C46 Trickery?

Zhang Chen's brow furrowed tightly as he instinctively pulled Su Mang into the safety of his embrace.

A flicker of bewilderment passed through Su Mang's eyes.

The next moment, Zhang Chen collided with full force into the woman standing before him!

A cry of alarm pierced the air suddenly!

The woman lost her balance and tumbled to the ground, her red wine splashing across the floor!

Zhang Chen's frown deepened as he shielded Su Mang with his arm once more.

Yet, Su Mang nestled contentedly in Zhang Chen's arms, her face a picture of bliss as she savored the feeling of security enveloping her.

Regaining his footing, Zhang Chen looked down at Su Mang, who was pressed against his chest, and a sense of helplessness washed over him.

"Third Sister, time to get up," he said with a touch of irritation.

Su Mang gradually extricated herself from his embrace, her cheeks still flushed with a rosy glow.

Zhang Chen's gaze shifted to the woman on the ground.

The woman glanced awkwardly at the wine cup beside her before locking eyes with Zhang Chen. Without flinching, she grabbed the glass and hurled it to the floor.

"Ah!"

Another cry of pain rang out.

Zhang Chen was stunned!

As the woman's shout echoed, the bar's music came to an abrupt halt!

Her voice resonated clearly in everyone's ears.

The crowd turned their heads, their attention drawn to the woman writhing in agony on the ground.

Then, their eyes returned to Zhang Chen, each face revealing a dawning realization.

Zhang Chen's mouth twitched involuntarily.

Su Mang watched the unfolding scene in silence, her eyes devoid of emotion, choosing not to speak.

She was curious to see how Zhang Chen would handle the situation.

Just as Zhang Chen was about to respond, an angry shout erupted from a distance: "Who dares to hit my woman?"

Heads swiveled in the direction of the voice to see a man clad in a coat and sunglasses stride into view.

He stood nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a broad, square face.

Following him were four or five men, each exuding an air of sleaziness.

Zhang Chen was at a loss for words.

The tall man quickly reached the fallen woman, feigning concern as he helped her to her feet.

His attempt at acting was painfully unconvincing!

The woman threw herself into the man's embrace, wailing, "I can't go on, he hit me on purpose!"

Her sobs pierced the air, drawing immediate scorn from onlookers.

The towering figure lifted his head, eyes flashing with menace.

"Kid, did you bump into my girl?" he demanded, his icy tone carrying an air of authority.

Zhang Chen, feeling trapped, played along with their charade. "She ran into me."

The brute leaned forward, barking, "What? You think I'm blind? I saw you hit my woman! Now, what are you going to do about it?"

Zhang Chen rolled his eyes and stuck to the script. "You tell me, what should be done?"

"Hand over five hundred thousand yuan, and we'll call it even," the hulking man sneered, his voice a cold command.

"Fine, we have a deal," Zhang Chen agreed promptly.

He had finally found a way to shatter their plot!

Su Mang gave Zhang Chen an approving glance.

The big man was flabbergasted, his eyes clouded with bewilderment.

He had agreed that easily?

"I..."

For a moment, the man was at a loss. Their plan had been to detain Zhang Chen and Su Mang, then take them away.

Zhang Chen, growing impatient, prodded, "Let's get on with it."

"Hold on, I..." The big man stammered, his gaze darting about in search of his boss.

Zhang Chen sighed inwardly at the absurdity.

The man steeled himself and amended, "I misspoke. I want one million yuan."

Zhang Chen pulled an empty bank card from his pocket and asked nonchalantly, "Should I transfer it or swipe the card?"

"You..."

He was speechless, frozen in place.

The woman in his arms was equally bewildered.

After a lengthy pause, he blurted out, "I want five million yuan."

Zhang Chen cut him off sharply, "Did you get that?"

The big man jumped, instinctively replying, "I got it."

But he quickly realized his mistake.

Laughter erupted from the crowd. Many had caught on to the ruse and now gazed at him with derision.

Su Mang giggled behind her hand, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

The man's face darkened with fury.

He looked up and bellowed, "Forget the money. Today, I'm going to take you down!"

Zhang Chen retorted, "And why would you do that? Isn't it better to take the money? With a million yuan, you could have a whole slew of women like her."

The man hesitated for an eternity before offering a feeble response, "That's true, but..."

Zhang Chen shook his head with a wry smile.

Su Mang, the woman in his embrace, gave him a sharp slap and shot him a quick, meaningful glance.

The man caught on, his fists balled up, his breaths growing short and rapid.

He suddenly realized he was being toyed with by Zhang Chen like a monkey!

Damn it!

"Listen, kid, I don't want anything from you; I just want to make sure you don't leave!"

He barely finished his sentence before gesturing to his followers, "Keep him here!"

No sooner had his words fallen than four thugs stepped forward from behind him. Each wore a smirk, clearly ready to pounce.

Zhang Chen's brow creased in concern.