Cora hadn't been in contact with Fyren for years, and these past two days, the man seemed completely different from before.
It was hard to pinpoint exactly what had changed—he was just... weird.
Now Fyren was driving her car like it was about to take flight, terrifying Cora out of her wits:
"Fyren! What's the rush? Slow down! Slow down!"
Fyren snapped, "Shut up! It's urgent—your brother's about to die!"
Cora froze. "Eason? What are you talking about?"
"Just shut up!" Fyren barked.
Seeing how tense Fyren was, Cora grew suspicious but didn't dare ask more questions, simply closing her eyes.
Fyren hadn't realized how thoroughly he'd messed up the original plot by doing his own thing.
The storyline where Otto would get Eason killed was about to unfold.
According to the original plot, Otto would scheme Eason to death at the Neon Baby Nightclub.
And right now, Eason was at Neon Baby's Nightclub.
When Fyren got the call, his first thought was: I have to save him!
First, because Eason was one of Fyren's few real friends.
Second, in Fyren's view, while Eason wasn't exactly a saint, he didn't deserve to die.
He was just another spoiled rich second-generation—a bit arrogant, sure, but not particularly malicious. Most of the time, he was actually quite polite to people.
His only flaws were being wasteful and lazy.
In the original plot, killing him was just Otto's way of clearing the path to seize the Chen family's assets.
But as his friend, Fyren couldn't just let Otto beat him to death.
The car screeched to a halt outside Neon Baby nightclub. Fyren jumped out and charged inside.
This wasn't some ordinary club—the kind of place average people couldn't afford. The usual nightclubs weren't fancy enough for Eason's tastes.
Several dilettantes at the entrance immediately blocked Fyren:
"Hey man, you can't just barge in here—you see what kind of place this is?"
Zaring flared up. "Out of the way! Do you have a death wish, stopping Young Master Fyren of Crystalpeak City?"
The leader of the group quickly backtracked. "Aigoo, Young Master Fyren! Welcome, welcome! What brings you—"
Fyren slapped him across the face. "Get lost."
Then he grabbed some random kid. "Where's that fatass Eason?"
The young man grinned obsequiously. "Young Master Eason is on the fifth floor."
"Take me there!"
The leader frantically radioed ahead: "Young Master Fyren of the Zhang family is coming up! Prepare to receive him!"
"Which Young Master Fyren?"
"What do you mean which one? The ultra-rich heir who dares call Young Master Eason 'fatass'—the one whose family's worth hundreds of billions!"
Fyren stormed in with Zaring and Cora in tow.
The name "Neon Babe" was suggestive enough, and the interior decor matched—gaudy colors everywhere, dripping with sensual ambiance.
As they entered the stairwell, rows of extravagantly dressed girls lined both sides. All wore stockings, shimmering skirts of various styles, and towering high heels as they chirped sweetly:
"Welcome Young Master Fyren to Neon Babe!"
A woman who appeared to be in her thirties approached with a practiced smile. "Young Master Fyren! What an honor!"
"Where's Fatty?" Fyren demanded.
"Upstairs. Why don't you find a seat first? Let me arrange some girls for—"
"No need. Take me to him now."
Fyren's sudden appearance sent ripples through the entire nightclub.
Back in college, Fyren had frequented such places a few times. After his breakup with Cora left him depressed, and he began pursuing Eliza, he'd stopped coming altogether.
Eason, however, had proudly upheld this "fine tradition."
Seeing Fyren's visible agitation now, Cora was starting to believe something might actually be wrong.
"Is my brother in danger? How could he possibly...?"
Fyren shot her a look that said I need to assess the situation myself—all I know is he's supposed to die today, but not how.
They pushed through the doors into an expansive VIP suite, its interior obscured by a large decorative screen.
Just as they entered, Eason's voice rang out from inside: "I'm dying!"
Cora's legs nearly gave out from terror. Fyren steadied her as they rounded the screen—only to freeze.
What a tragedy!
Horrific!
Unspeakable!
Utterly... fucking... unbearable.
Eason lay sprawled across a massage chair: one girl kneading his scalp, two working his feet, and another two rubbing his arms...
His face was slathered in a multicolored mask as he moaned in pleasure.
Cora turned livid. "This is your life-or-death emergency?!"
"Eason!" Fyren barked.
"Huh?" Eason didn't budge, only moving his mouth. "Fyren! Get some girls to massage you too—feels amazing!"
Fyren marched over. "Let's go. Now."
The madam, recognizing Fyren wasn't to be trifled with—especially in his current mood—hurriedly said, "Everyone out. Now."
"You too," Fyren ordered.
"Yes, of course. Young Masters, just call if you need anything."
Eason sat up, peeling off his mask. "What's the big deal? I just got this mask—" He spotted Cora. "Sis?! Wait, let me explain! This is my first time here, I swear—"
Cora glared coldly at both. "Shut up. Fyren, explain. What's really going on?"
Fyren cut straight to the point: "Where's Hogan?"
Eason bristled at the mention. "That bastard? Got what was coming to him—sent flying yards away."
Fyren nodded gravely. "Never come back to this place. It's dangerous for you."
Eason chuckled. "Dangerous indeed. Surrounded by five gorgeous girls—oh, far too dangerous."
Just as Fyren was about to respond, the door burst open.
