Chapter Fifty: Xiaoling

Cao Yang had been discovered eighteen times over the past three days, and each time had resulted in a violent clash.

Along the way, he had also run into the police twice. He didn't dare fight back against the police and could only run; once you throw hands with someone wearing that uniform, the nature of the offense changes entirely.

The gang of thugs had been manageable over the first couple of days, coming empty-handed or carrying a couple of machetes at most, which posed no real threat to him.

However, the thugs leading the charge this time had actually pulled out a gun, though their marksmanship was so pathetic that they missed Cao Yang entirely.

Even so, Cao Yang was shaken to his core. He hadn't slept a single sound night in three days, and if things kept going like this, he would sooner or later be worn down and destroyed!

Right after finishing a battle, he hid himself in an urban village and bought some rubbing alcohol and gauze at a pharmacy.

He was formidable, but he was a human, not a god. Long-term, continuous combat had left him mentally exhausted, and in a moment of carelessness, his arm had been slashed by a blade.

He disinfected the wound with alcohol, indiscriminately poured on some Yunnan Baiyao powder, and then bound it up with gauze.

After tending to his injuries, he lit a cigarette, his gaze gradually turning fierce and ruthless!

"Motherfuckers! If you don't want to let me live, then none of us will!"

Cao Yang decided to launch a counterattack. If they wanted his life, they would have to pay a price—even if it meant death! Before he died, he was going to drag a few of them down with him.

He wanted to take out the two gang bosses directly, but unfortunately, he didn't even know what their names were, let alone where to find their residences.

Since he couldn't find them personally, he could still find their businesses.

He picked up two beer bottles and a plastic tube from the roadside, quietly pried open a car's fuel tank, siphoned the gasoline inside into the bottles, and then plugged the mouths with rags, creating two makeshift Molotov cocktails.

He took a cab to the White Night Club, which was run by the Henan Gang. Having been thoroughly trashed by the Hunan Gang a few days prior, it had just been cleaned up and reopened.

Cao Yang walked in carrying the two bottles and was stopped at the entrance by security.

The security guard looked at him with disdain. "Sir, outside drinks are not allowed here."

Cao Yang pulled a two-hundred-yuan tip from his bag and handed it over. The security guard pocketed the cash and let Cao Yang in as if he were completely invisible.

"Sir, how many in your party?" asked a waitress in a short skirt, her face beaming with hospitality.

"Just one."

"Right this way, sir."

The waitress assigned Cao Yang a small booth and asked what he would like to order, casting a somewhat disdainful glance at the beer he had brought along as she spoke.

Cao Yang ordered a fruit platter and a dozen beers, took a sip, and looked toward the stage.

Up on the stage, two big-chested female DJs were spinning tracks while violently shaking their heads back and forth—enough to make anyone worry their assets might fly right out.

Down below the stage, a crowd of men and women were wildly twisting their bodies in a hot dance, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.

Cao Yang thought to himself that tossing one Molotov cocktail onto the stage and another into the dance floor would inevitably spark a massive fire.

There was plenty of alcohol around, and the sofa seating was leather, making it extremely flammable.

Furthermore, given the enclosed and cramped space, burning a dozen or twenty people to death would certainly give the Henan Gang hell to pay!

With a stunt like this, the club would be completely ruined. The economic losses, reputational damage, and compensation claims would undoubtedly be astronomical, and the boss along with everyone else involved would be locked away for good!

"Since you want me dead, let's all die together!"

Rage surged from the depths of Cao Yang's heart, turning his desperation vicious. He pulled out a lighter and, with a click, ignited the Molotov cocktail.

Scanning his surroundings, everyone was busy drinking and dancing, and no one was paying attention to him.

He raised the bottle high, preparing to hurl it down, when he suddenly froze.

He let out a sigh.

Doing this would certainly vent his anger and successfully ruin Liu Zhenhu.

However, these customers had no grudge against him. Doing something so extreme would make him no different from those society-avenging terrorists.

He looked toward the waitress and thought of Li Yan, who had also once worked as a waitress in a club. If she were burned to death by someone, he certainly wouldn't let the arsonist off the hook.

