Understood! Here's the revision with the correct context:
"Sure!" Tie Wan smiled faintly. It was the first time she'd encountered a man who asked her to treat him to a drink—quite intriguing.
"Thanks!" Xiang Ri expressed his gratitude to the beauty, then turned to the bartender. "I'll have a Flaming Red Lips."
"Got it!" The bartender responded, his hands moving with the fluid grace of a butterfly dancing among flowers. In less than ten seconds, a glass of blood-red liquor was set before him.
"Impressive skills!" Xiang Ri took a sip of the crimson drink and praised sincerely.
"Just earning a living," the bartender replied smugly and resumed his work.
"Do you come here often?" Tie Wan asked curiously.
"When I have time, I don't; when I'm busy, I do," Xiang Ri began to spout nonsense.
"Haha, you're quite the comedian!" Tie Wan laughed awkwardly.
"Average, just third in the world... wait! Is that those little punks?" Xiang Ri noticed a group of familiar faces in the corner. "Excuse me, beautiful. I see some old classmates—I'll go say hello."
"By all means," Tie Wan replied politely, secretly wishing the man, who was a few years younger than her yet spoke in such a nonchalant tone, would leave sooner.
"I'll come back to chat later," Xiang Ri said as he made his way toward the corner.
Tie Wan shifted her attention entirely to the drink in her hand.
In the corner, a group of young men was engaged in a drinking contest, oblivious to the devil approaching.
"You're all in high spirits!" Xiang Ri squeezed past one of them and took back his original seat.
"You son of a..." The guy who'd been pushed aside was about to curse, but when he saw who it was, he swallowed his words in terror.
"B-boss, what brings you here?" Monkey stammered, as if he'd seen a ghost, still haunted by the last encounter.
"What, I can't come?" Xiang Ri glanced at him coldly, making Monkey shrink back in fear.
"No, no, you're always welcome, boss!"
"So, you're in charge here?" Xiang Ri deduced from Monkey's words.
"Well, technically, this place belongs to my boss. I just help him keep an eye on things," Monkey explained.
"Oh?" Xiang Ri's interest was piqued. "By the way, I need to ask you something."
"Anything you want to know, boss, just ask. I'll tell you everything I know."
"Ever heard of A8?"
"A8? What's that? Never heard of it. Hey, do any of you know? If you do, tell the boss." Monkey turned to his crew.
"Never heard of it." "Not a clue," the others shook their heads.
"No worries, just a casual question." Seeing their genuine confusion, Xiang Ri didn't press further.
"Boss, I haven't heard of A8, but I know about A7," a chubby guy beside Monkey suddenly spoke up.
"A7? Tell me more," Xiang Ri had a hunch there might be a connection between the two.
"It's supposed to be some kind of new drug, but not exactly a typical one. It makes you feel really excited while keeping your mind clear, but your body becomes weak," the chubby guy recalled with effort.
"Weak, you say?" Xiang Ri's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Yeah, that's what I heard, but I'm not entirely sure. I overheard it from two of Black Dog's men."
"Fatty, you've been hanging around Black Dog's turf? Are you planning to betray Monkey?" Before the chubby guy could finish, the rest of Monkey's crew began berating him.
"Absolutely not! How could I betray Monkey? If I were, I wouldn't have told you this! I only went there because I heard there was cheap stuff for sale. That's when I overheard Black Dog's men talking about using this A7 drug on a female college student."
"I believe Fatty wouldn't be a traitor," Monkey's timely support was like a shot of adrenaline to the chubby guy.
"Thanks, Monkey. You're so wise, always knowing when someone's been wronged," Fatty immediately flattered him.
"Fatty, who exactly is this Black Dog?" Xiang Ri cut Monkey off just as he was about to speak again.
"Boss, you may not know Black Dog, but you must have heard of Lust Dog, right?" It wasn't the chubby guy who answered but his leader, Monkey.
"Lust Dog?" Xiang Ri had a vague memory. This guy was a notorious pervert, known for tying women up or even breaking their limbs before abusing them. Afterward, he'd cruelly kill his victims. The police had been trying to bring him to justice, but they lacked evidence. Xiang Ri had long wanted to take care of this scum, but life had gotten in the way. Now that the opportunity presented itself, there was no way he would let him slip through his fingers.
"Do you know where he usually hangs out?" Xiang Ri's eyes burned with murderous intent.
