"A glass of citrus tulip," Xu Xiaoyou said.
The bartender nodded in understanding, pouring various colored liquids into the glass, stirring the contents skillfully amidst the serene and beautiful music.
Xu Xiaoyou leaned on the bar, watching the wild revelry of the crowd on the dance floor in the distance, flipping a coin between her fingers.
In the darkness, it was hard to see their faces. Some luxurious decorations on their bodies were the only cover for the revelers, and Xu Xiaoyou believed that their expressions beneath the masks must be utterly wanton.
The intense rock music was like undulating sound waves, occasionally echoing above.
Clearly, a group of strangers acting so open here, as if freed from some restriction, didn't care at all about the bodily contact with those next to them, and when in high spirits, they would boldly embrace the necks of those beside them for a hot dance.
"After I finish this drink, I think I should get off work." The bartender suddenly said.
Xu Xiaoyou raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.
"Observation is the first thing every bartender must learn," the bartender said.
"From the moment you walked into the bar, I've been paying attention to you.'
"Clearly, you are not a regular here, no matter how inexperienced and reserved someone appears outside, their first step here is to shed some clothes, increasing their attractiveness in the eyes of others."
"Yet you show no interest in anything here, like now, you're still in a suit."
"In this Nest City, nobody comes here just to drink. What situation would attract someone uninterested in this place to come here?"
"I think... "
The bartender silently wiped the glass.
"There's only one possibility."
"Something is going to happen in this bar soon, and you happen to know what will happen, which, for us ordinary people, is not a good thing."
As the bartender spoke, he put down the glass in his hand.
"This drink is on me, guest."
"That dancer was my sister, she just thought your suit was expensive and wanted to hit on you, please don't mind her."
"Observation is just the way us ordinary folks survive in this Nest City."
Xu Xiaoyou watched the bartender bow deeply to her, then stride away from the bar, disappearing into the waves of moving figures.
"Turns out I'm so conspicuous."
She pondered, took off her suit jacket, and tossed it onto Anya's head beside her.
Anya held the suit jacket with both hands, smelling of the girl, blushing slightly as she gazed at the golden-haired girl with a white collar at her neck.
After the girl did so, soon many people in the bar came forward to hit on her, but were all fiercely rebuffed by Anya.
Time ticked away, the crowd continued to dance wildly, the music still lingering above.
"The time seems about right now." Xu Xiaoyou kept her eyes fixed on the waves of figures.
"Did you hear anything, Anya?"
Anya finally snapped out of her confusion, hugging the jacket, as if sensing something, her wolf ears twitched slightly, she looked upward.
Seeing the little girl's face become serious, Xu Xiaoyou knew something must be happening on the second floor of the bar right now.
Suddenly, the whole bar went dark, the intense music stopped abruptly.
"Power outage?"
"Damn! What the hell, I was just happily dancing!"
"Take your hand off my leg, you damn pig!"
The crowd in the dance floor stopped twisting, chaotic voices filled the air.
"Ah—"
As the scene quieted down, people finally heard vague screams, the sound seemed to come from above them.
"What's happening?"
"Did you hear that clearly just now...?"
While people were discussing, at the staircase leading to the second floor, a blood-covered figure rolled down in a sorry state, face pale, seeing the crowd watching him, he cried out like grabbing a life-saving straw:
"Help me!! Damn it, help me!!"
"This person is..."
"Manager Lu! He's Manager Lu of this bar!"
Someone recognized the figure and exclaimed.
The crowd retreated in fear, for the condition of Manager Lu was truly horrific, both legs missing, one eye socket empty, the trailing red streak underneath like countless clawing demons, trying to drag him into the abyss.
"Don't let that bastard run away, chop that bastard!"
Angry curses came from the direction of the second floor.
Seeing only panicked expressions on people's faces, nobody stepped forward to help him, Manager Lu's face darkened, desperately clawing the ground in front of him, crawling step by step toward the crowd, wherever he crawled, the crowd quickly formed an opening, fearing the trouble would touch them.
"Damn you all! A bunch of heartless... urghhh!"
Manager Lu screamed with his eyes wide open, a few masked thug figures rushed down, without saying a word, raised their weapons and hacked.
"Animal Gang... those guys are with the Animal Gang!"
People screamed and ran away, the scene immediately turned chaotic, the ceiling chandeliers swayed in the turmoil.
Only when Manager Lu was no longer breathing, did the bar security finally rush in, seeing the gruesome figure and those vicious thugs, these barely trained security showed a difficult expression, none dared to rush forward, their hands holding weapons shaking.
"Those who know what's good for you, get the hell away!"
Masked and burly Tigerman shouted at the cowardly security, waving a cleaver.
The security were frightened out of their wits by the tiger's roar, looking at each other.
None wanted to risk their lives for dead wages.
"Big brother, that Lu is dead, what should we do next?"
"Clean out the money here and get out fast! Those damn lions are coming." The tiger-faced leader growled low.
The younger ones beside him scattered, searching for valuable things everywhere.
At the bar, Xu Xiaoyou calmly watched the scene, the fleeing figures around her, she merely swirled the liquid in her glass, not taking a sip, showing no concern for the surroundings.
A masked thug walked up to her, expression fierce, opening the cloth bag in his hand, indicating something.
Xu Xiaoyou thought for a moment, reached into the bag, and took out a watch that looked very expensive.
Thug: "???"
"You damn well be honest and give the stuff..."
Before the thug finished threatening, the black muzzle of a gun reached over, pressed against his forehead.
Cold sweat soaked the thug instantly, he dropped to his knees before the girl, not daring to breathe.
"Here~"
Xu Xiaoyou smiled indifferently, sitting high up. She lowered the gun, holding it horizontally to offer, the crystal-clear liquid in the glass slowly pouring over the thug's head:
"Do you dare to take it?"