Chapter 007: A Woman of Notable Background

Li Huan’s eyes swept across the room. Before the two thugs beside the fat boy could charge at him, he braced himself on one foot, gritted his teeth, and swung his left leg high—delivering a powerful side kick. The thug who’d just struck Li Huan’s thigh panicked, trying to block, but was a moment too late. After all, Li Huan had trained in martial arts since childhood; his basics were solid, and he could easily execute standard moves. He might not know any lethal techniques, but his strength was undeniable. That kick whistled through the air, ruthless and dominant. With a sharp slap, the instep struck the thug’s cheek, sending him reeling as though slapped hard across the face. He lost his balance and crashed to the floor.

Li Huan had no time to follow up; two more thugs rushed him. He grabbed the sofa’s back with both hands, propped himself up, and pushed off with force. Drawing on the explosive power of his arms and thighs, his whole body vaulted into the air. With both feet together, he landed a fierce kick on one of the approaching thugs, halting the man’s charge and eliciting a muffled groan as he was sent flying backward. The impact jolted Li Huan, causing him to stumble and collapse onto the sofa.

The remaining thug hesitated for a moment but quickly saw Li Huan lose his balance and sink into the seat. With a sneer curling his lips, he delivered a swift kick. Li Huan, unable to dodge, took the blow to his abdomen, immediately feeling his stomach churn violently. Thankfully, he kept his wits and grabbed hold of the thug’s leg, enduring the pain in his gut. He lunged forward, pinning the thug beneath him, and raised his elbow to hammer it down onto the man's thigh.

A piercing scream echoed. The once-smirking thug now writhed in agony, tears streaming down his face as he curled his right leg to his chest, rolling back and forth on the floor.

Everyone nearby was stunned, especially the fat boy, whose eyes widened in disbelief. His gaze toward Li Huan grew tinged with fear—this man had just taken down six of his subordinates in succession. Including himself and the idol boy, tonight had been a disaster for him; humiliation flushed his face, alternating between pale and livid, as if his pent-up fury had nowhere to go.

Truth be told, Li Huan’s skills were quite impressive. His fighting style relied heavily on brute strength, though he possessed some technique and knew a few basic moves. Against clueless street thugs, he could easily dominate, but when facing true martial artists, strength alone wouldn’t guarantee victory.

Two nearby men tried to rise, but Li Huan shot them a fierce glare, causing them to shrink back. Aside from those who had fainted, the others weren’t seriously injured and could barely stand, but they weren’t foolish enough to get up and offer themselves as targets.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense and stagnant, with only the thrilling pulse of music filling the space. Su Ci, the pretty girl, and her two companions looked bewildered. They hadn’t expected such chaos tonight—a hotel sales rep, unrelated to their group, had ended up embroiled in trouble simply for sharing a few drinks, attracting the ire of these thugs. What baffled them most was that this hotel sales rep turned out to be a “martial arts master”?

It sounded exaggerated, but in daily life, men who could take on eight opponents at once were rare. Li Huan, though sturdy, was not some superhuman; unless he was a professional bodyguard, how could he be so formidable?

Li Huan ignored the stares around him. After what he considered a perilously fierce brawl, he had sustained some injuries—no bleeding, but his shoulder, thigh, and abdomen throbbed with pain, clearing his mind in an instant. Glancing at the six thugs sprawled on the floor, he felt a wave of dread.

People are often swept away by adrenaline; while it can cloud judgment, it also unleashes strength and courage rarely seen in ordinary times.

Li Huan lifted his head, gazing three meters away at the fat boy. On the sofa beside him lay the idol boy, half-conscious, blood still staining his face and lending him a ghastly look. Behind the sofa stood the “Dance with Wolves” security guards, keeping their distance; not one dared step forward.

He sneered inwardly. He’d always treated them politely, often offering cigarettes during downtime, yet now they all wished to stay as far away as possible. Still, he understood their mindset—working in this environment meant offending the wrong person could ruin you, especially when the name “Doggie” was mentioned. Some older guards shrank back in fear.

The warmth or coldness of human relations—within this reality steeped in hidden deceit and cunning, no one would lend a hand without reason!

Having spent some time in this circle, Li Huan was accustomed to such situations. He didn’t feel particularly desolate, just annoyed at his own bad luck for getting caught up in this senseless mess.

“You really don’t know how to behave. I only meant to teach you a lesson, but now you and I are mortal enemies…” The fat boy continued to threaten Li Huan, trying to intimidate him. He realized that, given the current situation, if Li Huan wanted to fight, he had no means to resist. Now he regretted not bringing more henchmen.

Someone in the crowd, apparently familiar with this self-styled “Doggie,” spoke up: “Doggie, huh? Don’t you know whose place this is? Let me tell you—this is a spot even your father, Big Dog, wouldn’t dare mess around in. What gives you the right to throw your weight around here? Tsk, tsk…”

The speaker was a woman, dressed in a water-blue fitted gown with a vivid jade pendant at her neck. She was about twenty-five or twenty-six, striking in appearance and exuding an aura of authority that was her most noticeable trait. Her presence was heavy, oppressive—even if a beautiful woman sat beside her, she would be eclipsed by the sharpness of her aura, as if all attention was drawn inexorably toward her.

Indeed, the sense of severity and command radiated from her, seeming almost incompatible with her youthful age.

Li Huan and the fat boy both turned to look at her. Li Huan frowned; he didn’t know her, and she paid him no mind, as if she was only annoyed by the fat boy’s disturbance and spoke up to warn him.

The fat boy, initially angry, glanced at the woman and his expression shifted oddly. He sneered, “I didn’t come here to cause trouble. That kid’s just out of line—I was teaching him a lesson, that’s all.”

The woman’s lips curled slightly, as if she wanted to say more but hesitated. Her expression cooled and she spoke pointedly: “If you don’t know what kind of place this is, ask your father. Business has just started, so there aren’t many guests. If you come back later and upset women of status, not even your father could shield you.”

With that, she fell silent, never once looking at Li Huan. Clearly, her intervention wasn’t on his behalf, but simply because the fat boy had spoiled her mood.

As expected, the fat boy seemed uncertain after her words. The background of “Dance with Wolves” was formidable; if the big boss was alerted, consequences would be dire. Yet all his men had been flattened, and more importantly, the idol boy lying on the sofa held far more status than he did. If the idol boy’s beating went unanswered, he’d be in even deeper trouble.

The fat boy’s face darkened. Li Huan was just a lowly drinks salesman—no way the owner of “Dance with Wolves” would intervene for him. But if the idol boy’s issue wasn’t resolved, his own future would be bleak.

Having made up his mind, the fat boy glared at Li Huan with naked contempt, his attitude showing he had no fear. He shook his chubby body, about to call for reinforcements, when a voice from the corridor beside the bar stopped him.

“Planning to call the police? Cause trouble and then turn yourself in? Since when did Doggie become so law-abiding?” From the corridor emerged a man in a sharp suit, hair impeccably styled—the deputy general manager on duty tonight. A woman followed half a step behind him, her hair slightly disheveled and cheeks flushed. Behind them came Xiao Yu and a team of security guards; clearly, Xiao Yu had sensed trouble and gone to fetch the deputy manager.

Li Huan shot Xiao Yu a grateful glance and then looked at the deputy manager, noticing his fly was slightly undone. He caught the peculiar expression on the woman’s face beside him and frowned, suddenly understanding. No wonder the deputy manager had taken so long to appear despite the chaos—he must have lost control as soon as business opened and rushed off to indulge with his mistress!