Chapter 0017: Things Are Getting

InterestingChen Liuhe cast a sidelong glance, clearly seeing the hatred in Qin Ruohan's eyes. He chuckled lightly and said, "Killing Zhang Yongfu or Zhou Yunkang wouldn't be hard, but have you ever thought about this? The Black Dragon Gang might only be a second- or third-rate small faction in Bianzhou, but it still has some influence. Can you guarantee that you'd wipe out the entire Black Dragon Gang without letting a single fish slip through the net?"Chen Liuhe sneered, "If you're not certain, it's best not to push things too far. Because even one fish that escapes could drag you into an abyss of no return. Going for a mutually assured destruction—that's something only a desperate madman would do. And you? You're just a small-time merchant whose business isn't even that big.""As long as I can avenge my father, I'm not afraid of anything!" Qin Ruohan replied with a stubborn streak."Heh, you're not afraid, but I am. Like I said before, why should I kill someone for you? What you're offering me isn't nearly enough to make me risk my life for you." Chen Liuhe shrugged without a hint of mercy.Looking at Qin Ruohan's paling face, Chen Liuhe sighed again. This woman was pitiful in her own way, with reasons that might evoke sympathy. After a pause, he said, "If you really want revenge, focus on building your own strength first. Relying on others will never beat relying on yourself."Qin Ruohan clenched her fists in silence, crumpling the hem of her skirt. Even the ultra-thin black stockings clinging to her delicate skin wrinkled slightly.By the time the two returned to the club, night had fallen. This was the busiest time for the establishment—cars came and went, customers streamed in, and business was undeniably booming.After parting ways with Qin Ruohan, Chen Liuhe found staying alone in the office dull. He decided to head downstairs and found Huang Baiwan, who was guarding the entrance.The two squatted on the steps outside the club, braving the chilly breeze.Huang Baiwan carefully pulled a pack of bright red cigarettes from his pocket, handed one to Chen Liuhe, then stuffed the pack back. He then took out a crumpled pack of Daqianmen, lit one for himself, and puffed away.Chen Liuhe laughed, "Ha, Old Huang, not bad. You've just stepped into your new role, and you're already smoking Zhonghua? Your butt hasn't even warmed the seat, and you're halfway to corruption already?"Huang Baiwan grinned widely, "It's a gift from the security guys below. If I don't mingle with these bastards, I'll be seen as an outsider. Can't win their trust or command respect that way." As he spoke, he lit Chen Liuhe's cigarette for him.Taking a deep drag, Chen Liuhe smiled and asked, "That's true. New leadership means the old captain's crew must be on edge. I've always known you're a master at reading people."Pausing for a moment, he added with a laugh, "But you're the security captain now—why are you still out here guarding the gate?""Besides guarding gates, I don't know much else. Sitting in an office collecting a paycheck without doing anything doesn't sit right with me," Huang Baiwan chuckled. "Places like this attract all sorts—standing at the entrance lets me get familiar with faces. You never know when that might come in handy."A hint of approval flickered in Chen Liuhe's eyes. Huang Baiwan might not have grand wisdom, but he had a knack for small, practical smarts. He knew what he wanted, what he needed to do, and wouldn't let even the slimmest chance to climb up slip by.As the two chatted idly, a sudden burst of urgent chatter crackled through the walkie-talkie pinned to Huang Baiwan's chest: "Captain, there's trouble on the second floor. Two of our guys are bleeding—you'd better bring some people up to handle it!"Huang Baiwan's face tightened. He tossed his cigarette aside and said to Chen Liuhe, "Sixth Bro, I'm heading up to check it out.""Heh, didn't expect our first day on the job to feature a full-on brawl. Things are getting interesting," Chen Liuhe said, standing up. "I've got nothing better to do anyway. Let's go—I'll tag along for the show."In a place like this, troublemakers and fistfights were par for the course, so Chen Liuhe didn't find it surprising.Huang Baiwan didn't waste time. He nodded at Chen Liuhe, turned, and dashed into the club, barking into the walkie-talkie, "All free hands, get to the second floor now!"The "Golden Jade Palace" had five floors: the first and second were KTV rooms, the third had tea lounges and