C37 Enraged

He arrived at room 1022, which was spacious, boasting a massive 100-inch LCD monitor.

The central table was crafted from premium marble, and the lengthy sofa was a custom-made, high-end leather piece. Even the entertainment dice cups were the gold-plated variety.

Such attention to detail only confirmed two things:

First, the amenities at the Golden Emperor Palace were top-notch.

Second, the Golden Emperor Palace was raking in serious money.

Once Ethan settled in, he passed a drink menu to Westley and said, "Jimenez, have a look and see what you'd like to drink."

"I'm not too knowledgeable about these things. You choose," Westley demurred.

Ethan, unphased, boldly selected an array of drinks and handed the order to the server.

The drinks arrived promptly, a selection of imported spirits including Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Royal Salute, XO, and even a bottle of French Pastou red wine.

Westley did a quick mental tally and figured the cost of the drinks alone was likely in the ballpark of $100,000.

Was Ethan really being generous enough to treat him to such an expensive spread?

Impossible.

"Come, let's open them all!" Ethan directed the server.

The server promptly uncorked each bottle of wine.

Ethan poured a glass for Westley and said with a grin, "Jimenez, you've got quite the tolerance. I wholeheartedly accept my loss. This glass is my way of making amends."

With that, he downed his drink in one go.

Westley remained silent, following suit with a swift tilt of his glass.

They continued to drink, glass for glass, while Juliana selected songs and sang beside them.

Sienna, clearly out of her element, sipped on a soft drink, looking somewhat lost.

As they neared the end of the whiskey bottle, the door burst open.

Three men strode in.

The first was wiry with a pair of particularly menacing eyes.

The second towered at nearly 1.8 meters, his physique muscular and his hair shorn close to the scalp.

Trailing behind was a shorter man, around 1.6 meters, with dark skin and bulging muscles that threatened to tear through his short-sleeved shirt.

"After waiting forever, you guys finally show up," Ethan stood up to welcome them.

The trio gave a slight nod and took their seats without any ceremony.

"Let me introduce everyone. This is a new friend of mine, Mr. Jimenez."

Ethan enthusiastically said, "Mr. Jimenez, meet Mr. Haris, Mr. Dogg, and Leopard. These guys are heavy hitters around here. If you run into any trouble, just drop their names and it'll get squared away."

Westley nodded and gave a casual wave, not bothering to get up.

"Hello."

Mr. Haris flashed a sly grin, his gold tooth glinting.

Leopard shot Westley a look that could kill.

And Mr. Dogg? He acted as if Westley was invisible.

Each of these three certainly had their own flair.

Mr. Haris's gaze fell on Sienna, who was silent off to the side, and his eyes sparkled.

She was stunning.

"Ethan, who's this beauty?" Mr. Haris inquired.

"Oh, she's a high school friend of mine, Sienna," Ethan quickly said.

"Hello there, gorgeous."

Mr. Haris reached out with a sleazy smile, as if he had spotted his next conquest.

"Hi," Sienna replied, her voice tinged with apprehension.

She could tell Mr. Haris and his buddies weren't the good sort, so she kept her hand to herself.

"Now, that's not right, beautiful. We should shake hands when we meet for the first time," Mr. Haris chided.

The old fox rose and approached with his hand outstretched.

He lived by the creed that with enough nerve, there was no advantage he couldn't seize!

Sienna paled, instinctively stepping back.

"Hello, hello..."

Westley stepped in, warmly shaking Mr. Haris's hand, breaking the tension.

He had deftly extricated Sienna from an uncomfortable situation.

Mr. Haris scowled, clearly irked.

"Sorry about that, Mr. Haris. My girlfriend's a bit shy, so please be understanding," Westley said with a grin.

"Girlfriend?"

Mr. Haris was put out but kept his cool for the moment.

"Bro, every time you see a girl, you swarm like a fly," Juliana remarked, her displeasure evident.

"My dear sister, is that how you talk about your brother?" Mr. Haris said with a grin.

Westley was taken aback to realize they were siblings.

The story was becoming increasingly intriguing.

"Let's not stand on ceremony among friends. We should liven up the atmosphere," Ethan attempted to steer the situation.

A tepid atmosphere would feel unnatural.

That wasn't his intention.

Yet, his efforts were largely ineffective, since everyone had been hastily brought together and couldn't possibly become acquainted so quickly.

Juliana kept singing.

Concerned that Sienna might be bored, Westley engaged her in conversation.

"Ethan, is this the guy you were talking about?" Mr. Haris inquired in a hushed tone, glass in hand.

"Yes, that's him!" Ethan confirmed with a nod.

"Don't worry, he'll get his comeuppance today. I'm already in a foul mood," Mr. Haris said with a menacing edge.

"What happened?"

"It's all Baldie's fault. He went to get revenge for his men today and ended up getting a lesson himself," Mr. Haris said with a frown.

"Doesn't Baldie have a bunch of underlings? What's the story with the adversary? How many were there?" Ethan was genuinely surprised.

"Just one person," Mr. Haris said with a wry smile.

"Only one?" Ethan couldn't believe his ears.

"Exactly. A single individual wiped out the Ghost Fire Gang."

Mr. Haris exhaled a smoke ring and added, "I heard Baldie's hands were snapped by the guy. He had to find an orthopedic master to set them back in place."

"Is that guy really that brutal?" Ethan was astounded.

"This kid popped up out of nowhere. I need to find an opportunity to meet him properly. After all, Baldie is one of mine."

Mr. Haris let out another smoke ring, his eyes darkening, "Baldie will be here later. I need to get the full story from him."

"It doesn't matter who the opponent is, they'd have to bow down to you three brothers," Ethan said dismissively.

"That's a given!"

Mr. Haris turned a frosty gaze toward Westley and declared, "But first, we're going to straighten out this young man. And that girl with him, she's mine!"

"Don't worry, it's in my hands," Ethan Zhang said with a sinister smirk.

He was well aware of Mr. Haris's methods.

Any woman Mr. Haris set his sights on was as good as his.

Though Sienna was technically his ex-girlfriend, Ethan's mind was consumed with thoughts of vengeance. Making this small sacrifice seemed only fitting.

What he couldn't have, no one else would either.

Their hushed conversation couldn't evade Westley Lin's keen hearing.

Westley chuckled inwardly while maintaining an innocent, clueless facade.

He even lifted his wine glass, toasting Mr. Haris and his crew.

Mr. Haris and his entourage didn't hesitate to polish off every last drop of their ordered drinks.

Checking his watch, Ethan figured it was time to make a move.

He cleared his throat and asked, "Everyone's had a good time today, haven't they?"

"Definitely, it's been great," Mr. Haris agreed.

"How about we settle the bill now, then find some more entertainment?" Ethan suggested with a grin.

"Sounds good!"

Mr. Haris and the group donned their jackets, ready to hit the road.

The server approached with the check, inquiring, "Who will be taking care of the bill?"

"Put it on Mr. Lin's tab!" Ethan pointed at Westley.

The inevitable had finally arrived!

Westley stretched languidly, a release from the tension he'd been holding.

It was almost too much for him.

He felt a pang of distress.