Chapter 545: Song and Dance Hall

Chen Ling naturally wouldn't have gone to the trouble of using Fate Weaving to arrange a heavy rain just to tease these two "door gods"; he wasn't that idle. His true objective lay elsewhere.

As for these two unlucky individuals, Chen Ling couldn't genuinely drive them away; he still needed them to provide cover. Nevertheless, since they had chosen to bother him, Chen Ling wasn't about to let them off easy. They had it coming.

Watching the two people shivering in the rain outside the door, Chen Ling comfortably finished the last mouthful of chicken soup, placing the bowl back on the table.

"It's about time," Chen Ling said, glancing at the sky and speaking to Kong Baosheng. "I'm going out."Kong Baosheng grunted in acknowledgment, then turned and retrieved an umbrella from under the counter for him. After taking it, Chen Ling slowly stepped out of the theater entrance, casting a glance at the two soaking-wet figures who were almost frozen stiff.

By this point, the two were so drenched they were almost numb. They noticed Chen Ling's gaze and, steeling themselves, glared back, though their expressions now appeared particularly pathetic and miserable.

They could only watch wistfully as Chen Ling opened his umbrella, his figure gradually disappearing at the end of the street.

The Grand World Dance Hall.

The heavy rain did not dampen the enthusiasm for singing and dancing among the people of Hongchen Main City. As dazzling neon signs illuminated the rainy curtain, the dance hall finally opened for business, with many young people pouring in until it quickly became completely full.

A splendidly dressed singer stood on the stage, swaying rhythmically to the music. Neon lights flickered across the dance floor as many figures embraced and danced. Decadent music mingled with the crisp clinking of glasses, echoing through every corner of the dance hall.

Li Ruohong stood in a VIP private room on the second floor, overlooking the bustling dance hall below, and drained the red wine in his glass.

"That theater owner really doesn't know what's good for him," Li Ruohong scoffed. "The casino people are one thing; after all, it's my uncle's business, so letting them have some leeway is fine. But since when does the owner of a small, broken-down theater dare to challenge me?"

"Brother Hong, why bother getting angry over such a minor character?" a short manager asked with a chuckle from behind him. "Didn't those two brothers named Zheng already go? They'll teach him a lesson. Next time you meet, he'll probably be begging you to buy that theater..."

"But we still can't go too far, especially since it's a critical period right now," Li Ruohong said, pausing to look at VIP Room 001 across the way, which always had its curtains drawn. "If any police officers were to investigate us at this time, things would get troublesome..."

The manager also glanced at the VIP room and asked cautiously: "Brother Hong, are those guests really not going to come down and enjoy themselves? They've been here for days and haven't even stepped out. Is it necessary to be so vigilant?"

"What do you know? Those people are..." Li Ruohong stopped mid-sentence and waved his hand. "In short, their identities are extremely sensitive in the Hongchen Realm, and outsiders must absolutely not know. So, prepare a fruit platter and send it over. Just leave it at the door. Remember, don't knock."

"Alright, I'll go right away." The manager immediately turned and left to personally prepare the fruit platter.

Li Ruohong stood behind the private room's railing, continuing to look down at the people immersed in song and dance below. He loved this feeling; it gave him a sense of power, looking down on everyone, and a unique feeling of being the only clear-headed one among the revelers. Coupled with a slight buzz from the wine, it was simply divine.

Just then, a cool sensation touched his cheek.

Li Ruohong was slightly startled. He raised a hand to touch it and found it was a small drop of water.

He looked up and noticed that the ceiling on the third floor was somewhat damp, seemingly due to a leak. However, he didn't pay it much mind. This dance hall was indeed old, and given how heavily it was raining today, a small leak was quite normal. He'd just have someone fix it later.

"Boss, some of your friends would like to invite you downstairs for a drink," a bodyguard said, stepping forward.

"Which table?""Table 888."

Li Ruohong nodded slightly, walked straight out of the private room, and headed downstairs to the first floor.

Just as he reached the first floor, a figure entered from outside the dance hall, brushing past Li Ruohong. It was a man in a brown trench coat, his face somewhat unfamiliar. He held a wet umbrella and was looking around.

Li Ruohong's gaze swept right past him, finally resting on a spacious booth not far away. Several seemingly influential middle-aged figures were seated together. Seeing Li Ruohong arrive, they all stood up with smiles.

"Boss Li, long time no see!""Boss Li, your dance hall's business is as booming as ever... When can you invite Miss Susu to have a drink with us?""Hahaha, no problem, we're old friends. As soon as she finishes this song, I'll have her come over!"

Amidst the cordial greetings, Li Ruohong naturally mingled with them, completely oblivious to the man in the brown coat who had just entered and was now quietly seated in a nearby corner.

Li Ruohong's laughing figure was reflected in his pupils. A moment later, he shifted his gaze and began to survey the layout of the other private rooms in the venue.

"Sir, what would you like to drink?" a sensually dressed waitress asked, handing over a drink menu.

Chen Ling casually flipped through it, then smiled. "A Margarita, please. Thank you."

"Certainly." As the waitress left, the smile on Chen Ling's lips gradually faded, replaced by a calm that was completely out of place with the lively and noisy atmosphere.

After leaving the theater, Chen Ling had specifically gone to a secluded corner to change his face before entering the dance hall, to avoid arousing the suspicion of the two "door gods." Although he already had a semi-finished "script," some details still required his personal on-site investigation.

This was Chen Ling's first time in a place like a dance hall; after all, the Aurora Realm had nothing of the sort. In the eyes of the young people in the Hongchen Realm, who were keen on pleasure and excessive consumption, this place was considered an excellent venue for entertainment.

Although Chen Ling's seat was in a corner, he could see almost the entire first floor. While waiting for his drink, he observed the laughing Li Ruohong at a distant booth out of the corner of his eye, his gaze eventually settling on the ceiling above him.

"Sir, your Margarita." Shortly after, the waitress brought a fiery red cocktail to Chen Ling.

Chen Ling smiled politely, gently swirling the ice in the cocktail, the ice clinking crisply against the glass. His glittering eyes slowly closed, and after taking a sip of the drink, he placed the glass back on the table.

The moment the bottom of the glass touched the table, Chen Ling's pupils flashed a deep blue.

*Bang—!*The next moment, the dance hall's music abruptly ceased. All the light bulbs instantly brightened, then simultaneously shattered! Amidst gasps of alarm, the dance hall plunged into darkness.