Chapter 129: The Beating Outside the Bar

Acting is a human instinct, and role-playing is taking place at every single moment.

"Another beer."

After slamming his glass heavily onto the bar, Xu Lang shouted at the bartender with a thick, slurred tongue.

Hearing his voice, the bartender glanced at him without pouring the drink immediately.

Xu Lang waited for a moment, and seeing that the bartender still ignored him, he slapped the table and shouted loudly, "I said another one, are you fucking deaf?"

Only then did the bartender look up, meeting Xu Lang's eyes directly before replying indifferently, "Another one is fine, but you have to pay first."

"Damn it, what do you mean by that? Do you think I can't afford the drink?" Xu Lang tilted his chin back, glaring sideways at the bartender.

The bartender merely cast a cold glance at him without a word, though the heavy mockery and disdain were unmistakably written across his face, as well as the slight twitch of the corner of his mouth.

"Blind dog looking down on people, damn it..."

Muttering curses, Xu Lang began searching his pockets. After rummaging around for a while, he finally fished out a twenty-yuan bill, a ten-yuan bill, and a few one-yuan coins. Slamming the money fiercely onto the counter, he shouted, "The money's right here, give me another one."

The bartender collected all the money, poured another glass of beer for Xu Lang, and went back to mixing drinks, utterly unwilling to deal with this drunkard any longer.

Zheng Lei, who had witnessed the entire scene from start to finish, curled the corner of his mouth slightly. He looked at Xu Lang, then lowered his head to finish the last gulp of beer from his bottle. He cast a questioning look at Wang Yiming. Wang Yiming glanced at Xu Lang, and upon meeting Zheng Lei's inquiring gaze, he gave an expressionless, subtle nod to signal that everything was fine.

Reassured by this gesture, Zheng Lei put down his empty beer bottle and said to the bartender, "Three mugs of draft beer."

Hearing this, the bartender immediately placed three mugs of draft beer in front of Zheng Lei. Unlike the disdain he showed Xu Lang, his face now wore a smile. Of course, this wasn't because he thought Zheng Lei was extraordinary, but rather because he had caught sight of the crisp red bills in Zheng Lei's hand and the thick stack of cash tucked inside his genuine leather wallet. That stack was easily over five thousand yuan, and a quick glance revealed several bank cards and credit cards alongside the cash.

Once the beers were served, Zheng Lei pushed one mug toward Zheng Maocai, and another toward Xu Lang, who had just finished his previous glass. Giving Xu Lang a smiling glance, Zheng Lei picked up the final mug and began drinking by himself.

Xu Lang set down his empty glass, first looking at the mug pushed toward him by Zheng Lei, then turning his head sideways. With a drunken, hazy glare, he pushed the beer back toward Zheng Lei and slurred, "I... I don't... don't have money to drink anymore..."

Hearing this, Zheng Lei set down his glass, looked at Xu Lang, and said with a chuckle, "This one's on me. You don't have to pay."

"You're treating me to a drink? Is... is that true?" Xu Lang asked, staring at Zheng Lei.

Zheng Lei didn't speak; he simply nodded.

Only then did Xu Lang pick up the mug of draft beer and start drinking.

*Gulp, gulp, gulp.*

Xu Lang raised the glass and finished the large mug of draft beer in two or three gulps, appearing as if he feared Zheng Lei might change his mind.

This spectacle was observed by Zheng Lei and his two companions, as well as the bartender. The bartender curled his lip in lingering contempt, Zheng Lei wore a faint smile, Zheng Maocai's eyes darted restlessly as he scanned his surroundings, and Wang Yiming looked elsewhere. Yet, Xu Lang's keen perception caught the fact that while Wang Yiming's gaze was cast aside, the corner of his eye constantly kept watch on Xu Lang.

