It was already midnight, under the azure sky, the bright moon hung high, and the stars twinkled.
Chen Hao stopped on a secluded path, got out of the car to buy a pack of cigarettes from a small store, and was about to light one up to get back into his car when his exceptionally sharp hearing detected some movement from an alley on his left.
Under the moonlight, a somewhat bedraggled figure was desperately running forward. Despite the speed, the steps were clearly unsteady, suggesting severe injuries.
This was a very beautiful woman dressed in tight black nightwear, which showcased her perfect figure, curves and all. But on her back was a long slash, bleeding continuously, a sight that was alarmingly heart-wrenching.
She was soaked in sweat, her hair wet and stuck messily to her body. Sweat mixed with blood kept dripping from her, marking the path where she had run.
In her hand was a dagger gleaming with cold light, faint traces of blood visible on its blade, clearly indicating its owner had just gone through a desperate fight.
Suddenly, the woman came to an abrupt stop, her eyes fixed ahead, gripping the dagger tightly, crouching and ready to pounce like a mother leopard preparing to strike.
In front of her, a group of people clad in black emerged slowly, the leader wearing a black cloak, exuding vibes of Elder Hei himself. He casually held a cigarette between his lips and played with a handgun, an expression of smug satisfaction on his face.
The black-clothed followers, each holding a gun, looked serious and tense. Even facing a woman on the brink of death, they took extra caution.
The group of men in black kept edging closer, while the woman's nerves stretched ever tighter.
"Xue Meigui, I really admire your perseverance, managing to hold out till now and even killing so many of my brothers. With your skill, you'd be top three within the Great Tiger Association. It's just a pity that you can't escape now," said the leader with a mocking look in his eyes, as if a cat playing with a mouse.
"Hmph! Shameless! Using the lives of your men to wear me down!" Xue Meigui gasped heavily, glaring at him with rage.
"All that doesn't matter. What's important is that we caught you," Wang Erhu said nonchalantly, shaking his head. "If you had agreed to my terms earlier and become my woman, it wouldn't have come to this. Instead of running like a lost dog, you could have been the madam of the Great Tiger Association, above thousands, with everything at your command."
Wang Erhu spoke, but his eyes suddenly shifted, narrowing as he said to Xue Meigui, "But now, you no longer have a chance. Don't worry, though, I am fairly merciful. After you die, I'll prepare a fine coffin for you and see that you're properly buried."
Although Xue Meigui was completely exhausted and covered in wounds, some so deep that white bone showed, there was still a remarkable brightness in her eyes. It was undeniable that to truly finish her off would come at a great cost.
Taking advantage of the conversation, Xue Meigui scanned her surroundings quickly. Facing so many armed men, especially with her severe injuries, she knew direct confrontation was impossible. Her only option was to find temporary shelter.
To her disappointment, the alley was narrow and dirty, offering no cover from bullets, and the tall buildings on either side were impossible to scale in an instant.
Despair flashed across her face; unable to run, unable to fight back, it seemed her fate was sealed for tonight...
Wang Erhu, sensing Xue Meigui's thoughts, burst into arrogant laughter, "Haha, Xue Meigui, at this point do you really think you can escape?"
"You refused when I offered to take you in, and you even sent your men to oppose me. Now, you've killed so many of my brothers. No matter if it's for your sake or for my brothers', this day next year will be your death anniversary!"
With a cold glance at Xue Meigui, Wang Erhu slowly raised his gun, aiming it directly at her, while the ten-plus burly men behind him raised their guns in unison.
Seeing this, Xue Meigui sighed inwardly, her heart filled with resignation, ready to meet her end here today.
"Ah, on such a late night, instead of going out to flirt and roll in the sheets, you play with guns here. Don't you find it ruins the mood? Even if you want to play with guns, you should find a quiet, deserted place. Maybe watch some Japanese adult movies, enjoying them as you play by yourself. Playing together like this with so many, is that really to your taste?"
Just as Xue Meigui closed her eyes, waiting for death to take her, a lazy voice rang out, catching everyone by surprise.
"Who?" Wang Erhu reflexively raised his gun but couldn't find a direction to aim; he simply hadn't pin-pointed where the voice was coming from.
