“Boss, there’s something off about this dog! My brother-in-law is a police officer, and their trained police dogs are like this—they can bite through a person’s throat directly, even more ruthless than wolves.”

“Don’t be a coward; both of you go beat it!”

The group of thugs exchanged wary glances, hesitant to make a move. They resembled tourists who had unwittingly stumbled into a lion and tiger park, adopting a cautious and submissive demeanor.

Just because they didn’t dare to act rashly didn’t mean that I would be lenient and let them off the hook. “You’re scared now? Why were you so wild when you smashed up my store?”

Without further ado, I grabbed a bottle of liquor and charged towards them.

“Listen to me, even the most vicious dog is just an animal!” The tattooed man was a regular on the streets, getting into fights was a common occurrence for him. He grabbed a stool and lunged at me, rallying his companions with a cry, “Let’s go! Let’s beat the hell out of him!”

But in a matter of seconds, his bravado crumbled into fear. A blur of yellow streaked past, too swift for my eyes to discern, and the tattooed man was swiftly knocked to the ground.

Sharp teeth were dangerously close to his eyes, and hot saliva dripped onto his nose. A pair of black and numb eyes fixed on his vulnerable neck.

The tattooed man swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple rolling. He looked at the scruffy wolf dog, slightly bigger than a normal stray dog, and his lips trembled. He couldn’t even speak a word.

“So fast!” I exclaimed, squatting beside the tattooed man with a scorpion tattoo.

“Smack!” The bottle smashed onto the concrete ground next to his ear. “I have a few questions to ask you. If you answer well, I’ll let you go. If you deliberately hide anything, leaving you with one ear wouldn’t be too harsh, would it?”

“I admit defeat today, but I don’t think we have offended you before, brother,” said the tattooed man. 

“Did you smash a store called ‘peak of happiness at 263 Tingtang Road?” I asked. 

“Yes, I led some brothers to do it,” he confessed. 

“That’s a remarkably straightforward answer. So, who is your boss?” The haze of my drunkenness dissipated, leaving me clear-headed in the cool breeze. The tattooed man faltered, pausing for a moment.

“You can’t afford to offend them. They are in charge of half of Jiangcheng,” he said. 

“Is it Jiangjin Real Estate? Did Jiang Chen himself ask you to do this?” I inquired. 

“We are not qualified to speak with the young master of the Jiang family. The one who hired us is Shi Youfu, the security captain of Century New Estate,” the tattooed man replied honestly while lying on the ground. “If you are really angry, go find them. I heard that Shi Youfu is having a birthday party with several girls at the Blues Bar tonight.” 

“The Blues Bar…” I had no intention of wasting time with these small-time crooks, so I quickly recalled the information about the Blues Bar and urged, “Let’s go, Baiqi, Xiao Feng.”

As we hastily left the night market stall, I was oblivious to the tattooed man’s resentful glare. Instructing Xiaofeng to return to the shop on her own, Baiqi and I made our way towards the Blues Bar.

The Nightless Street was located in the center of Jiangcheng City, with a long street full of restaurants, KTVs, bars, and other entertainment venues that operated throughout the night, never turning off their lights.

The Blues Bar I was looking for was located right in the middle of the Nightless Street. It was a bar with industrial metal parts and simple striped wood as the main color scheme. The interior decoration was somewhat oppressive, but many young people liked to come here.

Compared to the dull decor, I believed that more customers came here to consume because of the mysterious bar owner. I ordered a cold beer and sat in a dim corner of the bar, the loud heavy metal music tormenting my eardrums and occasionally a bright spotlight shining on me.

I furrowed my brows, trying to comprehend why so many people liked to indulge themselves in this kind of place.

As I scanned the room, my eyes searched for Shi Youfu, the captain of the Century New Estate’s security team. I had met him once at the Jiang family’s wedding, and his appearance was familiar to me.

“Is he not here? Or is he still inside one of the private rooms?” I looked around and saw a chaotic scene with youngsters rubbing against each other, fueled by passion.

“Hmm?” My gaze stopped at the innermost part of the bar, where a little girl around eight or nine years old was lying on the bar counter doing her homework.

She looked like a doll, very obedient, and the outside music and dancing crowd seemed to have nothing to do with her. With her head down, she silently wrote her homework.

“With such a noisy environment, can you even concentrate on your work?”

The little girl didn’t even look up, completely ignoring me. “What’s your name? Have we met before?” After I said this, the staff at the bar couldn’t take it anymore and looked at me with a wary look, as if they had encountered a pervert. 

“Your skills at picking up girls are pretty old-fashioned.” A drunk guy hugged his girlfriend as he walked past me, staring at the little girl several times. “You dare to hit on someone so young. Let me give you a piece of advice: don’t ruin your life for three minutes of pleasure.” 

With a bitter smile on my face, I shook my head. I really felt like I had seen the girl somewhere before. Due to the nature of my job, I pay close attention to everything and everyone around me, and this feeling was definitely not an illusion. 

