Chapter 270

Liliya stood there frozen for a long time. By the time she regained her senses, Xie Wendong had already walked far away. Feeling aggrieved, she shouted loudly, “Is this how you treat a friend?” Xie Wendong stopped but didn’t turn around. Waving his hand casually, he said, “I’m sorry. I’m just a scoundrel.”

Getting into the car, Xie Wendong closed his eyes tiredly, sinking into the soft seat in silence. Jiang Sen, sitting in the passenger seat, turned around and asked, “Brother Dong, are we heading back to the villa?” Xie Wendong shook his head and said softly, “I want to stroll around, just anywhere.” Jiang Sen nodded in understanding and told the driver, “Drive.” The car slowly started, weaving through the streets lit up by neon lights, moving through the city covered in darkness. The neon signs still twinkled like stars, and the bustling streets remained lively, adorned like shining gems in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, Xie Wendong had no heart to appreciate it. The person he cherished the most in this city had left, and it felt as though a large part of him had been emptied out. Loneliness and oppression surged upon him like raging waves. Although he had successfully sent Peng Shulin away this time, he had also witnessed the power of the central authorities—a power that could not be resisted by humans, leaving no room for maneuver at all. No matter what Peng Shulin’s status was in City H or even Province H, he was a high-ranking envoy, but in the eyes of the central authorities, he was just an ant, whose every move could doom him forever. An individual could never defeat a nation. By sending Peng Shulin away, he had essentially offended someone extremely powerful in the central government. Although the crisis hadn’t yet manifested, Xie Wendong could sense it coming. It seemed he had to do something. He took a deep breath.

If no one were around, he would surely burst into a shout to vent his frustration. Under such invisible pressure, an ordinary person would likely have been crushed long ago. Without opening his eyes, he suddenly said, “Play some music.” “Huh?” Jiang Sen was stunned. Seeing Xie Wendong silent for a long time with his eyes closed, he thought he must have fallen asleep from exhaustion. Xie Wendong’s sudden speech left him confused, wondering if he had heard wrong. Seeing no reaction, Xie Wendong closed his eyes again and said, “I want something more energetic music.”

This time, Jiang Sen heard clearly. Together with the driver, they searched high and low but found only some old revolutionary and lyrical songs—things that Xie Wendong usually liked. Unexpectedly, he had changed his taste today. Jiang Sen, helpless, turned around and said apologetically, “Brother Dong, there are none.” Xie Wendong slowly opened his eyes. Seeing his troubled expression, he chuckled and said, “If there aren’t any, it’s fine. Just go to any nightclub.” That was simple. The driver was delighted and said as if presenting a treasure, “Brother Dong, there’s one not far ahead. It’s our own place—big and really lively inside!” Xie Wendong nodded slightly and said, “Let’s go there.”

The nightclub was named ‘Night Wanderer.’ Just by looking at its facade, it was clear this place was top-notch. It had three floors, a spacious entrance, and carpets that extended all the way outside. Although there was snow piled up outside, the bright red carpets were clean, and the glass doors and windows were spotless. At the entrance stood two young women in red padded jackets, smiling frequently at the customers coming in and out. The car stopped not far away on the roadside. As soon as Xie Wendong got out of the car, the other vehicles following also stopped. More than a dozen burly men got out. He waved his hand and said, “You don’t need to follow me.” Gao Qiang and Jiang Sen also got out of the car. They exchanged glances, with Jiang Sen giving him a subtle wink. Although Gao Qiang was stiff and cautious, after thinking for a moment, he said to everyone, “Wait in the car.” Then he went over to Xie Wendong and said, “Brother Dong, I’ll accompany you.”

His tone was firm, leaving no room for refusal. Xie Wendong asked with a smile, “Can I object?” “No. For your safety.” Gao Qiang still remembered vividly what had happened at the nightclub by the river last time; it gave him chills just thinking about it. Xie Wendong punched him on the shoulder and said, “Since I can’t object, why are you talking so much?” “It’s because you’re the boss.” For once, a faint smile appeared on Gao Qiang’s usually cold face. “Oh!” Xie Wendong nodded as if suddenly realizing something, as if back in his high school days when they laughed and joked together. Back then, the four of them—him, Sanyan, Li Shuang, and Gao Qiang—were fearless and carefree, acting on impulse without any worries. How wonderful that was. He smiled at Gao Qiang for a while before shaking his head and saying, “Qiangzi, smile more often. With your serious face, like ice, when will you find a girlfriend?!”

