Chapter 88

088

Before entering the bar, Yang Chen noticed the green neon sign with its intricate font at the entrance, something he had never paid much attention to before.

"Thorns," the bar had a peculiar name. The green stone walls and dark brown wooden decorations exuded the atmosphere of a medieval European castle, perhaps a good way to attract a special clientele. At least, Lin Ruoxi had once chosen this small bar to drown her sorrows.

As soon as Yang Chen stepped into the bar, a soothing piano melody greeted him. If he wasn't mistaken, he recognized it as Liszt's "Hungarian Rhapsody."

The name of this piece often gave people a false impression of being rough and passionate, but in fact, it was elegant and noble, like a lavishly decorated royal cruise ship drifting along a winding river, sometimes slow, sometimes swift.

The narrow and small bar suddenly filled with such music, clearly adding much to the charm of this quaint little bar.

In the center of the bar, some tables and chairs were scattered to one side, and many young urban men and women gathered together, expressing various laughter and flirtation.

In this city where stress is generally high, disco music for dancing seemed unable to satisfy the spiritual needs of these white-collar workers. They chose to gather in a bar with a refined and tasteful atmosphere, using famous piano pieces to convey their dissatisfaction with society, while also satisfying their small sense of propriety.

Yang Chen, who originally had a burning flame in his chest, gradually calmed down after hearing this piece. He didn't hastily search for the variously dressed women in the bar but instead leisurely sat at the bar and ordered a regular whisky from the bartender.

The air around was filled with the scent of perfume and alcohol. Yang Chen quietly sat at one corner of the bar, sipping the amber-colored liquid, while the chatter and storytelling nearby added to the emotional atmosphere, which he greatly enjoyed.

However, the quiet didn't last long. From a dark corner of the bar, a woman in a light blue strapless dress walked out, her skin fair, legs long, and figure graceful, not exaggerated but well-proportioned. She wore light makeup, her delicate features resembling ink sketches, fine and elegant. Her long black hair, slightly curled at the ends, fell over her shoulders, and she wore two silver earrings. Her demeanor was somewhat like that of a European model out for a casual stroll after work, the only difference being her slightly smaller build.

This was a woman who was easy to like at first sight. Her beauty wouldn't make your heart race, but it was hard to resist.

"Sir, would you be so kind as to invite me for a drink?" The woman raised her glass, elegantly tilted her head back, and finished the last sip of mint liqueur in one go. She then placed the empty glass on the bar and smiled at Yang Chen.

Not only do men hunt for prey, but women do too.

Yang Chen, who had been hunted before, wasn't uncomfortable. He smiled and snapped his fingers at the young bartender.

"What would the lady like?" The bartender, understanding, asked the woman directly.

"Brandy Alexander Cocktail." The woman's fluent London accent came naturally, without any pretense, as if that was how she always spoke.

"What... what?" The young bartender clearly wasn't good at English.

"Brandy Alexander, or Alexandrina," Yang Chen kindly helped the bartender out.

The bartender, who had seen many situations, thanked Yang Chen, smiled apologetically at the woman, and began to mix the drink smoothly.

When the woman received the cocoa-colored drink, she looked at Yang Chen with some appreciation. "I'm sorry, I've been abroad for a few years and am not familiar with some domestic terms. However, few people know the name Alexandrina, so it seems you know a lot about drinks."

Yang Chen raised his glass slightly to the woman. "This cocktail was created to commemorate the wedding of King Edward VII of Britain and Queen Alexandra, as a tribute to the queen. Many women like this flavor, so if a man wants to get close to women, knowing this isn't particularly special."

"But among the men who come here, only you haven't gone looking for women."

"I didn't, but you came, didn't you?" Yang Chen smiled lightly.

The woman looked at Yang Chen for a moment, then suddenly extended her fair, delicate hand. "An Xin, 'An' for 'peace,' 'Xin' for 'heart.'"

"A very unique interpretation," Yang Chen found it interesting. This woman not only met his physical requirements but also had a taste and way of speaking that suited a night of pleasure. He shook hands with An Xin in a simple, formal gesture. "Yang Chen, when you need to write my name, I'll tell you which two characters."

"Your interpretation is even more unique, but much more interesting than other men." An Xin playfully winked. "Congratulations, you've piqued my interest."

"What kind of interest?" Yang Chen said. "Understanding my body structure? If you're willing to trade, we can learn from each other."

An Xin wasn't bothered by such explicit hints. "I doubt if the person who says such things is the real you. That's my interest. Simply put, I want to see if the man in front of me can meet my requirements for an intimate male partner."

