Mighty Soldier King

Peter Wang felt sad and dejected as he walked out of the Human Resources office.

He found it so difficult to accept the result. From where he came, he was feared by all the gangs. They even called him "Mighty Soldier King". Here in the city, he couldn't even find a decent job because he lacked a college degree. Suddenly, his phone rang. Peter noticed and picked it up immediately.

"Peter," said the voice from the other line. It was his girlfriend. "It's over. I'm breaking up with you." "You've been gone for so long. I need a boyfriend, not a phone pal."

"Darling, please-" Peter tried to get her back. "I know I've been gone, but I'm back now. I'll always be with you now."

"Oh yeah? Well, what can you give me?" "A dishwasher working abroad earns much more money than you." "What exactly can you give me, huh?" she challenged, "Do you even have savings after working all these years? Have you found a single stable job since you got back? Will you be able to give me the things I want?"

"I can, I promise! I'll buy you the biggest house you will ever want! Darling, I'm really sorry I've been gone. I'm sorry that we're struggling. I'm having a hard time finding a job in the city, but it will be better soon, I promise. Things will get better, and when they do-"

"And how would you do that?", the girl interrupted. "How are things going to get better, Peter? Will you ever get to buy me a BMW car? Will you ever get to buy me a Louis Vuitton handbag? Ferragamo shoes? Chanel suits? Ha! You can't even afford to buy me a-hundred-square-meter house, for Christ's sake."

Peter was silent.

She sighed. "You don't need to say anything, Peter. I'm tired. I can't deal with this anymore. Goodbye, Peter," she said as she hung up.

Peter held his hand-phone tightly, dumbfounded. Despite her muffled voice from the static of his old Nokia, her message was clear as day.

"AHHHH! Help! Somebody, help! Thief, thief! That thief stole my bag!" Peter heard someone scream from the other end of the street.

A lady in uniform was screaming in panic and desperation, running as fast as her high-heeled shoes would take her.

A man with dark sunglasses holding a Louis Vuitton handbag was fleeing from the scene towards a motorcycle.

"Go away! Right now!" He shouted to the onlookers as he jumped onto his vehicle.

As soon as he did, he crunched his brow, turned the handles and accelerated.

In shock, every person on the sidewalk squeezed themselves up to the wall as the motorcycle zoomed past them. Nobody dared block its way.

It's risky to be involved in robberies nowadays. Nobody wants to get hurt.

The lady in a suit watched the motorcycle drive away, helplessly.

The sight infuriated Peter.

As the motorcycle approached, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, pulled his left leg back, and with all his might, flung it into the raging vehicle in a strong forceful kick as soon as it passed in front of him.

The kick took the man by surprise. He couldn't believe what happened! His motorcycle tumbled sharply and it went spinning on the pavement. The impact threw him to the further end of the road and forced him to drop the stolen bag to the ground.

"Ahhhhh!"

The pedestrians held their hands to their mouths as they screamed.

Peter, indifferent to the commotion, walked to the side of the man, calmly picked up the bag, and handed it to the lady. "Here's your bag, ma'am."

"Th-thank you." The lady managed to say when she realized that he was talking to her. She was still stunned from the events that just happened.

Peter inspected the lady for half a second before diverting his gaze.

"Not at all, it's my pleasure."

Peter turned to leave.

The lady looked like a corporate professional. He imagined her in her air-conditioned office and exquisite jewelry.

'We come from two different worlds, ' he thought. 'It's useless to think about her.'

"Wait a second!" Peter felt a hand grasp his elbow from behind. "I'm Elaine Dai. What's your name? I... just want to thank you for your help," she continued. "Can we have lunch together?"

She looked at him as she awaited his response.

Peter is at his mid-20's, standing 180 cm tall. His face has well-defined angles on his forehead, cheeks, and jawline. He's not the type that you would notice in a crowd, but he's not bad-looking either.

"You're welcome, really. It's no trouble at all. You don't need to take me out for lunch. Thanks for the offer, though. I have to go." Peter pulled his hand away gently as he refused her invitation.

He was still thinking about his very recent breakup. Less than an hour ago, the love of his life walked away from him. Apart from that, he's broke and unemployed. It was such a bad time to accept a lunch invite.

Elaine stood perplexed at his immediate refusal.

For most people, Elaine is a sight to behold. She had light skin and brown hair that emphasized her bright almond eyes. She had men falling at her feet and any of them would have accepted her lunch invite in a heartbeat.

