, please spare my life. Give the Long Hu gang some face. The mountains do not turn, but the rivers do; if you ever need me, Wild Dog, just say the word. My boss is Hu Ye, also an awakener, a very strong one. If you kill me, Hu Ye won't let you off."

Noah pondered for a moment, "Long Hu gang, Hu Ye..." In his memory, there seemed to be a recollection of such a force, though not very vivid. He only knew that the Long Hu gang was originally an underworld organization in Su City. After the apocalypse, awakeners emerged within the gang, allowing it to secure a territory in Su City and establish a respectable post-apocalyptic force.

It seemed a visit to the Long Hu gang was necessary. With a casual wave of his hand, Noah sent the knives flying back towards the bald man, pinning him to the ground. He then approached, placed a hand on the man's head, and silently commanded, "Hand it over!"