Xue Meigui's eyes also snapped open at that moment, filled with shock.
Out of nowhere, a Black Shadow descended from above and stood elegantly in front of Wang Erhu, back to him, as if the many guns pointed at him didn't exist at all.
"Who are you?" Wang Erhu looked at the newcomer with sheer terror. Despite not being able to see the face, the very appearance of this person made him acutely aware of the danger. Even with a gun in his hand, he didn't feel safe at all.
Wang Erhu's first thought was that this person was an ally of Xue Meigui, but he quickly realized that wasn't the case.
"Who I am isn't important. What matters is that playing with guns in the dead of night isn't right," replied the newcomer, paying no attention to Wang Erhu, lazily saying a word, and then walking over to Xue Meigui, looking at her with interest. "Tsk tsk tsk, such a beautiful woman. It would truly be a pity if she were riddled with bullet holes..."
"Beauty, if I save you tonight, would you grant me a request?" said the newcomer frivolously, lifting Xue Meigui's chin and then touching her lovely cheek.
Xue Meigui wanted to dodge, but before she could react, the newcomer's hand was already gone.
"Okay," Xue Meigui nodded. She didn't know why, but she felt this person could help her escape that night. When she said "Okay," even she was surprised by how quickly she had agreed.
"I don't care who you are, you'd better beat it, or else the gun in my hand isn't for show!" The person before him wore a smile, showing no sign of unusual behavior, but Wang Erhu's heart was pounding. He stepped back, ducking behind his subordinates, and then shouted loudly.
"Beat it? I have two legs and know how to use them, don't I?" The newcomer chuckled and then faced Wang Erhu, undeterred by the more than a dozen guns pointed at him.
"If I were you, I'd scram. I don't believe that with so many of my men and all these guns, you could win," Wang Erhu continued to shout but stayed hidden amid the crowd, not daring to come forward. It was best to have this uncanny person leave, then kill Xue Meigui and go back.
"Confidence is good, but overconfidence is arrogance." As soon as the word "arrogance" left his mouth, the figure disappeared. The next moment, a shadow darted left and right among the crowd with incredible speed, kicking, slashing, and striking pressure points. In less than a minute, all the people present were lying on the ground.
Only the figure in the middle shook his head, took out a cigarette, lit it up, and leisurely blew a smoke ring.
Xue Meigui's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched everything unfold before her, even forgetting to breathe.
It all happened so fast; Wang Erhu's men were all down before she could get a clear look. Was this person human or ghost?
Xue Meigui looked up in shock at the man leisurely smoking not far away. For the first time in her life, she had encountered something so inconceivable that she even wondered if she was dreaming...
The men Wang Erhu had brought were among the best hands of the Great Tiger Association, yet now they had all been dealt with so easily and casually.
It was a fight of seemingly uneven power, yet it was the weaker side that achieved an absolute victory.
The newcomer walked over to Xue Meigui with a grin, smiling faintly, showing a row of white teeth, "Beauty, my name is Chen Hao, what's yours?"
"Zhou Mei." Xue Meigui nodded mechanically.
"See, I've solved your trouble, so what about the thing you promised me?"
Seeing the newcomer's gaze scanning her body freely, especially since her clothes had already become tattered and the man's gaze lingered on her exposed fair skin, she understood somewhat what he might be thinking.
Sighing inwardly, she nodded and said, "I'll agree to your request."
She had barely escaped to this place by sheer will and was now almost devoid of strength. There was hardly any chance of resistance, and this person indeed saved her life. Xue Meigui knew it was time to repay the debt, and she had even prepared herself for a possible skirmish in the wild.
"Well, what I want you to promise me is not to speak of this matter. Can you do that?" The newcomer chuckled, very serious as he spoke.
"What?" Even with all her cunning, Xue Meigui could not have anticipated such a request. She blinked with wide eyes for a long time before she numbly nodded, "I can, I won't tell anyone."
"I'm a lazy person, and I don't want to get entangled in your gang's previous grudges," he said with a smile, "Thank you."
"He said thank you?" Xue Meigui couldn't quite wrap her head around it, "Shouldn't I be the one saying that to him?"
Looking up, she saw a young face with a gentle smile, appearing so mild and comforting...