Chapter 240

Never try to reason with a drunk person. Xie Wendong smiled bitterly. At that moment, Lao Wu stood up. The 1.8-meter-tall man staggered toward Xie Wendong. Seeing his appearance, Xie Wendong grew worried, fearing he might fall on him at any moment. Lao Wu leaned on his shoulder and said in a condescending tone, “You have to go today, whether you like it or not!”
Xie Wendong laughed in exasperation. “What? Am I being kidnapped by you guys?!” Lao Wu imitated his words, “The world is big, but a drunk person is the biggest!”
Is this guy really drunk? Xie Wendong couldn’t help but think.
They kept drinking until 10 p.m. before finally staggering out of the hotel. Lao San was in high spirits and had no intention of heading home. He patted his stomach, looked up at the sky, and said leisurely, “It’s still early; there’s no point in going back to school.” Lao Si asked, “Where else can we go if not back to school?” Lao San suddenly grinned and said, “Let’s go dancing!” Lao Si, who never said no, replied, “Sure, I’m fine!” He glanced at the others. The eldest and the second were so drunk they were unconscious. Without Lao Wu and Lao Liu supporting them, they would have probably fallen to the ground and fallen asleep. Although Xie Wendong had drunk a lot, he didn’t seem affected at all. With his hands behind his back, he stood by the roadside, gazing at the sky, lost in thought. Lao Si felt a bit embarrassed. “It can’t be just the two of us, right? That would be too boring.”
Lao San didn’t care at all. He patted Xie Wendong’s shoulder and said laughing, “The eldest and the second can’t make it, but Lao Qi will definitely go.” Xie Wendong smiled bitterly. He wanted to find an excuse to decline, but then thought that since the whole afternoon had passed, why worry about this little while? There was no need to ruin everyone’s mood. He smiled slightly, nodded, and asked, “Where are we going to dance?” “Lao Qi is the most loyal friend!” Lao San closely wrapped his arm around Xie Wendong’s shoulder. The strong smell of alcohol hit his face, making his stomach churn violently, as if he might vomit everything he had just eaten. Xie Wendong frowned slightly and subtly shifted his shoulder to avoid Lao San’s intrusive affection.

After sending the eldest and second brother back to the dormitory, the group hailed two taxis and headed toward the riverbank. The night view of Central Street was as dazzling as ever, with twinkling neon lights resembling stars—bright yet not blinding, glossy yet elegant. As darkness fell, a romantic atmosphere enveloped this northern capital, with snowflakes drifting down, adding a subtle touch of elegance to the city. The northeast might be cold, but the sight of snowflakes was something the south could never experience. Fresh snow had a scent—freshness itself. Xie Wendong took a deep breath; his lungs felt clear, and the effects of alcohol vanished into the night sky. The dance hall led by the third brother was located near Central Street, close to the riverbank, though in a somewhat secluded spot, which didn’t affect its business at all. Upon entering, the light dimmed instantly; only a few night lights in the dance hall emitted a faint glow. Xie Wendong squinted and glanced around. The dance hall wasn’t small—although it didn’t have a large entrance, it could accommodate about 200 people. In the center was a long stage over half a meter high, where several young men and women were dancing wildly. The third brother seemed familiar with the place; he greeted a waiter in his twenties who came over, then led Xie Wendong and the others to a spot by the wall to sit. He went over to talk to the waiter, whispering something. After a while, the waiter left with a smile. Xie Wendong watched the people dancing on stage; one woman stood out the most. Despite the cold outside, she wore only a black tank top that barely covered her chest, but this didn’t dampen her enthusiasm. Covered in sweat, the tight tank top clung to her body. Her head shook violently, her long black hair swinging back and forth in the air like a swirl of darkness. A hint of surprise flashed in Xie Wendong’s eyes—the extent to which she shook her head was beyond what a normal person could do. He even worried that she might break her neck if she kept it moving like that. The third brother noticed this and chuckled, saying, “Don’t be surprised. That woman must be on ‘cough medicine’.”

