Chapter Fourteen Overnight Fee of Two Hundred and One Nights

"Let her go!" Liu Fei's cold gaze fixed on the well-dressed, strong young man. Why mention 'strong'? Firstly, though this young man was similar in height to Liu Fei, his physique was much larger, especially the thickness of his chest, indicating his robustness.

"Hahaha... Do you know who I am?" The young man, standing on the steps of the small inn, towering above Liu Fei, looked down at him arrogantly.

Just as others judged them based on their appearances, the strong young man didn't care much for this 'interfering' slender youth. His demeanor, like his position, looked down on the somewhat familiar but impoverished figure below. He didn't know Liu Fei's background, unaware that Liu Fei worked as a janitor at school. Strictly speaking, he had never even noticed Liu Fei.

Compared to the well-dressed young man, Liu Fei's clothes, though clean, were obviously of low quality. This indicated Liu Fei's position at the bottom of society.

"Give you three seconds, get the hell away from me, or..." The strong young man grabbed Su Zijing's hair, glaring fiercely at Liu Fei. If it weren't for the beauty beside him, he wouldn't mind teaching this ignorant fool a lesson.

Suddenly! Liu Fei moved. Watching the strong young man coldly, Liu Fei's body tensed like a drawn bow, then shot out like an arrow.

The speed was astounding. Not only was the strong young man caught off guard, but even the onlookers hadn't reacted.

If anyone familiar with Liu Fei's background had been present, they would've recognized this as Lao Tie Tou's fighting style. However, most onlookers didn't know Liu Fei. To them, he was just an independent figure in the slums. Most residents knew Lao Tie Tou had an adopted son, but not many knew him personally.

Lao Tie Tou might be short, but he was strong-willed. In fights, he employed ruthless tactics, striking first and then relentlessly attacking his opponent like a madman. This was what made people fear Lao Tie Tou.

Initiate! Charge out! Lift the foot! Kick out...

All actions flowed seamlessly, one after another. Liu Fei not only inherited Lao Tie Tou's 'strike first' fighting style but also his ruthless and cunning approach.

The strong young man was still in a vulnerable state, and the kick, accompanied by a swishing sound, landed heavily beneath his pants...

The entire Fallen Street fell silent. People seemed to hear the sound of an egg being crushed, sending shivers down their spines. Some even subconsciously touched their own pants.

Time seemed to freeze. The strong young man stared blankly at Liu Fei, his face filled with incredulity.

One second! Two seconds!

"Ah..." A heart-wrenching scream tore through the stagnant space of Fallen Street. The pain, like a tidal wave, flooded his nervous system. The strong young man collapsed to the ground, hands clutching his crotch, contorting in agony.

Su Zijing's hand released its grip, and she timidly hid behind Liu Fei like a startled bird.

"Give me the money!" Liu Fei turned to face Su Zijing, who looked panicked.

"Ah... um... I have it, I'll give it to you..." Su Zijing stuttered, hastily producing a golden smart card from her pocket. It was an advanced type that converted body heat into energy. The card itself had a touchscreen and a micro interface. By overlapping another card, it could read information and perform transactions.

"It's yours." Liu Fei frowned, handing over his own card to Su Zijing.

"Oh... um... yeah..." Su Zijing hurriedly took Liu Fei's card to transfer the payment.

"I... I... I'll give you... ten thousand Zhuo'er coins..." The strong young man's pain had somewhat subsided. He raised his head, beads of sweat as big as beans dripping down his pale face, looking extremely wretched. Liu Fei's earlier kick had rendered him completely powerless. Lao Tie Tou's teachings had been deeply ingrained in his soul.

"Ten thousand!" Liu Fei's eyebrows twitched. His annual school fees amounted to only forty thousand Zhuo'er coins. Undoubtedly, this ten thousand was a huge temptation for him.

"I'll give you twenty thousand, I'll give it now, right now..." Su Zijing's face turned pale.