After finishing the draft beer, Xu Lang set down the mug, let out a loud hiccup, and drew a long breath. Then, he rocked unsteadily to his feet, reached out to pat Zheng Lei's shoulder, and said, "Brother, thanks for treating me to a drink today. Another day, I'll definitely return the favor. The name's Xu Minghao, brothers, I've got things to do, gotta go."

With that, Xu Lang staggered toward the bar exit.

In fact, when Xu Lang reached out to pat Zheng Lei's shoulder, Wang Yiming had made a move to stop him, but a single look from Zheng Lei halted him. Wang Yiming abandoned the thought and remained seated in his original spot.

Watching Xu Lang's swaying, receding back, Zheng Lei narrowed his eyes slightly, gently swirling the draft beer mug in his hand. Only after Xu Lang finally made it out of the bar and his figure vanished completely did Zheng Lei speak up: "Xu Minghao... rather interesting."

"Brother Lei, why'd you treat that punk to a drink?"

Zheng Maocai, who had previously paid no attention to the commotion, quickly retracted his gaze once Xu Lang left and asked Zheng Lei with some dissatisfaction.

"Meeting is a matter of fate, I just bought him a drink, nothing major," Zheng Lei replied indifferently, finishing his beer in one gulp.

"That guy looks like a complete drunkard, either failed in business or dumped by a woman. What's worth paying attention to?" Zheng Maocai muttered.

Zheng Lei naturally heard every single word of Zheng Maocai's murmuring, but he merely smiled and shook his head without offering a reply.

After finishing his draft beer and paying the tab, Zheng Lei left the bar accompanied by Zheng Maocai and Wang Yiming.

The moment they stepped outside, they witnessed an interesting scene.

It turned out that as Xu Lang staggered out of the bar, he ran into five or six broad-shouldered young men sporting alternative hairstyles. They had originally been wandering the vicinity looking for someone. When Xu Lang stumbled out, they paid him no mind at first, assuming he was just an ordinary drunk. However, upon catching another look at his face, they realized Xu Lang was precisely the person they were looking for, and immediately swarmed toward him.

By sheer coincidence, Zheng Lei and his two companions had just emerged from the bar at that exact moment to witness the unfolding scene.

"Xu Minghao, I was wondering why we couldn't find you anywhere—turns out you were hiding in here drinking! Damn it, we're out there freezing our asses off while you're guzzling booze and checking out pretty girls. Fuck, tell us, when are you going to pay back what you owe our boss?" The leading youth scolded while shoving Xu Lang around.

"Yeah, when are you paying up? Today's the absolute deadline!"

"If you don't pay now, you think I won't break one of your legs?"

"..."

The other delinquent youths chimed in threateningly, looking every bit like minor gangsters straight out of a movie.

"Big brothers, go back and tell Hei Ba to give me a few more days, will you? I really don't have the cash right now," Xu Lang pleaded pitifully.

"No money? You have no money yet you come to a bar to drink? Do you take me for a fool?" The leading youth cursed.

"I really don't have any," Xu Lang insisted.

"No money? Am I just supposed to take your word for it? Do you think I'm that easy to fool? Search him."

As the leader spoke, he motioned for the others to start patting down Xu Lang's pockets in search of cash.

As a result, after rummaging all over him for quite a while, they only managed to unearth a single five-yuan bill and a few one-yuan coins. Aside from those, there was absolutely nothing else.

Staring at this haul, the young men exchanged bewildered glances, finally believing that Xu Lang indeed had no money. The leader's expression darkened instantly. With a vicious shove, he knocked Xu Lang sprawling onto the ground and snarled, "Damn it, you're broke yet you come drinking—are you out of your fucking mind? Listen up, if you don't cough up the cash today, I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't forget."

Zheng Lei and his two companions watched the scene unfold from not far away. When Xu Lang was knocked to the ground, Zheng Maocai instinctively looked toward Zheng Lei, opening his mouth to speak, but a raised hand from Zheng Lei stopped him.

Zheng Lei said slowly, "Let's watch a bit longer."