Xie Wendong was stunned and asked, “What drug?” Lao San widened his eyes in disbelief and looked at Xie Wendong, saying, “No way! You don’t even know that? It’s obviously ecstasy.” Xie Wendong was a major drug dealer. Most of the goods he got from the Golden Triangle were finished or semi-finished products. Sometimes, the Golden Triangle would even deliver crude drugs directly to him. As for how to process the drugs once they reached his hands, Xie Wendong wasn’t very clear about it either; it was always San Yan who handled that. He had heard San Yan mention ecstasy before, saying it was a drug with not too strong effects but was very popular among young people. “This is ecstasy!” Xie Wendong was secretly alarmed. If a drug with relatively mild effects already had such an impact according to San Yan, what about others? He lowered his head in deep thought. He had never been involved with drugs and didn’t know much about them. The reason he dealt in drugs was that when he first started out, he needed a large amount of capital to build his strength, and other ways of making money paled in comparison to drug trafficking. Back then, young and impulsive, he plunged in without hesitation. But now, Wen Dong had found a legitimate path, his own way of making money, and a huge enterprise with increasing income, gradually becoming another major economic pillar for him. At this point, he had to seriously consider whether it was still necessary to continue with the drug business. But some things were beyond his control. Wen Dong had started out with drugs, and it would be difficult for the people in his organization to give up their dependence on them. There was also the Golden Triangle, a place where business couldn’t be done just by saying so, nor could it be stopped that easily. Then there was that Russian with his gaping black belt… He pondered over and over again. Lao San naturally couldn’t see his thoughts, but his silence caught Lao San’s attention. With a quick glance, Lao San said, “What, Lao Qi, do you want to try it too?” Lao San’s words interrupted Xie Wendong’s thoughts. He forced a smile and shook his head, saying, “I’m not interested in that.” Hearing this, Lao San stretched out his thumb and said deliberately, “I didn’t expect Lao Qi to be such a good kid!” At that moment, several heavily made-up women giggled as they walked over, holding drinks, and sat down among Xie Wendong and the others. Lao San immediately perked up and said to everyone, “Don’t be shy, I paid for this!”

“Damn!” Lao Wu’s eyes darted around, looking here and there, his gaze barely keeping up. Finally, he stared at Lao San with an expression as if not recognizing him and said, “Brother San is bleeding heavily today! Let me check if there’s a bump on your head!” With that, he reached out to touch Lao San’s head. Xie Wendong found it amusing and asked, “What’s the connection between bleeding and a bump on the head?” Lao Wu replied, “Of course there is! Lao San, who’s usually stingy, suddenly became generous. I wonder if he’s become a Buddhist—just like Sakyamuni, with a bump on his head!” His words made Xie Wendong and the girls who had just arrived burst into laughter. The woman next to Lao Wu put her arm around his shoulder and said in a sweet voice, “Sir, you’re really funny!” Lao San snorted and said solemnly, “If I beat that kid up, I guarantee he’ll be even funnier than now. Right, Lao Wu?”
Lao Wu was tall and burly, half a head taller than Lao San, with a beard covering his face, giving him a fierce appearance. But that was just his exterior; in reality, he was quite gentle, at least when he wasn’t drunk. Lao Wu quickly shook his head and said repeatedly, “Just joking, just joking! Don’t get angry, Brother San!” As he spoke, he slowly wrapped his arm around the woman next to him. Before long, they got along well with the girls. Perhaps because they had already drunk some alcohol, they grew bolder, and their initial playful gestures gradually turned into more overt flirting. These guys! Xie Wendong sneered inwardly. Usually, they all pretended to be honest, but it seemed like it was all an act. The woman next to him noticed he hadn’t said much or done anything else. Since Xie Wendong looked like a scholar, she thought he might be shy. She poured him a glass of wine and handed it to him with a smile, saying, “Young man, have a drink with me!” The woman was pretty, but her makeup was too heavy, making it hard for Xie Wendong to guess her true age. He gently shook his head and said, “I’ve already had enough alcohol today.” The woman replied, “It’s cold outside. Drinking more will warm you up!”
Xie Wendong laughed upon hearing this. He glanced up and down at her—she was all in black: a black leather jacket, a black low-cut tank top underneath, and a short black leather skirt that couldn’t cover her long, graceful legs. Black stockings added a touch of mystery and allure. He sighed. To be fair, the woman had a nice figure, but she worked in a lowly profession. Everyone has their own aspirations; for the sake of money, people sometimes sell both their souls and bodies. He smiled as he looked at her exposed thighs and said, “Is it cold? You don’t seem to be feeling it!”

