Chapter 25: Brother Bo Teaches You How to Be a Man

Xiong Kui was startled by these words, but then instinctively clutched his wrist. His hair nearly stood on end as he roared, "Damn it! You took my watch—give it back!" Before the words had even left his lips, he lunged forward recklessly. In an instant, the two were locked in a scuffle.

Hou Yong struggled, saying with an air of indifference, "I was just taking a look, why the big reaction?"

Xiong Kui’s eyes widened. "What’s there to look at on a watch!"

"Hey... it’s not moving? Blind man, your watch doesn't even tick!"

After finally snatching his watch back, Xiong Kui said awkwardly, "Well, that! I forgot to wind it, heh!"

Yang Chun, who was watching from the sidelines, was doubled over with laughter, unable to straighten his back. He clutched his stomach and slid off his chair uncontrollably. "Hahaha! You’re killing me! Who wears a watch that doesn't even move?"

Just then, as if performing a magic trick, Hou Yong pulled out a pink wallet. It was a vivid, delicate shade of pink, the material looking smooth and lustrous, with an exquisite lotus flower embroidered on the surface.

Hou Yong held the wallet high, deliberately flaunting it. "Damn, this wallet is quite flashy! Which woman gave you this?"

Yang Chun’s laughter ceased instantly, replaced by sheer panic. His face flushed deep red as he roared, "Damn monkey, give that back to me!"

He charged forward with lightning speed. Hou Yong, seemingly anticipating this, didn't offer much resistance, and Yang Chun easily snatched the wallet back.

Hou Yong’s mischievous grin remained. Unhurriedly, he slowly pulled a piece of pink cloth from his jacket. As he drew it out, everyone stared in surprise: it was a traditional bodice, also embroidered with a lotus flower.

Hou Yong looked at the bodice in his hands, feigning disgust, and shouted, "Damn! Duck! This bodice is a bit old-fashioned, isn't it? Why is it another lotus flower? Who is this 'Lotus' anyway?"

"Ah! I’ll fight you to the death...!"

Li Haibo, sitting on a bench watching the spectacle, couldn't bear Hou Yong’s arrogance any longer.

He pulled out a silver dollar, tossed it in the air, and said, "Monkey, what’s the point of bullying them? Come try your hand at mine."

"Don't do that, brothers are just having some fun. You just watch from the side and enjoy the show!"

"Fun, my foot! Try to take mine. If you’re really that good and manage to swipe this silver dollar, it’s yours!"

Hou Yong’s eyes lit up. "Really? Brother Bo, you said it yourself—everyone here heard you! Don't blame me later for not giving it back!"

"Enough with the chatter, bring it on!" Li Haibo tucked the silver dollar into his trouser pocket.

Hou Yong approached with a grin, pretending to brush past Li Haibo.

He made his move. Li Haibo could feel it, but the wretch was so fast that his movements were nearly invisible.

"Eh? How is it not there? Brother Bo, you cheated!" Hou Yong stared at Li Haibo in bewilderment.

"How did I cheat?"

"There’s no money in your pocket!"

"Bullshit! Isn't it right here?" Li Haibo calmly pulled the silver dollar from his pocket.

Hou Yong stared at the coin in Li Haibo’s hand, his face etched with disbelief. "That makes no sense! Let's go again!"

Li Haibo placed the silver dollar back into his pocket.

Hou Yong approached with a solemn expression, performing the same brush-past maneuver.

"Ah! This is insane! It’s still not there!"

"The silver dollar is right here! It just goes to show you’ve got a long way to go. You call yourself the number one thief in Shanghai? I suspect you’re just the number one braggart!" Li Haibo pulled the coin out once more.

"How can this be? I, Master Hou, have never failed before!"

"Then keep trying!"

"You... you... try changing pockets!"

"Fine! I'll move it to the right pocket."

"Turn around!"

"Alright!" Li Haibo turned his back to Hou Yong as instructed.

"Put your hands up!"

"You’re a real pain, aren't you? Is this enough?"

Sweat beaded on Hou Yong’s forehead as he crept up behind Li Haibo and made a grab, but he still came up empty-handed!

Hou Yong was going crazy. "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Monkey the Thief, is it my turn now?"

"What?"

"You tried to steal from me, now it’s my turn to steal from you. Turnabout is fair play, isn't it?"

"Fine! I couldn't swipe yours, but don't think you can get mine. I happen to have a silver dollar too, and it's in my pocket. Bring it on—if you can take it, it’s yours!" Hou Yong said confidently.

Li Haibo pretended to brush past Hou Yong and moved with lightning speed. The moment his hand touched the coin in Hou Yong’s pocket, Hou Yong jumped away abruptly.

"Hahaha! I saw you move! You aren't as fast as me, you didn't get it!"

Yang Chun and Xiong Kui nodded in agreement. "That’s right! I saw it too, your speed definitely isn't as fast as the monkey's!"

"See! Even you can't do it, Brother Bo! Hahaha—uh!" Hou Yong’s expression shifted. "Hey... where’s my money?"

"What money?"

"My silver dollar!"

"What does that have to do with me? I didn't steal it!"

"No way, it was right here a moment ago. You touched me and now it’s gone, it must have been you!"

"Nonsense! Don't pin this on me; you said it yourself that I didn't succeed! If you don't believe me, search me!"

Hou Yong actually started to frisk him, but found nothing. "How can this be? Even your own coin is gone too. Where did you hide them, Brother Bo?"

"I told you I didn't take them, why won't you believe me?"

Hou Yong sat on the ground and hugged Li Haibo’s leg, wailing and acting like a spoiled brat, even wiping his snot on Li Haibo’s trousers. "Ah! Brother Bo, give it back to me, that was my only silver dollar! Brother Bo! Master Bo!"

Yang Chun and Xiong Kui stared, completely stunned. What kind of scene was this?

As Li Haibo struggled with Hou Yong, he suddenly spotted "Fatty" Liu from the Military Statistics Bureau standing across the street, waving frantically like a madman.

Li Haibo’s hair stood on end. *Damn fat man, how can you be so reckless? Are you trying to get me killed?*

"Fine! Take it back! You damn monkey, you never keep your word!" Li Haibo pulled the silver dollar from his infinite storage space and tossed it back to Hou Yong.

"Ooh... my silver dollar!" Hou Yong cradled the returned coin and broke into a teary-eyed grin.

Yang Chun and Xiong Kui watched in a daze. "So Brother Bo really did steal it? Impressive!"

Having shaken off Hou Yong, Li Haibo fished out a banknote and tossed it to Xiong Kui. "Go buy a roasted chicken!" He then turned and strolled toward the other side of the road.

The group took the money, their first instinct being to open their own wallets to count their cash. Only after confirming that this money wasn't their own did they happily head off to buy the chicken.

As Li Haibo crossed the street, he activated his "Supernatural Hearing" to scan the surroundings. Finding no suspicious individuals—everyone was just passing by in a hurry—the two met in an alley behind the street.