On the second floor of the bar, Lu Chao walked out of the office.
The din from the main hall on the first floor washed over him again. In the center of the dance floor, women were still swaying to the music, their bodies a blur of light and shadow.
Standing by the tiled railing on the second floor, Lu Chao realized this was the first time he had looked out over the bar with such a different state of mind.
"Don't worry. There's no way Brother Hao would ever screw you over."
"Speaking of which, you're really something else. You managed to pull it off without any fanfare."
Zhou Qiang remarked from his side, a note of admiration in his voice. He had watched Lu Chao's entire journey to this point.
In just three months, he had transformed from a scrawny young man with a lost expression into a fighter with defined muscles and a focused gaze.
The transformation was like an iron blade being forged in fire.
"It's all thanks to Brother Hao."
"If it weren't for this security job, I never would have made it this far."
Lu Chao smiled, his tone candid.
Back in the office, he had ultimately accepted the offer of sponsorship.
Judge a man by his actions, not his intentions. Brother Hao had helped him several times without ever asking for anything in return.
Besides, a basic Life Potion and dozens of kilograms of Exotic Beast Meat each month were a huge help. As for the price, he could always repay it once he was strong enough in the future.
"You're a good kid... Not bad."
Seeing Lu Chao's sincere expression and hearing the genuine gratitude for Brother Hao in his voice, Zhou Qiang nodded in approval.
Everyone wants to be friends with someone loyal and honorable.
'Isn't that why Brother Hao is willing to sponsor him?'
The two walked slowly down the second-floor corridor, talking as they went.
They parted ways when Lu Chao reached the top of the stairs.
He didn't see Xiaoyang on his way out. He walked through the bar's main doors and disappeared into the night.
The noise faded, leaving only the whistling of the night wind.
...
CLICK!
Nine o'clock at night.
At Building Three on Engineering Street, Lu Chao closed the apartment door behind him.
He swapped his shoes for slippers at the entryway cabinet and walked into the living room.
He glanced at the other bedroom across the hall. The crack beneath the door was pitch-black, and there wasn't a sound.
'Still at the repair shop, huh?'
His eyes flickered as he recalled something Zhao Yuanqing had said recently.
The repair shop had taken on a few big jobs, so he had been especially busy, leaving early and coming home late.
Besides that,
He glanced over at the coffee table, which was cluttered with various items.
*Basic Mechanical Knowledge*, *Basic Theory of Prosthetic Components*... a stack of conspicuous old books was piled there, along with several miniature models of mechanical prosthetics.
Most of it was stuff his roommate had bought secondhand. On the corner of the table sat a half-open black toolbox, revealing a small pressure-tester probe, a deep blue electrode scalpel, and other tools.
'A mechanic...'
Thinking of this career path, Lu Chao's expression softened, and he shook his head with a wry smile.
Maybe he'd been inspired by Lu Chao's own efforts, or perhaps spurred on by the words of Lin Ze and the others.
At some point, Zhao Yuanqing had started to change, striving to become a professional mechanic specializing in prosthetics.
He was using his job at the repair shop to practice with real parts, while secretly coming home to cram theory and burn the midnight oil.
Clearly, he wasn't the only one who wanted to change his fate.
As this thought crossed his mind, he glanced again at the pile of yellowed old books on prosthetic theory.
Lu Chao stood rooted to the spot, ultimately deciding to push the thought aside for now.
He had planned to tell him the news tonight—that he had broken through to the Fighting Level.
But he still owed him five thousand yuan. It would be better to wait until tomorrow, after he finalized things with the Patrol Department and got a salary advance.
Then, he could treat Yuanqing to a proper meal to celebrate and thank him.
...
...
STEP, STEP.
A few minutes later, Lu Chao walked out the door.
Perhaps it was the memory of how Zhao Yuanqing had cared for him when he had a high fever right after he arrived, or the image of him lending him money without a second thought.
In the end, Lu Chao couldn't hold back.
'That guy Yuanqing is going to be so shocked.'
'It's not far, anyway. I might as well go give him a surprise.'
With a small smile, Lu Chao headed down Engineering Street.
The roadside barbecue stalls were buzzing with activity, and the savory aroma of grilling meat drifted to his nose.
Bathed in the intersecting glow of neon signs and streetlights, he soon arrived outside the repair shop.
....
CLANK!
CLANK! CLANK!
Inside the steel-roofed repair shop, the sound of turning gears echoed intermittently.
Fluorescent tubes cast a steady, cold light, illuminating every corner of the workshop. The floor was covered in dried, blackened oil stains.
Several trucks were parked in the repair bay, where three or four mechanics were busy at work.
"Xiaozhao, you done yet?"
"Almost, almost! Don't rush me."
As a coworker urged him on, Zhao Yuanqing's voice echoed from underneath one of the trucks.
He lay on a greasy mechanic's creeper, using the beam from his headlamp to inspect the truck's chassis.
He connected the last cable, snapped it into its groove, closed the cover plate, and tightened the screws.
CLICK!
Once he confirmed everything was in order, he gave a light push with his legs and slid out from under the vehicle on the creeper.
"Alright, the chassis is good to go."
Zhao Yuanqing slid out from under the truck, blinking against the bright workshop lights.
His blue-black work uniform was covered in grease and dust. He stood, slapped the dirt from his clothes, pulled off one of his filthy gloves, and wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "Next, let's give the engine another look-over and patch the tire."
"That's basically it. Once we're done with that, we can clock out for the night..."
VROOOM! VROOOM!!
He was cut off by the sudden roar of engines.
Outside the workshop, several beams of white light tore through the night, blindingly bright.
A moment later, four modified motorcycles stormed into the workshop, their riders arrogantly gunning the engines, which let out a series of deafening roars.
"What the..."
The headlights were blinding, shining right in his face.
His vision was completely whited out.
Zhao Yuanqing frowned in discomfort, quickly raising a hand to shield his eyes as he tried to peer through his fingers to see who was there.
VROOOM!
The modified motorcycles finally came to a stop, but their blinding headlights stayed on.
Forcing his eyes open against the stinging glare, he could make out seven or eight figures on the bikes.
Most were in their early twenties, some wearing black tank tops and helmets, others in open brown jackets.
They were armed with metal bats and long clubs, and each had an identical tattoo on his neck: what looked like a blood-red chain wrapped around the flesh.
"Xiaozhao, it's the Rock Gang..."
The coworker beside him went pale, his voice trembling.
Zhao Yuanqing's heart sank. He could now clearly see the blood-chain tattoos on their bodies, as well as the face of their leader.
"What, not happy to see me?"
A man dismounted from the center motorcycle. He was tall and lanky, his brown leather jacket hanging open to reveal a tight black tank top underneath.
The back of his right hand was etched with a fluorescent silver pattern, the clear sign of a bionic prosthetic.
He took off his helmet as he spoke, revealing a vicious young face with short black hair, an earring, and a nose ring. His mocking gaze swept over the mechanics.
"Weren't you all so tough last time?"
"Let's see who's still around."
Silence. Dead silence.
As his gaze swept over them, the three other mechanics in the workshop quickly lowered their heads, their bodies trembling slightly, not daring to meet his eyes.
They all knew the Rock Gang's methods. Getting on their bad side meant nothing but trouble—broken bones were a common occurrence, as was being forced to your knees to empty your pockets.
In the dead silence, only Zhao Yuanqing...
...his brow furrowed, lowered the gloved hand that had been shielding his eyes and looked straight at the young man in the lead.
"Xu Peng, what do you want?"
"What do I want...? I'm here to fuck your mother, that's what!"