Chapter 184 163: Natural and Man-Made Disasters (Part 2)

On either side of the shrine were scrolls, inscribed with: "Through millennia of change, only the orchid laughs at the world."It is said that after Guan Zhong became the prime minister of the Qi State, he implemented a series of reforms, including the establishment of government-operated entertainment venues. According to the "Strategies of the Warring States, Strategy of the Eastern Zhou", Lord Huan of Qi's palace had seven markets and seven hundred female quarters, the so-called female quarters being the original practitioners of the pleasure industry.

Later, in the Jianghu, the Orchid Sect emerged, which revered Guan Zhong as its patriarch.

The Orchid Sect has undergone many transformations over the years. In today's era, this sect is no longer known, but its influence is deeply rooted in the entertainment industry. Xie Chunlei is a descendant of the Orchid Sect, and like any organization, the Orchid Sect had to adapt to survive.

Xie Chunlei's method of incense offering was also unique, with his middle finger and thumb pinching and the other three fingers crossed, forming a shape resembling an orchid, as he respectfully bowed three times to the patriarch.

He's not the main owner of the bar, but since taking over the management of SEVEN STAR, its performance has skyrocketed, making it the most prosperous bar business in Dongzhou.

Tang Tianyi was introduced by a fellow disciple, and with an incident occurring in his bar, Xie Chunlei felt obliged to stand by Tang Tianyi.

Xu Chunliang ordered half a dozen beers, clinked bottles with Lu Qi, and downed half a bottle in one go: "Tang Tianyi is quite adamant. He refuses to settle and insists on suing you."

Xu Chunliang smiled and said, "Let him sue. If he doesn't sue me, I was planning to sue him."

Lu Qi said, "But you don't have any evidence."

From the video recorded by Zhao Xiaohui, it was clear that Xu Chunliang was the one who struck first. No matter how much he emphasized self-defense, the fact remained that the injured party was Tang Tianyi.

Lu Qi's main concern now was the bar's side of things. They most likely had video footage of the incident, and the uncertainty was whether Xie Chunlei would turn over the footage that was unfavorable to Xu Chunliang. If he did, it would undoubtedly make things more troublesome for Xu Chunliang.

At this moment, Xie Chunlei approached, pulled up a chair, and sat down, smiling at Xu Chunliang: "Oh, you really came!"

Xu Chunliang said, "Did you think I wouldn't dare?"

Xie Chunlei asked, "Your girlfriend didn't come?"

Xu Chunliang said, "It's too chaotic here. What if something happens and scares her?"

Xie Chunlei laughed heartily: "Such a gentleman! Have you thought it over? You broke so many things last night. Twenty thousand isn't much."

Xu Chunliang said, "And if I refuse?"

Xie Chunlei said, "Refuse, and I'll hand over the video of you hitting someone to the police. Have fun sitting in jail."

Lu Qi said, "All this time, you knew and didn't report it?"

Xie Chunlei glanced at Lu Qi, unable to figure out his background.

Lu Qi said, "I should introduce myself. I'm with the Bell Tower District Police Department."

Xie Chunlei looked at the beer bottle in his hand and laughed: "Police, huh? I love making friends with the police. If you'd come more often, yesterday wouldn't have happened."

Lu Qi asked, "What about the video footage?"

Xie Chunlei said, "I was joking. There's no way we'd install surveillance in private rooms; guests need privacy. If I did that, who would come?"

"There's definitely surveillance in the corridors outside, in the corners. Didn't you capture anything from last night?"

"Of course, it was captured, but it's definitely not what you need."

Lu Qi nodded. Xie Chunlei was very cunning, clearly indicating they wouldn't get any footage favorable to Xu Chunliang from him.

Meanwhile, the DJ on stage began to hype up the atmosphere, and the ambient temperature quickly rose. Xie Chunlei stood up and said, "Have fun, you two. I have things to attend to, so I won't accompany you."

