The coastal city at night, with lights like confetti, evoked such a pleasant sea breeze that one would want to fall asleep.
At this time, inside one of the private rooms of Star Ocean KTV, a man in his twenties dressed in casual clothes stood, with one hand in his pocket, and the other holding a microphone, passionately singing.
"Turn around and leave, You can't seem to speak your mind, Our surprising love persists."
His magnetic voice permeates through the high-quality stereo sound system. At this moment, several women around their forties and fifties, dressed in luxurious, eye-catching attire, immediately began to applaud.
"Xiao Jing, you sing really well, your sister likes it so much!" A corpulent middle-aged woman suddenly stood up, her seductive gaze fixed on Fang Tang Jing, one hand, seemingly not purposely, rested on his chest.
"Sister Wang, not to hide from you, with my current level, I could easily win 'China's Got Talent'." Fang Tang Jing revealed a slight smile, quietly removing the woman's plump hand from his chest.
The remark elicited uproarious laughter from all the women in the room. Sister Wang suddenly took out a wad of red bills, chuckling, "Sister really enjoys your singing. How about coming over to my place tonight to sing for me?"
Seeing Sister Wang's provocative appearance, Fang Tang Jing knew that if he went over to her place tonight, it wouldn't be just for singing. "Sister Wang, I sell my talent, not my body."
No sooner had he finished these words, than the door of the room was flung open. A young man in KTV's black uniform rushed in, anxiously announcing, "Jing Brother, there's trouble in Titanic, you should come quickly."
Fang Tang Jing frowned, "Who dares to make trouble on my turf?"
"Some students, they're not old." The waitstaff quickly responded.
"Let's go, let's check it out." Fang Tang Jing strode out of the room, followed by the waiter.
The private rooms in Star Ocean KTV all use special names, such as Buckingham Palace, Golden Vienna, Titanic. The room in question, the Titanic room, was also on this floor.
Just as he stepped out of the private room, Fang Tang Jing was finally able to breathe easier. He had no interest in hanging out with a bunch of older women.
"Brother Jing, I think those rich ladies quite fancy you. If you hooked up with one, you'd never have to worry about food and drink in your life. That's definitely better than being a security guard here!" The waiter murmured, following behind Fang Tang Jing.
Fang Tangjing halted in his strides, his eyes fixed steadily on the waiter. "With complete seriousness, I can't live off another's means," he resolutely said, "I am a man who makes his own way. If my old fellow back home found out, he'd surely break my legs. How would I make a living in our village then?"
Upon seeing Fang Tangjing's dignified and righteous demeanor, the waiter felt a sudden rush of shame, nodding vigorously in agreement. "How could I have mistaken Brother Jing for such a person?"
"However, if it's a pretty young girl of a dozen years or so, I might reconsider." Fang Tangjing muttered sotto voce, rubbing his chin.
Hearing this, Little Zhang, who was following behind him, lost his footing and nearly fell.
It wasn't long before the two reached the 'Titanic.' Places like this, known for entertainment, were often easy to house those who would default on a bill or stir up trouble. Fang Tangjing had dealt with quite a few of these incidents before.
"Damn it, we've spent money here to sing, and you refuse even to drink with us? Are you disrespecting me?"
“I... I don't drink." The female waiter shook violently with fear, her eyes welling up with tears as she desperately tried to retract her hand.
Fang Tangjing pushed open the door without hesitation. The room was dimly lit and noisy, with about seven or eight people sitting inside, but their faces were indiscernible.
Once the lights were flipped on, they saw five strangely dressed men with colorful hair, sitting on the sofas smoking, flanked by two girls.
In particular, a man with dyed yellow hair had his arm around the female waitress, Xiao Jing. She was both scared and angry, struggling to remove her hand from his grasp.
The originally dim room suddenly brightened, causing everyone to squint slightly, then turn their attention to Fang Tangjing, who walked in through the door.
“Brother Jing…” the waitress Xiao Jing managed to break free and rushed to Fang Tangjing’s side, her face tear-streaked.
Xiao Jing was considered a beauty, and being harassed at the KTV was not a first for her. Fang Tangjing casually put his arm around Xiao Jing’s shoulder and chuckled, “Don't be scared, Xiao Jing. I will treat you to Zhajiang noodles at the noodle restaurant next to the 'Spanish Restaurant' on the opposite side to calm your nerves."
Xiao Jing blushed furiously at the casual invitation, her eyes briefly sparkling.
“Damn it! Who the hell are you?” demanded the yellow-haired man from his seat on the sofa, furiously glaring at Fang Tangjing. The other men sitting on the sofa also stood up, all of them throwing hostile glances at him.
Fang Tangjing traced a faint curve at the corner of his mouth, slowly walked to the center of the compartment, and delved his hand into his clothes.
The blonde-haired boy and the other four boys instantly became alert, with some of them silently gripping the wine bottles on the table, soaked in anxious perspiration. Upon seeing that what Fang Tangjing pulled out was just a pack of cigarettes, they all simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief. They had probably watched too many blockbuster movies and assumed that Fang Tangjing was going to pull out a gun.
"I am the security guard of Star Sea KTV," Fang Tangjing grinned, "Please give me face and don't make a ruckus here." He then lit a cigarette and handed it to the blonde-haired boy.
The blonde-haired boy glanced disdainfully at the cheap cigarette in Fang Tangjing's hand, with a look of contempt surfacing in his eyes. He didn't even bother to extend his hand to take it, sneered and said, "A mere security guard asking me to give him face? In Binhai City, who doesn't call me Brother An when they see me?"
In society, refusing someone’s cigarette is a serious act of disrespect, and it was a direct and overt slap in Fang Tangjing’s face.
Seeing the other party had no intention of giving him face, Fang Tangjing didn't get angry. He popped the cigarette into his mouth and lit it up, leisurely puffing out a thick cloud of smoke.
"Everyone who comes here is our guest. How about I drink this cup of whiskey for her?" Fang Tangjing lowers his head to look at the whiskey on the coffee table before he speaks.
"You drink for her? Do you know who our Brother Chen is? Get lost and wait on the side. Otherwise, you'll leave here lying down," a green-haired youth bellowed.
It turns out the yellow-haired boy is named Chen An. After graduating from high school, he mixed around in society, became a street thug, and joined a gang, always acting domineering and arrogant.
Chen An was very receptive to his lackey’s words, picks up the glass of wine on the coffee table, and coldly looks at Fang Tangjing, saying, "Fine, you can drink this cup of wine for her. But..."
As he spoke, Chen An paused, suddenly spat disgusting phlegm into the wine glass, and smirked at Fang Tangjing. He then said, "Drink this glass, and let's call it even for today's dealings."