Chapter 021: Retribution Comes Too Swiftly

“At worst, I’ll just leave. There has to be somewhere I’ll be accepted!” Li Huan was still harboring some resentment. He couldn’t understand how things had turned out this way—for all his hard work for the bar, this was his reward? If his father ever found out, he’d probably have his head for it!

“You throw a tantrum just because I say a few words? You’re letting your emotions get the best of you. If you think leaving will solve everything, you’re wrong. You can’t just run away every time trouble comes knocking, can you? If you do that, you’ll really let Sister Feifei down.” Sun Feifei shot Li Huan a stern look, clinked her glass against his, tilted her slender neck, and downed the drink in one go.

“I’m just worried I’ll bring you trouble. Besides, my old man wants me back anyway.” Just thinking about his father, always wielding that wooden stick, gave Li Huan a headache. He lifted his head and gulped down another mouthful of liquor. The biting heat burned his throat, like a tongue of fire licking down his gullet, making his whole body feel as if it might burst into flames.

“You rarely mention your family. What’s going on today?” Sun Feifei was a bit surprised. She had casually asked about Li Huan’s family before, but the blockhead never breathed a word. She hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but now it seemed there might be some trouble between him and his family.

“It’s nothing. Just that when I run into trouble, I start thinking about them. Looks like I still haven’t grown up.” Li Huan sighed, a hint of sadness in his voice. After all, they were family—things couldn’t stay tense forever.

“Isn’t that true for all of us? Family is our greatest support.” Sun Feifei ordered two more cocktails from the waiter. Halfway through the second glass, her cheeks were already flushed with the heat of the alcohol, adding a touch of alluring charm to her features.

“It’s good if you can see things clearly yourself. As for what happened yesterday, I’ve already spoken to the boss. She’s coming by in a couple of days. When she’s here, I’ll call Doggie over too, and we’ll sort things out. It shouldn’t be much of a problem. For now, just rest up at home for a few days.” Sun Feifei raised her glass again, clinked it with Li Huan’s, and said, “Come on, one more!”

They drank and talked, their conversation meandering from the bar to school, then to men and women. They avoided any mention of their families, but otherwise nothing was off limits. Every now and then, men would approach to try their luck with Sun Feifei, but she greeted them all with easy grace; even her refusals were met with good-humored smiles, never any fuss. This was the essence of personal cultivation—unlike those petty thugs who wouldn’t listen to reason no matter what you said.

Unwittingly, the two of them emptied a whole bottle. Sun Feifei was starting to get tipsy, her speech slurred, her head swaying as she spoke to Li Huan about her dreams. Her soft little hand traced absent patterns in the air. Before long, Sun Feifei simply slumped over the bar.

Seeing her like this, Li Huan could only give a helpless smile. He gave her a gentle push, but she didn’t stir, mumbling dreamily like a sleeping child, which roused a protective tenderness in him.

Just then, a pretty, well-dressed female bartender walked over, glanced at Li Huan, and gently nudged Sun Feifei. “Fei-jie, are you alright?”

“My sister may have had a bit too much. Is it alright if she rests here for a while?” Li Huan wasn’t sure of the bar’s rules and was afraid Sun Feifei might disturb the peace, so he asked.

“Your sister?” The bartender seemed skeptical, eyeing Sun Feifei’s revealing dress with some concern. “Doesn’t look like she’s going anywhere in that state. Tell you what, let her rest here for a bit. When my shift is over, I’ll see her home.”

With that, the bartender left, returning shortly with a glass of hangover remedy. Li Huan helped Sun Feifei drink it, then settled her at the bar, waiting for her to sober up before leaving.

Li Huan understood the bartender’s intentions but said nothing. When Sun Feifei eventually came to, he helped her out of the bar. The bartender tried to stop them, but Sun Feifei dismissed her, saying Li Huan was her junior from school—a harmless virgin with more ambition than daring.

Sun Feifei’s words left the bartender momentarily stunned. She gave Li Huan a once-over, then left with a smile, and no one tried to stop them again.

Outside, Sun Feifei wanted to fetch her car, but she was too drunk, and Li Huan, though still somewhat sober, didn’t have a license. In the end, they decided to take a taxi.

