Chapter 118: If You’re Not Satisfied, Come Find Me Again [Third Update!]

Li Mu followed the direction the soccer ball had been kicked from and caught sight of Zhang Qing’s frustrated face.

At that moment, the ball bounced off the wall on the other side of the track, its momentum greatly diminished. Li Mu reached out and caught it. Locking eyes with Zhang Qing, his expression cold, he asked, “You kicked this ball?”

Gritting his teeth in anger, Zhang Qing, whose knockout attempt had failed, arrogantly lifted his chin and retorted, “Yeah, I kicked it. What of it?”

Li Mu beckoned with his hand, “Come over here.”

Zhang Qing sneered exaggeratedly and then looked at his teammates, shamelessly boasting, “Brothers, did you hear that? This bastard wants me to come over!”

“Ha, then let’s go. What’s he acting all tough for? We’re not scared of him,” sneered the guy who had passed Zhang Qing the ball earlier. “Come on, brothers, let’s go see what this guy wants!”

Li Mu held the ball in one hand, disdain clear on his face. “Fine, I’ll let you all come.”

Having spent two months in the gym, Li Mu wasn’t confident taking on five at once, but if it came to a fight, he was sure he could take down at least one opponent.

Zhang Qing, accompanied by four others, strode toward Li Mu with fierce intent. Li Mu held the ball in one hand while the other slipped into his pocket to grasp his keys.

He had only two keys before—one for the dorm door, one for the locker—but today he’d just rented a new place and gotten the keys. Both the front door and the building’s main entrance had large cross-cut keys. Li Mu pressed all four key tips between his fingers, ready to strike.

The playground was crowded, and when the scuffle began, many students gathered to watch, curious if a fight would break out. One against five—it would certainly be entertaining.

Zhang Qing’s fury boiled over. Seeing Li Mu’s arrogance, he only thought of one thing: to teach him a lesson and reclaim his lost face.

Outnumbered, Zhang Qing approached Li Mu and snarled, “I’m here now. What are you gonna do?”

Li Mu chuckled lightly, weighing the ball in his hand. “The ball almost hit me. You’re asking what I’m gonna do?”

Zhang Qing sneered and stepped forward, shoving Li Mu’s left shoulder. “I did it on purpose. So what? You gonna hit me?”

Li Mu nodded slightly. “Speak properly. Don’t get physical with me—I don’t have time for fools like you. Apologize now, then get lost.”

“Fuck you, I’ll apologize...” Zhang Qing started to push Li Mu again, but before he finished, Li Mu’s left arm shot out. He smashed the soccer ball into Zhang Qing’s nose with tremendous force, sending a sharp pain through it. Then came a wave of nausea. Instinctively, Zhang Qing bent over, blood streaming from both nostrils.

Zhang Qing’s teammates were dumbfounded, never expecting Li Mu to strike first. The tallest one cursed, “Fuck! Brothers, kill him!”

He lifted his foot to kick Li Mu, but Li Mu’s mind sharpened with ruthless intent. Suddenly, his right hand, hidden in his pocket, flashed out. The four keys between his fingers acted like brass knuckles. Clenching the handles tightly, he delivered a brutal punch to the tall man’s thigh, driving the two cross-cut keys deep into the flesh.

Though not deeply embedded, it caused searing pain. The tall man stumbled and fell, his white Real Madrid shorts stained crimson. He howled in agony, clutching his leg.

The others, confused by the commotion, rushed at Li Mu. A tall guy swung a massive fist toward Li Mu’s face. Li Mu hurriedly raised his right fist to block. The attacker, seeing Li Mu was half a head shorter, underestimated him, thinking him an easy target. But he hadn’t expected the bloody keys wedged between Li Mu’s fingers.

When the fists collided, the impact sent a shock through Li Mu’s arm, forcing him to stagger back several steps before regaining balance. The force was so great that Li Mu struggled to endure it, especially against a steel-hard opponent.

His face contorted in pain as his knuckles slammed on the keys. The keys’ tips shifted slightly, tearing through skin, flesh, and even bruising bones. Blood dripped from Li Mu’s fingers, staining the four keys—the attacker’s flesh hung on each tooth.

Zhang Qing, still reeling from his nose injury, hadn’t noticed what had just happened to his two comrades. Furious and blinded by rage, he charged at Li Mu, only to be caught off guard by a precise right hook to his abdomen. The punch was powerful, aided by the key-knuckles, flipping Zhang Qing’s stomach and leaving him utterly powerless.

Seeing Zhang Qing twisted like a contorted chicken, Li Mu kicked him to the ground.

In a blink, three men lay bleeding on the ground. The remaining two stared in shock, realizing these college students, despite their bravado, fought far worse than middle school kids. They had expected a scuffle, not a merciless, bloodied beating.

Noticing the bloodied keys in Li Mu’s right fist, they retreated in fear.

Zhang Qing lay on the ground, staring up at Li Mu’s impassive face, genuinely terrified.

