Chapter 3: This World is Not Simple
Wutong Road, No. 111, Sakura Bird Bar.
It was already past 8 PM, and the city's nightlife had begun.
The street was lined with various parked vehicles, and people out for entertainment were seeking their spots. Some headed to the mall, some to the cinema, others to barbecue stalls, and many into bars, nightclubs, and KTVs.
Most of these people were young, likely including some college students.
Youthful and energetic, they loved to play, regardless of gender.
Inside Sakura Bird Bar, the DJ had finished warming up the crowd. Waiters in white shirts and black pants began serving drinks and fruit platters. The bar's promoters were busy calling regulars and VIP customers to invite them out for the night.
Soon, the place was in full swing, and the lights gradually dimmed.
"Boom boom boom…"
With the powerful beats, deafening sound waves engulfed the entire space. The atmospheric purple and blue laser lights replaced the original incandescent lights. Colorful disco balls spun at a steady pace, reflecting dazzling lights that illuminated a few colorful heads. On the dance floor, people swayed and twisted their bodies to the music.
Fashionably made-up and coldly dressed women laughed and mingled with the men. Handsome men and beautiful women stuck close together, venting their desires.
People have different tastes, but Blake Bai just found it noisy.
In a corner of the bar, beside the marble bar counter, a young man in black security attire stood where the laser lights couldn't reach.
His feet slightly apart, standing meticulously, his gaze slowly scanned the fashionably dressed men and women in the VIP booths ahead, his face expressionless.
Blake was currently working as a bar security guard.
He was trying to trigger the occupation panel for a bar security guard.
Tonight, Blake was very focused. Neither the scantily clad tattooed dancers in the dance floor, the ambiguous kissing under the laser lights, nor the DJ's flowing pop music and the hazy smell of alcohol could distract him.
His retina displayed a panel unique to Blake, almost occupying his entire vision and mind, making it impossible to look away. An ordinary person had received an extraordinary opportunity, and if he wanted to escape his slowly decaying ordinary life, he had to hold onto this chance like a lifeline...
Grasp it firmly and never let go!
Time flew by, and it was 2 AM.
A young man in a tracksuit walked out of the bar's back door.
Blake took out two Green Arrow chewing gums from his pocket and stuffed them into his mouth. He walked forward with his hands in his pockets, chewing as he went.
By the roadside, a drunken girl with heavy makeup and revealing clothes sat on the flower bed, her cheeks flushed and eyes glazed. Some tall and handsome boys were flirting and bantering with the girls beside them.
Blake walked straight ahead and found his electric bike.
Zoom...
The electric bike accelerated towards Beihe Road.
The cold wind hit his face, and Blake could see some staggering men and women on both sides of his vision, seemingly heading toward nearby motels. It looked like they had a great night! The electric bike turned into a quiet, dark alley; he planned to take a shortcut back to his rental apartment.
Whoosh...
Driving forward quickly.
The electric bike passed an intersection, and in the dim light, Blake Bai suddenly noticed a dark figure standing there. The figure wasn't leaning against the wall or squatting to smoke, just standing in the middle.
Upright, motionless, facing directly this way.
The bike was moving fast, and Blake only caught a glimpse as he passed the intersection. Even so, a sudden chill ran through him, goosebumps rising on his arms.
It felt like suddenly encountering a poisonous snake in the jungle.
"What was that...?"
Before Blake could ponder, he heard a sudden rush of footsteps behind him, very rapid. Quickly glancing in the rearview mirror, he saw a blurry human figure running towards him, with a pair of eyes reflecting an eerie green light, like those of a predatory animal.
Instantly, fear and panic gripped Blake's heart, making it hard to breathe. The next second, he felt a surge of adrenaline, his blood pumping wildly. Gripping the handlebars, he twisted the throttle to the maximum.
Whoosh! Thud thud thud!
The sounds of the chase echoed in the alley.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Eventually, the sound of the footsteps chasing him stopped and gradually faded away.
Only the sound of the electric bike remained, disappearing into the distance.
Swish, the bike shot out of the dark alley, wobbling slightly as it quickly turned onto the main road, speeding away. Blake looked in the rearview mirror again, but the shadow was gone. He finally exhaled a hot breath, feeling dizzy, his back cold with sweat.
"What was that...?"
"Robbery? A madman? A murderer?"
"Or... a prank?"
Blake's throat was incredibly dry. Panting heavily, he recalled the green eyes in the alley. Was that... human?
Blake vaguely remembered some biology knowledge: human eyes don't have a tapetum lucidum, only animals like cats and wolves have eyes that glow green.
"This world... maybe... isn't simple..."
At 2:10 AM, in Sunshine Neighborhood, inside Blake Bai's rental apartment.
The shower sprayed cool water continuously.
Blake leaned against the bathroom wall with one hand, head down. His wet black hair clung messily to his forehead, like scattered willow branches. He kept chewing the gum in his mouth, even though it had lost its sweetness. Chewing gum was a habit of Blake's, something he enjoyed when relaxing or extremely tense.
Five minutes, ten minutes, twenty minutes.
The bathroom light stayed on.
It wasn't until 2:30 AM that Blake walked out, his face pale.
He lay on the bed, exhausted, staring at the ceiling.
He lay there, eyes fixed, for another ten minutes.
Blake finally broke the silence, muttering to himself.
"Tomorrow, I must unlock the Fighter occupation!!!"
Twenty minutes later, the cool moonlight streaming through the curtain gap gently draped over the young man's face like a thin veil. In his sleep, Blake's brows remained tightly furrowed, as if caught in a nightmare.
Ring ring, ring ring...
Bathed in sunlight, Blake suddenly woke from his dream, his face contorted. He gasped for air, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Looking around, he realized he was safely in his rental apartment. Blake calmed down and checked the time on his phone.
It was 9:30.
After sitting on the bed for five minutes, he quickly walked into the bathroom.
At 9:40, dressed in his usual black tracksuit, wearing his sneakers, and carrying his blue canvas bag, Blake set off.
Today.
Blake had an overwhelming urge to unlock the Fighter occupation!