They hadn’t waited long before a cab pulled up. Li Huan helped Sun Feifei inside, climbed in himself, and gave the driver their address.

The driver acknowledged him and set off. At first, Li Huan didn’t notice anything amiss, but after a while he realized something was wrong. Looking out the window, he saw they were headed toward Lion Gate Food Street instead.

“What’s going on? Did you take a wrong turn?” Li Huan thought the driver might be a rookie, but suddenly the cab stopped deep in a narrow alley. The driver hurriedly jumped out, and, illuminated by the headlights, a group of more than twenty men emerged from the shadows. Li Huan snapped awake—he’d been set up!

These men looked like local thugs, wielding short sticks, and a few even had machetes. They surrounded the car menacingly, leaving no time to escape.

Li Huan shook his head hard to clear it. Although Sun Feifei was still a bit dazed, she sensed the danger, clutching Li Huan’s arm and mumbling, “Li Huan, wh-where are we? Why are there so many people?”

“It’s alright. Just stand here and don’t move. When I tell you to run, head for the mouth of the alley and call the police.” Li Huan squeezed her hand to reassure her.

“Don’t do anything rash…” Sun Feifei was sobering up a bit, tugging at Li Huan’s sleeve, afraid he’d get them into more trouble.

“I’m not being rash. But look at us—we have no way out. Do you really expect me to just stand here and take it?” Li Huan gave a bitter laugh. The situation was even worse than the one with Fatty yesterday.

At that moment, the punk with the slicked-back hair whom Li Huan had beaten up yesterday jumped out of the crowd. Beside him stood a burly, bald man with a strange tattoo on his forehead, some kind of totem.

“Boss, this is the chick I was telling you about. What do you think? Isn’t she a knockout?” Slick’s fawning smile made him look like a complete lackey as he helped the bald boss light a cigarette.

“Not bad—you’ve got a good eye!” The bald man grinned, revealing a mouthful of blackened teeth—disgusting to behold.

“Of course, Boss. I saved her just for you! It’s just that this punk here got in the way, or I would’ve delivered her to you myself.” Slick was playing the part of a pimp with gusto.

“Hmph, in this neighborhood, there’s not a woman I can’t have. Xiao Si, take care of the guy—have some fun with the brothers. When I’m done with the girl, you can have your turn!” The bald man snorted coldly, pointed at Sun Feifei, and turned away. A lackey hurried over with a chair for him to sit on.

Bolstered by the boss’s support, Slick straightened up, his gaze lingering greedily on Sun Feifei’s ample chest. He waved his hand and barked, “Cripple the boy and bring the girl here!”

The lackeys, energized by his command, surged forward, more than twenty men blocking all escape routes.

Li Huan and Sun Feifei were trapped in the middle, both growing increasingly frightened. Sun Feifei was trembling, her hands gripping Li Huan’s arm with desperate strength.

Li Huan had never faced a scene like this before. Back at school, even if he got cornered, there were never this many people, and he at least had friends with him. But now, the odds were daunting.

“What do we do? Let’s run!” Sun Feifei, though sobering up, was overwhelmed by fear. All she could think of was escape.

Li Huan forced a smile and glanced around. Both sides were walled in, and the group had already blocked any escape. They could try hiding in the taxi, but that would only buy them a moment—once the doors were smashed open, it would really be the end.

“We can’t run. When I break through, you run as fast as you can for the exit. Get to safety and call the police.” Li Huan pointed to the wall behind them. If he could create an opening, Sun Feifei might escape while he held them off.

“Stay close to me…” Li Huan growled, gripping Sun Feifei’s hand. He lunged forward, landing a kick that sent a thug crashing to the ground, then whipped off his belt and lashed it at the two men ahead.

With two sharp cracks, his belt struck both thugs across the face, leaving wide, red welts that quickly swelled. The pain left them clutching their cheeks in tears.

Three down in a single move—Li Huan’s stature suddenly seemed to grow in the eyes of the crowd. A few of the advancing thugs hesitated, testing the waters but not daring to rush in, simply closing ranks and plugging the gap Li Huan had opened.