Urban Martial Saint

Ye Qing, however, turned a deaf ear and quietly looked out the window as if everything had nothing to do with himself.

Although the girl sitting opposite remained silent, her gaze occasionally swept over Ye Qing, seemingly comparing him to the scammers in military uniforms mentioned by the young men. Clearly, in the end, she chose to trust Ye Qing, and her look towards him changed.

The young man initially wanted to provoke Ye Qing and, seeing his reaction, felt even more displeased. Especially after noticing the girl’s look, his anger surged. He paused for a moment, then tugged at Ye Qing’s clothes and asked, ”Buddy, are you also heading to Shenchuan City to look for a job?”

Ye Qing didn’t want to bother with him but now he didn’t have a choice but to respond. He nodded his head but said nothing.

”Looking at you, you must have just been discharged,” the young man said. ”No offense, but do you know the situation in Shenchuan City now? Every day, signs fall down on the street, and out of ten people hit, five are college students, three hold master’s degrees, one’s a Ph.D., and the last is a local. With no education or degree like yours, what are you planning to do in Shenchuan City?”

Ye Qing frowned slightly; the young man’s words were full of provocation, a clear sign he was looking for trouble. However, Ye Qing had no intention of engaging with him and pretended not to hear.

Ye Qing remained silent, but someone stood up for him. The girl sitting opposite, unable to bear the belittlement in the young man’s words, interjected, ”Shenchuan City is not as complicated as you describe; there are still many opportunities there. Degrees don’t represent everything—there, everything depends on one’s own strength and hands.”

”Hmph,” the young man sneered, glancing sidelong at Ye Qing, and said, ”Strength and hands? In our place, joining the military is generally for those who can’t get into college, lack skills, and often cause trouble. The capable ones are either in university or already making money. Only those without abilities or skills resort to military service as a fallback.

They always think they can settle down after discharge, but in today’s society, what doesn’t require connections? If he could really be settled down after discharge, would this guy need to go to Shenchuan City?”

The girl retorted, ”Who says that those who serve in the military are incapable!”

The young man scoffed, ”Isn’t it obvious? If you had the abilities and skills, would you choose to serve in the military? If you could get into a good university, would you? If you could make your own money, would you waste your youth in the barracks?”

Unable to counterargue, the girl could only turn to Ye Qing and said, ”Mister, don’t stoop to his level. My brother is a serviceman; I know you guys are good people!”

Ye Qing nodded and, once again, turned his head to look at the night outside.

The young man had intended to lower Ye Qing’s standing to elevate his own, but instead, the girl’s hostility toward him only grew. Feeling embarrassed, he regarded Ye Qing with even more hatred.

”Hello everyone, sorry to disturb you for a few minutes!”

A voice suddenly rang out, and everyone turned their heads to look; it was a train salesperson approaching.

In their hands, the salesperson held several dark-colored necklaces, which at a glance appeared quite refined, and the color seemed unusual.

According to the salesperson’s pitch, these were the latest magnetic therapy necklaces, which had health benefits for chronic health issues when worn. Moreover, the price was quite reasonable, a spiel that many believed to be true.

The young man sitting next to Ye Qing also showed interest in the necklace, taking one to examine. It seemed rather magical, able to attract any metal object, confirming its magnetic strength.

The girl sitting opposite Ye Qing also became interested, observing a necklace for a long while before she couldn’t help but ask, ”How much for this?”

”This product hasn’t officially been launched; we’re just observing the market for now. Once it hits the market, each necklace will definitely cost no less than one thousand yuan. However, since it’s just market observation now, you’re all in luck,” the salesperson said, spitting out words rapidly. ”The original price is one thousand yuan, but now it’s just two hundred thirty-nine—a real bargain.

No matter your chronic illness, be it spine issues or herniated lumbar discs, it’s absolutely effective. Wear it for a month, and you’re guaranteed no more pain in your back and legs; you’ll feel completely relieved!”

The girl thought about it and reached for her wallet to pay but was stopped by Ye Qing.

Ye Qing didn’t speak but simply shook his head at the girl.

The girl was stunned, and at that moment, the nearby young man saw Ye Qing’s gesture and couldn’t help but say, ”Buddy, if she wants to buy something, let her be. What’s it to you to stop her?”

The salesperson also glared angrily at Ye Qing; just as the deal was about to be made, Ye Qing had interrupted.

Looking at Ye Qing in surprise, the girl asked, ”Mister, what... what are you trying to say?”

The surrounding people also turned their attention to Ye Qing; many were interested in buying but were hesitant due to the price. Now that Ye Qing had suddenly intervened, everyone was curious about his intentions.

After a moment of silence, Ye Qing turned to the salesperson and said, ”Making a living isn’t easy for anyone; a few hundred yuan might not mean much to some. However, most people who buy this are elderly. Can you really be at peace with it?”