But Peter, he just refused her without hesitation. 'Have I lost my charm?' she thought sadly. 'He didn't even tell me his name, ' she realized.

Peter was about to walk away when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Stop!" It was the man from the motorcycle! He pushed himself up and turned to Peter, holding a sharp, silver blade.

He didn't have serious injuries despite his fall. Like a rabid beast, he shot Peter a deadly stare.

'This should have been an easy robbery if he didn't get in the way, ' the man thought. 'It's time to give him a lesson.'

"Are you talking to me?" Peter turned to the man, unthreatened.

Peter hesitated because the man was badly injured. He stood in disbelief at the challenge thrown at him.

"What are you planning to do?" asked Peter "STOP!" Elaine cried. "STOP OR I'LL CALL THE POLICE!" Elaine rushed in front of Peter, holding up her phone.

"Call the police?" the motorcycle driver asked manically. "Fuck the police! You'll both be dead by the time they get here!" The man started running towards Elaine, the sun shining brightly against his knife. The people in the street stood frozen in the background.

Elaine turned pale. She trembled. She didn't know what to do! Growing up comfortably in the city, she thought these things could only happen in the movies!

Peter gasped. 'What the hell? This man must be crazy if he could stab someone in broad daylight! It seems he hasn't learned his lesson!'

The man was about to stab Elaine. But Peter reacted faster.

On reflex, Peter managed to grab the attacker's weapon hand and slap him with his free hand.

The man failed to dodge, getting his face bloody and teeth knocked out.

In his rage, Peter charged and started to throw the man punch after punch until his face was red and swollen all over.

PA PA PA PA PA!

Peter punched and kicked with all his strength.

He thought about everything that happened today -his breakup, his failure to find a job -and put them all in his fists. He felt no remorse for the troublemaker.

"You're lucky this time. The next time you cause trouble again, I swear I'll kill you. Go!" Peter said, dismissing the young man.

Realizing his defeat, the man retreated holding on to his battered face. He didn't even dare grab his motorcycle as he ran away. He shot Peter a vengeful look. 'You'll pay for this, ' he thought.

Peter ignored him. If he had the balls to come take revenge, Peter would show no mercy!

Peter felt good about the skirmish. It was a much-needed release of all the tension he felt for the day. As he was about to leave, he heard Elaine falling down from behind him.

Peter quickly turned to keep her from falling.

"Are you OK?" Peter asked as he held her. He felt his heart beat faster when he felt her skin against his. Her beauty was tempting.

"My foot is sprained." Elaine replied, feeling embarrassed. Her face turned hot as she felt his touch.

In slow, careful steps, Peter held Elaine as they walked to a nearby restaurant.

Peter couldn't help but feel a little lighter with Elaine's gentle touch and sweet scent.

Meanwhile, Elaine's face grew hotter and redder with their proximity.

The people in the restaurant shot curious glances at the sight of the couple entering, especially with Elaine's uniform. Their eyes followed the new guests as they walked to find a table.

Peter helped Elaine to her seat, took his own, and breathed a big sigh of relief.

He surely enjoyed the fight, but inside, he knew that it did get a little out of hand. The adrenaline felt good, but it wasn't enough to erase the pain and frustration inside him.

"Please give me a bowl of your most expensive noodles, with additional meat." Peter said to the waiter.

HAHA.

The people around them started exchanging smirks and mocking glances.

They felt bad for Elaine thinking that her cheapskate boyfriend took her on a date to this low-end restaurant, while she was clearly a woman of class.

"Sorry I couldn't take you somewhere nicer. I've been having trouble finding a job. I'm kind of running out of money." Peter confessed, ignoring the murmurs. He really had no money and he didn't pretend to be a rich man.

"It's OK. I'll pay," Elaine said, growing more and more curious about Peter.

He could have taken advantage of her while they were walking if he wanted to. She would have been too weak to fight back. Still, he didn't. Also, he was genuine and honest about his situation.

She preferred this kind of man over rich hypocrites.

Suddenly, she had an idea. 
 "You mentioned you were having trouble finding a job? You're fast and strong, and our company needs a bodyguard. Why don't you try applying in our company?"

"What? Really? Sure, of course!" Peter replied excitedly.

Peter had been trying to find a job the whole week. He never knew how difficult it was to find one until he experienced it himself. He even considered taking a job in the construction site -moving bricks and carrying cement -just because it was the only job he could find where they didn't need an extensive educational background.

