Chapter 33

Xia Yunjie had a premonition that Guangtouqiang would make a huge fortune, but he never expected it to happen today, nor did he know the amount would be so enormous. At this moment, Xia Yunjie was standing quietly in an inconspicuous place, just like the past two days, waiting for customers to finish paying and get up, then quietly moving forward to clean up. Sometimes, Xia Yunjie would subconsciously look at the spot where Qin Lan used to sit. Qin Lan had said she would return his money and clothes, but it was already the second day, and Xia Yunjie had neither seen her nor received her call.

This wasn't because Xia Yunjie was particularly heartbroken over the hundred yuan and the clothes; it was just that he seemed to want to see her again. She was the first woman he had seen naked, so sexy and alluring! Xia Yunjie couldn't help but think of her, the high peaks, the tender and mysterious places, and of course, her cold but beautiful face.

However, until the bar closed, Xia Yunjie didn't see Qin Lan appear.

But it was just a hundred yuan and a piece of old clothing. Perhaps she had already forgotten about it, or perhaps it was better that she didn't show up, to avoid the awkwardness of meeting. Xia Yunjie walked out with Cheng Ping and others, laughing and talking, but deep down, he felt a faint sense of loss at the thought of never seeing Qin Lan again.

"Xia Jie, the person who borrowed your bicycle yesterday, did they return it to you?" As they walked out the door, Zhang Xiaojun, who had been chatting with Wu Yuqi and others, suddenly turned to ask Xia Yunjie.

Everyone's faces showed a hint of discomfort, especially Cheng Ping's, who looked slightly annoyed. Anyone could tell that bicycles stolen these days would never be returned. Xia Yunjie's words yesterday were just self-consolation, and everyone had laughed it off. But now, Zhang Xiaojun was actually bringing it up seriously, which seemed a bit over the top.

"Of course, look, isn't this my bicycle?" Xia Yunjie smiled and pushed the bicycle over.

"Xia Jie, is this really the bicycle you rode yesterday? How did you find it?" Cheng Ping recognized Xia Yunjie's bicycle and was surprised.

"They returned it on their own." Xia Yunjie replied calmly.

Everyone was initially stunned, then burst into laughter, thinking Xia Yunjie was joking. These days, no thief would return a stolen bicycle. Only Zhang Xiaojun, seeing that Xia Yunjie had indeed found his bicycle, looked a bit embarrassed, laughed dryly, and went to start his car.

Seeing Zhang Xiaojun leave, Xia Yunjie didn't bother to argue with him, waved to everyone, and rode his bicycle toward the Deya neighborhood.

At two in the morning, the wide road was almost deserted except for the occasional car speeding by.

The Deya neighborhood was quite far from Nan Shan Road, requiring him to pass through more than ten intersections and several streets.

Xia Yunjie rode his bicycle freely and leisurely, the wind blowing in his face, bringing a rare coolness of summer.

Just a few more intersections, and he would see the Deya neighborhood. Suddenly, the roar of motorcycle engines sounded behind him, growing louder and closer, and the glaring headlights illuminated the road like daylight.

Xia Yunjie quickly moved to the side, and the motorcycles, like a tornado, roared past him.

Xia Yunjie watched the motorcycles disappear into the distance, the women's bras waving in the air, and shook his head.

This world was full of drama and irony. Some people worked hard until midnight, while others sought excitement at midnight out of boredom.

Continuing to ride his bicycle leisurely, when he passed Jianming Road, where the bar owner Shao Lihong had been attacked the day before, Xia Yunjie saw the group of young people who had been racing motorcycles at midnight again.

The young people were screaming and driving their motorcycles erratically, the headlights flashing wildly. In the light, Xia Yunjie saw three women in panic.

Xia Yunjie's face turned cold, and he pedaled hard, his bicycle shooting forward like an arrow.

In a few breaths, Xia Yunjie caught up with the group, darted between the motorcycles, and swept across the road, blocking their path.

"Stop! What do you think you're doing?" Xia Yunjie shouted sternly.

Xia Yunjie's sudden appearance and shout made the young men, who were screaming and chasing the three women, brake hard. The quiet street was filled with the screeching of tires.

When the young men braked, the three women turned around and saw Xia Yunjie standing alone on the street, facing the group of bikers, and cried out, "Xia Jie!"

The three women were employees of the BLUENIGHT bar, two of whom were Wu Yuqi and Liu Ke, and the third was Xu Jia, also a bartender like Xia Yunjie.

They were not only colleagues but also roommates, usually going home together by bus after work. With so many people, they never felt unsafe, even at midnight, and nothing had ever happened. But today, they had just gotten off the bus when they encountered a group of thrill-seeking bikers.

