In the 1970s, this thing was like a magic wand from the future.
Brother Shu had never seen it before, but instinctively, he took a step back.
“Damn! What the hell is that? Get her! Hold her down!”
The two thugs lunged from either side.
The fat one rushed the fastest, his filthy hand reaching straight for Su Ci’s shoulder.
Su Ci stood still, not even bothering to dodge.
Her thumb pressed lightly.
Zzzzt—!!!
A piercing burst of electricity exploded.
Blue-purple arcs crackled in the dim alley, and the air instantly filled with a burnt smell.
“Off you go.”
The metal rod struck precisely under the fat man’s armpit.
His body stiffened.
He didn’t even have time to scream.
Two hundred pounds of flesh lost control instantly—his eyes rolled back, foam spilling from his mouth.
Bang!
He hit the ground hard, kicking up dust.
The skinny tall one behind him couldn’t stop in time.
Before he could react, the glowing rod was already pressed against his neck.
Electric current surged through him.
He twitched like a frog being electrocuted, bones cracking audibly.
Two seconds later—
He collapsed too, his pants soaked.
The stench spread.
Su Ci took two steps back in disgust, covering her nose.
“Tsk. No hygiene.”
Only Brother Shu was left at the alley entrance.
The switchblade in his hand trembled.
His legs felt like they were filled with lead—he couldn’t move at all.
What just happened?
In the blink of an eye, his two best fighters were down?
Was that some kind of sorcery?
Lightning?
“Y-you… don’t come closer!”
Brother Shu’s teeth chattered as he stared at the crackling weapon in Su Ci’s hand.
“I run this area! I’ve got people! If you dare touch me—”
Su Ci stepped over the “bodies.”
Her boots crunched on gravel.
She walked up to him and looked down.
“Running the area is good.”
“Means you’ve got money.”
She smiled—bright and beautiful, yet chilling.
The stun baton lightly tapped his chest.
“This is called compensation for emotional distress. Understand?”
She pressed the switch.
“Ugh—!”
His eyes rolled back as he dropped straight to the ground.
Three grown men lay neatly sprawled on the ground.
Silence returned.
Su Ci turned off the stun baton and tossed it back into her space to disinfect.
Then she crouched down and began skillfully “looting the bodies.”
If you want to rob others, you should be prepared to be robbed in return.
That’s the rule of the streets.
Humming softly, she pulled out a greasy roll of cash from Brother Shu’s pocket.
“Thanks for the tip, boss.”
Now her “settling-in funds” were secured.
The alley reeked of urine and dust.
The three men lay sprawled like dead fish, twitching and foaming.
Su Ci nudged Brother Shu with her foot.
No response.
Good. That shock had been strong enough.
She crouched leisurely.
Her long, fair fingers, clad in delicate lace gloves, looked completely out of place in the filthy setting.
“If you want to get rich, you should be prepared for reverse poverty alleviation.”
She muttered as she searched.
Starting with Brother Shu—
Pinching her nose against the sour smell, she pulled out a cloth bundle from his greasy inner pocket.
Opening it, her eyes lit up.
A thick stack of cash—over 300 yuan.
Plus a pile of grain coupons, cloth coupons, and industrial vouchers.
Not bad.
She pocketed everything without hesitation.
She didn’t spare the other two either.
After searching them, she gathered another 200 yuan and more coupons.
In total—532 yuan, plus a thick stack of national grain tickets.
In an era where a worker earned about 30 yuan a month, this was a huge sum.
Enough for a family to save for over a decade.
Su Ci, the money-lover, was satisfied.
She clapped her hands and stood up, pleased with her haul.
Now her “settling-in funds” were more than covered—with interest.
No way she’d go through that scare for nothing.
Emotional damages had to be paid.
As for the three lumps of trash on the ground…
A mischievous smile curled her lips.
She took out a pen and scrap paper from her space.
Squatting by the wall, she scribbled in a childish handwriting:
“Dear police: There are bad people robbing money in the dead-end alley on Jianguo Road. They have knives and hurt people. I’m very scared…”
She folded the note.
As she passed the alley entrance, she casually handed it to an old man with a red armband.
“Found this.”
Before he could react, she lowered her straw hat and disappeared into the crowd.
Behind her came the old man’s booming shout:
“Catch the criminals! Where’s the police station?!”
Su Ci didn’t look back.
A job well done, name left behind.
Using others to eliminate threats—that’s how adults solve problems.
Half an hour later, at Binhai City’s dock.
The sea breeze carried a salty, fishy scent, tousling Su Ci’s hair.
The ship was rusted, its deck piled with vegetables, rice, and supplies.
This was the “bus” to Seagull Island.
Su Ci showed her introduction letter and ticket.
A dark-skinned soldier in a navy shirt took her bag.
It felt light.
He looked puzzled.
Su Ci immediately held her forehead, appearing weak.
“Comrade… I feel seasick…”
Seeing her pale face, he believed her.
This new military wife really seemed delicate.
“Sister-in-law, go find a seat. It’ll get rougher once we set off.”
“Thank you.”
She stepped carefully onto the swaying deck.
The smell onboard wasn’t much better than the train.
Diesel mixed with fishy odor made her nauseous.
Inside the cabin sat several other military families.
All looked anxious and sallow.
When Su Ci entered, all eyes turned to her.
She stood out too much.
Even in plain clothes, she looked like she’d stepped out of a magazine.
Fair skin glowing, slender figure—
Her relaxed elegance made her look less like someone heading for hardship, more like a queen inspecting her domain.
She ignored the stares.
Finding a relatively clean corner, she sat and sipped lemon water from her space.
The engine roared.
The ship slowly left port.
The city faded into the distance until it became a thin line.
Before her stretched the endless blue sea.
Seagulls circled overhead, calling clearly.
Sunlight sparkled across the water like scattered diamonds.
Much better than the gray apartment blocks in the city.
Su Ci took a deep breath.
The air smelled fishy—but also free.
Goodbye, Su family.
Goodbye to all that mess.
From today on, the sky was hers to fly, the sea hers to roam.
She, Su Ci, was the freest “salted fish” on these waters.
She took out the black jade pendant she’d reclaimed.
Under sunlight, it glowed with a deep, gentle sheen.
Cool to the touch.
Since merging with her space, she could feel stronger control over the spiritual spring inside.
She could even draw a thread of its water to moisten her lips.
This had been Su Baozhu’s greatest advantage in her past life.
Now—it belonged to her.
Su Ci gazed toward the horizon where sea met sky.
A faint outline of the island loomed like a sleeping beast.
Lu Ye.
The rumored 1.9-meter-tall, muscular “living demon king.”
And his three troublesome younger siblings.
Su Ci licked her lips, excitement flickering in her eyes.
Don’t disappoint me.
Hopefully… you’ll add some fun to my otherwise boring vacation.
“Lu Ye, I’m coming.”
“Your home, your money, your siblings…”
“From today on—they’re all mine.”