"Wait a minute…"
A strong, cold voice halted the steps of Jack and his companions. Outside the door adorned with a crystal bead curtain, a group of people strode in aggressively, led by none other than "Tiger" William Chenghu, whom they had encountered just the night before. Surrounded by a large number of subordinates, he marched straight into the bar, his greasy, fat face appearing unpredictable under the flickering lights.
"Jack! I respect you as a new guest and have given you enough face, but today you dare to cause trouble and kill people on my turf? Do you really think I'm just a clay figure with no temper?"
Tiger stood still about seven or eight meters away from Jack, his coat open, his cold gaze fixed on Jack not far away, filled with a threatening aura. The distance between them was quite delicate, a distance of distrust, where both parties would only converse if they were considering a confrontation.
It seemed that William Chenghu indeed had such intentions. As soon as he finished his questioning, his subordinates sprang into action, quickly distributing black bulletproof vests emblazoned with the word "Police" to everyone. Dozens of guns of varying lengths were raised, all aimed menacingly at Jack and his companions, clearly well-prepared!
Seeing the fierce-looking thugs donning bulky bulletproof vests, Jack narrowed his eyes. From the start of the conflict to the gunfire and killings, it had only been a few minutes. However, William Chenghu had arrived so quickly, almost armed to the teeth. If Jack believed that William Chenghu hadn't sent someone to monitor their every move, he would be dead wrong. Even if Thomas Xu hadn't clashed with the clowns tonight, William Chenghu would have sent someone to test him. After all, in the eyes of William Chenghu and his crew, Jack and Thomas Xu daring to venture into their territory at night was tantamount to seeking death.
Now that he had both the opportunity and the excuse, William Chenghu was the first to jump out with his men. This showed that in just one night, Jack had been marked as a significant threat by William Chenghu, almost to the point where he had to be eliminated. Even the delicate Jiao Jiao beside Jack sensed the seriousness of the situation; her little face began to pale, and she instinctively shrank back. The reputation of William Chenghu was not something that the clowns could compare to, and the gleaming guns were a powerful testament to his strength.
"Tiger, this outsider is too arrogant, daring to kill on your turf. He clearly doesn't take you seriously!" Guang Dan, with a pale face, stood up from the ground, covering his arm, looking mournfully at the murderous William Chenghu. Their group wanted to make a run for it, but William Chenghu's men had blocked the door tightly, leaving Guang Dan no choice but to force himself to curry favor with William Chenghu.
"Get out of the way! I'll settle the score with you later!" William Chenghu glared fiercely with his bulging eyes, causing Guang Dan to shrink down immediately. His throat felt dry, and he swallowed nervously, obediently retreating to a corner with his men, not daring to make a sound.
"Jack!" William Chenghu's gaze fell on Jack, who had been silent all along, and he sneered, "Don't think you can signal to Thomas Xu secretly over there. Do you really think you have a chance to escape? I'll tell you straight up, today you brought this upon yourselves. This road has been completely sealed off by my men, and even Ryan Qiang can't get through!"
"Oh? So, you think you have us all figured out?" Jack straightened his body and fearlessly met William's domineering gaze, which was both fierce and intimidating.
"Hmph~ From the moment you stepped into this gathering place, it was destined that I would swallow you whole. Here, I am the king!" William the Tiger raised a finger, pointing arrogantly at the sky with an air of authority, grinning as he said, "But I, the Tiger, am always reasonable. Don't say I'm not giving you a way out; as long as you're willing to cooperate with me, not only will today's grievances be wiped clean, but I will also guarantee Jack's position here in the future, absolutely second to none! What do you say, Brother Lin?"
"Second to none? You really think highly of yourself!" Jack's expressionless face finally showed a hint of disdainful sarcasm, and he replied coolly, "Not to mention that I'm not the least bit interested in your proposal, even if I were, it seems that you alone don't have the final say here, do you?"
"Hmph! What's Ryan Qiang worth? If it weren't for my concern about innocent bystanders, would he still be alive today? And that Yuan Dapao, crushing him would be as easy as squashing a bug!" William the Tiger boasted shamelessly, then took a step closer, looking at Jack with contempt as he said, "How about we make a bet today? Not betting on anything else, just whether Ryan Qiang dares to come and save you today. If he dares to bring people to confront me, then I'll admit I'm just making a fuss, and I'll leave immediately. If he doesn't dare, I won't make it hard for you; just call me 'Boss,' and from today on, we'll be on the same side. In the future, with me, the Tiger, around, you, Jack, won't miss out on anything!"