Sigh... grievances have their heads and debts have their masters; it was better not to implicate innocent people.

Cao Yang extinguished the Molotov cocktail, went to the restroom, and quietly poured the gasoline down the drain.

When he returned, he saw the waitress tidying up his booth.

"What are you doing?" Cao Yang asked, glaring at her with displeasure since he hadn't left yet.

"I'm sorry, sir. I thought you had left," the waitress apologized politely.

Cao Yang waved his hand and sat back down, then called out to the waitress as she was about to leave.

"Help me grab a pack of cigarettes."

"Certainly."

Soon, the waitress brought over a pack of cigarettes that retailed for forty yuan and handed them to Cao Yang. "Sir, that'll be one hundred yuan."

Without saying much, Cao Yang took out a hundred-yuan bill and handed it to her.

The waitress took the money and walked away, looking somewhat displeased.

"Come back," Cao Yang called out to her again.

"Is there anything else you need?"

Cao Yang produced two hundred yuan and asked, "Where are you from?"

"Henan," the waitress replied, her eyes fixed on the cash.

Cao Yang smiled and shoved the two hundred yuan into the collar of her uniform.

"A tip."

The waitress let out an "ah," took two steps back, murmured a thank-you, and walked off beaming.

Cao Yang was probing—testing whether this girl was an ordinary, decent person. If she got angry at him for stuffing money down her chest, he would drop it; if she didn't mind, he could take the next step.

This was the Henan Gang's turf, and the girl was from Henan; she might even be an insider. It was worth a shot to see if he could pry some useful information out of her.

After all, knowing both yourself and your enemy ensures victory in every battle, yet he knew absolutely nothing about the Henan Gang.

After a while, Cao Yang beckoned the waitress over and asked her to bring up another fruit platter.

"What's your name?" Cao Yang asked her.

"My name is Xiaoling." Having received a tip, Xiaoling's attitude was much warmer than before.

Cao Yang took out another five hundred yuan and stuffed it into her collar. This time, Xiaoling didn't dodge; instead, she leaned forward slightly to meet it.

She had been working here for quite a long time and had received a few tips before, but those were always from customers who were dead drunk, and they were never more than a hundred yuan each.

It was extremely rare to encounter a customer like Cao Yang, who was completely sober and yet so extravagantly generous.

"Have a drink with me," Cao Yang invited.

"I can't, sir. We're not allowed to drink during work hours."

Cao Yang produced another thousand yuan and stuffed it into her collar.

"Brother, I'll toast to you." Xiaoling raised her glass and drank it in one gulp.

"Brother, you are so handsome. If I weren't on duty, this little sister would really love to drink to her heart's content with you."

"Brother, if you need company, I can call a couple of girls over to keep you company."

"No need," Cao Yang waved his hand. "I just want you to keep me company."

Xiaoling looked somewhat conflicted. They weren't hostesses, and drinking on the job was strictly forbidden; she had already broken the rule just now.

"Go ahead and get busy; I won't make things difficult for you." Seeing her dilemma, Cao Yang spoke in an understanding tone.

Xiaoling gave him a deep look, nodded, and walked away.

No sooner had she left than two flashily dressed young women wearing tiny camisoles sat down beside Cao Yang.

"Brother, let me have a drink with you." The young woman was very proactive, picking up the bottle on the table and filling a glass for herself.

They had witnessed Cao Yang tipping the waitress just now; dropping a thousand yuan just like that showed he was truly generous.

Cao Yang waved a hand. "No thanks, you two can leave."

Rebuffed, the two women turned away, muttering curses under their breath.

This scene was also observed by Xiaoling, instantly sparking her curiosity toward Cao Yang.

Those two women just now were professional drinking companions, and their looks, figures, and emotional intelligence were all superior to her own, yet Cao Yang completely ignored them and instead insisted on tipping her.

One thousand and seven hundred yuan in total—that was almost as much as her monthly salary.

She bit her lip, walked back to Cao Yang's side, and slipped him a small note.

Cao Yang unfolded it and read: *I get off at four.*

He checked the time; it was currently two in the morning. The corners of his mouth curled upward as he gently leaned back against the sofa to take a nap.