No. 111 Wutong Road, Sakura Bird Bar.
It was already past eight in the evening, and the city's nightlife had come alive.
Vehicles of all kinds lined the street as people out for fun sought their venues. Some headed to malls, others to cinemas, some to barbecue snacks, while many groups entered bars, nightclubs, and KTVs.
This crowd was mostly young people, likely including some college students.
An age brimming with youth, loving fun was in their nature, regardless of gender.
Inside Sakura Bird Bar, the DJ had already warmed up the crowd. Waiters in white shirts and black trousers began to take drink orders and serve fruit platters. The bar's marketers constantly made calls, inviting regulars and VIP clients to come out and play.
Soon, the whole place was in the zone, and the lights gradually dimmed.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
With a series of forceful beats, deafening waves of sound swept through the space. Purple and blue laser lights with an atmospheric vibe replaced the usual incandescent bulbs. Colored disco balls spun steadily, casting blinding light, illuminating a few colorfully-tinted heads. On the dance floor, men and women alike swung their bodies and twisted their hips to the music.
Women with trendy makeup and stunning attire giggled among groups of men. There were good-looking couples clinging to each other, giving vent to their desires.
People's preferences varied, but Bai Xiao just felt it was noisy.
In a corner of the bar, next to the marble bar counter, stood a young man in black security attire, stationed in a spot untouched by laser lights.
His feet were slightly apart, his stance meticulous, his gaze slowly sweeping over the fashionably dressed men and women in the booths ahead, his face expressionless.
Bai Xiao was on the job, working as a bar security guard.
He was attempting to trigger the professional panel exclusive to a bar security guard.
That evening, Bai Xiao was serious. Neither the scantily clad tattooed dance girls on the dance floor, nor the ambiguous kisses under the laser lights, nor even the tide-like flow of DJ pop music, nor the dizziness of alcohol could distract him.
On his retina, the panel exclusive to Bai Xiao almost occupied his entire field of vision and mind, impossible to look away from. An ordinary person had received an extraordinary opportunity, and if he wanted to break free from his slowly rotting mundane life, then he had to cling to it like a lifeline...
Firmly grasp that chance, never letting go!
Time flew, and it was now two in the early morning.
A youth in sportswear came out of the back door of the bar.
Bai Xiao took out two pieces of Doublemint gum from his pocket and stuffed them into his mouth. His hands in his pockets, he chewed as he walked forward.
On the roadside, a girl with garish makeup and revealing clothing sat in a drunken stupor on the edge of a flower bed, her cheeks flush and her eyes glazed over. Tall and handsome young men joked flirtatiously with girls by their side, exchanging teasing banter.
Bai Xiao walked straight past them, heading for his electric scooter.
Whoosh...
The electric scooter accelerated, heading in the direction of Beihai Road.
The cold wind met him head-on, and in his peripheral vision, Bai Xiao could see some men and women staggering as they walked. Their destination seemed to be a nearby budget hotel; it looked like the night was indeed high! Turning a corner, the electric scooter entered a quiet, dimly lit alley as he planned to take a shortcut back to his rented room.
Whoosh...
He sped along.
Passing an intersection, Bai Xiao noticed a black figure standing there, seemingly illuminated by the dim light. The figure was neither leaning against the wall nor crouching and smoking on the ground, but standing in the middle.
Rigid and motionless, standing silently facing this way.
The speed was fast, and Bai Xiao only glanced briefly, the scooter flashing past the intersection in an instant. Yet, even so, his heart startled with fear, his body covered in goosebumps, and his arms broke out in a cold sweat.
That feeling was like encountering a venomous snake in the jungle.
"What was that..."
Bai Xiao hadn't even had time to wonder before he heard a sudden burst of chasing footsteps from behind, incredibly dense. He hurriedly glanced at the rearview mirror and saw a blurry human-shaped shadow rushing towards him and a pair of eyes reflecting a strange green light. They looked like those of a predatory animal, such as a wolf.
In an instant, palpitations and panic fiercely gripped Bai Xiao's heart, suffocating him. The next second, his entire body became agitated, his blood surging upwards uncontrollably. His hands clutched the handlebars, twisting the speed to the maximum.
Whoosh! Tat-tat-tat!
The sounds of the two entities chasing each other reverberated through the alley.
Time passed by, minute by minute, second by second.
The running footsteps that had been pursuing him stopped, gradually fading away.
Only the sound of the electric scooter remained, disappearing into the distance.
With a swoosh, the electric scooter shot out of the dim alleyway, making a slightly wobbly fast turn, racing down the main road at top speed. Bai Xiao looked into the rearview mirror again, and this time, there was no trace of the shadow. It was only then that he took a deep, hot breath, feeling dizzy and a chill running down his spine.
"What was that...?"
"Robbery? A lunatic? A murderer?"
"Or... a prank?"
Bai Xiao's throat was incredibly dry; he gasped for air, recalling those faintly glowing green eyes in the alley. Were they... human?
Bai Xiao vaguely remembered some biology knowledge; human eyes don't have a reflective membrane, only animals like cats and wolves have eyes that shine green.
"This world... maybe... is not simple..."
At two ten in the morning, in the Sunshine District, in Bai Xiao's rental room.
The showerhead continuously sprayed cool, refreshing water.
Bai Xiao leaned on the bathroom wall with one hand, his head hanging. The wet strands of hair on his temples, soaked by the water, clung to his forehead like scattered willow branches. He kept chewing gum in his mouth, even though it had lost its flavor. This was a habit of Bai Xiao's; he liked to chew gum.
Either when he was relaxed or extremely tense.
Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes.
The bathroom light stayed on the whole time.
It wasn't until two thirty that Bai Xiao came out, pale-faced.
He lay exhausted on his bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling.
Just like that, staring blankly, for another ten minutes.
It was then that Bai Xiao broke the silence of the room with a mutter to himself.
"Tomorrow, I must unlock the Fighter profession!!!"
Twenty minutes later, the cool moonlight slipping through the gap in the curtains covered the young man's face like a sheer veil. In his sleep, Bai Xiao's brows were still tightly furrowed, as if he were in the midst of a nightmare.
Ding-ling-ling, ding-ling-ling...
As sunlight enveloped the head of the bed, Bai Xiao suddenly awoke from his dream, his features twisted. He breathed heavily, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
Turning his head to look around, he realized he was inside his safe rental room. Bai Xiao then relaxed, glancing at the time on his phone screen.
It was nine thirty.
Sitting on the bed to recover for five minutes, he quickly stepped into the bathroom.
At nine forty. Bai Xiao wore his most common set of black sportswear, put on his sneakers, slung on his blue canvas backpack, and set off.
Today.
The urge to unlock the Fighter profession was overwhelmingly strong!