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A beautiful woman sat in the center chair, picked up the microphone, and began to sing:
"You have a strangely familiar face / I only saw it today / There's a bit of sadness between us / Such a brief connection / Looking at the sky, not letting tears fall / Not saying a word of complaint / Just countless feelings in my heart / Treating it as a debt from past lives... You say it's our Late to Meet / I say I wasn't brave enough to love you / I don't ask for forever / Forever is too far away / Yet I'm trapped in the abyss of love..."
By the time this song ended, Zhang Yang was already drunk, not even aware of when the beautiful woman left the stage. He scanned the bar but didn't see her figure; she must have left right after singing.
This woman was cold and elegant, mature with a touch of intellect and dominance, completely different from Ding Weiwei's cleverness and Chu Ruoxi's pure liveliness. Her allure was indeed strong.
Zhang Yang and Hou Long walked out of "Quiet Thoughts." Zhang Yang said, "It's my turn to treat you again. How about a foot massage?"
"Is this ever going to end? After the foot massage, am I supposed to treat you to late-night snacks? Just go home, wash up, and sleep," Hou Long seemed a bit tired. Indeed, he hadn't rested since he started work in the morning. "Once a man turns 25, his energy just isn't what it used to be."
"Is it that your vitality is gone or your strength is lacking?"
"Both are gone. I'm basically like a small stream in the afternoon, flowing slowly. Unlike you, bursting forth like the sun at dawn."
The two laughed as they parted ways. Hou Long took a car and left while Zhang Yang decided to take a stroll along the sidewalk.
At the first intersection, under the streetlight, a figure stood quietly.
"Zong Linghan?" Zhang Yang was somewhat surprised.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time," Zong Linghan smiled. "Do you mind walking and chatting together?"
Zhang Yang nodded. The two walked side by side.
"Are you really Ruo Xi's boyfriend?"
"I can't really respond to that. I'm closer to Ruo Xi than I am to you."
"Hehe, what you mean by that is no, right? So do you like her?"
"To be honest, a little." Zhang Yang turned to Zong Linghan. "This girl is not bad. Someone like you, Young Master, isn't suitable for her."
Zong Linghan looked a bit surprised. "When it comes to love, what does suitable or unsuitable matter?"
"You just now with that beauty..." Zhang Yang started but then stopped.
"Just now? Oh! You misunderstood, Buddy. Actually..." Zong Linghan had an expression of helplessness.
"This is your business; it has nothing to do with me." Zhang Yang interrupted Zong Linghan. "If you really like Chu Ruoxi, even if she is my girlfriend, you can still pursue her. Love is equal for everyone. However, to be frank, even without me, it seems you wouldn't have a chance."
"Your attitude is quite unfriendly." Zong Linghan didn't seem angry.
"I'm very calm; every word is the truth." Zhang Yang thought to himself that this young master did not have the bad habit of being arrogant and was quite refined and graceful. It seemed the family upbringing of the Century Group chairman was quite good.
As they walked along, they reached a secluded alleyway. By this time, it was already early morning. "Shall we take a taxi back to school?" Zhang Yang suggested.
At that moment, suddenly four boys around fifteen or sixteen years old rushed out from the alley, each holding steel pipes and charging straight at Zhang Yang and Zong Linghan.
Zhang Yang thought it was a gang fight and quickly grabbed Zong Linghan's hand, pulling him back two or three meters to clear the alley entrance. Unexpectedly, the group of boys paused for a moment before turning back towards Zhang Yang and Zong Linghan. The leader, a pale and thin boy, swung his steel pipe and aimed it at Zhang Yang's shoulder.
Zhang Yang initially wanted to step aside and see what these kids were up to, but since Zong Linghan was behind him, he had no choice. Zhang Yang reached for a steel pipe, grabbed it firmly, and with a swift kick, he knocked the Pale and Thin Boy down.
One of the boys collided with the Pale and Thin Boy, and they both fell to the ground. The other two boys were also halted by this momentum and did not rush forward. To avoid escalating the situation, Zhang Yang quickly moved forward, spinning around to snatch two more steel pipes. With a swift motion of his foot, he sent the two boys tumbling down as well.
"Robbery?" Zhang Yang asked the four boys lying on the ground. The first Pale and Thin Boy aimed for Zhang Yang's shoulder instead of his head, which made Zhang Yang realize that their focus was not on hurting anyone.
The once aggressive boys were now stunned by Zhang Yang's actions. The Pale and Thin Boy propped himself up with his arm and nodded in response.
"Robbery is robbery; why hit people first?" Zhang Yang questioned while lightly tapping the ground with the steel pipe.
"We're just kids; we don't have much strength. When we encounter adults, we're afraid they'll fight back, so we hit them first during the robbery," the Pale and Thin Boy mumbled.
"Are you the leader? What's your name? How old are you?"
"Yes, I'm He Lie, 15 years old. The other three are 16."
"Look at you, the youngest one acting as the leader. How many people have you robbed?"
"Yesterday we tried to rob someone but failed. Just as we started, a patrol car came by. Today is our second attempt."
"Do you know that even if you're under 18, robbery can still lead to criminal charges?"
"Big brother, please have mercy and let us go; we really didn't succeed this time," A-Lie said as he lifted his head, seemingly on the verge of tears.
Zhang Yang turned to look at Zong Linghan and asked, "What do you think? Should we let them go?"
Zong Linghan was surprised when he first saw Zhang Yang's skills and was still in shock when Zhang Yang asked him, hurriedly responding, "Let him go?"
"Then let's let him go," Zhang Yang smiled and said to He Lie, "Stop doing stupid things and go back to school."
"Okay," He Lie replied quietly. Zhang Yang waved his hand, signaling them to leave, and stood by the roadside with Zong Linghan, preparing to hail a taxi. While looking for a car, Zhang Yang noticed that the three boys next to He Lie had already left, but He Lie remained standing by the roadside, staring intently at Zhang Yang.
"You go ahead; I want to talk to him," Zhang Yang said to Zong Linghan.
Zong Linghan gently shook his head and got into the taxi, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He couldn't understand why Zhang Yang would want to talk to a street thug like He Lie.
Zhang Yang caught that look and sighed lightly in his heart: Who is born a robber?
Finding a step by the roadside to sit on, Zhang Yang took out a cigarette and handed one to He Lie. He Lie accepted it, pulled out a lighter, lit Zhang Yang's cigarette first, and then lit his own, smoking with an air of nonchalance.
He Lie was originally from Central Plains Province. Years ago, his parents moved to Shanzhou to run a clothing business and brought him along. Initially, He Lie was studying in middle school but dropped out over a year ago. His parents were busy with their business and rarely saw him; for more than a year, He Lie had been living outside with the money his parents gave him, either staying in hotels or internet cafes. His parents could call once or twice a day but had little meaningful communication.
For over a year, He Lie neither attended school nor worked; he just drifted through society. Based on his former middle school classmates, he made quite a few "brothers." In reality, if He Lie were alone, the money from his parents would be enough for him. However, when dining out or hanging out at internet cafes with his "brothers," the money naturally ran out quickly.
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