When Ethan Wraith and David arrived at Private Room 1, it was already a scene of chaos. Sophia, a young waitress, stood by the door, her face red and swollen, a clear handprint marking her cheek. She was crying softly.
Ethan's anger simmered. He loathed men who hit women, especially beautiful ones. With a grim expression, he asked, "Sophia, what happened?"
Sophia was a new hire, with a delicate face and a refreshing air of innocence. She easily blushed when spoken to. Wiping her tears, she whispered, "Ethan, they ordered several bottles of Dark Night Monarch, but claimed it was fake and started smashing things. I tried to explain, and they... they... hit me." Her voice choked with tears welled up in her eyes.
Ethan understood the situation. He glanced at David, who avoided his gaze and offered no assistance. It was clear that Yu Yang, now the manager, expected Ethan to handle it.
Ethan patted Sophia's shoulder, urging her to stop crying. Suppressing his anger, he asked sternly, "Who did this?"
"It was me," a young man with a youthful face stood up from a corner.
Ethan recognized familiar faces among the group. They were clearly here to cause trouble. Though he preferred to keep a low profile, Ethan wasn't one to shy away from confrontation. He stared at the young man and scoffed, "Why did you hit her?"
"Damn it, what's it to you that I hit her? What kind of crappy bar is this? You dare water down a few thousand yuan a bottle of liquor? I'm being generous by not shutting down your bar." The young man, fueled by Ethan's disdain, challenged him with anger.
This was a place of service. Ethan didn't mind for himself, but he didn't want his colleagues to lose their jobs because of his impulsiveness. They relied on this work to support their families. He walked over to the table and pointed at the opened bottles of Dark Night Monarch, asking, "Which one is watered down?"
"Every single one."
Ethan picked up each bottle and took a sip. The taste was sweet and slightly spicy, the hallmark of authentic Dark Night Monarch. "These are all genuine Dark Night Monarch. We can get a sommelier to verify it."
"Whatever the young master drinks is fake. So what?" Another young man stood up, holding his glass arrogantly. Dealing with such insignificant people was like squashing an ant. He couldn't understand why Thomas bothered with such a grand display.
"Then your taste buds are faulty, it has nothing to do with the bar. You can settle the bill and go get yourselves checked at the hospital – it's not far from here, just a ten-minute drive if you have your own car," Ethan suggested helpfully.
"That's hilarious. David has never paid for a drink, and this is the first time someone dares to ask me for money," the young man, David, swaggered towards Ethan. As everyone gasped, he splashed the red wine in his glass onto Ethan's face.
"Well done, David! You're amazing!"
"David, that pose was so cool! Why did you suddenly splash him without warning? I could have taken a close-up photo for you to send to that girl you've been chasing. It would definitely make her heart flutter."
"Haha, David, go for it, do it again! Watching you splash wine is like watching Beckham score a goal, it gives me a thrill – oh, I'm about to... ah..."
David's companions cheered and praised him, inflating his ego and making his face beam with pride. "Just a mere ant, not worth my time."
The chilled Dark Night Monarch spread across Ethan's face, its aroma filling his senses. He considered mimicking the movie villains and licking the wine off his lips, but the thought of David's saliva potentially being in the wine disgusted him.
Ethan narrowed his eyes and smiled. "You're deliberately causing trouble?"
"Glad you understand. Ethan Wraith, don't think that just because that Hartwell is protecting you, I wouldn't dare touch you. In this city, he's nothing. Let me tell you, this city belongs to the Thomas, not the Hartwell. Crushing you is like crushing a dog. You dare to compete with me for a woman? You're overestimating yourself." Thomas walked over to David, put his arm around his shoulder, and looked at Ethan with disdain.
"Even cornered dogs bite," Ethan's smile widened.
"Really? Then show me how you bite."
"Slap!" With a single slap from Ethan, the arrogant David was sent flying, landing in a crumpled heap in the corner. He twitched a few times on the floor before becoming motionless.
"David..."
"David, are you alright? Damn it, do you know who he is? How dare you hit him?"
"What are you yelling for? Call for help!"
Thomas's group of spoiled brats panicked, their faces etched with disbelief. Who was this guy, just a bar waiter, acting so arrogant?
"Do you know who you just hit?" Thomas's face turned ashen.
Ethan shook his head. "I don't know, and I don't care."
"His father is the Chief of Police," Thomas smirked, anticipating Ethan's downfall. The old police chief had always wavered between siding with his father or with that Hartwell, unable to make a decision. Because he had a strong backer in the provincial department, his father couldn't push him too hard. He deliberately brought the chief's son here today to ignite the conflict between them, and the situation had exceeded his expectations. Now, Chief Bush would surely lean towards his father's side. Although this kid wasn't directly related to that Hartwell, he could still play a significant role. Besides, he could always embellish the story a little...
"Hmm. I see," Ethan nodded calmly, then his expression turned strange. He pursed his lips and looked at Thomas with a smile. "Your father is the Mayor?"
"Humph." Thomas turned his face away, too lazy to answer such a well-known fact.
"Slap!" The same slap, the same force, the same trajectory, the same outcome. Ethan sent Thomas flying with another slap. He glanced coldly at the garbage struggling on the floor and chuckled, "What does it matter if his official rank is higher? He ends up the same."
After realizing that this was a personal feud between Ethan and these privileged brats, David had sent the other staff away, leaving himself alone in the private room. Now, seeing Ethan slap the son of the police chief and the mayor unconscious, he approached him with a concerned expression, "Ethan, that was too much. This is going to be difficult to resolve. You better leave quickly."
"Haha, I can't leave. If I do, it will implicate you guys." Ethan gestured towards the group of young masters glaring at him with venomous eyes. "Those losers will definitely seek revenge, otherwise how will they vent their anger?"
"But... what do we do now?" Although David had run the bar for over a decade, this was the first time he had encountered such a situation – a waiter slapping the mayor's son, it was unheard of.
"What else can we do? Let them settle the bill and leave. Don't forget to charge them properly, my commission is included." Ethan's face remained nonchalant.
David studied Ethan's face intently, still unable to see through this young man who was not even twenty years old. He had always known that beneath Ethan's playful and carefree facade lay a sharp and cunning mind, but just how intelligent was he? And what other cards did he hold? The group's young mistress had spoken up for him, and the city's Party Secretary was protecting him. Why would he come here to be a waiter?
What would happen next? David was truly curious. Yes, curious. Since Ethan's arrival, life had become much more exciting. The thrill he used to only experience on Jennie's bed, he could now find in Ethan – although he had no inclination towards "Brokeback Mountain".