C13 A Little Bit

Despite the girl's attempts to fend him off, the middle-aged man persisted in bringing his hand close to her mouth from every angle.

"What are you doing?"

The voice of his friend caught the middle-aged man's attention. As he looked up, a white wine bottle appeared above his head. There was no time for him to react before the bottle crashed down on his head.

Shards of glass flew everywhere, the vivid and foul-smelling blood causing the nearby women to scream and scatter. Only Tutu remained frozen in place, transfixed by the man before her.

Tang Ye didn't waste a moment. He took the shattered bottle and plunged it into the man's belly. The man, clutching his stomach, fell to his knees as fragments of glass embedded themselves deep into his flesh. Overwhelmed by pain, he could only hold his stomach and howl in agony, sounding much like a pig being slaughtered.

"You're out of your mind!" The man's companions quickly encircled Tang Ye.

One of them, tall and gaunt with bulging eyes, glared at Tang Ye and demanded, "Do you know who you're messing with?"

Tang Ye calmly wiped the blood from his hands with a napkin and looked up at the gaunt man, saying coolly, "You're with Big G from the north district, aren't you?"

"You little punk, you know our boss is Big G and you still dare to make a move?" The gaunt man seethed as he stared at Tang Ye.

Another one from the group called out, "Brother Wang, don't waste your words on him. Just take him down."

Tang Ye remained silent, simply walking toward the loudmouth who, intimidated, suddenly lost his nerve and instinctively stepped aside.

"Brother Tang Ye," Tutu's eyes brimmed with tears, seemingly recounting the hardships she had endured over the past three years.

"Don't be scared, I'm here," Tang Ye reassured her, pulling Tutu into an embrace and gently stroking her head.

They had grown up together in the orphanage, and Tang Ye had always looked after Tutu as if she were his own sister.

"So, you're her brother," the tall and thin man said mockingly, his gaze lingering on Tutu inappropriately. "Even knowing Big G, you still have the nerve to be so bold? Seems like you're asking for trouble!"

"Bring Big G here; I want to meet him," Tang Ye declared, leaving everyone around him stunned.

"You little punk, if you're so eager to meet your maker, I'll be happy to oblige," the tall and lanky man sneered at Tang Ye. "Let's see if you've got the nerve to stick around!"

As he made a phone call, the man dragged his injured comrade out, shooting a throat-slitting gesture at Tang Ye before leaving.

"Brother, you need to get out of here—it's too dangerous," Tutu said, her eyes filled with concern as she looked at Tang Ye. "Big G is not someone to mess with around here. If he shows up, there's no way you'll be able to get away."

Tang Ye glanced down at Tutu and asked, "And what about you?"

"They won't give me a hard time," Tutu replied in a hushed tone.

Tang Ye pulled out his phone and sent a text message, while onlookers whispered and pointed at the duo who had dared to cross Big G, yet weren't fleeing. They were practically signing their own death warrants.

"Has this guy lost his mind? He's just sitting here waiting for a death wish."

"Who knows? He's probably just another clueless yokel who has no idea what Big G is capable of."

"It's such a shame about the girl. She's a good person; why would she stick with such a fool?"

A supervisor approached Tutu and scolded her, "What's gotten into you, causing trouble like this? Get your dimwit brother out of here, now."

"He's my brother, and it was those guys who started the trouble," Tutu retorted with defiance.

"I don't want to hear it. Keep up the backtalk, and you'll both be out of here," the supervisor said, growing impatient.

"Fine, we'll leave."

As Tutu reached to take Tang Ye with her, the supervisor blocked her path, his voice dripping with contempt. "Feeling brave now, are we? Not like last month when you were crying and begging Mr. Lee for money. You think you can just walk out? Not a chance! Your idiot brother can drop dead wherever he pleases, just keep our bar's floor clean. And as for you, you'll pay off your debt before you die, one way or another!"

Tears streaming down her face, Tutu turned to Tang Ye and pleaded, "Brother Tang Ye, please go ahead. I'll come out and find you later."

Tang Ye grasped Tutu's icy hand, his eagle-like gaze sharply fixed on the foreman. Without a hint of emotion, he inquired, "How much money does my sister owe you?"

The foreman sneered at Tang Ye dismissively, "Give it up. With those clothes, who knows what back alley you lifted them from. You think a change of wardrobe can change your fate?"

Unfazed, Tang Ye repeated his question, "How much does my sister owe you?"

With a smirk, the foreman retorted, "She's advanced her entire salary for the next year, a total of one hundred thousand. Not a cent less. So, can you cough up that kind of cash?"

Tang Ye glanced at the foreman and remarked, "What's with the slow service here? Has my car not been parked yet?"

"Planning to use your car as collateral?" The foreman looked at Tang Ye with feigned sympathy, then added with irritation, "Who do you think you are? No one's going to valet a car that's not worth at least a million."

In the midst of their dispute, a waiter, scanning the crowd, made his way toward Tang Ye at the center. "Boss, here's your key. Just give me a heads-up when you're leaving, and I'll bring the car around for you," said the waiter with warmth. Only then did he notice the foreman, who was staring at the car key now in Tang Ye's possession, completely dumbfounded.

"What's the matter, Manager?" the waiter asked, puzzled by the foreman's silence, a stark contrast to his usual bluster and complaints.

Tang Ye tossed the car keys back to the waiter, instructing him, "My wallet's in the co-driver's seat. Take your manager there and swipe it for a hundred thousand."

The foreman, now embarrassingly courteous, stammered, "This is rather awkward, but let's discuss the money later. However, sir, you've managed to upset Big G at our bar, and that puts us in a difficult position."

Just then, a disturbance cut through the air, and the crowd parted, yielding a path for the newcomer.

A burly man with a crew cut approached Tang Ye with a firm stride. "Are you Tang Ye?" he asked.

Tang Ye and his companion exchanged a silent gaze. With a nonchalant tone, Tang Ye confirmed, "Yes, it's me."

"You recognize me, don't you?"

"I know a bit," Tang Ye responded, unconcerned.

Big G observed Tang Ye's reaction and chuckled, "No worries, I—"

Before Big G could finish, a sudden ringing cut him off.