He’d never seen anyone fight like this before. In his mind, he was one of the top figures on campus, but he never imagined this guy would take on five alone, start the fight, and strike so ruthlessly.

The two wounded men were too scared to move, watching Li Mu approach the fallen trio.

The crowd was stunned. No one at the university had witnessed such a fight—one man overturning five, with every move drawing blood. Everyone’s jaws dropped, and they memorized Li Mu’s face, silently warning themselves: This guy is a nightmare. Stay far away.

Standing before Zhang Qing, Li Mu pressed his foot down on the soccer ball, barely a foot away from Zhang Qing’s face. The latter trembled, afraid Li Mu would kick him in the face.

Li Mu’s gaze mixed mockery with menace. Seeing the fear in Zhang Qing’s eyes, he suddenly grinned savagely and raised his foot as if to launch a powerful kick.

Zhang Qing shut his eyes tight, covering his face with his hands, screaming, “Brother, don’t lose your temper! I was wrong, I was wrong!”

“Do I need you to say that? Don’t I already know you’re wrong?”

Zhang Qing scrambled to speak again, “Brother, I…”

Li Mu dismissed him without a word, his leg about to strike. Terrified, Zhang Qing screamed, covering his face.

The onlookers instinctively turned away but couldn’t help stealing glances at the ball under Li Mu’s foot.

Unexpectedly, Li Mu gently tapped the ball with his toe. It lightly bounced off Zhang Qing’s hand.

Zhang Qing, expecting a hard blow, blinked in surprise and saw Li Mu’s triumphant smirk.

“Enough for today. If you’re not satisfied, come find me. Li Mu, Class 3, Year 1, Finance Department.”

With that, Li Mu strode away. The crowd, now numbering dozens, watched as he brushed past his stunned teammates and swaggered back to the dormitory.

Apart from the keys stained with blood, Li Mu was unscathed. His right arm still tingled from that heavy punch, and if he felt it so much, the opponent must have been badly hurt. But Li Mu didn’t dwell on it. He was certain he was in the right: Zhang Qing had deliberately kicked the ball at him, then, relying on numbers, pushed him first. Five against one, yet Li Mu had no fear even if they reported it to the administration.

In truth, Zhang Qing and his gang wouldn’t dare drag the matter to the school. They were well-known troublemakers, and after being beaten and made a laughingstock on the field, they’d lose face forever if they complained.

Before Li Mu reached his dorm, news of the fight had spread throughout the university. Many upperclassmen had heard about the new powerhouse in the Finance College named Li Mu, who single-handedly defeated three swimming team members, all bleeding.

Back at the dorm, Li Mu didn’t tell his roommates what had happened. Instead, he pondered: his body still wasn’t strong enough. Next time, he’d need a proper knuckle duster.

Though Li Mu kept low on the incident, gossip spread rapidly. That very night, someone posted on the campus forum, replaying the entire fight scene. Sun Jian, wandering the internet café, came across the post and was stunned. He hurried to the dorm, woke Li Mu and the others, and publicly asked Li Mu to confirm the story.

Li Mu didn’t deny it. Sun Jian and the others were displeased. They said Li Mu should have told them immediately, so the whole dorm could stand united. Even if they weren’t there at the time, Li Mu shouldn’t have hidden it afterward. What if the others sought revenge? They needed to stick together.

Li Mu apologized verbally but was secretly touched. Waving his roommates out, he treated them to a late-night snack. Having fought hard in the evening and now drinking together, the feeling was exhilarating.

…

After Zhao Kang returned from the remote military training base, Li Mu met him, took him to Yucheng Garden to familiarize him with the place, and handed him a key. Li Mu had arranged the living room as a leisure area, kept the master bedroom for himself, set up two computers in the study, and left a side bedroom free. He told Zhao Kang that if he found a girlfriend, he could bring her here for some fun.

Zhao Kang laughed, “If I ever get a girlfriend, I’ll rent a place next door. Can’t be having fun right next to you, can I?”

Li Mu nodded, “At least you’ve got some decency.”

Zhao Kang grew serious. “By the way, I just got word from a subordinate. The latest online news: Deputy Director Li Jiawei of Haizhou Public Security Bureau has been placed under investigation, and Ying Xue’s father, Su Weimin, has been promoted to Party Committee Deputy Secretary, second-in-command.”

Li Mu smiled, “So when the director leaves at the end of the year, he’ll be the head of the bureau.”

Zhao Kang gave Li Mu a meaningful look. “I bet he never dreamed he’d become the top dog, and it’s all thanks to you…”

Li Mu shook his head. “No, it’s thanks to Guo Lin.”

(to be continued)

P.S. This is the third update. Thanks to everyone who has subscribed, tipped, and voted! With your support, this book will surely go far!

Right now, I’m reminded of the guitar master Nasn’s famous piece ‘Arbonsn’—my mood matches that song perfectly, full of fighting spirit! If you’re interested, give it a listen!