"It's this Saturday. If you're going, I'll come to the university to pick you up," Qin Feixue replied gratefully.
"That's great. Try to set your mind at ease; there's definitely hope for your grandfather's illness to be cured," Chen Xuan said, offering some comfort.
Just then, the waiter brought over the food, and Chen Xuan began to eat and drink without reserve; he was truly famished. Seeing Chen Xuan eating with such gusto, Qin Feixue couldn't help but smile. Having had no appetite initially, she found herself picking up her chopsticks as she watched him.
After they had finished their meal, Chen Xuan and Qin Feixue exchanged contact information and temporarily said their goodbyes.
Back at the dormitory, just as Chen Xuan was about to sit down and rest, he saw his good brother Huang Song standing on the balcony outside, his shoulders trembling incessantly.
What was going on?
Chen Xuan checked the time; it was already 8:00 PM. Ordinarily, Huang Song shouldn't have been in the dorm. Because he hadn't found an internship, Huang Song had taken a part-time job at the Night World Bar near the university, with shifts from 7:00 PM to 3:00 AM. That was why Chen Xuan found it strange to see Huang Song still there.
Walking out onto the balcony, Chen Xuan immediately sensed that something was wrong. Huang Song's shoulders were shaking so violently because he was secretly sobbing.
"Huang Song, what on earth is going on? Who bullied you? Tell me," Chen Xuan asked in a deep voice.
Huang Song jolted at the sound of Chen Xuan's voice and then slowly turned around. Seeing Huang Song’s bruised and swollen face, sparks of anger gradually surfaced in Chen Xuan's eyes. He asked coldly, "Who hit you?"
Huang Song shook his head, continuing to let out whimpering sobs.
Chen Xuan knew Huang Song’s timid nature; he wouldn't dare say who did it even after being beaten. Chen Xuan pressed his hands onto his shoulders and said, word for word, "Huang Song, you are my brother. I won't watch you suffer such a loss. No matter who it is, I will help you get justice. Trust me."
Looking into Chen Xuan's eyes and feeling his encouragement, Huang Song slowly stopped sobbing and said, his voice thick with tears, "It was Xiaoqian. Some thugs wanted her to host them, and when I went over to stop them, they beat me up."
Chen Xuan understood immediately. Xiaoqian was Huang Song's friend and also his secret crush, though Huang Song was too cowardly to confess his feelings. They both worked at the Night World Bar, but Xiaoqian was just a regular server, not a hostess. Naturally, she would refuse when those thugs tried to force her to drink with them. But now that Huang Song had returned beaten and bruised, Xiaoqian was likely in a precarious situation.
Without a second thought, Chen Xuan grabbed Huang Song and headed for the dorm door. "We're going to find those thugs right now!"
Unexpectedly, Huang Song pulled his hand away and cried, "Chen Xuan, we can't! They are Boss Long’s men; we can't afford to offend them!"
"Boss Long?" Chen Xuan stopped and looked back at the terrified Huang Song.
Huang Song stammered, "Boss Long is a massive figure in Tianhai City. He manages thousands of people; they control more than half of the underground world in the entire city..."
According to Huang Song, Boss Long not only had a massive number of subordinates but also owned dozens of high-end entertainment venues like the Night World Bar. Beyond that, he owned numerous nightclubs, clubs, and hotels across Tianhai City, not to mention other illicit assets. The legendary Boss Long, whose real name was Long Fei, was not only an expert fighter but also cold-blooded and ruthless. With reach that defied imagination, he had built this massive empire in just a few short years, which was truly monstrous.
"Hmph, I don't care if he's a dragon or a tiger; nobody bullies my brother!" Chen Xuan’s gaze turned icy. He didn't mind meeting this legendary Long Fei to see just how capable he really was.
Feeling the cold aura emanating from Chen Xuan, Huang Song felt as if Chen Xuan had changed completely; he had become someone entirely different. Yet, he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly had changed.
Seeing Chen Xuan start to walk out again, Huang Song still hesitated. "But we really can't fight Boss Long."
"Did you stop to think about what they might be doing to Xiaoqian?" Chen Xuan asked in a deep voice.
That single sentence jolted Huang Song, and the cowardice in his eyes vanished. For the girl he loved, he couldn't be a coward for the rest of his life!
Only then did Chen Xuan’s expression soften. He patted Huang Song on the shoulder. "Let's go. We're going to the Night World Bar!"
The bar was very close to Tianhai University, and the two arrived quickly. What greeted Chen Xuan was a building decorated in golden splendor, with the characters "Night World" hanging in neon lights, radiating a dreamy, hazy glow. The Night World was one of the top bars in the area, a level above the smaller ones, attracting a crowd of young people every night. Of course, customers needed a certain level of wealth to get in; the average person couldn't afford to drink there.
Following the crowd into the bar, Chen Xuan asked, "Where are the thugs who hit you?"
Huang Song gathered his courage and pointed in a direction. Chen Xuan looked over and saw several loutish-looking men sitting at a booth. One of them was actually Brother Qiao, the man who had tried to stage a scam against Qin Feixue earlier that morning!
