The three of them, upon receiving the order, rushed towards Xia Chuyi without a second thought about Zhao Xiaogui and Xia Chengzong.
"Son of a bitch!" one of them, who was quickly grabbed by Xia Chengzong, was thrown to the ground. "I’ll kill you bastards!"
He smashed the stick in his hand at another person, then picked up another stick and tangled with the last person.
As the fight became increasingly chaotic, someone suddenly shouted, "The police are coming!"
The three vandals shrank reflexively, allowing Xia Chengzong to knock down another one.
One fell down, another got up, and as one rose, another fell; it was like a cycle of never-ending battle.
However, Xia Chengzong fought recklessly and with ferocity. For a while, he overwhelmed the three men.
The cries of "The police are coming!" outside grew louder and more frequent.
Li Cai furrowed his brows, thinking to himself, Could the police really be coming?
He gritted his teeth.
Forget it; his goal to assert retribution for Xiao Ling had been achieved. It was best to pull out while ahead.
The people he hired had prior convictions; the situation would be terribly complicated if they were caught by the police.
"You guys pull out!" he hurriedly shouted to the three.
While the three thugs weren’t much good in a fight, they excelled in escaping. Upon hearing Li Cai’s words, they exchanged glances and simultaneously darted off in different directions like slippery eels.
Li Cai didn’t run but merely walked a few steps towards the shop’s entrance and stepped outside.
He acted as if he had nothing to do with the incident.
After all, the police were employed by Xiao Ling’s uncle. As long as they didn’t catch the perpetrators, they couldn’t pin anything on him.
At this moment, Xia Chuyi was oblivious to everything happening outside.
Her eyes were fixed only on Zhao Xiaogui, who lay curled up on the ground, his face covered in blood.
"Xiao Gui, Xiao Gui, Xiao Gui!" she said, trembling as she gently helped her cousin, cautiously calling his name.
"Sis... you’re back?" Zhao Xiaogui, his face swollen and bruised, managed to open his swollen eyes to a slit and forced an unsightly smile. "You see, I kept the cash box safe."
He spoke with pride, as if seeking praise.
Xia Chuyi felt a pang in her heart. "You silly boy, if they wanted to smash the shop, you should have let them. If they wanted to take the money, you should have let them!"
"Usually you’re so clever; why were you so foolish today?"
"People came; why didn’t you run?"
Although Xia Chuyi spoke fiercely, her hands were incredibly gentle.
"Xiao Gui, are you okay? Is there anything particularly uncomfortable? Can I help you up? Can you stand?" she asked softly.
Zhao Xiaogui smiled and said, "Sis, don’t worry, I’m fine... It’s just... just took... a few hits... that’s all... nothing serious..."
The cousin tried to appear untroubled, but his eyes began to lose focus, and his speech became increasingly fragmented.
"Hehe... Sis... you’re suddenly... not angry... I... I’m... not used to it..."
"Um... Sis... don’t worry... I just feel... a bit dizzy... a bit sleepy... want to sleep... sleep..."
Before he could finish, his unfocused eyes suddenly lost all concentration, and he closed them groggily.
Xia Chuyi’s complexion drastically changed: "Xiao Gui! Don’t sleep! Xiao Gui!"
Hearing her, Xia Chengzong’s expression also drastically changed.
"Quick, take him to the hospital!" Xia Chengzong yelled. Being accustomed to brawls, he knew the severity of injuries.
At last, the police arrived, albeit belatedly.