"Miss An, the truth often doesn't exist in this world. If you're willing, I think you should judge based on your woman's keen intuition." Yang Chen boldly looked An Xin up and down. Since she was also a woman who needed to do something, many things could be said openly.

An Xin tilted her head, her soft hair slightly covering her charming, flushed cheeks from drinking. She asked, her breath fragrant and her eyes hazy, "Can you explain? I don't quite understand what Mr. Yang means."

Yang Chen, intrigued by her cleverness, found it amusing. She had already made it clear she wanted to spend the night with him, so why ask so many questions? But the atmosphere needed to be maintained, so he asked, "Miss An, do you know the inventor of radio?"

"As long as you've been educated, you know it's Marconi," An Xin frowned slightly, the leap in logic was large, but she was smart. "Is this not the truth?"

"From the perspective of most Western countries, it is indeed Marconi. However, in Soviet textbooks, it's always Popov, in Germany, it's Hertz, and in the United States, it's De Forest. To give a simple example, Popov in Russia successfully researched radio decades before Marconi, but due to a 1,000 ruble funding issue, the Russian army rejected what they saw as a grand delusion. It wasn't until decades later that Marconi won the Nobel Prize."

An Xin gazed at Yang Chen, her eyes sparkling, and giggled. "Mr. Yang, although I don't know if what you said is true, no man has ever said such things to me in a bar under such an intimate atmosphere."

Yang Chen took a sip of his drink, holding the glass and gently swaying it. "It doesn't matter. Do you like it, Miss An?"

An Xin suddenly bent her soft waist, leaning close to Yang Chen's face. Her moist, cool lips lightly kissed his cheek, then she smiled seductively. "Congratulations, tonight I belong to you."

"I'm happy to serve you." Yang Chen put down his glass, feeling he had successfully shown off. He grabbed An Xin's wrist and prepared to leave the bar.

But at that moment, four or five well-dressed, tie-wearing men suddenly burst into the bar, each with an urgent expression. When they saw Yang Chen holding An Xin's hand in an intimate manner, they all showed anger.

"Miss An, please come with us," the leader of the men said in a tone that brooked no refusal.

The customers in the bar sensed the tension and stopped their conversations, watching the scene about to unfold.

An Xin glanced at the black-clad men, then looked at Yang Chen with a calm expression. Seeing that Yang Chen showed no fear, she revealed a hint of admiration. "It seems passing my test isn't enough. Mr. Yang, will you choose to abandon the poor little lamb or become a knight who draws his sword?"

Yang Chen sighed inwardly. Indeed, good women aren't so easy to get. But since his interest was piqued, he didn't mind the trouble. He smiled at An Xin. "If Miss An can give me a blessing kiss, I think we will have a night of unforgettable and moving moments."

Without hesitation, An Xin, like a noble girl in love, elegantly wrapped her arms around Yang Chen's neck, tilted her beautiful face, and gave him a warm, wet kiss on the lips. As she pulled away, she used her moist tongue to draw a wet trail on Yang Chen's face.

"Fight bravely, my knight." An Xin released Yang Chen's neck and stepped back behind him.

The black-clad men were now furious. The leader glared at Yang Chen. "Young man, you will regret this night for the rest of your life."

Yang Chen chuckled, casually picked up his glass from the bar, and without warning, poured the remaining drink onto the man.

The leader, who hadn't expected such an insulting move, couldn't dodge in time, and his suit was splattered with alcohol.

"You're asking for it!"

The leader cursed and lunged at Yang Chen, aiming to punch him in the face.

Yang Chen calmly caught the powerful punch that others saw as a sandbag, easily restraining the man's wrist. Before the man could use his other hand, Yang Chen forcefully twisted his entire arm into an exaggerated arc!

The man, about to resist, screamed in pain, his body involuntarily spinning like a top in front of Yang Chen.

An Xin's eyes lit up, watching Yang Chen's relaxed back with surprise.

The other black-clad men finally realized the situation was wrong and shouted as they rushed to attack Yang Chen.

"Here, take it back." Seeing the men approach, Yang Chen suddenly grabbed the other arm of the man he was holding, easily swung him around, and threw him forward with a powerful thrust!

The nearly two-meter-tall man crashed into the others like a long stick!

Seeing the tall, well-built black-clad men all fall over, everyone in the bar was shocked. How could this man have such strength!?

"Let's go, to the room." Yang Chen grabbed An Xin's hand, stepped over the groaning black-clad men, and walked out of the bar with a calm demeanor.