In the three days that followed, Caoyang had been discovered eighteen times, each encounter ending in another violent clash.
He even ran into the police twice. He didn't dare fight them—those uniforms changed everything—so all he could do was run.
The thugs in the first two days were still manageable—bare-handed or holding a couple of knives. None of that posed any real threat to him.
But now the ones leading the teams had started pulling guns.Their aim was terrible, so none of the shots hit him.
Even so, Caoyang felt a chill.He hadn't slept well for three days. If this continued, he'd be destroyed sooner or later.
After finishing yet another fight, he slipped into an urban village and bought alcohol and gauze from a small pharmacy.
He was strong, but still human. Constant fighting had worn him down. In a moment of carelessness, he'd taken a cut to the arm.
He disinfected the wound with alcohol, sprinkled some Yunnan Baiyao on it, and wrapped it in gauze.
After treating the wound, he lit a cigarette. His gaze grew cold, vicious.
"F* it. If they won't let me live, then no one lives."**
Caoyang decided to strike back.If they wanted his life, they'd have to pay for it—with theirs.Even if he died, he'd drag a few down with him.
His initial thought was to kill the two gang bosses. But he didn't even know their names, let alone where they lived.
He couldn't find the men—but he could find their businesses.
He picked up two beer bottles and a plastic tube from the roadside. Then he quietly opened a car's fuel tank, siphoned gasoline into the bottles, stuffed cloth into the openings.
Two improvised Molotovs.
He took a taxi to White Night Club, a venue owned by the Henan gang.A few days earlier it had been wrecked by the Hunan gang, but they'd just repaired it and reopened.
Carrying the bottles, Caoyang tried to enter but was stopped by security at the door.
The guard looked at him with disdain."Sir, no outside drinks allowed."
Caoyang took out two hundred yuan and handed it over.The guard pocketed the money and pretended not to see a thing.
"Sir, how many in your party?" a short-skirted waitress asked enthusiastically.
"Just me."
"This way, please."
She seated him in a small booth and asked what he'd like to order. Her eyes flicked disdainfully toward his "self-brought" beers.
Caoyang ordered a fruit plate and a dozen beers. He took a sip and looked toward the stage.
On stage, two voluptuous DJs were mixing tracks, shaking their heads so hard he worried something might actually fly out.
Below the stage, men and women twisted their bodies wildly, dancing in the packed crowd.
Caoyang thought:One Molotov onto the stage, one into the dance floor—instant chaos. Fire everywhere.
Alcohol everywhere, leather sofas everywhere—everything in here was flammable.
Inside a closed, crowded space, a blaze would kill ten, twenty people easily.The Henan gang wouldn't be able to recover from that blow.
Economically ruined, reputation destroyed, legal consequences waiting—bosses and staff would all end up in prison.
If they wanted him dead, they could all die together.
He lifted his lighter, flicked it open with a click, and lit the fuse of the bottle.
He scanned the crowd.Everyone was drinking and dancing, unaware of him.
He raised the bottle high, ready to throw—
Then suddenly froze.
A long breath escaped him.
Sure, doing this would be satisfying.It might indeed cripple Liu Zhenhu.
But the people here had no grudge with him.This was too extreme.How was he any different from those lunatics who attacked society?
He looked at the waitress and thought of Li Yan. She had once worked in a club just like this.If she'd been burned alive, he'd never forgive the arsonist.
No… debts belong to their owners. No need to drag innocent people down.
Caoyang snuffed out the flame, went to the restroom, and silently poured the gasoline down the drain.
When he returned, he saw the waitress clearing his booth.
"What are you doing?" he asked irritably.He hadn't left yet.
"Sorry, sir, I thought you were gone."She apologized politely.
He waved for her to leave and sat back down. Then he stopped her again.
"Bring me a pack of cigarettes."
"Okay."
She returned with a pack that normally sold for forty."One hundred yuan, sir."
Caoyang didn't argue. He handed her the bill.
She took the money, clearly displeased, and walked away.
"Come back," he called.
"Yes, sir? Anything else?"
Caoyang took out two hundred yuan."Where are you from?"
"Henan," she answered, eyes glued to the cash.
Caoyang smiled and slid the money into the front of her uniform.
"A tip."
The waitress gasped, stepped back, then thanked him happily and walked off.
He was testing her—testing whether she was "proper" or not.If she got angry, that was the end of it.But she didn't.So he could move to the next step.
This was Henan gang territory.She was from Henan.She might be connected to the gang.Maybe he could get useful information from her.
Know your enemy to win a hundred battles—yet he knew nothing about the Henan gang.
After a while, Caoyang waved her over again and ordered another fruit plate.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"My name is Xiao Ling."Having received a tip, Xiao Ling sounded much more enthusiastic now.
Caoyang pulled out another five hundred yuan and slipped it into her collar.This time Xiao Ling didn't dodge—she even leaned forward slightly.
She'd worked here a long time and gotten a few tips before, but those were drunk customers and at most a hundred yuan.
A sober man tipping this generously was rare.
"Have a drink with me," Caoyang invited.
"I can't, sir. We're not allowed to drink at work."
Caoyang took out another thousand yuan and tucked it into her collar.
"Brother, I'll drink with you," Xiao Ling said instantly, raising her glass and downing it.
"Brother, you're so handsome. If I weren't working, I'd drink with you all night."
"If you need company, I can call two girls to keep you entertained."
"No." Caoyang shook his head."I only want to drink with you."
Xiao Ling hesitated. They weren't hostesses. Drinking on the job was truly forbidden—she'd already broken the rules once.
"You go work. I won't make things hard for you," Caoyang said gently.
She gave him a long, meaningful look, then turned to leave.
As soon as she stepped away, two girls in skimpy tops and heavy makeup sat beside Caoyang.
"Brother, let us drink with you," one said, eagerly pouring herself a glass.
They had seen him tip Xiao Ling generously—over a thousand yuan in minutes.
Caoyang waved them off."No need. Leave."
The two girls, annoyed, cursed under their breath as they walked away.
Xiao Ling saw it all.Instantly, her curiosity—and interest—deepened.
Those two girls were professional hostesses.Better looks, better bodies, better charm.But Caoyang had ignored them completely.
He only tipped her.
A total of 1,700 yuan—nearly her monthly salary.
She bit her lip, then returned to Caoyang, handing him a small note.
Caoyang unfolded it.
"I get off at 4 a.m."
He checked the time.It was 2 a.m.
A slow smile curved his lips.He leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and drifted into a light doze.