As she spoke, she slightly raised her delicate chin, her eyes indifferent yet powerful.
That made sense. Lu Chen remembered saying that Guo Fuyun was his bodyguard.
But this time, he wasn't going back to fight!
Lu Chen said solemnly, "Yunyun, don't be silly. You can't go. I'm not going to fight, I'm going to negotiate. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
After a slight hesitation, he revealed the truth: "I'm worried you might go too far, it could be dangerous later. What if you lose control and hurt them badly?"
Guo Fuyun stared at him, ignoring his words, and said bluntly, "I don't trust you, I have to go!"
"You don't trust me? You're kidding!" Lu Chen pointed to his own nose, then stretched his hand inside, his tone sharp: "You don't need to go, go inside and stay here obediently!"
Guo Fuyun snorted, "Let's go!" She tried to walk out again, but Lu Chen grabbed her once more.
Lu Chen's face darkened: "You're disobedient, aren't you? Go inside!"
"No!" Guo Fuyun refused decisively.
Lu Chen, enraged and embarrassed, raised his hand and slapped Guo Fuyun's pert bottom hard. She screamed, clutching her bottom, somewhat bewildered.
Lu Chen shouted, "I'm telling you, I'm going to do serious business, not play around! Don't mess around, or I'll tell your mother! Do you hear me?"
Guo Fuyun shouted, "I didn't hear you!"
Her face was full of stubbornness; it seemed her rebellious spirit was fully unleashed.
"Girls these days," Lu Chen shook his head and sighed. He hardened his heart, raised his hand, and slapped Guo Fuyun's bottom again, shouting, "Didn't hear you? I'll keep hitting you until you do!"
This time, the slaps were quite forceful, loud and clear. Guo Fuyun screamed, and soon her eyes were filled with tears. At first, she seemed to want to hit Lu Chen too, but clenched her small pink fists and didn't strike, only dodging.
Shen Tian smiled wryly, forced to step in and stand between Lu Chen and Guo Fuyun, saying loudly, "Alright, alright, stop fighting! Yunyun, listen to your brother Chen, don't go. He's going to take care of important business. Okay?"
Guo Fuyun gritted her teeth, her face pale, tears welling up. She suddenly screamed, slammed the canvas bag to the ground, turned and rushed into the bedroom.
Du Haoling pinched her nose in frustration, gave Lu Chen a resentful look, and then turned and slipped into the bedroom as well.
Lu Chen smiled wryly and patted Shen Tian's slender shoulder: "Sister Tian, please comfort her."
Shen Tian nodded: "Come back soon, be careful."
...
The Gold Coast was as bustling as ever. Debauchery, bright lights, glamorous men and women, a life of extravagance... these were the best descriptions for this place.
As Lu Chen stepped through the magnificent golden gate, a row of girls with long, white legs lined both sides bowed in unison: "Welcome, esteemed guest! We hope you have a wonderful time!"
They were wearing low-cut dresses; it looked like a whole hostess was about to burst out.
This setup was truly impressive. Even Lu Chen, a seasoned womanizer, couldn't help but gasp in amazement.
A hostess in a form-fitting cheongsam, showcasing her stunning figure, approached and asked in a soft, sweet voice, "Sir, how many people are in your party? Do you have a reservation?"
Lu Chen initially intended to go straight to the peacock room, but then he remembered he was carrying Shen Tian's gift for Bald Qiang! He decided to give the gift first. He said casually, "I'm looking for Bald Qiang."
"Looking for Bald Qiang..." The hostess paused, then suddenly realized, "You're looking for the boss?"
"I don't know who your boss is, I'm just looking for Bald Qiang," Lu Chen said lazily.
The hostess's eyes sharpened, and she suddenly winked at the security guards beside her.
Soon, two burly men in black sweatpants and black vests approached. They were young and strong; calling them security guards seemed more like thugs.
Their gazes at Lu Chen were like knives, their faces radiating arrogance.
It seemed being a security guard at Gold Coast was a prestigious job.
One of them spoke coldly, "What do you want?"
His tone was rather impolite, quite different from the "Welcome, distinguished guest" greetings from the girls earlier. Lu Chen scratched his head and uttered the same old phrase: "I'm looking for Bald Qiang!"
The two security guards' faces immediately darkened:
"Insolence! You dare call our boss by his nickname?"
