Young gallants from the five imperial tombs gather east of the Golden Market, their silver saddles and white horses brushing against the spring breeze. Chapter 135: Journey to the Treasure Island (8)

Returning to the hotel in the evening after dinner, Shen Molan waved her hand with a flourish. "None of you are allowed to leave tonight! I'm taking you all to a bar!"

The group erupted in cheers. "Oh wow, the rich girl is feeling generous! It's been so long since we've had a chance to relax—let's go, let's go!"

Even Fang Yu nodded with a smile. At the end of the day, they were just a group of third-tier college students; drinking and bar-hopping were common pastimes, and with someone else footing the bill, why not?

"Hehe, I've never been to a bar before. Fang Yu, is it fun?" Xia Churan asked, wrapping her arm around his with a beam.

"Hmm, I wouldn't call it 'fun' exactly. It’s okay if the atmosphere is right, but otherwise, I find it too loud—gives me an earache."

Compared to Shen Molan, who came from a big city, the other two girls seemed a bit more naive. Li Jing had only been to karaoke bars a few times, and she was currently huddled with Cheng Chen, debating what to wear for the night.

The group returned to their rooms to rest, gathering in the hotel lobby at 9:30 PM.

"Oh, Fang Yu, do I look too much like a student in this?" Xia Churan asked, tugging at her clothes with a bashful expression.

"For heaven's sake, we're just going out to have fun, not to perform on stage. Does it really matter what you wear?" He waved a hand lazily and led the young girl toward the elevator.

When they reached the lobby, Shen Molan had been waiting for quite a while. She waved impatiently. "Why are you so slow? Hurry up, or we might not get a table."

"Ha, our Miss Shen is full of surprises. I didn't realize you were so well-endowed," he said, half-jokingly pointing at the spaghetti-strap dress she was wearing. It had to be said, the heiress had a smoking hot figure—far more striking than Qin Lu or Xia Churan. Perhaps it was the result of good nutrition in her childhood.

Shen Molan’s face flushed. Seemingly defiant, she tossed her wavy hair and glared at him. "Where are you looking, you scoundrel? Keep staring and I’ll dig your eyes out! It’s rare for me to go out and have fun, so what? Is it a crime?"

"Fine, fine. I'm just worried I'll have to help you out of a jam later. Zhao Bin, tell me I'm right." He poked Zhao Bin beside him with a wink.

"Don't drag me into this. I don't even like women who frequent nightclubs," Zhao Bin muttered, curling his lip in disdain.

The group noisily headed out and split into several taxis, zooming toward the bar street in Taoyuan. After getting out of the car, even Fang Yu couldn't help but marvel. "Geez, the nightlife in Shawan is definitely more vibrant than inland. I heard they had 'two little bees flying into the flower bushes' back in the seventies, while our parents were still gnawing on steamed buns."

The entire street was filled with bizarre and dazzling neon lights, crowded with all sorts of young men and women waiting to enter the various bars.

"Hehe, these girls are dressed so provocatively. I like it," Cheng Chen added, sidling up to him with a lecherous grin.

"Give it a rest. Can't you see Li Jing's face is turning black?" Fang Yu quickly pinched him.

After a brief stroll, they arrived at the largest bar in the center, named "Demon." A marketing assistant with a plastered-on smile approached them immediately. "Gentlemen and ladies, welcome to Demon. Do you have a reservation?"

Shen Molan pulled a thick stack of bills from her purse. "Get this young lady the best booth you've got!"

Hearing their accents, the marketing staff recognized them as "fat sheep" from the mainland and immediately began bowing and scraping. "Of course, of course! Please, right this way."

Most bars had just opened, and the atmosphere hadn't reached its peak. Guided by the thumping, erratic bass, they entered the venue and settled into a booth. A waiter soon brought over several bottles of alcohol. Back then, there was no talk of "Ace of Spades" or elaborate bottle service sets; people went to bars to drink cheap imported liquor, dance a bit to the beat, and head to a nearby hotel once they were drunk.

"Wow, it's so lively! This is so much fun!" Xia Churan, finding everything fresh and exciting, stood up to look around.

"Fang Yu, come on, let's drink and play dice!" Cheng Chen said, lifting his glass with a grin.

Despite how boisterous Shen Molan was before arriving, she was no match for him and Cheng Chen when it came to drinking games; as underachieving students, they had spent plenty of time messing around in bars back in high school.

Before long, the heiress had downed several drinks and was clamoring to go dance. The three pretty girls were quite a sight on the dance floor. Local Shawan girls were generally shorter, while Xia Churan and the others all had long, shapely legs, which immediately drew a chorus of whistles from the crowd.

Just as he was considering whether to drag Xia Churan back from the dance floor, the smiling waiter approached again, holding a stack of unknown cards to promote something. "Sir, would you like to see our show? There's an exciting competition after midnight."

"A competition?" Fang Yu took a card with interest, which featured two muscular boxers printed on it.

"Yes, after midnight, you and your friends can purchase tickets to enter the VIP area to watch the matches. You can even place bets! We have a championship fight tonight."

So, it was an underground boxing match. That was something new—even before his rebirth, he hadn't experienced anything like it. He felt a slight surge of excitement. "How much is a ticket?"

"It's not expensive at all, just 2,000 per person. We include beer and snacks."

He clicked his tongue. Damn, 2,000 wasn't expensive? That was equivalent to the living expenses of a university student in Xianjiang for nearly a month. But since they were already here and it was a show he’d never seen before, Fang Yu didn't hesitate to pull out his wallet. "Give me seven tickets!"

The waiter’s face lit up with a grin. "Sir is truly generous! Here are your tickets, please keep them safe. We will have someone bring you to the VIP area after midnight."

Cheng Chen and the others were excited as well. "Damn, what's this? Boxing? Interesting, we don't see this back home."

"Underground boxing? I've seen it in movies. Is it the kind where you don't leave the ring until you're dead?"

As the guys discussed the matches, the three girls returned from the dance floor, drenched in sweat and looking exhausted. "Huh? What's this?" the heiress asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Tickets Fang Yu bought. We're going to watch a boxing match later," Cheng Chen said, happily wrapping an arm around Li Jing.

"Tch, I thought you bought tickets for a fashion show," Shen Molan said, not interested in such things, and tossed the ticket aside.

Xia Churan and Li Jing, however, found everything novel. Even if they weren't particularly interested in the match itself, they didn't mind taking a look.

Just because the three girls had been on the dance floor, a few local troublemakers had come over to hit on them.

"Miss, want to go grab a late-night snack later?"

"Pretty lady, come back and dance for a while. Let's have a drink."

However, seeing the cold expressions of Fang Yu and his group, and realizing the girls were with men, the troublemakers backed off. Bars, after all, had their own rules.