"Wanna play a round, buddy?"
A guy with a buzz cut approached Lin Tian, who was idle, looking to pair up for a ga.
"I'm not that good, just watching is fine."
"You guys are always posing. Twenty bucks a round, are you in or not?"
As soon as Lin Tian heard this, he knew he had encountered a gambler.
At the pool hall, it's common for solo players who can't find a partner to look for an opponent to play a ga with them. So people play for the table fee, losing ans paying up just a few bucks. Others play big, betting ten or twenty a ga. They're mostly local thugs, the kind without a decent job.
"I ca here to et soone today," Lin Tian wasn't really in the mood to play; he wasn't feeling too well either.
"Co on, if you're not playing, then don't sit here. This is a pool hall, why would you co here if you're not going to play?"
Lin Tian still didn't agree, so the buzz cut guy pulled out a pack of cigarettes and gestured to the stand owner.
The owner ca over, and the buzz cut guy handed him a cigarette. Then he said to the owner.
"Look at this guy sitting here not playing pool; I think this kid has bad intentions, probably here to cause trouble. How about I help you kick him out?"
"Brother Niu, why bother with such small fry? I can handle it," said the owner, who had just accepted a cigarette from Brother Niu and naturally sided with him.
"Hey, bro. If you're not going to play, could you give up your seat?"
Lin Tian was already in a bad mood, and seeing Brother Niu and the owner playing good cop, bad cop right in front of him made him feel even worse.
"Let's play then, brother. I didn't agree to play with you earlier because twenty was just too low for . I don't play for anything less than a hundred. Are you ga?"
Lin Tian pulled out a red bill directly from his pocket.
"Well I'll be, a hundred bucks scares Brother Niu to death? Fine, let's go for a hundred."
Brother Niu also took out his wallet and slamd it on the table, thick with what appeared to be a couple thousand bucks.
When word got out that soone was playing for a hundred, the entire pool hall buzzed with excitent.
It's not always high-skill matches that draw crowds; sotis, the audience cos for the excitent.
The pool hall often featured gas with numbered balls on smaller tables. Usually, it's just two players hitting balls of different sizes, finishing off with the black eight-ball, and sinking the eight-ball would an victory.
The owner set the balls, and the two began their ga.
"Go ahead, bro, I'll let you start first," Brother Niu, who hadn't finished his smoke, generously let Lin Tian take the first shot.
"You said it, don't regret it later," Lin Tian said without hesitation, found himself a straight cue stick, wiped the tip, and placed the white ball on the left side.
That was his old habit, believing starting from the left side would bring good luck.
Lin Tian's skills in pool had always been decent. Now, with the Ox Power Technique enhancing his abilities, he believed he was no less skilled than a world champion in pool.
He gripped the cue stick, the Ox Power Technique flowing through the entire stick, making it seem like an extension of his arm.
Suddenly, he moved his arm and broke.
"Thud!"
The white ball blasted towards the numbered balls like a bomb. Lin Tian's shot was exceptionally powerful. Breaking from the left, Lin Tian had a spot that guaranteed at least two balls would sink. Even before, his success rate was 80%, and now with the Ox Power Technique, he figured it was a sure thing.
Indeed, he didn't disappoint himself – the balls scattered, and three went in straight away.
Numbers 15, 11, and 3.
According to the rules, Lin Tian could choose between solids and stripes. He evaluated the situation on the table and chose solids.
The 15 and 11 balls were placed back on their spots.
Choosing solids was strategic because Lin Tian noticed that the solid balls were either near the pockets or in easy-to-hit spots.
His pool skills were good, particularly his aim. His main issue was getting the cue ball to the desired position after each shot, a challenge due to not grasping the right way to apply force.
Now, with the Ox Power Technique, he no longer had to worry about applying force.
The cue ball went exactly where he wanted it to.
"Bang! Bang! Bang..."
After a series of sounds, all the solid balls had been dispatched into the pockets by Lin Tian, leaving the black eight-ball at the lip of the pocket.
"Brother Niu, thanks for the ga!"
Lin Tian called out to the already stunned Brother Niu, then gently pushed, and the eight-ball dropped into the pocket.
Everyone around was dumbfounded – they were used to seeing snooker on TV, where international masters occasionally managed a break and run. But in real life, seeing soone pot three or four balls in succession was already the hallmark of a pro. And here was Lin Tian clearing the table in one go – a feat not even international masters could guarantee.
"Looks like you lost, Brother Niu."
"Uh, ah, okay. Here, this is your hundred bucks."
Brother Niu was also stunned. Lin Tian had expected him to cheat or call for backup. Instead, Brother Niu quickly handed over a hundred bucks and even volunteered to play another round.
