Beating a Drowning Dog

Qin Yu felt as if his worldview had collapsed. How could Su Chen possess such immense strength? A single slap managed to render him like this. He wondered if this guy had been playing coy all this time. Reflecting on the recent events, Qin Yu felt a surge of anger. It appeared that there wasn't someone backing Su Chen; instead, Su Chen had been plotting against him all along. Moreover, Su Chen repeatedly provoked him, while he, Qin Yu, was constantly played like a puppet. 

The frustration made him cough up blood in anger, and his eyes turned bloodshot. However, seeing Qin Yu sprawled on the ground, Su Chen laughed. Although Su Chen had to stick to the storyline, which involved facing setbacks, it didn't necessarily mean Qin Yu had to remain the main character. The saying "Out with the old, in with the new" rang true as Qin Yu had become disappointing, lacking the aura of a main character. 

Allowing Qin Yu to continue with this dominant fate wasn't ideal. Recent events had boosted Su Chen's confidence, especially witnessing the helpless rage in Qin Yu's eyes. Having played the villain role for so long, Su Chen had accumulated a lot of resentment. Now was undoubtedly the time for payback.

Su Chen was ready to act again, but Chen Tong suddenly spoke up. Her tone was cold, not sparing Qin Yu a glance. "You're Qin Yu, right? You came here uninvited and caused a ruckus. The punishment you received is light. 

And who do you think you are, coveting me? Su Chen and I are a match made in heaven. It's not your place to interfere or control, you're not worthy. If there's a next time, I won't be so lenient." Hearing these words, Qin Yu clenched his fists in fury. He wanted to kill Su Chen, but the latter's aura deterred him. 

At this moment, he felt utterly powerless, rendered unconscious by a mere slap from Su Chen. He had to endure, but Chen Tong's words were the last straw. He felt deeply insulted. Just a short while ago, he had been communicating with Chen Tong. Now, her tone suggested she barely remembered him. 

Qin Yu, full of self-confidence, felt that Chen Tong was dismissing him, which was an insult. When had such a revered warlord ever faced such humiliation? Although furious, he felt helpless. "Shui'er, take me to the hospital!" Thankfully, after Chen Tong's betrayal, he still had Qiu Wushui, someone under his control who would never betray him. Su Chen's actions would be settled later, as would Chen Tong's. 

But for now, he needed to focus on Qiu Wushui. He needed to expedite his plan to win her over. Taking advantage of his injury, he could request her care and assistance. Qin Yu even had a persuasive excuse prepared. He could claim his injuries prevented him from bathing himself and ask Qiu Wushui to help. Some intimate moments might ensue. 

The thought made him grin wickedly. However, before he could revel in it, Qiu Wushui spoke up. "Qin Yu, as I said before, there's nothing between us. Plus, I'm Su Chen's secretary. You tried to take advantage of me, and my boss stepped in. 

Why should I take you to the hospital?" Qiu Wushui's tone was icy. However, she felt a bit flustered inside, especially after uttering those words. She sneaked a glance at Su Chen and felt reassured. "Very well, both of you are great," Qin Yu spat out another mouthful of blood. 

Overwhelmed with rage, he staggered to his feet and glared at Su Chen, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "Su Chen, mark my words. I will make you pay for today's humiliation in blood."

Qiu Wushui glanced at Su Chen and noticed that despite Qin Yu's blatant provocation, he showed no reaction. Was Qin Yu really trying to kill him? Why wasn't Su Chen reacting? Could it be that Su Chen was frightened? This didn't make sense. After all, Su Chen had effortlessly subdued Qin Yu with a mere move. 

Could he possibly be afraid? Or was it that Su Chen didn't dare to truly offend Qin Yu because of the powerful force behind him? Thinking of this, Qiu Wushui felt a tad disheartened. In her eyes, Su Chen was a powerful figure. If even he feared Qin Yu, then the force behind Qin Yu must be incredibly formidable. 

Her hopes of seeking revenge seemed even more distant. Could Su Chen really be this feeble? Yet, Qiu Wushui soon realized that wasn't the case. Su Chen wasn't afraid of Qin Yu; he was just contemplating his next move. 

