138 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan glanced mildly at the waiter and asked, "Do you have someone named Zhao Jing Jing here?" "Zhao Jing Jing? She's currently with Liu Zong from the base, I'm afraid she can't entertain you. Plus, she's pretty erratic, lately only Liu Zong seems to be interested in her. Let me get you a list and photos so you can choose someone else," the waiter replied with a smile, heading toward the counter. Chen Wan shook her head, then said, "I'm friends with Ming Feng. As for this Liu Zong you're talking about, I've never heard of him." Noticing Chen Wan's displeasure and her apparent familiarity with the base's owner, the waiter explained, "Liu Zong brought several truckloads of supplies and his own men when he arrived at the base. He's quite influential here. It's not worth clashing with him over a madwoman." Chen Wan placed a firm hand on the waiter's shoulder, pulling slightly, and the waiter's right arm was rendered immobile, prompting a loud cry that was quickly drowned out by the blaring music. Moreover, fighting was common here, and besides the nightclub security, no one really paid attention. Chen Wan grabbed the waiter's collar and asked coldly, "I'll ask you again, where is Zhao Jing Jing?" "My arm! My arm, oh!" The waiter was still consumed by the pain of his dislocated arm, unable to answer Chen Wan's question. The next moment, with a resounding "bang," Chen Wan punched the waiter, sending him flying over ten meters away into the middle of the dance floor, knocking over four or five dancers. Only then did the crowd react, and the bar's security also scrambled into action, some even armed with guns. Several security guards started shooting at Chen Wan and her group, who took cover while dodging. Meanwhile, Jiang Yan Xin began flipping through a book. Familiar with the essential abilities of the twelve Olympian gods, she calmly crouched behind a side of the bar, turning to Athena's page. Moments later, a golden glow emerged on the floor, and a woman with golden hair and bright eyes appeared out of nowhere next to Jiang Yan Xin. The woman wore a draped dress overlaid with scales and armor, holding a spear in her right hand and Aegis, a golden tasseled shield, in her left. An owl perched on her right shoulder, surveying everyone with mighty eyes, waiting for Jiang Yan Xin's command. Athena, goddess of wisdom and war, wielded Aegis—a shield impervious to any attack, even Zeus's lightning. The shield also possessed the power to petrify enemies, which was why Jiang Yan Xin summoned Athena to prevent innocent casualties. However, she figured that the only innocents here were the forced victims. Seeing the woman materialize, the people in the dance floor and the lobby froze, even the DJ stopped the music, eyes closed in his entranced headbanging. The head of security, seeing everyone stunned and seizing the moment, shouted, "It's just a foreign woman, why are you all scared? Just shoot her; they're just a bunch of women! We have foreign Omegas here too!" The security guards, realizing they heavily outnumbered the intruders by twenty with guns at hand, recovered from seeing the woman appear seemingly out of nowhere. Rationalizing they had a manpower advantage, they resumed shooting at Chen Wan's group. In that instant, Athena's Aegis shield emitted a blinding light, and the bullets aimed at Chen Wan and her companions were effortlessly blocked by the shield and its glowing field. Then, as a new flash of light rippled from the shield, the security guards who had been shooting were all turned into stone statues. The dance hall was floored by the sight. A waiter tentatively nudged a stone statue beside him, and as it toppled, it shattered into countless shards on the floor. Chen Wan grabbed another waiter and asked, "Where is Zhao Jing Jing?" The male waiter collapsed to the floor, trembling, "Room 310 upstairs, I swear, it has nothing to do with me, I'm just a waiter. Please, don't kill me, I beg you." Skeptically, Chen Wan glared at the man, "If you don't want to die, quit stalling and lead the way." "Y-yes, right away, I'll show you the way," he stammered, stumbling forward to guide Chen Wan's group, steering clear of Athena as if it would keep him safe. Chen Wan coldly surveyed the dance floor crowd, sneering, "You're living it up, huh? Even in an apocalypse, you can indulge in luxury. So it's still a rigid hierarchy