"Five thousand, I'll pay five thousand! Don't you want money?" The strong young man gritted his teeth.

"Don't... I'll pay ten... I'll pay fifty-five thousand..." Su Zijing suddenly froze. The maximum daily limit for her card was only a hundred thousand.

"No need, I've already received your money." Liu Fei's heart pounded violently. Resisting the temptation of ten thousand, he breathed a sigh of relief. He believed that even if Lao Tie Tou were present, he wouldn't allow such behavior.

Lao Tie Tou had said, 'Every circle has its own rules!'

What is "circle".

Liu Fei had no understanding of the term "circle" as mentioned by Lao Tie Tou. Lao Tie Tou's most frequently uttered phrase was "where there are people, there's a 'circle'", but unfortunately, Liu Fei still had only a vague idea. However, his subconscious told him that if he accepted the ten thousand, Lao Tie Tou, if alive, would definitely oppose it. He could only regret that the strong young man hadn't offered him the ten thousand in the first place.

Ten thousand...

Liu Fei lamented inwardly, feeling as though his heart had been stabbed. If he had those hundred thousand Zuo'er coins, combined with his savings, by September, he could enter the Zhuer Mecha University, his dream.

Shaking his head, Liu Fei strode out. He was already nearing the end of Fallen Street. After passing through another alley, he would reach his mecha house.

"Whoever takes him down for me, two hundred thousand Zuo'er coins!" Seeing Su Zijing preparing to leave, Liu Fei also turned around. The young man lying on the ground suddenly stood up, hysterically shouting.

A dangerous aura permeated the air...

Suddenly, Liu Fei turned around, his eyes cold and indifferent, yet a hint of ferocity gleamed within them.

Twenty thousand Zuoer coins!

What does twenty thousand Zuoer coins represent?

In the eyes of the wealthy, twenty thousand Zuoer coins may not be a significant amount, but to the residents of the impoverished district, it signifies the potential to change their lives. With a bit of wit, it could even mean escaping from the filth and garbage strewn across the impoverished area.

Twenty thousand Zuoer coins emitted a tremendous allure, causing the dozens of onlookers' eyes to turn into those of hungry wolves. A massive circle of greed formed naturally, with sinister and greedy faces slowly closing in.

Under a substantial reward, there will always be brave individuals.

This is an eternal truth!

The situation took a sudden turn for the worse, with extreme danger spreading through the air. Su Zijing's delicate body trembled slightly, her face pale with despair.

Liu Fei stood motionless, his body as steady as a towering mountain, his eyes becoming sharp and ruthless. His mind raced with calculations.

What would he do if Ironhead were alive?

What would he do?

Using Ironhead's behavior as his basis for judgment had become ingrained in Liu Fei's thinking. The answer came to him in an instant. In the blink of an eye, Liu Fei's body moved with dazzling speed, leaving countless afterimages in its wake. Between each motion and stillness, it seemed to cause a reverse flow of blood in the onlookers' veins.

Liu Fei didn't flee.

Nor did he launch an attack on the crowd.

Instead, like a cannonball, he charged towards the sturdy young man...

"Thud—" the sound of two bodies colliding, followed by a muffled impact, then the strong young man's body flew away.

"Bang—" a loud noise, and the strong young man had fallen at the entrance of the small inn, the rusted metal door was significantly deformed by the impact.

Liu Fei didn't hesitate, his feet quickly interlaced into a blur of shadows, his body closely following behind. The strong young man had just hit the metal door and landed on the ground when a hand as strong as a vice gripped his throat, lifting his entire body to lean against the door.

Punch!

A fierce punch directly struck the strong young man's abdomen, and as Liu Fei's hand holding the young man's neck loosened, the strong young man's body went limp like a boneless creature and collapsed to the ground, barely breathing.

