The music throbbed like a dazed heartbeat. Inside the Night Lotus Club, bodies swayed under purple lights, thick smoke, and laughter disguised as screams. At the side entrance, behind a door reinforced with rusted bolts, Li Wei watched the monitors with desolate calm.
He wore his usual tight black shirt, tactical jacket, and gray bandages covering his left shoulder. He didn't sweat. Didn't yawn. Didn't speak.
A drunk man staggered toward the wrong door. He knocked, asking to be let in.
"Private area. Crawl back to your hole," said Li Wei without taking his eyes off the screen.
The man insisted. A mocking smile. One step closer.
Li Wei stood up. One movement. One punch. The drunk collapsed as if his soul had been ripped out. No one came looking for him.
On the screen, the other guards laughed. Everyone knew that when Li Wei moved, someone bled.
After midnight, the internal comm crackled.
Gold code. The boss wants you in his office. Now!
Li Wei closed the door without hurry. He climbed the stairs leading to the private office, where silence smelled of expensive incense and old leather. He entered without knocking.
Chen Zhenyu was waiting, immaculate in his gray suit, a glass of untouched cognac on the table. His eyes, dark and piercing, stabbed into Li Wei's like courteous knives.
I need you to protect my son. Starting tomorrow. Day and night.
Silence.
"I'm not a babysitter," Li Wei said in a hoarse voice.
"You're not. You're my most useful dog. And this pup can't die... yet." Zhenyu smiled humorlessly. "Things are moving. Eyes are on me. I want him alive. Irresistible. And terrified of messing it all up."
A sharp pain struck Li Wei's old, stubborn shoulder. He thought about the pay. The access. What he could gain by staying close to the center of power.
"Double salary. Restricted access," Zhenyu read his thoughts like a menu.
"I'll guard him. But don't say I owe you anything."
You owe me your anonymity, your salary, and even your last healthy tooth. Don't get it twisted, Li Wei; only living dogs are useful.
Li Wei didn't answer. He looked at the untouched glass. Then, as he left, he muttered:
"Dogs bite too, old man."
He descended the stairs like an oiled shadow, knowing his life had just twisted again, this time toward something dirtier than the basement of a nightclub.
Li Wei arrived at the Chen family penthouse at noon. The private elevator opened into a white marble lobby, where the air smelled of disinfectant and expensive perfumes. No one greeted him. No need.
On the main couch, surrounded by soulless luxury, Chen Yong played with his phone.
"So, you're the new pup?" he asked without looking up.
Li Wei didn't answer. He just observed the young master: pale skin, impeccable clothes, an overpriced juice on the table. A human ornament with a powerful surname.
I thought dad would pick someone more... elegant. Maybe a former soldier. Not a thug with a killer face.
Li Wei approached and stopped in front of him.
"I'm not your babysitter," he said with a rough tone.
Of course not. You're a trained dog. The old man always collects broken things.
Chen Yong smiled arrogantly, but frowned when Li Wei leaned in slightly.
"Listen carefully, golden pup. If you insult me again, you might wake up one day without teeth."
The young master's eyes widened, startled. Then he laughed, uneasy.
Are you threatening the boss's son? Do you even know what that means?
I know what it means to watch you. And I don't like it. But I will. If you die, I lose my paycheck.
Hours later, an assistant showed Li Wei to a room adjoining Chen Yong's.
Minimalist. Functional. No view. Soulless furniture. A camera in every corner. It was obvious: they didn't trust him.
He sat on the bed and carefully rewrapped his left shoulder. The lingering pain reminded him he wasn't invincible. But he was strong. And patient.
Through the thin wall, electronic music and forced laughter echoed. The young master hosted a private party with "friends" arriving in waves. Li Wei wasn't invited.
It didn't matter.
He had been locked in a golden cage next to a spoiled pup. This wasn't his first cell. But this time, the lock was luxury. And sooner or later, even gold bars bend.