The man in the Hawaiian shirt soon realized he had gotten himself into trouble. He broke out in a cold sweat, lowering his posture, and said cringingly, "I am terribly sorry I offended you. P-please, be the bigger person... I beg you, forgive us for our rudeness this time."
"Okay then, you can f*ck off!"
Xiang Gaoyang thundered. He'd had enough with this sort of rogues.
"Thank you, thank you... I'm leaving right now!"
The man in the Hawaiian shirt repeatedly nodded. He quietly breathed a sigh of relief, having escaped from a tense situation, and ordered his men who were sprawling on the ground to leave the place quickly.
After they walked out of the bar, one of his men, indignant at being beaten up, said, "Brother Ping, are we just going to let them off after what they've done to us?"
"What, let them off?" the man in the Hawaiian shirt sneered.
"Huh! Do you think that even crossed my mind?" he said, "I'm contacting my cousin right away and will ask him to bring over 30 men. I will not stop until I score that chick tonight!"
"Yeah, that's right. With your cousin giving us a helping hand, we'll surely kill those two guys."
"Of course! My cousin was formerly the hall master of the Dragon Gang in Jiangcheng. Once, when the Dragon Gang was still making a name for itself, he slashed his way from the dock to the customs building all by himself. He killed so many people that even the edge of his machete became blunt. If he comes, those two bast*rds are going to die for sure!"
Whenever he spoke about his cousin, the man in the Hawaiian shirt felt immensely proud. If it weren't for his cousin backing him up, he wouldn't have been able to recruit so many followers, nor behave like an overlord bullying whoever he wished.
...
"Pretentious d*ck, I hate you!"
Chu Yue was miserable, and she continued to sip on her cocktail to ease her broken heart. She had dearly missed Xiao Luo, and he was ever in her heart. Yet, when Chu Yue finally found him again, he did not even care that she was cozying up to someone else, which really cut deep. Chu Yue had been pining for him endlessly, and she had dearly looked forward to meeting Xiao Luo again. But when the moment finally came, it was not the outcome she had sought, and she was aggrieved and discouraged.
"Miss Chu, you've had enough already. No more, please. Or, you'll get drunk. You don't want to be carried home, right?" Xiao Luo warned her.
"Huh! It's none of your business!"
Chu Yue was fuming, and she just carried on drinking. It was evident that she was going to get herself drunk.
Xiao Luo looked at Xiang Gaoyang and his colleague. "Gentlemen, are you just going to stand by and do nothing?" he said.
Xiang Gaoyang sheepishly gave him a wry smile. Of course, they wanted to stop her, but they both knew that Miss Chu was throwing a tantrum now. If they dared to say anything, it would be nothing short of suicide.
"Mr. Xiao, could you please help us to persuade her?"
Xiang Gaoyang handed the challenging task of convincing their young mistress to Xiao Luo. Smiling and justifying his request, he said, "Miss Chu only listens to you."
Chu Yue curled her lips in defiance. "What nonsense! I hardly visit a bar... I will drink my fill! Don't you guys try to prevent me!" she slurred. Her cheeks turned red after consuming a fair amount of drinks, and her eyes looked a little unfocused.
Xiao Luo looked at her, somewhat agitated. "You want an answer, right?" he asked.
In response, Chu Yue did not speak but only pouted her lips and looked at him ruefully.
"Okay. Let me tell you then—I'm already married. That's my answer, so are you satisfied?" Xiao Luo said. He then showed the ring on the third finger of his left hand to Chu Yue.
He was married?
Chu Yue, Xiang Gaoyang, Xiang Gaojian react to his revelation in shock—even Guan Tong was stunned since no one ever thought Xiao Luo was married.
"I don't believe it! You... you're just bluffing me, aren't you? Yes, you must be lying to me!" Chu Yue cried. Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why should I lie to you?"
Xiao Luo shook his head and said, "Sorry, but I'm not so silly as to do that."
He decisively cut off Chu Yue's affections. She deserved a man who would love and dote on her, and it wasn't going to be him.
"No way, how could you get married? Don't tell me that..."
"Yup, I just got married this year," Xiao Luo interjected.
Chu Yue's body was quaking as she fought back the tears. She crinkled her nose as the tears she struggled to hold back flowed from her eyes. She hadn't expected that it would turn out like this. To think that he was now married, how could this pretentious d*ck get married, how could he get married?
At that moment, all the joy of finally meeting Xiao Luo again was gone. How she imagined it would turn out, and suddenly, all her expectations burst like bubbles... Her heart was hollow with nothing left inside. She was left with an emptiness that felt like she had just lost a very precious thing.
"Waiter, give me a drink! I need a drink... give me a drink now!" Chu Yue screamed at the young bartender in frustration.
"What kind of wine do you want, Miss?" the bartender asked.
Chu Yue slurred, "Give me the strongest one... I'm gonna get drunk. Hurry up!"
The trip to Xiahai City did not yield any silver linings but instead, only hurt her deeply. Chu Yue's head was spinning in a daze.
