The bar fell quiet for a moment.
Ten thousand yuan?
For many people, that was two months' salary.
But who would be willing to dance just because Brother Da slapped down ten thousand yuan? This wasn't about the money; it was a matter of dignity.
The two women by Brother Da's side, however, had a greedy glint in their eyes.
Brother Da looked at Lin Mu and sneered, "Not enough for you? How about I add a little more?"
THWAP! THWAP! Two more stacks of money hit the table, causing many people's breathing to quicken.
To Brother Da, there was nothing money couldn't buy. If there was, it only meant there wasn't enough of it.
Thirty thousand yuan. For a loser like Lin Mu, that was more than he could earn in an entire year of hard work.
He just wanted to have some fun, to assert his presence.
The onlookers watched Lin Mu with curiosity. What would a grown man do when humiliated like this?
However, Lin Mu's face remained calm, without the slightest ripple of emotion. Yet, behind that serenity lurked an extreme sense of danger.
When Brother Da saw Lin Mu's composure—not the humiliated embarrassment he'd expected—his own expression soured.
The two women's expressions became even more agitated. One of them even said in a coquettish voice, "Brother Da, how about I dance for you?"
"Get lost!"
Seemingly put on the spot by Lin Mu's indifference, Brother Da shoved the woman aside. He stood up, pointed at Lin Mu, and snarled, "Still playing tough? You think this isn't enough?"
He then took a thick wad of cash from his bag, waved it in front of Lin Mu's face, and said, "Just dance today, and I'll give you as much as you ask for."
Blowing a puff of smoke in Lin Mu's face, Brother Da said proudly, "I may lack other things, but money isn't one of them."
Many faces in the crowd changed at his words. Those who recognized him began to whisper.
"That's Zhang Da, from Jiang Zhe. He's in River City on business. I hear he's very wealthy."
"More than just wealthy. I also heard he's Young Master Qiao's brother-in-law."
"That's right. His sister is Qiao Zishan's lover. He's received a lot of favors from Young Master Qiao these past few years in River City."
Zhang Da heard the whispers, but instead of being embarrassed, he looked proud.
"What's it gonna be, kid? It's just one dance. This much money is several years' salary for you," Zhang Da said, a cold sneer in his eyes. He had seen plenty of people like Lin Mu.
A typical loser putting on a noble act.
But as long as the price was high enough, they would be willing to do anything, even crawl between his legs. Some people would do anything for money.
Amid the curious stares of the crowd and Zhang Da's sneer, Lin Mu finally spoke.
"I'm just curious. No matter how much money you have, can it buy your life?"
His voice wasn't loud; on the contrary, its calmness was startling.
This guy... where did he get the balls to talk to Zhang Da like that?
Zhang Da was stunned for a moment before he laughed in fury. "Kid, do you have any idea what the consequences are for talking to me like that?"
"I don't know about the consequences for me, but I do know some people are about to have a very bad day," Lin Mu said, slowly shaking his head. He hadn't paid this Zhang Da any mind at first, but since he was Qiao Zishan's brother-in-law, he had only himself to blame.
"Ha ha!" Zhang Da roared with laughter. "Big words! I'd like to see just who's going to be unlucky today."
As he spoke, Zhang Da snatched the ashtray from the table and hurled it at Lin Mu. They weren't far apart, so Zhang Da was confident he wouldn't miss.
The spectators scattered, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire. A few people looked at Lin Mu with concern.
After provoking Zhang Da, he was surely done for.
BANG!
The flying ashtray was caught steadily by one hand.
Before the crowd could react, they saw Lin Mu flick his wrist, sending the ashtray whistling violently back.
BANG!
A loud thud echoed as the ashtray smashed right into Zhang Da's head. Instantly, his head was split open and bleeding profusely.
"Ah! You damned bastard, how dare you hit me! You're dead meat!"
Zhang Da clutched his head, blood soaking his clothes. The two women by his side panicked and tried to stanch the bleeding, but he shoved them away.
"Kid, I won't let you walk out of here alive today!"
Zhang Da scrambled to his feet and lurched toward Lin Mu.
"Die!"
He raised his fist and swung it forcefully at Lin Mu's head. He had never studied martial arts, but he was much bigger and stronger than Lin Mu. No one believed Lin Mu could withstand such a punch.
Many people scoffed. Lin Mu was an idiot. He hadn't run after hitting Zhang Da, and now he wasn't even trying to dodge. He was simply asking to die.
A savage grin spread across Zhang Da's face, his eyes glinting with ferocity. He didn't care in the slightest how much force he used.
So what if he killed someone? This was Brother Fei's territory. Besides, Brother Fei and Young Master Qiao were as close as blood brothers. Moreover, River City was Qiao Family territory!
However, he didn't see the fear he expected on Lin Mu's face.
Lin Mu even took a leisurely sip of juice, watching him with utter composure.
"You idiot. Of all the people to provoke, you had to pick me."
Lin Mu shook his head slightly, raised his arm, and reached for Zhang Da's fist.
Idiot! The word flashed through the mind of everyone watching.
Zhang Da was obese but strong. Lin Mu, on the other hand, looked thin and frail, as if a gust of wind could blow him over. How could he possibly catch that punch?
However, in the next second, Zhang Da's expression changed.
Because his fist had been caught.
Lin Mu looked frail, but the strength in his hand was immense. His grip was like a steel vise, wrenching a piercing scream from Zhang Da.
"Ouch, my hand!"
Zhang Da's face contorted in agony. The excruciating, drilling pain from his fist made him howl.
"Since you insisted on getting physical, you won't be needing this hand anymore."
A cold glint flashed in Lin Mu's eyes as he violently twisted Zhang Da's arm.
CRACK!
The sharp, sickening sound was followed by a scream like a stuck pig, and Zhang Da collapsed to his knees.
His wrist had been brutally snapped by Lin Mu.
"My hand! My hand!" Zhang Da wailed, kneeling on the ground as cold sweat beaded on his forehead from the pain.
"Broken," Lin Mu said coldly. "Now, do you still want me to dance for you?"
The onlookers were so stunned they couldn't immediately process what had just happened. They hadn't seen his move at all; they only saw the result—Zhang Da kneeling and screaming before Lin Mu.
This kid is ruthless!
But now that he had broken Zhang Da's hand, this affair would be difficult to settle.
The disturbance had long since attracted the attention of the bar's security guards. "What's going on here?" two of them demanded as they pushed through the crowd.
When they saw Zhang Da kneeling on the ground, one arm hanging limp and his body drenched in sweat like a pig hauled from water, their expressions turned grim. They knew Zhang Da; he was a regular. He often used his connection to Young Master Qiao to cause trouble in the bar.
But Young Master Qiao was not someone to be trifled with. If something happened to Zhang Da here, they wouldn't even need Young Master Qiao to act—Brother Fei himself would have them chopped to pieces.
At this thought, the two guards exchanged a look and advanced on Lin Mu.
"Kid, who are you? What are you trying to pull here?"
Lin Mu slowly stood up, his tone flat as he said, "I'm here to kill someone. Got a problem with that?"