"Big brothers, I really don't have the money. Even if you beat me to death, I can't produce that much cash," Xu Lang whimpered as he sat slumped on the ground.

Hearing this, the surrounding delinquents exchanged glances once more. The leader spat onto the ground and barked viciously, "Bah, no money, huh? Beat the crap out of him."

With that, he was the first to strike, launching into a physical assault on Xu Lang. The others were not to be outdone, rushing forward to rain blows and kicks upon him.

Xu Lang hurriedly curled his body into a ball, shielding his head with both hands. Amidst his shrieks of agony, he begged, "Ah... stop hitting me, please stop... ah..."

"Got money now? You gonna pay or not?"

The leading youth shouted fiercely while delivering heavy kicks to Xu Lang's body.

"Ah... I'll pay, I'll definitely pay, ah... but you have to give me a few more days, ah..." Xu Lang cried out through his screams.

On a winter night, pedestrians on the street were few and far between. At this early morning hour, the bar still resonated with deafening music, its interior bathed in colorful lights where young men and women twisted wildly to the rhythm. Yet outside the bar, save for the dim streetlights, there were only sparse passersby and a handful of youths brutally beating a down-and-out man. Not far away stood three men quietly watching the spectacle. Occasional pedestrians passing by would merely quicken their pace, lowering their heads to hurry past as if blind to the violence. No one stepped forward to intervene. The curses of the delinquents and the screams and wails of the man pierced the freezing winter night with jarring sharpness.

*Wail, wail—*

Just as the delinquents continued their abuse amidst a barrage of curses, and just as Zheng Lei intended to step in and rescue Xu Lang, the sound of police sirens echoed from not far away.

Hearing the sirens, the young delinquents abruptly halted their actions. Glancing at the police car drawing closer, the leader turned his glare toward Xu Lang, who was whimpering continuously on the icy pavement, and cursed viciously, "Son of a bitch, it's your lucky day. I'll give you three days at most. If you don't pay up by then, I'm breaking your leg. Let's move."

With that, the youth led his gang away in a hasty retreat.

Shortly after their departure, a police car with wailing sirens arrived at the scene. Two police officers in uniform stepped out and walked swiftly over to Xu Lang. Giving him a gentle nudge with their feet, one of them asked, "Hey, wake up, wake up. What's going on here?"

"Ah... ugh... ugh... it hurts, easy, it hurts..."

Groaning continuously, Xu Lang struggled to his feet with the support of the two officers.

"What just happened? Were people beating you up? Do you need to see a doctor?" one of the officers asked with concern.

Rubbing the spots where he had been struck, Xu Lang shook his head and mumbled, "I'm fine. I had too much to drink just now and took a tumble by accident. I'm okay..."

With that, Xu Lang shook off the support of the two patrol officers and began to walk away into the distance, swaying and limping heavily.

"Hey..."

Of the two officers, one old and one young, the younger one wanted to call out and clarify the situation, but was stopped by the older veteran. The senior officer shook his head, sighed, and said, "Sigh, let's go. Back to patrol."

With those words, he led the young officer back into the police cruiser and left the scene.

As for Zheng Lei and his companions, they had quietly withdrawn the moment the police car arrived. Before leaving, Zheng Lei cast one final look in the direction Xu Lang had headed before departing swiftly.

After walking a few hundred meters, Xu Lang stopped limping. Having resumed his normal gait, he muttered curses under his breath as he walked: "Hei Ba, you little punk, you better wait for me. This is blatant abuse of personal vendetta—just because I asked you to find a few guys to act out a scene, did you really have to beat me up this badly?"

With that, Xu Lang rubbed his sore, kicked stomach.

Passing through two streets and cutting down an alley, Xu Lang spotted a private car parked at the corner. He walked straight toward it, pulled open the door, and climbed inside.

