Chapter 40: The 80/20 Rule

“Wait a second…” Qi Xia furrowed his brow, as if something had just occurred to him. “We have to resist the enemy and protect our own people?”

It sounded like a very familiar situation.

Got it… This time, there really was a way.

Qi Xia ran over to the iron plate, lifted the heavy object, and slowly rolled it along the ground, as if testing the feasibility of his plan.

“Hey! Qiao Jia Jin!” Qi Xia called out. “I’ve found the ‘answer’! Come over here!”

“I’ve been waiting a long time to hear you say that.” Qiao Jia Jin replied slowly. “Hold on, I’m coming right away.”

The black bear sensed that its “prey” in front of it was trying to escape, so it stood up on its hind legs again, expanding its attack range.

But Qiao Jia Jin had no intention of running away. Suddenly, he leaped forward, planting his feet wide, his shoulders following his waist in a twist, and he threw a 180-degree rotating right punch straight at the black bear’s cheek.

Thud!

With a loud bang, the punch landed solidly on the black bear’s face, actually forcing it back a step and a half.

The black bear paused briefly, its nose huffing out hot breaths, then shook its head, seemingly dazed and disoriented from the sudden blow.

It had never imagined that this “prey” that had been running away could have such terrifying explosive power.

Qiao Jia Jin shook his own aching arm and grumbled, “You’re one tough bastard…”

The black bear came to its senses and roared a few times with its mouth wide open, enraged as it swung another attack.

Qiao Jia Jin carefully watched the bear’s movements, taking a small step back with his right foot, then shifting his weight between his left and right feet. Not only did he dodge the strike, but he also threw the bear off balance, nearly making it topple over.

Seizing the opening, he crouched slightly and unleashed an uppercut from below, landing it hard on the black bear’s jaw.

A strange howl echoed as the black bear took another hit.

Although such injuries posed no real threat to its thick hide, the bear was starting to have some wariness toward this man.

“Damn it, my hand’s about to break, and you still won’t go down?” Qiao Jia Jin spat on the ground, then did a forward roll to slip away from the black bear.

Witnessing this, Qi Xia was a bit stunned. He had thought Qiao Jia Jin was just an ordinary thug, but his fighting skills seemed incredibly proficient.

These moves weren’t like street brawling; they were more like mixed martial arts.

Qiao Jia Jin reached Qi Xia’s side, shaking his right hand as he asked, “So, what’s the plan?”

“You handle this!” Qi Xia snapped back to attention and waved Qiao Jia Jin over. “Hold the iron plate up to block the black bear’s attacks.”

“Just like that?” Qiao Jia Jin was puzzled. “Are you out of your mind? I thought you’d have a better idea!”

“No, this is the best idea!” Qi Xia pulled Qiao Jia Jin in front of him and had him hold the iron plate.

But the iron plate was round, so it was unstable on the ground and prone to rolling.

Qiao Jia Jin had to bend down, using his shoulder to brace it and keep it as steady as possible.

“This thing’s really heavy…” Qiao Jia Jin gritted his teeth. “I can’t lift it…”

“You don’t need to lift it.” Qi Xia explained. “Just roll it along the ground!”

“Huh, I get it, but if I do this, I can’t see that beast anymore.” Qiao Jia Jin said. “This big iron plate is blocking my view—I have no idea where it is, so how can I block its attacks?”

By now, the black bear was growing even more furious and cautiously approaching Qiao Jia Jin.

“I’ll keep watch for you.” Qi Xia said from behind Qiao Jia Jin.

“You?”

“That’s right, I’ll pull on your clothes from behind.” Qi Xia said. “If I pull right, you roll the iron plate right. If I pull left, you roll it left.”

“Alright…” Qiao Jia Jin nodded, starting to adjust the iron plate’s direction to face the black bear as much as possible. “Thinking about it this way, the two of us should be able to survive… I just don’t know if that group of idiots will try to grab the iron plate.”

“They won’t grab it.” Qi Xia said. “Because I plan to protect everyone here.”

“What?” Qiao Jia Jin was stunned. “You’re going to use this iron plate to shield all of us?!”

“Hey!” Qi Xia turned and shouted at the group still fighting among themselves. “If you keep fighting, you’re all going to die! If you want to live, get behind me!”

The crowd snapped out of it and looked at him, then at the iron plate in Qiao Jia Jin’s hands.

The middle-aged man, Lao Lv, was the first to stand up, wiping the blood from his face that had been scratched in the scuffle. “You two fools, put that iron plate down!”

He stumbled toward Qiao Jia Jin, seeming intent on snatching it away, but Qiao Jia Jin couldn’t let go and just glared at him with his eyes.

Qi Xia stepped forward, positioning himself between the two.

“Hey! Move aside!” Lao Lv shouted. “Xiao Yanjing! Come help me out!”

Qi Xia’s mind raced, and a voice echoed in his thoughts: “Er Ba Ding Lv—the power of decision often lies in the hands of just twenty percent of people. To control a group, you only need to control the minority within it…”

Before Lao Lv could call for backup, Qi Xia suddenly reached out and gripped his neck tightly.

The man never expected this seemingly refined guy to be so ruthless, and he was caught off guard.

“Stop messing around.” Qi Xia said. “If you want to survive, listen to me.”

“Listen to you?!” Lao Lv’s eyes burned with anger. “Who the hell do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?”

Qi Xia’s right hand tightened its grip on the man’s throat. “I’m not asking for your opinion.”

Seeing Qi Xia’s actions, Qiao Jia Jin couldn’t help but frown.

He had only thought Qi Xia was smart and that following him might offer a chance of survival, but he hadn’t realized the guy could be this fierce.

“Cough… You… Let go…” Lao Lv was on the verge of choking, flailing his hands to hit Qi Xia’s arm. “Are you insane…?”

“Either I choke you to death right here, or you stand quietly in the back.” Qi Xia’s eyes were ice-cold, devoid of any emotion. “Pick one.”

Xiao Yanjing rushed over, pleading, “Big brother… Come on, no need for this… Let go of Lao Lv first…”

Though he said that, he kept adjusting his stance, moving to Qi Xia’s side and inching closer step by step.

Qi Xia quickly sized him up and noticed that his glasses had been shattered on one side during the fight, making him look disheveled.

“Hunting Fa Ze…” Qi Xia’s eyes locked onto the two men as he muttered to himself. “Hunters are always fiercer than their prey, and even the slyest prey has its weak spots and vulnerabilities…”

“Big brother, just let go… Otherwise…”

Xiao Yanjing kept closing in on Qi Xia, clearly with ulterior motives.

Qi Xia’s face turned stern, and he extended his other hand. This time, instead of grabbing the neck, he pinched Xiao Yanjing’s cheek, pressing his thumb against the broken glasses.

“Damn!” Xiao Yanjing exclaimed in shock, immediately squeezing his eyes shut.

“If you want trouble, I’ll grind these glass shards into your eyes.”

“No, no, no…!” Xiao Yanjing waved his hands frantically, half-crouching with his head tilted back, not daring to move an inch. “I was wrong, big brother. We’ll do whatever you say.”