There was a delay with the last chapter's release; it has now been republished. This is to inform you!

"Thump, thump, thump!"

The sound of hurried high heels echoed, and a striking figure shot out from behind Wang Zhuo. It was Ning Yao, her temper finally ignited, filled with intense loathing for Jiao Yuanbo, the very instigator of the trouble. She rushed up to Jiao Yuanbo, swung a thick, dark green empty beer bottle, and brought it down in a wide arc toward his head!

Jiao Yuanbo wouldn't let himself be struck that easily, would he? A full bottle to the head causes injury, but an empty one can be fatal! He frantically dodged aside, and the bottle only grazed his shoulder.

This move was purely a reflexive act of self-preservation, but it instantly enraged the heroines in the room. Led by Ning Yao, the women surged forward and rained down a flurry of blows. Though utterly without form or strategy, the beating was enough to allow Jiao Yuanbo to cover his vital spots and sustain only superficial injuries. However, it served as the channel through which their fury was vented.

When they finally retreated, exhausted from beating him, Jiao Yuanbo’s clothes were unrecognizable, covered in the imprints of women's shoes. While his injuries weren't as severe as Ma Qiang’s group, being repeatedly kicked hard by sharp stiletto heels meant he wouldn't fare much better. If examined by a doctor, he would certainly qualify for a moderate injury rating due to extensive soft tissue contusions and minor internal bleeding across his body...

Comparatively speaking, it was Old Five, who had sobered up and was hurrying back into the restaurant, who sustained the lightest injuries—at most, a mild concussion that would require a few days of rest. The other lackey had a dislocated shoulder and a hairline fracture, requiring at least a month of recovery. Navy’s nose was broken and already swollen into a bun shape, necessitating surgery soon. Ma Qiang’s injuries were the most severe; he had just managed to prop himself up sitting sideways on one hand, while blood continued to drip steadily from the mouth he clutched with the other.

“Boss Ma, I ask you, what was the need for all this?”

Wang Zhuo’s voice finally cut through the air, seeming ethereal and distant near Ma Qiang’s ear: “You refused the polite toast, yet insisted on drinking the punitive cup?”

Ma Qiang looked up at Wang Zhuo, who was walking toward him step by step, his eyes blazing with surging rage and deep-seated venom.

Squatting beside him, Wang Zhuo’s arrogant expression suddenly turned bone-chillingly cold: “Ma, if you don’t want to suffer any more physical pain, you’d best drop that look.”

Ma Qiang’s heart jolted violently, and his gaze involuntarily flickered away, shrinking back, daring not to meet Wang Zhuo’s eyes any longer.

“That’s more like it.” Wang Zhuo patted his blood-stained face with satisfaction. “You hate me, don’t you? You want me dead, is that it? I know what you’re thinking. Want to guess if I care?”

Ma Qiang suppressed the humiliation, remaining silent as he sat there, his mind already churning out a hundred ways to deal with Wang Zhuo, waiting only for his freedom to unleash a mad campaign of revenge!

A man kills a dog, pays compensation; a dog injures a man, awaits execution!

At this moment, Ma Qiang still viewed the difference between himself and Wang Zhuo as that between a man and a dog. A deep, irreconcilable hatred had been forged between them. Ma Qiang swore he would never rest until Wang Zhuo could neither live comfortably nor die easily, and that everyone connected to Wang Zhuo would suffer to avenge the great insult of this day!

“Ma,”

Wang Zhuo suddenly snapped his fingers on the top of Ma Qiang’s head with a sharp yell: “I know you won't let this go today, but that’s fine; just come at me with everything you’ve got. But let me make one thing perfectly clear: dealing with me alone is your choice. If I ever find out you dared to target my friends, family, or anyone close to me, do you believe I won’t slice you into mincemeat, one cut at a time?”

“Bang!”

Old Five pushed the door open at that moment and was instantly startled by the scene inside the room!

“You better not move,” Wang Zhuo crouched in front of Ma Qiang, raising an eyebrow and speaking coldly: “Boss Ma and I still have matters to discuss. Please close the door properly.”

Old Five hesitated for only a moment before analyzing the situation. On the turf of Jiangzhou’s local kingpin, the visiting dragon Boss Ma had clearly been subdued. If he acted rashly now, the situation would become even more uncontrollable!

Pausing his movement, he slowly raised his arm and gently pulled the private room door shut behind him.

The private room was already in chaos. The owner, having learned the news, was rushing over from the city. The floor manager knew both parties involved were figures of immense power and dared not intervene to disturb them. He didn't even dare call the police; since neither party had requested it, interfering arbitrarily risked the entire restaurant being shut down!

“Did you hear what I said?”

Another sharp slap, and Ma Qiang’s disheveled hair flipped to the other side.

Ma Qiang kept his head down, nodding slightly in humiliation twice.

Even a brave man knows to avoid immediate disaster when the odds are against him. The problem was that he hadn't judged the situation correctly earlier; when Jiao Yuanbo gave him the hint, he hadn't taken Wang Zhuo seriously, resulting in this bitter pill he now had to swallow.

He nodded his head, but his thoughts were far from submissive. Instead, he secretly resolved that the moment he returned, he would send people to investigate every woman connected to Wang Zhuo, determined to seize one for leverage first!

“You seem to be humoring me,”

Wang Zhuo’s gaze sharpened. His X-ray vision keenly detected the hidden malice in Ma Qiang’s expression. He grabbed Ma Qiang’s hair and forced his face up.

“Look at my eyes,” Wang Zhuo’s voice was piercingly cold: “I always keep my word. I strongly advise you not to test me!”

