Chapter 57

Chapter 57: No Way, This Can’t Be Happening…

Ye Xiao narrowed her eyes, carefully observing the attire of the five delinquents.

Disheveled hairstyles, metal earrings—if it weren’t so cold, they’d probably be wearing ripped clothes to showcase their “style”.

When facing bad guys, the best way to protect yourself is to appear intimidating, attract attention from passersby, or even involve innocent bystanders. Self-preservation comes first, apologies can come later if necessary.

Of course, that was a last resort.

Ye Xiao had made it a habit to carry a taser, always ready for emergencies. However, her real confidence stemmed from the small alarm device she carried, disguised as a trinket.

With a simple pull, it would emit an ear-piercing siren that could draw a crowd in an instant. In that scenario, these five would be surrounded by onlookers and likely handed over to the police.

So, what could these punks possibly do to her?

Ye Xiao wore an expression of fearless defiance, brushing the snow off her back as if the delinquents weren’t even worth her attention.

“Little girl, so cocky, huh? Got some nerve, not afraid at all at your age?”

The leader smirked. They’d been hired to confront her, but if they’d met her on their own, they would definitely have wanted to “teach her a lesson”.

“Boss, this chick’s pretty bold—how about we give her parents a hand in teaching her some manners?”

One of the delinquents leered, eyeing Ye Xiao up and down with a lustful look, while the others snickered crudely.

“You disgusting bottom-feeding perverts!”

Ye Xiao’s face twisted with disgust, her gaze sweeping over them like they were garbage.

“You’re a bunch of lowlifes just using ‘education’ as an excuse to cover up your slimy intentions. Pathetic.”

Her scathing words struck a nerve; the delinquents clenched their fists, veins bulging with suppressed rage, struggling to find a comeback. Finally, they could only resort to cursing.

“F*** you!”

“Get her, boss!”

The leader’s eyes flashed with fury, but he managed to restrain himself and held his comrades back. Their employer had warned them about her—this kid knew exactly how to push people’s buttons.

Ye Xiao grinned smugly, shaking her head and letting out a laugh. Still, she quickly pulled out the small alarm from her bag, lifting her chin with pride.

“Don’t be so hasty! Do you know what this is?”

Ye Xiao waved the alarm in her hand with a smirk.

“This is called a buzzer alarm! See this little pull ring? One little tug, and this place will become the center of attention!”

“When that happens, running away won’t help you, and everyone will know what you creeps tried to do to a young girl. Someone might even post a video online—imagine that!”

She flashed them a daring smile, and anyone could see who the real underdog was in this standoff.

The delinquents who had been ready to teach her a lesson paled. If what she described really happened, how would they ever show their faces again?

Though Ye Xiao wanted to taunt them further, she understood that her alarm was like a loaded weapon. Pulling it might provoke them to react violently to prevent her from carrying out her threat.

“So, big brothers of the bottom feeder society, am I free to go now?”

Ye Xiao tilted her head proudly.

“Boss… Are we really letting her walk away?”

One of the delinquents whispered, reluctant to let her get off so easily.

“What else can we do? You want an audience?”

The leader shot him a glare and motioned for the others to clear a path.

Ye Xiao nodded, satisfaction evident in her face, and shot them a contemptuous look.

“Trash like you better stay out of my sight in this area, or who knows when this little buzzer might go off.”

She clipped the alarm onto her bag and turned to leave.

But before she had taken a few steps, the leader’s voice stopped her.

“Wait a second. Did I say you could leave?”

Ye Xiao instantly tried to run, but her short legs didn’t get her far before the delinquents had surrounded her again.

She reached for the alarm on her bag, but her fingers came up empty.

“Looking for this?”

The leader dangled the alarm in his hand, grinning.

“Give it back!”

Ye Xiao’s face went tense with anxiety.

“Seems your string got caught on that tree branch over there.”

He gestured toward a branch on the side of the road, flashing a set of yellowed teeth.

“No way… how can this be happening?”

“This is your secret weapon?”

The leader sneered as he examined the alarm.

“Looks like it doesn’t even have batteries! You dared to threaten us with this?”

With a tug on the ring, he proved his point—the alarm remained silent.

A cold sweat broke out on Ye Xiao’s forehead, and her expression turned extremely embarrassed.

Meanwhile, the delinquents’ faces morphed into sinister grins, closing in on her, inch by inch.