The thief's figure remained motionless outside the slightly ajar door, clearly testing the situation inside.
In the room, Xu Peiyu was hunched over, completely hidden beneath the quilt.
As for me, I squinted, staring intently at the figure outside the door.
After an unknown amount of time…
Seemingly satisfied with the situation inside, the thief crept in through the ajar door.
The entire process was silent.
Upon entering, the thief decisively headed straight for the pants I had placed on the bedside table.
I knew he intended to go for my wallet.
As he approached the bedside table, the thief didn't act like a common pickpocket, blindly fumbling around.
Instead, he decisively reached into my pants pocket and began to feel around.
From this alone, I concluded that this fellow was no ordinary thief.
In a situation like this, a typical thief would be thinking of stealing as much as possible, going through all my clothes and everything in the room.
But this person was different; his objective was clear.
Later, I inquired about the night's events.
His reply was that a young man carrying tens of thousands of yuan in his wallet to treat people either came from money or from shady dealings.
Either way, he was someone not to be trifled with. The best course of action was to grab a quick score and flee without making a fuss, and not to be too greedy.
…
As he felt for my bulging wallet in my right pocket and pulled it out, the thief also glanced at me vigilantly.
To conceal the fact that Xu Peiyu was trembling uncontrollably, I had no choice but to turn slightly outward, using my back to partially block the thief's view.
As it was late at night and the moon had not yet risen, there was virtually no light in the room; it was pitch black.
Even though the thief was cautious, pausing at every step while transferring the money from my wallet, he discovered nothing unusual.
In less than ten seconds.
After transferring all the cash from my wallet, the thief, in a show of "benevolence," left me all the loose change. As he turned to leave, I flicked the steel plate I had been holding between my fingers.
*Whoosh!*
The muffled sound was followed by a glint of cold light that broke the silence, pierced the darkness, and shot towards the thief's back.
However, to my surprise…
The imagined scene of blood splashing and loud wails did not materialize. Instead, there was a series of clanging sounds.
At such close range, my steel plate could not have missed!
Unless the other party was already on guard! If I wasn't mistaken, Xu Peiyu must have leaked something!
Just as this thought crossed my mind, I saw the thief, having narrowly escaped, bolt out the door.
The sudden noise caused Xu Peiyu, still huddled under the quilt, to let out a startled cry and leap out from under it.
"I'm going after the thief. Either lock the door and stay put, or go downstairs and call Cheng Minglang. Don't run around anymore!"
Leaving these words behind, and without regard for Xu Peiyu's reaction, I quickly got up, dressed, and gave chase.
As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing your child!
The 2,000 yuan I spent at the night market, plus the more than 7,000 yuan in my wallet, were my bait to trap this incredibly cunning thief.
Tonight, I had no reason to let him escape!
Sprinting downstairs, I quickly pursued the fleeting shadow in the boundless darkness.
During the chase, I noticed that the thief's speed was extraordinary.
Truly, specialization breeds expertise!
Still recovering from a serious injury, I couldn't engage in strenuous activity for long. To avoid being outrun, I decided to leverage the terrain.
The new place Xianyu found for me was a row of newly renovated self-built houses, located in a winding old alley.
On either side of the old alley were bamboo groves.
On the surface, the only way in and out was the old alley.
However, one could actually reach the end of the alley by cutting through the bamboo groves, saving time.
But generally, people wouldn't dare to go through the woods late at night.
I did!
By taking the shortcut, I reached the end of the alley ahead of the thief.
Pressing myself against the dark corner of the alley, I took the opportunity to regulate my breathing and quietly waited for him to walk into my trap.
A thief this audacious had to be taught a lesson and understand the dangers of the martial world!
Within a few breaths, the sound of hurried, rapid footsteps reached my ears.
The scoundrel was here!
Just as he was about to break through the shadows and head towards the dimly lit street, I stepped out quickly, a steel plate held between my fingers.
Seeing this, the thief was completely stunned, as if petrified.
But his reaction speed and adaptability were quick. In less than a second, he snapped back to reality.
Once he recovered, I expected him to probably pull out a weapon to force me back.
To my surprise, after cursing me in some unknown dialect, the scoundrel turned and ran back.
Running was his forte, not mine.
So, I lunged forward, aiming the steel plate at the back of his neck.
Who would have thought that this fellow, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, would suddenly squat and charge back into the box?
Seeing this, I knew… I had run into a tough opponent!
No wonder he dared to come alone to continue his thievery; he was a master pickpocket!
But whether he was a master or not, since he dared to steal my wallet and then extort money from me using public pressure, I certainly wouldn't let him off!
With that thought, I pulled a steel plate from each of my pockets and unleashed them in a double-pronged attack!
Even if the thief had eyes in the back of his head, he would definitely have to dodge the two steel plates aimed at his upper and lower body.
Taking advantage of his evasive maneuvers, I strode forward and threw a powerful punch straight at his face.
But the scoundrel, like a spring, instantly sidestepped to the side.
After dodging my charged punch, he quickly swung his arm, using his incredibly sharp fingernails to stab at my vital points.
A fitting retaliation!
While marveling inwardly, I quickly dodged to the side and retreated a couple of steps.
Seeing me retreat, the thief put on a show of continuing his attack, but as he raised his hand, he suddenly broke into a run and fled.