Outside the Jile Nightclub.
It was almost five in the morning, a time when people naturally sleep most soundly. Yet, inside the nightclub, lights blazed, and desires ran wild. Women, like serpents, twisted their bodies, and men scoured the premises, seeking companions for the night.
Chu Lingtian arrived at the nightclub entrance by taxi. He tossed out Li Wei's two henchmen and paid no further attention. Then, hands in his pockets, he strode directly towards the main entrance.
The Jile Nightclub was the stronghold of the Sanhe Gang and the usual meeting and entertainment spot for its leader, Li Wei, making it heavily guarded.
"Halt! Let our Sister Rose go first!"
Just as Chu Lingtian was about to pass through the security scanner, a woman's sharp voice rang out from behind him.
Chu Lingtian turned and saw a woman of exquisite features, fair and delicate skin, a tall, curvaceous figure, and a commanding presence. She was surrounded by two young women in black leather outfits, standing behind him.
The glamorous woman wore a short black lace-trimmed skirt and fishnet stockings, accentuating the seductive allure of her long, shapely legs. Her black high heels added to her striking sexiness.
"Move aside!"
Seeing Chu Lingtian remain stationary, his eyes fixed on the beautiful woman in the center, another bodyguard in a leather outfit, with a ponytail, barked at him coldly.
"You two, shut up!" The glamorous woman frowned, her voice laced with annoyance. Then, with a sweet smile directed at Chu Lingtian, she said, "I apologize. My subordinates are ill-mannered. Please, you go first."
Chu Lingtian glanced at the beautiful woman, said nothing, and then walked through the security scanner and into the club.
He was here tonight to deal with Li Wei and didn't want to waste time. If he could be provoked into impulsive anger by a few casual remarks, he wouldn't have been able to become the commander of the strongest force in the Dragon Kingdom.
The glamorous woman was Bai Mei, nicknamed "Wild Rose." She was a renowned beauty and boss in the criminal underworld of Dachang City, the leader of the Honghua Society, and the very person Li Wei intended to deal with tonight.
Li Wei's Sanhe Gang had long sought the allegiance of the Honghua Society, but Bai Mei's unwavering defiance had thoroughly angered Li Wei.
A few days ago, Li Wei had left Dachang City to seek his powerful backer. After receiving his backer's permission and borrowing formidable strength, Li Wei had returned to Dachang City, ready to launch a full-scale assault on the Honghua Society.
Tonight, Li Wei had deliberately feigned a negotiation with Bai Mei at the Jile Nightclub. In reality, it was a trap—a Hongmen Banquet. As soon as Bai Mei arrived, she would be trapped with no escape.
As for the two subordinates sent to kill Chu Lingtian, their failure was indeed unexpected by Li Wei. However, he still didn't take Chu Lingtian seriously, believing it would be as easy as flipping his hand to kill him.
The earlier failure, he reasoned, was because he hadn't dispatched his most skilled fighters from the gang.
Therefore, Li Wei was convinced that if Chu Lingtian dared to come to the nightclub to find him, his death was certain and easily accomplished. His primary target at the moment was solely Bai Mei.
After Bai Mei, accompanied by her two personal female bodyguards, passed through the security scanner and entered the nightclub, Li Wei, who was in a private room, received immediate reports from his subordinates.
"Master Jiu, Chu Lingtian and Bai Mei have both entered our nightclub."
A subordinate called Li Wei and reported.
"Hmph, I didn't expect this trash security guard, Chu Lingtian, would actually dare to come... Issue my orders. Send a few men to chop off Chu Lingtian's hands and feet with knives, then drag him before me. I want to torture him slowly, to let him know that the biggest mistake of his life was provoking me, Li Wei. As for Bai Mei, let her in to see me now."
Li Wei sneered, his orders to his subordinates showing complete disdain for Chu Lingtian, with his focus entirely on Bai Mei.
Tonight's Hongmen Banquet, orchestrated by Li Wei against Bai Mei, was a pretense of negotiation to lure her to the Jile Nightclub and then capture her. Simultaneously, the elite forces of the Sanhe Gang would begin taking over all territories of the Honghua Society outside. Anyone who resisted would be killed without mercy.
With Bai Mei, the linchpin, under Li Wei's control, the Honghua Society would be leaderless, and its remaining members would have little power to resist. The Sanhe Gang's annexation would then become effortless.
Soon, Bai Mei, with her two personal female bodyguards, entered the largest private room in the nightclub and met Li Wei.
"President Bai indeed has courage. You are truly a formidable heroine of the Dachang City underworld."
Li Wei's face held a cold smile. His lecherous eyes scanned Bai Mei's attractive figure, wishing he could immediately savor this exquisite woman.
Bai Mei, observing Li Wei being attended to by four beauties kissing his entire body, couldn't help but retort with a cold laugh, "Master Jiu truly knows how to enjoy himself."
"Men, they want money, they want power. But in the end, they use money and power to exchange for different beautiful women. What's the point of living if you don't enjoy yourself?"
Li Wei said this aloud, but in his heart, he thought, "Later, I will make you, Bai Mei, kneel at my feet and become one of these four women."
At this moment, a subordinate in the room approached Li Wei and whispered in his ear:
"Master Jiu, those six skilled brothers have found Chu Lingtian. They asked me to seek your instructions beforehand. Should we bring the brat surnamed Chu into the room to await your judgment, or after we resolve the Honghua Society's affairs?"
"Instruct them to chop off Chu Lingtian's hands and feet, then bring him into the room. It will also give President Bai a firsthand look at my methods, Li Wei. Oh, and tell them to cut out that brat surnamed Chu's tongue and feed it to the dogs. This is his punishment for his arrogant claim that he would come to kill me."
Li Wei said with a cruel laugh.
"Yes!"
The subordinate, who had inquired respectfully, responded and then relayed Li Wei's message to the four masters who were about to surround and kill Chu Lingtian.
Meanwhile, six powerfully built and formidable thugs found Chu Lingtian and blocked his path.
"Where is your Master Jiu?"
Chu Lingtian asked the six burly and capable thugs.
"Brat, our Master Jiu has ordered that we first chop off your hands and feet, cut out your tongue and feed it to the dogs, and then bring you to him. Attack!"
As soon as the leader of the thugs finished speaking, he was the first to attack Chu Lingtian with a sharp watermelon knife.
The other five formidable thugs, seeing this, also drew their watermelon knives and surged forward, hacking at Chu Lingtian's hands and feet.