His predatory gaze, like that of a prehistoric beast, sent shivers through Ma Qiang, finally paralyzing him with fear. This look, one usually reserved for executioners, caused him bone-deep palpitations, finally making him abandon the thought of retaliation. Trembling, he nodded fearfully.

Wang Zhuo saw the submission in his eyes and gave a satisfied, cold snort. Shaking his hand, he flung Ma Qiang’s head aside, then pushed up from his knees and stood.

Jiao Yuanbo and Navy huddled to one side, silent. Only now did they truly understand the terror wielded by Jiangzhou’s foremost local power. What about the Ma family of Beijing? This man didn't give them a second glance; he’d beat you up and then force you to admit defeat on the spot!

Although Wang Zhuo might pay a heavier price later, in this confrontation, Ma Qiang had definitely lost!

Ma Qiang’s followers were already contemplating how to persuade Boss Ma to drop the idea of retaliating against Wang Zhuo’s relatives when they got back. This was Ma Qiang’s usual tactic: striking not just the opponent but everyone connected to them. However, this Wang Zhuo was clearly an overbearing character who meant every word he said, and worse, a reckless desperado who would risk his life when enraged! Dealing with such a person meant either crushing them completely or giving them a wide berth; provoking him with Ma Qiang’s usual methods was unwise!

Old Five’s emotions were a complex mix. Having witnessed Boss Ma’s arrogance countless times, this was the first time he saw him so thoroughly humiliated. Frankly, Boss Ma brought it upon himself—courting another man’s girl and slapping his face. Now, he had finally tasted the bitter fruit.

“I’ll give you two options,”

The man who was more arrogant than the arrogant ones spoke: “The first: drink the penalty shot, apologize to Sister Ning, and then you can scram.”

Everyone was speechless. In Ma Qiang’s current state, could he even drink?

“The second option: if you don't want to drink and apologize, I can use my foot to roll you out.”

Did Ma Qiang have a choice? He certainly wished he didn't, but circumstances trumped will!

Anqi was also a woman of character. After hearing Wang Zhuo’s words, she walked over, poked through the scattered broken tableware with her toe, and found an unbroken bottle of white liquor. She held it up, shook it slightly, and nodded: “It’s enough. Just one cup’s worth.”

Old Five hesitated for a moment before walking over. White liquor could disinfect a wound, and drinking some might help numb Ma Qiang’s pain. It was best to settle things quickly and get Ma Qiang to the hospital.

He took the bottle, twisted off the cap, murmured a few words next to Ma Qiang’s ear, and Ma Qiang nodded slightly. He raised the bottle and slowly tilted it over his bloodied mouth.

This scene was unbearable for the women present to watch, yet recalling Ma Qiang’s face earlier, they felt a surge of exhilarating satisfaction.

Ma Qiang drank about half of the roughly four ounces of liquor, spilling the rest. When the bottle was empty, he flung it aside and looked at Wang Zhuo with bloodshot eyes, waiting for his instruction.

“Apologize,” Wang Zhuo’s lips curled slightly.

With Old Five supporting him, Ma Qiang slowly stood up, took a step forward, bowed deeply to Ning Yao, and walked toward the exit without a word.

He was sure Wang Zhuo wouldn't press the issue unduly, which is why he turned to leave immediately after bowing. Wang Zhuo saw through his calculation but only gave a soft snort before waving his hand at the others, signaling them to clear out quickly.

Soon, Ma Qiang and his entire entourage vanished. The crowded private room was left in shambles, finally offering some breathing room.

“Wang Zhuo...”

Ning Yao managed a wry smile, having a thousand things to say but not knowing where to begin.

“Let’s go. Go back and rest for a bit,” Wang Zhuo smiled at her freely. “I’m soaked in sweat; I need a proper shower.”

Anqi stuck out her tongue: “Did we just get into big trouble?”

“Who cares,” Wang Zhuo shrugged. “Whether it’s the Ma family or the Kong family, even if the Heavenly King himself showed up, if they act like thugs here, they get punched first.”

Ning Yao shook her head and sighed: “Ah, truthfully, today’s events were purely a matter of loyalty.”

“That’s not quite right,” Guan Yingying laughed frankly. “Sister Ning, people fight for their dignity, just as Buddhas fight for a stick of incense. If that Ma fellow had any real capability, fine. But he’s just a jumping clown. What’s he got to be arrogant about in front of us? Getting beaten up by Wang Zhuo is what he deserves!”

Ning Yao pondered for a moment, shook her head, then nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go!” Wang Zhuo tossed away the wet wipe he’d used to clean the blood from his hands and gestured with his right hand: “The real trouble is still ahead. We can talk about it slowly when we get back!”

The group exited the room and walked out. Along the way, they were subtly pointed at and discussed by other patrons and restaurant staff. The group of five men who had left earlier were clearly fighters, yet they were beaten black and blue, while this group of five—one man and four women—had only one physically fit beauty whose clothes were slightly soiled. Everyone was curious how such drastically different outcomes were achieved in the fight.

When they reached the lobby downstairs, the manager rushed forward, about to speak, but was silenced by a glare from Wang Zhuo. Guan Yingying opened her handbag and slapped a bundle of hundred-yuan bills onto the counter. The five then left the restaurant, retrieved their cars, and sped away.

Before them, Ma Qiang’s group of five had only managed to take one car. The BMW whose taillight Anqi had smashed was abandoned in the restaurant parking lot. On the road, Ma Qiang tried to call home but found his lips were too swollen to form coherent words. His resentment toward Wang Zhuo intensified beyond measure, his entire mind fixed solely on revenge against Wang Zhuo!