But because it was daytime, business seemed much quieter.
And at this very moment.
On the second floor of the bar, in a large private room.
A young man dressed in a Ghost Master uniform, leaning on a gold cane, said with a gloomy face, “Wang Yue, you should be well aware that as long as Yang Jian is alive, he will eventually become a problem for both of us. The kid has managed to control a second ghost through other means, significantly delaying the revival of the malicious ghost. As long as he doesn’t recklessly use his ghost powers, he could live for at least a year.”
“In a year’s time, the chances of him becoming the next person in charge of Dachang City are very high. I don’t think you would like the idea of having some eighteen-year-old kid managing a city, would you?”
On a large leather sofa sat a man with a tall build, wrapped in a thick scarf despite the heat, and smoking a cigar, with two flamboyantly dressed, twenty-something women in short skirts on either side.
His name was Wang Yue, and he was the owner of the Rose Bar.
“Zhao Kaiming, you need to understand, Yang Jian is a trouble for you but not for me,” Wang Yue said with a laugh. He took a puff of his cigar, pointed at himself and said, “I’ve killed Yan Li and his entire family for you, as a gesture of respect towards the Ghost Master. I wasn’t even this polite when Zhou Zheng, the previous Ghost Master, came to me. Whoever becomes the next Ghost Master doesn’t really concern me.”
He shook his cigar, blowing out a ring of smoke.
“You lost a leg to Yang Jian, that’s your own problem. Don’t drag me into your Ghost Masters’ power struggles, OK?”
Zhao Kaiming, leaning on his golden cane, limped closer, his sinister gaze fixed on Wang Yue, “You’re already involved. Yang Jian seeks revenge for Yan Li and his family, do you think you don’t know? Wang Xiaoqiang’s club was overturned by him, a bunch of shareholders died, only a guy named Ma Youcai survived.”
“Wang Xiaoqiang is no match for him. The Huanggang Village incident also caused Xiaoqiang Entertainment Club to lose five or six Ghost Masters. Now, the only credible person left in his club is someone named Ye Feng. The other few Ghost Masters, each controlling just one ghost, are bound to die when the malicious ghosts resurge; they won’t dare to show their faces.”
“If Ye Feng really goes after Yang Jian, at best it would be one-on-one, and the odds of winning aren’t great. So, if I’m not mistaken, Wang Xiaoqiang will definitely come to you for a meeting.”
“So you want me to agree to Wang Xiaoqiang, join forces with Ye Feng to get rid of Yang Jian? Then you, the instigator, will reap the benefits, letting us go head-to-head until one of us dies?”
Wang Yue, puffing on his cigar, smirked and pointed to his head, “I’m not stupid, Zhao Kaiming. Don’t treat me like an idiot. I’ve survived several supernatural incidents, show me some respect, okay?”
Zhao Kaiming stood by the window on the second floor, watching the bustling traffic outside, “Such a prime location, such a busy bar, you must be raking in gold every day, right? It would be a shame if it got shut down.”
“You can go ahead and seal it off, I can open as many bars as I want if I wish, you think I rely on this to make money? Since I’ve become a ‘Ghost Controller,’ I’ve made more than enough money. The only reason I opened this bar was to play with some women.”
As he spoke, Wang Yue gave the beauty in his arms a kiss.
“President Wang, I want one too,” another woman cooed.
“Sure, sure, everyone gets a share, I just love the way you pout,” Wang Yue laughed with a he-he.
Zhao Kaiming said, “A man with no long-term concerns is bound to have immediate worries, Wang Yue, you need to look further ahead. I’ll give you one hundred kilograms of gold and this entire commercial street for the deed you promised to Wang Xiaoqiang.”
Wang Yue, who had been flirting with women, restrained his smile slightly, “And what if I refuse?”
“Bang~!”
The next moment, a gunshot rang out.
Blood spattered from the woman in his embrace immediately.
“If you don’t agree, this is what will happen to you.”
A wisp of white smoke rose from the pistol in Zhao Kaiming’s hand, his eyes tinged with a hint of madness.
“Ahh~!”
The other woman beside them was stunned at first, then screamed and ran out frantically after coming to her senses.
Wang Yue didn’t stop her. He put down the cigar in his hand, wiped the blood off his face, and stood up expressionlessly, like a wild beast about to fly into a rage, growling from his throat, “Zhao Kaiming, are you looking to die?”
“If Yang Jian doesn’t die, I’ll end up dying by his hands sooner or later. I don’t stand much of a chance against him; he can surprisingly knock off one of my legs just as he can take my head. But I’m quite confident in dealing with you. And are you sure you want to go to war over a woman? Think it through before you act. No matter what, I’m now the in-charge of Dachang City; if you kill me, you will be wanted.”
Zhao Kaiming squinted his eyes, like a venomous snake.
“As a fugitive, once Yang Jian takes over, his first order of business will be to clear you out. Even if he doesn’t, the headquarters will issue orders against you for violating human safety — a priority over supernatural events.”
“You don’t have a choice.”
Wang Yue’s breathing was heavy, and the rage in his heart wanted to burst.
But reason stopped him.
Zhao Kaiming was right; getting into a fight with him now would do no good — on the contrary, it would corner himself into a dead end.
But agreeing to cooperate with Wang Xiaoqiang to deal with Yang Jian also felt unbearable to him.
He didn’t want to get involved in the struggles between ‘Ghost Controllers.’ He had helped Zhao Kaiming kill Yan Li previously as a favor to this new ‘Ghost Controller’ to avoid being bothered by him.
He hadn’t expected that dealing with Yan Li would be a trap, entangling him in this complex struggle.
“Kill Yang Jian, and everything will get better. You’ll still be the underworld boss of Dachang City. I can guarantee that during my term, this will be the last time I ask for your help, there won’t be a next time,” Zhao Kaiming said.
Wang Yue pondered for a while and then, with a grim face, walked over and landed a fierce punch on his face.
Zhao Kaiming did not resist and was knocked to the ground by the punch, blood streaming from the corner of his mouth.
“Heh, then it’s a deal. I wish you good luck,” he struggled to stand up using a cane, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and revealed a cold smile.
“You should have died sooner; you’re more like a ghost than a human.”
Wang Yue picked up a bottle of champagne, took a swig, and then threw the bottle against the wall, where it exploded with a bang, “Get lost, and don’t ever let me see you again.”
Zhao Kaiming wiped the liquor from his face and then, preparing to leave with his prosthetic limb, cautioned, “Be wary of the shadow under Yang Jian’s feet and his eyes. His file name is Ghost Eye Yang Jian. That ghast eye must be quite exceptional; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to survive the Huanggang Village incident. If possible, I suggest you confine that ghost eye.”
“Perhaps, this could turn into an unexpected gain for you on this trip.”
“Get lost.”
Wang Yue growled lowly, and the lights in the private room flickered on and off before going out completely, plunging everything into darkness.