A loud and intense sound of heavy metal music coming from the Exotic Bar could be heard across the
street. After looking at its sign, Molly knew that it was the place she was looking for and entered it in
haste.
Inside the smoke-filled bar, a lot of fashionably dressed men and women danced and moved to the
thunderous music. Molly surveyed the crowd and looked around, searching for her father…
"Are you Molly?" a voice coming from behind her spoke. Looking like a gangster, a young man wearing
strange clothes and chewing an areca nut, walked up to Molly haughtily and looked at her for a while.
Then he spoke in contempt," Come with me!"
"Why do I have to come with you?" Molly asked suspiciously.
The young man sneered and immediately got impatient. He replied," If you don't care about your
father's life, then you can leave right now."
After saying this, the young man snorted, turned around and walked towards the corridor on one side of
the bar.
Molly, taken aback, curled her lip and held back her anger. Involuntarily, she followed the young man
towards the corridor. Fear crept up on her as she passed through the dim corridor, afraid for herself.
"Ahhhhh…" A cry of pain reached Molly's ears as she went deeper through the corridor.
Upon hearing the miserable and loud scream, Molly was shocked and frightened. "Father!" she
shouted desperately and ran quickly into the room as soon as the young man, who led her there,
opened the door.
Once inside the room, Molly was stunned by what she saw. Her feet stood rooted to the ground at that
moment, astounded at the sight in front of her.
Steven Xia, her father, was tied to a chair, his face beaten black and blue. Bloodstains covered his
nose and the corners of his mouth. Before she entered the room, he had been kicked by someone
inside, which made him fall down to the ground along with the chair.
"Father!" Molly exclaimed in despair.
Ignoring the strong men who stood around her, Molly ran towards her father. However, before she
reached him, a shining blade had been pointed close to his father's slumped figure. Right then
someone said in a sullen voice," Stop!"
Molly stopped and clenched her fists. Steven Xia lay on the ground and didn't dare to look at her. With
rage burning in her eyes, she took a quick look at him and then at the man whose legs were arrogantly
placed on the table, displaying authority over the group. Molly said to him, gritting her teeth," How
much does my father owe you?"
Fiddling with his phone, the man spoke," You know the situation so well..." After raising a corner of his
lips disdainfully, David Zhao put his legs down, walked up to Molly and fixed his eyes on her with
satisfaction. He placed his finger under her chin and raised her face towards him. While looking at her
eyes gleaming with anger, he laughed grimly and said in a cold voice," It's not too much… only a
hundred thousand!"
"That's not true. I only owe you five…" Steven Xia interrupted. "Ouch…" He was kicked by someone
again before he could even finish talking. He felt so much pain that he was unable to utter anything
more.
Molly turned her head away from David's hand. She was furious at the usury which exploited people in
need by lending them money at an exorbitant rate of interest. She gnashed her teeth and said," Let go
of my father. I will repay you the money!"
"Repay? Humph... You barely earn from your several jobs, so how can you repay the money?" David
said with disdain.
"Ten days!" Molly replied frantically.She tried her best to look brave and fearless. With a determined
expression in her eyes, she continued," I promise that I will pay back the money in ten days!"
"Why should I believe you?" David asked tauntingly.
"If you don't trust me, you will never get the money. I don't have any right now. Then Take my father's
life if you want to!" Molly courageously retorted. Molly exerted all her strength to utter these words. Her
body slightly trembled when she glanced at his father who was covered with cuts and bruises all over.
She didn't know whether she was angry or sad at that moment. She turned to look at David and
added," If you trust me, release my father. I will bring the money to you in ten days!"
"How can I explain this to others if I agree to give you ten days so easily..." David Zhao said these
words hesitantly and then paused. His lip curled and then he beckoned the man beside him. The man
immediately got what he meant and took the bottle of liquor from the table and gave it to him. David
Zhao, looking at the bottle in his hand, said," I'll give you ten days on one condition. Drink this bottle of
liquor!"
Molly stared at the bottle in David's hand, her mind fighting on the decision. Just then, Steven Xia
moaned painfully on the ground. Putting all doubts aside, Molly quickly grabbed the bottle, raised her
head and gulped the alcohol.
The pungent taste of the liquor slightly irritated her taste buds and throat, causing her to frown. In spite
of this, Molly continued to drink the liquor head on.
David gave a little chuckle and took the bottle away from Molly's hand. Seeing Molly glaring at him, he
just smiled and ordered his men," Let go of him!"
Molly raced to his father who was soon disentangled from the chair and helped him get to his feet.
While carrying his weight, she felt that her stomach was uncomfortably hot as if it was burning inside.
She simply ignored it and walked outside while supporting Steven with her arms and shoulders.
However, just as she stepped out the door, she felt her head spinning wildly. After taking a few more
steps, Molly's legs suddenly went limp which caused her to lose balance and fall down to the ground.
Just before she completely blacked out, she heard David Zhao's playful voice:
"Take her to the Sophia Hotel!" he said casually.
"Yes!" David's men replied in unison and
Took Molly away according to David's instruction.
In the evening, in a presidential suite of the Sophia Hotel, Brian was sitting on the balcony with legs
crossed while holding a glass of wine. He gazed at the night scene below with a sad expression all
over his face. Unmindful of the cold wind that was blowing, Brian was lost deep in his thoughts.
Snowflakes were falling from the sky. They looked delicate and beautiful in the light, yet they seemed
lonely.
He then recalled last night. He had been with Becky in the same room, delightfully sharing the
expensive wine which had been kept for so many years to age. But now he was alone in this room!
Brian sneered at himself in his thoughts, realizing how foolish he had been. He looked away
indifferently, with anger flashing in his eyes. His gaunt, cold face was full of weariness. He raised his
head and poured the remaining wine in the glass into his mouth. After that, he stood up and then
walked briskly back to the room.
Once inside, Brian felt a bit dizzy, which might have been because he was drunk, or because he was
exposed to the wind for a long time on such a snowy night. He slightly narrowed his eyes, and a distant
and lonely expression was revealed on his face. He then walked slowly towards the bathroom.
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