Vol 7: Chapter 6-2.
Wave Bar sounded like a flirtatious name. It was without a doubt a strip club. Furthermore, dozens of motorcycles and thugs in strange clothes crowded outside the bar. So when an Asian with casual clothes appeared in this place, Zheng looked noticeable from the rest.
However, he didn’t care much about such things. His heart had become firm as iron from all the trials of death, battles and the much more horrifying movies. It was day and night compared to his previous self. The him in the beginning wouldn’t point a gun and threaten newbies. But after seeing so many lives died before him, he valued his life, and his comrades lives much more. Yet he wasn’t sure if this was an improvement or he had become corrupted.
He didn’t care about these thugs. If they harass him, then he will just strike them down. If they attack him or try to rob him, then he will kill them. His moral limit was to avoid killing innocent people but when these people threaten him and his comrades, then they must disappear.
Zheng felt conflicted but this was what must be done to stay alive. So he could only continue down the path.
Living up to its name, several naked girls were dancing around the poles by the walls and the same happening on the center stage. The men who were sitting also had a naked girl in their arms. Some even started playing sexually. Yet, no one cared about other people.
Zheng ignored all the people and walked straight up to the bar. When the owner came over, he threw a gold nugget over.
The owner caught it with an unexpected expression then looked at Zheng baffled. “What would you like to drink?”
Zheng stared at him coldly and said. “I don’t know your codes so don’t use them to test me. Let me make it clear, make me an ID by tomorrow noon. Then this gold bar is yours, not including the payment for the ID. I will pay two bars for the maker. Deal?”
The owner stared at his gold bar then shook his head. “I can take the job for the ID but the time is too rushed. I am afraid I won’t be able to complete it by tomorrow.”
Without saying a word, Zheng acted like he was taking something from his pocket but actually took out another gold bar from the ring. He slammed it on the table and said. “I don have time to play the negotiation game. I will double the payment. Two for you and four for the maker. Give me a word. But I’ll let you know if you accepted the job and don’t have it by tomorrow, then you are dead. I don’t care who’s behind you or how much influence they have in this place. You will die.”
The owner’s expression changed, but he didn’t say anything. His eyes were fixed on the two gold bars on the table. Not only him but also the thugs on the side. He then quickly grabbed the bars and put them under the table. “Understood. You will have it by tomorrow noon. I need a photo.”
That stopped Zheng in place. Although he was carrying a lot of stuff but those were all weapons and supplies. Who would carry a photo into the movies? He shrugged and said. “I don’t have a photo. Is there anywhere to take one here?”
The owner took a compact camera from under the table. “Here then. Although it wouldn’t come out great but the maker will do some adjustments.” Before he finished the sentence, the camera flashed a bright light.
Zheng closed his eyes subconsciously but at the same time, he felt his heart skipped a beat. He immediately swung his hand backward and grabbed a cold and sharp object. Then he turned his body around followed by a kick.
When the camera flashed, one of the thugs behind him stabbed his back with a knife. Several people came up and surrounded him also. However, no one expected Zheng to react so quickly and was able to grab the knife and kicked the person behind him away. His kick was also unbelievably strong. It sent the thug flying several meters and knocked four people down on the way. The music was still playing but the people near him went silent.
“Owner, are you done with the photo?” Zheng ignored the thugs then turned back to the owner.
The owner was still in shock. But he quickly came back to his senses and said. “Yes. The photo is taken. Come get it tomorrow noon. By the rules, if we can’t finish the job by then, we will compensate you will double the payment. Don’t worry.”
Zheng though shook his head. “Not compensation. I don’t have time to play money games with you. Remember, if you can’t finish the job, you will die! So try your best.” He placed the knife on the table then walked out.
The owner had his hand under the table the whole time. He was holding onto a rifle but you could see the hand was trembling, and the trembling got more intense as he saw the knife Zheng put down.
The thugs all came up. One of them picked up the knife and yelled. “Chinese kungfu! This is Chinese kungfu!”
It turned out Zheng left several finger marks on the knife, deep enough that even his fingerprints were engraved onto the knife. Everyone looked at it in shock. The owner’s face turned purple then white then purple. He quickly took out a phone and began to talk.
It was nighttime when Zheng came out of the bar, around 9pm. Since he couldn’t stay in a hotel, he decided to find a large park and make do with the bench for a night.
The road was still wet. It rained heavily before he entered the bar but the rain went came and went fast. There were puddles of water on the ground but the hipsters on motorbikes didn’t pay any attention to them. They screamed as they drove the bikes in circles.
Right outside the bar stood girls in sexy clothes and pungent perfumes. It was easy to tell their profession with just one look. They flirted with Zheng when he walked by but stopped when Zheng totally ignored them.
One of the girls looked displeased and spitted on the ground. Just then a motorbike that drove past the girls happened to run over the spit. Maybe it was the rain or maybe it was the spit. The bike lost traction and glided straight toward Zheng with increased speed.
The thug screamed then was thrown off the bike. When Zheng turned around, the bike was already two meters away from him. There was no time to dodge so he could only run backward. Within several steps, he found a chance to use the movement technique to jump up. The bike then ran past under him.
Zheng took a deep breath as he landed. He began to ponder whether this was a coincident or not. Was he the current target? It shouldn’t be with how little time had passed. The mother and child hadn’t died by now in the original plot.
In the moments that he was thinking, the bike crashed into a cable pole then exploded. The explosion was so powerful it sent the rocks on the ground flying. One of those rocks cut through an electric wire. Coincidentally, the wire dropped right on the puddle of water Zheng was standing on. Sizzz. Zheng felt pain all over his body.
Although his body was several times stronger than a normal person, it wasn’t enough to resist electric shock of such high voltage. His body was becoming numb and was giving off a burnt odor. As he was about to be cooked, his eyes went out of focus. Zheng struggled to take the air cannon out from the ring. He was only able to pull the trigger before he couldn’t move his body. The cannon began to charge.
“Two!”
“One!”
These two seconds felt so slow, it seemed almost like an eternity. He tried his hardest to point the cannon down. The powerful blast turned the concrete ground into sand and at the same time the recoil pushed him away. Zheng felt unconscious as he left the puddle. The electrical wire was still soaring on the ground but its length was limited. Zheng was already several meters away.