The salesperson immediately became furious, ”What are you implying? Are you suggesting I’m scamming people? My product is genuine and worth the price. It can cure ailments for those who buy it; what’s this about a clear conscience or not? If you don’t want to buy, that’s fine, but don’t discredit my reputation!”

Ye Qing sighed, having initially hoped that the salesperson would back down, but since he persisted, Ye Qing could no longer offer him any leeway.

Taking the necklace from the girl’s hands, Ye Qing asked, ”Is this really High Mountain Magnetic Jade?”

The salesperson hesitated briefly before answering loudly, ”Of course, didn’t you see just now? It attracted all those metal objects; that’s High Mountain Magnetic Jade!”

Ye Qing shook his head and said, ”The fact that it can attract metallic objects only proves that it has magnetism, not that it is High Mountain Magnetic Jade. First of all, this bead of yours isn’t even jade, but a synthetic item. This entire strand together is worth no more than three yuan!”

The crowd burst into an uproar. The salesman’s face changed drastically, as he retorted with feigned confidence, ”What the hell are you talking about? These are clearly jade; how can they be synthetic? If they weren’t High Mountain Magnetic Jade, how could they attract metal objects? Don’t slander me—I’ve been selling things on this bus for many years and have never sold a fake.

You need to be responsible for what you say!”

”Yes, young man, these things can attract metal objects!” an elderly man chimed in.

The girl looked at Ye Qing in surprise, but she trusted Ye Qing and felt that he wouldn’t speak without reason.

The most excited was a young man sitting next to Ye Qing, who yelled, ”Synthetic? Do you even know what that means? Let me tell you, I work in materials sales; I understand these things much better than you do. Did you even go to high school? And you dare to talk about synthetics here? Tell me how these are made.

Also, you claim these are synthetic—where’s your proof? Don’t think you can say whatever you want just because you’re dressed in green. These days, even a dog has to be responsible for its barking!”

Ye Qing didn’t bother with him, instead gently weighing the bead strand in his hand. ”Jade stones don’t have this color. This color is clearly that of synthetic precipitates. It’s actually quite simple to prove it’s synthetic. In order for this material to be magnetic, it has a magnetic component added in the middle.

If you look carefully, you’ll notice that the beads have a layer in the middle— the magnetic components are wrapped inside this layer. To prove it, all you need to do is break a bead open!”

Upon hearing this, everyone began to inspect the magnetic necklaces closely. The salesman’s face turned even paler, for what Ye Qing had said was true, and he knew exactly what the beads were made of.

”Really, there is a layer inside!” someone exclaimed first.

”Yes, I see it too—it’s fake!”

”Damn it, this bastard was actually selling fakes; he almost fooled me too!”

”Thank goodness for this young fellow; otherwise, we would have been in trouble!”

There were shouts of alarm, and when people looked up again, the salesman had disappeared.

The crowd swore and complained, and many who had wanted to buy items came forward to thank Ye Qing. If it weren’t for Ye Qing’s warning, they might have wasted their two hundred thirty-nine yuan.

The girl looked at Ye Qing in astonishment, and after the crowd dissipated, she finally couldn’t help but ask, ”How… how did you know it was fake?”

Ye Qing minored in materials science at university; how could such things deceive him? Moreover, having seen plenty of fakes over the years on the border, he had sharpened his ability to distinguish between real and fake at a glance.

Yet Ye Qing chose not to mention these things, and simply said softly, ”My dad was once cheated.”

”So that’s how it is,” the girl said, as she suddenly understood. She had even started to wonder if Ye Qing was a professional in the field.

The young man next to them, still indignant and humiliated by his earlier stance, watched as the salesman’s escape turned his words into a joke. As people praised Ye Qing, they also ridiculed him, making him feel embarrassed.

Holding the beads in his hand, the young man suddenly placed them on the ground and stomped on them.

The beads were not durable, and two of them shattered under his foot. Indeed, they broke in half, revealing a layer inside that enveloped another substance.

Someone brought over a key, and the substance inside was attracted to the key, while the outer layer showed no reaction whatsoever.

Everything was as Ye Qing had said, with not a single discrepancy!

The crowd was shocked again. The young man glanced sideways at Ye Qing, his dissatisfaction apparent as he said, ”That’s all you’ve got; if your family hadn’t been cheated before, would you have known any of this?”

Ye Qing remained silent, but before the young man could continue speaking, a commotion suddenly arose from the other end of the carriage.

Everyone turned their heads to look and saw a person lying on the ground, foaming at the mouth and convulsing continuously.

Those around were scared stiff, with one girl even screaming.

”Help, he’s having an epileptic seizure!” the man’s companion shouted.

The carriage erupted into chaos as someone shouted, ”Is there a doctor? Are there any doctors here?”

”Is there a doctor on the bus? Quick, save him!”

The people were in disarray, and just then, the young man next to Ye Qing was suddenly pushed aside. When he turned to look, he saw Ye Qing had already darted out of his seat, striding rapidly towards the afflicted person.