The wind picked up into the night and carries the rain in passing. Imperial quiets down with hardly any people and cars in sight.
However, despite the quietness of the rainy night, the sound of continuous footsteps echoes into the night sky like the sound of passing hooves.
In an area of Imperial where the shopping center goes to sleep, the streetlamps dimly light the place. Two sets of footsteps storm through the empty place.
"Ahh—! I hate you, Xu Long! Why did you have to go and find trouble!"
Running with every ounce of energy he has left, Lin Hui angrily curse at the still drunken man running beside him.
"It's not my fault hic*! I only wanted to save the beauty!"
Xu Long yells back in response. Although he is still slightly dizzy from drinking, he can maintain the speed as Lin Hui.
Neither men outran the other nor made sure not to fall. If they did, the massive group chasing them would catch up in seconds. However, no matter how fast they ran, the footsteps behind were gaining up on them.
Seeing a gap between the stores that leads to a dark alley, Lin Hui pulls Xu Long by the collar and turns. He shoves the man behind a huge dumpster and himself after as both their figures squat into position.
"Where did those two bastards go?!"
"Search for them! They shouldn't have gotten far!"
The moment they hid, the people chasing them stops in front of the dark alley. Their shouts echoes into the sky as they search for Lin Hui and Xu Long.
As the footsteps subdue, Lin Hui sighs in relief. He was exhausted and curse inside for not running more often.
"Hic*"
"Shh-"
He glares at Xu Long who hiccupped. His hand quickly covers the man's mouth. Even if the people had gone further, they cannot be too sure. Any small noise will catch their attention.
"Did you guys hear that?"
Suddenly, a man's voice asks from the front of the dark alley. His eyes search the darkness for any signs of movements lurking in the alley. The others had left, but a few of them stayed to be sure.
Lin Hui opens his mouth but only to scream in silence. He wish so badly to beat up the man next to him. However, he tries to think of the pros and cons of their situation. Xu Long was dumb to try and be the hero, but if he was in the man's shoes, he would have probably tried to the hero too.
*Click*
Just when he was thinking to himself, the sound of metal clicking enters his ears. The sound was faint as it mixed with the light footsteps coming in their direction, but he knows that sound all too well.
His eyes dim as the click was the sound of a pistol.
At first, he thought those men only wanted to give them a good beating, but once he heard the gun, everything became clear.
Those people clearly wants them dead.
Earlier in the club, he would have taken down the men, but there were too many people. Even if he did not harm innocent bystanders, that did not mean the other men won't. He has seen and been in situations where innocent people are dragged into a blood bath because they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
He looks away from Xu Long and abruptly stands up. It was now or never.
"What are you doing?!"
Xu Long grits a whisper and quickly pulls Lin Hui back into hiding. He knows that he is a weak drinker, but he also understands the situation they are in. If Lin Hui reveals himself, that would attract the men's attention to him.
Lin Hui shoves Xu Long's hand away and he looks the man dead in the eyes.
"I'll hold them off while you leave. This alley connects to the other street, so you won't be seen."
He does not wait a response and quickly stands up. However, to his unfortunate, Xu Long wraps his arms around his waist.
Lin Hui: "…."
Xu Long: "L-Let's go together. W-What if you get killed?"
Lin Hui: "…."
Lin Hui stares at the man crease brows and twitching lips. He is a straight man who chases after women, but… Seeing the man hugging his waist, he couldn't help but feel he look like a husband abandoning his wife… uh husband?
He shook his head and brush the hideous thought away. Grabbing Xu Long's arms, he lightly push the man away.
"Kill? Hmmf, I am Lin Hui, a loyal follower and subordinate of Han Yue Ling."
The corner of his lip arc into a sneer and his eyes flash dangerously.
"Fate does not run away from its enemies."
His last word finish and he stands up. This time, he was able to slip pass Xu Long without being pulled back. He also hopes that Xu Long will not argue back and use the chance to escape.
He steps out from behind the big dumpster and face his enemies.
"Ass wipes! I'm over here!"
Hearing him, the men were taken back in surprise. They had come to check the alley but did not expect to see the person they were looking to show himself instead.
Seeing that it was the man with only one shoe, they sneer maliciously at him. Even if the other one ran off, there's more of them, so they will easily track him down.
Lin Hui stares at the men with a complex look. He couldn't help but shiver when he saw their eyes. It wasn't fear that he felt but disgust that they dare to look at him like a little bunny trapped in the woods.
The man in the lead stops a few feet away. He points the gun in his hand at Lin Hui.
"Kid, you should have never messed our bosses."
Lin Hui furrow his brows. Their bosses? Ah, that rights, those rich kids didn't even chase after them. As expected, they would never dirty their hands. He cross his arms over his chest and tilt his chin up.
"Kid? I'm old enough to be your grandfather."
He stuck an arm out and shook his index finger as his head follow in rhythm.
"It is ass wipes like your bosses, that should not have messed with me."
"Hahah! You? Too easy."
The man with the gun snickers at Lin Hui's words. Seeing that it only one scrawny man against them, he puts the gun away. There were still seven other men plus him, so taking down Lin Hui should be easy as said.
Without looking away from Lin Hui, he reach down for a piece of wood from a broken crate that the store employees tossed out.
He lightly tap the wood on his palm and shook his head.
"Wrong choice of words, kid. If you had just stayed still and let us beat you up, none of this would have happened."
He slowly walks towards Lin Hui and sneer.
"Let's get him—"
*Thud!*
Before Man 1 could finish his words, he was hit on the head by a glossy item. His head froze as it tilt back and he stares up to the sky. The object did not fall but stayed perfectly in place on his face.
He tilt his head forward and the object bounce onto the wet floor. Seeing what it is, he was dumbfounded. Steam quickly blew out from his nostril like a Spanish bull. His face turn red and he grit his teeth.
"Who threw the fucken shoe?!"
The other men were just as dumbfounded. None of them had seen where the shoe came from. Their heads dart in every direction to find the person. However, there was no one in sight except for them and Lin Hui. Did the shoe fall from the sky?
"I threw the fucken shoe."
A voice answers the man as the figure steps out from behind the big dumpster. His entire being was drenched from head to toe by the rain. However, his eyes did not look normal. It was as if the beast inside him had awaken from a deep slumber.
Lin Hui maintained his composer to not laugh at Man 1's red and embarrassed face. He ignores the men and turns to look at the figure and frowns.
"Xu Long, what the hell are you doing? Why haven't you left yet?"
Xu Long does not answer right away. He stares at the eight men with eyes of a ferocious beast finally let out of its cage. Taking two steady steps forward, he stood shoulder to shoulder with Lin Hui.
"I am Xu Long, the loyal assistant and subordinate of Lu Tian. There's no way I am going to run and leave a brother behind."
Lin Hui blink his twitching eyes at the man. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Is Xu Long sober now or still drunk?
However, it's not time to ask questions. His head turns away from the man and looks at the eight men. Each person held their own weapons but that does not matter.
Do or die, they are men trained to never run away!