Surveying the chaotic crowd, Logan felt a bit at a loss.
He had overheard the talk of backstabbing among the gangsters, but the sudden influx of people from all directions had escalated the situation, dragging them into the mess unwillingly. There was nothing enjoyable about it.
Tonight's sequence of events was clear: the local Blue Gang's branch had its territory snatched. However, the two allied local factions soon turned on each other. Their negotiations were laced with deadly undertones, but that didn't stop Logan from silently cheering for both sides.
After all, their mutual destruction worked out for everyone else.
"Logan, watch out!" Diane pointed in a direction while reaching out to pull Logan aside, calling out softly.
The casino now looked entirely different from when they arrived. Fruit plates were overturned, heavy objects were strewn about, and shards of glass crunched underfoot.
What once were envy-inducing stacks of chips were now discarded like trash in corners. The air was thick with noise, no longer the frenzied clamor of money but the heated chaos of violence.
"You're still worried about others at a time like this?" Logan didn't even glance at the thug lunging toward him. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, he ducked to avoid a club, then swiftly kicked the assailant away.
His voice carried a note of exasperation as he spoke, but he grabbed Diane's outstretched hand and pulled her aside to dodge a flying object.
Diane stared at Logan in surprise, blinking repeatedly. She seemed oblivious to their close proximity, where even their breaths mingled in an almost intimate pose.
"Don't look at me like that. I took a quick Karate Class." Logan coughed lightly, lying without missing a beat as he casually draped Diane's jacket, which had slipped off her shoulder, back into place.
Diane quickly zipped her jacket all the way up, blushing slightly as she stepped back half a pace, "Oh, I see."
Since their hands were already clasped, Logan didn't bother letting go. Instead, he directed his gaze in a certain direction, "Class Monitor is over there."
After saying that, he grabbed her soft, delicate hand and led her forward.
Diane hesitated but did not break away.
From the vantage point of the casino floor, the two warring factions were evenly matched, embroiled in a chaotic brawl. Hundreds of panicked guests who hadn't managed to flee were caught between screams and shouts. Logan and his group found themselves unlucky enough to be caught in the middle of it all.
Four Seals Gang's leader, Gator, wasn't bluffing when he warned about ambushes from Bear Head Gang. Soon, a large number of reinforcements from Four Seals Gang swarmed the casino, both inside and out. However, this was the Bear Head Gang's territory, and they quickly rallied even more people.
As the two violent factions clashed, the hallways became impossibly crowded, and street brawls broke out in the open. The class monitor, led by the calm and resourceful Olivia, was pushed back into the casino by the surging crowd.
That was what made Logan feel so troubled. These weren't just empty threats or posturing, as these gangsters were going all out, indiscriminately targeting anyone not in their faction. Logan couldn't just stand by and let his classmates face danger.
"Logan, when did you learn Karate..." Diane's voice was soft as she glanced at their intertwined hands, and there's a strange feeling stirring within her.
"Huh?" Logan was paying attention to his surroundings. If it weren't for his excellent hearing, he wouldn't be able to hear what Diane was saying, "Oh, uh, last summer… or winter… probably last summer break."
He answered vaguely, glancing at the girl clinging close to him. Her smooth black ponytail swayed with every step.
Speaking of which, earlier tonight, amidst the chaos, she had bravely stepped forward multiple times to help, even if her naïve courage was questionable. It still managed to warm his heart a little.
"Don't underestimate our Four Seals Gang!"
"Aahhh!"
Two men locked in a fierce fight lost their balance and stumbled toward Logan, knocking over a gambling table and scattering debris.
Before Diane could even gasp, Logan swung a chair and knocked the two men out cold.
"Tch, Four Seals Gang… What's up with these ridiculous gang names..." He muttered under his breath.
Diane covered her mouth, her eyes sparkling like stars as she watched Logan casually put down the chair and dust off his hands.
"Summer or winter break… was it the martial arts school a few streets from your house?" She suddenly asked, as if struck by a thought.
Logan turned around in confusion, 'Why do girls ask weird questions in dangerous environments?'
"Yes..."
The two had known each other since childhood, living in adjacent neighborhoods. However, they hadn't kept in touch since starting high school.
"Then I'll sign up too!" Diane's eyes lit up as she clenched her fists in determination.
"..."
Logan shook his head, too exasperated to respond. He simply pulled her along toward the couch where the class monitor was hiding.
"You're here!" The class monitor looked relieved and exclaimed, "I couldn't find you two, and even Senior Olivia..."
Before the class monitor could notice their clasped hands, Diane discreetly let go and sidled closer to the class monitor.
"Senior is over there." Logan said, pointing to a direction he'd already been keeping an eye on.
