The phone rang twice. The manager cleared his throat and tactfully stepped aside.
Damian picked up the phone and saw that it was an unfamiliar number. He was a little surprised. As he glanced at the debauchery below the window, he swiped to answer.
"Hello?"
The sound of car wheels rolling and a faint breeze could be heard. There was a brief pause before the fluctuating signal carried a voice over.
"Hello, is this Mr. Damian Light?"
The voice sounded quite young, sparking a familiar feeling in Damian's heart. A strange premonition seemed to stretch out from some distant place. He suppressed it, leaning back on the leather sofa with the casual posture of a boss, and picked up the cup of tea.
"Yes, it's me. And you are?"
"Uh..." The young voice on the other end seemed unsure of what to say, "Um, do you still remember that night?"
The line sounded a bit odd.
Damian raised his eyebrows and shook off the inappropriate gay thoughts. Yes, he recognized the voice and had made a mental note to remember it.
As he recalled, Damian's eyes changed slightly, and the teacup was brought to his mouth.
"That day you were attacked, I was the one who called the police..."
When his premonition fell into place, Damian abruptly straightened up, "You... you're the young man who saved me?"
In this irritable night, good news suddenly came, making his mind much clearer. He looked at the tea cup in his hand, his expression changed, grateful he hadn't drunk it yet.
"No, I just called the police..." The vivid scene of that young man easily taking down a dozen thugs flashed in Damian's mind. Mixing in this line of work, a bit of loyalty was a must. Damian felt a sense of security in repaying a favor and excitement in contacting a skilled person.
He put down the tea cup and stood up. The flattering manager, still unaware of the situation, stood awkwardly by the door, subtly straining to listen.
"No, no, what's the point of calling the police? Young man, you... your skills that night were truly impressive!" Damian lowered his voice towards the end, adopting a tone reserved for discussing some secret.
"It's not real Kung Fu, you got it wrong..." The other side was still modest. Damian's emotional intelligence was not low, so he understood that this young man was someone hiding his clumsiness.
'That's right. The true inheritance of martial arts was hidden, so there must be some taboo among the experts.'
"Ah, let's not talk about that then. I absolutely won't spread a word about that night, I get it!" At this moment, Damian completely shed his demeanor as a Blue Gang's boss. Despite being someone who mainly managed legitimate businesses and rarely resorted to violence, he usually carried a bit of aggressiveness even in his business attire.
The manager on the side was extremely surprised upon seeing Damian's change, feeling his worldview was completely overturned.
"Showing my gratitude is a must, young man... It's not too much to treat you to a meal, right? From the sound of it, it seems that you're outside. Where in Fresno are you? I'll send a car to pick you up immediately."
"..."
There was silence on the other end of the line. Damian felt a pang of anxiety, realizing he might have been too forward. It was already the early morning, and even if the young man was outside, he might have been busy with something. He knew that arranging a dinner to cement this relationship needed to be done at a better time.
Regretting his words, the other party finally spoke.
"That's fine. I'm in the city center, but there's no need to specially send a car for me. I can come over myself. I also have something to discuss with you..."
"Oh, that's great. I'm also in the city center." Damian breathed a sigh of relief and continued with the conversation with a smile, "Where in the city center are you? I'll pick a good place nearby."
There was the sound of footsteps on the phone, "I'm at the Dawn Bar."
"Oh, Dawn Bar..." Damian laughed, but then his words stopped, 'I am at Dawn Bar too. It couldn't that coincidental, right?'
Damian quickly walked to the large one-way mirror, and looked down at the crowd below.
"I just came out of the Dawn Bar. Where are you?" The calm voice on the other end suddenly made Damian feel uneasy.
"Uh, well, I'm also at the Dawn Bar..."
"Ah?" The young expert was also stunned.
Damian coughed and said uncertainly: "Young, are you... drinking with friends at the bar?"
It can't be helped that Damian asked like this. After all, coming to such a lively place late at night seemed inconsistent with the image of a low-key, ordinary student.
"No, I work part-time there."
"Oh, it turns out you're working part-time..." Damian maintained Logan's image of a noble and aloof hidden expert, but the next second his volume increased, "Working?!"
"Yeah, but it's okay. I just got fired."
"..."
This was incredibly awkward. Damian felt it was a bit absurd. He glanced at the corner of the rest area that was chaotic a few minutes ago, then turned his head numbly. The manager at the door still had a confused expression on his face.
The facts made Damian gradually realize the whole process in an irrefutable manner, and he opened his mouth in a daze.
…
Logan hung up the phone, stood still for a moment, then shook his head, 'The enthusiasm of social people is indeed very social.'
As the night breeze blew, he turned and walked back to Dawn Bar. The circles of light from the street lamps were passed one by one. The city had become a bit quieter. There were no stars in the sky, and for nearly a week, this street had been filled with revelry and debauchery every night. However, after midnight, apart from the pink glow coming through the curtains, the noise had significantly diminished.
He calmly retraced his steps back to the bar, just as he had when he left. In the distance, the high-end decorated door of the bar opened, and many people poured out.
Amidst the uneven light and shadow, there were familiar and unfamiliar faces.
The man leading the group walked over quickly with a hurried look on his face. Logan took a closer look and saw that there was no blood on his face. He was a man in a suit.
The cool night air filled the small open space as the man awkwardly extended his hand. Behind him, the bar door was wide open, bustling with noise.
Logan couldn't help but laugh at this.
"So, you're the boss."
…
In the end, things developed in a way that no one had anticipated.
The complexity of the various characters involved need not be detailed. For Logan, beyond the surprise, there was no further connection. He simply wanted to form straightforward, uncomplicated relationships with these social figures to help the bad guys accelerate their internal conflicts. And then, of course, to get paid and make everyone happy.
The big shot from the Blue Gang, known as Mr. Light, expressed great indignation on Logan's behalf, making all sorts of passionate promises. However, Logan's cold and disinterested responses left him frustrated, and after some grand but ineffectual gestures, he decided not to push further.
In the end, Logan hinted at 'financial difficulties' and 'paid labor'. This left the social boss momentarily stunned but then delighted. He then welcomed Logan with open arms.
The chaotic and somewhat absurd night thus came to an end. Many people stayed awake for various reasons, but Logan, having resolved a minor concern, returned home and slept soundly. By the time the sun rose, the bar story had faded away with it.
…
On Friday, the fun sports meeting was in full swing at Fresno High School.
"Number 109, it's your turn."
Scattered students filled the entire playground, watching the popular event. Athletes lined up one by one to take their turns. A teacher with a clipboard called out, but no one responded. The line of athletes and the spectators stirred for a moment. The teacher tapped her pen impatiently and repeated, "Number 109! Are you here?"
A hand was raised, and a handsome young man slowly stepped forward.