entertainment facilities, the fourth was a women's spa and beauty center, and the fifth was for executive offices.Chen Liuhe strolled leisurely to the second floor. As he stepped out of the elevator, he saw a lively scene in the corridor—seven or eight uniformed security guards had surrounded a private room, mixed with a few visibly shaken "princesses," as the hostesses were called."Gentlemen, you come out to have fun and enjoy yourselves—there's no need to let tempers flare like this. Can't we just sit down and talk it out? Why resort to fighting? It ruins the mood for everyone, doesn't it?" Stepping through the crowd into the room, Chen Liuhe saw Huang Baiwan, who'd arrived ahead of him, bowing and scraping with a smile to the guests inside. This guy wasn't a hothead—he was the type who could toss aside dignity and face at a moment's notice, always ready to lower himself in front of anyone.Chen Liuhe casually scanned the dimly lit room. There weren't many people—just three middle-aged men, all around thirty, lounging on the plush leather sofa.With just a fleeting glance, a faint smirk tugged at Chen Liuhe's lips. These three weren't simple. Beyond their rough, brutish looks, their eyes held a deliberately concealed ferocity, coupled with a subtle aura of menace that ordinary people couldn't fathom. These weren't just men who'd spilled blood—they were ruthless types. That kind of presence couldn't be faked; it was forged through years of grit and grime.On the floor of the room, two security guards groaned in pain, their heads bloodied, with shards of glass still stuck to their scalps—clearly victims of a smashed beer bottle. Near the sofa, in a corner by the wall, a terrified girl cowered. She was heavily made-up, barely twenty, and decently pretty. But right now, her clothes were half-torn, her hair a mess, and her trembling frame betrayed the panic gripping her.Taking in the scene, Chen Liuhe let out a cold chuckle. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. These three guests had gotten carried away, failed to get their way, and sparked this mess.Chen Liuhe stayed silent, showing no intent to step in. He leaned quietly against the doorway, studying the three men with mild interest, curious to see how Huang Baiwan would handle this.At Huang Baiwan's words, the three men flashed menacing grins. The one in the middle bared his teeth and said, "Who the hell are you supposed to be? We came here to have fun, but right now, the three of us ain't happy. So tell me, how do you plan to fix this?"Huang Baiwan kept his temper in check, flashing his signature awkward smile as he groveled, "Gentlemen, if there's been any lapse in hospitality, I apologize on behalf of the club. How about I get you a bottle of fine liquor on the house? Let's let tonight's little incident slide—please, be the bigger men and don't hold it against us."His approach was painfully meek, even cowardly to an outsider. But to Chen Liuhe, it was a smart move. Huang Baiwan had likely clocked that these three weren't ordinary troublemakers.Better to swallow pride and smooth things over than make enemies of shady characters when you're running a business for profit.The trio's sneers deepened. These weren't good Samaritans—each of them had blood on their hands. Freshly arrived in Bianzhou, they'd come looking for a good time, only to run into a "virtuous" girl who wouldn't play along, leaving them fuming.And these guys? They didn't just lack mercy—they thrived on trouble."We can let it go," the middle man said with a smirk, pointing at the trembling hostess in the corner. "Have her come over and keep us company, and we'll pretend this never happened."The scarred man on his left chimed in with a cold laugh, spitting out a few vicious, degrading remarks.Even Huang Baiwan flinched slightly at that, and Chen Liuhe's brows furrowed. Looked like this wasn't going to end peacefully tonight."Gentlemen, that's not really fair, is it?" Huang Baiwan said, still smiling obsequiously. "We run a legit business here. The girls serve drinks, not themselves. If it's mutual and consensual, we don't interfere, but… forcing it? That's not right."He chuckled nervously, "How about this: if you're really pent up, I'll personally cover your costs. You three can hit up a sauna—full service, the works. Guaranteed more relaxing than this."At that, Chen Liuhe grinned and tossed in his own quip, "Good idea. I'll chip in two hundred fifty, no strings attached."Explore Black Dragon GangOrganized crime in Bianzhou