Chapter 597: Utterly Arrogant
Tan Yang and Pu Kang had their hands and feet broken. Even if they remained conscious, they couldn't run into the instance, so they could only resign themselves to being caught by the gray-robed men.
Their bloodstained clothes had already been changed, and they were lifted onto wheelchairs and pushed into a lounge. Two gray-robed men were responsible for watching them and said, "Both of you, please be patient. The banquet will begin shortly."
Tan Yang wasn't anxious at all. He was now filled with despair, as if he could already see his own end.
A few hours ago, he had still been considering whether to absorb Twin Serpents into the First Association. But after seeing the gray-robed men brainwashing Sima Xiao'er and a group of white-robed individuals at the resort, he immediately realized Twin Serpents was no ordinary player organization and proposed to leave.
But he never expected that the player who had drawn the number "one" at the scene would hit it off with Twin Serpents, even helping them deal with Tan Yang and his group when the fighting started.
So far, Twin Serpents hadn't made any demands of him—they had only taken him to tour the club's kitchen.
Unexpectedly seeing the white robes piled in the corner, he understood that the number of cannibal players in the Twin Serpents organization was certainly not small. Those who had been screened out, like Sima Xiao'er, were merely meant to be provided for these people.
Twin Serpents had caught him and Pu Kang and wanted them to attend the banquet—nothing more than forcing them to go along with the corruption.
The number of players attending the Twin Serpents gathering was astonishing, and those who had been selected were definitely a minority. He only hoped Huang Junjie hadn't fallen into Twin Serpents' hands.
Pu Kang on the side was severely shaken and said dejectedly, "Even if he knows we're missing, how could he possibly find this place?"
Tan Yang's face showed regret, but since things had come to this, he was helpless.
About ten minutes later, the gray-robed men pushed them into a moderately sized dining room. There were five tables inside—aside from a few empty seats at the main table, all the others were full. These people all wore half-face masks, revealing only their mouths. From their builds and skin, there were old and young, male and female.
As soon as the two entered, everyone's gaze focused on them. The highly concentrated stares made the hairs on their backs stand up.
After they were pushed to their seats, a masked man walked through the main door. As soon as he entered, he placed his phone horizontally on a cabinet stand against the wall, then stood before everyone and said, "I was delayed by some matters, so I'm late. Don't take offense."
A guest laughed and played along, "What could possibly hold up Young Master Qiu's feet? Don't tell me it was a beauty."
The others joined in the laughter. The young man called Young Master Qiu seemed quite amused. "A few minutes ago, I received a call saying that one of our gathering spots in Water City was raided by the Special Defense Department."
The people in the room quickly asked how it was handled. Young Master Qiu said, "Players come and go freely. What can the Special Defense Department do about it? They just made a wasted trip."
Everyone couldn't help but relax. A woman said, "Twin Serpents' gatherings have always been steady. How did something happen this time? Could there be a problem with Tao Le's side?"
"A few bugs that don't know their own limits followed us here. I personally arranged everything at the club, so everyone can rest assured." Young Master Qiu then looked at Tan and Pu. "We have two special guests today. Let me introduce them—this is First Association President Tan Yang and Vice President Pu Kang."
As he spoke, he walked over to the two, placing his hands on their shoulders. "Twin Serpents has always wanted to be friends with the First Association. I didn't expect President Tan to be so generous as to bring the Vice President along. Today, I'm hosting. After this meal, the First Association will be Twin Serpents' ally. If either of you run into any trouble in the future, you can come to me."
"Quite the big talk," Pu Kang sneered. "Twin Serpents is just an obscure little player organization. What makes you think you can solve the First Association's problems? Recruiting some low-level players to do sneaky things is nothing but contemptible!"
Young Master Qiu stared at him, slowly withdrawing his smile. Then he grabbed Pu Kang's head and slammed it against the dining table. But instead of smashing Pu Kang's head open, his own hand was cut with several deep wounds, blood gushing out!
Pu Kang straightened his neck and laughed. "I can't use my hands and feet, but I have plenty of items!"
"Hiding items in your hair?" Young Master Qiu shook off the two black-robed men who had rushed over, grabbed a dinner plate from the table, and smashed it hard against Pu Kang's head. Then he kicked over the wheelchair and delivered a vicious beating, saying, "Who the hell do you think you are to talk back to me? I could crush you with one finger!"
No matter how good the items were, they had to be usable. When Pu Kang fell to the ground, his hands were immediately stepped on by the black-robed men. The defense item barely blocked a few kicks before failing. Young Master Qiu stomped on his face and ground it hard. "I was being polite, and you actually think the First Association amounts to something? What a joke!"
"Enough!" Tan Yang couldn't take it anymore. "You're keeping us alive, not to use us as punching bags, are you?"
Only then did Young Master Qiu stop. He straightened his clothes, clapped his hands, and several black-robed men carried in oversized covered platters. One was placed on each table, along with various seasonings and dipping sauces. The pungent sour and spicy smell filled the air. Many in the room had their eyes turning green, swallowing saliva repeatedly.
Seeing the familiar contours of the things under the cloth, and then looking at the reactions of the others, Tan Yang understood everything. Everyone in this room was a cannibal player. Today's gathering was prepared for cannibal players!
"You're going to eat us?" He barely managed to keep his composure.
But Young Master Qiu just smiled. "To be honest, black players aren't really to my taste. Too much aggression, too hot-tempered—the meat quality isn't as good."
He walked behind Tan Yang, patted his shoulder, bent down, and whispered in his ear, "Killing you would be simple enough. But I still hope you'll become one of Twin Serpents' people. Eat the dishes on the table, or become a dish on the table—the choice is yours."
Tan Yang glanced at the phone placed nearby and laughed bitterly. "The camera's on, isn't it."
"I like smart people." Young Master Qiu took a knife handed to him by a black-robed man, lifted the platter cover, sliced off a piece, and put it in his mouth. After chewing, he licked his lips and said, "Fresh!"
Tan Yang clamped his mouth shut, his expression conflicted and agonized.
But Young Master Qiu quickly shifted his attention. A gray-robed man came over and whispered something to him, and he burst out laughing. "Bold! They actually found this place. Open all the doors and windows—we're just missing some entertainment to go with the meal!"
In the lakeside dining room, the wooden doors and windows were pushed aside, opening up the view completely. Young Master Qiu sat down casually at the dining table, raised a hand toward the kitchen area across the lake, and several black-robed men appeared on the steps in front of the restaurant, raising submachine guns and spraying bullets at the trees over there.
Amid the sound of trees exploding, several figures leaped out from behind, constantly changing positions to dodge the bullets. But under this barrage, they looked extremely bedraggled.
Young Master Qiu laughed heartily and shouted toward the lakeshore, "The people are right here. Can you make it over?"
(Chapter End)