The underground world had plenty of tough guys, and those willing to risk their lives for money weren't uncommon.
But someone like Shi Xiaolei—fierce in fights, visually impressive, and guaranteed to win 100% of the time—was quite rare.
Add to that his lack of backing or connections...
Since Shi Xiao Lei left the underground fighting ring, people showed up at his door almost every few days, either with enticements or threats, demanding he return to the ring and serve as their money tree.
"Get out."
If they asked nicely, Shi Xiaolei would show some courtesy.
After all, you don't slap a smiling face. But if they tried to force him maliciously, he wouldn't be so polite.
Like now—ignoring the butterfly knife the visitor had brandished, Shi Xiaolei reached out his large hand and knocked the weapon away with one swipe.
Following up with a 45-degree kick to the solar plexus, the two thugs rolled out of the shop like gourds tumbling on the ground.
"Smack, Smack~!"
The one in the back was luckier, only hit by his flying companion without taking a direct blow.
But the one in front who took the solar plexus kick had barely half a breath left.
Getting to his feet and seeing his companion nearly at death's door, the skinny Black guy was both shocked and furious.
Looking back at Shi Xiaolei standing at the shop entrance like an iron tower, the skinny man startled, instinctively pulling out the small handgun tucked in his waistband.
Pointing the dark barrel at Shi Xiaolei, the skinny guy demonstrated what it meant to sound fierce while being timid inside.
"Rock, you bastard, I'm going to kill you!"
Not the first time someone had pointed a gun at him, Shi Xiaolei wasn't rattled by the small handgun in the skinny man hand.
He simply strode forward on his two thick legs, exuding intimidation, while twitching the corners of his mouth into the most ferocious smile.
"Is that so? Are you sure you're mentally prepared?"
After activating the Barbarian bloodline from the game, not only had his physical attributes greatly improved, but his body condition had also become data-based.
No matter where he got hit, it wouldn't cause immediate death—at most he'd lose some health points that would recover after a period of rest.
If the caliber was small enough, bullets couldn't even penetrate his solid muscles, deducting at most one or two points of health.
It was precisely because of this ability that Shi Xiaolei hadn't feared the threats from the fighting ring boss earlier, and had ignored the recruitment attempts from those underworld tycoons, withdrawing so decisively.
"No, don't come any closer~!"
Perhaps he'd been warned by his companion before coming, knowing that a small handgun wouldn't work on Shi Xiao Lei, leaving him without a sense of security.
Or perhaps it was the savage aura emanating from Shi Xiao Lei causing extreme psychological pressure.
The skinny guy was scared like a woman who'd lost control of her bladder, his screams like someone who'd seen a ghost.
Stepping forward, Shi Xiaolei grabbed the right hand holding the gun, and with a slight exertion of strength, there came a crisp cracking sound as the skinny guy right hand completely changed shape.
"Ahhh~~~~! Damn it, my hand~!"
The intense pain made the skinny guy screams rise even higher, and his limp fingers lost all strength, no longer able to hold the gun.
Taking the gun, weighing it in his hand, Shi Xiao Lei looked up at the skinny guy rolling on the ground.
"The safety not even off. With a brain like yours, you shouldn't be out here trying to make it in the streets."
"Damn you, Rock! You wait, I'm definitely going to kill you."
"In that case, I'd better strike first."
Holding the gun, he stepped forward to the skinny guy, placed his left foot on his chest, then raised the gun and pointed it at his head.
"I don't want you coming to find me again, so, would you mind dying?"
He had no intention of firing the gun; he was just trying to scare the guy.
Although his large build made him look like a bad guy, Shi Xiaolei was after all a dimensional traveler from China and in his previous life, he had never experienced or witnessed anything like "killing someone in the street."
But his appearance was too fierce, and the aura from the Barbarian bloodline was too savage.
Not only did the skinny guy wet himself in fear, but two police officers who happened to be patrolling nearby were also quite startled by the fierce demeanor Shi Xiaolei displayed.
"Hey, hey! I'm talking to you!"
"NYPD! You there, put down the gun, raise your hands, and put them behind your head!"
Not knowing the whole story and only seeing the current scene, they assumed Shi Xiaolei was the criminal.
The two chubby officers took cover behind their car, raised their guns, and pointed them at Shi Xiaolei ten meters away, issuing a warning with great tension.
"Tch, you got lucky."
Completing the act, Shi Xiaolei tossed the gun away while glaring at the skinny guy one more time.
The concentrated intimidation was truly effective—with just one glare, the skinny guy was so frightened that his eyes rolled back.
Meanwhile, seeing Shi Xiao Lei discard the gun, the two officers quickly surrounded him.
"Hey, hey, officers."
Being pushed around by the two cops, Shi Xiaolei felt a bit annoyed inside.
However, considering this was America and the police had "emergency handling rights," he didn't resist their restraining actions, only verbally appealing.
"You've got it wrong, these two are the bad guys, I was just defending myself. If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance camera, it's right there."
It was an indisputable fact that Asians often faced discrimination in America, with a status even lower than Black people.
However, whether one would encounter unfairness also depended on the person and the situation; not all cases could be generalized.
For instance, now, because his size was too large and his intimidation factor too strong, making him not someone easy to bully, Shi Xiaolei words did have some effect and weren't completely ignored by the two officers.
Well, mainly because someone had stepped in to intervene.
"Leave the rest to us."
A middle-aged man with a concerning hairline appeared out of nowhere, flashing his credentials at the two officers.
"Officers, please take these two on the ground away. I can confirm that, as he said, these two are the actual suspects who should bear responsibility for the crime."
After verifying the credentials and confirming the man identity was legitimate, the two officers holstered their guns and saluted.
"Yes, sir."
The two unconscious thugs were dragged to the patrol car, and with the departure of the police car, the street returned to calmness.
Shi Xiaolei mood however, was quite the opposite.
Others might not recognize him, but as a dimensional traveler, how could he not recognize the identity of the man before him?
A black suit, shiny forehead, receding hairline, and a gentle yet gentlemanly smile on his face.
Throughout the entire Marvel universe, only Agent Phil Coulson, known as the "Newbie Village Chief," had this appearance.
'Isn't this Coulson? Why has he come looking for me?'
Carefully recalling his experiences over the past few months and unable to figure out where he might have slipped up, Shi Xiaolei face unconsciously fell into deep thought.
"Mr. Rock, could we have a word in private?"
After waiting patiently for a while and seeing that Shi Xiaolei still hadn't snapped out of it, with curious bystanders gathering around, Coulson had to break the silence.
"Oh, right."
Coming to his senses and looking at the situation around them, Shi Xiaolei nodded and turned toward his shop.
"Let's go inside."
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)