Chapter 4: Master Xu

An hour later, Xiao Jiu’s face was flushed red, his eyes glazed with drunkenness. He leaned back on the sofa, squinting slightly, a faint, elusive smile curling at the corners of his mouth. Beside him, the ponytailed girl rested half her body against his arm, cheeks flushed, already deeply intoxicated and unconscious.

Xiao Hua, who had come along with Xiao Jiu, looked no better off.

On the other side, Tan Wei was also somewhat drunk, holding a cigarette in one hand, the other resting on a woman’s leg, absentmindedly stroking it.

At that moment, Xiao Jiu’s phone rang.

Without looking, he pulled it out and answered directly. After listening for a while, his brow suddenly furrowed. Then he hung up and turned to Tan Wei.

“Brother Wei, sorry about this. My brother has an urgent matter and needs me to come back immediately. How about I treat you another day, alright?”

Tan Wei smiled. “Sure, we’ll drink another day!” He glanced at him, then asked, “Are you okay to go? If not, I can have someone send you back.”

Xiao Jiu waved him off with a smile. “I’m fine! No way I’m not! Don’t worry, Brother Wei, it’s just a short distance—I could crawl back if I had to!”

“Alright! Then I won’t bother you,” Tan Wei laughed.

Xiao Jiu chuckled and called out to Xiao Hua. When Xiao Hua got up, he tried to stand as well, but unexpectedly swayed and fell back down.

Tan Wei burst out laughing. “Brother Xiao Jiu, if you can’t make it, just say so. No need to be shy—Brother Wei won’t laugh at you!”

Xiao Jiu grinned. “Just a momentary slip! This little bit of alcohol won’t knock me out!” He took a deep breath and stood up again. This time, though he still swayed, he finally steadied himself.

Turning to Tan Wei with a proud shrug, he declared, “Let’s go!”

Tan Wei nodded.

Watching them stagger out the door one after the other, the smile on Tan Wei’s face faded. Nearby, the ever-alert Lao Pu stood up. “Brother Wei, I’m going!”

Tan Wei nodded. “Tell them to take it easy. Don’t kill or cripple them; it’ll be hard to get the money if they’re dead.”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing!” Lao Pu said, then headed out.

Outside, Xiao Jiu and Xiao Hua stumbled along the road toward their hotel.

The street was deserted, with hardly any passersby or vehicles. Under the dim streetlights, insects circled endlessly.

Not far off, the sea breeze carried the sound of waves crashing against the rocks, a crisp, clear noise in the stillness of the night.

The two staggered forward, sometimes nearly falling.

Suddenly, a van turned out from a side alley ahead, its glaring headlights shining directly into their faces, forcing them to instinctively close their eyes and turn away.

At that moment, two figures leapt out from the bushes by the roadside, wooden sticks raised high, ready to strike their heads.

Unexpectedly, the two who had been standing steadily suddenly faltered, almost simultaneously staggering forward and collapsing to the ground with a thud, motionless.

The two behind missed their target, startled, then laughed.

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