Chapter 91
Just as expected, many men felt disheartened when they saw the intimate gestures between Hilda and Kai. Even Zayne's eyes were filled with jealousy as he looked in Kai's direction.
When Kai introduced Maria to Hilda, he explained, "This is Mr. Saunders' daughter, Maria. Her dad and mine were comrades in the army."
Hilda instantly figured out that Gary must have wanted to approach Maria's father when he told her he would ask a friend about a job for her.
Hence, she walked up to Maria and held her hand. "Maria, you're really pretty. I have heard Kai and Mr. Chance mention you before. I just never had the opportunity to meet you."
Maria smiled in response to Hilda's friendliness. "Hilda, you look stunning yourself."
"This is Troy. We're on the same team," Kai continued while pointing at a bespectacled colleague in the corner.
"Nice to meet you!" Hilda smiled while extending her hand.
"T-The pleasure is mine." Blushing, Troy gently shook Hilda's hand.
Troy's reaction caused everyone to burst into laughter.
Soon, everyone began to make merry, singing and drinking at the same time. Moreover, many of them came over to make a toast to Kai, challenging his capacity to drink.
Realizing what was going on, Hilda shielded Kai from them. "At this rate, Kai will be drunk in no time. I'll drink in his place instead."
With that, Hilda downed a mug of beer.
Since Hilda was standing up for Kai, the guys weren't going to let the opportunity slip. From their perspective, Hilda would be knocked out after just two beers.
Soon, all of them realized they couldn't be more wrong.
Despite taking on the crowd's challenge and downing drink after drink, Hilda didn't look as if she was drunk at all.
When everyone realized there was barely any change to her expression, they were stupefied. Even Kai looked at her in disbelief.
No one had expected such a demure-looking girl to be so good at drinking. At that moment, she had thirty empty beer bottles right beneath her feet.
Meanwhile, everyone else's face was already red from having too much to drink. In fact, some of them could barely maintain their balance.
"All right now, let's start singing instead of drinking non-stop."
Finally, Zayne stepped in to stop the drinking challenge. Otherwise, everyone else would be drunk before Hilda felt anything.
"Hilda, you're an amazing drinker," Maria remarked with her eyes filled with both envy and astonishment.
Hilda smiled, "Unfortunately, that's the only thing I'm good at."
"Hilda, you're awesome! If my alcohol tolerance were as high as yours, no one will dare challenge me to a drinking game again!" Lydia exclaimed in admiration as she sat down beside Hilda.
"Lydia, it's possible to improve one's drinking capacity through practice. I'll teach you how to do it next time. Besides, I like how our surnames are similar to each other too," Hilda replied jovially.
Hilda was undeniably good at socializing. Within a short period of time, the three ladies had become best friends that could talk about anything under the sun.
"Hilda, given how pretty and good-natured you are, how did you end up being interested in Kai? To me, he is just an annoying country bumpkin," Lydia asked candidly after having quite a bit to drink.
Sitting by the side, Kai didn't sing nor drink. All he did was make idle chatter with Troy once in a while. Evidently, he didn't fit in with the rest at all.
"Lydia, Kai is actually a pretty good guy. I know because I grew up with him. Perhaps, you just don't know him well yet," Hilda calmly explained and wasn't upset at all.
Given Hilda's response, Lydia knew it would be inappropriate to disparage Kai further. Hence, she took up the mic and suggested, "Come, why don't we sing a song together?"
Chapter 92
Hilda wasn't just pretty but could sing very well too. Her voice was just as melodious as the actual singer's which further fueled the guys' jealousy toward Kai.
Zayne in particular stared at Hilda with increasing intensity. Nevertheless, he kept his affection in check due to Maria's presence.
Amidst Hilda's singing, the atmosphere in the private room reached a climax. Everyone was tipsy and dancing ecstatically at the same time.
After having a few beers, Troy stood up with his face blushing red and danced together with the others.
Only Kai sat alone by the corner, watching everyone else in silence.
Just when everyone was having a ball of a time, the private room's door was pushed open. A bald man holding a glass of wine walked in, followed by two bodyguards in suits.
When they saw the sudden intruder, everyone was stunned and stopped what they were doing. Even Hilda put down the mic she was holding.
