# Chapter 40: The Pareto Principle
"Wait a moment..." Qi Xia frowned, as if he had thought of something. "Resist the enemy while also protecting our own people?"
It sounded like a very familiar situation.
Got it... This time there really was a way.
Qi Xia ran over to the iron plate, lifted the heavy object, and slowly rolled it along the ground, as if verifying the feasibility of his plan.
"Hey! Qiao Jiajin!" Qi Xia called out. "I found the 'answer'! Come here!"
"I've been waiting a long time for you to say that," Qiao Jiajin said slowly. "Hold on, I'll be right there."
The Black Bear vaguely sensed that its current 'prey' wanted to escape, so it stood up on its hind legs again, expanding its attack range.
But Qiao Jiajin had no intention of running away. He suddenly leaped forward, planted his feet wide apart, rotated his shoulder with his waist, and threw a right fist with a hundred-and-eighty-degree spin toward the Black Bear's cheek.
*Bam!*
With a loud crash, the fist landed solidly on the Black Bear's face, actually knocking it back a step and a half.
The Black Bear paused for a moment, hot air blasting from its nose, then shook its head, seeming dizzy from the sudden punch.
It had never imagined that this constantly fleeing 'prey' could possess such terrifying explosive power.
Qiao Jiajin also shook his own arm, which was throbbing from the impact, and cursed, "You dumb beast, you're tough as hell..."
The Black Bear came to its senses, opened its mouth and roared several times, then swung down again in fury and shame.
Qiao Jiajin carefully watched the creature's movements. With a small backward step, he shifted his weight between his left and right feet, not only dodging the attack but also causing the Black Bear to lose its balance and nearly fall forward.
Seizing the opening, he slightly crouched and threw an uppercut from below, striking the Black Bear hard on the jaw.
An eerie howl rang out as the Black Bear took another punch.
Though this kind of damage was no real threat to its thick hide, the creature was indeed becoming wary of the man before it.
"Damn, my hand's about to break, and you still won't pass out?" Qiao Jiajin spat on the ground, then did a forward roll and slipped away from the Black Bear.
Witnessing this, Qi Xia was a bit stunned. He had thought Qiao Jiajin was just an ordinary thug, but his fighting ability looked incredibly formidable.
That series of moves didn't seem like street brawling—it was more like mixed martial arts.
Qiao Jiajin came over to Qi Xia, shaking his right hand as he asked, "What do we do?"
"You come here!" Qi Xia snapped back to attention and waved at Qiao Jiajin. "Hold this iron plate up to block the Black Bear's attacks."
"That's it?" Qiao Jiajin was puzzled. "Liar, have you lost your mind? I thought you'd have a better idea!"
"No, this is the best idea!" Qi Xia pulled Qiao Jiajin in front of him and made him brace the iron plate.
But since the iron plate was round, it wasn't stable on the ground and tended to roll easily.
Qiao Jiajin had to lower himself and press his shoulder against the plate, trying to keep it steady.
"This thing's really heavy..." Qiao Jiajin gritted his teeth. "I can't lift it..."
"You don't need to lift it," Qi Xia explained. "Just roll it along the ground!"
"Damn, I get that, but then I can't see that beast." Qiao Jiajin said. "This big iron plate blocks my view. I have no idea where it is—how am I supposed to block its attacks?"
By now, the Black Bear was even more enraged and cautiously approached Qiao Jiajin.
"I'll help you see," Qi Xia said, standing behind Qiao Jiajin.
"You?"
"That's right. I'll grab your clothes from behind," Qi Xia said. "If I pull right, you roll the plate right; if I pull left, you roll it left."
"Fine..." Qiao Jiajin nodded and adjusted the direction of the iron plate, aiming it more or less at the Black Bear. "Thinking about it, we probably won't die this way... I just hope those bastards don't come steal the plate."
"They won't steal it," Qi Xia said. "Because I'm going to keep everyone here alive."
"What did you say?" Qiao Jiajin was startled. "You're going to use this iron plate to protect all these people?!"
"Hey!" Qi Xia turned and shouted at the group still fighting each other. "If you keep this up, you're really going to die. Anyone who doesn't want to die, get behind me."
Hearing Qi Xia's words, the group snapped out of it and looked at him, then at the iron plate in Qiao Jiajin's hands.
The middle-aged man was the first to stand up, wiping his face that had been scratched by someone in the scuffle. "You two idiots, put that iron plate down!"
He staggered toward Qiao Jiajin, seemingly wanting to take the plate back, but Qiao Jiajin couldn't let go and could only glare at the middle-aged man.
Qi Xia stepped forward, placing himself between them.
"Hey! Get out of the way!" the middle-aged man yelled. "Little Glasses! Come help!"
Qi Xia's mind raced, a voice echoing in his head: *"The Pareto Principle—the power of decision often belongs to only twenty percent of the people. To control a group, you only need to control the minority..."*
Before the middle-aged man could summon help, Qi Xia suddenly reached out and grabbed his throat firmly.
The man had never expected this seemingly refined fellow to be so ruthless; he was stunned for a moment.
"Stop messing around," Qi Xia said. "If you want to live, listen to me."
"Listen to you?!" The middle-aged man's eyes blazed with anger. "Who the hell do you think you are? Why should I listen to you?"
Qi Xia's right hand tightened, clamping down on the man's windpipe. "I'm not negotiating with you."
Seeing Qi Xia's actions, Qiao Jiajin couldn't help but frown.
He had previously only thought Qi Xia was clever and might offer a slim chance of survival; he never expected the man to have such a vicious side.
"Cough, cough... let, let go..." The middle-aged man was starting to suffocate, flailing his hands and pounding Qi Xia's arm. "Are you crazy..."
"Either I choke you to death right here, or you obediently stand in the back," Qi Xia said, his gaze icy cold, as if devoid of any emotion. "Pick one."
Little Glasses hurried over, pleading, "Big brother... no need for that, no need... let Old Lyu go first..."
As he spoke, he subtly adjusted his position, moving to Qi Xia's side and inching closer step by step.
Qi Xia quickly sized him up. He noticed that one side of the man's glasses had been shattered in the fight, making him look rather disheveled.
"*The law of the hunt...*" Qi Xia's eyes locked onto the two men, silently reciting in his mind. "*The hunter must be fiercer than the prey. Even the craftiest prey has its weak points and vital spots...*"
"Big brother, let him go first... or else..."
Little Glasses crept closer to Qi Xia, clearly with some other intention.
Qi Xia's face turned cold. He shot out his other hand, this time not grabbing the man's throat but pinching his cheek, pressing his thumb against the broken glasses.
"Holy shit!" Little Glasses cried out, tightly shutting his eyes.
"If you're looking for trouble too, I'll grind these glass shards into your eyes."
"No, no, no!" Little Glasses waved his hands frantically, half-crouching and tilting his head back, not daring to move an inch. "I'm wrong, I'm wrong, big brother. Whatever you say, we'll listen."