In the midst of a chaotic brawl involving over a hundred people, Logan's professional instincts kicked in, allowing him to survey every corner of the situation. Compared to the relatively safer positions of Diane and the class monitor, the high-strung and cold demeanor of Olivia placed her in a dire predicament.
Trapped in a booth, surrounded by a dozen aggressive gang members wielding weapons, she crouched on the floor clutching her knees. Her school uniform was soaked with spilled drinks, and shards of glass and blood pooled around her.
"What do we do?" Diane and the class monitor panicked as they grasped the situation.
Logan didn't reply. He exhaled lightly, his mind calculating rapidly for less than a second before he stood up and stepped out of the sofa, calmly walking toward the booth.
The frantic objections behind him fell on deaf ears. Logan tuned them out as he glanced over the dozen assailants surrounding the booth, flexing his fingers.
The numbers made it clear: a subtle, unnoticed method of intervention wasn't feasible. Facing so many opponents simultaneously meant that Logan's earlier plan of using his sparring-level skills to maintain cover wouldn't cut it.
Time was limited, and playing it too safe would backfire. Any explanation for his actions would have to wait until later.
More importantly... after keeping a low profile for so long, if he didn't show off a little now, he might become depressed.
Suddenly, a heavy, polished, red wooden chair flew through the air with a whoosh, cutting into Logan's field of vision.
Thud.
The sickening sound of bodies colliding with solid wood echoed. Two burly men were flung several meters away like paper, creating chaos as one side of the booth opened up a path.
"Hey, you guys, run!"
Logan froze for a moment, startled by the familiar voice. He turned toward the direction from which the chair had been launched.
It was David, his face flushed with both tension and excitement, shouting at the top of his lungs while waving his hands fervently.
A cascade of bottles and glasses rained down like a sudden storm, shattering loudly as they hit the gang members still in shock. Standing beside David were four rebellious male classmates from their class… the same ones who had snuck out of the hot spring hotel earlier.
The boys, led by Marvin, hurled anything they could grab while loudly proclaiming their intent to 'protect Senior Olivia'.
Then, taking advantage of the gang's disarray, they rushed forward with brooms and chair legs, beating their enemies with chaotic ferocity.
Logan stepped forward to help but quickly realized there was no need. Despite the boys' trembling hands, the group's wild strikes managed to overwhelm the gang members, driving them back entirely.
Recognizing the opportunity, Olivia bolted out of the booth without hesitation, successfully escaping.
David was relieved that their plan was successful. Then, he saw Logan with his sharp eyes. Using all his strength, he made a run for it to escape the gang's retaliation, "Whoa, Logan! What a coincidence! Run, run, run!"
"Coincidence." Logan muttered dryly.
The group of boys sprinted past Logan like rabbits, winking and grinning as they passed.
Logan squinted as he watched the disheveled Olivia reunite with Diane and the class monitor. The scattered high school students from Fresno were now grouped together. He couldn't help but glance back at the furious, vengeful gang members storming toward them.
Logan debated what expression and pose might suit the situation, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
The gang's retaliation had to be dealt with, and regardless of how he made his entrance, the outcome would be the same, so it didn't matter.
Logan raised his hand, ready to act, but before he could make a move, a meaty hand grabbed his wrist. David dashed back like the wind, decisively pulling Logan along.
Logan frowned, "Hey, I..."
"No time to dawdle, run!"
With surprising strength, David dragged him away.
As they fled, a golden envelope fell from Logan's pocket, landing unnoticed on the floor. Logan's lip twitched, "Hey David, wait a sec..."
"Shut up! I'm doing this for your own good!" The panting David gritted his teeth and said with grim determination.
The green exit sign of the casino's emergency passage loomed ahead. Logan couldn't sit still anymore, 'At this rate…'
"David, at times like this, we men are unstoppable! These gangsters are nothing. Hahahaha..." Marvin's voice rang out as he and the others ran.
"Hahahaha, so true!" David replied, gasping for breath but not forgetting to boast.
Hearing this, the girls who had survived the disaster looked at each other, 'Didn't these guys know they were going to be punished after returning?'
The doors burst open, and a rush of icy wind swept away the stifling air, cutting through the tension. Under the simple yellow glow of streetlights, the chaos of the crystal chandeliers faded into the distance, replaced by the refreshing sense of freedom and relief.
The neon lights of the city night twinkled indifferently in the background as the impromptu adventure of their autumn outing came to an abrupt, unexpected end. Just like that.
Only Logan, amidst the embarrassing hahahahaha, watched helplessly as the gilded envelope, which is a crucial piece for some major syndicate's plans, was crushed under the muddy soles of the furious gangsters' shoes.
"..."
'Money…'
Dragged along by David, Logan sighed, thinking, 'My business this time should probably be completed... right?'
'If the Bear Head Gang won... maybe one Shadow Clone could deal with it.'
The heavy door slammed shut behind them.