281: Chapter 281 Companions, Electric Baton, Ghostly Encounters

Hearing the security guard's report, Xu Hao raised an eyebrow.

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He then gestured for his lackeys to stay put, taking large strides as he walked straight toward the booth where the disturbance was occurring.

Before he even arrived, his voice boomed out as Xu Hao shouted harshly:

"Fuck, which prick is deliberately looking for trouble with me?"

When the drunks saw Xu Hao approaching, rather than reining themselves in, they became even more arrogant.

One of them, holding an empty liquor bottle and likely thoroughly wasted, cursed at Xu Hao as he approached:

"Who the fuck are you? How dare you meddle in my business? Get lost!"

With that, he violently swung the beer bottle, flinging it straight at Xu Hao's head!

"Ah—"

Suppressed exclamations rang out from the surrounding crowd.

However, Xu Hao's reaction was astonishingly fast.

He didn't even pause his steps; just as the bottle was about to hit his head, he slightly tilted his shoulder.

"Bang!"

A crisp shattering sound echoed, and glass shards flew everywhere!

The incoming bottle hadn't hit his head, nor had it missed to shatter on the floor or hit anyone else.

Instead, Xu Hao reached out and caught it mid-air, then squeezed his fingers, forcefully crushing it on the spot!

Glass fragments mixed with leftover liquor splashed outwards, several sharp pieces even piercing his palm and drawing droplets of blood.

Yet Xu Hao didn't even flinch, as if that bleeding hand didn't belong to him at all.

He even grinned, revealing a ferocious smile as his eyes glared fixedly at the drunk who had thrown the bottle.

"You've got guts."

Xu Hao said in a low voice.

The next second, before the drunk could react, he struck like lightning!

He didn't use any complex Move at all; he simply raised his right hand—the very hand that had crushed the bottle, still dripping with blood and glass shards—in a simple and brutal fashion.

With a backhanded slap that cut through the air, he struck the drunk forcefully across the face.

Slap!!!

The slap was exceptionally crisp, sounding extraordinarily loud even against the noisy music of the bar, leaving a faint echo behind.

The tall and burly drunk was actually spun half a circle like a top on the spot by that fierce slap, before losing his balance and stumbling backward onto his rear.

With a loud crash, he knocked over the table behind him, shattering glasses and plates into a mess on the floor.

A mouthful of bloody foam erupted from the drunk's mouth, mixed with several knocked-out teeth. Without even uttering a groan, his head tilted sideways as he completely blacked out.

Witnessing this, his companions were instantly sobered from fear, standing frozen in place, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Looking at the knocked-out drunk again, half his face was a bloody mess, swollen and deformed—a truly miserable sight.

Xu Hao shook his wrist, as if he had merely swatted a fly just now.

He lightly nudged the unconscious drunk on the floor with his toe, spat at the terrified companions, and cursed in disgust:

"Blind fools! Drag them all out and throw them in the back alley!"

Seeing their boss finish showing off, a crowd of lackeys immediately charged forward like wolves and tigers, hauling away the unconscious drunk and his weak-kneed companions.

The other security guards and waiters also bustled about, clearing up the scene.

Xu Hao, meanwhile, adjusted the collar of his floral shirt with composure, as if nothing had happened.

He even took the time to flash a reassuring smile at the female waitress who had been bullied earlier.

Then, with a sharp, warning gaze, he slowly scanned the surrounding guests, who were dead silent from fear.

Seeing everyone's fearful reaction, he nodded in satisfaction.

He then turned around and, surrounded by his remaining lackeys, strode briskly toward the stairs leading to the second-floor VIP area.

In a corner, Fang Cheng took all this in, his eyes slightly narrowing.

Xu Hao's physical condition was indeed far stronger than that of ordinary gang enforcers.

No, to be precise, it had surpassed the boundaries of normal humans, resembling a form of mutated strength.

It seemed that during their bout in the club ring last time, his opponent hadn't gone all out either, just like himself.

Or perhaps, over this past period, he had achieved a new Breakthrough and grown significantly stronger.

Seeing Xu Hao head upstairs, Fang Cheng set down his orange juice, preparing to rise and follow to find an opportunity to approach the target.

However, just as he leaned forward slightly, about to leave his seat, the corner of his eye caught a sudden movement.

Fang Cheng's heart stirred, his gaze quickly sweeping over two other inconspicuous corner booths.

Almost simultaneously, two people stood up.

Wearing ordinary jackets, their appearances were unremarkable, but their eyes were both locked in unison on the direction in which Xu Hao had left.

At this moment, they moved toward the staircase, their actions carrying a trained caution and agility.

It seemed they were after Xu Hao as well.

Fang Cheng's movements froze instantly, and he couldn't help but be taken aback.

There were others?

Who were they? Were they after Xu Hao too? What was their motive?

