"Don't you hate this engagement?" Shen Che asked indifferently, as if discussing the weather. "Since that's the case, let's go announce the cancellation to everyone in our circle right now. Come with me."
"What did you say?" Xu Qiuchi's cherry lips parted slightly, her beautiful eyes fixed on Shen Che, full of disbelief.
Is this... really the Shen Che she knew?
The man who had been so obsessively devoted to her could actually speak so casually about canceling their engagement?
The huge contrast made her temporarily unable to process it.
Just then—
"Thump thump thump thump!"
A series of urgent, dense footsteps, like muffled thunder, exploded from the second-floor staircase!
"No one's fucking leaving!"
A furious roar made the air tremble!
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only to see a bald giant, as stout as an iron tower, descending the stairs.
His bare upper body was covered in ferocious tattoos, his muscles bulging, and he carried a heavy baseball bat in his hand. His fierce gaze, like that of a man-eating beast, locked directly onto Shen Che.
Behind him, more than twenty figures, armed with steel pipes, machetes, and chains, streamed down, instantly surrounding Shen Che and his companions, making escape impossible.
The air in the bar instantly solidified. Onlookers retreated like a tide, then greedily gathered again, forming a suffocating encirclement.
"Damn it! Still trying to slip away?" Seeing his backer arrive, Cuntou Nan immediately straightened his back and pointed at Shen Che, yelling, "Boss! It's this Xiao Bai Lian! I kindly invited this beauty for a drink, and he ambushed me and cracked my head open!"
Xu Qiuchi looked at the murderous scene, and a belated chill instantly crept up her spine.
She finally understood: it wasn't Shen Che's "trick" just now, but a genuinely dangerous situation!
If he hadn't arrived in time... immense fear and guilt instantly overwhelmed her.
She truly had let Shen Che down today!
Looking at the more than twenty people on the other side, and Shen Che only having two bodyguards, her heart turned cold: she had dragged him into this!
Behind her back, her fingers rapidly pressed the side button of her phone, activating an emergency call, while also attempting to call the police.
Facing this tense situation, Shen Che remained calm and composed, a faint, almost imperceptible curve even gracing the corner of his lips:
"Huo Long of Shanxin Street? Heh, I'm curious, if Chen Tianle knew something like this happened in his establishment, how would he 'treat' you?"
Cuntou Nan yelled urgently, "Boss! Why waste words with him! Get him! And that girl..."
"Shut up!" Huo Long sharply interrupted, his fierce eyes fixed on Shen Che, his tone carrying a hint of unnoticeable caution: "You... who are you? Which Chen Tianle are you talking about?"
To become a small-time boss, Huo Long relied on his sharp perception.
This young man in front of him, impeccably dressed and with an extraordinary demeanor, had bodyguards with eyes as sharp as eagles by his side. He was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
In Modu, such people were either Young Masters of top wealthy families or scions with powerful backgrounds, veritable Yama Kings whom a small-time character like him could absolutely not afford to provoke!
A slight misstep could genuinely lead to being thrown into the river to feed the fish.
"Chen Tianle? Last week, he had dinner with a manager under Zhao Yihe at Jinyue Haoting. Zhao Yihe mentioned it in passing," Shen Che said, his tone playful, with an air of condescending indifference. "By rights, he isn't qualified to know me directly."
He slightly raised his chin, his eyes carrying a look of charity:
"You can call him right now and ask. Don't have his number? I can have someone give it to you. Just say that Shen Che is 'visiting' his establishment."
Cold sweat instantly broke out on Huo Long's forehead.
Last week, the boss indeed went to discuss business. The location and people involved were confidential; someone at his level had no way of knowing.
Shen Che's composure made his heart pound with fear.
Was it a bluff? Or had he really kicked an iron plate? He dared not gamble!
"Boss! Don't believe him! Look at my head! It's still bleeding!" Cuntou Nan, covering his head, complained indignantly and resentfully, clearly having a close relationship with Huo Long.