The middle-aged man had a listless look in his eyes while his face was all red. It was clear that he had too much to drink. After barging in, he swept his gaze around the room and smirked, "So, it's nothing but a bunch of kids. Who was singing just now? You sound really good. Come to my private room and sing a few songs with me."
The man's words caused everyone to exchange glances. Nevertheless, no one dared to make a sound, as they could obviously see that he was someone powerful. Considering all of them were just salaried employees, they didn't have the courage to offend him at all.
Since everyone was silent, the middle-aged man shifted his gaze toward Hilda, Lydia, and Maria because they were the only ones holding the mics.
"The three chicks are lookers. Take them to my room."
Just as he spoke, the middle-aged man took out a stack of hundreds and threw it toward the three ladies. After that, the bodyguards behind him walked up to them, causing them to backpedal in fear.
At the same time, Zayne stepped forward to protect them.
After all, he was the most senior among the group, not to mention Maria was his girlfriend too. If he did nothing other than watching his girlfriend being taken away, he would end up becoming a laughing stock.
"Mister, who are you? We're just here to sing and relax. These three ladies are our friends and not hostesses," Zayne explained to the middle-aged man.
"It doesn't matter if they're hostesses or not. Anyway, isn't it embarrassing to be drinking beer in a place like this? Take this money and order a few bottles of Lafite. In the meantime, let the three girls come and sing with me," the middle-aged man replied while patting Zayne on his face.
Even though it didn't hurt, his gesture was an utter humiliation for Zayne. It was as if Zayne was nothing more than a powerless child.
In a fit of rage, Zayne pushed the middle-aged man away and almost caused him to lose his balance.
However, he regretted his actions the very next moment, as he didn't know what the man's background was. Things would obviously get messy if the man was infuriated.
"F*ck, how dare you push me?" the middle-aged man thundered. "Beat him up right now!"
Just as he ordered, the man's bodyguards charged at Zayne, who was trembling.
When they saw the intruders attacking, the rest of the guys gathered their courage. They grabbed beer bottles and stood together with Zayne. Since he was their manager, it was a good time for them to show their loyalty.
Given that the opposing party only had three men, they were confident that they could win in a fight due to their overwhelming numbers.
Stunned by their response, the two bodyguards didn't dare follow through with their attack. After all, they had not expected the bunch of youngsters to be so united.
When he saw the two bodyguards stop in their tracks, Zayne was ecstatic. Instantly, he moved forward and gave one of them a kick. "Get lost now, and I will pretend this never happened!"
Chapter 93
The middle-aged man narrowed his eyes at Zayne. Nonetheless, in the face of his opponents' numbers and the fact that they were hot-blooded youths, the man knew that he was at a disadvantage if a fight were to break out. With a grim expression, he threatened, "Kid, you had better watch out. Tell me your name, and I will teach you a lesson one of these days!"
"I'm Zayne Carlson, and I'll be right here waiting for you. Do you think my comrades and I are wimps?"
At that moment, Zayne felt exhilarating, imagining himself as a mafia boss.
"All right, all right."
After acknowledging Zayne's words, the middle-aged man turned and left with his bodyguards.
Once the man was gone, Zayne was on cloud nine. He had never felt so powerful before and was relishing in the sensation.
"Mr. Carlson, you're amazing! Despite you kicking them, they didn't even dare utter a word of protest."
"Mr. Carlson, given how you behaved, those who don't know you might even think you're a mafia boss."
"You're awesome! Even I begin to wonder if you have been in a gang before."
As the group sang Zayne's praises, his ego was inflated just like a balloon.
Despite feeling smug about himself, he pretended to be modest. "It's all thanks to your support. Since all of you are so loyal, I will not scrimp for the night. Let's order a few bottles of Lafite to try. They're on me!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Mr. Carlson, you're the best!"
The crowd cheered jubilantly the moment they heard that Zayne was treating them Lafite. After all, as salaried employees, it was a wine that was way beyond what they could afford.
"Zayne, we had better leave. If they come back with reinforcements, we'll really be in trouble," Maria advised.
At that moment, Zayne was no longer afraid of the bald middle-aged man, as he had the support of his crew. Also, he couldn't think straight due to having too much to drink.
"Maria, don't worry. With me around, there's no need to be afraid," Zayne declared while beating his chest confidently.
