A staccato burst of gunfire erupted, and the bodyguard shielding the young master was instantly riddled with bullets, collapsing like a punctured doll. Wu Qianyun, terrified, clutched his ears and crouched low to the ground. Taking advantage of the moment, Fatty delivered a swift kick, knocking him down, and the others joined in, raining blows upon him.
"Enough, Fatty! Don't beat him to death!" Xiang Ri commanded coolly, advancing with an AK-47 in hand. "Let me finish my questions, and then he's all yours." Of course, he kept that last thought to himself; he knew Wu wouldn't be so cooperative otherwise.
"Got it, big brother!" Fatty reluctantly stepped back, signaling to the others to do the same. "Didn't you hear him? Lay off!"
"Monkey," Xiang Ri's gaze fell on his bloodied friend, lying on the floor. He hurried over, concern flickering across his face. "You still alive?"
"Still breathing!" Monkey managed, gritting his teeth, attempting to rise, but was gently pressed back down. "Good. Just rest up a bit—you'll need your strength soon."
Xiang Ri's gaze swept the room. "What about the other two injured ones?" he asked abruptly.
"They were taken away, probably to a hospital," Fatty replied, nonchalantly toying with a gun he'd taken from the bodyguard.
"What?" Xiang Ri's face darkened. Two had slipped away—a dangerous loose end. He'd intended to leave no witnesses, and now that they'd seen his face, they'd surely retaliate. The thought of them targeting Chu Chu or others close to him made his eyes flash with steely resolve. There was only one choice: to strike preemptively.
Steeling himself, Xiang Ri approached Wu Qianyun and delivered a swift kick to his calf. "Get up, stop playing dead!"
Though he'd held back, Wu let out a howl of pain, flinching as he begged, "Please don't hit me, don't hit me!"
"Stand up, or die." Xiang Ri's tone was icy.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up!" Wu struggled to his feet, his previous bravado utterly vanished. "Big brother, I beg you—name your price. I have money, lots of it. Take whatever you want, just let me go home."
"Shut up!" Xiang Ri silenced him with a look. "Got a phone on you?"
"Yes…yes!" Though unsure of his intentions, Wu hurriedly produced his phone.
"Make a call," Xiang Ri ordered, arms folded, his gaze cold.
"Who…who should I call?" Wu stammered, trembling as he tried not to provoke this lethal figure.
"Your family. Tell them you're staying out tonight for any reason. And make it convincing."
Wu hesitated, sensing ominous undertones in the request, but Xiang Ri threw out a bait, "Comply, and tomorrow you're free to go."
"Thank you, thank you!" Wu clutched at this hope and dialed a number swiftly.
"Hello, Dad. It's me… Yes, I'm not coming home tonight. Everything's fine, don't worry. I'll keep them company for a while. It's safe, there are plenty of people around… Alright, we'll talk tomorrow." Wu ended the call and looked hopefully at Xiang Ri.
"Good. Now, unfortunately, you'll have to spend the night here. You don't mind, do you?" Xiang Ri's smile was layered with meaning.
"No, no, I don't mind at all!" Wu forced a smile, though revenge was brewing in his heart—he'd make them pay as soon as he got home.
Xiang Ri cast a knowing glance at Fatty. "Fatty, grab Monkey, and let's head out."
As they left, Monkey broke away from Fatty's support. "Big brother, are we really letting him go?"
A sly smile crept over Xiang Ri's face. "Of course not. Remember what I said earlier?"
"What you said… Oh, I remember now. You said there was something I needed to do."
"Exactly. That punk won't make it out of here alive," Xiang Ri declared with chilling finality, as if deciding the fate of a mere insect. He turned to Monkey. "Are you up for it?"
Monkey understood and, with a look of resolve, answered, "Yes. I'll do it."
"And how were you planning to carry it out?" Xiang Ri asked, observing him calmly.
"Uh—" Monkey hesitated.
"Take this." Xiang Ri handed him a Desert Eagle. "You know how to use it?"
"Of course," Monkey replied, his confidence slightly misplaced.
"Then get it done."
Moments after Monkey entered, a panicked voice echoed from within. "What are you doing? No, you promised to let me go—please, don't kill me!"
"Please! I don't want to die!" His cries were cut short by a deafening gunshot, followed by a heavy silence.
Soon after, Monkey emerged, cradling his wrist in pain.
"Monkey, are you hurt?" Fatty asked, bemused. How could he have gotten hurt taking out a defenseless man?
"I thought you said you knew how to shoot?" Xiang Ri looked on with faint amusement, realizing Monkey had likely injured himself with the gun's heavy recoil. Desert Eagles weren't for the faint-hearted, and this was a rare, if somewhat embarrassing, example. In truth, with a little preparation, most people could handle the recoil without issue.
"Big Brother..." Monkey began awkwardly, hesitating.
"Let me take a look," Xiang Ri said, grabbing his hand and pressing on the injured spot. Without warning, he twisted and reset Monkey's wrist with a sharp movement, a loud snap echoing through the room as Monkey howled in pain.
"Stop squealing like a pig. How does it feel now?" Xiang Ri released his wrist.
"Hey! It's better!" Monkey rotated his wrist, finding it almost fully healed, save for a dull ache. "Thank you, Big Brother!"
"Thank nothing! Next time, don't boast about things you don't know—you're just embarrassing yourself!" Xiang Ri scolded with a grin.
"Yes, yes!" Monkey nodded eagerly. Fatty and the others, realizing what had happened, chuckled quietly on the side.
"Alright, enough laughing. Listen closely—there's something important I need you all to handle." Xiang Ri's expression grew serious. "There are a few bodies left in the bar, but you don't need to worry about them. Just gather their weapons."
"And the bar?" Fatty asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"Burn it to the ground tonight. Remember, the whole place—no evidence left behind. Got it?"
"Big Brother, burning things down is what we do best! But, what about the guns?" The group, well-practiced in leaving no trace, grinned at the familiar task.
"Hide the weapons somewhere safe. They'll come in handy when fists alone won't do. But let me warn you: don't go showing them off without a reason, or I'll make you regret it!"
"Understood, Big Brother!" Monkey and the others responded in unison.
After a few more reminders on critical details, Xiang Ri left the bar, prepared to set his plan into motion.