Now that Meimei was back, she wasted no time in trying to put Shen Ruoxi in her place — or rather, her intent was not simply to make Shen Ruoxi retreat in the face of difficulty, but to destroy her entirely.

Anyone who stood in her way and threatened to steal her spotlight, she would not let pass unscathed.

When she herself was not yet famous, she too had suffered at Brother Qiao’s hands. But she had gritted her teeth and endured — so she knew exactly how terrifying he could be. She and Brother Qiao had reached a sort of arrangement that allowed her to escape his clutches, and now that she had Lord Fan as a backer, even Brother Qiao had to give Lord Fan some face and wouldn’t dare lay a hand on her.

At this moment, Brother Qiao sat in the private room wearing a fur coat, a cigar between his teeth, a vicious scar running above his triangular eyes.

Before him, a woman was kneeling on the floor trying to pour his drink, trembling so violently her hands could barely steady the cup.

“Get away from me.” With one kick, Brother Qiao sent the woman’s face slamming sideways — she cried out in pain as blood began to flow from her nose and mouth.

“Can’t even pour a drink right — why are you shaking like that?” Brother Qiao reached for the bottle beside him, about to bring it crashing down on the woman.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Foreman Hu walked in with a smile on her face. “Brother Qiao, Brother Qiao — Shen Ruoxi is here.”

Foreman Hu glanced at the woman collapsed on the floor, still moaning, and shifted her gaze away as if nothing had happened.

As far as she was concerned, whatever Brother Qiao did to these women was none of her business. He always left a large sum of money as compensation afterward, and some of that money naturally found its way into her pocket.

As long as he didn’t kill anyone, she would look the other way. And even if someone did die, the military police didn’t involve themselves in the affairs of the black market and the gangs. This was a world that existed in the margins of law — a dark world without humanity.

“Stop crying and get out.” Brother Qiao gave the woman a few more kicks.

The woman, terrified, scrambled to her feet and fled through the door — passing right by Shen Ruoxi, who could see her face was covered in blood, a pitiful sight.

She looked at Brother Qiao, and a profound disgust settled in her heart.

“Ruoxi, keep Brother Qiao company nicely.” With that, Foreman Hu withdrew and closed the door.

The moment the door shut, the cheerful smile Foreman Hu had worn disappeared. She said to the men posted on either side, “Your Brother Qiao wants to enjoy himself. Whatever happens in there, whatever sounds you hear — act like you heard nothing. Understand?”

Foreman Hu glanced once more at the tightly closed door, then said coldly, “What are you standing there for? Lock it from the outside.”

The subordinates knew their boss’s particular tastes well enough, and immediately stepped forward to lock the door.

Foreman Hu, seeing the door secured, let out a cold laugh.

Shen Ruoxi, you think you’re so arrogant and proud? Let’s see if you can keep that pride going after today.

Shen Ruoxi stood at a distance, looking at Brother Qiao, while Brother Qiao looked back at her with a naked, appraising gaze.

“Not bad looking. And I hear she’s got a wild streak.” Brother Qiao had the cigar clenched in his teeth, legs crossed. “Come here.”

Shen Ruoxi paused a moment before walking over.

Brother Qiao extended a foot encased in a leather shoe toward her. “Come on — lick my shoes clean for me. With your tongue. Remember — your mouth.”

Shen Ruoxi said, “I can do that. But first, let me light Brother Qiao a cigar.”

Brother Qiao glanced at the cigar he’d finished smoking, then ground it out in the ashtray. “Fine. Light the cigar first, then lick the shoe.”

Shen Ruoxi walked over, her movements unhurried and practiced. She took a cigar from the case with both hands and presented it to Brother Qiao.

After he accepted it, she picked up the lighter and held the flame steady until the cigar was lit. Then she quietly stepped back.

“Brother Qiao, please enjoy your cigar.”

Brother Qiao looked at the woman standing before him, a cruel smile curling at the corner of his mouth. He blew out a smoke ring before saying, “So you’re the one trying to compete with Meimei for the top spot at the Red Gate?”

Shen Ruoxi only looked at him, and said nothing.

“Are you deaf? I’m talking to you.” Brother Qiao’s voice carried a clear note of displeasure. “You’ve gone mute?”

Shen Ruoxi still didn’t speak. Her thin lips curved into the faintest arc of contempt.

“Damn you, you little wretch.” When had anyone ever dared to look down on him like this? He grabbed the bottle from the table and hurled it at her.

The men standing guard outside exchanged glances at the sound coming from within — it seemed their boss had started his performance again. They were long past being surprised.

Every year, the number of women he’d beaten to death or left crippled was beyond counting. Every case had been settled with money, and the victims’ families, who largely didn’t consider these women as people to begin with, were happier than anything to take the payment.

At that moment, a commotion suddenly broke out in the main hall downstairs.

Foreman Hu was still arranging the evening’s program when someone came to tell her that Mr. Xie had arrived.

“Mr. Xie is here?”

Foreman Hu was completely caught off guard.

The dance hall was indeed Xie Yan’s enterprise, but Xie Yan had so many businesses that he likely didn’t even remember owning this particular one. What’s more, Xie Yan had never once come to the Red Gate.

“Quick — go tell the manager.” Foreman Hu immediately became flustered.

“The manager isn’t in,” the server said. “He went out.”