The girl spread her legs and lifted her short skirt, barely able to hide what was beneath. She pressed herself against Xie Wendong, frowning slightly. The prostitute said, “I’m cold. If you don’t believe me, you can touch me!” With that, she grabbed Xie Wendong’s hand and placed it on her thigh, rubbing it back and forth. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and instantly grabbed the woman’s wrist with his other hand, applying slight pressure. The girl cried out in pain and quickly let go. He slowly withdrew his hand, wearing a faint smile as he said, “Sorry, I just can’t develop any ‘interest’ in women I’m not interested in!”

“You damn fool, thinking you’re something special…” The woman’s expression changed. To work as a prostitute, one usually had some backing; she certainly wouldn’t take Xie Wendong, who looked like a student, seriously. Humiliated by him, she couldn’t hold back her anger, stood up abruptly, crossed her arms, and opened her red-faced mouth ready to curse. Seeing things going wrong, Lao San quickly stood up, covered the woman’s mouth, and explained, “Oh, I’m sorry. My buddy is here for the first time; if we’ve offended you, please forgive us. Let it go.”

The girl wasn’t willing to give up easily. After struggling a bit and seeing that Lao San’s arm was as firm as iron, she scratched his arm fiercely in frustration. Immediately, four red marks appeared on his arm. In pain, Lao San almost cried. Despite the pain, he took out fifty yuan from his pocket and shoved it into her bra, saying, “Alright, alright. It’s our fault, isn’t it?!” Then, he reached into her bra and rubbed her full breasts forcefully, thinking to himself that these fifty yuan shouldn’t be wasted.

The girl let out an “ouch,” her anger disappearing instantly. She pulled away Lao San’s hand and snapped, “Stop touching me! I’ll let this go this time, but if you bring that idiot here again, we’re done!” “Yes, yes!” Lao San nodded repeatedly. As the girl walked away, he slapped her butt casually, making her scream again. He turned to look at Xie Wendong, who acted as if nothing had happened, leaned in his ear, glanced at the others, and whispered, “Damn you, Lao Qi! These fifty yuan are on your account!”

Xie Wendong was amused by Lao San’s unwilling expression, but his impression of Lao San changed greatly—he was much more cunning than he had imagined, or rather, much more experienced. This wasn’t something a novice could do. As the saying goes, “Reassess someone after a few days.” Xie Wendong didn’t believe this; the ways of dealing with people couldn’t be mastered overnight. He wondered if he had misjudged him at first or if Lao San had hidden his true nature well. This little incident passed quickly. Lao San and the others hugged the young lady and drank more alcohol. Later, Lao San somehow obtained a pack of pills and mysteriously brought them back, pouring them into the wine glasses for everyone to share. When he offered it to Xie Wendong, the latter refused and simply asked, “What is this?” Lao San glanced around and said mysteriously, “This is ecstasy. Take a sip, and you’ll be as happy as a god!”
Xie Wendong laughed and said, “I still think it’s better to be human than a god!” “Tch! What an old-fashioned man!” Lao Wu said with disdain, still drunk, snatching the glass and saying, “Don’t waste such good stuff. If you won’t drink it, I will!” With that, he tilted his head back and downed the contents in one gulp. Lao San tried to stop him, but Lao Wu was too fast. By the time he grabbed Lao San’s wrist, the alcohol had already gone down his throat. Lao San’s expression changed slightly before returning to normal. He sighed, “What a shame! Such good stuff wasted like you’re drinking water! Sigh!” Xie Wendong couldn’t help but say, “Good stuff? There are many good things in the world that can kill you. This…” He tapped the empty glass and said, “is the worst of them all!”
Lao Wu, unfazed, sneered, “Don’t exaggerate. It’s just for fun!” But his “fun” soon took effect. As the drug’s effect set in, Lao Wu began to sway slowly to the wild music in the dance hall. At first, it wasn’t much, but gradually his swaying became more intense, eventually becoming uncontrollable. Lao Si had drunk less and was still relatively sober. Seeing Lao Wu’s behavior, he found it strange, pulled at his clothes, and said, “Lao Wu, why are you swaying? My eyes are getting blurry!”
“What?” Lao Wu was confused, shaking his head. “Am I swaying? How didn’t I know?!” Unsteadily, he stood up, swaying his head from side to side as he headed into the dance floor, joining the others and dancing wildly. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes and said to Lao San, “You shouldn’t have given them this stuff!”