I lay on the bed, looking exhausted. After all, I had almost been killed by Sand Tiger today, and I really didn't have much strength left. I took a deep breath and slowly said, "It was lucky. Before this, I wasn't entirely confident."
Then I explained to Xiluo, "The back of the neck, specifically the first cervical vertebra, is a place where the nervous system converges... There's a fatal spot there, a concentration of nerves, and when you're hit hard... you've seen it. But this spot has to be very, very precise..."
Actually, I wasn't lying; it was really lucky!
I knew the spot on the back of the neck, but that spot had to be hit very precisely to be effective! Otherwise, it would only cause superficial wounds at best. Given my condition at the time, if I missed, I might only make Sand Tiger bleed a little and feel some pain, but it wouldn't cause him any deeper damage… If that happened, I'd be finished.
Before this, I had practiced many times. Although I had spent three months on the farm familiarizing myself with all the vital points and fatal weaknesses of the human body by working with puppets, it was not easy to actually hit the target in one strike!
I tried it out before the ring. Even when I was in top form, my accuracy was only around 70%.
Don't think this is easy! It's actually very, very difficult!
Let me give you a simple example: You pick up any kitchen knife at home and chop at the table. There will be a cut... Then, you raise the knife above your head and try to chop at the table seven or eight times in a row... Aiming at that cut! Chop down quickly... seven or eight times in a row... You can't possibly hit the cut every time! Some people can't even hit it once!
After I said all this, Xiluo and the others listened intently, their faces showing admiration. I saw this, but I didn't feel much excitement or joy.
“Siro, these are just killing techniques, nothing to brag about,” I sighed.
Xiluo was silent for a moment, but then he patted me gently: "Alright. Little Wu, we're not philosophers, these aren't questions for us to ponder... At least for now, you've taken down one of the strongest fighters in those Chinese gangs, you've taken down their strongest Double Flower Red Stick! And right under so many eyes! That's fucking awesome!"
I just gave a weak smile.
Xiluo took out a cigarette, about to light it, when the doctor walked in, glanced at him, and said coldly, "If you're going to smoke here, I guarantee I'll kick you and your friend out into the street. Now, put out that chimney in your hand and get out of here."
Xiluo gave an awkward laugh, stuck out his tongue at me, and then quickly retreated with his two companions.
This doctor was someone Eighth Master knew, and even Tiger seemed to treat him with great respect, so Ciro and the others dared not act rashly.
“And you, kid.” The doctor beckoned to me with his finger. “You can walk now. But I suggest you don’t move around too much for the next couple of days. If you really don’t want to lie down and need to get up and walk around… remember to use this. To prevent your injured foot from touching the ground.”
He took a cane from behind the door and tossed it to me. Then, without even looking at me, he pointed to the door and said, "You can leave now."
I was speechless.
From Mu Tou, to Fang Pangzi's doctor friend in Guangzhou, and now this doctor... it seems like all the doctors I've encountered are eccentric individuals.
I was helped into the car, and then we drove all the way back to Uncle Ba's repair shop.
As our car entered the repair shop, the electronic roller shutter behind us slowly lowered. As the shutter fully closed, I saw all the guys in the shop rush over. They surrounded the large repair shed, each holding pliers, wrenches, or waving their shirts. They were all cheering loudly, their faces beaming with joy, chanting my name until their voices became unified and rhythmic:
"Chen Yang! Chen Yang! Chen Yang! Chen Yang! Chen Yang..."
I sat in the car next to Eighth Master, looking somewhat surprised. Eighth Master smiled slightly, then looked at me and said slowly, "What's wrong? Don't be nervous. Get out of the car first and say hello to the brothers! Everyone has been waiting for you for a long time!"
I touched my nose: "Eighth Master..."
"Alright, you've brought honor to the brothers, this is the respect you deserve!"
Then Eighth Master came over, opened my car door, and gestured for me to get out first.
I took a deep breath, then, holding onto the car door and leaning on my cane, I took a step forward.
When I stepped out of the car with my crutches under my armpits and stood there, all the brothers in the shed cheered loudly at the same time. The ones closest to me rushed over and lifted me up with their hands and feet. The others clapped and cheered around, and some even sang loudly. The atmosphere in the repair shop suddenly became very lively!
Fortunately, thanks to Eighth Master's intervention, they didn't throw me into the air... otherwise, I was worried my wound would reopen. They carefully put me down, and then two people on either side helped me walk inside.
Our entire group rushed into the repair shop's cafeteria... the place everyone affectionately called the "big canteen." All the tables were already piled high with food... though it was obvious that the food had been hastily prepared...
Ironically, I only found out later that when I won the ring, the guys present called their families, and the guys who stayed at the repair shop immediately started a series of celebrations.
With Eighth Master's tacit approval, they immediately closed for a day, and the restaurant staff began preparing food... Although it was difficult to put together a lavish meal in such a hurry, they did prepare quite a lot of wine!
