Leo’s gaze softened with a hint of sympathy as he took Ron’s small hand and said, “Come on, let’s go home. Big brother will cook you something delicious.” Guided by Ron, Leo climbed the stairs and entered Doreen’s rented room.
The room was tiny, a single space with a small bathroom, meaning cooking, eating, and sleeping all happened in the same room.
Ron sat quietly on a small chair, his eyes fixed on the delicious food being prepared by his big brother.
The room lacked a refrigerator. Leo opened a wooden, makeshift cabinet and took a look inside. There were some vegetables and a plate of leftover vegetarian stir-fry.
Leo sighed softly and, after cooking some rice in an electric rice cooker, decided to go out and buy some meat.
“Ron, you stay here and be a good boy. Big brother will go outside and get you some tasty food,” Leo reassured Ron with a smile.
Hearing the promise of delicious food, Ron’s face lit up with a happy smile, and he nodded enthusiastically.
After going downstairs, Leo approached someone and asked for directions to the local market. He soon headed there. While Leo was away, that little bully returned with a few adults and entered Doreen’s home.
He grabbed Ron’s collar and yelled, “Hey, idiot, where’s the guy who was here earlier?”
Ron, who had often been bullied by this neighborhood bully, began crying immediately upon being grabbed.
The bully turned to his gang and asked, “Dad, that guy must have left. What should we do?”
The bully’s father, Jay Johnny, known as a local gangster in the area, rarely provided his son with any moral guidance, which had resulted in the boy becoming a little bully himself.
Jay was well-known in this village; he had established a reputation with his fists and could command respect from both thugs and wealthy people. Everyone around here respectfully called him “Brother Jay.”
It’s not an exaggeration to say that in this village, Jay was living a life without anyone challenging him. His son Ivan came running to report that he had been attacked by a man, so Jay immediately brought his henchmen to seek revenge, only to discover that he had arrived a step too late.
Despite arriving late, Jay couldn’t let the matter slide. He looked at Ron and coldly said, “Son, teach this idiot a lesson. Beat him up.”
Ivan, Jay’s son, had been itching to beat up Ron, so when his father gave the order, Ivan immediately pushed Ron to the ground and started kicking and punching him.
After a while, Ivan seemed to have exhausted his rage and stopped.
“Son, if you’re still angry, Daddy will find that guy and make him kneel and apologize to you,” Jay said, with a look of affection.
Jay’s wife had died early, and Ivan was his only child, so he was extremely indulgent.
“Okay, Dad, find him and I’ll pee on his head!” Ivan eagerly replied.
Just as they were about to leave, Leo returned with groceries.
Upon seeing Ron crying on the ground, Leo’s anger surged. An intense desire to protect Ron welled up within him.
Ivan, upon seeing Leo, became excited and yelled, “Dad, it’s this guy! He’s the one who hit me!”
Jay glanced at Leo, and a wicked smile crept onto his face. “You stupid moron, you dare to hit my son? Kneel down and apologize to my son right now, or else I’ll destroy you today!”
Leo placed the groceries on the table and stood in front of Jay, his eyes icy as he stared him down. An overpowering sense of murder filled the small room.
Two of Jay’s henchmen, fearing for their boss, immediately blocked Leo and looked at him with contempt.
“Kid, you’re really asking for it. You dare to hit Brother Jay’s son!”
“Kneel down and apologize now, or…”
Before they could finish their threats, Leo swiftly raised his hand and slapped both henchmen, sending them crashing to the ground. Their heads bumped together with a resounding “thud.”
Two slaps took care of his two underlings, and the ferocity of the man before him startled Jay.
Instinctively, Jay reached into his pocket for his knife, but before he could draw it, a sudden, intense pain surged through his abdomen. He was sent flying backward, crashing hard into the wall.
Blood oozed from the corners of Jay’s mouth, and he felt as though a sharp weapon had pierced his abdomen, causing excruciating pain.
Leo took a few steps closer, positioning himself once again in front of Jay.
Jay raised his head and saw the substantial malice in Leo’s eyes, a fear he hadn’t felt in a long time crept over him. “Bro, can’t we talk things out?”
Leo executed a swift leg sweep, catching Jay’s head with the kick. This time, Leo refrained from using his spiritual power; otherwise, Jay’s head would have been crushed.
With a resounding thud, Jay’s head struck the ground, blood flowing from his nose, mouth, and ears.
Surprisingly, Jay proved to be quite resilient, sitting up despite having taken two heavy blows.
“Bro, please, don’t hit me anymore. We can talk things out,” Jay pleaded.
But before Jay could finish his sentence, Leo struck him across the face with another harsh slap. The force of the blow left Jay dazed, a constant buzzing sound in his ears, and stars dancing before his eyes.
Upon witnessing his father being brutalized, Ivan rushed behind Leo, shouting, and attempted to kick Leo’s legs.
Leo, without even looking, executed a backward kick, sending Ivan flying into the nearby wall.
“You can choose how you want to meet your end,” Leo coldly declared, his gaze locked onto Jay.
Jay, still reeling from the dizziness and feeling intense pain all over his body, was terrified.
Though he had been a local bully in this village, Jay had never gone so far as to take someone’s life. At most, he had left a few individuals permanently injured. The more arrogant and domineering someone appeared, the deeper their fear of death actually ran. Jay had been relishing the comforts of his life of dominance, and now, he was utterly terrified.
In the eyes of the man standing before him, Jay saw the grim specter of death, and he had no doubt that this man would indeed kill him.
Bearing the excruciating pain throughout his body, Jay slowly knelt before Leo, his voice trembling with desperation. “Bro, I was wrong. Please spare my life. I’ll do anything you want, just spare me.”