The passengers on the bus exchanged glances, but no one dared to resist. They all took out their cash, only hoping for safety. After all, those who could only afford to ride a bus weren't likely to be wealthy, nor did they have powerful connections. If they were robbed, they would have to suffer in silence. The robbers' arrogance likely stemmed from this understanding.
A man collected the money, his movements practiced and efficient, clearly an experienced hand. The passengers, thoroughly frightened, hurried to hand over their cash.
"How could this happen!"
The girl to Lu Fan's left, Shen Xiaoxiao, a member of the Shen family from Chuzhou, who was on her way home after finishing university, muttered. She felt quite unlucky to encounter such an event.
The胖 (Pang) was terrified, his body trembling. He was from the countryside and had never witnessed such a scene. Although he was over twenty, his experience was limited.
"These brats have quite the nerve," Han Yunhai remarked. "Shall I take care of them?"
"Why bother with personal intervention!" Lu Fan waved his hand. "They just want some money. Let them have it!"
Han Yunhai nodded slightly, not daring to say more. Since Lu Fan had spoken, he wouldn't disobey.
"Be quick about it, hand over your valuables!"
The man with yellow hair, holding a bag, approached an old man. "What's wrong with you, old man? Hurry up and give us your money!"
"I have no money, I have no money!"
The old man pleaded, "Please, have mercy!"
"What a joke, what's in that pocket of yours?" The bald man snatched the money, his eyes lighting up at the sight of the thick wad of bills. "I never realized you old folks were so well-off, carrying so much cash!"
"That's my son's life-saving money, you mustn't take it," the old man begged. "If this money is gone, my son will be gone too!"
"Stop your nonsense," the robber said unceremoniously, pushing the old man down.
The passengers on the bus were furious but dared not speak out. The robbers were armed, and any resistance could be fatal. They could only resign themselves to losing their money to avoid disaster.
"How can you do this!"
The 胖 suddenly stood up. "That's someone's life-saving money!"
As soon as he spoke, the bus fell silent. The robbers turned their attention to the 胖, gesturing with their daggers meaningfully.
The 胖 was thoroughly intimidated and quickly sat back down. He wanted to step forward, but his strength was insufficient. Especially with so many of them, if a fight broke out, he would be in trouble.
"What did you just say, kid?"
The man sneered, approaching the 胖. "You dare to interfere in our business?"
"What I mean is, that old man is old, why bother with his money!" the 胖 said with a smile. "I have a few thousand yuan here, why don't you take it to tide you over?"
"Get lost! You think this little bit of money can appease us?"
The man said abruptly, about to make a move on the 胖.
However, at that moment, a man with a scar entered the bus. Everyone immediately became deferential, and even the man who had just spoken hurried over. "Scar Brother!"
"What are you guys doing? Why so slow?" Scar Brother said coldly, glancing at Shen Xiaoxiao in the corner before alighting the bus.
The men didn't dare to delay. After collecting the money and valuables from the passengers, they turned their attention to Shen Xiaoxiao.
"This is all the money I have, take it all!"
Shen Xiaoxiao removed her earphones, feeling a surge of fear. As a young girl on the bus, encountering these thugs was not a good situation.
"Such a delicate young lady, you look quite charming," the bald man sneered. "We don't want your money, just come with us!"
"What do you want?" Shen Xiaoxiao was startled. This was a desolate area, and if she were taken off the bus by these thugs, there would be no escape.
"Why is everyone still sitting there? These robbers are going too far," the 胖 suddenly stood up. "Let's fight them together!"
Unfortunately, the bus remained silent. Everyone avoided eye contact. In this critical moment, everyone wanted to protect themselves and wouldn't willingly invite trouble. They had already surrendered their money and didn't want to stir up more problems.
"I think you're tired of living, kid!"
The bald man said unceremoniously and slapped the 胖. The 胖 clutched his body but dared not resist. Although he had considerable strength, these men were armed, and he was no match for them.
Seeing the situation turn for the worse, Shen Xiaoxiao grew more worried, especially as the 胖 had stepped forward, making her feel more guilty.
"Well, are you getting off yourself, or do we have to escort you?" the bald man asked coldly. "Our patience is limited."
"I am from the Shen family of Chuzhou. If you touch me, my father will never let you off easily!" Shen Xiaoxiao threatened.
"What a joke. In this wilderness, even if you were the King of Heaven, what does it matter to us?"
The bald man was dismissive, his expression even more indifferent, and he glared at Shen Xiaoxiao with fierce eyes.
Seeing that Shen Xiaoxiao still didn't move, the bald man was not polite and was about to drag her out when he saw Lu Fan sitting in the center of the bus, blocking his path.
"You kid, you're really blind, get out of the way!"
The bald man cursed and was about to slap Lu Fan's face. However, at that very moment, Lu Fan grabbed his arm, opened his eyes, and kicked the bald man flying.
He hadn't intended to get involved, but this bald man was too ignorant, daring to provoke him. How could Lu Fan let him off lightly?
"My hand!"
The bald man screamed, and the entire bus fell silent, no one knowing what had happened.
Shen Xiaoxiao was filled with surprise at the scene before her. She had initially looked down on Lu Fan, but his actions now made her feel a strange sense of admiration.
The bald man had many subordinates, and fighting on the bus was not a wise choice.
The robbers were furious and were about to attack Lu Fan. However, the man with the scar slowly boarded the bus. "Brother, we have no enmity. Why the big fuss? We only want that girl. We hope you won't make things difficult!"
"I don't want to interfere in your business!" Lu Fan shrugged. "But if you provoke me, that's another matter."
"Young man, don't be so impetuous!" the man with the scar sneered. "In Chuzhou territory, I still have some influence. If you offend me, you'll regret it. Judging by your earlier move, you must be a martial artist. Don't be foolish!"
"You have quite the tone!" Han Yunhai sneered. "Just a few young punks like you dare to boast like this?"
The man with the scar's expression changed. They had a target for this bus interception, and now they had encountered two tough opponents, which was proving troublesome.
"Scar Brother, why waste words with them!"
The bald man said coldly. "Let's take care of both these kids!"