I May Be Dumb, But Not an Idiot
Chapter 20: You Took the Wrong People… So I Became the Wrong Enemy
The rain had been falling for so long that it no longer felt like weather but like a condition, like something permanent that had settled over Qiangheng City, turning every street into a mirror and every shadow into something deeper, something that seemed to move even when nothing else did, and inside the Sheng mansion that same strange stillness had taken over, wrapping around the walls and settling into the silence in a way that felt almost unnatural.
Zian Hausi lay on her bed with one arm lazily covering her eyes, her breathing slow and steady, her entire existence dedicated to resting after what she considered an exhausting amount of unnecessary interaction the previous day, because in her opinion dealing with people like Jiang Nanshu required more energy than fighting actual enemies, and therefore she had decided that today would be reserved for absolute stillness and zero involvement with anything even slightly complicated.
Nothing will happen today.
Her phone vibrated.
She ignored it.
Not important.
It vibrated again.
And again.
And again.
Zian slowly slid her arm away from her eyes, her gaze drifting toward the phone with the kind of reluctance that suggested she would rather ignore the entire world than answer one unknown call.
Persistent problems are the worst kind.
She reached out, picked it up, and glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
Even worse.
She answered anyway.
"…What."
Silence.
Not normal silence.
The kind that carried intention.
Then—
A voice.
Low.
Controlled.
Unfamiliar.
"If you want to see them alive," the voice said slowly, "you'll come alone."
Zian sat up.
Immediately.
All laziness gone.
"…Who."
A quiet laugh echoed through the line, cold and careless.
"Huo Lou and Sterling."
Everything inside her—
Stopped.
Not the rain.
Not the world.
Just her.
…No.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone, her calm expression still in place but her eyes shifting, the softness gone, replaced by something sharper, something colder, something that did not belong to someone who simply avoided effort.
"…Location," she said.
The man gave it.
Confident.
Unworried.
Then the call ended.
Silence filled the room again.
Zian lowered the phone slowly.
They took them.
For a moment—
She didn't move.
Because something deeper than thought had already taken over.
Hurting my loved ones…
Pause.
…is the only thing I fear.
Her gaze darkened.
Fear—
For Zian Hausi—
Was never weakness.
It was permission.
"…Worst decision," she said quietly.
She stood.
No hesitation.
No delay.
No second thought.
The air around her shifted.
Subtle.
Invisible.
Heavy.
And in the next second—
She disappeared.
The abandoned warehouse stood far from the main roads, hidden behind broken fences and forgotten structures, its walls worn down by time and neglect, its windows shattered, allowing rain to slip inside in thin, uneven streams that formed shallow puddles across the cold concrete floor, and inside that empty, echoing space sat Huo Lou and Sterling, tied tightly to separate chairs, their hands bound, their movements restricted, their expressions controlled but alert.
Sterling shifted slightly.
"…This is not ideal," he muttered.
Huo Lou glanced at him.
"…Stay focused."
Sterling leaned back as much as the ropes allowed.
"I am focused," he said.
Pause.
"…On how badly this day is going."
Huo Lou didn't respond.
Because she understood.
This wasn't random.
This was targeted.
Footsteps echoed around them.
The kidnappers moved casually, their confidence obvious, their voices relaxed, unaware that the situation had already passed the point where they were in control.
"She'll come," one of them said.
"Of course she will," another replied.
Sterling frowned slightly.
"…They sound very sure."
Huo Lou's gaze hardened.
"…That's because they don't know her."
Then—
Something changed.
A sound.
Not from outside.
Not from the door.
From inside.
Behind them.
The air shifted.
The kidnappers turned.
"…Who's there?" one of them demanded.
Silence.
Then—
She appeared.
Zian Hausi stood in the shadows, the dim light barely touching her, her figure still, her expression calm, her presence quiet but heavy in a way that immediately changed the atmosphere of the entire room, and in her hand—
A long wooden stick.
Nothing elegant.
Nothing impressive.
Just a stick.
Sterling blinked.
"…She brought a stick."
Huo Lou didn't speak.
Because something about Zian—
Was different.
Zian looked at them.
Just once.
Alive.
Then she turned her attention to the kidnappers.
"…You chose the wrong people," she said calmly.
They laughed.
"There's only one of you," one of them said.
Zian tilted her head slightly.
"…That's enough."
And then—
She moved.
Fast.
The stick swung—
CRACK
The first man dropped before he even understood what happened.
Zian stepped forward—
Another strike—
THUD
The second one fell.
The rest rushed her together.
Zian didn't retreat.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't slow down.
The stick moved again—
Precise.
Controlled.
Relentless.
Every strike landed exactly where it needed to.
Every movement efficient.
Every second reducing their numbers.
This wasn't wild fighting.
This was control.
Sterling stared.
"…She's terrifying."
Huo Lou whispered,
"…They shouldn't have touched us."
Within moments—
Most of them were down.
Only one remained.
He grabbed a knife.
Pulled Huo Lou closer.
"STOP!" he shouted, pressing the blade near her.
Everything froze.
Zian stopped moving.
Her gaze shifted.
"…Threatening them," she said quietly, "was your final mistake."
The man laughed nervously.
"Stay back!"
Zian stood still.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then—
Enough.
Something changed.
The air around her bent slightly, subtly, invisibly, like reality itself had shifted just enough to let something else take control, something that did not follow normal rules, something quiet but absolute.
The man's expression changed.
Fear.
Too late.
Silence.
Complete.
He dropped.
Still.
Gone.
The warehouse fell into absolute quiet.
Only the sound of rain remained.
Zian walked forward calmly.
Untied Huo Lou.
Then Sterling.
"…You didn't see anything," she said.
Sterling blinked.
"…We saw everything."
Zian looked at him.
"…Then forget it."
Huo Lou met her gaze.
"…We won't tell anyone."
Sterling nodded.
"…Promise."
Zian studied them for a moment.
They understand.
"…Good."
She turned toward the exit.
"…Let's go."
They stepped outside into the rain.
Walking together.
Silent.
Because now—
Everything had changed.
They didn't just know her as the calm, lazy, strange girl who avoided effort.
They knew something else.
Something hidden.
Something dangerous.
Something powerful.
And they chose—
Without hesitation—
To protect it.
No matter what.
Because the people who tried to hurt Zian Hausi—
Did not get second chances.
And the people she protected—
Would never stand alone again. 😈🔥