The two thugs who blocked Zhao Yiming's path were classic goons straight out of a bad crime movie.
One had a bald head and wore an ugly, colorful shirt that looked like a giant had puked all over it. The other had punk hair—standing up and sharp enough to pop a balloon.
The last one was a woman. Her blond hair was cut short in a pixie style with side bangs. Her eyes were round and red like rubies.
She was a beautiful, tomboyish girl wearing only a black T-shirt under an oversized jacket and short pants.
Zhao Yiming was mesmerized by the woman. She had a unique kind of beauty.
"Huh? What are you looking at, moron?"
The moment the woman started talking with a curse, his image of her shattered, and he gasped.
"Lady, watch your words with an elder! Such beauty is wasted on a venomous mouth like that. Truly a tragedy…" Zhao Yiming sighed, shaking his head.
"Hah?!" The woman stepped up, ready to punch him, but the two thugs' annoying voices came first.
"The hell are you talking about, asshole?! You look like you're in your twenties! What part of you screams 'old man'?" the bald thug barked.
"How dare you mock our leader!" the punk added, swinging a bat menacingly.
"Even if she's a woman, she could bend iron bars with her bare hands! She once fought a bear, dammit!"
But Zhao Yiming grabbed the bat with one hand. In the past, he was part of a school gang, so fighting was one of his charms—even if his skill was blunt.
Thanks to Zhao Yiming's young and strong body, it wouldn't be a problem now.
"Leader?" he smirked. "Tsk. Modern society really is progressive… even a little lass like you can lead a gang now."
Then he yanked the bat from the punk's hands and casually tossed it away.
Seeing how easily the bat flew, the three of them were shocked.
They knew Zhao Yiming as someone who was almost drunk every day and loved gambling—a man who used to be knocked over easily because of that.
But the man in front of them now had a different aura.
"Leader Luo, are you sure we still wanna fight him now? Look at him—he looks absolutely sober," the bald thug named Li Daijin whispered to the woman.
"Of course! It's the deadline for him to pay all his debt! Or do you want the boss to punch you into sticky rice instead?!" Luo Yanyu glared at him, though she was nervous too.
They might be debt collectors, but they rarely fought. Most people were already scared just by being blackmailed.
"Leader is right, Brother Li. The boss's rage is scarier than even a dragon's roar," the punk-haired man named Zhang Chuan whispered.
"Ugh, fine. You go first, Zhang."
"Eh... Why me?"
"You're younger!"
Zhao Yiming furrowed his brows, watching the two thugs argue and push each other to fight him.
He looked down at the plastic bags in his hands and realized he needed to clean his room as fast as possible to earn money. He then put it down before saying:
"You thugs are wasting my time! So which one of you wants to fight me?!"
Zhang Chuan pointed at Li Daijin, while Li Daijin pointed at him. They looked at each other in confusion.
"You guys are really embarrassing! Let me show you how to fight!"
Luo Yanyu, frustrated and annoyed, stepped up and—without a word—threw a high kick at Zhao Yiming's head.
But he ducked with ease. In one smooth move, he caught her leg and held it mid-air.
"Little lady, do you want to dislocate your hip?" he shakes his head in disappointment, "Women should preserve their elegance, not go kicking men like they're roosters in a cockfight!"
Luo Yanyu gritted her teeth, even more annoyed. "You underestimate me, huh?"
Zhao Yiming just shook his head. "No, I'm just saying it'd be a shame to bruise such a pretty face."
Her face started to blush. "You! Shameless bastard!"
She struggled to pull her leg back. When he let go, she used her hand to punch him, but he sidestepped it, turned to her back, and grabbed her arms, bending them behind her.
"Listen, young lady. A woman's face and body are treasures and easily damaged like a jade. You should take better care of them."
Zhao Yiming's mouth and body were so close to Luo Yanyu's back and ear, that it made her shudder and tense.
Never in her life had she been this close to a man—it made her nervous.
While Zhao Yiming didn't even realize he was flirting. He just considered it a way to teach a young lady.
And that was why he was confused when the notification from the system suddenly appeared:
[You successfully romanced the thug leader, 'Luo Yanyu'!]
[Because the God of Richness & Love was impressed with your fighting and flirting style, he gives you a $500 bonus!]
[Also, the route of the 'Rose Blooming in Crack Pavement' has finally been established!]
[Which route will you prefer:]
• Hot & Blazing
• Romancing the Thug
'Uh... This is confusing!'
The problem was—the names of the routes were too vague, and Zhao Yiming didn't even have any information; it was just a name!
Was one of them the perverted one? Both? Was this some kind of pervert trap?
In Su Meilin's case, it was clear which route was the r18+ one, but in this?! All of them could be the perverted ones!
[God of Richness & Love gives you messages:]
[Stop overthinking it, you spineless noodle! Just pick one!]
[Aren't all men dreaming of becoming perverts without being punched, slapped, or kicked in the nuts?!]
'Heavens… this so-called god gets worse every time he speaks.'
Zhao Yiming massaged his temples, still oblivious to the fact that Luo Yanyu was struggling in his grip, flailing and swearing like a sailor, while her two underlings screamed, "Let go of our leader, you freak!"
Suddenly, the screen began flashing with a countdown:
[3]
[2]
'Eh? What is that? Stop! Stop it!'
[1]
[Because you took too long, God of Richness & Love has chosen the route for you!]
[Hot & Blazing R18+ has been chosen!]
[Quest appeared!]
[Wrestle Her Down Like a Man!]
[Objective: Pin Luo Yanyu to the ground using one of your definitely-not-subtle grappling moves.]
Zhao Yiming's eye twitched violently.
He screamed louder than a thousand old monks watching their temple burn.
"FFUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!!!"