There were eight young men in the group, five of whom had women on their bikes, and they were short of three women. When they saw the three women, dressed provocatively and looking beautiful, they stopped and invited them to join them.

Wu Yuqi and the others naturally refused and tried to walk away, but the bikers chased after them.

Xia Yunjie realized that the three women being chased were his colleagues. He turned to Wu Yuqi and the others and nodded, saying, "Don't be afraid, I'll handle it."

Xia Yunjie's words only made the young men laugh even harder.

"Damn, kid, if you want to be a hero, you should know your place!" A young man with a mohawk flipped Xia Yunjie the middle finger, his face full of disdain.

Everyone laughed again, and the woman on the back of the mohawk's bike deliberately waved her bra at Xia Yunjie, cooing, "Brother Jie, come save me, he, he tore off my bra!" She had heard Wu Yuqi and the others call Xia Yunjie "Xia Jie" and was deliberately calling him "Brother Jie."

"Ha ha!" Laughter echoed through the empty street.

"Is it that funny?" Xia Yunjie's voice suddenly turned cold.

The laughter stopped, and the bikers looked at Xia Yunjie as if he were already dead.

"Damn! You really think you're a hero!" The mohawk revved his motorcycle, his somewhat handsome face showing white teeth.

The others laughed and started their motorcycles, the engines roaring like fighter jets, making the hair on one's skin stand on end. The sound alone was enough to make one break out in a cold sweat.

"Wh-what are you going to do?" Wu Yuqi and the others, seeing Xia Yunjie still standing in the middle of the road, admired his courage but knew his actions were foolish and suicidal. They hid behind him, trembling, and called out.

They were terrified that these lawless guys would charge at them on their motorcycles.

"What? Didn't we already tell you? Come play with us!" The mohawk smirked, looking as if he had them cornered.

Wu Yuqi and the others, hearing the bikers repeat their demand, were almost in tears. Wu Yuqi, being slightly braver, suddenly remembered the boss who "protected" the BLUENIGHT bar, Zheng Zhihua, and quickly mentioned his name, "Boss, let's talk. We're with Brother Hua, please give him some face."

Xia Yunjie, new to the bar, didn't know that besides the necessary security personnel, bars usually had someone to "protect" them. In simpler terms, these were the people who collected protection fees. Security personnel handled ordinary disputes, like drunk patrons causing trouble, which could be resolved by security. But for more serious issues, like troublemakers and hooligans, the "protector" would step in. Xia Yunjie was about to act, but when Wu Yuqi mentioned Brother Hua, he became curious and decided to wait.

"Brother Hua? What kind of Brother Hua? I've never heard of him!" The mohawk sneered, as if he were the top gangster in Jiangzhou, and the others were just small fry.

"He's Brother Hua from the Hu Hu Tang, Boss Zheng Zhihua!" Wu Yuqi, growing desperate, blurted out.

"Ha! He doesn't deserve to be called Brother Hua. Call him and see what he calls me, Luo Dawei!" The mohawk, now even more disdainful, replied.

Wu Yuqi and the others, seeing that mentioning Brother Hua, who usually intimidated them, was useless, were terrified. They looked at the group of strangely dressed bikers, their lips trembling, not knowing what to say.

"I don't care what he calls you. If you leave now, I'll let it go. I don't want to discipline you for your fathers. But if you keep this up, don't blame me..." Xia Yunjie, seeing Luo Dawei's arrogance, finally decided to stop playing games and spoke in a more intimidating tone.

But before Xia Yunjie could finish, Wu Yuqi and the others were already terrified, interrupting him, "Brother Dawei, Brother Dawei, let's talk. Xia Jie is new and doesn't know better. We, we'll play with you..."

By the end, Wu Yuqi and the others were in tears, both grateful for Xia Yunjie's bravery and wishing they could kick him. If Xia Yunjie hadn't spoken, there might have been a chance, but now all hope was lost, and who knew what these guys would do.

"Damn! I don't think he's just ignorant, he's looking for death!" Luo Dawei, who had never been insulted in his life, let alone disciplined, was so angry that he revved his motorcycle and charged at Xia Yunjie before Wu Yuqi and the others could finish speaking.

Wu Yuqi and the others, seeing the motorcycle charging at Xia Yunjie, screamed in terror, their legs giving out, and they fell to the ground, too scared to look.

Xia Yunjie, seeing the motorcycle charging at him, smiled coldly. As the motorcycle approached, he moved slightly to the side, effortlessly lifted his bicycle, and swung it at Luo Dawei.