As night fell, Dreamfire Bar was buzzing.

Rhythmic music thrummed from all directions, a beat like a drum pounding against the eardrums.

The crowded booths were a cacophony of voices, with not an empty seat in the house. The air was thick with the mixed scent of harsh liquor, cloyingly sweet fruit, and cheap perfume.

"All drinks tonight—on Young Master Wang!"

Suddenly, as if on cue, the MC at the back of the stage bellowed into his microphone.

In the blink of an eye, the whole place erupted, and figures all around cheered.

"WOO!!"

"Long live Young Master Wang!!"

"Thanks, Young Master Wang!"

The crowd roared, shouting with excitement.

A young, haughty-looking man in flashy clothes crossed the main floor with several suit-clad bodyguards, disappearing into a private room on the second floor amidst a chorus of envious and fawning goodbyes.

Lu Chao watched this scene from a distance as he walked through the entrance of the bar.

Everything was so familiar, almost unchanged. A nostalgic smile touched his lips.

"Brother Lu."

"Brother Xiaochao."

Soon, the greeters at the door saw him arrive and addressed him with respect.

There were a few new faces, as well as a former security colleague who gave him a firm, complex look as their eyes met.

Lu Chao returned the gesture with a polite nod and a smile before heading deeper into the bar.

He could hear envious chatter behind him and vaguely caught the words "Fighting Level."

"You finally decided to show up."

A familiar voice cut through the din.

Zhou Qiang was already waiting for him at the bar.

He was dressed in a well-tailored black suit over a dark red shirt. A smile graced the twenty-seven or twenty-eight-year-old’s short-haired face.

However.

"Brother Qiang?"

Lu Chao’s brow furrowed as his gaze fell on the man’s left arm.

It was held in place with a wooden splint and wrapped in layers of white gauze, suspended in a sling across his chest.

It was clearly a fracture.

"What happened?"

Lu Chao asked, puzzled. He knew full well that Zhou Qiang was a veteran Fighting Level, just one step shy of Professional Level.

’How could someone like him get injured so easily?’

"Ah, I just fell. Slipped and fell."

He waved his good hand, casually brushing it off with an excuse.

Sensing the evasiveness, Lu Chao’s frown deepened, his gaze remaining fixed on him.

"Damn it, you kid."

A warmth spread through Zhou Qiang’s chest. He knew it was out of concern, but he still grumbled, "It’s really nothing, don’t worry. If it were serious, how could I possibly still be standing here?"

"Forget about me; Brother Hao would have probably gone and killed the guy by now,"

he said nonchalantly, clearly not wanting to discuss it further.

Lu Chao felt helpless. He then watched as Zhou Qiang changed the subject, motioning toward a silver briefcase on the bar.

"Same as usual. There’s a basic-grade Life Potion inside."

"A few warlords out in the wilderness have started fighting, causing the price of some raw materials to shoot up. The Biotechnology Company followed suit and jacked up their prices... But Brother Hao said it’s a small matter. He’ll continue to sponsor you according to the original plan, so don’t worry too much about it."

He said with a smile, pushing the silver briefcase over.

Lu Chao was slightly taken aback, recalling an issue of the Wilderness Daily he had seen.

Two warlords had gone to war over control of water sources in the wilderness.

Now he understood why the price of high-protein energy bars and other nutritional resources had suddenly jumped.

"Oh, right. About the Exotic Beast Meat."

"The meat plant we usually use had an incident. A Mutant Beast suddenly went berserk and mauled several handlers to death. I’ll find a new, reliable supplier in a few days and have some sent over to you."

Zhou Qiang added, then smiled and had the bartender bring over two glasses of Dragon Orchid’s Tongue.

"Thanks, Brother Qiang."

Nodding slightly, Lu Chao could feel the support from both him and Brother Hao.

He then opened the silver briefcase to confirm its contents before taking it.

As for the drink that was handed to him...

"Brother Qiang."

