16: Chapter 16 Acquiring a Nightclub, Rising Power

The night in Los Santos was soaked in neon lights and alcohol.

The escape from the abandoned factory had turned Lin Fan and his two companions into skittish birds.

They hid in the slums on the outskirts of the city for three days, only daring to show their faces in the dead of night once they confirmed that Victor's men and the FBI had temporarily shifted their attention elsewhere.

Of their twenty-million-dollar fortune, two million had been taken by the black-market doctor, and another three million had been spent on the black market for three sets of fake identities and a hidden safe house.

The remaining fifteen million lay heavily in Lin Fan's encrypted account, serving as the foundation for their survival in this world.

"We can't just keep hiding," Michael said. His shoulder was still bandaged, but he was already pondering their way out. "That guy Ghost is like a shadow, and Victor wants nothing more than to tear us to pieces. We need a base, our own influence."

Franklin, cigarette in mouth, leaned against the windowsill of the safe house, watching the drizzling rain outside. He curled his lip. "Influence? In Los Santos, without territory or assets, what kind of influence can you talk about? Robbing banks? Stealing luxury cars? Those are just desperate acts for outlaws; we'd be doomed sooner or later."

Both pairs of eyes landed on Lin Fan simultaneously.

Their time together these past few days had made them realize that this kid, who came from "outside," had a head full of incredible ideas.

Lin Fan tapped his fingers on his knees, his mind racing through memories of playing "GTA5" in his past life.

In the underground world of Los Santos, nightclubs had always been gold mines—they could launder money, gather intelligence, and recruit people openly.

"We're going to open a nightclub," Lin Fan said suddenly, his tone firm.

"A nightclub?" Michael and Franklin exclaimed in unison.

"Are you crazy?" Franklin nearly choked on his cigarette. "Which nightclub in Los Santos doesn't have a gang backing it? We're already a thorn in Victor's side. Opening a nightclub? Isn't that just sticking our necks under someone else's blade?"

"It's precisely because we're a thorn in his side that we need to open one." Lin Fan smiled, opened his worn-out laptop, and pulled up a list of properties in Los Santos. "Look, 'Wings of Heaven' nightclub, located in the West Side red-light district. The owner owes a mountain of gambling debts and is desperate to sell. The asking price is five million. It's in a remote location, but the foot traffic isn't bad. Most importantly—its backer was swallowed up by the Snake Fang Gang last month."

Michael leaned in to take a look, his brow furrowing even tighter. "Wings of Heaven? I know that place. It's as dilapidated as a haunted house. Customers have to cover their noses just to walk in. Who would go there?"

"It's only because it's broken that it's worth renovating." Lin Fan's eyes gleamed. "I'm going to turn it into the hottest money pit in Los Santos, our intelligence center, and our base of operations!"

Three days later, in the West Side red-light district.

The rusty 'Wings of Heaven' sign swayed precariously in the sunset.

The red carpet at the entrance had faded to a grayish-brown, and the corners were piled high with trash, with a few stray cats jumping around on top of it.

Lin Fan tossed a five-million-dollar check to the original owner, who didn't even count it, stuffing it away and running off as if chased by evil spirits.

Standing in the empty nightclub hall, looking at the dusty dance floor, the paint-peeled bar, and the swaying crystal chandelier on the ceiling, Franklin couldn't help but complain: "Is this a nightclub? It looks more like a demolition site."

"A demolition site?" Lin Fan rolled up his sleeves. "From today, it will be the money pit of Los Santos! Franklin, go contact a renovation crew. Remember, get the cheapest one you can find—the flashier, the better! Michael, go recruit staff. The security guards need to be strong, the bartenders need to be handsome, and the waiters need to be... smooth talkers!"

"The cheapest renovation crew?" Franklin looked suspicious. "Are you sure that won't just make it look even worse?"

"Trust me, it'll work!" Lin Fan promised, patting his chest.

Over the next week, Wings of Heaven became the busiest place in the red-light district.

The cheapest renovation crew certainly didn't disappoint. They wrapped the ceiling in the cheapest colored lights and painted the walls like a palette with garish colors. The dance floor was polished until it shone, but because it hadn't been leveled, it wobbled when stepped on.

Lin Fan stood at the entrance, looking at this "colorful" result. His mouth twitched, but he still clapped his hands. "Perfect!"

On opening day, Lin Fan launched a marketing scheme that dropped jaws across Los Santos—all NPCs drink for free!

Once the news got out, everyone in the red-light district went crazy.

Homeless people, taxi drivers, street vendors, and even nearby cleaners all flooded into Wings of Heaven. The dance floor was packed tight, the queue at the bar stretched to the door, and dozens of barrels of free beer and whiskey were drunk. The clamor could be heard from three streets away.

Franklin watched the beer in the barrels decrease at a visible rate and stomped his feet in distress. "Lin Fan! Are you crazy? If they keep drinking like this, our entire fortune will be gone!"

"Don't worry." Lin Fan held a glass of juice, leaning against the second-floor railing, watching the bustling scene below with a mysterious smile. "Just watch."

Sure enough, within three days, the reputation of Wings of Heaven had spread throughout Los Santos.

The gimmick of free drinks attracted countless low-level NPCs, and hidden among these NPCs were all kinds of news—who stole whose car, which gangs were clashing, when the police would patrol...

At the same time, small-time thugs and minor business owners who were stingy with their money were also attracted. Seeing the lively scene on the dance floor, they scrambled to pay for more expensive drinks just to show off in the crowd.