[Although Qin Yu is a bit despicable, Qiu Wushui shouldn't react like this when she sees him, right?] 

[Indeed, initially, Qiu Wushui harbored resentment towards Qin Yu.] 

[But it shouldn't have escalated to this extent!] 

[Ignoring Qin Yu entirely? This is utterly bizarre; the plot has completely derailed.] 

[Even Qiu Wushui has betrayed Qin Yu. My decision seems justified now. It's time to change the main character.] 

[Otherwise, this story won't progress any further.]

Having figured things out, Su Chen concluded that the issue wasn't necessarily with the leading ladies. Instead, the problem lay with Qin Yu, the main male character. He was so inept that it caused major issues with most of the characters' development. "Damn it, Su Chen, I'll kill you!" Qin Yu had completely lost it. He could no longer restrain himself from losing face in front of Qiu Wushui. 

An outcry from him grabbed the attention of many in the venue. In his blind rage, Qin Yu attracted the guards' attention. A red-haired young man rushed over to a bald, fierce-looking man and said, "Boss, we have trouble. Someone's causing a scene." 

The bald man, visibly angered, retorted, "Who dares to create a ruckus here? Do they have a death wish?" He was in charge of the club's security. This wasn't an ordinary club; it was backed by the esteemed Chen family of the Magic City. Being entrusted with this task was a significant responsibility, and he had assured everyone that no issues would arise. 

Now that someone dared to create chaos, he was obviously on edge. If he were to be blamed later, the consequences would be dire. Immediately, a group of guards surrounded Su Chen and his party.

Taken aback, Qiu Wushui, a girl who had recently left the school environment and was unaccustomed to such confrontations, swiftly moved to Su Chen's side, holding onto his other arm. Su Chen didn't say anything about her actions, but it drew a look of discontent from Chen Tong, who was already by his side. She shot Qiu Wushui an annoyed look. Although Qiu Wushui noticed, she pretended otherwise. 

"How dare you make trouble in my territory? You're courting death!" The bald man's confident voice rang out, even though he was some distance away. Finally, Qin Yu steadied himself, but the red-haired young man was staring at him intently. The color drained from Qin Yu's face, thinking the man was looking down on him. 

He slapped the red-haired man without hesitation. Even in his injured state, dealing with this lowly thug was a piece of cake. However, the bleeding red-haired man laughed eerily. Even as fear gripped him, he managed a grin and hastily said, "Boss, it's this guy, hahaha!" 

"Which guy?"

The fierce-looking bald boss was actually quite displeased with the red-haired underling's behavior. After being humiliated like that, the underling was still able to laugh, which was basically a loss of face for the boss. 

"It's the guy from the day we had a massacre at our Black Dragon Gang. But it's fine; he seems to be seriously injured now. Our chance for revenge has come." Initially, when the underling recognized Qin Yu's identity, he was truly terrified. 

Having been present at the scene, he knew firsthand how terrifying this murderer was. However, he was observant enough to notice that Qin Yu was injured. That slap just now made it clear to him that Qin Yu was seriously hurt.

Upon hearing the underling's words, the bald boss hastened his steps and approached Qin Yu, asking, "Are you sure?" His tone was filled with excitement. "Of course, boss. I could never forget. It was this guy that night." Indeed, both the fierce-looking bald boss and the red-haired underling, as well as the larger group, were members of the Black Dragon Gang. 

But upon hearing "Black Dragon Gang", Qin Yu showed no signs of panic. On the contrary, he was elated. The Black Dragon Gang was now under his control. If these people belonged to the Black Dragon Gang, then they were his men. There were at least twenty of them. He thought that with his command, they would help him deal with Su Chen. 

Even though they might not be a match for Su Chen, it wasn't important. If Su Chen were to kill someone in front of so many witnesses, he would bear the title of a murderer just like Qin Yu. With so many witnesses, the evidence would be indisputable.

