So, when Jack Linton came home from the flea market, he found Steven Clark all dressed up, looking quite impressive, with a bit of the aura of the God of Gamblers.

“Steve Clark, are you taking a master tonight?”

“Take a master? No way, tonight I’m saying goodbye to being single!”

Steven Clark was full of pride—he’d already defeated Jack Linton, then beat Officer Howard; the world was big, but no one was his match. Life was truly as lonely as snow.

“You’re saying goodbye to being single? That’s even less reliable than taking a master... I bet fifty cents you’ll get nothing tonight.”

Chapter 8: Wait Until I’m Far Away Before You Swear

Jack Linton gave Steven Clark a look of sympathy, as if watching an idiot, not wanting to wake him from his daydream, and turned to go inside.

Today he’d found something good—maybe it could solve the mystery of the Nine-Word Mantra.

“Brother Jack, what’s the point of reading books late at night? Why not go enjoy the nightlife?”

“You treating?”

“Uh... yes, yes, you saw right through me, Little Bro was just thinking the same.”

Steven Clark painfully fished out five hundred yuan from his pocket, reluctantly stuffing it into Jack Linton’s hand: “This is five hundred bucks, a huge sum. Take it and have fun, go with Uncle David to a fancy restaurant, don’t shortchange yourself.”

“Five hundred, for two people... are you looking down on me, or on fancy restaurants?”

“I’ll add another five hundred, this is all Little Bro has, can’t give any more.”

Steven Clark gritted his teeth and added another five hundred: “Brother Jack, I’m serious this time. I’ll definitely introduce you to some beauties in the future. If you don’t believe me, I’ll swear right now—”

“Hold on, wait until I’m far away before you swear.”

Jack Linton pocketed the thousand yuan and waved to David Carter: “Uncle David, I just picked up a thousand bucks, let’s go have a feast.”

“So lucky! Where’d you find it?”

David Carter came over grinning, reaching to search Steven Clark’s pockets, but his combat skills were so poor that Steven Clark kicked him out of the house.

“Heartless!”

David Carter was indignant—Jack Linton got a thousand, he didn’t get a cent, and on top of that, he lost a condom.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, and decided to eat more later to make up for it.

...

“Uncle David, you know the area—what’s a big restaurant nearby, something expensive.”

“You’re asking the right guy, but if you want expensive, a thousand might not be enough.”

“No problem, whatever’s over, Steve Clark can reimburse.”

“Great idea!”

On the street, Jack Linton and David Carter discussed where to eat, hoping to spend over a thousand so Steven Clark would have to cough up more.

Just as they reached an agreement, four or five gang members with baseball bats appeared ahead, and behind them, a van screeched to a stop.

“Crap! Jack Brooks, these guys are—”

David Carter’s face changed dramatically. He turned his head and saw Jack Linton had already run off, his back disappearing down the alley.

“Uncle David, don’t just stand there! This way’s a shortcut—once we reach the police station, we’ll be safe...”

“No loyalty, no loyalty!”

Hearing Jack Linton’s voice fading, David Carter shouted about the lack of loyalty and hurried after him.

“Chase them, don’t let them get away.”

The van door opened, and a dozen gang members charged into the alley. Hearing Jack Linton’s words, they all ran even faster.

As the scattered footsteps faded, Jack Linton pulled David Carter out from the shadows by the trash can, shaking his head as he looked in the direction they’d gone.

With brains like that, no matter how much IQ tax they pay, they’ll never be the boss.

“Jack Brooks, you’re something else.”

“Cut the crap, let’s go before they realize!”

The two quickly left the alley, but little did they know that these days, even villains take bathroom breaks in shifts—after dodging one group, another blocked them at the alley entrance.

The man blocking the way had dark skin and was thin, but his exposed arms and legs were knotted with muscle, like steel bars twisted together—intimidating to look at.

Jack Linton’s face grew serious, and David Carter didn’t look much better. Anyone could see this was a tough one.

“Hey, shorty over there, I’m warning you, I’ve got five hundred little bros on the way. If you know what’s good for you, get out of the way, or I’ll beat you so bad your own mother won’t recognize you.”

David Carter tried to sound tough, but seeing the other guy unmoved, he whispered, “Jack Brooks, what do we do now?”

“There’s only one way—you hold him off, I’ll go find Steve Clark, then come back to save you.”

“Huh? Then I’m dead for sure!”

“Don’t panic, I remember your birthday—fourth day of the first lunar month. You’ll always have a fancy car and house for the holidays.”

“...”

Just as David Carter was speechless, the man blocking the way pointed at them and spoke: “%#￥%……~……*”

“Jack Brooks, he’s Japanese.”

“No, he’s speaking Thai.”

Jack Linton bent down and picked up a stick from the ground, testing its sturdiness: “Uncle David, change of plan—I’ll hold him off, you go find Steve Clark.”

“Are you sure you can do it?”

“Then you do it?”

“...”

David Carter was at a loss for words. Whether Jack Linton could do it or not was uncertain, but he definitely couldn’t.

That much, he was very confident about!

The two each grabbed a stick, and, sticking close to the alley wall, approached the man from left and right. The man sneered and took up a professional Muay Thai stance.