"Who the hell are you? Have no manners!"
This was unfair to Lu Chen. He only knew Bald Qiang was called Bald Qiang, not his full name. Was he supposed to call him Boss Qiang? Besides, he didn't like the arrogance of these two thugs, so his tone turned cold: "I only know I'm looking for Bald Qiang, I don't know who the boss is! Hurry up, I have other things to do!"
This domineering tone made the two security guards pause slightly.
One of them, more impulsive, yelled: "Brother Qiang is our boss! Who the hell are you? What do you want with Brother Qiang? Tell me first! Do you think you can just see Brother Qiang whenever you want? A nobody like you is so arrogant?"
Lu Chen was genuinely aggrieved. Damn it, where was I arrogant? "It's obvious you're looking down on me."
However, Lu Chen's attire was indeed unremarkable; he was dressed in ordinary casual clothes and carrying a box, making him look more like a deliveryman. His identity and background weren't written on his forehead!
The other guard, with a slightly more discerning eye, sized Lu Chen up and down, saying sarcastically, "Our boss is very busy. If anyone could just say they wanted to see him, how could he get any work done? Besides, you need to explain who you are first. How are we supposed to know what you want, right?"
Lu Chen lifted the box in his hand and said calmly, "I'm here to deliver a gift to him!"
This made the two security guards even more wary.
What was in that box? Could it be dangerous explosives? Or maybe poison gas?
It's no wonder the security guards were wary. Someone like Bald Qiang (a character from a popular Chinese TV series) is bound to have enemies who might plot against him. They had to be cautious.
"What the hell?" The more arrogant security guard snatched the box away. "I need to check!"
Lu Chen scratched his head. Was this the quality of security guards at the Gold Coast?
The guard had already opened the lid.
"Hmm?" He reached in and grabbed the scarf inside, pulling it out in one swift motion. The scarf, which had been neatly folded, was now a mess. He shook it several times but didn't find anything unusual.
However, this was quite strange. He stared at Lu Chen. "You, a grown man, delivering a scarf to our boss? This looks like it's hand-knitted? And it's only September, and you're delivering scarves? What's the meaning of this?"
That's true, September was far from the season for scarves.
Lu Chen explained, "Uh, I'm delivering it for someone else."
"Delivering it for someone else?" The guard sneered, as if he had discovered something. He yelled, "It was delivered for someone else, why didn't he deliver it himself? What's the meaning of delivering a scarf? What are you trying to do? This scarf is quite sturdy..."
He shook the scarf, scoffing, "I just watched a revenge movie, the protagonist strangled his enemy with a scarf. Damn, are you trying to pull that off too? So suspicious, I have a feeling something's fishy about you!"
He became increasingly smug, as if he were some kind of detective like Sherlock Holmes or Conan. He shoved the scarf back into the box and tossed it aside.
Then, he roared, "Kid, tell me honestly, what's your intention?!"
The other security guard also became alert, the two of them surrounding Lu Chen, seemingly ready to apprehend him.
Lu Chen smiled wryly. What was going on? Why was he being treated like this? Did he really look like a criminal?
At that moment, he saw a bald, burly man in a suit, incredibly imposing, exuding a terrifying explosive power even in a suit. Bald Qiang walked over.
He first went to the box, saw a scarf sticking out, hesitated for a moment, then squatted down. He grabbed the scarf and squeezed it. Suddenly, he sniffed hard. Then, a strange light flashed in his eyes, as if he had remembered something.
Then, he buried his face in the scarf, breathing deeply.
It seemed there was a scent in the scarf that intoxicated him.
Immediately afterward, he grabbed the scarf and, without hesitation, draped it around his neck.
He stood up abruptly and strode towards them.
His face, which had just shown signs of intoxication, now faintly carried a sharp, murderous aura.
Reaching the scene of the incident, he glanced at Lu Chen, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes before disappearing. Then, he asked, slowly and deliberately, "Who threw the scarf?"
The security guard who had dropped the scarf froze, watching it sway on the boss's shoulder, feeling uneasy.
Did he throw the wrong one?
He quickly said, "Boss, I threw it! But I suspect this towel delivery person is dangerous. Isn't it strange that he's delivering towels in this weather? The towel isn't worth much, so I..."
"Which hand threw it?" Bald Qiang's face darkened.
