The shadow of almost having her scalp ripped off once again surrounded the woman, making her unable to suppress a scream, causing Xu Ke, who had just closed his eyes, to open them again and look discontentedly at the one-sided beating by the man.
The woman, like a ragged doll, was held by the man, unable to resist. The man’s fists and slaps fell one after another on her body. No matter how she screamed, no one in the cabin stood up to speak for her. Even her colleagues only watched from afar, either averting their gaze in discomfort or showing some sympathy, but no one was willing to extend a helping hand.
The woman’s sight fell on Xu Ke among the many people, and as if sensing something, Xu Ke opened his eyes and looked in her direction.
He could see the light in her eyes gradually dimming, like a broken doll. Meanwhile, the man hadn’t stopped his violence and even uttered filthy words.
Originally not planning to intervene in this matter, Xu Ke, for some reason, found himself walking towards them again. The woman’s eyes lit up as if some switch had been turned on.
"Filthy bitch, speak up." The man slapped the woman, blood splattering from the force, but the man seemed not to notice, or rather, this situation only excited him further.
As the man was about to slap her again, his high-raised arm was caught by an iron-like grip, unable to move an inch further.
"Why is it you again? Didn’t you say you’d stay out of this? Let me go!" The man coldly said, looking at his wrist gripped by Xu Ke, but when he tried to yank it free again, he found it still unmoving, even feeling pain as if under some heavy pressure.
"I didn’t want to get involved, but your commotion is so loud it’s severely disturbing my rest." Xu Ke shrugged, looking as if he was in a dilemma.
"Don’t give me that nonsense. Are you saying you’re determined to get involved in this today? Even if I beat you?" The man released the woman’s hair, bringing out a handful of blood-stained hair with the movement, making Xu Ke frown in displeasure. For a moment, Xu Ke even thought he was becoming a neat freak.
"If that’s what you think, I won’t refute you, but who beats who is still up for discussion. However, I suggest you stop now and let someone who knows a bit of medicine bandage her up." Xu Ke glanced at the woman lying on the ground seemingly unaware of anything, speaking casually.
"I won’t. What can you do about it?" The man loosened his tie, speaking disdainfully, while starting to wrap the tie around his own hand in front of Xu Ke, then unexpectedly struck at Xu Ke without any warning.
"I’ve hated your face for a long time. A wet-behind-the-ears kid dare to provoke me again and again, showing no respect. Watch how I ruin that face of yours and see how you still strut in front of me." The man spoke in a voice neither loud nor soft.
But the scene he imagined, with blood splattering everywhere, didn’t happen. His fist was caught in Xu Ke’s palm as if it hit a stone wall, feeling nothing else but his own fingers.
"I don’t like fighting, but I dislike being hit more." Xu Ke’s lips curled into a smile, and the next second, a figure flew out under the crowd’s watchful eyes, crashing into the cabin wall, sliding down slowly against the cold wall.
The man coughed twice on the ground, feeling that even moving a finger was taxing, a trace of resentment flickering in his eyes.
Yet, Xu Ke, who was being glared at, didn’t even spare the man a glance, instead turning to the crowd behind and speaking coldly, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and dress her wounds!"
With Xu Ke’s words, everyone seemed to snap back to reality, beginning to work methodically under the guidance of the blue-uniformed flight attendant. The smoky atmosphere disappeared in an instant as if the matter was perfectly resolved, but Xu Ke knew it wasn’t over yet. Still, it wasn’t unsolvable for Xu Ke, just a bit troublesome.
He didn’t know why he had helped just then, perhaps her eyes resembled Lin Mengyao’s too much. As soon as he left, he began missing her.
The man and woman were helped aside for treatment, while Xu Ke returned to his seat under everyone’s gaze, glad that no unexpected events happened again, allowing him to sleep all the way to Shangjing.
Xu Ke’s return was extremely low-key, with only the most inconspicuous business car coming to pick him up.
In the café, Xu Ke watched the man wearing a beret with half-long hair and a beard opposite him with unprecedented seriousness.
"Everything you asked for is in this USB drive. It took quite a bit of effort from my brothers to find this. It’s way more complicated than initially estimated. I’ve used up almost all my connections, and my men haven’t rested for six months, but this is all we found. With more time, I might find more," the man said, stirring his coffee with a smile.
"You can keep investigating, but I’ve waited long enough, long enough for the blood to burn dry." Xu Ke said, rubbing the USB drive in his hands with an inexplicable expression.
"And the price?" The man made a gesture mimicking counting money, lowering his voice a bit.
"Here is ten million; it’s your reward for this time. If you find something important, I’ll give you fifty million more, but don’t try to fool me with trivial matters." Xu Ke raised his eyelids, giving the man across a meaningful look.
"Rest assured, my quality is guaranteed. Otherwise, why is my detective agency the hottest in all of Shangjing?" The man said confidently, receiving the bank card from Xu Ke and kissing it with a smile.
"It better be. If I find out you’re playing me, then..." Xu Ke didn’t finish his sentence, instead letting his beast-like dangerous gaze roam over the man’s neck, then smiled gradually after seeing goosebumps rise, leaving the café.
Looking at the strange yet familiar scenery before him, Xu Ke slowly exhaled, gazing at Shangjing with a hint of nostalgia and a tinge of ambition and hatred.