Volume One: First Signs of Brilliance Chapter Thirty: A Move That Scares Them Off

Perhaps because he assumed Wang Jue was just an ordinary middle school student, Qian Jun began to act as he spoke. However, he didn't strike; he simply placed his hands on Wang Jue's shoulders, not applying much force—evidently intending to exert some pressure.

This was one of their usual tactics, effective against most people. Generally, mere verbal abuse wasn't always useful; after all, everyone had a different temperament and way of handling matters. Some people responded to kindness, others to force, and some to neither. Using the right method for the right person was a valuable lesson Qian Jun had learned from years of collecting debts.

In their line of work, visiting someone to collect money naturally required a set of techniques of their own. The process was simple: start with gentle persuasion, escalate to threats if needed, and if that failed, just give up and sell the IOU to someone else, letting them collect. Their goal was always to recover what was owed; even if selling the IOU only meant getting back the principal, anything recovered was a gain.

"Over a hundred thousand isn't a small sum." Hearing that the man made no mention of the IOU, Wang Jue didn't need to guess; he knew this fellow didn't have one.

Wang Jue didn't mind the hands on his shoulders. Should he wish, he could easily deal with Qian Jun in an instant, but for now, he had no such intention. At least not yet. Suppressing the urge to act, Wang Jue calmly looked up at Qian Jun, curious to see what other tricks he would try. "Could I see the IOU first? Or is it that you don't have one?"

He knew full well they couldn't produce an IOU. If he insisted, they'd grow angry—giving him a perfect excuse to act. The laws of the Safe Zone were strict: martial artists must not lay hands on ordinary people without cause, or the consequences would be severe.

This was precisely why debt collectors were always thugs and never martial artists.

Qian Jun was already annoyed by Wang Jue's composure, the utter lack of fear. Wang Jue's words sounded like open provocation, which only made Qian Jun more furious. "IOU, IOU? Kid, do you even know what I'm talking about?"

"Of course," Wang Jue replied innocently, spreading his hands. "Our family owes you money, right? But if you don't have the IOU, how am I supposed to know whether we really owe you anything? Or maybe, you're not here to collect a debt at all, but to rob us?"

With this, Wang Jue tore away their last pretense.

Debts must be repaid; this was a principle that held true everywhere, no matter how high the interest. But the real issue was, Wang Jue didn't owe Qian Jun and his men anything. In fact, neither did his parents. The real debtor was another relative, so for Qian Jun to come here seeking payment, there was naturally no IOU to produce, and even if there was one, it wouldn't be in their hands.

Wang Jue had already guessed: the IOU existed, but the amount wasn't what they claimed. After all, these were loan sharks, and even if they had an IOU, they'd never be foolish enough to hand it over, or how would they make their money?

Seeing Qian Jun fall silent, Wang Jue didn't seize the opportunity to let things go; instead, he put on a puzzled expression and voiced his doubts, "Are you con men then?"

"Kid, are you looking for trouble?"

Before Qian Jun could respond, the wiry man beside him burst out, shouting excitedly, "Just call your family, kid. Why are you talking so much?"

The thin man's face twisted with malice, his tone vicious, resembling a snarling dog ready to pounce and bite at any moment.

Hearing his partner, Qian Jun quickly regained his composure and played along, his large, imposing figure staring down at Wang Jue, as if searching for a hint of fear.

"Oh my, are you trying to threaten me?" Wang Jue blinked, then, under their gaze, swung his right hand fiercely to the side.

Boom!

With a thunderous crash, the iron door to Wang Jue's home caved in, leaving a gaping dent. Though not completely pierced through, the damage was obvious; even a blind man could see that if this punch landed on a person, it would be fatal.

Gulp.

Both men swallowed hard. They'd inspected that door earlier—even touched it. It was solid iron. Now, it had been crumpled as if it were paper by a student.

Qian Jun quickly realized his hands were still on Wang Jue's shoulders. Suddenly, he felt awkward, unsure whether to let go or not.

Awkward indeed.

"See? I was scared," Wang Jue said, withdrawing his hand with an innocent look.

In truth, he had no intention of harming them. There was no fear or anxiety on his face—he was in no hurry at all.

His confidence stemmed from his own strength. In his eyes, these loan sharks on Azure Star were no different from those on Earth—bullies who preyed on the weak and feared the strong.

Want to use force? That might work on ordinary people, but when faced with someone truly dangerous, they'd scatter faster than anyone, wishing for more legs just to run away.

"A... martial artist?" the thin man stammered, his fierce expression frozen, cold sweat pouring down his face.

They had seen martial artists before—there were several in their company, though it was rare to encounter them. Martial artists were always aloof, never associating with the likes of them.

Even if they worked at the same company, they knew they weren't worthy of being underlings to such people—martial artists had no need for ordinary thugs.

"Young man... what are you doing? We're just here to discuss—no, to negotiate, yes, just negotiate." Qian Jun wiped the sweat from his brow, his embarrassment palpable. Inwardly, he cursed the intelligence department at the company.

Were those idiots blind? How could they call this a normal family if they had a martial artist? And at such a young age! If his talent was high, that was one thing, but if he had powerful backing, they might not survive this encounter...

From the moment he saw them, Wang Jue had been contemplating how best to resolve this matter—deal with it himself? Ask for help? Or use some other method?

Just then, more people rushed down the corridor. Wang Jue pointed at them, his gaze playful as he remarked, "Oh, negotiation? With so many people?"

Clearly, these new arrivals had heard the commotion and come to investigate.

"Young man, it's all a misunderstanding. They're just my friends, here with me," Qian Jun explained hastily, relieved to see familiar faces. He waved them off, "Why are you all here suddenly? Go back, everything's fine."

Seeing there was indeed nothing wrong, the newcomers left, confused.

"See? We weren't causing any trouble. It's all a misunderstanding. If there's a problem, let's talk it out. No need for violence," Qian Jun said, forcing a smile before turning to scold the thin man, "Bamboo Pole, how many times have I told you not to mouth off? Why don't you ever listen? What are you waiting for—apologize to the young man!"

The fat man's performance was surprisingly convincing. When a person abandons all shame, there's nothing they won't do. Bottom line? What bottom line—can you eat it?

"No need to apologize. If there's nothing else, you should leave," Wang Jue said, suddenly bored. He fished out his keys, unlocked the door, stepped inside, and shut them out.

The fat man: "..."

The thin man: "..."

Staring at the closed door, both exchanged glances—relief and exasperation written on their faces.

After a long pause.

"Boss Jun, what now?" the thin man asked, nervously eyeing the battered door, his face pale. Hard to imagine what would have happened if that punch had landed on him.

"What now? If you want to live, get out of here," Qian Jun shrugged, unbothered. "Let's go back and report what happened. Whatever the company decides isn't our concern. We got lucky that he let us go; if we stay, I can't guarantee we'll leave alive."

If it was a newly advanced martial artist, Qian Jun might have considered fighting, given their numbers. But after seeing the damage to that door, he knew no rookie could produce such force—it had to be someone at least fifth-rank or higher.

No sense in sticking around looking for trouble!

After a few steps, Qian Jun noticed the thin man hadn't followed. Turning, he saw him still standing there, dazed. Thinking he wanted to stay, Qian Jun's expression grew serious. "Bamboo Pole, if you think you can handle this, the job is yours. The company can deduct the principal and half the interest; the rest is all yours."

"No, no, Boss Jun, don't joke! I could never manage that!" The thin man snapped back to reality and refused without hesitation.

He was thin, not stupid. Only a fool would accept such an offer. With so many cases to choose from, he'd always pick ordinary people—never martial artists.