Gao Qiang thought seriously for a while before saying earnestly, “There’s no way around it; I’m used to it.” Xie Wendong laughed with his head back, patting his back and saying, “What an amazing bad habit.” Jiang Sen behind them couldn’t help but laugh too. The three of them walked to the entrance, laughing and joking. The two receptionists there didn’t recognize them but nodded and smiled, saying, “Welcome! Please come in.” Their sweet, delicate voices were like a gentle breeze, making people feel extremely comfortable. Not bad! Xie Wendong nodded inwardly and asked, “Who’s in charge of this?” Gao Qiang thought for a moment and said, “It should be Lao Fei (Li Shuang), I guess.” Xie Wendong laughed and said, “It seems Xiao Shuang has made quite a progress—knowing to make a vulgar place look more elegant.” Gao Qiang shook his head and said honestly, “He has improved, but it’s very likely that Sanyan Ge taught him.”

Xie Wendong smiled without saying anything. The three entered the hall, where a waiter immediately approached with a smile, asking, “Is there anything you need? On the first floor is the roller rink, the second floor is the disco, and the third floor is the bar…” Gao Qiang waved his hand to cut off the waiter’s long explanation. Jiang Sen said, “We’re going to the disco.”

“Okay!” The waiter nodded and said, “Please follow me.” Then he led Xie Wendong and the others to the second floor. The large dance hall was at least three or four times the size of a basketball court. Due to its vast size, there weren’t many guests inside. Soft music played in the hall, with a few couples dancing slowly in the middle, while most people sat around drinking and chatting. As they walked, Xie Wendong asked casually, “The place is quite big, but there aren’t many guests.” The waiter replied proudly with a smile, “I can tell you’re here for the first time! This is just the beginning. Our peak hours are after 12 o’clock, when there are dance performances. Even though there aren’t many people now, if you can find a spot in the middle by then, that would be great.” The three of them exchanged smiles, ordered a few bottles of liquor, and found an empty spot to sit down. As the waiter had said, after sitting for a short while, more and more guests arrived, and the music in the hall changed to energetic electronic and heavy metal music. The highly infectious drum beats shook deep within people’s bodies, making their blood boil involuntarily. This was exactly what Xie Wendong wanted. The alcohol, combined with the heavy metal music, was like an adrenaline boost—every cell in their bodies seemed to be jumping.

The gloom in his heart vanished, and Xie Wendong took another big gulp of alcohol. He closed his eyes, leaned back in his chair, and tapped his fingers gently on the table. At that moment, the dormant thoughts in his mind became active again. That high-ranking official surnamed Du in the central government indeed held great power, but it was merely military power. In China, it was politics and tactics that mattered. As long as he found a way to build good relationships with key political figures, Du Tingwei’s father wouldn’t be a concern. Of course, this wasn’t easy—it required fame, positive fame. It was time to bring Yu Chao into play. He had invested so much; this expert who was in charge of Wen Dong Hui’s legitimate businesses deserved some return. Xie Wendong planned step by step in his mind, going over every detail as if observing himself from outside, identifying flaws as he thought. He couldn’t remember when he started thinking this way, but it was very effective.

As long as Xie Wendong’s thoughts surged, nothing in the world could stump him. He raised his head, smiled at the sky, and asked slowly, “What do you think Du Tingwei is doing right now?” Jiang Sen replied, “He might be enjoying fine wine comfortably, or he could be in bed with a beautiful girl. Anyway, his powerful father won’t let him suffer.” Gao Qiang added, “Or he might hate Brother Dong to death.” “Exactly!” Xie Wendong said. “With his father’s power, Du Tingwei won’t face any trouble this time. But given his personality, he’ll definitely come after me again. He’s the kind of person who only allows others to suffer and won’t tolerate any hardship himself. Next time he comes after me, it probably won’t be so simple.”