"Mr. Carlson, I heard that this establishment belongs to the Templar Regiment. In other words, Tommy runs it. Given that we just got into a fight, will we—" one of the employees asked in concern.
"Don't be f*cking afraid. I know Tommy very well, so there's nothing to worry about," Zayne boasted with a wave of his hand.
Maria's concerns were quickly allayed. "Since Mr. Lewis owns this place, there won't be any problems at all, as Zayne knows him very well. In fact, Mr. Lewis even recovered a debt owed to my family upon Zayne's request."
Maria's words caused everyone to exchange glances in awe. After all, it was a tremendous honor to know the most powerful man in Horington's underground.
"Mr. Carlson, I'm impressed that you actually know Mr. Lewis personally!"
"Since you know him, there's nothing for us to be afraid of. If they dare come back, we will beat them up till they cry for their mommies."
"With Mr. Carlson drinking with us here, no one will dare offend us."
The moment Zayne boasted about knowing Tommy, everyone's speech grew increasingly brazen.
Sitting in the corner, Kai couldn't help but smirk.
It appears Zayne will continue to live in his own bubble if he isn't taught a lesson.
"What are you smiling about? Aren't you ashamed of yourself? When that old man tried to take us away, you were so shocked you didn't even respond. Don't forget that Hilda is your girlfriend. What kind of man are you to not be able to protect her? And yet, you still have the cheek to laugh?" Lydia admonished Kai when she caught him grinning to himself in the corner.
"That's right. Are you still a man? How can you sit back and watch when your girlfriend is about to be taken away?"
"If not for Mr. Carlson, your girlfriend would have been taken by someone else!"
"Troy, you too. How can you just sit there and watched on? You are nothing but a coward!"
The group began to berate Kai and Troy. After all, both of them did nothing during the entire episode.
Chapter 94
Kai knew that there was no need for him to make a move, while Troy was indeed paralyzed by fear.
"All right now, ignore those two cowards. Let's go out and get a glass of Lafite each," Zayne remarked with a wave of his hand.
Soon, some of them went out to get their drink. As for the others, they simply stared coldly at Kai and Troy, paying no further heed to them.
Meanwhile, in the manager's office of Dynasty Karaoke Bar, the bald middle-aged man was inside with his two bodyguards.
The office was lavishly renovated and had a three-meter-long desk placed in the center. Sitting there was a man in a suit. Behind him, a lady in a high-slit dress and heavy makeup was massaging his head.
That man was the manager of the bar, Charlie Hoffman. He was also considered one of Tommy's lieutenants. Or else, Tommy wouldn't have allowed him to manage the place.
"Mr. Queen, you seemed displeased. What brings you to my office?" Charlie asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Mr. Hoffman, there's just no order here. A while ago, a group of unruly youths had just beaten up my man. Look, there's even a footprint right here on his body!" Josh Queen exclaimed while pointing at one of his bodyguards.
On the bodyguard's abdomen, a footprint could clearly be seen.
"Is that true?" Charlie sprang to his feet with his eyes widened. "Who are they? Are they from the Crimson Dragon Gang?"
From his perspective, only the Crimson Dragon Gang dared to cause trouble on his turf.
"They don't look like it. Instead, they're nothing more than a group of youths. When I heard a few girls singing very well from their room, I just wanted to invite them over to sing with me. However, I didn't expect them to turn violent." With a cold glint in his eye, Josh gritted his teeth. "I came to you first out of respect for Mr. Lewis since he owns this place. If you choose to turn a blind eye, I will get my own men to deal with this myself!"
"Why are you so agitated over a bunch of kids? I'll send my men to go along with you."
With that, Charlie shouted in the direction of the door, "Bob."
The next moment, a fierce-looking man with tattooed arms walked into the office."
"Mr. Hoffman," Bob greeted.
"Someone is causing trouble here. I want you to go with Mr. Queen to check it out. Do anything you will as long as no one gets killed. After all, Mr. Lewis has instructed us to keep a low profile for the time being," Charlie instructed Bob.
"Understood, Mr. Hoffman." Bob nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Hoffman!" Josh nodded.
"Don't mention it, Mr. Queen. Since your toes have been stepped on, I'm obliged to do something about it. As you know, we highly value your patronage," Charlie responded with a smile.