Lu Chao gave a helpless smile, gently shaking his head as he declined it.

"You kid..."

After a brief pause, Zhou Qiang shook his head with a smile. "Yeah, that’s for the best."

He picked up his drink and took a small sip. "Until you reach Professional Level, it’s best not to touch things like cigarettes and alcohol."

"Otherwise, you end up like me."

He sounded wistful, his tone tinged with resignation.

Lu Chao fell silent. He knew Zhou Qiang had been stuck at the threshold of the Professional Level for a long time, unable to break through.

That was the nature of the barriers in Life Energy cultivation. Even with sufficient resources, the bottleneck was incredibly difficult to overcome.

"Alright, enough chitchat. Brother Hao has some guests, so I’ve got to go."

Downing his Dragon Orchid’s Tongue in one gulp, Zhou Qiang waved his hand and said with a deliberately stern face, "Be careful on your way back later, and don’t get me involved in any more trouble."

He was clearly teasing Lu Chao about the two previous incidents. Lu Chao just smiled and nodded, watching him weave through the crowd and head for the second floor.

With a moment to himself, Lu Chao’s gaze swept across the main floor of the bar.

The octagonal cage in the central open space was still there, with white laser beams converging upon it. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Two burly men in shorts were fighting inside, their bare upper bodies a mass of knotted muscle that gave off a powerful sense of pressure.

Many patrons gathered around to watch and place bets, while a few who saw the performative element simply shook their heads and went back to drinking quietly.

"How the fuck do you walk? You got eyes on your ass?"

Suddenly, a commotion erupted from one side of the hall.

Lu Chao looked over to see a young, impatient-looking customer whose designer clothes were stained with a large patch of spilled alcohol. He was cursing out a waiter.

Amid the shouting, security guards hurried over to deal with the situation.

A short while later, the waiter who had spilled the drink shuffled away, head bowed, muttering words like "damn" and "unlucky."

"Xiaoyang?" Lu Chao asked, uncertain.

"Huh?"

The other man was clearly startled, then raised his head.

He wore a white shirt and black vest, a tray still in his hand.

He shouldn’t have changed much, but Lu Chao noticed the man’s face was exceptionally pale, and the dark circles under his eyes were so pronounced it looked as if his very life force had been drained away.

"Ah, Ah Chao... Brother Xiaochao."

He was flustered, his expression shifting as several different names tumbled from his lips.

His old friend had actually succeeded in his martial arts training, joined the Patrol Department, and become a big shot at the Fighting Level.

All the rumors came flooding back. The stark difference in their stations made Xiaoyang subconsciously lower his head, his shoulders hunching slightly.

’Ah Chao isn’t the same as he used to be. Even Brother Hao is trying to court his favor.’

’Does he look down on me? Is he going to laugh at me for what just happened...?’

"Just call me Ah Chao."

However, Xiaoyang’s spiraling thoughts were instantly cut short.

He looked up, stunned, to see Lu Chao walking closer with a smile.

"I don’t mind when other people call me that, but we’re friends. No need to be so distant."

His calm voice seemed to carry a power that could smooth out wrinkles.

The bar was as noisy as ever, but Xiaoyang felt a pocket of silence, as if an invisible barrier had cut off the din.

He hesitated, silent for several long seconds.

He met Lu Chao’s bright eyes and found no contempt, no pity—only the same familiar calm as always.

Finally, he mustered his courage and said with a hint of uncertainty, "Ah... Ah Chao?"

"Yeah."

Lu Chao nodded with a faint smile.

They then walked to the bar together and exchanged a few words of small talk.

Perhaps sensing his sincerity, Xiaoyang gradually relaxed and started to open up.

He talked about his admiration for the Hongyi Society, complained about his grueling work, the unbearable pressures of life... and even recent happenings at the bar.

Until finally, whether intentionally or not,

Lu Chao heard what Xiaoyang said.

His gaze hardened. He finally understood why Zhou Qiang had suddenly been injured.