That made Lin Tian feel a bit awkward now. After witnessing Lin Tian's skill, why would Brother Niu go again? It's like giving money away, isn't it?
He didn't say anything; maybe Brother Niu was really good, too?
```
Brother Ox took his shot, but luck wasn't on his side, not a single ball went in.
Lin Tian didn't give Brother Ox a chance, sinking a striped ball first, choosing his own score, and then finishing the ga in one more stroke.
"Impressive, very impressive!"
Brother Ox took out another hundred yuan and handed it to Lin Tian.
"Bro, I really didn't recognize a great man when I saw one just now. What's your na? I'm called A Niu, I've got so local fa around here. Everyone calls Brother Ox."
"I'm Lin Tian, I used to go to school around here."
Seeing that A Niu was in a good mood, Lin Tian chatted with him a bit more.
Noticing that Lin Tian seed easy to talk to, A Niu asked him for a favor.
"What kind of favor do you need?"
"Help play in a long-table pool competition. To be frank, I, A Niu, am sothing of a na on this street." A Niu raised his own thumb and then looked sowhat dejected.
"But last month, a bunch of tough guys showed up. Knowing I love playing pool, they set up for a ga. I ended up losing control of the street next door to them."
Once I realized sothing was off, I stopped playing with them. But a loss is a loss; I conceded that street. Only to find out that these guys, not content with just that street, keep scheming to take over my territory here.
"Through another pool ga?"
"Right."
"I'm not free today."
Lin Tian was here today for He Qianqian's sake; he didn't have ti to help soone he just t to play pool.
"No worries, we haven't set a date for the match yet. To be honest, I don't really want to play pool with them. This is my last stand, and if they want it, I'm going to make them pay a high price."
"Alright then, we'll get in touch when I'm available."
Lin Tian thought that after he dealt with He Qianqian's matter, he might be able to help A Niu out. Most importantly, if he got on good terms with A Niu, then He Qianqian would have soone to look after her in the future.
After leaving his number with A Niu, Lin Tian left.
School had let out, and Lin Tian also spotted He Qianqian.
But he didn't rush over, just watching her from afar.
He Qianqian seed to be in a bad mood, looking around fearfully every so often as she walked.
Then Lin Tian saw two people following closely behind He Qianqian, quite brazenly shadowing her every move.
Lin Tian followed them as well.
He Qianqian planned to have lunch; the cafeteria was too crowded, so she usually dined at a nearby small restaurant.
However, today, she clearly felt she was being followed and wanted to turn back, but seeing the two burly n behind her, she didn't dare to retreat.
Feeling hesitant and uneasy, she arrived at a restaurant.
"Teacher He, we et again!"
Just as He Qianqian ordered a bowl of noodles, a man sat down opposite her.
This man wore flashy, multicolored clothes and big shorts. With slightly dark skin and three scars on his face, he looked like a thug.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to see you, and I have a boyfriend now." Seeing this man, He Qianqian's face turned pale.
"Hehehe, you have a man now? Where is your man? I haven't seen him around," said Jie Jun arrogantly, scanning the surroundings. Anyone who made eye contact with him instinctively stepped back.
He Qianqian felt a bitter frustration. She had encountered Jie Jun while shopping one day.
At that ti, Jie Jun harassed her for her phone number and address. He Qianqian rejected him outright and did not continue shopping; instead, she ran straight back to school.
Now with Lin Tian not by her side, she felt a bit panicked.
"Her man is right here!"
Suddenly, a voice rang out; Lin Tian sat down beside He Qianqian, wrapping his arm around her slim waist.
He Qianqian was startled, wondering when a man had appeared beside her. Upon a closer look, to her surprise and warmth of heart, it was the very person she had longed for. She imdiately threw herself onto Lin Tian.
At that mont, she didn't care what others might think or say; she just wanted to be a damsel in distress, leaning on Lin Tian forever.
"Where the hell did you pop up from, kid?"
Jie Jun was still exuding his threatening aura, and when he turned his head, he was shocked to find the woman he fancied in another man's embrace.
Moreover, this man looked rather youthful, probably not even twenty.
"Where the hell did you pop up from?" Lin Tian stared coldly at Jie Jun, returning the sa question to him without altering a word.
"Hahaha, interesting. I'm Jie Jun, and it's been many years since I've t soone who dares to be so cocky in front of . Tell , do you want to leave here without your arms today, or without your legs?" Jie Jun grabbed a dagger from his bag, its blade shining coldly and clearly very sharp.
The bystanders, seeing this, couldn't help but retreat a few steps. The owner, who was about to step in and diate, turned around and hustled back into the kitchen.
"Brother, I'm a bit greedy. I'd like to keep both my arms and my legs, really."
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