Naturally, it was impossible for him to not be excited about the opportunity Elaine mentioned. He would choose security work over construction, any day, except that even security guards were required to have college degrees. This immediately disqualified Peter, to his disappointment.

"Alright, then. Find me at the Personal Section of Silverland Group on the tenth floor, at ten o'clock, sharp. Tell the receptionist you have an appointment with me. I'll be the one to make arrangements. Don't be late."

Elaine was afraid he would refuse her again the way he did when she invited him to get dinner. Now that he agreed, Elaine made sure he wouldn't back out.

"Okay, I won't. Thank you! Thank you so much!" Peter became even more excited as the idea sunk in. He knew that this was a really great opportunity.

Although Peter has only been back to A city for a week, he has already heard of the reputation of Silverland Group.

They were one of the ten biggest companies and best employers in the city; even security guards were well-paid.

It was difficult to land a security job, though. Apart from having a college degree, a recommendation from company management was a requirement. It would be a true honor to be part of Silverland Group's security roster.

They exchanged contact information after the meal before going their separate ways. 
"Don't be late, okay?", Elaine reminded. 
"I won't!" he promised.

Peter looked for a place to celebrate the highlight of his job hunt.

He decided to go to a bar called Sunny. Guests flowed in as the crowd of young people danced to the heavy metal music in the background.

The women in the bar wore clothes that revealed long legs, ample bosoms, sexy backs, and shapely bodies. The air was steamy, in more ways than one.

College students and corporate employees frequented the place.

The carefree youngsters, sophisticated professionals, and enchanting women made Sunny a great go-to whether you're looking for a place to chill, or to let loose.

Beer in hand, Peter watched the attractive girls on the dance floor, from a seat at the corner. He felt good. This was the first time he got to relax since he arrived at the city.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" He heard a cool voice ask. 

Turning to ask the speaker to find a seat somewhere else, he froze as he found an exceptionally beautiful girl looking back at him.

She's probably around twenty-three or twenty-four. She didn't look like she was wearing makeup, but she still looked extremely beautiful

with her clean, sharp eyebrows, full lips and pretty nose.

Her black mesh dress was modest, compared to all the other girls in the bar.

It didn't show much skin, but it didn't fail to show off her perfect figure, Small waist, and long legs, either.

Elaine, to Peter, was a goddess. While her beauty was definitely breathtaking, it would still be possible to get her attention with enough effort. This girl, though, was a fairy: completely and surely unattainable.

It made him wonder what she's doing in this stuffy bar.

Without waiting for him to respond, the girl took the empty seat from across the table, grabbed the nearest beer, and began to drink. She paid no notice of Peter's shock.

He found it difficult to reconcile the sight of the drunkard in front of him, with the dainty fairy he imagined her to be.

Also, the price of the beer was thirty-eight dollars!

He felt extremely distressed.

One bottle...

Two bottles...

Three bottles...

Four bottles... 'When is this girl gonna stop?!'

As if on cue, the girl carelessly put down her last bottle of beer, dropped her head on her arms, rested them on the table, and began to cry. 
 Peter sat, dumbstruck.

"What the fuck!"

Peter rarely cussed, but at this moment, he couldn't help himself.

"Hey, hey, hey. Listen to me, lady. If you're gonna cry, take it somewhere else. People here are gonna think I did something to you!"

He could already feel the suspicious glances of the people around them.

A girl this beautiful would easily be targeted by douchebags who wanted to score, as soon as she entered the bar.

Peter groaned.

"Shut up! I'm going to cry as much as I want, you stinky men. You're all BASTARDS! Good-for-nothing assholes!"

Hysterically, the girl stood, grabbed Peter's shoulders and started trying to tear at his clothes, beating his chest, shouting and crying.

Peter felt even more embarrassed with the scene the girl was causing. And yet, he couldn't simply shove her away as that would even make him look worse! He felt so helpless to do anything.

If only there was an easy, decent way to just knock her unconscious.

"Hey, STOP! You're right. All men are bad. We're all JERKS. Now, can you stop crying? Calm down. Sit, let's drink and talk about it. Maybe I can help you,"

Peter managed to say despite the annoyance he felt. 'This girl is nut. What did I ever do to her?' he thought.