in 'Tomorrow', is it?" The lobby fell silent, frightened by Chen Wan’s words, and after a fleeting stillness, panic ensued as people scattered in a frenzy throughout the dance hall. Chen Wan and her group wasted no time, following the waiter to room 310. Four gun-wielding guards stood at the door and, seeing intruders come closer, grinned upon recognizing Chen Wan and her companions, "Is this some new club gimmick? A cosplay session? Interesting! These women, even with two alphas, look good. Especially that fine foreign lass. Hurry up, take them in. Our boss will love it." Before the man could finish his sentence, he felt a searing pain on his face and crumpled against the wall. Simultaneously, Qin Ke struck another man, subduing him with a single punch, then restraining him onto the floor, preventing any motion while firmly choking him until he ceased to struggle. On the other side, Yi Yi and Shen Ming Yan skillfully immobilized the other two guards before they could draw their guns, effortlessly tossing them aside in seconds. The terrified waiter leading Chen Wan’s group staggered away on his belly, leaving faint wet marks on the floor as he fled. Qin Ke frisked the downed guards, collecting four pistols and eight magazines, handing one each to Jiang Yan Xin and Chen Wan. As Yi Yi and Shen Ming Yan didn’t usually use guns, Qin Ke dual-wielded the remaining weapons, positioning herself beside Chen Wan. The commotion outside alerted those inside, yet Chen Wan could still faintly hear the blaring music continuing inside room 310. As the door swung open, a man with a distinct shaved line in his right eyebrow emerged, scowling at Chen Wan's group. Upon seeing the laid-out guards, he lunged at Chen Wan. But Chen Wan dodged his blow with swift agility, causing the man to strike the wall behind her, creating an audible crunch as his fist punched a hole in the surface. As the man stumbled, Qin Ke swiftly pulled her trigger, her bullets seemingly guided into the man's brow, dropping him instantly, unaware of what hit him. "This guy was probably a strength-type esper. Be careful," Chen Wan warned. Jiang Yan Xin promptly commanded Athena to shield them against any aggression from the room's inhabitants. Simultaneously, Chen Wan lashed out a kick, breaking down the suite door, sending the solid door flying and thudding onto the floor with a loud crack. The sleazy man in the suite's sofa was visibly stunned, while Chen Wan noticed a young woman tied to a chair nearby, surrounded by obscure liquid-filled bottles and syringes on a nearby table. The girl, teary-eyed and babbling, had her arm tied with a rubber tube, as if Liu Zong was about to inject her with something. "No, don't touch me; please, not that..." the girl muttered incoherently, fearfully eyeing the table. She seemed oblivious to Chen Wan’s arrival, continuing her tearful murmurs. Liu Zong, snapping out of his daze, cursed, "You little bastards, ruining my plans! Where the hell are my guards?" Chen Wan merely sneered, "All dead, now it's your turn." Saying this, she used a leftover piece of rope from the sofa to tie the man up. His violent struggles were no match for Chen Wan’s grip, as she easily wrapped him up like a chicken. Realizing he was trapped, the man began yelling for help. Chen Wan delivered a sharp slap, sending the man's head to the side and knocking out a few of his teeth. In agony, the man began pleading, "Please, don't hit me, don't hit me! What do you want? I have plenty of crystal cores at my place, I'll give them all to you. Please don’t kill me, I don’t even know you." "Don't know me? Well, now you do," Chen Wan retorted, pulling out a disposable syringe and drawing crimson liquid from a small vial. The sight of this terrified the man, making his legs go weak. "What are you going to do? I beg you, let me go. There are security guards here, you can't just do as you please." As he continued, the man began to cry. With a derisive laugh, Chen Wan shattered the man's final hope, "Do you wonder why we're standing here so leisurely? The security guards have already met the same fate as your men. Is Zhao Jing Jing in this state because of you?" "No, it wasn't me. The women brought here have already been played with by the Ming brothers. I only picked her later, it's really not my fault. If you want someone, find the Ming brothers, spare me, please," Liu Zong babbled, desperately trying to justify himself.