Chapter 9 The Rose

Zhuang Zhou sat calmly across from him, his face utterly unmoved, operating with a steady hand. Under his control, the Steel Shadow moved with swift attacks and dazzling footwork—most importantly, with flawless precision.

And for a champion like Steel Shadow, precision was everything, something to be pursued from the very heart. Every skill required careful calculation of both timing and position to achieve the best result.

Precision was something Zhuang Zhou had never lacked.

Quickly, Steel Shadow’s disadvantage was overturned, each maneuver growing more practiced as the match progressed. Zhuang Zhou’s favorite line from Steel Shadow echoed in his mind: “The difference between precision and imprecision is the difference between surgery and slaughter.”

Three minutes—so brief, and yet so endlessly long.

Gradually, the ash from Zhang Yu’s cigarette tumbled onto his shirt. Even then, he seemed not to notice. His face burned with mortification—he’d been taught a harsh lesson, the kind he hadn’t received since he’d dropped out of middle school. Helplessly, he stared at his gray screen; he’d been utterly destroyed.

Was it Steel Shadow who was too strong, or Zhuang Zhou?

His mind blanked. Zhuang Zhou slowly stood, extending a hand, and said evenly, “Sorry. I win.”

“Damn it, impossible! You cheated!” Zhang Yu’s eyes were glassy, sweat dripping down his face as he howled in disbelief. After a long moment, he shot to his feet, his expression shifting wildly. In just a few days, this guy seemed like a different person—he’d lost, and he couldn’t accept it. His gaze turned vicious. “You set me up!” He thought Zhuang Zhou had always been strong, just hiding his skills, laying a trap for him to fall into.

“I told you if you lost, you’d be whining like a banshee. You didn’t listen. Enough talk—where’s my stuff?” Zhuang Zhou had no patience for explanations, stretching out his right hand to collect.

Zhang Yu’s face twisted. He’d never imagined he’d actually lose.

This internet café was his only source of income. If he handed it over, what would he live on? But if he refused, how could he ever show his face on this street again?

Gritting his teeth, Zhang Yu was about to go back on his word when a voice rang out.

“Yu, don’t embarrass yourself! Losing a game is nothing, but don’t lose your dignity!” The voice came from the corner of the café. When she stood up, Zhang Yu’s face darkened. It was a girl, beautiful with a wild edge—dressed in a black leather jacket that barely concealed a black leather crop top, the jacket so short it revealed her slim, proud waist. Black leather shorts made her long, fair legs seem even more flawless. A lollipop dangled from her mouth; she ignored Zhang Yu and walked straight to Zhuang Zhou.

This girl, with her rebellious air, fixed her eyes on Zhuang Zhou without blinking.

“Play a round with me?”

Zhuang Zhou shook his head. He wanted no unnecessary trouble. The way she was dressed—curves boldly on display—she was clearly a rose with thorns: lovely but dangerous.

He was no longer the naïve, timid boy he once was.

“No interest,” Zhuang Zhou replied, bored.

She laughed, her voice rippling with amusement. “Quite a personality. I like that!”

Seeing her, Zhang Yu’s heart sank. Damn, why was she here?

“Yu, a loss is a loss! Don’t throw away your pride. I heard everything—you promised if you lost, your stuff and this Bluetooth Internet Café would go to him. Bad luck for you!” the thorny rose declared, her tone brash, but to Zhang Yu, it was an unbearable taunt.

Why did she have to show up here? He knew her name was Rose, and even Brother Dao treated her with deference, never daring to offend or even look her in the eye.

Zhang Yu had once coveted this beauty, but Brother Dao’s stern warning had doused those thoughts.

“Touch her, and even the king of hell couldn’t save you—I’ll wipe out your whole family,” Brother Dao had threatened, eyes cold as ice.

Zhang Yu remembered every word and the chill in those eyes; it was no joke.