"He mostly hides out in his den, a place called Heaven on Earth. Boss, are you planning to take him down? With your skills, it would be a piece of cake. But unfortunately, we're from the same gang, and we can't kill each other. Otherwise, I would have chopped him into a dozen pieces by now," Monkey shuddered at Xiang Ri's cold expression, immediately making it clear where his loyalties lay.
Seeing through the insincerity, Xiang Ri stood up, ready to leave. "I'm out. Talking to you idiots is pointless. I've got better things to do—like finding a beautiful woman."
"Take care, boss! Want me to introduce you to some girls? Guaranteed knockouts."
"With your taste? I bet Jurassic Park would be your paradise," Xiang Ri shot back without looking at him. He had taken only a few steps before something occurred to him. He turned back and walked straight to the chubby guy, studying him closely.
"B-b-boss..." the chubby guy stammered, too terrified to speak properly.
"You just helped me out in a big way. How could I not repay you?" Xiang Ri said with a deadly seriousness.
"N-no need, boss, helping you is just what I should do," the chubby guy stuttered, looking at him in sheer terror.
"What do you mean 'should'? Do I look like someone who doesn't repay favors?" Xiang Ri pulled out a thick wad of cash from his pocket and slammed it down on the table. "Take it. It's your reward for answering my questions."
Monkey and his crew stared, wide-eyed, at the pile of money. Answering just a few questions had earned him this much? Their admiration for Xiang Ri shot up, as if they were looking at a god of fortune.
"Boss, are you sure this is for me?" The chubby guy's eyes gleamed with greed, and he finally found his voice. Judging by the thickness of the stack, it had to be at least fifty grand.
"Quit talking nonsense. If you don't want it, give it back."
"I want it! I want it!" The chubby guy quickly grabbed the cash.
"Boss, you were asking about A8, right? If I get any info on it..." Monkey saw an opportunity and tried to milk it.
"Here's the deal." Xiang Ri raised a single finger.
"Ten grand?" Monkey flinched at the thought.
"You think I'm some cheap beggar?" Xiang Ri looked at him with irritation.
"A hundred grand?" Monkey trembled all over, and his underlings followed suit, shaking in fear.
"No, one million," Xiang Ri said, cutting short their wild guesses.
"What!" The group immediately collapsed onto the couch or floor in shock.
"Boss, did you say... one million?" Monkey held up a trembling finger, unable to believe his ears.
"That's right. But don't think it's easy money. High rewards come with high risks—you might not live to spend it," Xiang Ri added, his gaze darkening as he sized them up.
"If we can make a million, who cares about dying! I'll buy a billion hell banknotes and drown the King of Hell in them! Let's see if he dares to take my life!" Monkey boasted recklessly.
"Fine, but keep a low profile. I don't want you stirring up trouble too soon," Xiang Ri warned, not wanting to alarm his target. "I'll come back tomorrow night. I'll give you a hundred grand as a deposit, and if you find anything, I'll give you the rest of the nine hundred thousand."
"Thank you, boss! You're a living god, better than the god of wealth himself!" Monkey babbled in excitement. A hundred grand! He could work here for a lifetime and never see that kind of money. And the remaining nine hundred grand? How would he even spend it?
"Save it for tomorrow. I can't stand the stench coming off you lot anymore. Damn, even thugs are human—who goes months without a bath? Get lost!" Xiang Ri finally noticed the foul smell rising from them and couldn't help but curse.
The group of thugs slunk away sheepishly, and Xiang Ri returned to the bar.
Tie Wan had been watching Xiang Ri for a long time. Her heart was racing with excitement. Thank goodness she came out tonight, or she would have missed out on this big fish. She had already noticed earlier that the "classmates" Xiang Ri went to meet were actually the bar owner and his bodyguards. Judging by their attitude, Xiang Ri wasn't a simple man. When he later took out the money, she guessed it was some kind of shady deal, and when she caught glimpses of him mentioning "one million," she became convinced he was the buyer's contact for a major deal in the city.
"Hey, beautiful, is there something on my face? You've been staring at me for a while now," Xiang Ri teased, almost thinking she was infatuated with him—if not for the clear-headedness in her eyes.
"Haha, I just realized you're quite handsome," Tie Wan smiled seductively, deciding to use her charm to pry some information from him.