Bai Hao's brow furrowed slightly. The men's immaculate suits and precise demeanor suggested they were no ordinary individuals. Yet, seeing the tears welling in Yan Xiaoshi's frightened eyes, he instinctively squared his shoulders. "Xiaoshi, is it them?" he asked softly.
Xiaoshi nodded obediently. "Yes, Big Brother. They're very bad. I don't like them."
Within moments, the three men in black stood merely a dozen meters away. Bai Hao rose, positioning himself protectively in front of Xiaoshi. While he didn't know if they were truly malicious, he needed answers first.
Seconds later, the trio halted a meter before him. The leader, a middle-aged man with a face like chiseled granite, frowned, a flicker of ice passing through his eyes as he saw Bai Hao shielding the girl. "Step aside," he commanded coldly.
Bai Hao's heart sank a little. The man's gaze and tone carried a palpable aura of murderous intent, distinctly hostile. Yet, his own expression remained calm. "Who are you?" he inquired.
The middle-aged man gave Bai Hao a dismissive once-over, a trace of contempt in his voice. "I have no obligation to answer you. Step aside." As a bodyguard for the Yan family, one of the Empire's Five Great Houses, he certainly felt justified in ignoring a commoner's impertinent questioning.
Bai Hao did not move. The man's attitude was utterly discourteous. At the very least, he could explain his relation to Yan Xiaoshi; otherwise, Bai Hao had no intention of handing her over.
The granite-faced man's frown deepened, a cold sneer forming inwardly. The boy's current actions could already be construed as a threat to the young miss. As her protector, he now had ample justification to act.
"Step aside!" The man's voice was frostier still. This was the third and final warning.
Bai Hao sensed a surge of violent aggression. A chill ran through him, solidifying his resolve: without an explanation, he would not surrender Xiaoshi to someone so brutal.
The next instant, the answer came not in words, but in a fist—a fist aimed squarely at his head.
Bai Hao's pupils contracted. Straight for the vitals. Ruthless.A coldness settled in his heart. He was no lamb for the slaughter, but a stone harder than any fist. His left hand snapped up, palm open, to intercept the blow.
Smack!
The fist connected with the palm, producing a crisp, sharp sound.
The middle-aged man's expression shifted dramatically. It felt as if his punch had plunged into a sea of mud, its force dissipated almost instantly. He had never encountered such a defense. Shock aside, his reflexes kicked in; his left hand was already balling into a fist, driving forward in a second strike.
Bai Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. With a soft grunt, his right fist shot forward to meet it.
Thud!The two fists collided. A faint, sickening crunch of bone followed.
In a contest of fists, it came down to which was harder.
Bai Hao had confidence in his fists. On Planet B5, he believed them among the hardest—with the sole exception of Yin Ya, the "Little Lord," who had taught him everything he knew. That man's fists were even more ferocious.
The impact of force sent the middle-aged man stumbling back several steps, agony etching his features. Seeing their leader disadvantaged, the other two men sprang into action, charging Bai Hao from left and right with menacing intent.
Facing two attackers simultaneously, Bai Hao's heart grew heavy. Alone, he could handle them—create distance, pick them off one by one. But with Yan Xiaoshi behind him, his movements were restricted. Still, a strategy flashed in his mind. He deflected the attack from the man on his right with one hand, while the other shot forward, landing a solid blow to the assailant's abdomen. The strike from the left, however, he chose to take.
Bai Hao successfully floored the man on the right, but paid the price: a fist connected with the bridge of his nose from the left. Fortunately, a slight dodge had robbed the blow of its full force. Seizing the moment his opponent's momentum faded, Bai Hao's own counter-punch landed solidly.
In under five seconds, both men lay curled on the ground in pain. The chiseled-faced man, barely containing the agony in his left hand, stared warily at the unnervingly fierce youth, his mind reeling. While not elite-level bodyguards, the three of them were no pushovers for an ordinary person. Yet, they had been subdued in a single encounter. His right hand, however, was already moving, slipping inside his black jacket. The moment his fingers closed around the cold, metallic object within, a sliver of calm returned.
Bai Hao watched the man intently. He saw the movement. When the black pistol emerged, his face paled. Simultaneously, he moved with all the speed he could muster.
The middle-aged man began to raise the weapon, only to find Bai Hao was faster than he'd anticipated. A searing pain, accompanied by another distinct crack, shot through his gun-hand. Then, a heavy blow slammed into his abdomen.
Bai Hao had successfully neutralized the threat, leaving the man collapsed on the floor. Without a second glance, he turned, scooped up the wide-eyed Yan Xiaoshi, and swiftly made his exit.
The entire confrontation had lasted mere seconds. The bench's somewhat secluded location meant the three men's sorry state went unnoticed for a while. Before anyone else arrived, the granite-faced man, enduring excruciating pain, retrieved his personal communicator with trembling fingers and dialed a number. "R-Report to Madam... the young miss... she's been kidnapped!"
Elsewhere on the star-liner, in a premier VIP suite, an elegant, graceful woman set down her communicator, her hand trembling slightly. Her face betrayed unconcealed panic and worry. She strode quickly from the room.
Outside, a man in dark sunglasses and a black suit stood at solemn attention. He appeared to be in his fifties, with close-cropped, vigorous hair graying at the temples, and features etched with stern integrity. "Madam, what is it? Has the young miss been found?"
"Uncle Xi... Xiaoshi... she's been taken." The composure expected of a lady of her stature had vanished, replaced by a mother's raw fear.
"Taken?" A flicker of shock passed over the man's composed face, but it was quickly masked. His tone remained measured and calm. "Madam, please, do not distress yourself. We are aboard an Imperial star-liner. Even if someone has taken the young miss, they cannot possibly escape."
As an elite bodyguard of the Yan family, Xi Chenglong retained his coolheadedness. This journey of Madam and the young miss was supposed to be strictly confidential; ordinary people should have no knowledge of it. Furthermore, within the entire Starfall Empire, few would dare to openly act against one of the "Five Great Families." Therefore, the perpetrator likely did not know the girl's identity. His only concern was if the kidnapper happened to be some deranged fanatic—that could prove troublesome.
The woman addressed as "Madam" remained visibly flustered and anxious. "Uncle Xi, what should we do?"
Xi Chenglong paused briefly before replying, "Madam, I will go immediately to ascertain the specifics of the situation. In the meantime, I must trouble you to speak with the captain of this vessel. Mobilizing the ship's security forces will undoubtedly double our effectiveness."