Revenue skyrocketed like a rocket. Every night after closing, the bar's drawers were stuffed with cash.

Michael looked at the ledger, his eyes wide. "This... this makes money faster than robbing a bank!"

"This is called modern marketing." Lin Fan shook his head smugly. "Free is the most expensive thing of all."

The good times didn't last long before trouble came knocking.

That night, business at the nightclub was booming when a harsh shouting suddenly came from the entrance.

Several men in black suits and sunglasses kicked open the nightclub door. Leading them was a burly man with a scar on his face—this was the small leader of the Snake Fang Gang, known as Scarface Qiang.

Scarface Qiang, cigarette in mouth, swaggered in. His gaze swept over the lively dance floor, and he snorted coldly: "Everyone, stop!"

The music stopped abruptly. The people on the dance floor instantly quieted down, shrinking their necks, not daring to make a sound.

Franklin grabbed a baseball bat from under the bar and was about to rush up, but Lin Fan pulled him back.

"New here?" Scarface Qiang walked to the bar, slapped the table, and his gaze landed on Lin Fan. "Wings of Heaven has a new boss? Don't you know this area is Snake Fang Gang territory? Protection fee is one million a month. Pay up, or I'll smash your place!"

"One million?" Lin Fan raised an eyebrow, a smile appearing on his face. "And what if I don't pay?"

"Not pay?" Scarface Qiang sneered and pulled a dagger from his jacket. "Then let me help you taste the consequences of offending the Snake Fang Gang!"

The underlings behind him also pulled out weapons, staring at Lin Fan threateningly.

The atmosphere instantly became extremely tense, and the people on the dance floor started running out in fear.

Michael gripped the pistol at his waist, and Franklin's hands tightly clutched the baseball bat. As soon as Lin Fan gave the order, they would rush up and fight to the death.

Just then, Lin Fan suddenly laughed.

He pulled out his phone leisurely and tapped the screen a few times.

The next second, Scarface Qiang's phone suddenly rang.

He answered the call with a frown. A frantic voice came from the other end: "Brother Qiang! It's bad! Police! A large number of police are heading toward Wings of Heaven! They say someone reported that people are using drugs here!"

Scarface Qiang's face changed instantly.

The Snake Fang Gang feared nothing more than the police. They were all involved in shady businesses; once targeted by the police, they would be in big trouble.

"Damn it!" Scarface Qiang cursed, turned around, and glared fiercely at Lin Fan. "You're tough! Let's go!"

With that, he led his underlings and ran out of the nightclub in a sorry state.

It wasn't until their figures disappeared at the entrance that Franklin reacted. He looked at Lin Fan, shocked: "You... how did you do that?"

"Simple." Lin Fan shook his phone. "Hacking skills. I forged an anonymous tip-off call and hacked into the police department's dispatch system, making them send a few patrol cars over."

Michael looked at Lin Fan and couldn't help but sigh: "You kid... you're more like a gangster than an actual gangster."

Lin Fan smiled without saying anything.

He knew this was just a temporary measure. Scarface Qiang had suffered a loss and definitely wouldn't let it go. The Snake Fang Gang's retaliation would come soon.

After closing that night, Lin Fan took Michael and Franklin to inspect the nightclub.

When they walked to the storage room behind the bar, Lin Fan suddenly noticed that the wall of the storage room seemed a bit strange.

He reached out and tapped the wall, and a hollow sound came back.

"Is this hollow inside?" Lin Fan frowned.

Franklin found a crowbar, and the three of them worked together to pry open the wall.

Behind the wall was actually a narrow secret passage!

The passage was pitch black and filled with a damp, musty smell. Lin Fan turned on his phone's flashlight, illuminating the end of the passage.

At the other end of the passage was an iron gate. Through the iron gate, one could see that the outside was a warehouse filled with wooden crates, and on the wooden crates, the snake-shaped logo of the Snake Fang Gang was clearly printed!

This secret passage actually led directly to the Snake Fang Gang's stronghold!

The three of them looked at each other, seeing shock and wild joy in each other's eyes.

This was practically a gift from heaven!

With this passage, they could sneak into the Snake Fang Gang's stronghold without anyone knowing, gather intelligence, or even... deal a fatal blow to Victor!

Lin Fan clenched his fists, his eyes becoming incredibly firm.

He knew that the opening of Wings of Heaven was just the first step in the rise of his influence.

The underground world of Los Santos would soon be stirred up by a bloody storm because of his arrival.

Meanwhile, in the headquarters of the Snake Fang Gang, Scarface Qiang was kneeling before Victor, trembling.

"Boss, I was wrong! I shouldn't have been impulsive!" Scarface Qiang's voice was tearful.

Victor sat on a leather sofa, toying with a dagger in his hand, his eyes as cold as a winter lake.

"Wings of Heaven... Lin Fan..." Victor whispered, a cruel smile curling his lips. "Daring to run wild on my turf, and daring to mess with me? Very good, very good."

He looked up at Ghost, who was standing to the side, his tone sinister: "Ghost, go contact the other gangs. Tell them I want to unite them to pull out this thorn, Wings of Heaven."

"Yes, Boss." Ghost nodded slightly, a flash of murderous intent in his eyes.

Victor's gaze fell on the brightly lit Los Santos outside the window, the smile on his lips growing wider.

"Lin Fan, the game is getting more and more interesting."