"Are you threatening me?" Jack scoffed, slowly scanning the armed men behind William the Tiger.
"Haha~ Of course, this is a threat. From the moment I arrived, it has been. In this world, everything relies on strength. Today, my strength is greater than yours, so naturally, I can threaten you. But I think you, Brother Lin, wouldn't be so oblivious to the situation, would you? This concerns your life and livelihood; I advise you to think it over carefully!" William the Tiger grinned maliciously, seeming to feel that he had everything under control today!
"Tiger Lord…"
Suddenly, a young man ran out from the crowd behind William the Tiger, and as soon as he appeared, he shouted with a face full of schadenfreude, "Ryan Qiang has brought people over and is blocked at the entrance, making a fuss without even daring to fire a gun!"
"Hahaha…" William the Tiger burst into hearty laughter, his chest puffing up a bit more, and he said triumphantly to Jack, "Brother, did you hear that? There's no future in messing with someone like Ryan Qiang. From now on, with me protecting you, you have nothing to fear!"
"Thank you for your kindness, but I, Jack, have never relied on others in my life, whether it's Ryan Qiang or you, the Tiger. I firmly believe that the only person one can rely on is oneself!" Jack shook his head with a smile, and William the Tiger's expression immediately darkened, glaring at Jack with clenched jaws. However, Jack leisurely raised a hand, gently put his thumb and index finger in his mouth, and let out a loud whistle.
"Splash..."
Without warning, a wooden glass window behind Jack shattered, and a red canine creature charged in with a fierce posture. It leaped lightly to Jack's side, shaking off the glass shards from its body, and casually called out to everyone, "Who ordered takeout?"
"..."
Everyone on the scene looked on in astonishment at the sudden appearance of the large red dog. They were not only shocked by its ability to speak human language but also deeply impressed by the two massive weapons strapped to its back. For what Michael carried was not just two ordinary guns, but two rocket launchers glowing with a faint green light!
"Haha! Dog demon, well done!" Thomas Xu laughed heartily. Before his voice had even faded, he swiftly grabbed the rocket launcher from Michael's back and tossed one to Jack. He also hoisted one onto his shoulder, aiming the warhead directly at the door, and shouted with a raised eyebrow, "Tiger, do you really think we're pushovers? If you have the guts, open fire tonight! I'll send two rockets down, and we'll blow each other to the sky, completely taking you down with us!"
"You..."
William Chenghu instinctively took a step back, his face turning pale to the point of almost turning purple. It was also the first time he had been directly targeted by a rocket launcher, and the pressure was far from the understated portrayal in movies. A chilling aura of killing intent almost hit him in the face. Moreover, Thomas Xu was notorious for being recklessly bold in the gathering place, and he had no doubt that this guy would dare to blow them to the sky while also killing himself.
"Da da da…"
Meanwhile, a sudden burst of gunfire erupted from outside the building. The sound was unmistakably that of dozens of guns firing together, so loud that even the doors and windows of the bar trembled slightly. William Chenghu's expression finally changed completely, but before he could shout, a walkie-talkie strapped to his waist began to scream frantically: "Tiger, Tiger... Ryan Qiang and the others have gone crazy, they're firing at us with everything they've got, we've lost so many men..."
"Fucking!" William Chenghu cursed loudly, staring at Jack across from him and coldly saying, "Jack! Don't get too smug, we'll see who comes out on top!"
William Chenghu and his men left in a grand manner, just as they had arrived, while Guangdan and his group, sensing the danger, quickly dashed away along the wall, leaving only Jack and a few others standing in the bar, where the lights continued to flicker chaotically, with bitter smiles on their faces!
"Dog demon, how did you know that the tigers would come to trouble us tonight?" Thomas Xu unloaded the rocket launcher from his shoulder, re-engaged the safety, and wanted to pat Michael on the big head. However, recalling the times he had been bitten, he hesitated and could only grin and say, "When did your head become so smart?"
"Hey~ I can't take credit for this; it's the Mistress who asked me to follow you!" Michael shook his head and said to Jack with a smile, "The Mistress said that a cunning man like William Chenghu cares a lot about his reputation. Last night, you embarrassed him, so he will definitely want to regain his face. The best opportunity for him to strike is when you are alone and away from heavy weapons, which is why I was asked to follow you just in case!"
