"My business is none of your concern, Mr. Jiu."

Lu Yuanbin was tall, built, and incredibly strong. With a slight exertion, he flung Old Nine’s arm away.

Old Nine staggered a few steps before catching his balance.

Having been publicly humiliated by Lu Yuanbin, Old Nine’s gaze instantly turned grim.

Lu Yuanbin frowned.

The two of them were constantly at odds, and a complete falling out was inevitable. Still, he hadn’t expected the other man to be in such a hurry.

Lu Yuanbin watched Old Nine warily and whispered to Gu Jiaojiao, who was standing behind him.

"When you get a chance, run. Don’t look back."

Gu Jiaojiao was at a loss for words.

’All I wanted was to buy some eggs. How did I get caught up in a gang fight?’

’Bad luck.’

’Such terrible luck.’

She glanced around, calculating an escape route.

Seeing that Lu Yuanbin was unappreciative, Old Nine stopped being polite.

He shot a look at the two henchmen beside him. They understood the signal and immediately moved forward to grab Lu Yuanbin.

"Third Master, Mr. Jiu is just trying to be helpful. Why don’t you let him take a look for you!"

With two men coming at him at once, Lu Yuanbin was forced to react.

With Old Nine watching from the side, the scuffle inevitably exposed Gu Jiaojiao’s face.

Her skin was fair and supple, her face delicate and lovely. A pair of moist, sparkling eyes shone, dark and bright. She stood there, as beautiful as a painting.

Old Nine was instantly mesmerized.

Then, his eyes narrowed as he raked them over Gu Jiaojiao. The longer he looked, the brighter his gaze became, his beady little eyes practically trying to see right through her clothes.

Gu Jiaojiao was disgusted by his gaze, but she couldn’t overpower him, so she had no choice but to endure it.

Surrounded by the two henchmen, Lu Yuanbin glanced back and saw Old Nine leering at Gu Jiaojiao. His expression sank.

"Old Nine, are you really determined to make an enemy of me today?"

Old Nine kept his eyes glued to Gu Jiaojiao, not even turning his head as he spoke.

"You young punk. You think you’re the boss just because you’ve earned a little money? Today, I’ll show you who really runs this black market."

With that, he waved a hand.

The two henchmen nearby charged at Lu Yuanbin.

Lu Yuanbin glanced at Gu Jiaojiao, giving her a meaningful look.

Gu Jiaojiao couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

’What does this have to do with me?’

’Still, when you’re in front of a thug, you have to play the part.’

Gu Jiaojiao looked over his shoulder, her luminous eyes widening in feigned delight. "Police! There’s a fight going on here!"

Old Nine’s expression changed in alarm, and he hurriedly glanced behind him.

Gu Jiaojiao lifted her foot and kicked him squarely in the hollow of his knee. A jolt of numbness shot through Old Nine’s leg, and he collapsed onto one knee.

Gu Jiaojiao had kicked a pressure point just above his knee. Hitting it would cause momentary paralysis in the lower half of his leg.

Seizing the opportunity, she turned and bolted toward the end of the street.

Old Nine’s face darkened. To think he’d been tricked by a mere girl! He immediately started cursing viciously.

"Damn it, you bitch! If I catch you, I’ll fucking kill you!"

The moment the numbness subsided, Old Nine scrambled to his feet and chased after her.

Lu Yuanbin was worried about Gu Jiaojiao. He knew she had been dragged into this entirely because of him, which made his own movements even faster.

He caught one of the henchmen mid-attack, grabbing his shoulder and slamming a fist into his chest. Before the man could react, Lu Yuanbin took a step back and kicked him squarely in the abdomen.

The man went flying, landing in a heap on the ground, unable to even crawl.

Seeing his partner get beaten, the other henchman immediately raised a fist and swung.

Lu Yuanbin raised a hand, caught his wrist, and sent him flying to the ground with an over-the-shoulder throw. Spotting a nearby snowdrift, Lu Yuanbin lifted his foot and kicked the man straight into it.

The snow was soft and deep; the henchman smashed into it and disappeared from sight.

By the time Lu Yuanbin had dealt with the two henchmen and turned back, there was no sign of Old Nine or Gu Jiaojiao.

He immediately grabbed a passerby to ask, and the person pointed him in a direction.

Lu Yuanbin immediately took off in anxious pursuit.