Not worth much? If it's really what I think, it's worth more than a hundred of your lives!
Hearing this strange question, and seeing the boss's menacing expression, the security guard suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, knowing something was wrong. So, he instinctively pulled the hand that had dropped the towel back.
Damn it, Bald Qiang acted quickly, grabbing his hand in an instant. Then, he pinched his wrist from the back of the hand and twisted it hard. Instantly, the security guard screamed, staggered backward, and fell to the ground with a thud.
His hand drooped limply; he tried to support it, but the pain only made his face contort.
Clearly, his hand was severed.
Lu Chen was secretly shocked. Damn! This Bald Qiang is ruthless!
Chapter 45: The One-Handed Security Guard
Bald Qiang said to a security guard foreman who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, "Send him to get treatment. The company will cover all medical expenses. His salary will be tripled. He's fired!"
The last two words exuded immense authority.
The security guard foreman quickly agreed. Then he walked over to the one-handed security guard and slapped him on the head: "You bastard, you dare offend the boss? Don't you want to die?"
The one-handed security guard whimpered, unable to speak.
There was nothing he could do but accept his bad luck. At least he understood why he died—it was just a scarf! "Was it worth breaking my hand? Honestly, that's cruel."
The other security guard, who was with the one with the broken hand, was also pale-faced, secretly relieved. "Luckily I didn't do it, otherwise I'd be in the same boat!"
Bald Qiang said calmly to Lu Chen, "Come with me!"
He turned and walked away. When he reached the box containing the towel, he hesitated slightly, picked it up, and hugged it to his chest like a treasure. From this small gesture, Lu Chen once again saw the deep love Bald Qiang had for Shen Tian.
He shook his head and sighed, inwardly humming, "What is love in this world, that it makes people..."
The others watched Lu Chen's retreating figure, and of course, no one dared to stop him. Who is this guy anyway? He brought a scarf, the guard threw it away, and then the boss broke his hand!
He's got connections!
A few older security guards were even more surprised when they saw Lu Chen. They recognized him! Wasn't he the guy who kidnapped a little stripper girl last time he came here?
Back then, Miss Shen was in charge, and the current boss was the same security chief. This guy even got into a fight with the boss and his men, and just when he was about to be overwhelmed in a relentless brawl, Du Ling, the head of Hongqing Hall, and Pang Bei, the godfather of Yunzhou underworld, came to his aid. It was quite a spectacle!
How come now he seems to be the boss's VIP?
Soon, this story spread throughout the nightclub, becoming quite a legend.
In a luxurious office, Bald Qiang sat comfortably in the boss's chair, gently placing the box aside, holding the scarf in his hands, stroking it lovingly.
Then, he looked at Lu Chen, his eyes questioning.
"You know what I mean," Lu Chen smiled faintly. "She has more time now, so she fulfilled a small promise she made to you."
Bald Qiang nodded slightly, burying his face in his scarf, breathing deeply. After a long while, he finally looked up. His eyes were even glistening with tears.
He sighed deeply. "Her scent is so nice."
Then he added, "If she needs anything, please tell me! I will do everything in my power to help!"
Lu Chen suddenly remembered what he had told Shen Tian last time: if she wanted to return to the underworld, Bald Qiang would probably do anything to help her, even betraying the Golden Hall. However, it was too early to talk about that now.
He nodded. "I'll pass it on."
Then, scratching his head, he said, "That's all, I'll go now. Goodbye. Enjoy your scarf."
As he spoke, a rather lewd thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Bald Qiang suddenly asked, "Did you come here specifically to deliver the scarf?"
"No," Lu Chen shook his head, "Just passing by, I'm going to the Peacock Room to play."
"The Peacock Room?" Bald Qiang jumped to his feet, surprised and uncertain, "It was booked by Ding Huochang, the deputy leader of Hongqing Hall!"
Lu Chen shrugged, not intending to tell him the details, even if he found out soon enough. Lu Chen only said one sentence: "You know I have connections with Hongqing Hall."
Bald Qiang's voice turned cold, and he said, word by word, "First, that room is for settling江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) feuds; second, Ding Huochang brought fifteen men, all experts. Even if any three of them teamed up, I would have a hard time subduing them quickly. Moreover, nine of them were armed!"
Lu Chen scratched his head: "Such fierce firepower..."