The bartender didn't dare to go against her wishes. Still, when he saw Xiao Luo and Xiang Gaoyang's glaring eyes, he immediately took a bottle of red wine with low alcoholic content.
Chu Yue downed glass after glass of the wine in deep sorrow. Actually, she wasn't a good drinker and even hated the bitter taste of alcohol, but right now, she just wanted to get drunk, with a hope that what she heard was only a dream.
"Miss, you can't drink anymore." Xiang Gaoyang felt compelled to speak out.
"Leave me alone! Let me drink, or I'll tell Father to fire you!" Chu Yue screamed as she pushed Xiang Gaoyang away.
Xiang Gaoyang could only turn to Xiao Luo for help. "Mr. Xiao, please do me a favor," he pleaded.
His tone was slightly more urgent. After all, it was because of Xiao Luo that Miss Chu had behaved this way, so whether he liked it or not, Xiao Luo had to share some responsibility.
Looking at Chu Yue, already in a state of drunken stupor, Xiao Luo took her glass away and said, "There's no need to humiliate yourself."
"That's my prerogative! Let me alone!"
Chu Yue screamed at him with tears flowing down her face, and Xiao Luo could detect the strong smell of alcohol from her breath. Suddenly, Chu Yue grabbed the bottle of wine and started taking swigs from it.
Well, just let her get it out of her system, and time will heal, he thought. It was the immediate pain that really hurt, and she'd get over it.
Xiao Luo sighed in his heart and gave up trying to stop her anymore.
Even Guan Tong couldn't stand it anymore. "Xiao Luo, you bast*rd, how could you hurt a girl who liked you so much? Lightning will strike you!" he scowled.
Xiang Gaoyang and Xiang Gaojian totally agreed with him and nodded unconsciously.
"So what do you mean? I should lie to her and give her hope?" Xiao Luo retorted. He was speechless.
Guan Tong frowned. "Of course not, but you can't do this either. It's so cruel," he said.
Xiao Luo grinned. Even if it seemed cruel to her now, there's no other way. What else could he do? Say that he liked her too? He had not even gotten out of the mess with Siying yet, and he wouldn't allow himself another episode with the likes of Chu Yue.
Although the red wine's alcohol content was low, for someone like Chu Yue, who couldn't drink, it was still potent stuff.
After she finished the bottle of red wine, Chu Yue fell asleep drunk on the bar counter. Her cheeks were red under the light, like a ripe apple, and there were still traces of tears on her face, which was a pitiful sight.
"Where's your car?" Xiao Luo asked Xiang Gaoyang.
"Carry her away."
"Well...."
Xiang Gaoyang was a little reluctant as they were bodyguards, and he felt it was not proper to do that. It seemed a bit too intimate to him.
"Mr. Xiao, please help us carry her to the car," Xiang Gaojian pleaded.
Xiao Luo understood their apprehensions and decided to assist them.
....
Xiang Gaoyang's vehicle was parked in a nearby parking lot.
Chu Yue's body was really light, only weighing about 90 jin. Xiao Luo hardly felt her weight, and carrying her was effortless. Her body still had a faint fragrance that was pleasant to the senses, and Xiao Luo couldn't help but feel excited as he carried her to the parking lot. Wasn't this the response of any normal man?
"When she wakes up, let her know that she was the salesperson for whatever investment there was. Her backer will be arrested tonight barring any unexpected developments. If she doesn't believe it then just tell her that I said so," Xiao Luo said to Xiang Gaoyang after placing her carefully in the backseat.
Xiang Gaoyang nodded and replied, "Thank you so much, Mr. Xiao. To be honest, Boss Chu already knew it was a scam, but he didn't want to kill off Ms. Chu's enthusiasm. Well, at least Ms. Chu's visit to Xiahai wasn't entirely wasted since she got to meet you.
Xiao Luo could only reply with a smile as he didn't know what to say.
At that moment, Chu Yue, who was still asleep, started stirring and mumbled in a drunken slur, "Pretentious a*s... Xiao Luo... you idiot... I like you..."
It was as though she were talking in her sleep, except her sleep-talking came along with tears.
Have a good sleep!
Xiao Luo looked at her and sighed in his heart. Whatever that had to be cut off should be cut off. He couldn't be entangled with her.
...
"B*stard, you b*stard! I realized I didn't give you this nickname wrongly. You're really a big b*stard!"
After returning to the bar, Guan Tong was in a frenzy and confronted Xiao Luo. "Look at how you've hurt such an innocent and beautiful girl. It's too cruel," he said.
Xiao Luo didn't pay him any heed. He finished his cold drink in one gulp. "Is it time to go?" he asked.
"Where to? Isn't it only 9 p.m.? It's still so early," Guan Tong said, rolling his eyes at him.
9 p.m.?
This reminded Xiao Luo of something, and he glanced at a document on his phone that Qiu Yuanjie had sent him. It was information that included a name, age, and some photographs. He glanced through the bar and found the target sitting on the ring-shaped sofa in the northeast corner. He was a gentle-looking man in his thirties who wore a pair of glasses and gave off the aura of a very successful person. Next to him was a group of lost lambs who looked like they were invited to invest their money.