"Tragedy didn't end there. A pair of somewhat worn combat boots stepped onto the young man's throat. These shoes belonged to Lao Tietou, and Liu Fei had always wanted them. Unfortunately, Lao Tietou had said they held some commemorative significance, treating them like treasures and vowing never to let Liu Fei wear them unless he died. Now that Lao Tietou was dead, Liu Fei saw no reason for guilt. After all, it was Lao Tietou's own words.

"Whoever comes over, I'll stomp them to death!" Liu Fei's voice was as chilling as the cold wind of winter.

The crowd paused, momentarily confused. They couldn't understand why Liu Fei would threaten them with a student they didn't even know. What did it have to do with them if the young man died?

But gradually, they began to understand. If the young man died, nobody would benefit. It could even bring disaster upon themselves. Given the young man's attire and arrogant demeanor, his background was likely not simple. His death might lead to retaliation against them.

Sometimes, the wealthy were the most unreasonable, holding vast wealth and connections. Their vengeance could be terrifying. Legend had it that over twenty years ago, a student from the Zuoer Mech University was killed by a gang from the slums. This resulted in a bloody massacre of the student's family. Nearly all of the top ten assassins from the Seven Star Domains gathered here, and within a week, the gang disappeared completely, never to be seen again.

In the slums, whether ordinary residents, thugs, or gang organizations, they all adhered to a rule: avoid harassing the students. The prosperity of Fallen Street was closely linked to the assurance of the students' safety. If Fallen Street became dangerous, who would dare to come here?

In fact, students from the Zuoer Mech University never imagined they would encounter trouble in Fallen Street. Even the teachers from the university shared this belief. Compared to the criminals in the slums, the cost of targeting students was too high. Thus, the people here, knowingly or unknowingly, safeguarded the students' safety. Of course, this didn't include some students who collaborated with the thugs in the slums for various deeds.

If this student died, if his background was influential, if... after that, it might invite a frenzy of bloody revenge!

Seeing some people step back, those who were slow to react seemed to have realized the crux of the matter. They shivered, realizing it was best to stay away from the enmity between students. Few from the Zuoer Mech University were easy to bully, and certainly, it wasn't the slum dwellers' place to bully them.

In Fallen Street, residents of the slums generally didn't involve themselves in the students' conflicts.

Liu Fei coldly glanced at the surrounding crowd, then turned and strode away. His movements were slow yet resolute. The crowd, like a tide, naturally parted to make way for him, watching Liu Fei and Su Zijing leave.

Finally, crossing Fallen Street and entering the alley leading to the mech house, Liu Fei's tense muscles relaxed, and he heaved a long sigh of relief. Stopping, he turned back.

"Our transaction is over," Liu Fei said expressionlessly, looking at Su Zijing, who was following him closely.

"Can you escort me to school?" Suddenly turning around, Liu Fei startled Su Zijing, who took a step back, keeping a distance from him, and asked cautiously.

"Yes, for five thousand Zuoer coins!"

"What? Five thousand Zuoer coins, are you robbing me?" Su Zijing barely contained her anger. Her impression of Liu Fei had plummeted. In her eyes, he was a despicable person, taking advantage of others in dire straits. Five thousand Zuoer coins might not be much, but she was just a student. Plus, she had developed the habit of not spending money unnecessarily since childhood. Once she was out of danger, she immediately felt it wasn't worth it.

Liu Fei snorted disdainfully and walked quickly towards the mech house. In the darkness of the night, the towering mech could already be faintly seen.

"Just five thousand. Don't go!" 

Seeing Liu Fei leaving briskly, Su Zijing couldn't help but turn her head and glance at the dark street, feeling scared. She quickly jogged to catch up with Liu Fei. After all, she dared not return to school alone. Passing through Fallen Street meant passing by the place where she had just been humiliated.

Soon, the two of them, one after the other, arrived under the mech. Without hesitation, Liu Fei began to climb up, disappearing into the dark entrance of the engine room.