"Cao Mei has really thought this through, even more than I did!" Jack said, patting Michael's big head with satisfaction. The latter responded with a "sweet" smile, while Thomas Xu cursed at that moment, exclaiming, "Damn, does this gunfire just stop when it wants? It seems Ryan Qiang isn't really willing to fight after all!"
"This is inevitable!" Jack shook his head helplessly and said, "If the two largest forces really end up fighting to the death, then this gathering place will be completely ruined. I doubt anyone wants to see that happen! It's already quite difficult for Ryan to have done this for us! Let's go, it's time to get some sleep!"
...
When the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room, Jack was already awake. Bai Ru curled up in his arms like a cat, her long black hair cascading down her smooth back like a waterfall, making her look like an extraordinarily enchanting peony, so beautiful that it evoked a sense of reverence.
Everyone can see the beauty of Bai Ru. After becoming a true woman last night, her beauty has become even more dazzling, radiating a mature charm. Jack gazed at her for a long time and finally couldn't help but lower his head to kiss her. Bai Ru wrinkled her delicate nose and said without opening her eyes, "Don't move, okay? It still hurts there!"
"I've been holding it in all night. It's already morning, and you still won't let me touch you?" Jack said with a mischievous smile, his rough hand slowly covering Bai Ru's plump, perky bottom. He gave it a gentle slap, and the white flesh quivered lightly, proving to be surprisingly elastic!
"You're so annoying! Are you going to let me sleep or not?" Bai Ru opened her eyes and gave Jack a playful glare. She wasn't used to exposing her body in front of Jack, so she hugged the blanket and turned over, inadvertently revealing Jack's body. Although he was still wearing his underwear, the angry dragon inside was already showing signs of rising, pushing the underwear up into a large mound, making Bai Ru's eyebrows twitch as she shyly buried her head in the blanket.
"By the way!" Bai Ru suddenly popped out again and asked Jack, "How long are we going to stay here?"
"First, let's help Ryan take down that supermarket!" Jack Thomas opened his arms and beckoned to Bai Ru, who immediately swam over and affectionately lay in his embrace. Jack stroked her smooth long hair and continued, "Old Hu is probably going to jump out and start his own business. That way, I won't have to worry. Once we take down that supermarket, I'll take you all away from here to see South State!"
"We?" Bai Ru raised her little head and asked with a hint of mischief, "Who do we refer to? Besides Michael and A Xue, who else? Cao Mei? Xiao Jiao? Are you planning to take them all with you?"
"Well..." Jack pondered for a moment, wrapping his arm around Bai Ru's shoulder and said, "Actually, helping Ryan with this is also to ensure he takes care of Jiao Jiao and the others. Before I leave, I will leave some supplies for them, so at least they can be safe and sound for a long time!"
"Is that so? Then why do I feel like you're being insincere?" Bai Ru shook her head helplessly, keenly noticing that Jack hadn't mentioned Cao Mei. She looked directly into Jack's eyes and said, "I can actually feel that ever since Cao Mei made her stance clear in the air raid shelter, your attitude towards her has changed a lot. Can you really bear to leave her behind?"
"Cao Mei..." Jack frowned slightly, not knowing where the courage came from, suddenly looking at Bai Ru and said, "As long as she is willing, I will take her with me!"
"Hmph~ If you don't take her, I'll look down on you too!" Bai Ru bit her lower lip and playfully punched Jack's chest, then sighed and said, "She has been protecting you with her life in the air raid shelter. No matter what mistakes she made in the past, her feelings for you are as clear as day. You have to take her with you no matter what!"
"You... aren't angry?" Jack blinked, looking at Bai Ru in surprise.
"Sigh~ If this were peacetime, if you dared to play tricks on me, I would definitely take you down!" Bai Ru gritted her teeth and made a scissor gesture with her hand, but then helplessly said, "But times are different now; nowhere is safe, not even this gathering place. Who knows when a zombie horde might show up? I only feel safe when I'm by your side. If I leave Cao Mei behind, it feels like I'm sending her to her death. And what about that Ryan Qiang? What if you leave, and he takes advantage of Cao Mei?"
"So..." Bai Ru said, suddenly straddling Jack's abdomen. The milky white blanket slid down her satin-like skin, revealing an almost dazzlingly alluring body that made Jack's eyes gradually redden. Seeing Jack's flushed eyes, Bai Ru smiled shyly, but cupping his face, she said in a fierce tone, "You may think you're lucky, Dexter, but remember, I am your only main wife; she is at most a concubine. If you dare to fall for someone new, just wait for me to take action..."
...