The situation seemed even more complicated than anticipated.

Fang Cheng sat back down firmly, the look beneath his hat brim growing deeper.

He decided to stay put for the time being and see what these unidentified people intended to do.

...

The VIP room on the second floor was far removed from the clamor downstairs. Once the heavy soundproof door closed, only luxurious quiet remained.

Xu Hao dismissed most of his followers, keeping only two close confidants and a few hostesses sitting upright, trying hard to liven up the mood.

Sinking his rear into the soft sofa, he picked up a bottle of expensive imported liquor, poured himself a full glass, and downed most of it in one gulp.

Blood still seeped from the palm he had used to crush the bottle, but he seemed completely oblivious, not even furrowing his brow.

"Brother Hao, are you alright?"

Seeing this, a trusted lackey cautiously approached and whispered:

"I bet those blind scumbags downstairs were sent by those bastards from the Dongcheng Association to cause trouble on purpose. Damn it, daring to run wild on our turf... Should we take some men over tonight and show them what's what?"

"The Dongcheng Association?"

Xu Hao snorted coldly, leaning back lazily against the sofa with his legs casually propped up on the coffee table in front of him:

"Sending low-grade trash like that to test me—do they think I, Xu Hao, am an easy target? Those old geezers are really regressing as they get older..."

"Oh, Brother Hao~ Stop talking about all this killing and fighting, it's such a buzzkill."

Before he could finish, a heavily made-up, scantily clad hostess nestled up to him with a coquettish laugh, pressing her body almost entirely against Xu Hao, speaking in a nauseatingly sweet voice:

"How about we sing? I love listening to Brother Hao sing the most!"

Interrupted, Xu Hao wasn't angry; instead, amused by her deliberate flattery, he laughed heartily, extending an arm to wrap around her soft waist and giving it a squeeze:

"Oh? Really? You sure have a sweet mouth! Fine, I'll be generous today and sing one for you all to fulfill your wish."

He then grabbed the microphone from the coffee table and expertly selected a heavy metal rock song.

When the dynamic prelude started playing, everyone present subconsciously straightened their backs, their faces showing expressions as if confronting a formidable enemy.

When Xu Hao held the microphone and roared out the first note, the facial muscles of several lackeys and hostesses began twitching uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, the girl who had suggested singing was currently being glared at by everyone with "you're dead" looks.

The deafening, thunderous music combined with Xu Hao's singing—which sounded like a slaughtered pig—instantly filled the room, bashing everyone's eardrums.

Everyone instinctively wanted to cover their ears, but intimidated by the "lead singer" standing right before them, they could only endure the torturous ordeal.

Forced, exaggerated smiles plastered on their faces, they clapped vigorously while shouting praise and cheering.

However, the helplessness in their eyes betrayed their true thoughts.

Just as everyone was suffering through the agony, a light "knock knock, knock knock" sounded on the room door.

Seeing this, a lackey seized the opportunity to speak up and remind him.

His hard-earned rockstar mood interrupted, Xu Hao became extremely impatient. Stopping his singing abruptly, he turned toward the door and roared:

"Who is it?! Can't you hear me singing? Get lost!"

It went quiet outside for a moment, followed by a timid, somewhat hesitant female voice:

"Brother Hao, it's me, Xiao Qing... I-I saw that your hand was hurt, so I brought a first-aid kit over."

Hearing the name "Xiao Qing," the impatience on Xu Hao's face softened considerably.

He glanced at his right palm, which was still faintly bleeding, his eyes flickering with a complex look.

After a moment of silence, he waved his hand at the others in the room: "Alright, everyone get out."

As if granted a royal pardon, the lackeys and hostesses hurriedly opened the door, letting the person waiting outside in, before filing out one after another and closing the door behind them.

The person who walked in was Xiao Qing, the female waitress who had been harassed by the drunks downstairs earlier.

She had changed out of her bar uniform into a simple white T-shirt and light blue jeans, having washed off her light makeup to reveal a delicate and clean face, holding a household medical kit in her hands.

When her eyes fell upon Xu Hao's injured hand, a clear look of worry and distress surfaced in them.

"Brother Hao, your hand..."

"Just a minor injury, nothing worth making a big fuss about."

Xu Hao's tone remained tough, but his eyes were much softer than before. "Didn't I tell you to go straight home after off-shift? Why did you come here?"

"I... I was worried..."

Xiao Qing lowered her head, walked over to his side, placed the medical kit on the coffee table, opened it, and pulled out tweezers, disinfectant, and gauze.

"Let me treat it for you. There are glass fragments in the wound; if it isn't cleaned properly, it'll get inflamed and infected."

Xu Hao didn't refuse further, letting her carefully use the tweezers to pick out the tiny glass shards embedded in his flesh and clean the wound with a cotton swab dipped in disinfectant.