“Of all the times to be absent.” Foreman Hu had never had dealings with Xie Yan before, and everything she knew about him was secondhand. The thought of having to speak with such a powerful figure made her heart race.

Foreman Hu stepped outside to find a man seated on the sofa.

The man looked very young. He was dressed in nothing but a black shirt, seated beneath the shifting light — his expression unreadable.

Judged on looks alone, this was a man who could drive women mad.

Foreman Hu swallowed before approaching, putting on her most practiced flattering expression.

“Am I seeing things, or is this really Mr. Xie? What fortunate wind has blown this great Buddha our way?”

Before Foreman Hu could draw close, an arm extended and blocked her path.

Xie Yan looked at her once, pulled the cigarette from his lips, and said, “Where is Shen Ruoxi?”

Foreman Hu had assumed Xie Yan would ask about the manager. She never imagined he would ask about Shen Ruoxi.

“Ruoxi — Ruoxi is with a guest.” Foreman Hu’s mind turned eighteen circles, trying to figure out why Xie Yan was asking about Shen Ruoxi.

Shen Ruoxi had originally come here through Xie Yan’s introduction to the manager. But afterward, it was as though she’d been exiled to the frontier — Xie Yan never asked about her again.

The manager had said Shen Ruoxi was probably a woman Xie Yan had grown tired of, discarded and sent to this “cold palace.” It was precisely because of this that Foreman Hu had felt free to dismiss Shen Ruoxi.

Now Xie Yan was suddenly asking about her. Had he perhaps rekindled old feelings for this rejected consort?

Whatever the reason, if Xie Yan wanted to find Shen Ruoxi, Foreman Hu didn’t dare delay.

“Mr. Xie, please wait a moment — Ruoxi is upstairs. I’ll have someone fetch her right away.” She began winking urgently at the server. “You — go get Ruoxi, and make sure she changes into something nice and looks presentable. We don’t want her embarrassing Mr. Xie.”

Shen Ruoxi had been sent to Brother Qiao’s room and had no idea what was happening now. Foreman Hu could only hope that Brother Qiao hadn’t hit her face — a few bruises on the body could be covered up.

The server was just about to leave when Xie Yan stood up. “Never mind. I’ll find her myself.”

“Wait!” Foreman Hu instinctively stepped forward to stop him.

Though Shen Ruoxi was no longer in favor, she had at least come here through Xie Yan. If Xie Yan saw what was happening, he might very well fly into a rage.

“What did you say?” Xie Yan’s eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint flashing in his gaze.

A nearby subordinate yanked Foreman Hu aside. “You’ve got some nerve, blocking Mr. Xie’s way.”

Only then did Foreman Hu realize what she had done. She was so frightened she dropped to her knees. “Mr. Xie, please spare me — Mr. Xie, please spare me.”

Xie Yan paid her no mind and walked straight toward the second floor, with Foreman Hu scrambling to follow.

From inside Brother Qiao’s room, the sound of things crashing to the floor came in rapid succession, one after another without end.

“That’s strange — why hasn’t anyone screamed?”

“Right. Has she been knocked unconscious already?”

“Doesn’t add up — not a single sound.”

“Maybe she’s too soft to take a hit and passed out right away?”

As the two guards speculated, a group of men came walking from the far end of the corridor in a dark mass.

“You — who are you?” As the men drew close, the two guards finally reacted and reached out to stop them.

The man at the front didn’t even bother to answer. He simply shoved them both aside.

“You’ve got some nerve — do you know who’s in that room?”

“You’re asking for death. That’s Brother Qiao in there — the great and famous Brother Qiao.”

The two guards thought that invoking Brother Qiao’s name would be enough to frighten these people off. Instead, the man who had shoved them turned around, a cold smile on his face. “And do you know who’s standing before you right now?”

“I don’t care who he is — in front of our Brother Qiao, everyone bows their head.”

A moment later, one man’s face was seized in a grip, and then a figure went flying off the second-floor railing like a kite with its string cut.

Bang!

In the busy main hall below, everyone felt a shadow flash overhead — and then someone crashed down onto a table, sending glasses, food, and the table itself shattering in all directions.

The man lay there, blood foaming from his mouth — if not dead, then half-crippled.

The other guard had long since been trembling with fear. Reading the situation, he turned and bolted — but he was a step too slow.

While those below were still gaping at the scene, another man was thrown down from the second floor.

“Mr. Xie, the door is locked.” The man in front stepped forward to open the door and found a padlock on the outside.

Xie Yan looked at the padlock, then turned his gaze to Foreman Hu, who had followed the group upstairs.

“Keeping company with a guest — and they need to lock the door?”

Foreman Hu felt as though his eyes were piercing straight through her. She was just about to speak when Xie Yan’s voice, cold as ice, came down on her.

“Open it. Now.”

Foreman Hu didn’t dare delay a moment longer. She immediately sent someone to find the key.

The man beside Xie Yan said, “Mr. Xie, the Brother Qiao they mentioned — it sounds like Qiao Dahu.”

The name Qiao Dahu rang a faint bell for Xie Yan, though a small-time thug was hardly worth committing to memory.

“This Qiao Dahu has a particular hobby — he takes pleasure in abusing women.”

Xie Yan’s pupils contracted sharply. In the next instant, he stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick. Under the force of that blow, the chain securing the door snapped clean apart.