Shi Deben. This was the name of the MLM leader who was at the general manager level!
As Xiao Luo looked around the ring-shaped sofa once more, he spotted Qiu Yuanjie, dressed in plain clothes, lurking discreetly with a dozen of his team members. An arrest operation was about to begin.
"What are you looking at?" Guan Tong asked.
"It's nothing. Waiter, give me another cup of iced tea," Xiao Luo said. He was not in a hurry to leave as he wanted to see what was about to happen first.
After ten minutes, Qiu Yuanjie issued the order. A dozen team members came out and quickly approached Shi Deben, who was in the middle of his pitch. They were like tigers who had been released from their cage.
Shi Deben seemed to have sensed it and ran away immediately like a scared rabbit. He was thrown to the ground by a neatly dressed plain-clothed cop nearby, and then another came to handcuff his hands to his back.
Such an arrest immediately caused an uproar in the bar. The guests who were laughing, chatting, and joking were suddenly frightened by the appearance of Qiu Yuanjie and his team. They were all shocked. Shi Deben had successfully brainwashed his victims, and after his arrest, Qiu Yuanjie and his team were immediately surrounded.
"What are you doing? Let go of Teacher Shi!"
"Where did you come from? Why are you acting like this toward Teacher Shi?"
"If you don't let go, we will call the police!"
More than 20 people were already brainwashed and were very supportive of Shi Deben. They were even more protective of him than a parent would their child, as they stared fiercely at Qiu Yuanjie and the others with cold faces.
Luo Shuang showed his police card to the people and said, "We are the police. This Shi Deben is engaged in MLM scams. You have all been deceived by his lies."
The twenty of them looked at each other, obviously unwilling to believe him.
"What nonsense! You must be fake policemen and investigators. Everyone, don't be fooled by them! You can't let them take Teacher Shi away," a boy shouted.
"Yes, Teacher Shi did not violate any laws. How could the police arrest him? You must be fake police!"
"Tell us, why are you all pretending to be police and trying to take our Teacher Shi away?"
"Teacher Shi, don't worry! We will never let these people take you away!"
The crowd rose up in anger, and more than twenty of them began rolling up their sleeves one by one. It was as if they were trying to fight Qiu Yuanjie and his team.
"A bunch of fools!"
Luo Shuang angrily gritted his teeth and said, "You don't even know that you have been deceived! To think you're still helping the MLM leader by speaking up for him. It's ridiculous!"
"Don't say another word, let me try to talk some sense into them," Qiu Yuanjie said, asking Luo Shuang to back off to de-escalate the situation.
He flashed a smile, and with a chuckle, he said, "Friends, we..."
POW!
A fist came flying right at Qiu Yuanjie, and he was caught off guard. The sucker punch hit him directly on his nose, and he could detect the sour taste of blood. The blow caused him to stumble back two or three steps.
"Brothers and sisters, come save Teacher Shi! You must not let these wicked people take him away!" the man who punched Qiu Yuanjie said, raising his arms.
The others rushed up in a frenzy and scuffled with the anti-MLM police.
"My friends, don't get agitated, listen to me... listen to me..."
Qiu Yuanjie said, trying hard to resolve the conflict peacefully. But as he was talking, he took another fist to his nose and suddenly became angry. He drew his pistol, pointing it to the ceiling, and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The deafening sound of gunfire was like a thunderbolt, and it took a toll on everyone's eardrums in the confined space.
The bar instantly went into a hushed lull. The background chatter stopped, the people who were drinking looked over in a panic, and the guys who had been brainwashed were rooted where they stood, in absolute fear.
"Hands on your heads and squat down! Hurry up, put your hands on your head, and squat down!" Qiu Yuanjie shouted, and he now had an expression of rage on his face.
Luo Shuang and the other team members also drew their guns and instructed the mob to hold their hands up and squat down.
Surrounded by armed policemen, the mob had to comply and gave up any thought of resistance. Too late did they finally realize that these were really cops!
"Oi, what's happening here? Why did someone fire a shot? Are they preventing us from enjoying our drinks? Is there any morality anymore around here?"
A strange, eccentric voice filtered in from the direction of the gate. Then, a large group of fierce-looking men swarmed in like a school of fish swimming into a net. They had snarling faces and looked hostile. The voice came from the mouth of a fat man lumbering right at the front of the mob. He wore a white shirt, and around his neck was a thick gold chain. The fat man had a cigarette in his hand. He was a heavy smoker, and his teeth had yellowish and black nicotine stains from excessive smoking.
"It seems like the top boss is here!" Guan Tong said. His voice trembled, and he could feel his throat suddenly becoming dry.
Xiao Luo frowned when he looked at the fat man wearing the gold chain. This person was familiar to him; it was as if he had seen him somewhere before.
If Xiao Luo had recalled, he would have immediately known that this was the head, Feng Zhiqiang, a man he had once met when he was sweeping out the Dragon Gang's red-light district back in Jiangcheng. It was a pity that such a small person did not register in his mind, and all Xiao Luo felt was a sense of Deja Vu.