“No problem—it’s nothing. I, Zhang Yu, keep my word. A little internet café? I can afford to lose it,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant, though his expression betrayed him. This café was his livelihood, bringing in over twenty thousand yuan a month even when business was slow. Handing it over was like cutting out a piece of his own heart.

With that, he stood, preparing to leave with his crew.

“Yu, see things through. Hand over the stuff, and sign the transfer agreement before you go!” Zhuang Zhou said calmly. As an experienced poison master, he knew nothing was official without a signed contract. Besides, he was broke these days, and this café would help ease his financial troubles.

“Yeah! If you gamble, you pay up. Don’t be so wishy-washy! Where’s your manliness?” Rose added, pouting theatrically, clearly relishing the drama.

Her words nearly made Zhang Yu choke on his own anger. Which side was she on?

He was boiling inside. He’d thought Zhuang Zhou wouldn’t dare claim the café. At worst, he’d have to teach the fool a lesson for dreaming too big. But with this woman here, he was powerless. She was too beautiful, too dangerous.

Scowling, Zhang Yu signaled to one of his lackeys, who soon brought over an ancient-looking box and handed it to Zhuang Zhou.

Zhuang Zhou cradled the antique box as if it were a treasure.

Zhang Yu slammed a contract down in front of him, his face a mask of reluctance, but finally bit the bullet. “Here’s the transfer agreement. Sign it, and this Bluetooth Internet Café is yours!”

It hurt—a lot.

Moments ago, he’d been so sure he’d win, but now he was the one who’d lost everything.

Zhuang Zhou picked up the pen and swiftly signed his name.

Zhang Yu stood, took a deep breath, and faced Zhuang Zhou coldly. “Don’t get cocky, Zhuang Zhou! One day, I’ll take this café back. Just you wait!”

“No class at all. Do all the bad guys these days only know how to make empty threats? How boring,” Rose rolled her eyes in disinterest.

Zhang Yu paused, glared at Zhuang Zhou, and left with his crew.

“Zhuang Zhou, Zhang Yu’s a local thug. If you cross him, we’ll be in trouble. Maybe you should give the café back and not make things worse,” Lin Wen said nervously.

Zhuang Zhou just smiled. “It’s alright, Sister Lin. The paperwork’s all in order—he can’t go back on his word.”

“Oh, you’ve got guts! But not as much brains as your girlfriend. Do you know who you just offended? He’s with the Triad Society—Zhang Yu’s boss is the local kingpin, Brother Dao,” Rose chimed in, clearly hoping for more excitement.

Zhuang Zhou had already noticed Zhang Yu’s wariness around this woman. She was clearly no ordinary person, and Zhang Yu was genuinely afraid of her.

“And you are…?” Zhuang Zhou asked politely.

Rose burst into peals of laughter. “I’m Rose—just Rose.” She offered her hand boldly. “You play a mean Steel Shadow. Let’s have a match sometime?”

He hadn’t expected this wild girl to be a gamer. While there were more female gamers these days, they were still rare, and for a bunch of gaming nerds, having a girl on the team always boosted morale.

But Zhuang Zhou was different. First, he wasn’t a nerd. Second, he didn’t play games that much.

Still, he took her hand. It was soft and smooth, and he felt an embarrassing tickle in his nose—damn, was he really about to get a nosebleed just from holding a girl’s hand? He sniffed hard, pulled back, and grinned, “Zhuang Zhou—Zhuang as in the philosopher, Zhou as in the week!”

She laughed again, delighted. “Copycat? Not very original, but interesting.” Then she stepped closer, her clear eyes shining like the moon reflected in a spring, long lashes like butterfly wings, delicate brows, a pert nose, and cherry lips—all defenses crumbled in an instant.

He sniffed harder, desperate not to embarrass himself with a nosebleed. This girl was definitely doing it on purpose.

Lin Wen, baffled by Zhuang Zhou’s constant sniffing, asked with concern, “Zhuang Zhou, are you catching a cold?”