After secretly eavesdropping on the conversation of the two men for a long time, Chu Feng gained a deeper understanding of the bar beneath his feet and Ding Bowen's whereabouts.
The bar in the small alley looked inconspicuous on the surface, but in reality, it was an important stronghold of the Black Tiger Gang.
It was also their long-operated den of iniquity; even the two burly doormen were Martial Apprentices in the Bone Tempering stage.
Inside the bar, gambling, drugs, and prostitution were all available.
The members of the Black Tiger Gang kidnapped and trafficked young girls from poor families in the nearby areas, bringing them here for the wealthy to abuse and entertain themselves with.
Inside, there was also a casino, and even more excessive things.
The first basement level housed a brothel, the second a gambling hall, and the bar above ground was just a facade.
Naked, frail female corpses were often sent out from inside and indiscriminately discarded in the wilderness; they were all "consumed" by the customers mingling within.
In short, it was a den of filth, and everyone inside, one and all, deserved to die.
But at the same time, many martial artists from the Black Tiger Gang were stationed there, and usually, at least three at the Foundation Establishment Stage were in charge inside.
Their boss, named Gao Lei, was a martial artist in the Everlasting Realm and one of the senior figures of the Black Tiger Gang.
Chu Feng slightly furrowed his brows.
For him, this place was truly a dragon's lair and a tiger's den.
The good news was Gao Lei was not present tonight, and the others were no match for Chu Feng.
The bad news was that all three stewards were in, and one misstep could get him entangled.
At the same time, he also learned—
That Ding Bowen was a psychologically dark copper refining pervert, visiting here every now and then to seek pleasure, staying until dawn before leaving.
He was brutally violent, with an extremely heavy hand, even disdained secretly by the members of the Black Tiger Gang.
But the Ding family, backed by Ding Bowen, was a local powerhouse in Ning River, and the Black Tiger Gang did not want to offend them, so they continued to flatter Ding Bowen, treating it as feeding a dog.
Although the Black Tiger Gang was a large gang spread across the surrounding areas, they were ultimately characters from the underworld.
They couldn't afford to offend one of Ning River's three major families out in the open.
In terms of real strength, they only served as errand boys and hitmen for the Ding Family.
After all, in this day and age, truly powerful forces had put on white clothes, conducting themselves openly and upright; who would want to remain a dog in the gutter?
Those still dressed in black were either too deep and dirty to clean up or did not have the strength and connections to wear white.
Getting back to the point, since the Black Tiger Gang was so wary of the Ding family, even unwilling to offend a soon-to-be-fallen Young Master Ding,
then the security below was likely very strict.
Ding Bowen frequently liked to stay in the basement's 0102 private room, right next to the steward's office.
Any loud noise might alert the enemy.
Chu Feng continued to wait for a long time, with no new people coming.
The two bored doormen were yawning constantly, littering the ground with cigarette butts.
Then Chu Feng, with a determined heart, decided to make a move!
...
As the two doormen were yawning incessantly, suddenly a man in a hood, with an unclear face, came walking into the alley.
The doormen found this unremarkable, as virtually every customer dressed like this to conceal their identity.
As the man approached, one of the doormen lazily asked, "Who referred you here?"
Chu Feng lifted his head, revealing his masked face:
"Young Master Ding Ding Bowen referred me here; he asked me to come first and follow him later."
The inquiring doorman nodded noncommittally, about to open the door, when suddenly the other man stopped him.
The other man squinted his eyes, smiling as he asked, "Which family are you from? Please, take off your mask!
"After all, you know, in this place… having a few more rules is also for safety's sake, please understand!"
Chu Feng glared fiercely, making both men feel a slight chill:
"Young Master Ding never mentioned any rule about having to show one's face! He invited me to take care of things privately, never even asking who I am.
"Do I still need to register here?"
The two burly men looked at each other, recalling the recent rumors about Ding Bowen.
They understood that Young Master Ding, having been stripped of his claim as the second heir due to some issues, must have harbored resentment.
This was a connection to the dark world of assassins.
Their Black Tiger Gang's "business" did not involve contracts for assassination; it was best to stay out of such life-and-death matters.
Realizing this, the two men immediately opened the door, and the one standing on the left said sternly:
"We're all brothers from around here, you should have heard of our Black Tiger Gang's rules, right? No wandering around, no causing trouble!"
"Young Master Ding is in Room 0101."
Chu Feng snorted coldly, "Young Master Ding had agreed to meet me in Room 0102!
"What's the meaning of 0101? Do you guys also have a deal you want to discuss?"
The burly man immediately smiled, "Sorry, my mistake, please!"
Chu Feng swaggered inside.
The two closed the door and whispered softly, "Is it okay that we just let him in like this?"
"It's fine, after the three managers are finished, we will just report to them. Young Master Ding just has an appointment here; he's not breaking any rules. It wouldn't be right to stop him."
"..."
...
Upon entering, there was a large hall of about two hundred square meters, with several suit-clad waiters standing around in groups of three or two.
A waiter came forward with a smile, "Honored guest, may I ask who you are looking for?"
This bar operated on an invitation-only basis; once inside the door, one was considered a qualified guest.
Chu Feng scanned the room, and the environment of the hall caught his eye: "Ding Bowen, Young Master Ding, 0102."
The waiter nodded in realization and gestured, "Please follow me."
Chu Feng nodded and followed the waiter closely, observing and memorizing the route along the way.
Turning the corner, they descended a staircase from the side of the hall to a dim corridor.
Faint moans of pleasure came from the soundproofing-imperfect private rooms along the corridor.
Some rooms were deliberately left wide open, revealing men and women sweating profusely inside.
Chu Feng silently counted the room numbers, seemingly oblivious.
Just as they were about to reach the door of Room 0102, he suddenly stopped the waiter, "Where's the restroom? Take me there first."
"Certainly." The waiter smiled and walked past the door of Room 0102.
As they passed Room 0102, faint screams were heard from inside, and Chu Feng's expression darkened.
Following the waiter to the end of the corridor on the other side, he waved his hand, "You can go ahead; I'll head there myself later."
The waiter's smile remained unchanged, "I apologize, honored guest. We have a policy that the waiter must accompany guests when they are outside."
Chu Feng nodded understandingly, praising, "Very strict rules; I feel even more secure about the security here!"
"Thank you for your trust," the waiter bowed slightly.
Chu Feng nodded, pushed open the restroom door, and entered.
A few minutes later, his voice suddenly called out from inside the restroom, "Is anyone out there?"
Stepping forward, the waiter spoke through the door, "Sir, may I assist you with something?"
"The stall at the very end is out of paper; could you bring some in?"
The waiter shook his head silently, pulling out a small packet of tissues from his pocket.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door, "Alright.
"Hey, what are you—mmph—"
"..."
Two minutes later, Chu Feng walked out unhurriedly, stood by the sink, and vigorously washed his reddened hands.
After cleaning up, he put his hood back on, took a deep breath, and slowly made his way toward Room 0102.