"Let her go!" Chen Jie walked up to the group and said.
"Big brother, it's you!" Li Ziling's face lit up with surprise and joy when she saw Chen Jie.
She quickly said, "Big brother, those three are with each other! Hurry up and call for help!"
Chen Jie smiled and walked towards them.
He said to the three men, "You're very lucky today. I'm in a hurry. If you leave now, you might still make it."
"Kid, who the hell do you think you are?" Gong Jian saw Chen Jie and said rudely, "What are you? You dare to meddle in our business?"
"Today, I'm going to meddle!" Chen Jie replied.
"Are you looking for death? Hahaha, I took a disliking to you as soon as I got on the bus. Perfect, let's cripple you first!"
"Brothers, get him! Let's take our anger out on him first!"
The three had been feeling frustrated on the bus.
Seeing Chen Jie walk into their trap, they naturally didn't want to let him off the hook.
The three of them charged at Chen Jie together.
Li Ziling, who was initially grateful for Chen Jie's sudden appearance, became anxious.
She knew that Chen Jie, alone, wouldn't be a match for the three of them.
"Big brother, run! Call for reinforcements first!" Li Ziling said anxiously.
By the time the three surrounded Chen Jie, it was too late for him to escape.
However, it was a good opportunity for Li Ziling to flee.
To Chen Jie's surprise, Li Ziling didn't try to escape immediately.
Chen Jie nodded inwardly.
"You little brat, you dare to meddle in my business? I'll beat you back into your mother's womb!"
Gong Jian threw a heavy punch at Chen Jie.
But Chen Jie waved his hand, grabbed his fist, and stopped him in his tracks.
The next second, Chen Jie kicked him square in the abdomen.
The man let out a thunderous scream.
"Damn it, he's a martial artist!"
The other two's expressions changed, and they quickly attacked.
Bang bang...
Chen Jie's current strength was such that he could kill them with a single finger.
However, Chen Jie was not one to kill indiscriminately; he just wanted to teach them a lesson.
After a few muffled thuds, the three of them fell to the ground, howling in pain.
"Ah! Big brother, you're so amazing!" Li Ziling ran to Chen Jie's side, exclaiming in surprise.
"This area is a bit remote. You need to be careful when you're traveling alone." Chen Jie had already beaten the three men, including Gong Jian, into a semi-crippled state with a few kicks. They would no longer be a threat to Li Ziling.
"Thank you for helping me, big brother. My name is Li Ziling," Li Ziling said, blushing as she looked at Chen Jie.
She secretly observed Chen Jie; his潇洒 (xiāosǎ - carefree and elegant) display of skill had deeply impressed her.
"Uh, my name is Chen Jie," Chen Jie said.
"Brother Jie, did you hide my things just now?" Li Ziling asked.
Chen Jie smiled and nodded, "I felt something was wrong with these three from the moment they got on the bus. That guy, Gong Jian, even secretly put your wallet in your bag. I just took the wallet and put it away for you, so you wouldn't be framed."
Li Ziling then realized how dangerous the situation on the bus had been.
If Chen Jie hadn't helped her, she might have been accused of theft and been shunned by everyone.
Her gratitude towards Chen Jie deepened.
She also understood that Chen Jie must have seen that middle-aged woman bullying her and put the wallet in the woman's pocket.
Seeing the smile on Chen Jie's face, her heart fluttered.
As Chen Jie was about to leave, she quickly called out to him.
"Brother Jie, you've helped me so much, I don't know how to thank you. How about you come to my house for a meal?"
Gong Jian and the other two heard their entire conversation from the side.
They were heartbroken and filled with resentment towards Chen Jie.
In their eyes, Chen Jie was just some show-off with a bit of skill who wanted to play the hero saving the damsel.
Now, they hadn't gained anything, and Li Ziling was inviting Chen Jie home for dinner.
When a woman invites a man to her home, it was obvious what it meant.
Perhaps Chen Jie would win the beauty's heart tonight.
And what about them?
Gong Jian felt incredibly unbalanced.
Their plan had been ruined by an unexpected interloper, and now that interloper was using them as a stepping stone to pursue the girl.
How could they stand it?
Chen Jie was about to refuse, but seeing Li Ziling's good temperament yet living in such a secluded place, he couldn't help but worry about her.
He decided to say, "Alright, I'll escort you back. By the way, is anyone else at home with you?"
Li Ziling's pretty face flushed.
She shook her head, "No."
"Then I must take you back. It's not safe for a young girl like you to be alone. It's best to live with your family."
Gong Jian and the others couldn't take it anymore.
Gong Jian angrily shouted, "Give it a rest! Can you stop pretending? I'm going to puke!"
"You dare to speak again? Who gave you the courage?" Chen Jie's eyes turned cold.
"Hmph! We need more money!" Gong Jian said.
"Money? What money?" Chen Jie frowned.
"Hahaha... I knew it, he wouldn't agree!" Gong Jian laughed wildly at the other two.
"Young Master Chen, we didn't want to expose you, but your methods are too wicked! We can't live with our consciences!" Gong Jian suddenly sneered.
"You beat us up so badly, but you only gave us twenty thousand yuan. We won't agree! Twenty thousand yuan isn't even enough for our medical bills!"
The other two, who had been confused, now understood.
They quickly chimed in, "That's right! If you don't pay more, don't blame us! We don't care if you want to play hero saving the damsel, but you beat us too badly. This is not what we agreed upon!"
"You stingy idiot, you want to pick up girls but you're so cheap? You might as well go pick up a mare!"
Li Ziling's mind went blank. She asked, "What do you mean? Did you hire them?"
"Silly girl, you've been taken advantage of, and you're still asking if it felt good! Women these days are so easy to fool. A simple hero-saves-the-damsel act, and you invite him home! Heh heh, we should have taken turns using this trick to fool you. Why would we let this stingy fake gentleman have all the fun!" Gong Jian said disdainfully.
"Don't believe what those three are saying. What a coincidence. I don't know them beforehand. I think these three seem to have ulterior motives towards you. Shall I arrest them and interrogate them?"
Chen Jie was too lazy to explain.
He believed that any normal person wouldn't believe Gong Jian and the other two.
But Li Ziling was different.
She had heard the three of them mention having an employer before. Thinking about how easily Chen Jie had agreed to go home with her, she was so angry that tears streamed down her face.
"You lying scoundrel! I even called you big brother, you bastard!"