At that moment, Brother Qiao was fawning over a man dripping in gold and jewelry who was puffing on a cigar. He seemed to be toasting him with great reverence. Xiaoqian was sitting next to that man, wiping away tears. Seeing her like this, Chen Xuan actually felt relieved; at least they hadn't done anything to her yet. Otherwise, his good brother Huang Song would have felt guilty for the rest of his life.
"Huang Song, follow me," Chen Xuan said, taking the lead toward Brother Qiao and his group.
Seeing Brother Qiao, who had been so fierce that morning, now acting like a fawning sycophant, Chen Xuan felt both annoyed and amused.
When the two reached the booth, Brother Qiao recognized Chen Xuan as the kid who had ruined their scheme that morning. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes. At the time, he and his subordinates had been effortlessly and inexplicably taken out by this kid, leaving Brother Qiao with a lingering fear, even though he felt resentful about it later. Now, with a powerful boss backing him, Brother Qiao suddenly felt emboldened. He growled, "You brat, I haven't even gone looking for you, and here you are showing up at my doorstep!"
Chen Xuan sneered, "You offended my girlfriend this morning, and tonight you’re harassing my brother's girlfriend. It seems you haven't learned your lesson!"
Brother Qiao glanced at Xiaoqian and realized the situation; the kid was a jinx. He couldn't believe he’d run into his associates twice in one day—he must have had the worst luck.
When Xiaoqian saw Chen Xuan and Huang Song arrive, she looked as if she had found a savior and tried to stand up, but the man beside her forced her back down.
"Ah Qiao, who is this? Do you know him?" the man asked with a tone of contempt.
Brother Qiao quickly replied, "Brother Lei, this kid and I have some private business, but he’s lucky enough to dare disturb your pleasure tonight. I’ll deal with him for you right now!" As he spoke, he gestured to his subordinates, warning them, "This kid is weird; be careful!"
Seeing that Brother Qiao still wouldn't take the hint, Chen Xuan shook his head helplessly. Brother Qiao and his men grabbed empty beer bottles from the table and quickly surrounded Chen Xuan.
"Get him!" Brother Qiao ordered, raising a beer bottle to smash it against Chen Xuan's head. He didn't believe Chen Xuan could pull off any more weird tricks.
Just as Brother Qiao was about to land the hit, he suddenly realized that Chen Xuan had vanished from right in front of him! In his panic, he saw a beer bottle coming toward his own face. The move was too fast; Brother Qiao couldn't dodge it and took a heavy blow.
*Crash!*
A series of glass-shattering sounds rang out. To the astonishment of onlookers, Brother Qiao and his men ended up smashing their beer bottles into each other's faces. Everyone's face was dripping with blood, and they couldn't help but cry out in pain. Chen Xuan had already zipped out of their attack circle with incredible speed and was standing to the side watching the show. Brother Qiao and his men had been unable to stop their momentum and had wounded their own.
Chen Xuan’s speed had been so fast that onlookers assumed they were having an internal brawl. Even Huang Song was stunned; he hadn't even seen what happened.
"Splendid, absolutely splendid," Chen Xuan said, clapping his hands with a smile. "Are you all performing a face-smashing act?"
Hearing the mockery, Brother Qiao was both ashamed and furious. He slapped the subordinate who had hit him with the bottle. "Are you blind, you motherfucker? You dare hit your own boss?"
"I..." The subordinate, holding his injured face, felt completely wronged—you were the one who smashed my face, you bastard!
Having witnessed Chen Xuan’s "sorcery" again, Brother Qiao wouldn't dare attack him now even if given a hundred guts.
Seeing that Brother Qiao and his men had quieted down, Chen Xuan cast a cold gaze at the man called "Brother Lei," who was still smoking his cigar and had his arm around Xiaoqian’s waist, looking incredibly arrogant.
"Let go of my brother's girlfriend and apologize to them," Chen Xuan said expressionlessly.
"Apologize? Did I hear that right? Hahahaha..." Brother Lei burst into wild laughter, seemingly finding Chen Xuan's words hilarious. "You brat, haven't you asked around to see who I, Lei Bin, am?"
Chen Xuan’s tone remained indifferent. "Who you are doesn't matter. What matters is that your people hurt my brother and harassed his girlfriend, so you are going to apologize to them."
Brother Qiao was dumbfounded; he had never seen anyone dare speak to Brother Lei like that. Was this kid tired of living? Many people in the bar who knew Lei Bin noticed the commotion and, upon hearing Chen Xuan demand an apology from such a high-level figure, couldn't help but think that the kid was a dead man.
Lei Bin held an exalted position in this area; Long Fei valued him highly and trusted him to manage the entertainment businesses surrounding Tianhai University. Lei Bin himself was a skilled fighter, capable of taking on ten strong men at once, but he was lecherous, especially fond of college girls. He had grown bored of the college girls who chose to become hostesses, so he had taken a liking to Xiaoqian and forced her to host him.