"NO!" she said in defiance. "You're just like all of them! You're all assholes!" She screamed as she started to pull at his clothes more intensely; she almost tore off his jacket.

Peter was at a loss on what to do. In his attempt to scout for someone who could help, He caught sight of a bare-armed burly man covered in tattoos, followed by a band of equally-fearsome hooligans with dyed hair. It was clear that they were gangsters.

Their posture showed no fear. Clearly, they had established their dominance in this part of town.

"Hey, asshole. Get your hands off my sister! You dare touch her, huh? You DARE TOUCH HER, you son of a bitch? You're asking for DEATH!"

The bare-armed man said as he walked towards him, eyes burning with rage, fists clenched tight.

'Are you blind?!' Peter thought. 'Can't you see that your sister is the one holding me? Who the fuck is this ugly pighead? It's impossible for you and this beautiful girl to be related!'

Before Peter could say a word, the girl suddenly made a move that stunned everyone.

Abruptly, she stopped crying, grabbed hold of an empty bottle on the table, and smashed it on the bare-armed man's head.

"Sister? Who the fuck are you calling sister? I would be damned to be related to someone as ugly as you! Do you think you can just take advantage of me like that? Eat blood, motherfucker!"

She said as the bottle hit the man again. The impact was enough to cause pain, but not injury.

"You fucking bitch! How dare you hit me! You're dead meat! Skin this girl and chop this guy's balls off! You'll both be wishing you were dead once we're done with you."

The bare-armed man ordered his men while feeling at his beaten head.

"You bitch dare to insult me. You are going to DIE." In a drunken rage, the girl held the bottle in her hand tighter, ready to fight.

Peter grabbed her and pulled her behind him. He grabbed one bottle on each hand and prepared as they approached.

PLA!

With one swift movement, he smashed the bottle in his left hand against the bare-armed man's head. The bottle broke, and the man's skull along with it.

PLA!

The bottle in his right hand hit the second man squarely on the face, blood spurting everywhere. With a thud, he fell on the ground.

Without stopping, Peter lifted his leg and delivered kicks in succession, as more men approached.

CRACK, POW, PLA! One by one, six or seven men fell to the ground, screaming with pain.

A small crowd started to gather around the scene, while some people decided to quietly leave the bar in fear of getting involved and putting themselves in danger. For a while, the bar was in chaos.

"WOW! Nice shot! Punch him in the face! Beat them to death! Give these bastards what they deserve!"

The girl didn't seem at all distressed about the situation. She even seemed rather amused and greatly entertained.

"What, are you crazy?? We have to run!" Peter cried as he pulled her in, hurriedly making their way out of the bar.

As the bar's security personnel were fast approaching them. Had they not made their exit, they would have been caught! Although Peter didn't care much about being involved in messy situations, he decided that it was best to avoid trouble.

"Why are we going? I haven't had enough yet! Let me go!" The girl stubbornly struggled to escape his grip.

Losing his patience, Peter grabbed the girl, covered her mouth and fled, taking advantage of the chaos. 'She is really not afraid to get herself in trouble, ' Peter thought. 'This girl is giving me a headache.'

Peter kept running until he found a corner that was not visible from the bar. His frustration crept up to him. 'Why do these things have to happen just when I'm already happy and relaxed?'

He decided that he never wanted to see this girl again, and he would do his best to make sure of that.

"Gosh, I am so tired and my feet are killing me! I haven't had that much fun in ages! Oh by the way, handsome. I'm Bella Song. What's your name WeChat number?" Bella asked Peter.

All she wanted that night was to drink away her sorrows. Who would have thought something as exciting as this would happen? Now she felt so much better.

Bella felt drawn to Peter because, despite his strong and masculine facade, he had a kind aura and gentle demeanor. Compared to all the other people in the bar, he looked like the most honest of them all.

She never would have expected that someone who seemed to be as good-natured as him could actually throw punches the way he did.

Peter proceeded to hail a cab at the sidewalk, ignoring Bella's question. As soon as he got one, he grabbed Bella and shoved her into the taxi. "Name or phone number is not necessary. I want this to be the last time I'll see you. Clear? Bye bye."

"You bastard!" Bella said before the taxi door closed in front of her. Pissed, she stopped the cab and got off, determined to give the asshole a piece of her mind. By the time she managed to climb down, though, he was already gone.

'How dare you treat me like this. You'll be sorry the next time I see you, ' Bella thought sitting angrily as her cab drove away.