When Jack came down from the room, Bai Ru was still lying on the bed like a puddle of mud, unable to move. Having just tasted forbidden fruit, she was trying her best to please Jack, but her combat power was simply too weak. Jack was still not satisfied, and she rolled her eyes, fainting again and again, until Jack finally couldn't bear to torment her anymore, and their passionate encounter ended abruptly.
Humming a tune, Jack walked down the stairs with a light step. Several more composed women were busy preparing breakfast in the living room, and Cao Mei was sitting on the nearby sofa, fiddling with a handgun. However, she was still wearing a black silk nightgown, which really didn't match her mature and charming image.
Perhaps because there were no men in the living room, Cao Mei didn't pay much attention to her appearance. Her beautiful legs were resting on the sofa cushions, and the lace-trimmed thong was fully exposed, with a plump little mound forming in the middle. A few strands of "black silk" were unwilling to remain hidden, peeking out from the edge of her underwear, making Jack's heart race.
"Sir, you're awake!" When Cao Mei saw Jack come down, she hurriedly pulled down her skirt, not wanting Jack to see any hint of spring, and then sweetly called out to him.
"Hmm!" Jack nodded in confusion, not understanding what Cao Mei had to hide in front of him. What he didn't realize was that Cao Mei was trying to change her ways, wanting to shed her previous flirtatious image and adopt a more demure style.
"Just now, Ryan Qiang sent someone to say that he wants to see you after you wake up; he has something to discuss with you!" Cao Mei quickly finished assembling her gun and jumped up, rushing to the table to serve Jack porridge and dishes.
"Got it!" Jack nodded, stuffing a bun made by Lu Jia into his mouth, but his gaze kept unconsciously drifting towards Cao Mei's white and full chest. He didn't know if it was because he hadn't fully enjoyed the passionate scene with Bai Ru, but he really wanted to tell Cao Mei that her nightgown today had no characteristics at all; the places that should be exposed were completely covered, and he couldn't see anything!
"After I help Ryan secure the supermarket, we will leave. What do you think?" Jack said with a bun in his mouth, his gaze slowly shifting from Cao Mei's chest to her beautiful legs. Sensitive Cao Mei quickly noticed that Jack was acting strangely today, becoming quite lecherous, which left her feeling both flattered and slightly awkward.
"I... I don't have any thoughts, wherever you go, I go!" Cao Mei pretended to be a little woman, with a shy expression, but secretly hated herself for being impulsive today. Why did she choose to act like a lady? The nightgown she wore was as conservative as a nun's. Jack clearly wasn't satisfied with Bai Ru, and his desires were hard to suppress. If she had dressed more provocatively, perhaps she could have fulfilled her long-held wish early this morning.
"Well, then you can follow me from now on, but you need to think carefully about this. You can't regret it!" Jack finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Cao Mei more formally. Meanwhile, Cao Mei was calculating her own thoughts. Upon hearing Jack's words, she instinctively nodded and said, "Oh! Mei'er understands... What? What did you say, sir?"
"I said to let you follow me from now on, to leave here with me and Bai Ru!" Jack looked at Cao Mei in confusion, but this statement sounded different in her ears, like a thunderclap exploding in her mind.
Jack's simple words represented that he had accepted her. In an instant, Cao Mei's heart was filled with explosive joy, and she couldn't help but cry tears of happiness, saying with a thick sob, "Wuw~ Mei'er understands... Mei'er will definitely listen to you and Sister Ru from now on, wuw..."
What does it feel like to fall in love with a man? Cao Mei had never experienced it in the first half of her life, but when Jack said those words today, she truly understood what love was. It was a feeling of wanting to throw herself wholeheartedly into his embrace, willingly sacrificing everything for him.
Jack didn't know that his words would surprise Cao Mei so much. He felt both gratified and helpless. He was gratified because he genuinely felt Cao Mei's sincerity, but helpless because he had no love for her. He simply didn't want to disappoint a woman willing to sacrifice her life for him. The reason he kept her by his side was perhaps more about reciprocation. As for whether love would develop in the future, Jack was never someone who thought too far ahead!
After breakfast, Jack hurriedly left the house, as even the usually sharp and capable Cao Mei had lost her composure. Not only did she stutter her words, but her entire face was as red as a monkey's bottom. She could hardly bear to look into Jack's eyes, and he wondered if there was a girl more shy than her experiencing her first love. This reminded Jack of Bai Ru's comment about her—once a self-centered and selfish woman develops real feelings, it would definitely be a thunderous and passionate affair!