Jiang Sen and Gao Qiang were shocked and quickly said, “Brother Dong, we should be extra careful then!” “Be careful?” Xie Wendong laughed loudly. “I’m actually looking forward to him coming soon. I hope he doesn’t make me wait too impatiently, nor disappoint me too much.” His eyes shone brightly as he said, “The central government?! Hehe, what anticipation!” Jiang Sen and Gao Qiang exchanged a glance and nodded slightly—this was the Xie Wendong they knew, almost obsessively driven.

At midnight, the club reached its peak. Several neatly dressed women in black climbed onto the stage, which was more than a person tall. Accompanied by the DJ’s passionate words and fast-paced music, they started dancing wildly. Soon, the women’s enthusiasm infected the crowd below. The DJ in the control room, unwilling to be left out, shouted into the microphone with all his might, “Everyone, stand up! Raise your hands! Move your necks! Are you ready? Shake along with me…”

Xie Wendong shook his head, unable to bear it any longer. He stood up and said, “This place no longer belongs to us.” Jiang Sen looked around. Everywhere he saw were arms raised high, moving like countless white snakes dancing under the flashlights. He sighed and said, “What a waste of people.” “Waste what?” Gao Qiang asked in confusion. “Time, lives!” Jiang Sen replied. Xie Wendong laughed heartily and said, “If it weren’t for these people, where would our money come from? Who would support us?” Jiang Sen thought about it and agreed—Wendong’s success today was entirely thanks to the “strong support” of these people. As they talked, they walked outside. At that moment, with a cry, a dark figure collapsed in front of the three of them. Gao Qiang reacted quickly, fearing someone might harm Xie Wendong, and stepped in front of him. Before he could steady himself, he heard curses from a seat nearby: “Damn it, why act so high and mighty?” Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and saw six men sitting around a round table to his right. The lights in the dance hall were dim, so he couldn’t make out their faces clearly. Their accent seemed to be from the south. Turning back, he saw a girl under twenty lying at his feet, dressed like a waitress, with her hair loose, sitting on the ground, covering her face with one hand, unable to get up. Such incidents happened almost every day in dance halls, nightclubs, and other entertainment venues. Xie Wendong didn’t want to get involved, but just as he was about to walk away, one of those men still seemed dissatisfied. He banged the table and shouted loudly, speaking in a foreign language. Perhaps foreigners had an innate sense of superiority in China, or maybe people’s indescribable fear and admiration for them fueled their arrogance. In the end, that man persisted and rushed at the waitress, slapping her in front of everyone. His companions showed no intention of stopping, laughing as they drank and watched the spectacle. Xie Wendong retracted his foot. He turned to Gao Qiang and asked, “Qiangzi, how many years has it been since you last fought with your fists?” Gao Qiang thought hard and replied, “About two or three years.”

“Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded and smiled, saying, “Today’s a good chance to practice my skills.” Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stepped forward, grabbed the man’s wrist, and said with a smile, “Have you had enough trouble?” The man, who was in high spirits, was caught off guard as he turned to see a young man in his early twenties, not very tall and somewhat thin, with eyes curved like crescents, smiling at him. He dismissed Xie Wendong, who looked like a student, with a snort, and tried to shake off his grip forcefully. But Xie Wendong’s hand was like a clamp, firmly holding his wrist without moving an inch, causing the man to flinch in pain and shout loudly. His companions also stood up and moved closer to Xie Wendong. A young man of medium build with prominent cheekbones shouted, “Let go of him! Do you know who this person is?”
Gao Qiang stepped forward and took over, saying calmly, “A foreigner.” The young man turned to look at him and snapped, “Since you know he’s a foreigner, why don’t you make your friend apologize right away? Otherwise, I’ll call the police. Assaulting a foreigner isn’t a trivial matter.” Gao Qiang pulled out his phone from his pocket without any expression and handed it to him, saying calmly, “Hold it.” “Huh?” The young man was shocked. He had never seen someone like this before and suspected Gao Qiang might be mentally unstable. He asked, “Aren’t you afraid?” Gao Qiang replied indifferently, “I’m afraid? I’m afraid you won’t even be able to find a police officer. There’s blood between his fingers; it seems his nose is broken.”