Chapter 123: Even a Rabbit Bites When Provoked
The boy looked at his now-dirty handkerchief, feeling a little embarrassed. "I should go now. Thank you. I'm really sorry for getting this dirty."
"It's alright," Giovanni said indifferently, taking the handkerchief back. He waved his hand at Archer. "Your bread is already inedible. I'll have my friend buy you a new one."
The boy was about to refuse, but Archer had already left. He looked down at the dirty bread in his hand, his fist clenching involuntarily.
"They always bully you?" Giovanni asked. "Why don't you fight back?"
The boy pursed his lips and finally shook his head. Perhaps feeling a gentleness and a different sense of security from Giovanni, he said, "My mom said if I want to live, I have to learn to endure. Once they find it boring, maybe they'll stop."
"If you endure blindly," Giovanni said, having a different view on the matter, "it will only make them think you're easier to bully. They'll only escalate." He raised his arm, clenching his fist. "Only by becoming strong yourself can you make others give up the idea of bullying you."
"I don't know," the boy said, a little lost.
"You will know," Giovanni smiled, watching Archer return. He took a clean loaf of bread and handed it to the boy. "This is for you."
"Thank you, thank you!" the boy said, taking the bread with some embarrassment.
"Don't thank me," Giovanni said meaningfully. "I can buy you new bread, but only you can protect it." He pulled a small knife from Archer's belt and handed it to the boy. "This is for you. Only with a knife in hand can you protect yourself."
The boy looked at the gleaming blade, his eyes flickering. As if possessed, he took it. "Thank you..."
"You're welcome." Watching the boy's retreating figure, Giovanni's lips curved slightly upward.
"How is it?" he asked Archer. "Did you find his information?"
"Indeed," Archer replied, startled. "Nothing can be hidden from you, Boss."
"There's only one bakery nearby," Giovanni said with a faint smile. "As long as you go there and ask, you'll know."
"This kid is named Proton," Archer continued. "He's quite famous in this area, but not for anything good. His mother has been sick for many years, his father ran away, and he's the only one left to take care of her. He often goes hungry and is constantly bullied."
"Is that so?" Giovanni stroked his chin, his eyes flickering. "Let's go. Follow him. There might be unexpected developments."
"What developments?" Archer asked, confused.
"What do you think happens," Giovanni said faintly, looking at the gradually darkening sky, "when a person is given hope, only to have it shattered? Then is given hope again, only for it to be shattered again? Will he collapse? Or will he go mad?"
"You mean..." Archer thought of something. "Oh, right. When I chased those punks away, they were clearly holding a grudge against him."
"Bullies who are bullied will only bully those weaker than them to regain their confidence," Giovanni said. He looked at his empty hand. "From the moment he took that knife, he was no longer the boy who could endure everything. At the very least, his heart had changed."
He walked gently forward, in the direction the boy had left. Archer immediately followed. He understood that Giovanni had taken an interest in the boy. And once targeted, he would absolutely not let go.
— — —
They walked until the surrounding buildings became more dilapidated. A moment later, they saw the boy's figure again. He had just pushed open a dilapidated gate when several hands reached out from inside and pulled him in.
Giovanni and Archer lightly leaped, landing on the roof of a nearby house, from where they could clearly see the situation in the courtyard. The bullies Archer had just chased away were already waiting at Proton's house.
"Why are you in my house?" Proton asked, his voice tense. "Where's my mom?"
"You bastard," the leader, a boy named Butch, said, pushing him to the ground. "You actually dared to call someone to chase us away!" He had his friends hold Proton down and snatched the new bread from his hand. "Don't know them? If you don't know them, would they buy you bread? Did you think I wouldn't have someone watch you?!"
"I beg you," Proton pleaded. "My mom and I haven't eaten in a long time. Can you spare me just this once?"
"Spare you? Humph!" Butch snorted, took a big bite of the bread, and chewed. "This one's not bad. Instead of letting you waste it on that sick woman, it's better if we eat it. She won't live much longer anyway."
"Don't you dare talk about my mom!" Proton's eyes immediately turned red.
"What can you do if I say it?" Butch scoffed. "Besides, aren't I speaking the truth? With that half-dead sick woman in there, and this little jinx, if it were me, I'd have run away too."
Proton, curled up on the ground, heard this and his body trembled violently. Tears streamed down his face. "It's not like that..."
"Still crying, you sick ghost! Go beat him to death!" Butch said, walking towards Proton, raising his foot to kick him again.
The boy on the ground suddenly raised his head. His bloodshot eyes were filled with tears, and also with resentment and madness. "It's not like that! You're lying! Don't you dare hurt my mom! I'll kill you!"
He gripped the small knife Giovanni had given him and rushed at Butch. The sharp blade plunged directly into the bully's abdomen.
"Ah!" Butch cried out, letting out a pig-like squeal.