“This bar prohibits pets from entering, sir. Watch your dog,” the waiter also said, walking over with an unpleasant look on his face. 

“After I finish this drink, I’ll leave.” My original intention was to observe from the shadows, keep a low profile until I found Shi Youfu, and although I was curious about the girl’s identity, I was still prepared to leave quietly. 

As I stood up, someone grabbed my hand with a cold, smooth grip, like polished jade. I turned in surprise and saw the little girl holding a pen in one hand and gripping two of my fingers tightly with the other.

Confused, I stood frozen in place. A man slurred his words and exclaimed, “Wow, buddy, you’re a master of playing hard-to-get! You took advantage of her youthful curiosity and led her into your trap. You’re a true player in the game of love, and I applaud you!”

I tried to interject, “No, you don’t understand–“

But he interrupted me, saying, “You don’t have to say anything. I know what you’re thinking. According to our laws, the minimum sentence for a girl under 12 years old is three years! Don’t hesitate, buddy. Life is short, and chasing fame and fortune is just an illusion. Follow your heart and enjoy the moment!”

“I don’t give a damn about what you think!” I sat down on the chair with the girl holding my hand, but she remained silent and kept her head down, seemingly engrossed in something.

The waiter caught sight of this and hurriedly left, presumably to fetch someone.

“Hey there, student, have we met before?” I attempted to strike up a conversation with the girl, but she continued to hold my hand in silence, leaving me feeling awkward, as if I had unintentionally wronged her.

“You two have met before? How come I, her mother, had no clue?” A voice chimed in, and I turned my gaze towards a woman who exuded an indescribable allure, instantly drawing my attention.

She possessed a natural magnetism that captivated men, with her mature and enchanting beauty unlike anything I had ever witnessed before.

She held a lady’s cigarette between her fingers, lightly biting her crimson lips, making people feel both excited and thirsty.

My gaze followed her smooth neck downward, and I noticed a mysterious azure blue color that seemed to pulse to the rhythm of the music. Upon closer inspection, it was a beautifully crafted fox tail tattoo, extending from her chest all the way down to her thigh.

I had met many beautiful women before, but few could compare to her.

“Why are you staring? I’m talking to you.” She sat next to me and signaled to the waiter, who brought out a bottle of Royal Salute and began to mix a drink on the spot.

“This kind of alcohol is usually sold by the bottle, but I’ll treat you today.” The drink had three layers, with flames burning on top, creating a beautiful sight.

I had never tasted this kind of drink before, and the burning flames were like the woman in front of me, leaving me speechless.

“Who are you?” I asked. 

“You are sitting in my bar, holding my daughter’s hand, and now you’re asking me who I am?” She took out two ice cubes and put them in the drink, creating a rich aroma of extreme cold and heat. 

I looked away and followed her lead, adding ice cubes to my glass. “Onizuka Ayaka?” 

Her Chinese was so fluent that I wasn’t sure if my guess was correct. “Try my wine. It’s a new recipe that you won’t find in any other bar.” 

In her shop, in front of the mother, holding her daughter’s hand, how could I possibly feel comfortable drinking alcohol?

“It’s a misunderstanding. I just felt like your daughter looked familiar, like I’ve seen her somewhere before.” 

“Just seeing her makes you hold her hand? Even as her mom, she doesn’t let me touch her.” Onizuka Ayaka’s words had an underlying meaning that I could sense. 

“I’m sorry, I must have mistaken her for someone else. I don’t come across children her age in my daily life and work.” 

Onizuka Ayaka didn’t seem angry after hearing my explanation. Instead, she said meaningfully, “Just because you don’t come across them in real life doesn’t mean you haven’t encountered them in your dreams.” 

She picked up her glass and swayed her hips. “Sakurako, come to my room for a bit.” 

“Sakurako?” When I heard that name I almost dropped my glass. During the live broadcast in the New Shanghai High School, a little girl stood up at that critical moment to help me fend off the evil spirit of Yuan chen. That girl filled with resntement was called Sakurako.

“But isn’t Sakurako a ghost? The girl in front of me is definitely a living human being though!” I nervously held the girl’s face in my hands, but my hands shook uncontrollably when I saw her expressionless face. 

“They look exactly the same! She and that ghost look exactly the same!”  

Closing the textbook, Sakurako took my hand and followed Onizuka Ayaka. The three of us and the dog walked to the employee lounge behind the bar, away from the noisy crowd. Under the envious and jealous gazes of others, Onizuka Ayaka closed the door to the room. 

She took off her high heels and elegantly sat on the bed. Even her casual movements would test the willpower of a normal man. “Don’t be so restrained; relax,” she said.

How could I possibly relax in this situation? Right now, all I want to say is, fortunately, I didn’t wear sweatpants when I left in the morning.

“Do you have a reason for calling me here? We don’t seem to know each other.”

“Don’t be so formal. Sakurako likes you, so I’ll like you too. Once I start liking someone, you can do whatever you want.” She stretched her body, revealing her amazing curves. “Do you need a hint?”