Chapter 005: The Bar Brawl

The club itself was an entertainment venue themed as a bar, radiating a strong blues vibe. The dominant lighting was a shade of lake blue, offering a comfortable ambiance, punctuated by vibrant rose-colored lights that lent an ambiguous air to the space. Though the lighting was not particularly bright, Li Huan immediately sensed danger when he caught sight of the idol male lead’s actions. Suddenly, he saw the man raise a bottle and swing it down toward him. Startled, Li Huan quickly crouched, stepped back, and happened to fall onto a sofa, narrowly avoiding the bottle’s assault.

A sharp crack sounded as the bottle smashed against the sofa’s back, bounced off, and shattered on the floor, shards of glass scattering and refracting dazzling lights under the lamps. Li Huan’s expression changed drastically; he had never encountered a customer like this before. He hadn’t expected someone to attack him outright, nor could he recall ever offending this person.

Watching the shattered bottle of Remy Martin, Li Huan felt a pang of regret. Never mind the liquor—it was paid for by the guest—but the bottle itself was valuable. Reselling it could fetch over two thousand. Yet this bastard had destroyed it without a second thought; what a waste!

Li Huan breathed out in relief and was about to stand, when the idol male charged again, raising his leg to kick at Li Huan’s face. Right then, the chubby man who had followed the idol hurried to the booth, a ferocious look on his face as he reached to grab Li Huan by the neck.

The pair wore expressions of menace, striking with no restraint, as if Li Huan was beneath their notice. Seeing the idol’s foot aimed at his face, Li Huan cursed inwardly, lunged sideways with both hands braced on the sofa to dodge the kick, only to collide directly with the chubby man's soft belly, knocking him to the floor.

The chubby man cried out, swept his leg, and his toe struck Li Huan’s calf. He tried to rise, but his bulk betrayed him, and he rolled aside instead.

Li Huan’s left leg gave way under sharp pain, nearly sending him to the floor. Luckily, his coordination saved him; he pressed against the sofa’s back, jumped aside, and spun to face the idol and chubby man, his expression darkening.

Both men’s attire didn’t mark them as common thugs, though they were flashy and carried an air of insolence. They seemed unfamiliar—Li Huan couldn’t recall seeing them as customers before. Their immediate aggression left him confused and uneasy, prompting him to glance at the three girls nearby.

Sure enough, Su Ci noticed Li Huan. Her gaze swept over him, then fixed on the idol, her brows furrowed as she said, “Gu Ze Xi, stop it! Are you done yet?”

The idol, Gu Ze Xi, was about to charge again, but paused at Su Ci’s words. He turned, his tone proud and dismissive as he sneered, “You finally speak to me? For this man? No, judging by his look, he’s a gigolo—a worthless thing. I could send a few men and wipe out his whole lot in a day!”

At his words, both Su Ci and Li Huan’s faces changed—hers with anger, his with humiliation. This was outrageous!

Li Huan’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening, muscles bulging on his arms as he glared fiercely at Gu Ze Xi, his chest burning with indignation, unable to restrain himself from striking back.

Fortunately, Li Gang arrived just then with several security guards. He hurried over, grabbed Li Huan’s arm, and shot him a glance, urging him to stay calm.

Li Huan bit his lip, refusing to release his fists. Even as a small figure, he had his own dignity and limits. He didn’t know if Gu Ze Xi’s threat to “wipe out his whole lot in a day” was true, but the man’s tone and gaze made it clear—he saw Li Huan as nothing, and even took pleasure in humiliating a bar worker.

“Gu Ze Xi, maybe you should think before you speak. My affairs have nothing to do with you anymore. I don’t need your advice,” Su Ci’s voice was icy as ever, though her anger was evident.

Gu Ze Xi snorted, ignoring Su Ci, and turned to Li Huan, curling his lip in disdain. He glanced at the chubby man and spat, “Damn it, not even letting people in? It’s just a gigolo bar—nothing impressive.”

The chubby man’s expression stiffened. “But the owner here has serious backing…”

Gu Ze Xi slapped him hard on the head, shouting, “Damn it, shut up! Didn’t you say this is your turf? Can’t handle a single gigolo?”

