John Brown wasn’t familiar with the roads here, so it took some time before they arrived at Qian Gui. Qian Gui is a top-tier karaoke bar with branches in major cities all over the country, and the expenses here aren’t low. Generally, university students don’t come here to spend money, so if people are here, it means they likely come from well-off families.
At the entrance, John Brown didn’t get out of the car but instead said to Sarah Grandy, "Charlotte, you go in first. Don’t let Emily know I’ve come."
"Why?" Sarah Grandy asked, puzzled.
"Emily is Melody’s cousin. If I show up, it’ll seem like I’m overseeing her, and she won’t feel comfortable."
"Haha, that’s true. Okay, I’ll go in myself."
Sarah Grandy got out of the car, and soon Emily Bailey came running out. The two of them hugged, jumped a few times, and then ran inside.
It was only then that John Brown and Emma Campbell parked the car. Smiling at Emma, John said, "Emma, let’s go in and sing some songs."
"Sure!" Emma’s face instantly lit up with a sweet smile. She was really happy to be out alone with John Brown.
Emily and Sarah were in a large karaoke room on the third floor. John and Emma also found a room on the third floor, naturally opting for a smaller room.
Inside the room, after ordering some items and waiting for the waiter to leave, John looked around the environment and turned to Emma, saying, "Emma, seeing a karaoke bar reminds me of when we first met."
Emma blushed and, a bit nervous, said, "Big Brother Brown, do you dislike me because of what happened back then?"
John put his arm around Emma’s waist, gently kissed her face, and stared into her eyes, saying, "Silly girl, if I hadn’t met you back then, how could I have such a good wife like you?"
Emma’s heart felt sweet, and she fell into memories, thankfully saying, "If I hadn’t met you back then, I don’t know what direction my life would have taken. I might have fallen."
"You wouldn’t have. Even if you hadn’t met me that time, you’re not someone who would sell yourself for money."
"I wouldn’t sell myself for my own use, but with my dad like that, I don’t know if he would’ve sold me off. Just thinking about it is terrifying." Emma shuddered involuntarily as she spoke.
John held Emma tightly and tenderly said, "That’s destiny, letting you meet me, letting me become your man."
Emma smiled sweetly and said, "Yes, I’m really happy now. Meeting Big Brother Brown is the happiest thing in my life."
Reminiscing about the past, John felt quite guilty towards Emma. He genuinely wanted to marry her, but ended up marrying Gina Lopez. Now, he can only consider Emma as a lover. Fortunately, Gina has agreed, which is some form of consolation.
As for Emma, she kept comforting John; this kind, steadfast girl, even when wronged, accepted it willingly.
They had been together for so long but hadn’t really gone out to have fun like today. Emma’s singing was surprisingly beautiful, especially when singing soft love songs, which seemed to touch the heart and had John mesmerized.
If there was nothing going on with Emily and Sarah, John would be thoroughly enjoying his time with Emma today.
However, Charlotte usually sent a WeChat message to John every ten minutes or so, but now almost twenty minutes had passed without a word, making John sense something was wrong. He told Emma to stay inside the room, as he didn’t want her to witness anything violent; such a pure girl shouldn’t have her purity tainted by violence.
Already knowing Charlotte’s room number, John went straight to the door, not knocking, and pushed it open to enter.
The room had twelve people, seven men and five women. The five girls sat or lay on the left-hand couch, leaning on each other, seemingly asleep. Emma and Sarah were in the middle, with their clothes neat, which relieved John.
On the right-side couch, two boys were passed out like the girls, while five others stood in front of Emma and Sarah. John’s entrance made them turn around.
"Who let you in? Get out!" The young man in his early twenties in the middle glared at John and snapped.
John didn’t respond and instead surveyed the five, focusing on the most handsome one in the middle with the best clothes, exuding arrogance and a sense of entitlement. He seemed to be the leader — likely the guy Sarah had mentioned wasn’t a decent person.
The other four seemed like followers, likely taking orders from the guy in the middle.
All five showed anger, clearly displeased with John’s intrusion, yet also displayed an unconcealed thrill of having nearly succeeded in some wrongdoing.
Apparently, they had just knocked the girls out, probably using some hallucinogen, since there weren’t many bottles on the table and there wasn’t a strong smell of alcohol.
"Didn’t you hear me tell you to get out?" Another boy sneered, frowning as John didn’t leave.
John pointed to Emma and Emily, "I’m taking them with me."
The five men’s expressions shifted, with the one in the middle asking coldly, "Who are you?"
This guy was named Richard Davis, living here with parents who had a business worth around a hundred million. His uncle held a mid-level official position, granting him both wealth and power, making him leery even among college peers.
In university for over two years, Richard was a junior now and had cycled through many girlfriends, leaving many women behind, yet still attracting many due to the high-end lifestyle and expensive gifts he offered.
When freshmen Emily Bailey and Sarah Grandy arrived, they caught Richard’s eye immediately, expecting to win them over quickly. Surprisingly, neither showed interest, piquing Richard further.
After the October holiday, he reached Emily through another hometown friend, proposing a karaoke outing. Emily, being playful and away from her parents for the first time, was thrilled to explore although uninterested in dating yet.
Despite Richard’s presence, with two friends and familiar girls, Emily dropped her guard and drank the drug-laced wine unknowingly.
Richard was pleased, with both Emily and Sarah unconscious, ready to enjoy himself until an unexpected intruder demanded their departure, leaving him unwilling. Though John seemed an adult, Richard and his cronies didn’t take him seriously, only needing to ascertain his identity.
"I’m their relative," John replied blandly.
Richard squinted, "You’re their... relative?"
Richard laughed heartily, "Brother, that’s the lamest excuse. They’re not related, and you pretending to be their relative — you think we’re that easy to fool?" Then his expression turned dark, threatening, "If you want to score chicks, go find your own, don’t come to take mine."
"And what if I insist on taking them?" John’s tone remained calm.
"You looking for a beating?" A follower yelled, raising a bottle menacingly. As Richard’s henchman, he’d benefited greatly and was keen to perform, gaining more favor from Richard.
The other three grabbed bottles, circling John, ready to strike at Richard’s command, not fearing repercussions with Richard to shield them as long as things didn’t escalate.