Chapter 47: Drawing Sword to Help the Weak

  Xue Xiang rode a tricycle, carrying Zhu Shijun, and sped towards the Dongcheng District Public Security Bureau. He was going to find Li Tianming to figure out the origin and whereabouts of that group of people.

  It turned out that at noon, Kang Tong and Lei Xiao Tian, along with Xue Xiang, had parted ways with Lao Mo and were now looking for Zhu Shi Jun, carrying packaged beef and red wine. After understanding the situation, Zhu Shi Jun directly said that San Ge was not being considerate, how could he fall behind on a mission? It's completely a split organization! Just as Zhu Shi Jun was about to continue nagging, Lei Xiao Tian gave Kang Tong a signal with his eyes, and the two of them opened up the packaged food, pretending to eat. At this point, Zhu Shi Jun didn't care about being stingy anymore, grabbed it over, and devoured it quickly, scolding the two for wanting to eat more and occupy more.

  Zhu Shijun finished eating and said that the peaches behind Laojun Temple were ripe in May, big and red. Brothers had to hurry up, if they went late, they would definitely be picked by Manager Liu. Lei Xiaotian and Kang Tong didn't attend the afternoon class, shouting and going with Zhu Shijun to steal peaches.

  The Lao Jun Temple is located at the northernmost end of the East City, and its incense was cut off during the Qing Dynasty. The temple is vast and remote. The name "Lao Jun Temple" has been passed down by the elderly, while young people call it a convenient result. Nowadays, the Lao Jun Temple no longer looks like a temple. After the founding of the country, the statue of Lao Jun was smashed, and the eaves and corners of the temple were flattened, becoming an unusual shape that is neither a building nor a pavilion. In 1969, the Lao Jun Temple was assigned to the Five Metals Electrical Appliance Factory and became a settlement point for solitary elderly people in the factory.

  Behind the Laojun Temple, there is a peach forest. Although it's not naturally grown, even the oldest elderly people near the Laojun Temple can't tell how many years they have existed. Because of their high age, the trees naturally produce fewer fruits. However, the peaches produced by these old peach trees are unlike those from other old peach trees, which become more bitter as the tree ages. Instead, each peach is large and red, sweet and juicy.

  This peach forest is located behind the Laojun Temple, and it's naturally considered part of the temple. In the past, when the Laojun Temple was abandoned and uninhabited, the peaches produced in this forest were naturally cheap for the nearby Mao Xiazi. Later on, all the hooligans in the 49 cities knew that the peach trees behind the Laojun Temple bore big and sweet peaches, so they wouldn't let it go, and gradually, disputes over the peaches increased, with several incidents happening every year around this time. Even later, when the Laojun Temple was taken over by the Wujin Electronics Factory, someone claimed to be the owner of this peach forest. This person was Liu Changfa, the director of the Wujin Electronics Factory's Elderly Placement Office, also known as "Guan Shi" (Manager) Liu, a somewhat feudal title. However, Liu Changfa didn't mind and even liked this title. Being called "Guan Shi" means that one has power in their hands and can manage things.

  Manager Liu, in his late 40s or early 50s, was quite satisfied with being assigned to Laojun Temple, managing the lives of these elderly widows and organizing recreational activities for retired workers. He had become a big shot, after all, and in the area around Laojun Temple, he was like heaven. Manager Liu's desire for power was strong, so naturally he wouldn't let go of this peach grove that became lively every summer. Now that I, Manager Liu, have arrived, this peach grove will be under my control from now on, and you petty thieves can forget about stealing a single peach.

  There are tasks, and naturally there is action. Manager Liu arranged for several elderly men who were still able to move around to patrol the peach grove during the day, sounding a whistle if they encountered any situation. At night, he assigned his only two subordinates to take turns keeping watch. Under Manager Liu's meticulous management, the theft of peaches was completely stopped, but not entirely without exception. People like Xue Xiang and his gang were not something that Manager Liu could guard against. Every year when the fragrant peaches ripened, Xue Xiang and a few others would arrive as scheduled. This year was no exception, although Xue Xiang was not there, the three of them found it even more interesting. They didn't need to enter directly under Xue Xiang's leadership, under Manager Liu's helpless gaze, and pick peaches like they did in previous years. The stolen peaches were still sweet.

