As evening fell, the three of them changed into casual clothes and slipped out of the hospital.
Hu San led them to a quiet little restaurant.
A-Lai looked up at the sign above the entrance, which read "Come Again" in large characters.
The waiter quickly approached, greeting them and showing them to a table, then handed them the menu.
Li Fang commented that the place seemed nice—clean and quiet. Hu San insisted that A-Lai should order first. A-Lai said it didn't matter and suggested three dishes and a soup. Hu San then asked Li Fang to order, but she also said it didn't matter. The waiter, unsure what to do, asked for clarification. A-Lai decided on red-braised beef for energy, red-braised pork trotters for Li Fang's beauty, Kung Pao chicken, and a green vegetable egg soup. Hu San added a bottle of white liquor.
"Right away! The dishes will be ready shortly. Please have some tea while you wait."
In no time, the steaming hot dishes were brought to the table.
Hu San poured the white liquor into two glasses, handing one to A-Lai.
A-Lai quickly said, "Sorry, Brother Hu, I don't drink."
"A man who doesn't drink? What kind of man is that?"
"Sorry, I really don't drink."
"Well, just have a little, as much as you can handle."
Ignoring A-Lai's refusal, Hu San also poured a glass for Li Fang, but she politely declined and asked for a soft drink instead.
Hu San stood up, holding his glass respectfully, and toasted A-Lai and Li Fang before taking a deep drink.
At the next table, a group of burly men noticed the lively scene and began pounding on their table.
"Hey, boss! Why has the food at the other table come out, but ours hasn't? Looks like you don't want to do business!"
Another man shouted, "They're already drinking, and we don't even have one dish! Do you want us to smash this place?"
"Bam!" A stuttering man slammed the table and angrily said, "G-g-give you th-three minutes, or I'll st-start smashing."
The owner, poking his head out, immediately ducked back in, knowing better than to provoke them. He quickly responded, "It's coming right up!"
The waiter, with a forced smile, brought out dish after dish, serving the men at the next table.
As the men drank and ate, downing several bottles of white liquor, their rowdiness escalated, and they began playing drinking games, shouting and laughing loudly.
Li Fang, growing increasingly uncomfortable, urged A-Lai, "Let's eat quickly and leave. It's getting too noisy in here."
A-Lai nodded in agreement.
Hu San, irritated, stood up and slapped the table, yelling, "Hey! You at the next table! Can you keep it down? I brought friends here to eat, and you're ruining it!"
The moment he spoke, the stuttering man and one of the burly men froze mid-game, their voices stopping abruptly as they all turned to glare at Hu San's table.
The burly man growled, "We're drinking and playing games. What's it to you? If you want quiet, go home!"
Hu San was about to lose his temper, but Li Fang quickly intervened, "Mr. Hu, let it go. Let's just finish quickly and leave."
The stuttering man waved his hand in the air and laughed mockingly, "I'm d-d-done playing games. I'll drink with the pretty lady instead."
Stumbling over to Li Fang, reeking of alcohol, he slurred, "It's fate that we've met. How about having a drink with me?"
Li Fang coldly replied, "Sorry, I don't drink, and I don't know you."
"You don't kn-know me? Now y-you do! You d-don't drink? Don't try to act so high and mighty."
Li Fang's face flushed red with anger, but she held back her response.
The stuttering man, his eyes leering at Li Fang, was mesmerized by her clear eyes and soft skin. His hand crept onto her smooth shoulder, his gaze drifting toward the open collar of her white shirt.
Li Fang pushed his hand away and stood up, shouting, "Are you trying to harass me?"
A-Lai also stood up, realizing that the man wasn't just drunk but was deliberately trying to cause trouble. He grabbed Li Fang's hand and said, "Let's leave. We're not eating here anymore."
The stuttering man blocked their path, sneering, "You haven't d-drunk with me yet. You're not leaving."
The other men at the table laughed raucously and began closing in on them.
The stuttering man pointed a finger at A-Lai and taunted, "Y-you think you're tough?"
Hu San's heart skipped a beat—he recognized the man's phrase as something he often said. He immediately stepped in front of A-Lai and snapped, "What's your problem? Want to start something?" Without hesitation, he slapped the stuttering man across the face.
The stuttering man staggered back, clutching his face in disbelief, "You h-hit me? You've got guts!" He waved his hand.
The other men suddenly produced large wooden sticks from somewhere and rushed at Hu San. One of them struck him hard on the arm.
"Ahhhh!" Hu San screamed in pain, his scarred face contorting as he shouted, "Master! Save me!"
Another man swung his stick and struck Hu San's thigh.
"My God!" Hu San cried out, dropping to the floor, wailing like a stuck pig.
Li Fang, pulling on A-Lai's arm, urged him, "Use your 'Heart Questioning Palm'!"
A-Lai hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised his right hand, revealing his palm.
The stuttering man sneered, "W-what 'Heart Questioning Palm'? I'll s-smash your head in!"
He quietly moved behind A-Lai, holding a metal pipe he had prepared earlier, and swung it down toward A-Lai's head.
Li Fang, realizing the danger, quickly pushed A-Lai out of the way, and the pipe slammed into A-Lai's right arm.
"Clang!"
The pipe flew out of the stuttering man's hand.
A-Lai immediately felt a searing pain in his arm, but he continued to raise his hand.
Shouting, "Is that all you've got? Hit me again!" he didn't wait for another attack. Instead, he swung his arm in a wide arc, striking the stuttering man in the chest with a powerful blow.
"Oof!"
The stuttering man cried out in pain, flying out the door.
Seeing their leader knocked out, the other men panicked and quickly fled.
A-Lai, his arm throbbing with pain, grabbed the still-stunned Li Fang and bolted out the door, chasing after the fleeing men.
Hu San, limping, followed them out.
Once they were sure they weren't being followed, Li Fang clutched her aching stomach and said, "We should call the police."
Hu San objected, "It's dark, and by the time the police arrive, those guys will be long gone. Besides, the police might detain us, and we'll have a hard time explaining things."
Li Fang considered this and realized he was right. With the men gone, there wasn't much the police could do.
The three of them returned to the hospital, where Hu San found out he had severe soft tissue injuries.
Li Fang, suspicious of A-Lai's behavior, secretly followed him down a deserted hallway. She watched as he took off his shirt and removed metal braces wrapped around his arm. Realization dawned on her, and she angrily confronted him, "A-Lai, what kind of trickery is this? Didn't you say you had hidden and mysterious martial arts skills?"