As they left the village, An Yuying gently wrapped her arms around Luo Yang's waist, leaning her body against his broad back, her face pressed against his solid shoulder, eyes closed, her expression serene and content, with the hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Her warm breath brushed Luo Yang's neck in soft touches, like a gentle invisible hand caressing him, so tender and soothing it made him feel thoroughly relaxed.
Luo Yang wished he could just keep riding the motorcycle, never stopping, how wonderful that would be.
Before he realized it, they had arrived at the entrance of Laixi Bar. The bar generally didn't open in the afternoons, waiting for the evenings when the customers would start to pour in. Yet at this time, the open space in front of the bar was filled with a lot of vehicles, both motorcycles and cars.
Luo Yang had a premonition that something had happened in the bar.
After parking the motorcycle, he entered the bar, and was startled by the scene before him.
At the entrance, all he could hear was the cacophony of people coming and going on the street, the mixed noise of vehicles. The bar itself was silent, no sound coming from it at all. But as soon as he walked inside, he saw that the seating area on the first floor was packed with young men and women, the crowd buzzing with at least dozens of people.
This large group of people, however, was in complete silence, an oppressive quietness filled the air. All eyes were focused on the dance floor. In the middle of the dance floor was a square table, with four people playing cards around it.
Among the four, two men and two women, Luo Yang recognized all of them. Zhu Li, Chen Jie, and among the young men there was Iron Hand and another was Wu Desheng, commonly known as Niu Dali at Shilu Market, famous for his fierce reputation with a back broad as a tiger's and a thick neck.
Standing on the outskirts, Luo Yang wouldn't be able to see the situation in the dance floor if he wasn't tall enough. Seeing Zhu Li's cousin, Chen Zhiyun, standing in the innermost circle, Luo Yang wanted to squeeze through to him to find out what was really going on.
Chen Zhiyun usually helped Zhu Li manage the bar and was nicknamed Black King Kong because of his dark skin.
Therefore, Luo Yang reached out and lightly tapped the shoulder of an aggressive-looking young man in front of him, signaling him to make way.
"Excuse me," Luo Yang said politely.
The aggressive-looking young man glared at Luo Yang but ignored him.
In such a quiet atmosphere, Luo Yang felt awkward about calling out to Chen Zhiyun, so he tried to push forward. This annoyed the aggressive-looking young man in front of him, who swung his fist at Luo Yang.
Luo Yang dodged the punch and threw one back at the man's face, knocking him backward.
In an instant, the silence was shattered. The nearby young men, not knowing what was going on, all looked over, curious to see Luo Yang and the aggressive young man.
Luo Yang knew a fight was about to start, so he struck first with punches and kicks, gaining the upper hand.
Indeed, the aggressive young man was covering his bleeding nose with one hand, pointing at Luo Yang with the other.
"Brothers, take him down!"
With that, several young men immediately lunged at Luo Yang.
Outnumbered, Luo Yang didn't dare to slack off and struck hard and fast, aiming for their vital spots.
In a short time, two more were bleeding from the nose. The rest of the young men hesitated to charge at him, circling around instead. Some had even pulled out knives and held them in their hands.
An Yuying and Qin Piao saw Luo Yang being attacked but were unable to help, standing there anxiously.
"Stop it!"
A woman's sharp command rang out, authoritative in tone, unmistakably Zhu Li's voice.
"Niu Zai, come here," Zhu Li called out.
Luo Yang walked into the dance floor and came to the square table where Zhu Li invited him to sit down.
At that moment, Iron Hand and Niu Dali were staring coldly at Luo Yang, as if he owed them millions that he wasn't paying back.
"They're waiting for you," Zhu Li said.
Upon hearing this, Luo Yang realized that all these people were here for him. Without needing Zhu Li to say more, he understood what was happening.
"You may challenge him, but you can't take him away," Zhu Li stated coldly.
"Hmph! I was careless last night, and that's the only reason he got the best of me! Today I'm going to knock him down!" Iron Hand suddenly stood up, towering.
When Zhu Li looked over, Luo Yang smiled and nodded slightly.
So, the square table was removed, and unrelated personnel all moved aside.
"The thing I fear most in a fight is choosing the wrong opponent," Luo Yang said lightly.
"If I don't beat you to the ground, my name isn't Lu Jing!" Iron Hand's real name was Lu Jing.
Luo Yang realized Wu Desheng had also come looking for trouble. He thought that after taking down Lu Jing, Wu Desheng would still jump out to challenge him. Rather than wasting time, it'd be better to deal with them together.
"Before they start fighting, let's make a side bet, shall we?" Wu Desheng looked toward Zhu Li.
"There's nothing I'm afraid of!" Zhu Li said coldly.
"Good! Let's make the bet 100,000 yuan. If Iron Hand loses, I'll pay you; if Iron Hand wins, you pay me!" Wu Desheng said loudly.
"Whatever!" Zhu Li said with disdain.
Whispers rose around the room, buzzing like mosquitoes.
Luo Yang smiled at Zhu Li. She reassured him, "Don't worry, if we win, it's yours; if we lose, it's mine."
Luo Yang then turned his head towards Wu Desheng and laughed, "Are you really betting 100,000 yuan?"
Wu Desheng smirked and flicked the ash from his cigarette. With a fierce smile, he said, "Scared? If you're scared, kneel down and beg for mercy, throw in another 50,000 yuan, and I might consider letting you off the hook!"
As a result, Luo Yang burst into hearty laughter, a reason no one understood.
"I'll give you enough to laugh about in a minute!" Wu Desheng said angrily.
"Since we're talking about a 100,000 yuan side bet, beating Iron Hand alone isn't very interesting. The two of you come at me together. If you still lose, I think you'll be convinced," Luo Yang proposed.
Upon these words, everyone was shocked.
It was known that just Wu Desheng's mountain-like strong body alone could scare off opponents. Even Zhu Li, who was always regarded for her excellent Foot Technique, wouldn't dare to take on two at once.
Wu Desheng first stared in disbelief, then he too burst into laughter.
"Interesting! Truly, the recklessness of youth knows no fear! To see such courage in a young man is a rarity in my lifetime. I can't claim to be unbeatable throughout the world, but in Hongyun Town, there's nobody who doesn't know Niu Dali. Just with my own brute strength, I can cripple you! Don't say I bully the young. Here's your chance, take back what you just said right now!" he proclaimed, his voice as resounding as if it came from a loudspeaker.
Wu Desheng, around 1.8 meters tall, with a stable stance and muscles like blocks, surely was an opponent ordinary people would fear.
"Don't waste my time. You two come at me together. If I lose, I'll have nothing to say," Luo Yang urged.
"Niu Zai!" Zhu Li called out softly.
Luo Yang nodded at her, signaling her not to worry.
At this moment, Lu Jing was too impatient for revenge and said, "Old Wu, since he wants both of us to go at him, let's do it. Today we'll beat him until he's crippled!"
Wu Desheng threw away the cigarette butt and walked to the dance floor, standing opposite Luo Yang.
"Young man, you're on the brink of death today. Killing you will only be what you deserve! Don't blame me for bullying you," Wu Desheng said as he shook his arms, coldly.
"By the way, do you actually have 100,000 yuan?" Luo Yang suddenly asked.
"You dare to look down on me!" Wu Desheng glared at him.
"I'm fighting two against one, so you're already at an advantage. You should also give me a little convenience and transfer the 100,000 yuan into my account first. If you win, I'll give it back to you," Luo Yang said.
"Thinking of scamming money? I'll give you 100,000 yuan first, so you can enjoy it before you die!" Wu Desheng then asked Luo Yang for his bank account number.