Chapter 68: Striking First to Gain the Upper Hand

Zhou Zhi silently lifted the grass curtain and slipped out of the greenhouse. The group had not yet approached, but by the light reflected off the snow, Zhou Zhi could clearly see six men coming from the direction of Baiyue Village.

All six strode forward without a word. As they drew nearer, Zhou Zhi noticed that three of them held long wooden clubs, each over ten feet, while two others gripped shining machetes. Leading the group was a man with a shaggy dogskin hat, his hands empty.

From their demeanor, it was obvious they had come for the greenhouse—these were not friendly visitors.

Zhou Zhi tightened his grip on the axe in his hand, watching them coldly.

“Big Brother, that must be the Zhou boy!” one short man, already eyeing the greenhouse, spotted Zhou Zhi and turned excitedly to the man in the dogskin hat.

“Yan Hou, what are you squawking for? I see him,” said the man in the dogskin hat, his tone slow and unhurried, as if he hadn’t eaten for days and was all out of strength.

They came to a halt in front of the greenhouse, and Zhou Zhi saw the leader more clearly—a tall, straight figure, a dark face with decent features, around twenty years old.

“Big Brother, let’s start smashing!” Yan Hou urged the youth in the hat.

The young man stretched out his hand and glanced at Zhou Zhi with an easy, measured air. “Zhou Zhi, let me introduce myself. I’m Liu Hui from Nanzhuang. I suppose you’ve heard of me?”

He paused deliberately, eyes fixed on Zhou Zhi.

Indeed, Zhou Zhi had heard of Liu Hui. Liu Hui was from Nanzhuang, a village southeast of Baiyue, about five miles away. He was a bona fide ruffian, a local tyrant with twenty or thirty thugs gathered around him. Though not old, Liu Hui was notorious for his ruthless ways, and his reputation stretched across all the neighboring villages.

Zhang Yong—known as Zhang Tiger Egg—had mentioned him to Zhou Zhi many times. Zhang Yong had his own reputation in the area, but it was nothing compared to Liu Hui’s. According to Zhang Yong, even he had to respectfully call Liu Hui ‘Big Brother’ when they met, regardless of who was older.

Liu Hui seemed surprised when Zhou Zhi showed no reaction to his name, but he went on, “We’ve never met, and there’s no bad blood between us. By rights, I shouldn’t be here causing you trouble. But someone paid me to destroy your greenhouse and teach you a lesson. When you take someone’s money, you work for them. We have no choice.

“To be honest, this job’s been waiting for a while, but I pride myself on being upright—I don’t stoop to sneaking about. That’s why I came tonight, while you were here, to smash this shack of yours fair and square.

“Sigh, it’s not that I want to pick on you. You’re a poor lad, you’d be better off staying at home, but instead you have to stir up trouble and offend the wrong people. What a pity. Really, I almost feel sorry for you.” He coughed a few times, likely catching a cold, then continued, “Now, Zhou Zhi, think it over. Are you going to destroy this shack yourself, or will you force us to do it?

“You ought to know, our bones are precious. If we have to smash your shack, we’ll need to vent a little anger too. Do you really think you can stand up to our clubs and blades?”

He spoke slowly, almost leisurely, and Zhou Zhi, listening, grew impatient. Damn it, after all that talk, he just wants to wreck my greenhouse.

Though he thought this, Zhou Zhi stood tall in the snow, unmoving, not even blinking, staring coldly at the six men.

Liu Hui waited for a reaction. In his mind, Zhou Zhi should be terrified by now—hearing his name and seeing six armed men, he ought to be begging for mercy and offering to destroy the greenhouse himself.

But after a moment, Zhou Zhi remained motionless, showing no fear at all.

Liu Hui was mildly surprised, then said, “Don’t be afraid, Zhou Zhi. The reason I’ve said so much is because I don’t like bullying the poor. Besides, I’m good friends with Zhang Tiger Egg from your village, and I heard you’re close with him too.”

Still, Zhou Zhi didn’t react.

Yan Hou, gripping his machete, grew impatient. “Big Brother, talking to this kid is useless. Can’t you see he’s scared stiff?”

“Yeah, Big Brother, he’s already scared out of his wits!” the other four chimed in, all laughing loudly and casting contemptuous looks at Zhou Zhi.

The cold wind howled, lifting the snow into the air, whirling it around them.

Zhou Zhi’s face was icy, his lips twitching slightly. Then, suddenly, he sprang forward like a rabbit, charging straight at Liu Hui.

At the same moment, his right hand swung the axe, aiming a fierce blow at Liu Hui’s shoulder.

The six men were still laughing, completely unprepared for Zhou Zhi’s sudden attack.

Zhou Zhi was like a young leopard, waiting for the right moment to strike. He wanted to end the fight in one decisive move. Take out the leader, and the rest would surely yield.

It must be said, Zhou Zhi’s thinking was sound. There were six of them and only one of him. If he let them take the initiative, he would be overwhelmed in no time, with not the slightest chance of victory.

If the fight was inevitable, his only hope was to strike first.

Catch them off guard—only then might he have a shot.

But plans are always more beautiful than reality is kind. Zhou Zhi hadn’t expected that, even without warning, Liu Hui would react so swiftly. Just as the axe was about to land on his shoulder, Liu Hui dodged back with a speed and agility that left Zhou Zhi swinging at empty air.

Liu Hui instantly kicked out, driving his foot hard into Zhou Zhi’s chest.

Zhou Zhi had been sure his strike would hit. He hadn’t anticipated not only missing, but also being caught off guard by Liu Hui’s rapid counter.

The kick landed squarely in Zhou Zhi’s chest, knocking the wind from him. The ground was slick; he fell backward, flat on his back.

Still, Zhou Zhi managed to keep hold of his axe.

“Big Brother, are you alright?” Yan Hou called out first, anxious.

The others hurried forward, all showing urgent concern for Liu Hui.

Liu Hui chuckled, but this time his voice was no longer lazy. His face was grim, his tone sharp. “That brat! Hmph! The rest of you, give him a good beating. Damn it, he even dared attack me. Doesn’t know what’s good for him.”

Yan Hou was the first to rush over, machete raised, a cruel grin on his face as he looked down at Zhou Zhi sprawled on the ground. “Heh! You’re not lacking in guts. But let’s see how you bleed. Time to show you what we’re made of.”