Chapter 3
At Baifu Nightclub in the south of the city.
Beer, grilled skewers, pork belly, and five pounds of crayfish.
Wu Suowei refused Duan Chen's offer of help, carrying several large bags in one hand and a case of iced beer in the other.
His slender figure looked a bit disheveled.
"Delivery's here."
Duan Chen waited outside as Wu Suowei pushed open the private room door.
Inside, the lights were dim, with several men and women scattered around.
One robust, tough-looking man had two scantily clad beauties in his arms, his large hands roaming over their tender, exposed skin.
In the corner, a beautiful girl with twin ponytails was huddled in a booth, trembling.
She wore a high-end school uniform, had a slender figure, and a delicate, pretty face. Her legs, revealed beneath her skirt, were long, slender, and firm, full of youthful vitality.
"I really can't drink anymore, please, let me go..." she pleaded softly, her hands tightly clutching her skirt, her fingers turning white from the force.
The tough man frowned.
A subordinate beside him immediately slapped the girl across the face. She cried out and fell back into the sofa booth, her cheek instantly swelling and reddening.
"You, you dare to hit me!"
Mi Xue'er clutched her cheek, tears instantly welling up.
She trembled all over, her teeth biting down hard on her lower lip, her bright eyes filled with humiliation.
After school, she had been invited by friends to hang out at the KTV. Who knew these scoundrels would have evil intentions upon seeing her innocent and pretty appearance.
In the time it took her to go to the restroom, her friends had been bought off.
When she returned, a group of scummy men were blocking the room, leering at her with lascivious smiles.
She turned to run, but her escape route was cut off.
Seeing the sharp knives they were toying with, Mi Xue'er could only grit her teeth and endure.
She had thought a few drinks would let her leave, but these guys had no intention of letting her go!
"Damn it, Brother Ao is giving you face by asking you to drink, and you dare to defy him?"
"Do you know who my mother is?! If you treat me like this, you're finished!"
Mi Xue'er's stubborn shouting only provoked bursts of laughter from the men.
"We don't know who your mother is, but do you know who Brother Ao is? He's an awakened Spirit Hunter, a member of the Watchers organization. If not for their protection, do you think you'd still be sitting here playing?"
The tough man's brow unfurrowed, clearly pleased with his subordinate's performance.
Duan Chen was quite familiar with the Watchers organization.
It was a recently emerging civilian Spirit Hunter organization, said to be led by the second-ranked Spirit Hunter in the country, [Crow]. Spirit Hunters who couldn't get into the guild system flocked to the Watchers, and their momentum was strong.
He didn't expect them to openly harass a civilian woman at a KTV, relying on their slight abilities.
It was outrageous.
Just as Duan Chen was about to rush in, he was stopped by four thugs guarding the door.
"Damn it, stop right there. Can't you see our boss is in the mood? Be smart, kid."
Duan Chen let out a cold snort and flashed his Spirit Hunter Guild license.
"Spirit Hunter Guild, Senior Agent. Get lost if you know what's good for you."
The four thugs exchanged glances. Instead of fear, their eyes filled with laughter.
"Hahaha, little brother, where did you get that license?"
"It really looks the part."
"We're not afraid of the underworld or the law, so why should we be afraid of someone with a fake license? Hahaha!"
Duan Chen's eyes darkened, and he let out a cold laugh, "You've become lawless."
"Then have the cops come arrest us. Tell us which law we've broken? Singing karaoke isn't illegal, right? Huh?"
The thugs erupted in wild laughter.
Inside, Mi Xue'er was weeping profusely, her almond-shaped eyes swollen like walnuts.
"Don't touch me! My mother is the president of Zhong's Group! If you treat me like this, my mother will definitely not let you off!"
Silence fell over the room.
A moment later, it was broken by a burst of hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! Then I must be the richest man, Jack Ma Yunyun. Who can't spew nonsense?"
"Would a CEO's daughter come to a KTV like this? Without bodyguards? Hahaha, think of a better lie next time."
Mi Xue'er gritted her teeth, her face a mixture of red and pale.
Brother Ao's gaze followed her youthful and lovely face down to her delicate collarbone.
There, she wore a necklace shaped like a sword hilt, delicately carved from wood, no bigger than a pinky finger. It only had the hilt, no blade, simple and unadorned.
"Pfft, a CEO? Not even a single rhinestone on her necklace. This little girl has a vivid imagination."
Brother Ao's large hand reached for the necklace. Mi Xue'er clutched it tightly, tears welling up, a sharp glint in her eyes. "Don't touch the necklace my father left me!"
"Oh my, little girl's got some spirit. I like that even more. Why don't we call your mother to join the fun? We have so many brothers here, we're short on women, haha!"
Mi Xue'er's pupils trembled. "You... hooligans, shameless, lewd!!"
The men burst into raucous laughter.
"You don't have to drink, but we will. You strip. We drink a cup, you take off an item of clothing."
Mi Xue'er's body jolted violently at the words. Large tears streamed down her face. Amidst the cheers and applause, the men clinked glasses and drank, then all looked at her with lewd smiles.
"Strip yourself, or should I help you?"
Mi Xue'er trembled, hugging herself tightly, shrinking into a ball in terror.
"Damn it, undress her!"
At the boss's command, the subordinates, who had been lusting after her for a long time, reached out their hands towards Mi Xue'er.
Wu Suowei: "Delivery's here..."
Mi Xue'er, struggling desperately, saw Wu Suowei as her last straw. She struggled uncontrollably and rushed towards him.
"Save me! Please save me! My mother can give you a lot of money!"
Mi Xue'er collapsed at Wu Suowei's feet, clutching his trouser leg and weeping.
Brother Ao also noticed Wu Suowei's presence at this moment, his beady eyes glaring at him maliciously.
"What? Little kid, trying to be a hero?"
Wu Suowei shook his head, placing the crayfish and beer on the table.
"Hero? I'm just delivering food."
"Hmph, daring to ruin grandpa's fun? Beat him to death! Let him know who runs this street! A mere delivery boy dares to be so presumptuous?!"
The dozen or so thugs inside grinned wickedly and clenched their fists, advancing towards Wu Suowei in a semi-circle.
The disco ball in the KTV flashed overhead, casting their shadows onto the walls, stretching, distorting, and flickering, like approaching demons.
Mi Xue'er sobbed, her small hands tightly gripping the pendant on her chest, cowering at Wu Suowei's feet, closing her eyes in fear.
The overwhelming numerical disadvantage created intense pressure. One person versus fifteen, and among them were Spirit Hunters. This was clearly a situation where they weren't expected to leave alive.
Wu Suowei couldn't help but frown, his small frame appearing even more fragile.
Just as a one-sided slaughter was about to commence.
"I'll see who dares to lay a hand on them."
A low growl sounded from outside the door, and a sharp killing intent flashed in Duan Chen's eyes.
"You really don't have any respect for Spirit Hunter Agents."
Duan Chen suddenly put away his license and lit a cigarette.
Amidst the swirling smoke, his eyes gleamed, and a wicked smile curved his lips.