Crimson Instinct

*Bai Li*

"Bastard. Running away? You are a coward."

No. I was practical.

Since he was taller than me, that meant his arms were longer than me, so he could reach and hit me easily as compared to me reaching him, and so I was keeping my distance.

And there was another reason. I was evading him and forcing him to keep up with my pace because I want to tire him out.

The heavier the man is, the bulkier he is, so he gets exhausted just as quickly by his own weight. It takes effort to move for a longer period. I was wasting his energy in making him chase after me.

It was nothing to do with being a coward. 

This is a street fight strategy that includes the next tip.

Tip No. 4. Attack the opponent with legs.

Attacking with arms was no good, but legs are longer than arms so that I can kick him instead. As I danced around, I kept my distance from him by kicking at him. As expected, I sensed his punches lessen. My kicks were keeping him at bay, and I could feel his frustration by his strained breaths.

I heard his breaths grew rapid and heavier. I felt his movements getting slower than before. I kept on kicking his way with my legs, and by now, he must be expecting that I will keep on throwing kicks, but this was my chance.

There was an element of surprise.

I closed in.

Now, even if any man was stronger than you, anatomically, everyone was the same. They had the same sensitive areas as the sensory parts of the body - eyes, ears, nose, or groin. They are just as painful to them, too, when hit as they are to smaller people.

An open hand slap to the ear is just as good as a left hook for shattering an opponent's equilibrium, if not better. 

Hitting the nose can blind them momentarily. Their eyes well up with tears, which gives an opportunity to throw a punch.

A kick to the groin compromises their mobility, and they cannot concentrate on anything else. The pain is simply too much to bear.

One well-placed blow was everything I needed to make him tumble down. And I sensed him out of focus. He was getting exhausted by my kicks and getting his punches all missed throughout the whole time.

Instead of a kick, he was expecting, I took a huge step towards him and raised my fist. He was four inches taller than me, so I gauged where his face was. Unceremoniously, I gave a roundhouse punch to his nose and stepped back in my safe zone again.

It instantly shattered as I heard the bones cracking.

"Ahhh!!"

I heard his steps go backward and farther from me. That gave me a few precious moments to land another hit, and so I raised my leg and kicked him in his groin hard.

"Fuck!"

I heard a slight thud on the floor.

Judging that, I guessed he must have fallen to his knees. 

Game over.

He wasn't even in the position to stand anymore, much less fight me. 

I took my gun out and aimed at his face's direction.

"Did you learn something new today?"

I heard him groaning in pain and huffing and puffing breathlessly. The blow to the nose would be hurting him even to speak anything.

"How does it feel to lose to a smaller guy?"

Silence.

"Tell me. Was I running away from you now the whole time?"

He didn't answer.

"Did I finally crush your overconfidence?"

I heard him gnashing his teeth.

"I hope you got the moral of the story by this small fight. Take it as my goodbye gift before you die."

I didn't wait for a second longer and pulled the trigger. I heard the last thud as he fell.

I heard Luo Zhiqiang's voice in my earpiece. "Is it over?"

"Yup."

"The video camera on your shirt seems to be broken. I cannot see any feed."

"Perhaps it broke when I staggered because of his punch."

I heard Liao Huifang's voice, "But Bai Li...we cannot give you the directions in this way." She sounded worried.

I smiled. "Don't worry. I will figure it out. Now let's move onto the fourth floor."

---

***

Rodey violently shook the chains that bound him. "DON'T TOUCH HER!"

His gaze was ferocious and deadly as he saw Zhang Ning approaching Ying Yue. She was twirling a knife in her hands as she was calmly walking towards her.

She laughed. "Oh, look how impatient you have become. I didn't even start anything."

The men started laughing.

"Come on, boss, show him!"

"Boss~~ don't just use a knife. It will be too boring!"

"Yeah, we have so many tools at our disposal. We can try so many things on her."

"I even brought something new and fancy to try on her!"

Zhang Ning giggled. "We will try all of them."

Ying Yue stiffened for a moment. But then she slowly calmed down. She preferred if they tortured her rather than beating Rodey. She was ready to take anything if Rodey was spared from the torture.

Rodey yelled. "Stop!"

For the first time, he was shaking. A nauseating feeling enveloped his chest as Zhang Ning got closer and closer to her.

In pure rage, he started to shake the chains that bound him, desperate to stop her.

Zhang Ning bent towards Ying Yue and eerily smiled. "I think my friends went too easy on you the last time. You seem fine."

Ying Yue didn't answer.

"How will it be fun if you are fine? So, I will have to make things a little more painful here."

Xin Lei wanted to rush to help her, but she was tied herself, plus also hiding Cocoa's attempt to cut his ropes. If she moved, then Cocoa will be visible.

Rodey's aura turned even darker and sinister.

Zhang Ning pointed the tip of the knife on her cheek and began to slide ever so slowly. A thin scar formed, and blood started to trickle out, but Ying Yue didn't flinch.

Just as Zhang Ning was about to inch further, she heard a loud crash.