Watching Liu Fei agilely climb the twelve-meter heavy mech, Su Zijing glanced around at the darkness. She gritted her teeth; apparently, there was no elevator on this mech, only climbing. 

She had no choice!

Undoubtedly, following Liu Fei was the safest option. Although Liu Fei seemed cold and even ruthless, at least he wasn't lecherous. That was Su Zijing's intuition.

Finally, Su Zijing managed to climb into the engine room of the mech. There was no one in sight. A small hole in the top emitted a bright light, so Su Zijing climbed up again.

Upon entering the cockpit, Su Zijing couldn't help but freeze. Liu Fei was carefully tying a piece of high-quality alloy onto his hand with a white cloth. His movements were focused and meticulous. The high-quality alloy shimmered with a cold metallic luster under the light. For some inexplicable reason, Su Zijing's heart pounded fiercely. She saw that the alloy, resembling a ruler, had a sharp edge on one side...

"What... what are you doing?" Su Zijing felt her throat dry up. The janitor emanated a strong aura of killing, making it hard for her to breathe.

"I'm taking you back. Five thousand Zuoer coins, pay now!" Liu Fei finally finished his work and slowly stood up, handing his card to Su Zijing with his left hand.

"Are... are you going to kill someone?" A trace of fear spread through the air, and Su Zijing took a step back, not taking the card Liu Fei handed her.

"I can't be certain," Liu Fei shook his head. It was just a precaution.

"Hurry up!" Liu Fei was getting impatient.

"Can I stay here?" 

"Are you sure?" Liu Fei was taken aback.

"I... I don't want you to kill anyone..." Su Zijing licked her lips, looking at the high-quality alloy tied to Liu Fei's arm. The murderous aura emanating from the sharp edge made her hands and feet turn cold. She believed this janitor would kill for money. Whenever money was mentioned, his eyes would light up.

"I can't predict that."

"Can I stay here and leave tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, for two hundred Zuoer coins."

"Okay, okay, two hundred Zuoer coins. I'll give it to you right away." Su Zijing suddenly felt delighted, nodding repeatedly. She didn't understand why it changed from five thousand to two hundred all of a sudden. The difference was too big. Of course, for Su Zijing, the less money she had to pay, the better. However, if she knew that Liu Fei was using the price of two hundred Zuoer coins for a night with a prostitute in the slums as a reference, she might have preferred to pay the five thousand Zuoer coins.

Liu Fei was quite familiar with the price of prostitutes in the slums because Lao Tietou often brought some questionable women home for the night. Whenever Lao Tietou brought a woman home, Liu Fei would be relegated to sleep in the cold engine room, leaving a deep impression on him.

Watching Su Zijing transfer the money, a hint of regret flashed across Liu Fei's face. The five thousand Zuoer coins had gone down the drain. Five thousand Zuoer coins! Liu Fei felt like he was going crazy from being so poor.

"...Is there a place to take a bath?" Only now did Su Zijing realize that she was covered in dust, her hair disheveled. She had been dragged on the ground by her hair just now. With her cleanliness obsession, she couldn't stand her current state. All she wanted now was to wash away her shame.

"Yes, for fifty Zuoer coins," Liu Fei said, still slowly untying the cloth from his hand.

"Fifty Zuoer coins? Fine, here!" Su Zijing snatched the card from Liu Fei's hand.

"Um, make it a hundred," Liu Fei said.

"Why?" Su Zijing was almost driven mad by this irrational janitor. For a moment, she forgot that she was facing someone who would kill for money and dared to question him loudly.

"A hundred Zuoer coins will allow you to use everything here, like the bathroom," Liu Fei said calmly, ignoring Su Zijing's anger. Lao Tietou had taught Liu Fei that anger wouldn't solve any substantive problems; instead, it would decrease his ability to handle situations. So, before he turned fifteen, Liu Fei had already learned to control his emotions.