"I told you to shut up!" Huo Long roared in annoyance, then gave a look to a few of his subordinates: "Watch them!"
He then quickly walked to the side, pulled out his phone, and with trembling fingers, dialed the number he rarely used.
Shen Che watched with a cold smile, perfectly at ease.
Having read the "script," he knew all too well the true nature of people like Huo Long—they bullied the weak and feared the strong, putting on a brave front while being inwardly timid.
Xu Qiuchi's gaze, however, rested on Shen Che with complexity. This calm, assertive, and even somewhat cold man in front of her was like a completely different person from the gentle, eager-to-please Shen Che who used to revolve around her in her memories.
He really seemed... to have no interest in her anymore?
This realization unexpectedly brought an inexplicable sense of loss to her heart.
A moment later, Huo Long hung up the phone, his face ashen, and walked back with unsteady steps.
Seeing his grim expression, Cuntou Nan thought Shen Che's lie had been exposed and immediately became excited, as if on steroids: "Boss! I told you it was fake! Quickly kill this Xiao Bai Lian! See if he dares to pretend again..."
Before he could finish his sentence!
"Slap—!"
A powerful, heavy slap landed squarely on Cuntou Nan's face!
The force was so great that it made him spin half a circle on the spot, his ears ringing, completely stunned.
"Bo... Boss?" Cuntou Nan covered his face, his eyes full of bewilderment and disbelief.
"Useless trash! Are you blind, you dog!" Huo Long's eyes blazed with fire, fear and fury intertwined, transforming into a storm of punches and kicks!
"Bang! Bang! Thud!"
Heavy punches rained down on Cuntou Nan, making his already bleeding head even worse.
After several brutal kicks, Cuntou Nan couldn't even scream. He slumped to the ground like a broken sack, completely unconscious.
Huo Long panted heavily, pointing at his unconscious subordinate on the ground, his voice trembling with the relief of having escaped disaster: "Damn it! You almost got me killed! If I'm finished, you'll be the first one I throw into the river to feed the fish!"
He suddenly turned around, his face instantly plastered with an extremely fawning smile, his waist almost bent at a ninety-degree angle, bowing repeatedly to Shen Che and Xu Qiuchi:
"Young Master Shen! Young Miss! I'm sorry! Truly sorry! A huge misunderstanding! It's all my fault for my poor management, letting these blind fools offend The two of you! I deserve to die! I deserve to die!"
As he spoke, he glared fiercely at his subordinates, who were now silent as cicadas behind him,
"When I go back, I'll definitely skin them alive! I'll give The two of you a satisfactory explanation! Please, Young Master, be lenient!"
At this moment, where was even a trace of Huo Long's earlier ferocity?
Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking the tattoos on his chest, his eyes filled only with extreme terror and obsequiousness.
On the phone, when Chen Tianle heard the name "Shen Che," the instant burst of rage and fear made Huo Long's legs weak even through the phone line.
The boss had commanded in the most severe tone: appease Young Master Shen's anger at all costs! Otherwise, he, Huo Long, would be "dealt with" cleanly!
"You can't even control your subordinates. Chen Tianle was blind to entrust this bar to you."
Shen Che's voice was icy cold, carrying the oppressive authority of a superior, "Go back and 'discipline' them properly. Otherwise, I don't mind letting your boss come and 'manage' them personally."
After speaking, he no longer looked at the obsequious Huo Long. He reached out and grasped Xu Qiuchi's slightly cool, soft wrist, and with a pull, forcefully dragged her away from the bar.
Xu Qiuchi's body stiffened slightly, her face still showing remnants of shock.
The two bodyguards followed like shadows, protecting Shen Che and Xu Qiuchi, as they calmly walked towards the bar's entrance through the path that the crowd instinctively cleared for them.
Wherever they passed, there was a deathly silence, only awestruck gazes following their retreating figures.