"Damn it! Does that dead deer really think he’s the boss of the Lion Group?"
In front of the dimly lit washbasin, a hunched lion-man, somewhat unremarkable in appearance due to his stooped back, was cursing loudly, his face filled with malice. He kicked the wall in front of him hard, leaving a dirty footprint on the surface.
"Apologizing to a diner? That damn bitch was stepping all over us, and that dead deer actually threw away all the dignity of our Lion Group! When have we ever suffered such humiliation before?"
"We are lions! Does he even know he represents the face of the Lion Group? Why the hell should we apologize to a human?!" the lion-man roared.
"Fuck! What a joke. A dead deer dares to give me attitude? One of these days, I'll find an opportunity to tear him apart!"
"Calm down, Boss Manji. This is a critical time for the Lion Group's development. Our cash flow still has issues, and we still need to rely on the connections he has in his hands," a younger lion-man stepped forward to advise.
"Mr. Hao? He sure loves to flatter himself. How can a herbivore be so rich? He should be kneeling in the black market, wagging his tail and begging those carnivores to buy a piece of his meat!"
"Hehe, Boss Manji, how about when he steps down, we send him to the Dolphin Street Pavilion? We can turn him into a seal that can only slap its belly and howl."
"I didn't realize you were so good at coming up with ideas. It's decided then."
The two lion-men shared a knowing, sinister laugh.
Just then, the sound of a toilet flushing came from inside the restroom.
After a moment, a burly, muscular lion-man with a scarred face walked out. He first glanced at the two outside, his cloudy, weathered white eyes reflecting the two trembling lion-men.
The two lion-men, who had been arrogant and fierce just a moment ago, immediately changed their expressions upon seeing the scarred face. They stood in the corner with their heads bowed like children who had done something wrong, not daring to even breathe loudly.
That Scarface didn't say much; he simply walked to the basin to wash his hands.
After washing them clean, he took a nearby towel and wiped every gap between his claws until all the water was gone.
Those few seconds felt as long as several centuries to the two lion-men.
Only after finishing all this did Scarface walk up to Manji. The latter summoned his courage, but just as his Adam's apple moved, a stinging pain flared across his face.
"If I hear you say things like that again, it'll cost you a finger."
Scarface rubbed his wrist, his cold and calm gaze like a vast glacier with a raging fire burning beneath it.
His low, slow voice seemed to suppress boundless anger.
The two lion-men hurried to agree. Manji covered his face, and the younger lion-man's face turned completely white, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
"Don't forget, I was the one who put him in that position," Scarface said before leaving. "Defying him is the same as defying me."
"Yes, Leader!"
"Don't call me leader. Mr. Hao is our leader."
..........
Looking at the deer-man not far away, who was slowly cutting meat with a knife and fork and bringing it to his mouth—even showing an appreciative expression—Xu Xiaoyou felt a genuine sense of wonder.
A herbivore would instinctively feel nauseous when faced with meat products, especially meat from their own kind.
What kind of courage did it take for that guy to maintain his composure and eat a piece of tender, sweet, and bloody venison?
How much psychological struggle was involved?
At the very least, she couldn't eat the meat of her own kind so nonchalantly.
The opponent was even more cautious than she had imagined. If she hadn't learned quite a bit about Sector 13 beforehand and put on a sudden performance, she might have been in grave danger just now.
Fortunately, her gamble paid off.
"Wa wa... Xiaoyou... eat..."
The movement in front of her startled Xu Xiaoyou slightly. She saw Anya leaning halfway across the table toward her, holding a small piece of beef on a fork, her eyes full of expectation.
"Delicious... Xiaoyou eat..."
Xu Xiaoyou smiled slightly and didn't disappoint the child's expectations, opening her mouth to eat the small piece of beef.
This child was truly sensible in a way that made one's heart ache.
She stroked Anya's head.
"It's delicious. I like it very much."
Anya nodded vigorously.
"So Anya, you have to grow up quickly and earn money to support me. I want to eat this every day from now on."
Anya: "?"
This was the Xiaoyou-style of education.
At that moment, the scarred lion-man walked quickly to the VIP table with a grave expression, as if an emergency had occurred. He leaned down and whispered into the deer-man's ear:
"Boss, there's trouble at the 'Scarlet Lady.' It seems to be people from the Animal Gang."
"The Animal Gang? Do they not know that the Scarlet Lady is a venue under my command? It's only been a few days since I taught those guys a lesson, and they're already getting restless again," Mr. Hao frowned.
"I heard it's getting quite out of hand. Several people are carrying knives looking for the manager there. If we don't go now, it might become very troublesome."
"Are there any 'troublesome guys'?" Mr. Hao asked.
"No fixers, just some reckless gang members," Scarface shook his head.
"I see. Scarface, you take Cold Steel and the others there first. You must stabilize the situation. Do not let the guests get hurt. I'll be there soon."
"Understood."
The members of the Lion Group inside the restaurant acted as if they had received instructions and began to walk out one after another.
Xu Xiaoyou knew that dinner time was over. She slowly stood up and used a napkin to wipe the little girl's mouth.
"Anya, are you full?"
Anya nodded.
"Let's go. It's time for the next stage."
Xu Xiaoyou said as she walked toward the exit of the restaurant.
Just as she was thinking about how to find a breakthrough to demand the debt from Mr. Hao, a figure suddenly blocked her path, completely obstructing the aisle.
Looking up, she saw a member of the Lion Group with a hunched back. He was casually sticking his hands into his trouser pockets, looking down at her with arrogance and a hidden depth of disdain in his eyes.
Xu Xiaoyou had some impression of this lion-man; from the moment she confronted Mr. Hao, he had been casting hostile glances at her.
"Move," Xu Xiaoyou said coldly.
"So sorry, I just happened to be walking this way too~" Manji pretended to be nonchalant.
Feeling the gaze of countless diners around them, Xu Xiaoyou took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. She didn't plan to cause trouble here and tried to walk toward another path.
Unexpectedly, the lion-man persisted, jumping onto a dining table and leaping in front of her, once again blocking her path rudely.
"Really sorry about that~"
This time, Manji whistled, his provocative intent no longer hidden.
"I don't have the habit of giving way to humans."
After saying that, he looked the young girl over, his lips curling as he expected to see her lose her composure.
Xu Xiaoyou simply looked up at him, her expression remaining flat.
Seeing her staying silent with a stern face, Manji became impatient while waiting with his arms crossed. Suddenly, he thought of a brilliant idea and pointed his index finger up:
"Hey! How about this? A short human like you can crawl between my legs..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, his face suddenly distorted and deformed from a force, and he was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.
Bang—
The diners in the restaurant watched silently as the lion-man flipped several times in the air, smashing several tables and chairs to pieces. Finally, his limbs were twisted together, his broken nose bridge hung limply on his face, and he collapsed unconscious in front of a cracked table.
Anya's small face still held a fierce expression as she maintained her punching posture.
Xu Xiaoyou sneered. "Youth is a blessing; they fall asleep the moment they hit the ground."
Rate on N.U.