There were three people inside the sedan: Zhang Lei was in the driver's seat, Ning嫣然 (Ning Yanran) in the front passenger seat, and Zhao Hua sitting in the back. Seeing Xu Lang board, they quickly shut the door, and Zhang Lei immediately started the engine, driving away from the scene.

The car sped through the silent streets. While rubbing his stomach, Xu Lang looked out the window. There was not a trace of pain on his face—only calm indifference and a hint of anticipation.

In truth, Xu Lang was long accustomed to the beatings delivered by the thugs Hei Ba had hired. As the saying goes, to be capable of hitting others, one must first learn to take a beating. Xu Lang had undergone rigorous training in this regard, whether during his school days, his time at the police academy, or his subsequent career as a criminal investigator.

In his childhood, largely due to his father's background, none of his classmates had been willing to play with him. Most kept their distance, while older children frequently formed groups to bully him. At first, Xu Lang chose to endure and yield to them, but every concession only invited worse bullying. Whenever his elder sister, Xu Chan, saw her younger brother being picked on, she would rush out to fight the bullies tooth and nail. It was precisely during those times that Xu Lang slowly matured and learned how to protect himself.

Later, upon entering the police academy, Xu Lang underwent brutal, uncompromising training that surpassed ordinary standards—far stricter than military boot camps. During his academy days, he was dispatched on a special assignment, an experience that made him fully understand the malice of human hearts and the fickle nature of human character.

Today's encounter marked his first meeting with Zheng Lei. From beginning to end, Xu Lang had not proactively approached Zheng Lei, tried to cozy up to him, or brought up any topics. If Xu Lang had deliberately tried to get close to Zheng Lei, it would not have earned his trust; rather, it would have immediately aroused suspicion, rendering all efforts by Xu Lang and the police force entirely futile.

With the initial impression formed by their brief encounter inside the bar, reinforced by the beating outside, Xu Lang was confident that Zheng Lei had already taken notice of him. Naturally, Zheng Lei's next step would be to send underworld contacts to dig into the name "Xu Minghao." The moment he made such inquiries, Hei Ba and Xu Lang's other informants would instantly be alerted. At that point, Xu Lang would know. The very fact that Zheng Lei chose to take that step would signify the success of Xu Lang's plan.

All Xu Lang needed to do now was find a place to sleep. Naturally, he couldn't return to his own home tonight; playing the part of a destitute wretch meant he had to stay in cheap motels or inns. Of course, sleeping on the streets would look even better, but it was winter, not summer. Xu Lang had no intention of freezing to death on a pavement just for the sake of a case—if he did, he would become the ultimate laughingstock.

He had originally asked Hei Ba to round up a few guys to stage a convincing act, but Hei Ba had clearly taken a bit too much liberty with the script. While the visual effect was undeniably effective, the price Xu Lang had paid was quite steep—taking a thorough, unmitigated thrashing from those guys without being able to strike back. Thinking of this, Xu Lang couldn't help but offer a wry, bitter smile.

After several years, experiencing this genuine physical pain once more made Xu Lang feel truly alive. He recalled the last time he had been pinned to the ground and beaten: it was during his academy days while executing a top-secret undercover mission. That experience had been perilous in the extreme; he had nearly lost his life on the spot. Fortunately, Xu Lang ultimately won the target's trust, successfully and brilliantly completing the mission and bringing the criminals to justice. For that feat, he was awarded a Class-II Merit Citation. Receiving such an honor as a mere cadet before becoming an official police officer was exceedingly rare within the police academy; even Wu Yong, who was now the captain of the First Criminal Investigation Team, had never achieved it during his student days.

Naturally, all of this was strictly classified. Only a handful of people knew the truth, and even among the law enforcement personnel involved in that case, very few were aware of the details. Certain operations and certain truths could never be shared with outsiders. It wasn't a question of whether one *should* speak, but rather whether one *could* speak. Many matters that ordinary people might consider trivial could easily lead to the deaths of one or many individuals.