Chapter 542

Chapter 542 Bar Ambush!

Su Rui did indeed find the name familiar, because he had once accompanied a heartbroken woman here to drink, dance, and fight.

　　It was her bar, those were the drinks she had mixed, and she had long since disappeared from his field of vision.

　　Su Rui couldn’t help shaking his head. He knew just how bitter and tragic the backstory was behind Xue Ruyun’s seemingly glamorous exterior, and he knew how many hardships and obstacles would be waiting for her once she decided to take her revenge.

　　To bring down a colossus like the Xue family by oneself was something even Su Rui couldn’t claim to do easily, let alone a woman as alone and powerless as Xue Ruyun.

　　”I wonder how she’s doing down south. I hope everything goes well for her.”

　　Su Rui suddenly recalled the light kiss Xue Ruyun had given him in the elevator as they parted, and he found himself instinctively touching his lips.

　　”What are you thinking about?” Watching Su Rui stare off into a daze, Victoria couldn’t help asking.

　　”Thinking of someone.”

　　”A woman?” Victoria smiled with a faint trace of bitterness.

　　Su Rui gave no clear answer. He tilted his head back and gazed at the rare blue sky outside the car window, where wisps of white clouds drifted by.

　　You are like those clouds, drifting rootlessly with the wind. I wonder if your mother was also looking at the clouds in the sky when she gave you your name.

　　”If a fight breaks out, try not to damage anything in Max’s Bar.” Su Rui said quietly.

　　Of course, a few hours later, he would realize that what he said was complete nonsense — utterly impossible nonsense.

　　…………

　　As the city lights came on, Su Rui and Victoria finished dinner outside, confirmed the meeting time, issued a full set of arrangements, and then drove to Max’s Bar.

　　Looking up at the bar’s sign, Su Rui couldn’t help feeling a wave of emotion.

　　So much had happened in such a short time.

　　Last year on this day, within these doors, a face as fair as a peach blossom. Now the face is gone, who knows where, but the peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.

　　”You seem different from usual today.” Victoria keenly noticed that something was off about Su Rui.

　　”Do I?” Su Rui smiled. “It’s still early. Let me buy you a drink.”

　　”I’d love that, but you once said no drinking before a big fight.” Victoria was quite principled about it. “You said it yourself. Are you going to break your own rule?”

　　”Well…” Questioned by his subordinate, Su Rui scratched his nose with a hint of embarrassment. “It’s just a few guys from the East. Does that even count as a big fight?”

　　Victoria shrugged. Since Su Rui put it that way, she had nothing more to say.

　　”Do we need to put on a disguise?” Victoria said.

　　”We’re just dealing with a few guys from the East. What’s there to disguise?”

　　Before Su Rui could finish, she had already hooked her arm through his, pressing her body firmly against him.

　　Su Rui’s muscles suddenly stiffened. “What are you doing?”

　　Since Victoria was dressed extremely lightly, still wearing a thin, short spaghetti-strap top, Su Rui could already clearly feel two soft yet firm peaks pressing against his arm.

　　”Pretending to be a couple. It’s less conspicuous that way.” Victoria said. “Every man and woman who comes here is lonely. I really don’t want to keep getting hit on.”

　　”With your looks, getting hit on is only natural.” Su Rui shook his head, accepting her approach.

　　Walking up to the bar, Su Rui said, “Two Crimson Blood cocktails, please.”

　　”One moment, please.” The bartender began mixing them with practiced, fluid movements.

　　Su Rui remembered clearly — this was the same young man who had been there when he drank with Xue Ruyun, gazing at her with an utterly infatuated look the whole time.

　　With her classic mature-woman charm, she was more than enough to leave these young men completely defenseless.

　　Victoria, who had some familiarity with the Chinese language, was a little puzzled. “Crimson Blood? What a strange name. It makes me think of Bloody Mary from the City of Darkness.”

　　Su Rui rolled his eyes in exasperation. “These are completely different things, alright? If you knew the story behind this cocktail, you’d never compare it to Bloody Mary, a drink favored by violent types.”

　　”A drink favored by violent types?” Victoria looked at Su Rui with a surprised expression and said, “But you used to love Bloody Mary.”

　　”Comrade Victoria.” Su Rui said with a straight face. “Please know your place and watch your tone.”

　　Seeing Su Rui’s stern expression, Victoria immediately wrapped both arms around his shoulders and pressed herself against him. “I know, I know. We’re playing a couple right now, so I really can’t be so stiff about it.”

　　Su Rui said helplessly, “If you keep playing dumb, there’s really not much I can do about it.”

　　The two of them chatted on and off like that, slowly sipping their drinks while keeping an eye on the situation around them.

　　It was now the bar’s busiest hour. Crowds of young people poured in, and the atmosphere grew hotter and hotter.

　　Watching the figures in the dance floor twisting wildly to the rock music, Victoria’s eyes lit up. She hugged Su Rui’s arm and shouted in his ear, “I want to dance too!”

　　”Go ahead.”

　　Su Rui knew Victoria wasn’t the type to lose sight of priorities. She must have had her own reason for saying that.

　　Unfortunately, Su Rui was wrong this time, because Victoria’s reason was simply to take advantage of the situation for her own personal enjoyment.

　　”I want you to come with me!” Victoria had already pulled Su Rui to his feet.

　　”I need to keep an eye on those guys from the East.” Su Rui said.

