"What do you want?"
Liang Wan's brows lifted. Her voice dropped to ice.
The short white man stepped forward. His smile was stiff, rehearsed. "Nothing big. Just want to borrow some money."
"No." Liang Wan didn't hesitate. "We don't know each other. I owe you nothing."
The man's smile collapsed.
"That's not your call." His eyes darkened. "You'll give it to us. One way or another. And if you really don't have any—"
His gaze crawled over her body.
"Then you can keep me entertained for a few days."
"Trash."
Liang Wan's hand moved.
A clean backhand.
Crack.
Five red marks bloomed across the man's cheek.
For a heartbeat, he froze.
Then rage exploded.
"You bitch!" he roared. "You dare hit me? I'll blow your head off!"
His voice echoed down the empty street.
The tall man panicked, grabbing his arm. "Gorm! Stop! We said no injuries! Don't cross the line!"
"Get lost, John." Gorm shoved him aside. "If you want money, you scare them. You break them. Otherwise, go home and cry about your sick kid."
John staggered back, head lowered. He didn't argue again.
Lin lan finally spoke.
"You've been talking a lot," he said calmly. "Like I'm not even here."
He had been watching. Silent. Curious.
How far would this go?
Apparently—too far.
Gorm shot him a glance. No hesitation. He raised the gun and pulled the trigger.
"Then go be dead."
Bang.
The bullet tore through Lin lan's body and shattered the shop window behind him. Glass screamed into the night.
"Oh God—Gorm! You killed him!" John clutched his head. "We're done! We're finished! Life in prison!"
"Shut up!" Gorm snapped. "Or I'll drop you too."
Cold air shifted.
A voice cut through it.
"You really don't spare anyone," Lin lan said. Calm. Clear.
Gorm froze.
He turned.
The man was still standing.
No blood. No wound.
Just watching him.
"I… I shot you," Gorm stammered. "I hit you. How are you—"
"Because," Lin lan said, "that toy doesn't work on me."
He moved.
The gun vanished from Gorm's hand. Metal shrieked as Lin lan crushed it into a twisted lump and let it fall.
Gorm's pupils shook.
That wasn't strength.
That was wrong.
"What… what are you?" he whispered.
Lin lan didn't answer.
He grabbed Gorm by the throat and lifted him off the ground.
Air vanished.
Gorm kicked, clawed, eyes rolling. "Please… let me go… I beg you…"
Lin lan's grip tightened.
"If you'd said that earlier," he said quietly, "maybe."
A sharp crack.
Gorm's neck snapped. His body twitched once—then went limp.
Lin lan released him.
He looked down. Exhaled.
Then turned.
John was already crouched on the ground, shaking uncontrollably.
"Don't kill me!" he sobbed. "I didn't want this! I had no choice!"
Lin lan walked over and patted his shoulder.
"Relax," he said. "I'm not killing you."
John shook harder.
Lin lan frowned.
Not comforting at all.
Liang Wan shoved him aside and crouched instead. Her voice softened—but stayed firm.
"You don't look like a hardened criminal," she said. "Why robbery?"
Only when Lin lan stepped back did John manage to breathe.
"My wife and I lost our jobs," he whispered. "Our daughter… she's sick. Needs money. Gorm said this was fast. We agreed—no one gets hurt. I swear. I never thought he'd pull a gun."
His voice broke.
"I didn't want this."
Liang Wan listened. Then nodded.
"I believe you."
She raised a hand, stopping his frantic pleas. "You made a mistake. But it doesn't need to ruin your life."
She stood and looked at Lin lan. "Thoughts?"
"No objections," Lin lan said.
John stared at them. Didn't understand.
Then he understood.
Tears poured out. He bowed repeatedly, choking out thanks, before scrambling away into the darkness.
The street fell silent again.
Liang Wan exhaled slowly.
"You attract trouble," she said.
Lin lan shrugged. "Trouble finds me first."
Somewhere deep within his soul flame, something stirred again.
This city was watching him now.
And it wouldn't stop at robbers.