  Limestone, Lei Xiaotian and the three of them had just walked to the front of Laojun Temple, about half a mile away from the main road, when they met Liu Changfa, who was running with a red face and panting. This old guy wouldn't have eyes that can see for miles or ears that can hear the wind, would he? How did he know we were coming from so far away? The three of them were greatly puzzled.

  "Hurry...hurry to the peach forest, my daughter has been caught by them...it's late, I'm afraid she won't be able to preserve her chastity." Liu Changfa recognized Lei Xiaotian and three others, from a distance he rushed over and fell to the ground, his clothes were messy and covered in dust, the sweat on his forehead had tangled his sparse hair into knots, which hung limply on his forehead.

  Lei Xiaotian and the other two also guessed that someone must have come to pick peaches, and seeing Liu's beautiful daughter had lustful thoughts. At this moment, they didn't care about asking questions in detail, human life was at stake, but the girl's reputation was more important than heaven. The three of them drove their cart, not caring about the bumpy road ahead, and stepped on it with all their might.

  Before long, a green military jeep was seen parked in front of the Laojun Temple, with two old men lying beside it, struggling on the ground and unable to get up. The two old men were probably arranged by Manager Liu to guard the peach forest during the day, but how could someone drive a military vehicle to this place to do such a shameful thing?

  Lei Xiaotian and the other two got off the car and rushed to the back mountain of Laojun Temple without even tying their shoelaces. The back mountain of Laojun Temple was just a small slope, about five mu in size, with a small peach grove on it, and various flowers, grasses, and trees were quite lush, and this season was just in full bloom. The three people heard the girl's crying for help and the man's teasing and obscene language from afar. Lei Xiaotian had a fiery personality and a strong sense of justice, and he couldn't stand such behavior that challenged his moral bottom line. He couldn't wait to climb up the slope, and started scolding at the foot of the mountain: "Where did this turtle come from? Do you want to lose face? Get out!"

  Before long, several figures appeared on the mountain slope. The first was a short young man, seventeen or eighteen years old, with a rather handsome face that was pale and wan, looking like he had overindulged in lust. Behind him followed five other young men of similar age, as well as two soldiers wearing neat uniforms, standing at attention, clearly active-duty military personnel. The other three were carrying a young woman, whose clothes were already thin and torn to shreds, her pants still intact, apparently she had not been violated yet. The woman's arms were wrapped around her chest, her long hair disheveled, her eyes red and swollen, gazing at Lei Xiaotian and the others with pleading eyes.

  "Wow, there's still someone in the 49th city who dares to talk to us like that? How refreshing! Are you two here to learn from Lei Feng and do good deeds, or are you also looking for a fight? If it's the former, go find an old lady to help, and get out of my sight quickly. If it's the latter, you'll have to wait in line, got it?" The military-clad youth standing on the left side of the short young man had a big garlic nose and a toad-like complexion. His nose and face moved in sync when he spoke, making him look even more sinister. He already had an unlikable face, but his words were spoken with such confidence and arrogance that they made the three people below him furious."

  Kang Tong leaned against a large white poplar tree that two people could hug, with both hands inserted in his pants pocket, slanting his eyes at the crowd on the slope: "Let the girl go, get out of here!" As always, he was stingy with his words.

  The big garlic nose on the slope was about to retort, but Zhu Shijun glared at Kang Tong and Lei Xiaotian, saying: "What's the point of talking to this kind of scum? Let's just fight!" This kid wasn't strong in combat, but his desire for battle was as strong as his sex drive, completely disregarding the current situation where the enemy was strong and they were weak.

  Several people on the slope were annoyed by Kang Tong's three men, who had ruined their good deed. Now that they saw more of their own kind, they didn't run away and even dared to boast loudly, which was unbearable. The short leader threw away the cigarette butt in his hand, straightened his dress shirt, and said, "Get rid of them quickly."