Lu Qi put down the empty beer bottle and said to Xu Chunliang, "Let's go. We've got nothing."

But Xu Chunliang shook his head and said, "Let's wait some more."

The rhythmic beat echoed, and the deep bass made the floor tremble. Men and women flooded into the dance floor, twisting their bodies madly.

Xu Chunliang opened two more bottles of beer, handing one to Lu Qi. As he lifted his head to drink, he heard screams coming from the dance floor.

In such an environment, screams are usually interpreted as an expression of excitement. However, as the screams continued, the movement of some people suddenly intensified, and some began running out of the dance floor.

Lu Qi finally sensed something was wrong and exclaimed, "What's happening?"

The DJ on the central stage had lost her rhythm, frantically slapping her body as if in an electric shock, while several spiders crawled over her.

Among the dancing crowd, many also experienced issues as unknown insects crawled into their clothes, biting them.

At this moment, hordes of bats swooped down from the ceiling, launching a frenzy of attacks on the crowd. Unaccustomed to such a scene, the guests panicked and fled the bar desperately.

Lu Qi shouted, "Don't panic; don't panic." He feared the possible stampede that could occur in such a situation.

The only one not panicking was Xu Chunliang. He sat calmly, drinking a bottle of beer leisurely.

The bar was a mess, with fleeing people knocking over chairs and tables, spilling drinks on the floor. The mingling of screams, cries, music, and shattering glass created a surprisingly enjoyable symphony in Xu Chunliang's ears, awakening the long-suppressed evil within him.

Nearby, a candelabrum was knocked over, setting the tablecloth ablaze. Xu Chunliang stood up and walked over, corked the beer bottle with his thumb, shook it vigorously, then sprayed the beer onto the flames, extinguishing them.

Dozens of bats formed a formation and flew towards him. Lu Qi, witnessing the scene, loudly warned Xu Chunliang to be careful, but Xu Chunliang stood firm, exuding the aura of a commanding general on the battlefield.

The flock of bats circled above him and then changed direction, swooping towards the bartender. Terrified, the bartender ducked, and the bats swept over the liquor cabinet like a storm, causing the bottles to crash down.

Hearing the commotion, Xie Chunlei rushed out of the office, witnessing the scene where the expensive liquor bottles toppled like dominoes. The bar had fallen into complete chaos, experiencing an unprecedented disaster.

In some places, the fallen candelabra had started a fire, and a silhouette was using beer to extinguish it.

Xie Chunlei could hardly believe the reality of what he was seeing.

Lu Qi found a fire extinguisher and joined Xu Chunliang in the firefighting effort, soon joined by several security guards. Fortunately, they managed to contain the situation in time, preventing a larger disaster.

Within minutes, all the patrons had evacuated the premises, thankfully avoiding a stampede.

The lights brightened, and a few remaining bats circled the ceiling. Xie Chunlei took a step forward, the sound of glass crunching underfoot, and let out an angry roar, "Who did this!"

His voice echoed in the empty hall.

Xu Chunliang tossed the empty fire extinguisher onto the floor, lazily saying, "Don't mention it!"

Xie Chunlei looked at Xu Chunliang. Though he wanted to suspect him, there was no logical link to human sabotage.

Lu Qi said, "Your bar has significant safety hazards."

Xie Chunlei, infuriated, shouted, "What right do you have to criticize?"

Xu Chunliang patted Lu Qi's shoulder, "Brother Lu, don't meddle. Let the fire department handle him."

Really, there was no need to wait for the fire department to address the issue; angry customers outside were already shouting, "Refund, refund!"

Bang! Someone grabbed a brick and smashed it against a window, and the sound of shattering glass resounded again.

Xie Chunlei clenched his fists, memories of the morning's words echoing in his ears: Cherish it! Tomorrow, it will close!

Was all of this really man-made? Impossible! Impossible!

Please subscribe! Please give monthly votes!