Surrounded by people, I arrived at the front table, where some hastily prepared meat and vegetables, along with a large plate of luncheon meat—clearly canned goods. But the liquor was excellent… Moutai!
Then, everyone went to their respective tables and sat down. Everyone quieted down and looked at Eighth Master. Eighth Master stood beside me, then picked up a glass of wine. He smiled slightly, then said briefly, "Today, I am proud of Xiao Wu! I hope that tomorrow, I will be proud of you all!"
After saying that, Eighth Master brought the cup to his lips, tilted his head back, and drank it down.
The countless men below were shouting and cheering, and then everyone raised their glasses together...
It's just a pity about me...
Honestly, I really wanted to have a few drinks with them, but the doctor strictly forbade me from drinking! So, when faced with round after round of toasts from my brothers, I only drank plain water.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere among the brothers became even more lively. I saw cases of baijiu being brought out... Everyone present was a group of hot-blooded men, and the combination of their passion and alcohol brought the banquet to its peak! Even Master Ba was slightly drunk. Although Tiger remained seated next to Master Ba, who was usually very respectful to him, the brothers who came over to toast me boldly offered him a toast as well. Even Master Ba unconsciously drank a few more cups.
Suddenly, I saw a brother walk in from outside, quickly run to Eighth Master's side, and whisper a few words to him.
"Oh?" Eighth Master looked at me with a strange expression, then whispered, "Little Fifth, someone is looking for you outside. It's a girl... a Chinese girl."
Then, before I could speak, Eighth Master, with a smile, said to the brother, "Let her in, let the brothers see what a beautiful girl has come to see our Little Fifth!"
Everyone at the table burst into good-natured laughter.
I blushed a little, but quickly explained, "No... I think maybe it's my friend who's looking for me..."
Eighth Master didn't say anything, he just shook his head.
Sure enough, after a moment, the brother who had brought the message earlier pushed the door open and came in first, followed by... Miss Qiao.
Miss Qiao's expression was very unpleasant... she looked very unhappy.
She looked somewhat tired, wearing a short trench coat, her hair casually tied up, and a silk scarf around her neck. She wore small leather boots that made a "clattering" sound as she walked.
What caught my attention even more was that she was carrying a small sheepskin suitcase.
When Qiao Qiao walked in with her head held high, all the guys in the room immediately turned to look at her. Such a stunningly beautiful woman, suddenly appearing from the doorway, instantly captivated the attention of these men!
Qiaoqiao's gaze didn't wander to either side. It locked onto me directly, and then she strode towards me...
Several brothers on both sides were already whistling, and one of them joked loudly, "Little Wu, is your wife looking for you?"
Qiaoqiao's face remained expressionless as she strode up to me and put down the suitcase she was carrying. She looked me up and down, her gaze sweeping from the top of my head to the bottom, and then lingered for a few seconds on the bandage wrapped around my body.
"Are you injured? Is it serious?" Qiao Qiao's first words sounded very calm... even a little too calm.
She didn't even ask how I got hurt... What's worse, based on my understanding of Qiao Qiao, although her tone was calm, I could tell from her eyes that she was suppressing her anger when she spoke to me.
"I...I'm fine, the injuries are nothing, just some superficial wounds, they'll be healed in a couple of days," I replied quickly.
"Okay, that's good." Qiaoqiao took a deep breath, then raised one hand and placed it on my shoulder—the uninjured side.
Then, just as everyone was laughing and joking, thinking that this suddenly arrived beautiful woman was going to hug me, Miss Qiao raised her other hand and slapped me across the forehead.
Miss Qiao's eyebrows furrowed, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and her index finger bent. She tapped my forehead a few times with her knuckles, shouting crisply, "Xiao Wu, you bastard! Didn't I tell you I'd come back for you? Didn't I say I'd call you?! My plane arrived here last night. But you actually turned off your phone!!! I called all night and couldn't reach you! In the end, I was forced to lose face and go back to that sissy! Do you know that in order to come back for you, I almost smashed a plate in that sissy's face in Toronto?! I had a falling out with his family before I came back! And in the end, to find you, I had to lose face and ask that sissy for help! I finally found your address just now! And then I found out you went out and fought with someone early this morning!"
As she said this, she suddenly erupted in anger!
This female Tyrannosaurus Rex, right in front of everyone, suddenly grabbed a plate of luncheon meat from the table and slammed it down on my face. At the same time, I heard Qiaoqiao erupt in anger, roaring at me:
"You bastard! You actually went and fought someone again! Damn it! If you want to fight, at least tell me first! Do you even consider me a friend?! If you die, where the hell am I supposed to collect your body?!"
My nose was almost flattened by this plate. It hurt so much that I rubbed my face and wiped the luncheon meat crumbs off. I could only listen to Miss Qiao unleashing a barrage of anger at me, feeling both amused and exasperated.
"What angers me most isn't anything else, but that you went off to fight someone without telling me anything!!! What if you died? Didn't you even think of saying goodbye to me before you died?!"
At this point, Miss Qiao could no longer contain her anger and suddenly raised her foot and struck my shinbone... the leg that wasn't injured.
