Chapter Fifty-Five: Trouble Befalls Fang Yuan

After listening to Guo Xiaohua, Axin glanced in Fang Yuan’s direction but said nothing in response, instead steering the conversation elsewhere. Seeing the two of them engrossed in their chat, Fang Yuan felt there was no place for himself and found an excuse to slip away.

Having drunk too much beer earlier, he felt the urge and headed for the restroom. As he was coming out, a drunken guest happened to pass by, and, not paying attention, collided directly with Fang Yuan.

"Are you blind? Why the hell did you bump into me?" the man snarled, raising his fist as if to strike Fang Yuan.

But Fang Yuan, quick and calm, intercepted the man's shaky hand with ease, pushing it back without fuss.

Then, two men in black appeared from behind the drunkard. Fang Yuan hadn't noticed before that there were others with him—likely private bodyguards, which meant this man was someone of some standing.

Since he had come with Guo Xiaohua and didn’t want to cause trouble for him, Fang Yuan had no intention of escalating the situation. Besides, he hadn’t suffered any loss—the man hadn't even touched him.

“Sorry.” There was no harm in apologizing if it meant less trouble for himself; Fang Yuan didn’t mind saying a word or two if it could smooth things over.

“Think you can just walk away with an apology? Not so fast! If you want to leave, get on your knees and kowtow to me,” the drunken man demanded, clearly not intending to let Fang Yuan go. Even though he himself had been the one to bump into Fang Yuan, in his mind, it was the other’s fault for being there at the wrong time.

Fang Yuan had no interest in dealing with such a person and ignored his unreasonable antics. The two men in black made no move to let him pass, so Fang Yuan simply pushed them aside with one hand.

What a joke—did they really think just two bodyguards could stop him? Did they take him for a rag doll?

If he hadn’t been trying to keep things quiet, it wouldn’t have been just a gentle shove; it would have been a punch. He hadn’t had a good workout in a while.

“Grab him! I’m in a foul mood tonight and I’m going to teach this arrogant punk a lesson,” the man fumed.

This was Zheng Ming, cousin to Zheng Hao, a year younger. At home, he was a notorious young master, always bossy and overbearing, spending his days in idle mischief and gluttony. His little girlfriend had already suffered his wrath earlier for not obeying him. No sooner had he finished with her than he ran into Fang Yuan.

Already itching to vent his anger, seeing Fang Yuan’s indifferent demeanor only stoked the fire.

The bodyguards immediately moved to chase after Fang Yuan. Seeing this, Fang Yuan simply stopped and turned to face them.

“What now? Looking for a fight? It’s cramped in here. Why not step outside?” Fang Yuan said coldly. He’d been wanting some practice, and now that trouble had come knocking, why should he back down?

He still didn’t want Guo Xiaohua involved, and certainly didn’t want him to know about this. Though the two bodyguards were tall and burly, they hesitated at Fang Yuan’s calm, unflinching manner.

“Outside? Fine! I was just thinking there wasn’t enough room here. Take him to my suite. It’s spacious enough for anything,” Zheng Ming declared proudly. He kept a private room at this club, specially modified so that not even a gunfight inside would be heard outside.

Hearing this, Fang Yuan noticed a flicker of hesitation cross the bodyguards’ faces.

“Master, we’re not afraid of him. Let’s go with him and crush him,” urged Chongchong, Fang Yuan’s internal companion.

Fang Yuan wasn’t worried about that. He was more curious what kind of room they were taking him to.

Once inside, Fang Yuan understood the bodyguards’ earlier hesitation. The expansive room’s far wall was lined with all manner of instruments—whips, stun batons, fire tongs, and other implements fit only for torture.

Seeing these, Fang Yuan couldn’t help but feel a chill. Who would’ve thought a man about his own age could be so cruel?

He was confident he wouldn’t be taken advantage of, but entangling himself with such a ruthless character would surely bring trouble in the future.

As he was considering leaving, the door was already shut.

“Kid, if you beg for mercy now, maybe I’ll go easy on you. Well? Have you decided how to apologize?” Zheng Ming sneered, his eyes glinting with a savage light.

Fang Yuan remained unmoved. Zheng Ming snapped his fingers, and a bodyguard opened another door in the room.

From where Fang Yuan stood, he couldn’t see what was beyond, but it likely led to another chamber. Rooms within rooms were not unusual in places like this.

Soon, several men entered. They were different from the bodyguards—expressionless, their faces blank.

They immediately looked to Zheng Ming, who glanced at Fang Yuan with a trace of amusement.

Fang Yuan noticed one of them was holding a pair of handcuffs—clearly meant for him.

Surveying the scene, Fang Yuan realized his earlier actions had been rash. He should never have provoked this dangerous character. Whatever happened tonight, trouble would follow.

The man with the handcuffs approached, his face still devoid of emotion.

For some reason, Fang Yuan felt uneasy around these newcomers.

He remembered Guo Xiaohua was just outside. If he called him for help, could he handle this?

Fang Yuan reached into his pocket, only to find his phone missing.

“Looking for your phone? It’s right here with me. Tell me—who do you want to call? I’ll dial for you,” Zheng Ming said with a mocking smile.

Fang Yuan hadn’t even noticed when his phone had been taken. Usually, his senses were sharper than most—yet he hadn’t felt a thing.

“Master, be careful around these people. I can’t see any obvious flaws, but they’re definitely not ordinary,” Chongchong warned just as Fang Yuan felt his wrist seized in a vise-like grip.

He instinctively tried to resist, but his hands were already locked together in the cuffs.

Handcuffs?