　　”We’ve been sitting here stiffly for almost an hour and haven’t even finished half a drink. Do you think that looks normal? If we keep this up, it’d be a miracle if those guys don’t notice us!”

　　With that, Victoria had already dragged Su Rui onto the dance floor and began dancing cheek to cheek with him to the music.

　　Only then did Su Rui realize his serious mistake. Under normal circumstances, this kind of mistake would never have happened. But because his mind had been full of thoughts about Xue Ruyun just now, he had instinctively wanted to slowly savor the Crimson Blood, and that was why it happened.

　　It was a good thing Victoria caught it quickly, or they really might have been spotted by those vigilant Eastern warriors.

　　After all, according to what Victoria had extracted from the short warrior during interrogation, Yamamoto Taichiro had invested heavily this time, sending several chunin each leading their own men into China, with a jonin overseeing and commanding the whole operation.

　　This Eastern crime boss, who had been so thoroughly humiliated by Su Rui, had long since issued his orders: if they couldn’t bring back Yamamoto Extreme Battle, they were to take their own lives in atonement and remain in China forever.

　　As for who exactly this jonin was, the one entrusted with such an important mission by Yamamoto Taichiro, and how to contact him, the short warrior hadn’t revealed that. His rank wasn’t even chunin level, so naturally there was much he didn’t know.

　　While dancing casually with Victoria on the dance floor, Su Rui observed the situation around them, his gaze growing sharper and sharper in the darkness.

　　He had taken appropriate measures to disguise himself before arriving, changing his hairstyle and putting on a fake beard, because during the attack at sea, Su Rui had already confirmed that this group of Eastern operatives had obtained his appearance, and possibly even his identity and whereabouts.

　　At that moment, four men entered through the bar’s entrance. They were short in stature, walked quickly and steadily, and their eyes were full of vigilance. To a seasoned professional like Su Rui, they were clearly specially trained individuals.

　　If they were really here to unwind at a bar, why would they carry that kind of look in their eyes the whole time?

　　Su Rui narrowed his eyes slightly and tapped Victoria on the shoulder.

　　”Do we move?” Victoria asked with her eyes. After years of working together, at critical moments they could understand each other without a word.

　　”Wait a little longer. Everyone’s not here yet. Don’t tip them off.” Su Rui appeared to be dancing with great enthusiasm, but remained alert to the movements around him.

　　He knew that Yamamoto Taichiro’s men were like unpredictable bombs, liable to go off at any moment, making them extremely dangerous.

　　Su Rui wanted to eliminate every last one of them and make Yamamoto Taichiro feel real pain.

　　After the four men came in, they casually found a large sofa. Then several more men gradually left the dance floor. It was clear they had been planted there in advance to observe the surroundings, ready to leave at the first sign of anything wrong.

　　These men didn’t even bother with a private room, choosing instead to sit in the public booth area. It was obvious they believed the most dangerous place was the safest place.

　　In Su Rui’s view, this kind of thinking was nothing but arrogance — no different from being an idiot.

　　After observing for a few more minutes and feeling confident no further anomalies would appear, Su Rui gave Victoria a look. She understood immediately, turned, and walked toward the group of Eastern men.

　　”Akai Seishin’s men have all gone dark. We don’t know if they’re dead yet. Useless trash.” A man in black said. He had sharp, lean features and appeared to carry considerable authority among the group.

　　This man’s name was Daizen Ryuichi, one of the chunin who had come to China.

　　”Our two groups meeting separately like this — I hope we can work out a strategy to report to Lord Inamoto.” Another chunin, Murakami Kaiken, also spoke up, his gaze heavy with gravity.

　　The Akai Seishin he mentioned was the short man Su Rui had rammed back and forth with a speedboat until he was left with barely a third of his life. And the so-called “Lord Inamoto” was none other than Inamoto Junichi, a jonin of national-treasure caliber in the Eastern country. He had come to China to take full command of all operations.

　　”Our enemy is extremely troublesome this time. They flew a plane into our Yamamoto Group’s headquarters building and brought it down, then swaggered off without a care. This is the greatest shame of our lives. This grudge must be repaid!” Daizen Ryuichi downed the baijiu in his glass in one go and said.

　　”After our two groups meet this time, let’s not see each other again for a while, to avoid being detected by the enemy!” A ruthless and resolute look flashed in Murakami Kaiken’s eyes. “This time, everyone’s lives are at stake. We must give it everything we have!”

　　”But, Murakami, let the men relax properly before the big fight. After all, I did promise them a taste of Chinese women.” Daizen Ryuichi said. “If we fail to complete the mission, we’ll be dying here in China.”

　　Murakami Kaiken was about to refuse, but seemed to think of something, shook his head, and sighed. “Lord Yamamoto’s youngest son is missing. If we can’t bring him back… Daizen Ryuichi, whatever you want to do, I won’t interfere, as long as it doesn’t affect the mission.”

　　As soon as those words were out, the men under Daizen Ryuichi all showed eager, restless expressions, while Murakami Kaiken’s group remained stone-faced as ever. The gap between the two groups was painfully obvious.

　　”I’ve been wanting to experience the taste of a Chinese woman for a long time.” A look that was hard to bear witness to spread across Daizen Ryuichi’s face. Just moments ago on the dance floor, he had already taken quite a few liberties.

　　”Gentlemen, no Chinese women available, but how about an English woman?”

　　At that moment, Victoria’s striking figure appeared before them all.