Hogan's voice cracked through the room: "Eason! Get your ass out here!"
Eason lazily grabbed his robe and draped it over himself. "What do you want now?"
A crowd had already gathered at the door, pushing and shoving—clearly Eason's lackeys and Hogan's reinforcements were about to clash.
Hogan spat angrily, "You stole my girl! If I don't beat you to a pulp today, my name isn't Hogan anymore!"
Fyren turned slowly to face Hogan. "We still have unfinished business, Hogan. I suggest you calm the fuck down."
Spotting Fyren, Hogan laughed derisively. "Reunited at last! Doesn't scare me—I've got a new friend here. Think you're tough? Try him."
A figure emerged from the crowd—Otto.
Fyren's eyes widened in surprise—not at Otto's appearance itself (which aligned perfectly with the original plot where Eason's sole nightclub visit coincided with meeting Otto), but at Otto associating with Hogan.
What the actual hell?
You're supposed to be the righteous protagonist! The hero!
Why are you teaming up with a minor villain?
How the hell should I handle this?
Eason—usually all smiles, polite to everyone, generous with tips for the girls despite his pudgy appearance—had been one of the "Five Tigers" back in school, never one to back down from a fight.
His expression now was thunderous. "Think numbers scare me? Hogan, after what you did to my sister the other day, you're not walking out that door! Fyren, let's show this bastard what happens when we team up!"
The madam panicked, unable to afford offending any of these young masters.
"Aigoo, Young Masters, this isn't worth it! Please calm down! How about this—all your tabs are on the house tonight! Hogan, do an old woman a favor—"
Eason cut her off. "I'll pay for any damages. Now scram! Hogan's not leaving here on his feet today! Lao San!"
"Here!" one of Eason's lackeys barked.
"Block all exits. If a single one gets away, I'll skin you alive!"
"Don't worry, boss! None of these scumbags are escaping!"
Zaring pointed at Hogan. "I don't care about the others today—you're mine, Hogan!"
Fyren observed the scene. Zaring truly was a loyal dog.
He had already pulled out a knife at some point, deftly wrapping the handle and his hand together with a towel.
Fyren grabbed Zaring's hand. "You need to stop."
Zaring looked confused. "We're not helping Eason with this?"
Fyren turned to Hogan. "Hogan, what's got you so worked up? If we're going to fight, at least explain why. I don't get it!"
Hogan spat, "I booked a girl first, and this fatass stole her the moment he arrived! Complete disrespect!"
Fyren laughed. "That's what this is about?"
"What? Have I, Hogan, ever taken an insult lying down in Crystalpeak City? And you, Fyren—we still have unfinished business from when you hit me the other day!"
Otto chuckled. "Fyren, you really are everywhere, aren't you?"
Fyren met Otto's gaze without fear.
Having fought since high school, Fyren never backed down—his family's wealth ensured he could throw punches without restraint.
Not that Fyren and Eason were typical bullies. They'd started getting into fights after being cornered for money in their early years—first surrendering their cash, then getting kicked in the face before fighting back.
Eventually, they became legends on the streets. Wealthy, with plenty of followers, they always led from the front during fights, which earned them fierce loyalty. Most clashes stemmed from disputes over "territory" between rival groups.
Later, few dared challenge them. Bored, they turned to playing vigilantes.
Thanks to them, their university saw remarkably few cases of female students being harassed.
Their policy was simple: "We'll beat you, but you can call for backup—the more the better. Call more, get rewarded. Call fewer, get hospitalized."
Ridiculous? Perhaps. But it forged them into proper street fighters.
The kind who felt truly alive when fists started flying, as if finding life's meaning in the chaos.
Seeing this long-missed scene unfold, Fyren remained calm while Eason burned with mixed emotions.
Rage, because Hogan—already beaten once—dared show his face again and threaten him! And harass his sister!
Excitement, because he suddenly felt... useful.
Exactly!
The whole city saw them as trash.
But he knew the truth—he might smoke, drink, get perms, and visit brothels... but he was a good guy at heart.
And he had his strengths. He could fight.
If it weren't for my family always stopping me, I would've joined the military long ago!
Getting to play with guns and cannons legally - now that's real fun!
Today couldn't be more perfect!
Absolutely perfect.
Hogan has completely humiliated himself, making it perfectly justified to teach him a lesson.
The reasoning is sound, the atmosphere is right - after trying to take advantage of my sister alone, even if I beat him to a pulp, his family wouldn't dare say a word against me!
Especially with my good buddy Fyren by my side!
Let's make a grand scene in this world of mortals! Ride our horses and share in the world's prosperity! Drink wine and curse our enemies in the streets! Relive our youth with a bang...
Fyren clenched his fists, furious to the core.
How could he not be angry!
I didn't even go looking for you despite your ancestors' virtue in past lives, and now you dare come after my friends!
Eason kicked a chair to pieces and threw a stool leg at Fyren, who caught it effortlessly.
Eason kicked another chair forward and pointed the stool leg at Hogan. "Fyren, I'll take care of this bastard today! Hogan's mine - you handle Otto. Lao-san and Zaring, hold down the fort and keep anyone else from interfering."
Fyren examined the stool leg in his hand, then looked up at Otto.
Otto stood there, watching him with a smirk.