Volume One, Chapter 36 (Fifth Watch): Standing Up for the Beauties

Inside the private room, the crystal chandelier’s light cut through the haze of swirling dust, illuminating every corner of the chaotic scene. Overturned fruit platters, shattered steel pipes, and tissues soaked in spilled alcohol littered the floor.

The thin, tall man swallowed hard, a flicker of instinctive dread crossing his features. Having spent years on the streets, he had been in his share of brawls and encountered many formidable opponents. Based on his experience, the prowess Zhou Yang had just displayed meant that even if his remaining three lackeys swarmed him together, they would be no match for him.

He never expected to run into such a master at this establishment.

However, the tall man was desperate to save face. "You took down a few of my brothers, so you think you're something special?" he sneered at Zhou Yang. "I work for Brother Long..."

Before he could finish, Zhou Yang snatched up an ashtray from the floor and hurled it directly at him.

"Damn it!" The tall man scrambled to dodge. "You’re asking for death, you little punk!"

"Am I?" Zhou Yang retorted fiercely. "Then let’s see who dies first!"

Since he had already been pushed to this point, he might as well finish the job. He picked up a baseball bat from the floor and began walking toward the tall man and his three remaining thugs. The bat dragged across the marble floor, emitting a harsh, grating sound that frayed the nerves of everyone in the room.

Suddenly, the tall man’s phone began to play a ringtone: "Let’s meow together, meow meow meow meow meow..."

"Stop!" the tall man gestured. "It's Brother Long calling!" He looked ecstatic, as if he had just grabbed onto a life-saving straw.

"Hey, Brother Long!"

"I've arrived at the Dynasty club. Didn't I leave you in charge of security here? Where are you?" Brother Long asked.

"Brother Long, I'm right here!" the tall man replied. "Some people are causing trouble, so I'm handling it in a private room. Would you mind coming over to take a look?" He was clearly calling for reinforcements.

"Causing trouble?" Brother Long asked. "Which room?"

"666!"

"Alright, I'm on my way!"

After hanging up, the tall man looked arrogant again, all traces of his earlier fear vanished. "Kid, you're out of luck. Brother Long is coming. Even if you had three heads and six arms, you’re not walking out of here alive!" He slumped onto the sofa, stretching out his limbs, ready to enjoy the show.

Bai Lu and the others, unaware of Brother Long’s background or status, whispered, "Zhou Yang, we should call the police!" Her phone was still in the tall man's possession.

"Since they're underworld types," Zhou Yang said, "let's handle this the underworld way. I don't care if it's Brother Long or Brother Tiger; whoever is afraid is a coward!"

At this moment, Zhou Yang stood tall, a man of unwavering resolve.

Not only was Bai Lu filled with admiration, but Zhao Ziying and the innocent-looking girl with glasses were also struck by awe. If it weren't for Zhou Yang, they would likely have been stripped and pinned to the sofa by now. Instinctively, they moved closer, taking their places behind him.

Seeing this, Xie Feng felt a surge of resentment, but he was too intimidated by Zhou Yang to intervene.

Soon, the door was pushed open, and several men in suits entered, lining up on either side. In the middle, a massive, two-meter-tall bald man strode into the center of the room.

"Brother Long!" The tall man scurried forward. "You're just in time. These people are causing trouble and refusing to back down; they even injured several of my brothers!"

"This arrogant?" Brother Long’s gaze was sharp, slicing through the room like a blade.

"He's the one who hurt your men!" Xie Feng quickly pointed at Zhou Yang.

"That's right, Brother Long, it's him!" Liu Yan added. "His name is Zhou Yang. He even bragged that he didn't care if you were Brother Long or Brother Tiger—he'd fight anyone who showed up!" Liu Yan lived up to his reputation as a top salesman, masterful at fanning the flames.

To the girls, however, this display was utterly contemptible. Especially for Zhao Ziying and the girl with glasses. The actions of Xie Feng and Liu Yan made them want to vomit. When faced with a real threat, they were terrified cowards who would even offer up their own girlfriends. Yet, when someone stood up for those girls, they turned into snakes, sowing discord and framing the person who had defended them. They had perfectly embodied cowardice, selfishness, and deceit.

Brother Long turned a cold, piercing gaze toward Zhou Yang. The oppressive aura of an underworld boss was enough to crush anyone’s spirit. "Do you know what happens to people who cause trouble at my establishment?"

Zhou Yang replied, "First of all, I am not the one who started this. It was these two men. They came from the next room to cause trouble, and I only fought back in self-defense."

"Secondly, if you want to know why I hit your men, you can ask them yourself."

Brother Long sensed something amiss and shot a sharp look at the tall man. "Let's hear it!"

"Bro... Brother Long, they were causing trouble, I came to settle it, and he refused to listen and started hitting people!" the tall man scrambled to justify himself.

"You're lying!" Zhou Yang interrupted. "If it were that simple, I wouldn't have lifted a finger. Your men relied on their numbers to threaten us, demanding we leave all the women behind and kick the men out. It's hard to believe that in this day and age, such archaic bullying still exists!"

"So, you fought back?" Brother Long frowned.

"Exactly!"

Brother Long gritted his teeth and suddenly swung his hand, landing a loud slap across the tall man's face.

"Brother Long?"

"You beast!" Brother Long was furious. Using his name to settle disputes only to bully women—it was a disgrace to his reputation.

"Young man, my people were in the wrong. I will discipline them," Brother Long said.

"Discipline is one thing," Zhou Yang said. "My friends were terrified, and I sustained some injuries during the scuffle. As a paying customer, I have no criminal record and did nothing wrong, yet I was subjected to this treatment. As the man in charge, shouldn't Brother Long offer us some form of compensation?"

A collective gasp went through the room. Everyone thought the matter had been settled, but Zhou Yang was pressing his luck, demanding accountability from Brother Long himself.

"Zhou Yang, are you sick in the head?" Xie Feng hissed. "Brother Long is letting you off—can't you just take the win and shut up?"

"Xiao Mei, let's go," Liu Yan urged. "This kid has lost his mind; who knows what he'll trigger next!" He reached out to pull the girl with glasses, but she stood firm, stubbornly remaining behind Zhou Yang. The moment Zhou Yang had stood up for them, she had been moved.

"Ziying, you're not leaving either?" Xie Feng asked, furious to see Zhao Ziying standing behind Zhou Yang as well.

"Zhou Yang is right," Zhao Ziying said. "We were insulted, and we deserve an apology."

"Idiots! You're all crazy!" Xie Feng spat out through gritted teeth.

Brother Long took a deep breath, his expression turning even colder. "You want an explanation from me? You've got guts."

"When you're wrong, you admit it. When you're hit, you stand tall. I believe Brother Long is a man of stature. We cannot be insulted and terrorized for no reason. Please, give us an explanation," Zhou Yang insisted, his demeanor aggressive and the atmosphere hanging by a thread.

Just then, Brother Long's phone rang.

"Hello, have you met Mr. Zhou yet?" his boss, Qiao Youliang, asked urgently on the other end.

"Oh, don't worry, Boss. I've reached the Dynasty club; I'll see Mr. Zhou in a moment," Long replied.

"Good!" Qiao Youliang said. "You left in such a rush I forgot to tell you: Mr. Zhou's full name is Zhou Yang. He's in his early twenties. Make sure you don't mistake him for someone else!"

"Zhou Yang?"

Long was instantly stunned. He looked at the defiant young man standing before him. It seemed someone had just called him Zhou Yang, hadn't they? And he did look to be in his early twenties.

In an instant, Long felt his scalp go numb.