The robbers, having swept through and met no resistance after the incident with the young man, had everyone patted down by two of their members.
In those days, the only places people could hide things were inside their clothes, their crotch, or women's undergarments.
These scoundrels had clearly done this before, as they left no stone unturned in these areas. Soon, they had a full bag of cash, a mix of small bills and larger notes.
Seeing the two robbers go as far as to search the women's private areas, Chen Yang's expression turned cold.
He could afford to lose the money, but no one would be allowed to humiliate Shen Xue right under his nose.
What kind of man was he if he couldn't even protect his own wife?
Sensing the fury in Chen Yang's eyes, Shen Xue tightly gripped his hand, her teeth gritted, tears welling up.
"They have knives."
Shen Xue had also seen what the robbers did to the female passengers and knew what such humiliation meant to a woman.
It was the 1970s, and for most women, chastity was more important than life itself.
However, Shen Xue feared Chen Yang's impulsiveness would lead to trouble, especially with their two children present.
Chen Yang gently placed her hand back onto her, then held her other hand, letting her embrace the two children.
"Don't worry, I'm not stupid. I won't rush to my death."
Chen Yang comforted Shen Xue. As long as the robbers knew when to stop, he wouldn't risk it. But if they insisted on being audacious, he would have no choice but to take a gamble.
Chen Yang stared intently at the approaching robbers. There were eight of them in total, with two blocking each end of the carriage doors.
The remaining four were divided into two pairs, two on each side, moving from both ends of the carriage to pilfer.
Chen Yang was alone. He wouldn't act unless absolutely necessary. Facing eight men, he was sure to get beaten.
The two robbers, having plundered their way along, reached Chen Yang. The one with the knife patted him down, and the money in his outer pockets was immediately discovered.
He even found the money sewn into the inner pockets.
"You're quite good at hiding things, kid."
With a flick of his knife, the robber slashed Chen Yang's clothes, tearing them open, and took his money.
"Move aside a bit. The ones inside, come over for a search."
After taking Chen Yang's money, the robber glared fiercely at him and prepared to search Shen Xue.
"She's my wife. All our money is with us."
Chen Yang gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging.
"If you don't want to end up like that kid up front, get out of the way right now."
"Damn it, even if she were your own mother, I'd still search her. You'd best be sensible, and maybe I'll be a little gentler with your wife, haha."
The robber with the knife glanced at Shen Xue. He had taken his share of liberties along the way, but Shen Xue was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman he had seen in this carriage.
Especially since she had two children with her. These younger married women were the most satisfying to touch. Even if there was no money, he could still get his kicks.
As for this man, he scoffed. Hadn't the husbands of those women earlier meekly obeyed when they saw his knife?
Hearing the robber's words, Chen Yang felt his teeth grind.
But before he could erupt in anger, the man in military uniform sitting opposite him suddenly punched the knife-wielding robber in the temple.
"Bang!"
Struck in the temple with a powerful blow, the robber's eyes rolled back. Seeing this, Chen Yang immediately stood up.
He snatched the knife from the robber's hand and kicked the dazed man away.
The man in uniform had landed a brutal punch, directly on the temple. Judging by the robber's state, even if he didn't die, he wouldn't be able to move for a while.
As Chen Yang grabbed the knife, the man in uniform also took down the other robber who was carrying the money bag.
His every move was swift, precise, and ruthless. The kick he delivered after standing up landed squarely in the money-carrying robber's groin, sending him into unconsciousness from the pain.
"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pin these two scoundrels to the ground. Don't you want your money back?"
"If you're still men, and you don't want your wives to be bullied like this, then grab something!" Sudangy.net
Chen Yang, holding the knife, followed closely behind the man in uniform. Since the latter had already taken down two, he had to step in to prevent the man in uniform from being overwhelmed.
If that happened, not only would the hero be disheartened, but Shen Xue would also be unable to escape the humiliation from these beasts. It was better to grab a knife and join the fight.
Chen Yang yelled at the people in the adjacent seats as he charged.
Although these two robbers had been subdued, Chen Yang still feared they might recover.
Hearing his words, the young man whose head had been broken was the first to rush forward. He didn't bother pinning anyone; he just swung his fists at the two downed robbers.
"You damn bastard, robbing my money, robbing my dowry!"
Once this young man made his move, others immediately stood up.
As long as there was hope, who would want their hard-earned money stolen? Who could bear to watch their wives being groped?
"Damn it, if you can stand it, I can't. Whoever dares to touch my wife, I'll kill him."
By the time Chen Yang and the man in uniform reached the other two robbers who were still searching and stealing, four or five people had already joined them.
A man, wielding a carrying pole, smashed it down onto the head of another robber who was still searching and hadn't reacted.
Meanwhile, the man in uniform used a steel pipe to strike the robber's hand, knocking the knife from his grasp.
His blow was much heavier than the one with the carrying pole. The robber's hand shattered, bone fragments protruding, rendering him instantly incapacitated.
"Damn it, you guys are playing dirty, aren't you?"
"Not a single one of you will leave here alive today!"
Another robber immediately threw down the money bag and lunged at the man in uniform with his knife. Seeing this, Chen Yang's heart leaped into his throat.
"With you?"
It was the first time the man in uniform had spoken. He braced himself against a seat and leaped up, kicking the charging robber in the chest.
"Bang."
The robber was sent flying several meters, landing right in front of the man with the carrying pole. He raised the pole and forcefully hammered the robber's hand, knocking the knife away.
The few people nearby, seeing the four robbers instantly defeated, were emboldened.
They quickly swarmed forward, pinning the two robbers firmly to the carriage floor.
"Tough opponent, retreat!"
The robbers guarding the ends, who had been about to rush over to support their comrades, saw that they had been defeated so quickly and with over a dozen people now gathered around the man in uniform, they lost their nerve.
"Everyone, don't be afraid. I'm a retired soldier."
"You four pin these guys down and find the train police. The rest of you, follow me and catch those four money-grubbing bastards."
Seeing the other robbers flee, the man in uniform finally roared. But only Chen Yang noticed that blood was seeping from beneath the trouser leg of the leg he had used to kick the robber.