Chapter 242: Little Brother!
A Frayed Friendship
Today was the opening day for The Matrix Revolutions. Thanks to the strong foundation laid by the first two installments, the movie theater was packed. The audience occasionally let out exaggerated gasps at the visual effects displayed in the film.
Two hours of viewing time slipped by unnoticed. After the film ended, Vanessa and Eve walked out of the cinema, excitedly discussing the plot and special effects while marveling at how handsome Neo was.
Eve clutched her chest and said expectantly,
"I want a boyfriend who is as strong, handsome, and cool as Neo."
"Stop dreaming. That's a movie. People like that don't exist in reality."
Vanessa said, pretending to be calm, but a flicker of longing passed through her eyes. Because of her father, she was 21 and had never dated, which was almost unheard of among young people in the United States (excluding devout Christians).
Eve bought a bottle of water and asked excitedly, "Where to next?"
Vanessa lowered her head awkwardly. "Dad wants me home before seven o'clock."
"Seven o'clock!"
Eve spat out the water she was drinking, her face full of disbelief.
"The bars don't even open until seven, and he wants you back by then!"
"He... he is just concerned about my safety."
The explanation was so weak and ineffective that Vanessa herself could feel it.
Eve dramatically covered her forehead. After a while, she waved her hand. "Forget your father. It's the weekend. The Red Flame Bar is having a party. Are you coming?"
"I really want to, but..."
"Fine, don't say it."
Eve tossed the bottle and turned to leave. Vanessa quickly chased after her.
"Where are you going?"
"To the bar, of course."
"It's not seven yet!"
That sentence nearly broke Eve. "My lady, the bar opens at six!"
"But didn't you just say seven?"
"I was just messing with you!"
Vanessa was speechless.
Eve sighed. "Even though we're best friends, I can't spend every weekend with you studying in the library. You are twenty-one, not a seven or eight-year-old girl. Can't you show a little initiative?"
She sighed again, turned, and left, leaving Vanessa standing alone at the cinema entrance.
In that moment, she felt abandoned by the whole world.
A Change of Heart
In a corner not far away, Luke, who witnessed the scene, shook his head slightly.
"Old man, let's pick someone else."
Jack Harvey didn't understand. "What do you mean? Pick who?"
Luke sighed softly. "This girl is too pure, like a blank piece of paper with nothing written on it. Deceiving her would give me a lot of unnecessary guilt."
Jack Harvey's eyes widened, completely astonished. You, of all people, feel guilt?
Luke knew what he was thinking. He gave him a cold look and said gravely,
"If you don't agree, let God decide. If she goes to the bar, I'll go for her. If she doesn't, the operation is canceled tonight."
"Kid, what nonsense are you talking about? After all the preparations I made, how can we cancel?"
"I always keep my word."
Luke ignored him and stared straight ahead.
Vanessa stood at the cinema entrance, highly conflicted. On one side was her strict father, and on the other were her youthful instincts and her best friend. She truly didn't know what to choose. After hesitating for a long time, she gritted her teeth, crossed the street, and chased in the direction her friend had disappeared.
Witnessing this, Jack Harvey clapped Luke on the shoulder, laughing heartily.
"She's all yours, Young Master Shaw. Don't blame me if I look down on you for failing."
Luke held up a single finger.
"Half an hour. I'll take her down."
The Knight in the Bar
It was the weekend, and also the Red Flame Bar's tenth-anniversary celebration. The owner generously advertised a 50% discount on everything, so the bar became a sea of joy well before seven o'clock.
Excited young men and women drank, sang, danced, cheered loudly, showed off, and engaged in the enthusiastic activities unique to their generation.
Experiencing this kind of venue for the first time, Vanessa was uncomfortable, but with her friend's help, she quickly blended into the dancing crowd.
She was already extremely beautiful, having perfectly inherited her model mother's figure and looks, perhaps even surpassing them. Even in conservative clothing, she couldn't hide her captivating figure and the aura of a high-society lady developed since childhood.
Three young men were drawn to her beauty. They seized an opportunity while dancing to surround her. One danced and made suggestive gestures, while the other two pressed close and started touching her inappropriately from behind.
At first, Vanessa didn't think anything was wrong, assuming it was just part of the dancing. Gradually, as the actions of the two behind her became increasingly inappropriate, she grew annoyed and tried hard to resist.
"Hey beautiful, this is a dance floor. Everyone here just wants to have fun. Stop pretending to be innocent. Dance with us, or you're going to regret it."
The youth with the earring pulled out a flashing dagger and twirled it between his fingers.
Vanessa froze, her mind blank, unsure what to do. At the critical moment, Eve rushed forward and shoved the earring guy away.
"What are you doing? Stop harassing her!"
The earring guy sized up the scantily clad Eve and grinned wickedly.
"This one's not bad. Wild and sexy. I like it. My brothers are in luck now."
With that, he winked. The other two exchanged glances and pulled out handkerchiefs soaked with liquid from their pockets. Seeing the danger, Eve grabbed Vanessa and ran toward the exit. But after only two steps, they were yanked back.
The tallest of the three, the fat one, chuckled menacingly and raised his hand to press the cloth over Eve's mouth. If he dealt with the wild girl, the other young lady would surely comply willingly.
Just then, a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. The fat man's face twisted, and he doubled over on the floor like a cooked shrimp.
Luke took the cloth from the fat man's hand and slapped the earring guy across the face. Whether it was due to excessive force, overly strong drugs, or the earring guy being weak from drug use, he went down instantly. He lay rigid among the crowd without moving, clearly knocked unconscious.
Luke was dumbfounded.
What the hell? I only used half my strength, and he collapsed.
The two girls were also stunned. Fortunately, Eve was experienced in such situations. She grabbed the terrified Vanessa with one hand and the bewildered Luke with the other, and dashed toward the outside.
The three ran to the bar on the second floor. The excited Eve raised her hand and punched Luke on the chest.
"Little brother, I didn't realize you were so tough! You took that guy out with one blow!"
Little brother!
Luke frowned slightly, sensitive to the term. He asked the bartender for a glass of brandy, gulped it down, then turned, leaned his elbows on the bar, and said expressionlessly,
"Beautiful lady, 'little brother' is not a term to be thrown around casually. You might get yourself into trouble!"
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