"Brothers of the Black Dragon Gang, I am your new boss, Qin Yu. Listen to me and go..." Qin Yu shouted excitedly, but before he could finish his sentence, he was suddenly kicked from behind. He fell face-down, without any time to react. "Qin Yu, I've been looking for you for so long. Today, you've delivered yourself to my door. 

I'm going to slaughter you," the bald boss ordered, and more than a dozen men immediately began assaulting Qin Yu. Although he still had some strength to resist, he soon found himself overwhelmed and was soon being roughed up on the ground.

While Qin Yu had indeed taken over the Black Dragon Gang, these men had since left it. They had originally been members of the gang, especially the bald boss, who was to be the next successor. However, Qin Yu's emergence deprived him of that opportunity. Upon Qin Yu's acquisition of the gang, the bald boss chose to leave. Internally, he was incredibly resentful. The Black Dragon Gang was a significant enterprise, and he naturally wanted it. 

However, Qin Yu's formidable power meant he couldn't challenge him, so he ended up working as a security guard at Chen Tong's club. The pay was good, and he didn't have to get involved in the violent dealings of the gang world anymore, especially with the reputation of the Magic City's Chen family backing him. He was content. 

But now, fate seemed to be assisting him. Not only did he encounter Qin Yu, but the latter also appeared severely injured. Nothing could be more joyful. The bald boss approached the badly beaten Qin Yu and slapped him hard across the face, saying, "Kid, I've waited for this opportunity. You dared to lay hands on our Black Dragon Gang. The position of the gang leader was supposed to be mine! Mine!" 

The bald boss's emotions were palpably intense.

It was a sight to behold when sworn enemies met, especially with Qin Yu in his current weakened state. If not now, then when? But he didn't go for the kill. Even though they were once fierce and menacing, that was when they were part of the Black Dragon Gang. Now that they had joined Chen Tong's club, they had to abide by its rules.

Qin Yu gritted his teeth, feeling utterly humiliated.

The relentless slaps on his face not only caused pain but also represented the ultimate humiliation for Qin Yu. Once a war deity, he had defeated countless strong adversaries under his hand. Yet now, he was treated like this by a group of mere thugs. While filled with resentment, Qin Yu could only endure it at the moment. 

However, in his heart, he already considered these people dead. Every single one of them. He would remember each of their faces. After he recovers, they would all have to die. No, he wanted to make them experience the most excruciating pain in the world. Su Chen was no exception. Especially Su Chen, the root cause of all this. 

He admitted that he had been careless, deceived by Su Chen's facade of mediocrity. But in Qin Yu's view, once he got serious, Su Chen was just a sheltered young master who hadn't faced life and death challenges. How could he compare to him?

The bald boss beat Qin Yu for a while, letting out much of his pent-up anger. Reflecting on it, perhaps Qin Yu's actions even inadvertently saved his life. What was the Black Dragon Gang anyway? It was a poisoned apple that many had coveted for a long time. Perhaps whoever got it would suffer misfortune. The most important thing was that he had now experienced the happiness of living a peaceful life. 

Yet, for some reason, seeing Qin Yu's face annoyed him. So, slapping Qin Yu's face again, the bald boss mocked, "Where's that arrogant attitude now, kid? Others might fear you, but I sure don't!"

The bald boss was brimming with pride. After all, Qin Yu was known to be powerful enough to single-handedly destroy the Black Dragon Gang. The terrifying force behind him was evident. Although the bald boss felt a twinge of regret, now that he had acted, there was no turning back.

Qin Yu remained silent, offering no response. In his current state, he had no ability to retaliate. Provoking the bald boss further would only bring more trouble. However, the bald boss noticed this and seeing Qin Yu's silent demeanor, he sneered and taunted, "I thought you were some big shot. Turns out, you're just a coward. I can't even be bothered to deal with you myself. Boys, throw this guy out."

As his words echoed, none of the underlings moved. Just as he was getting frustrated, the red-haired underling quickly whispered a reminder, "Boss, Boss Chen is right there!"

Boss Chen? The bald boss looked up and was taken aback. Indeed, the stunning face he saw was Chen Tong's. But what startled him wasn't Chen Tong. It was the fact that she was lying in the arms of a man. His entire worldview felt severely challenged.