Whatâs a bustling market? Itâs exactly what Iâm experiencing nowâpeople everywhere, packed so tightly that if I werenât tall, I might have found it hard to breathe.
I squeezed my way through the crowd, pushing back and forth with difficulty. Just as I was about to grab the wallet from a young lady, someone brushed past me.
I failed on my first attempt. Cursing under my breath, I began scanning for a new target.
Although I was practicing my agility skills under this so-called âtraining,â I couldnât shake off the guilt from stea1ing wallets. The bigger issue was⌠what would I do if I got caught?
To think someone as handsome as me, Xia Tian, had to go through this ridiculous training. What was that old man Long Qingyang thinking, coming up with such an absurd idea?
Despite my complaints, I knew I had to stick with the training.
Up ahead, I spotted an old lady carrying a basket full of vegetables, her wallet resting on top. It seemed like an easy target.
I quietly followed behind her. When she wasnât paying attention, I slipped my hand into the basket. Since the crowd was dense, I had to act casual, glancing around as if nothing was happening.
I felt something in my hand and quickly pulled it out.
What the hell?! It wasnât a walletâit was a cucumber!
Seriously, lady? At your age, why are you even buying cucumbers?!
Left with no choice, I gently placed the cucumber back.
The next time, I managed to feel the wallet. But just as I was about to pull it out, the old lady stirred, seeming like she was about to turn around.
Panicking, I patted her on the shoulder with a smile. âMaâam, you should keep your wallet safe. There are lots of pickpockets around here!â
The old lady paused, then smiled warmly. âThank you, young man!â She tucked the wallet deeper into her basket and continued on her way.
âPhewâŚâ I let out a sigh of relief. I was glad I didnât get caughtâuntil I heard her muttering behind me, âWhat a weirdo…â
Attempt two: failed!
At this point, I began to admire real pickpockets. How do they even master this craft? And Long Qingyangâs skill⌠Was he a thief in his younger days? If so, he mustâve been a master thief.
After two failures, I grew a bit frustrated. But Long Qingyang had only one requirement: succeed at least once. So, I had no choice but to keep trying.
Thereâs no way something this trivial could stump a handsome devil like me!
As I glanced around again, I spotted my third target. Well, technically, it was my firstâthe flashy, heavily made-up girl I had seen earlier. Somehow, I crossed paths with her again.
In the short time we were apart, the wallet in her tight denim shorts had slipped out slightly, almost ready to fall.
I glanced around. No one was watching, so I reached out.
Success! The wallet was now in my hand.
Perfect! Now I just needed to put it back, and Iâd have completed my task!
But then came the tricky part.
The pocket of her shorts was tight, and I couldnât slip the wallet back in without physically opening it.
With no other option, I gritted my teeth and used my other hand to gently pry open the pocket while sliding the wallet back in.
The wallet was halfway in, and the girl still hadnât noticed anything. It seemed like success was within reach!
Just as I was feeling triumphant, a sharp âslapâ rang out, and my face stung with pain.
Before I could react, the girl glared at me in disgust. âPervert!â
Come on! I was just practicing my agilityâwas that necessary?!
Before I could gather my thoughts, the girlâs expression shifted. âOh, youâre kinda cute, actually.â
She glanced around and then leaned closer. âItâs a bit crowded here. How about you give me your number?â
When I didnât respond, she pouted and tugged on my arm. âAww, are you mad? I didnât expect such a handsome guy to⌠you know⌠make a move.â
She fl!rted shamelessly. âAlright, alright. Iâll be yours tonight, so donât be mad, okay?â
Her sugary voice and behavior gave me chills. With her white powder flaking off her face, she thought she could steal my first night? No wayâmy first time is reserved for Mei’er!
I had to find a way to get rid of her.
âLook, a UFO!â I shouted, pointing to the sky.
The girl froze and instinctively looked up. Seizing the opportunity, I spun around and bolted.
âThatâs so mean! Lying to meâŚâ Her voice faded as I pushed my way through the crowd, panting heavily as I crouched in front of Long Qingyang.
âMaster⌠can we try a different method?â I gasped, catching my breath.
Long Qingyang tapped his pipe, glancing at me. âNo.â
âThis isnât going to end well!â I protested.
Filling his pipe with tobacco, Long Qingyang took a puff and said calmly, âThe methods I teach are the best. If youâre not satisfied, you can find another teacher.â With that, he turned and walked away.
âAlright, Master! Iâll get back to it!â I called out, reluctantly heading back into the crowd.
Long Qingyangâs training methods were absurdâcompletely ridiculous, evenâbut they worked. Otherwise, my skills wouldnât have improved so rapidly.
I continued weaving through the crowd, searching for an ideal target. I avoided muscular men who looked toughâno point in picking a fight with them.
As the saying goes, âOld ginger is spicier.â The elderly were sharp, so they were off the list too.
Young people were quick-witted, making them difficult targets as well.
At this rate, the only viable target was that little kid holding a lollipop up ahead.
Honestly, I kind of missed the days when those special forces soldiers beat me upâit was still better than stea1ing things.
While these random thoughts occupied my mind, my eyes never stopped scanning.
Suddenly, I spotted someoneâdrowsy and sluggish, with a chubby body that screamed slow reflexes. He was the perfect target!
I made my move, walking toward him casually. Just as I was about to act, a flash of white light streaked by, and a slit appeared in the manâs pocket.
In the blink of an eye, two slender fingers plucked the wallet out with incredible precision.
What speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness! In mere seconds, the wallet was gone.
Wait a minute⌠I suddenly realized something.
Did I just encounter a fellow thief?
Sponsor Chapters at the Patreon Shop: Along with BuymeaCoffee where you can use your local currency.
The Shop section on Patreon can be used as a way to make a one-time-payment. I will be creating products in the Shop section with the title of the webnovels. It will only have an image as the product, but it will count as the payment for the Sponsored Chapters.
For example: You will buy the product with the title “Flower Stealing Master” to sponsor a chapter for the novel. As far as I know, you can buy the same product multiple times, so you should be able to sponsor as many chapters you want. I hope it was easy to understand.
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