Li Huan’s face darkened. As a man with blood running hot, being insulted like this ignited his rage. Though this bar was full of men selling themselves, Li Huan was not one of them. Exposure to this world had dulled any contempt, replaced more by sympathy. Being called out like that infuriated him.

“Please mind your words. If you’re here just to cause trouble, I’m afraid we’ll have to ask you to leave,” Li Huan’s tone was angry, but Li Gang pressed firmly on his shoulder, struggling to restrain his own fury, and politely warned Gu Ze Xi. After all, Dancing with Wolves was the leader in this circle, with a background not easily crossed by any random thug.

But before Li Gang finished speaking, Gu Ze Xi turned to look at the chubby man, who hesitated. Seeing the cold gleam in the idol’s eyes, he shuddered, then suddenly sprang up, grabbing an unfinished Royal Salute bottle from the table and, without warning, smashed it down on Li Gang’s head.

A heavy thud echoed as the bottle struck Li Gang’s temple. Liquor splattered instantly, and blood mingled with whisky poured down his face, staining half his shirt red.

The chubby man had struck viciously—the bottle hit right near Li Gang’s temple. Amid the piercing screams around them, Li Gang swayed, tried to lift his hand, but felt his strength drain away. He slumped to the side.

Li Huan was shocked, quickly steadying Li Gang and propping him against the sofa. He called out, but Li Gang was already unconscious, blood streaming from his head, soaking his shirt.

“You’re nothing—don’t know what’s good for you…” Gu Ze Xi sneered, slapped the chubby man’s back, then pointed at Li Huan. “Waste this little bastard!”

At that moment, the security guards Li Gang had brought began to react, rushing forward to confront the assailants. The chubby man, seemingly emboldened, shouted, brandishing his broken bottle at the guards and cursing, “Look at me, you bastards! Don’t you know who I am? Every thug on Back Street calls me Dog Bro! You kids haven’t even grown your hair and dare to mess with me? Believe me, I’ll chop you up and feed you to the dogs!”

Whether it was his threat to “chop you up and feed you to the dogs” or his claim that “everyone on Back Street calls him Dog Bro,” the guards were intimidated. They exchanged nervous glances, none daring to make a move.

The chubby man laughed triumphantly, brandishing the broken bottle as he charged Li Huan, cursing, “Kid, blame yourself for crossing the wrong people. I’ve wasted plenty of punks like you—one more won’t matter!”

He finished speaking and was already upon Li Huan, raising the bottle to stab at his face in full view of everyone. Li Huan felt his heart sink—judging by their boldness, anyone who dared to cause trouble at Dancing with Wolves had serious backing. The chubby man’s self-proclaimed title as “Dog Bro” chilled Li Huan, making him hesitate.

But seeing the bottle’s jagged edge coming at his face, sharp as a blade, he knew if it struck, his face would be ruined.

In that instant, Li Huan felt a surge of courage born from earlier humiliation and fury over Li Gang’s assault. He let out a wild roar, darted aside, and the broken bottle grazed his cheek, missing his face but scraping his ear. The sharp pain sparked his fighting spirit, and he kicked out fiercely.

The chubby man, caught off guard, had been boasting, never expecting Li Huan to dodge. The bottle missed, and he stumbled forward, just as Li Huan’s kick slammed into his chest. He barely had time to react before his whole body shuddered as if run over by a wheel, the impact suffocating. In the next moment, his nearly ninety-kilo bulk was hurled aside, crashing to the ground and knocking into Gu Ze Xi as well, nearly causing him to fall.

Li Huan stood his ground, his gaze empty and cold. At this point, fear had given way entirely to rage; his body shook, but he showed no sign of retreat. He glanced at the security guards and barked, “Take Gang Bro to the hospital!”

The guards paused, surprised that Li Huan had actually fought back. They hesitated, glanced at the entrance, and saw several men rushing inside. Frowning, they hurriedly helped Li Gang up and moved toward the back of the hall, where an internal passage led directly to another street.