  The two sides stopped talking and charged at each other. Zhu Shijun signaled to Lei Xiaotian and Kang Tong with his eyes, pointing to the white wax trees about five meters away on the left side, making a gesture of shooting glass balls. The white wax tree was dense in texture and had excellent elasticity, making it an ideal material for making long guns. The White Rod Army led by Qin Liangyu, a female count at the end of the Ming Dynasty, swept across the country with their long guns made of white wax rods. Kang Tong and Lei Xiaotian understood, and the three changed direction, taking only two steps to reach the side of the white wax trees. They were not foolish, knowing that the enemy was in a superior position, with an overwhelming momentum, and if they charged forward recklessly, they would be at a disadvantage.

  The three of them suddenly changed direction, and the five people opposite thought they were afraid, each sneering and shouting as they rushed down. Only Qing Bai Lian was left on the slope, looking at the girl, this kind of physical labor he had always been disdainful of. Qing Bai Lian's full name is Jiang Chao Tian, son of ZZ Bureau Commissioner and Deputy Governor Jiang Ge Yang. As a top-notch red second generation, Jiang Chao Tian thought about what to do, just one glance was enough, never bothering to think twice. This kind of bullying men and women thing in his eyes, **was just entertainment**. At this moment, even if someone broke up the good show, he didn't feel any worry or discomfort, on the contrary, it was like this, only then would the drama be thrilling and **perfect**. Qing Bai Lian lit a cigarette again, the delicate silver lighter made a crisp sound, standing on the slope with ease to watch the good show. The girl next to Qing Bai Lian had been scared out of her wits by today's encounter, and now she didn't know how to escape, squatting on the ground with her hands around her shoulders, sobbing.

  Just as Zhu Shijun and the other two had moved to the side of the white wax tree, the five guys on the slope rushed forward, bringing with them a strong gust of wind that made a whirring sound, showing just how fierce their momentum was. They had decided to use this downward momentum to knock Zhu Shijun and the others down. Before they could react, Zhu Shijun and the other two quickly moved behind the tree, each grabbing hold of a white wax branch, bending it back, aiming, and then releasing it as the five approached. The white wax branches shot out like arrows released from a bowstring, shooting towards the five, who were instantly swept up by the force of the branches, with two of them being hit right in the face, their eyebrows splitting open, blood flowing all over their faces. Although the five had realized that Zhu Shijun and the others had bent back the white wax branches, they knew what was coming, but at this point, speed had reached its peak, and the strong inertia made it impossible to stop on a dime. The downhill path was already treacherous, and now, with the white wax branches shooting out like arrows, they were forced to adjust their direction, and the two guys in front stumbled, losing their footing, while the three behind them didn't have time to react, being hit head-on by the white wax branches, which sent all five tumbling down.

  This stone smashed the bottom of the boat, and the dirty work of beating a fallen dog was something that Zhu Shijun loved to do. At this moment, there was no reason to hold back or let up. Kang Tong and the other three immediately rushed forward and kicked the three people who were rolling around on the ground. Zhu Shijun was the most sinister, aiming his kicks straight at their lower bodies. The five unlucky ones had just been knocked to the ground by Bai Laogong's stick and hadn't even had time to get up when they suffered this fierce and sinister attack. Instantly, they lost all thought of counterattacking and covered their crotches with both hands, determined to endure Zhu Shijun's brutal kicks rather than lose their lower body and future happiness.

  If not relying on such tricks, a head-on confrontation would be possible. Kang Tong and Lei Xiaotian also had the confidence to take down their opponents, but it would require some effort and they might suffer some minor injuries. Among the three, Zhu Shijun's combat strength was not sufficient, but Kang Tong and Lei Xiaotian had followed Xue Xiang in battle and honed their fighting skills through hundreds of battles, having fought many fierce and messy fights, let alone learning a few secret techniques from Xue Xiang to attack the weak points of the human body.