I immediately grunted, but looking at Qiaoqiao's sullen face and her eyes... my heart softened for no reason, and I could only smile bitterly.
The entire audience was stunned; countless men stared wide-eyed at Miss Qiao…
Xiluo, who was next to me, couldn't help but support me, and then whispered in my ear, "Xiao Wu... damn, your girl is too fierce..."
"She's not mine..." As I said this, I felt Miss Qiao give me a murderous look.
Then the murderous intent in Qiaoqiao's eyes dissipated. She took a deep breath, picked up the wine glass in front of me, smelled it, saw it was just water, poured it out, and put the empty glass on the table. She quickly asked me, "Where's the wine?"
I quickly picked up the bottle and filled it for her.
Qiao Qiao picked up her wine glass, a sweet smile appearing on her face. She then turned to face everyone, especially Eighth Master, and said in a very serious tone, "Sir, I apologize for my rudeness earlier... I'm Xiao Wu's friend, but I got a little agitated when I saw him injured today... I made a fool of myself just now, please forgive me, gentlemen! I'll drink this first as an apology!"
After saying that, Qiaoqiao tilted her head back and drank the wine, casually wiped her mouth, and then showed the empty glass.
Eighth Master smiled, giving me a meaningful look. Then he slowly said, "Come, bring this young lady a chair!"
Immediately, a guy next to me gave up his chair so that Qiaoqiao could sit next to me, and then he went to another table and squeezed in with other people.
After everyone was seated, Eighth Master glanced at me and said, "Fifth Brother, who is this...?"
"My surname is Qiao, you can just call me Qiao Qiao." Qiao Qiao laughed quickly, "Sir, I'm not Xiao Wu's wife... please don't misunderstand, but I can temporarily take care of him in place of Xiao Wu's wife, it's nothing!"
I was about to speak when Qiaoqiao glared at me: "What? Aren't you going to listen to me?"
I gave a wry smile. I knew that when Miss Qiao lost her temper, it was best for me to keep my mouth shut...
"A guest is a guest." Eighth Master smiled faintly. "It just so happens that Xiao Wu is injured, and I need to find someone to take care of him. But since you are here, it seems that I don't need to look for anyone else."
Qiaoqiao immediately narrowed her eyes and smiled sweetly at me: "Okay, then let me take care of him."
A chill ran through me...
I know Qiaoqiao's methods of caring for people... Basically, none of the pets she keeps at home survive... Whatever animal she keeps, it dies! Now, all Miss Qiao can keep at home are turtles...
What frustrated me even more was that... it seemed that none of the brothers took my clarification of my relationship with Qiaoqiao seriously. Instead, they took it as a cover-up for my guilty conscience. Suddenly, many people came over to make a fuss, and some even took the opportunity to come over and toast Qiaoqiao.
Who exactly is our Miss Qiao...?
"Drinking? Sure!" She slammed an empty glass on the table with an air of nonchalance, looking at the guy who came to offer her a toast... "You decide how we're going to drink."
The man who came to offer a toast was a man in his thirties, who seemed quite honest. Facing Qiao Qiao's charming gaze, he suddenly became a little nervous, his face flushed red, and he stammered under Qiao Qiao's sweet smile.
Qiaoqiao laughed, her eyes narrowing into a charming smile: "But I'm a woman, and you're bullying me by asking me to drink like this! You're such a big man, you can't bully a woman, can you... How about this, I'll drink one cup and you drink two! We'll see who loses first! What do you say? You're a grown man, you can't bully a woman!"
It’s over!
The moment I saw that guy's face and eyes, I knew he was finished!
This is Qiaoqiao's unique skill: captivating eyes, a delicate voice, and a charming smile... Basically, when we used to hang out in bars, Qiaoqiao used this trick to "win over" countless men who tried to chat her up and drink with her.
"Great!" Sure enough, under Qiao Qiao's coquettish act, this guy patted his chest with great pride!
"Okay, I'll drink one, and you drink twice as much, okay? No cheating!"
Qiaoqiao smiled sweetly, like a little bird nestled against its nest...
Basically, when Miss Qiao isn't throwing a tantrum, her demeanor is quite deceptive... but then, this guy's eyes changed...
Miss Qiao casually tossed aside the wine glass in front of her, picked up a teacup in front of me, and poured herself a full cup!
This is one of those large enamel mugs commonly used in the military! A mug probably holds three or four ounces! Miss Qiao casually poured herself a full cup, then tilted her head back and downed it all in one gulp, finally saying without changing her expression, "Your turn."
The man's face was already somewhat unnatural, but under everyone's watchful eyes, he could only grit his teeth, bring over two tea mugs, fill them both, and then start sipping them.
Basically, if you drink seven or eight ounces in one go... even someone with a good alcohol tolerance wouldn't be able to handle it at that moment.
What's more, our Miss Qiao... she's the tough type! I've personally witnessed her drinking with someone, once chugging a whole bottle of 42-proof vodka in one go...