Chapter 70: Uncle Wang

“Hmm...” Just as Beast finished his workout and reached for his water, he discovered, to his dismay, that the bottle was empty.

Before, he might have boiled a kettle to drink, but now, having just exercised, he was exhausted—yes, truly tired—and also felt unbearably hot, as though even the air conditioning couldn’t dispel the heat.

“Forget it, I’ll just go downstairs and buy some water.” With that thought, Beast changed into fresh clothes and headed out.

Buying water was only a secondary goal; what he really wanted was to take a walk, stretch his legs. Exercise was important, but he couldn’t stay cooped up indoors all the time.

Although it was already ten-thirty at night, there was a convenience store nearby, so he wouldn’t have to walk far. The only downside was the path to the store had no streetlights, casting the area in gloomy darkness.

“Stop it...” As Beast walked, he spotted two burly men not far ahead harassing a young girl. From her silhouette, she seemed quite young.

Beast frowned, displeased. He had no intention of meddling in such affairs. Even if the sky collapsed or the earth cracked open, he would not intervene. The last time he got involved was only because the landlady was in trouble, and if he hadn’t helped, he might have lost his place to live. Otherwise, he would have stayed out of it. Yet, he soon found himself muttering “how ironic.”

Because the path ahead was the only way to the convenience store. As he headed towards it, the two men noticed him, their faces wary.

The girl, who had her back to Beast, followed the men’s gaze and spotted him as well. Her face lit up in relief, and she hurried over, calling out, “Uncle Wang!”

The two men, after a moment’s hesitation, turned and jogged away. When the girl reached him, Beast realized she was the daughter of the shop owner—Xiao Xue.

Beast asked in surprise, “It’s so late—why are you out here alone?”

Xiao Xue, grateful, replied, “You told me to check the official website, remember? After I looked, I realized I couldn’t play the game for a few days, so when my friend invited me out for her birthday, I went. I was just on my way home when those two guys showed up. Luckily I ran into you, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do.”

“Well, I’ll be going then.” Beast glanced at the retreating men, nodded to Xiao Xue, and was about to leave.

Xiao Xue hurriedly stopped him. “Wait, Uncle Wang, where are you going?”

In truth, Wang Jie’s appearance suggested he was only in his twenties; his exact age could only be determined by looking at his ID, but he certainly wasn’t yet thirty. Xiao Xue, a classmate of the boy from before, looked fifteen or sixteen—perhaps her youthful face made her seem younger than she was. Strictly speaking, Beast wasn’t a full generation older, so Xiao Xue calling him “brother” would have made more sense.

However, since her father had already called Beast “brother,” Xiao Xue, by extension, called him “uncle.” It was just a matter of formality, nothing to fuss over.

Beast pointed ahead. “I’m going to the convenience store to buy some drinks. You should head home.”

Xiao Xue glanced nervously in the direction the men had gone. “How about this, Uncle Wang—why don’t I go with you to the store, and then you walk me to your neighborhood’s gate? I’ll go the rest of the way myself.”

She was genuinely frightened, afraid that if she left Beast’s side, someone else might appear. Fortunately, the store wasn’t far; following him wouldn’t take much time. That was why she made the suggestion.

“Alright.” It was only a short walk—no trouble at all. Besides, even if Beast wanted to refuse, Xiao Xue would probably follow him anyway, and it would be awkward to chase her off. After all, this wasn’t his private road; she could claim it was on her way, and he couldn’t argue.

So, Beast led Xiao Xue to the convenience store, bought a bottle of sports drink, and drank it immediately. Xiao Xue, not wanting to leave empty-handed, bought an ice cream bar.

Afterward, Beast purchased a few more bottles of sports drink to take home as backup. Drinks like these, if unopened, could be stored for a long time. If their expiration dates were too short, they’d go bad before being sold, which would be a loss.

“Listen, when I count to three, run after me as fast as you can toward somewhere crowded, and bring people back quickly,” Beast said, his face suddenly cold, as they entered the unlit stretch of road.

“Uncle Wang...” Xiao Xue hadn’t realized what was happening, but footsteps sounded from nearby.

“Three...” In that instant, Beast transformed from a docile house pig into a terrifying wild boar, charging forward.

Xiao Xue didn’t understand what was happening, but Beast’s warning echoed in her mind. Almost as soon as he shouted “three” and moved, she instinctively followed, running behind him.

Beast crashed into a man, knocking him down and pinning him to the ground, while Xiao Xue darted past Beast and ran toward the distance.

Wang Jie was a hefty man; though Beast had begun to exercise, it hadn’t been long enough to change his appearance much. For a fat man, perhaps little else was impressive, but the “crushing weight” technique certainly was.

The man was knocked down, Beast pressing him to the earth, struggling but unable to break free. Beast’s face remained grim and unchanged.