Soon, Josh returned to the private room with Bob. They were followed by more than ten fighters from the bar.
Meanwhile, Zayne and the others were drinking Lafite inside. With their reddened faces, they were yelling excitedly when the door was suddenly kicked open.
Everyone was stunned to see Josh return. When they saw that he had more than ten fearsome men behind him, all of them were filled with panic.
"Mr. Queen, who was the one?" Bob asked.
Josh pointed at Zayne. "He's the one who hit my man!"
After scrutinizing Zayne, Bob swept his gaze across the room. He quickly realized that they were nothing but a group of ordinary folks and not gangsters at all.
Walking up to Zayne, Bob asked plainly, "Did you just hit Mr. Queen's man?"
At the sight of Bob's bulging muscles and tattoos, fear descended upon Zayne. Nevertheless, he bravely nodded, emboldened by the alcohol. "That's right. I hit him because they were bullying my girlfriend."
Chapter 95
Surprised that Zayne admitted to it, Bob eyed him from top to toe. "Kid, you've got guts to take responsibility. So, I won't make it difficult for you. Apologize on your knees to Mr. Queen, and I'll let what happened today slide."
Obviously, there was no way Zayne was going to do that. "I'm definitely not getting on my knees. He was the one who started it first."
Bob's expression darkened at Zayne's refusal. "No one has ever defied me before!"
Just as he spoke, Bob grabbed Zayne by the collar and lifted him off the ground.
In spite of that, his colleagues were deterred from helping him, as they cowered at the sight of the fearsome-looking fighters behind Josh.
"Zayne!" Maria yelled as she dashed forward. "Let go of him! My dad is Franklin Saunders. We are employees of Sentiment Chemical Limited owned by the Sullivan family."
Even though she desperately tried to pry Bob's hand open, her efforts were futile despite using all her strength.
At that moment, Zayne's face turned swollen red as he began to suffocate. His eyes were opened wide while his mouth was agape.
Soon, the fear of death descended upon him.
When Maria saw Zayne gasping for air, she was overwhelmed by anxiety. She continued screaming, "This is Mr. Lewis' turf and he knows Mr. Lewis! Mr. Lewis would definitely not forgive you if he found out."
Bob's expression slightly changed when he heard Maria's words. Furrowing his eyebrows, he released his grip upon Zayne.
Cough! Cough!
Zayne began to cough forcefully as he took in deep breaths of air.
"Zayne, are you all right?" Maria asked with concern.
When everyone else saw that Bob let Zayne go at the mention of Tommy, they assumed he was afraid of him. Hence they hollered, "Mr. Carlson knows Mr. Lewis very well. If you dare lay a finger on him, Mr. Lewis will not forgive you."
"Let me tell you, Tommy has to obey every single word of Mr. Carlson's."
"Just yesterday, all Mr. Carlson did was make a call. After that, Tommy quickly recovered our debts for us. Therefore, offend Mr. Carlson at your own peril!"
Thinking that Bob was afraid of Tommy, Zayne's subordinates began to boast about how influential he was.
Meanwhile, Kai couldn't help but snigger to himself. He was cognizant that by blowing Zayne's trumpet for him, all they were doing was pushing him closer to his doom.
When Zayne heard the guys' baseless boasts about him, he was utterly terrified. In fact, he simply felt the urge to give them all an earful.
Upon hearing their claims, Bob's face turned grim while his eyes burned with murderous intent.
Although Charlie had instructed him not to kill anyone, Bob was outraged at how Zayne had gone around making false proclamations about his relationship with Tommy.
When they saw Bob's increasingly gloomy face, Zayne's subordinates assumed that he was afraid. Hence, they began to feel smug about themselves.
"Are you afraid right now? You should leave while you still can. Or else, once we give Mr. Lewis a call, it will be too late for you," Maria gloated at Bob.
"Shut up! Just shut the f*ck up!" Zayne roared at Maria.
Only he knew that he didn't know Tommy at all. In fact, he had never even seen Tommy before.
Maria was stunned after being shouted at by Zayne. Even though she didn't understand why, she didn't dare utter another word.
"Do you know Mr. Lewis?" Bob asked in a grave tone.
Having been put in a spot by the words of others, Zayne was left with little choice. If he were to confess that he didn't know Tommy, he would be utterly humiliated.