As soon as Zhou Jinbai finished speaking, a group of people wielding butcher knives rushed in through the door.
Counting them roughly, there were no less than twenty.
The other patrons in the bar, seeing this, scrambled to hide in the corners, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
"Brother Zang, who dared to hit you? I'll chop him up and feed him to the dogs today," said the man at the front of the group, approaching Zang Zixuan with great deference.
"It's him! Beat him soundly first, then I'll cripple him," Zang Zixuan's face became even more smug upon seeing his men arrive.
The man raised the butcher knife, which was nearly half a meter long, and pointed its tip at Zhou Jinbai. "You dare to hit my Brother Zang? You're tired of living."
Under the lights, the knife exuded a chilling aura. Liu Mengqin had never seen such a scene before; she was so scared she almost cried.
If a fight broke out, the three of them wouldn't be enough to fend off these attackers.
"Sister Qin... pour me another glass, I still want to drink." Lin Xingwan, oblivious to the situation, was still swaying even while sitting in the booth.
Zang Zixuan immediately chimed in with a lewd grin, "Don't rush, after I deal with this bastard, I'll come keep you company."
The aura surrounding Zhou Jinbai suddenly dropped in temperature.
Abruptly, police sirens wailed outside the bar.
A group of armed police officers stormed in.
"Freeze—or we'll shoot!"
Someone outside with a loudspeaker also shouted:
"Everyone inside, put down your weapons obediently and you'll receive leniency."
"Did you hear? Put down your knives, put down your knives, put down your knives."
Zang Zixuan and his men stared at the police who had suddenly burst in, each holding a gun. The few officers at the front were particularly fierce-looking, with imposing physiques.
What the hell?
Hadn't they already bribed their way through the local police stations?
"Are your ears deaf? I told you to put down your weapons. Are you ignoring me?"
The leading police officer aimed his gun at the ceiling and fired three shots.
Startled, the group with the butcher knives immediately threw their weapons to the ground.
Good grief, the police nowadays were scarier than gangsters.
This officer then walked over to Zang Zixuan. He was nearly 1.95 meters tall and weighed at least 150 kilograms. He took off his police cap and placed it on the table, revealing a short haircut with a meticulously shaved scorpion design.
Were police officers this fashionable now?
"Brother, I'm a police officer, and you're here causing trouble, right?" The man looked down at Zang Zixuan, his fierce expression making Zang Zixuan strongly suspect that this guy was definitely hiding out at the police station, and it wouldn't be surprising if he had a few lives on his hands.
Before Zang Zixuan could speak, another police officer walked over.
He looked even more menacing than the first. "Brother, my brother and I have been auxiliary police officers for five years. Whether we get promoted depends on your performance tonight. Our meeting is fate. We are very friendly, timid, and introverted. If you cooperate with us and come with us obediently, we will treat you with courtesy. Otherwise..."
The man paused at the opportune moment and smashed the drinks table in half with a single punch.
Timid and introverted?
Disliked social violence?
Zang Zixuan was so terrified he wet himself. Was the police recruitment center located in the Valley of Villains?
"Speak," one of the police officers said impatiently.
"I... I'll go with you..." Zang Zixuan stammered, looking at the dense crowd of police officers outside the bar, feeling pathetic, weak, and helpless.
Although they had over twenty people, most of them were just posturing.
Who would have thought that one day they would be surrounded by over a hundred police officers, each armed?
Especially the two in front of him; Zang Zixuan would have believed they were gangsters.
"I'll pay you fifty yuan for this table, that's not too much, right?" The officer who smashed the table grabbed Zang Zixuan by the collar and pulled him close.
"Not too much, not too much at all. Just take me with you." Zang Zixuan's face was filled with terror. His only thought now was to be taken to the police station quickly, confess everything he had done, and help these two brothers get promoted.
He was afraid that if he delayed their promotion, these two might kill him for entertainment later.
Soon, the police took away all the troublemakers from the bar.
Zhou Jinbai picked up Lin Xingwan again. Liu Mengqin was still in shock, unable to snap out of it.
"It's all... resolved like this?" The horrific images of bloodshed and dismemberment that had flashed through her mind never materialized.
"Yes, it's resolved," Zhou Jinbai replied concisely.
Liu Mengqin then explained, "Mr. Zhou, Xingwan was drinking because she had no choice. She's usually very strict with herself. Tonight is the only time I've seen her like this in the many years I've known her. She was just too upset."
"What problem did she encounter?" Zhou Jinbai asked.
"Mr. Zhou, do you remember the first time you met Xingwan? That was supposed to be her engagement day with Gu Shaoting, but the hotel suddenly caught fire, and Xingwan almost died in the blaze. We initially thought it was an accident, but today Xingwan went back to the Lin family and learned the truth. That fire was set by Lin Shirou, and the Lin family found a scapegoat to protect Lin Shirou.
You know, the Lin family is quite wicked. If they didn't want Xingwan and Gu Shaoting to be together, they could have just broken them up. But they were so cruel as to want Xingwan to die in that fire, all to pave the way for Gu Shaoting and Lin Shirou. Lin Shirou is a child of the Lin family, but isn't Xingwan? In my eyes, Xingwan is more beautiful, more accomplished, and has more potential than Lin Shirou. I don't know what the Lin family is thinking."
So that's how it was.
"Alright, I understand. Shall I take you back first?" Zhou Jinbai asked.
Liu Mengqin shook her head repeatedly. "I drove here myself, so I can get back on my own. I'll leave Xingwan to you. I'm heading out."
...
Zhou Jinbai carried Lin Xingwan to the back seat of his car and then called for a designated driver.
"Sister Qin, pour me another glass, just one."
"There's no more wine," Zhou Jinbai said, looking at the drunken woman beside him. "I'm Zhou Jinbai, not Liu Mengqin."
Lin Xingwan slowly lifted her head, her blurry gaze falling on Zhou Jinbai's face.
She saw double images and, annoyed, cupped his face with both hands. She squinted again. "Oh, it's you. Where's Sister Qin?"
"She went home," Zhou Jinbai said, firmly holding the small paw on his face. With his other hand, he embraced Lin Xingwan's waist, preventing her from fidgeting and wriggling.
However, Lin Xingwan was like a squirming worm. Even though her hands and waist were held still, her head continued to move back and forth.
"Zhou Jinbai, are you angry? Actually, today... I didn't mean to hide it from you. I didn't know how to say it... I felt... I felt it was too embarrassing."
Lin Xingwan leaned close to the man's ear, her hot lips occasionally brushing against his cool ear as she spoke.
Instantly, his entire body tensed.