"Whew! That felt great. Watering the plants is what a real man enjoys, hehe!" Xu Ming zipped up his fly, a look of pure satisfaction on his face, before walking out.

"Thud—!"

A dull collision sound, so quiet it was nearly lost in the bar's din, yet it cut through the noise around the TV booth with perfect clarity.

"Sorry, excuse me." Xu Ming, swaying slightly, started apologizing before even seeing whom he had bumped into, exhibiting the ingrained habits of a good student.

"Damn it, watch where you're going, jackass!" a burly man grumbled out, though a flicker of something strangely hypnotic darted through his eyes, almost imperceptible.

"My apologies, my apologies!" Xu Ming froze, looking up at the imposing figure, much taller and broader than himself, and quickly offered a strained, placating smile.

The brute didn't bother engaging further, simply brushing past him and walking away. Xu Ming stood there, his face flushed, watching the man leave with a hint of contempt as he muttered, "Hmph, so rude. Wait... maybe I am too drunk and talking nonsense?"

Shaking his head vigorously, as if trying to clear the fog, Xu Ming staggered back towards the direction of the TV room.

"Brother Dong, everything is ready. These ten guys are top-tier enforcers, the kind who don't fear fighting to the death," Snake Ba said, leading ten powerfully built men before the seated figure of Brother Dong.

"Good, very good. Snake Ba, well done. I won't shortchange you!" Brother Dong narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. He preliminarily judged that the youth he was targeting was likely the spoiled brat of some local figure, yet he couldn't quite gauge his weakness. Perhaps this was the veneer of human nature, the latent desire that tolerated no intrusion. Maybe that Li Qian was the focus of Brother Dong’s desire, and for the sake of his desire, he had to exact revenge on anyone who threatened it—this, perhaps, was the unwritten law of their world, the natural inclination to stir up trouble.

"In which room are Yang Yi and the others?"

"Brother Dong, they're in Room 403. And I've taken an extra measure," the gloomy-looking youth sneered, a dark smile playing on his lips.

"Oh? What measure is that?" Brother Dong inquired.

"Brother Dong, I've calculated that even if our hired muscle goes in to rough them up, it will cause a scene. So, your little brother devised a backup plan—even if our fighters fail, we’ll still have that insurance policy!"

"What policy? Spit it out if you have something to say, quit beating around the bush!" Brother Dong seemed impatient, not wanting any delays, as he was just about to—

"Framing them. I've already arranged for 'that thing' to be planted among Yang Yi’s group!" the sinister youth declared.

"'That thing'? What thing?"

"Drugs!"

"Drugs?" Brother Dong frowned slightly.

"Yes, Brother Dong, listen to me...!" The gloomy youth leaned in close to Brother Dong's ear and whispered something that caused a faint smile to spread across Brother Dong's face—a smile utterly wicked and chillingly deep.

"Excellent, Shen Zi, you truly have a trick or two up your sleeve. Regardless of success, that backup plan is certainly useful and perfectly timed. Very good," Brother Dong praised him highly.

"You ten, go to Room 403 now, and teach that guy a lesson. Remember, if you fail, you come straight back. Understand?" Brother Dong commanded, already picturing his scheme succeeding, his face alight with a smug smile.

"Understood, Brother Dong!" the heavy-set men responded in unison.

"Go on, then," Brother Dong waved his hand dismissively.

With that, the thugs filed out toward the exit. Brother Dong then turned to Snake Ba. "Snake Ba, keep an eye on the establishment. Room 403 is isolated; station some men to guard that area."

"Understood, Brother." The middle-aged Snake Ba, though slightly perplexed by the youth's machinations, was savvy enough to comply immediately. After all, he was responsible for the venue tonight, and he couldn't afford to alert any patrons.

"Brother Shen, what exactly did you tell Brother Dong? Look how brightly he's grinning!" Curly Hair approached Shen Zi, who he had grown up with.

"Heh heh, Curly Hair, learn something. When you're in the underworld, it’s all about cunning schemes. I gave Brother Dong a plan within a plan!" the youth named Shen Zi explained.

"A plan within a plan?" Curly Hair scratched the back of his head in confusion. "What’s that?"

"Heh heh, you'll see soon enough," Shen Zi grinned wickedly at Brother Dong, thinking inwardly, Looks like I'll make my move sooner or later. Brother Dong, I'll use you to climb up, hmph...

The truth was, in their line of work, there were no permanent friends, no permanent enemies, and certainly no permanent brothers—only the shifting, colorful tapestry of self-interest. Schemes could expose the ugliness in human hearts, but one had to admit that humanity relied on intellect to gain what it otherwise couldn't reach; this was not an overnight process.

Exploitation was also a key word; in the underworld, the concept of 'using others' was indispensable. Thus, this somewhat sinister youth was already contemplating how to leverage the so-called Brother Dong for his own advancement. One couldn't deny that the Hungry Wolf Gang was one of the three major factions in City A. Rising in status would be ideal; failing that, at least securing a worry-free life of comfort would suffice.

"I think it’s about time we headed back, otherwise the school gates will be locked, and we won't be able to get in," Yang Yi said, glancing at the clock display.

"Let's wait for Old Third to come back, then we'll leave!" Fatty Lin checked the time as well; it was already ten o'clock, and he felt it was high time to go.

"It's taking Old Third ages just to use the restroom, maybe he...!" Yang Yi frowned, lost in thought, just as—

"Boss, Second Brother, what's wrong?" At that moment, a wobbling Xu Ming entered from the doorway. He had apparently taken several wrong turns, perhaps due to the alcohol making him dizzy.

"Damn, Old Third, you took that long in the washroom? I bet you passed out in there!" Ye Xiaohou complained, clearly having had his share too—his face was flushed, and his eyes were slightly glazed.

"Sorry, I had the wrong room number earlier. I'm fine now, much clearer," Xu Ming said quietly.

Indeed, the young man had stumbled into someone else's room and occupied their facilities for quite a while, enraging the occupants. If he hadn't apologized so profusely, the guests in that room would certainly not have let him off easily.

Yang Yi looked at the two of them. Except for himself and Fatty Lin, who remained sober, the other two looked quite tipsy, making him smile wryly. They shouldn't have drunk so much when they clearly couldn't handle it—it was frustrating.

"Are you two really okay?"

"Don't worry, we’re fine. We’re much clearer now," Xu Ming and Ye Xiaohou confirmed simultaneously.

"Alright then, let's go!" Yang Yi and the others stood up, just about to head for the exit, when the door was suddenly kicked open with a bang.

"Smash!" A group of ten burly, imposing men stood there, their eyes burning with cold light.

Yang Yi and Fatty Lin frowned instantly, while Xu Ming and Ye Xiaohou blinked in surprise, asking, "Who are you people? Don't you knock before coming in?"

[This next part is going to be intense, keep cheering me on! This book is about erotic literature, not pornography—don't take offense. I caught a cold today, so writing has been especially grueling, but seeing the support from my brothers and sisters, I'm trying my best to update. Keep supporting!]