As the alcohol contacted the wound, bringing a sharp sting, Xu Hao's muscles subconsciously tensed, but he didn't utter a single sound.

Xiao Qing's movements were very gentle, her eyelashes lowered, her expression full of Focus.

Only the faint sounds of her treating the wound remained in the room, along with a slightly awkward yet subtly romantic atmosphere between them.

"That's enough."

Xu Hao broke the silence as she was finishing up the bandage: "A small injury like this will heal in a couple of days."

"Still, you need to be careful..."

Xiao Qing muttered in a low voice, carefully tying off the final knot.

Just at that moment, another rapid "knock knock" sounded on the door.

Xu Hao raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but shout again:

"Who is it now? Will this ever end?"

Before a reply could come from outside, with a click, the room door was quietly opened from the outside.

Two expressionless men in jackets burst inside.

Their eyes were cold and their movements swift, their objective clear—lunging straight at Xu Hao on the sofa!

"Who goes there?!"

Xu Hao's reaction was lightning fast, springing off the sofa almost the moment the door opened.

Relying on an almost instinctive sense for danger, he grabbed the heavy crystal ashtray nearest to his hand and threw it brutally at the face of the man leading the charge without a second thought!

However, the intruder was clearly prepared for his skills.

The man on the left ducked, deftly dodging the bottle, while flicking his right hand to send a dark gleam thrusting straight at Xu Hao's lower abdomen.

Xu Hao's pupils shrank as he sidestepped, narrowly dodging it, only then recognizing it was a serrated military dagger!

At the same time, the man on the right closed in, a black object in his hand crackling with electrical arcs as he thrust it violently toward Xu Hao's waist.

It was a powerful high-voltage electric baton!

Attacked from both front and back, Xu Hao roared and raised a leg, kicking over the heavy coffee table in front of him.

With a loud crash, the overturned coffee table successfully blocked the momentum of the stun baton from the man on the right.

Taking advantage of this momentary gap, Xu Hao leaned his body sharply backward, dodging the follow-up slash of the dagger from the man on the left with an incredible Iron Bridge stance!

However, injured and caught off guard by the joint attack, his movements were still slightly delayed.

Missing his first strike, the man on the right flicked his wrist, and the stun baton struck out like a viper leaving its pit, crackling with terrifying blue electrical arcs as it jabbed precisely toward Xu Hao's neck!

A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Xu Hao's eyes. Just as he was about to endure the blow despite getting hurt to take one out first, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Xiao Qing, who had accidentally fallen during the chaos.

His heart tightened suddenly, and his movement faltered in a split second of hesitation.

When experts clash, victory and defeat are decided in an instant!

Zzzzt—

Dazzling electrical sparks burst out! The tip of the high-voltage stun baton struck Xu Hao squarely on the shoulder!

A powerful electrical current coursed through his entire body in an instant. Xu Hao felt his muscles spasm violently, and before he could counterattack, a heavy kick landed right on his forehead.

Xu Hao's vision went black immediately, and his body twitched uncontrollably as he slumped to the floor.

Before his consciousness faded completely, he summoned every last bit of strength to roar:

"Don't... hurt her!!"

The two jacketed men didn't pause for even a second.

One quickly stepped forward and firmly bound the limp Xu Hao with restraint straps, while the other walked toward Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing widened her eyes in terror, wanting to scream and call for help outside.

The man struck swiftly, delivering a moderate chop to the back of her neck.

Without even a whimpering sound, Xiao Qing collapsed limply onto the carpet.

They didn't harm any bystanders; their target from start to finish was solely Xu Hao.

Working with seamless coordination, the two alertly scanned their surroundings before dragging inside the two lackeys lying unconscious at the entrance.

Then, one carried the unconscious Xu Hao over his shoulder while the other closed the door, quickly departing through a hidden back door inside the private room.

The entire process of attack, pacification, and retreat took barely a dozen seconds from start to finish.

Clean and efficient, silent and stealthy, it was exceptionally professional and well-trained.

Yet at the exact instant the two disappeared through the back door with Xu Hao...

A blurry black shadow dashed past from the other end of the hallway at speed defying common logic.

It was blazingly fast!

It even stirred up a sudden gust of strong wind that caused the clothes of a passing waiter carrying a fruit platter to flap violently.

The waiter felt his vision blur, as if something had zipped past with a "whoosh," failing to capture even its shape, leaving only an inexplicable chill running down his spine.

His heart rate spiked suddenly, and he couldn't help rubbing his eyes, looking around in bewilderment.

When he looked closely, however, the corridor was completely empty, as though everything just now had been mere illusion.

"Strange... Did I see a ghost..."

At the thought of that, a shudder ran through his body, and he hurriedly quickened his pace to leave. (End of Chapter)