Realm of the Night God

Chapter 96: Shock! Shock! Shock!

The situation became tense in an instant, on the verge of eruption. The middle-aged team leader and the other police officers naturally didn't pay much attention to Ma Ling, nor did they take her words seriously.

Likewise, Ma Ling showed no signs of fear. She was confident in her own strength. If it came to a fight, even if she got hurt, these police officers wouldn't have an easy time dealing with her.

Moreover, she wasn't alone in this.

At this critical moment, the middle-aged team leader's phone rang. He didn't want to take the call at this time, but when he saw the caller ID, his brow furrowed.

"Keep an eye on them," the middle-aged team leader instructed, then answered the call and left the private room. The other police officers kept watch over Yang Haoran and his companions. Although they had holstered their guns due to Wang Yiming's presence, Ma Ling's assertiveness now tempted them to draw their weapons again.

In less than a minute, or at most half a minute, the middle-aged team leader returned from the private room. Without glancing at Yang Haoran and his companions or Ma Ling's arrogant attitude, he addressed the other officers directly, "Let's pack up!"

With that command, the middle-aged team leader left the private room. Though the other officers didn't know what had happened, their team leader had given the order, and they had to obey.

Without further questioning, they left the room, with Chen Ying shooting a glance at Yang Haoran before leaving. She then looked at Ma Ling's smug face and gave Wang Yiming a fierce glare before exiting the room.

As the police left, they left behind a crowd of gossiping onlookers. They were confused, some guessing randomly, some fabricating stories. They encircled the private room in layers, and anyone unaware would think a murder had taken place there.

Although the police had departed, Yang Haoran and his companions lost their mood. Under such circumstances, they couldn't continue sitting there, drinking and chatting. Even if they wanted to, the boss of this establishment probably wouldn't allow it.

"Today is really unlucky. I won't come to this damn place in Lecheng again!" Ma Ling grumbled. She called the waiter to settle the bill, and soon someone hurried into the private room. However, this person wasn't the female waiter they had seen before but a middle-aged chubby man.

The middle-aged man was sweating profusely, panting as if he had just finished some strenuous activity, explaining his exhausted appearance.

Once inside the private room, the chubby man attempted to close the door, only to find it damaged. He could only use a piece of wood to block the entrance, preventing the curious onlookers outside from seeing what was happening inside the room.

"Excuse me, what can I do for you three?" the chubby man bowed obsequiously, fearing to offend Yang Haoran and his companions.

Indeed, this chubby man was the boss of this restaurant, but his business in Lecheng extended beyond just this one establishment. He rarely appeared here, and he wasn't supposed to be here tonight either. However, a phone call had urgently summoned him back, evident from his sweat-drenched appearance.

"We don't need anything. Just settle the bill, and we'll leave. The dining experience here is terrible!" Ma Ling's displeasure was evident. She wouldn't change her attitude just because the chubby man was sweating. She was annoyed at the moment, and nothing could sway her.

The chubby man's sweat increased as he hastened to explain, "Miss, it was a customer who called the police. It has nothing to do with our establishment. Please, don't vent your anger on us."

Towards the end, there was a hint of pleading in the chubby man's voice.

Ma Ling's surprised expression at the chubby man's reaction quickly turned indifferent. She couldn't be bothered and impatiently said, "Just tally up the bill. After we settle it, we'll leave. Don't worry, we won't wreck your place."

"Master Wu has already arranged everything. You three can spend as much as you like here. He has taken care of it." The chubby man said.

"Master Wu?" Yang Haoran and his companions exchanged glances, seeming to understand something. If Master Wu had already arranged things with the restaurant owner, did it mean that his involvement extended to the departure of the police as well?

"Heh, this old man Wu is quite something. No wonder he's the big shot in Lecheng. He even knows we're here. But, I wonder, would that old man send someone to track us?" Ma Ling smirked.

"I wouldn't dare to send anyone to track you three," came a voice from outside the door. With that voice, a burly man moved the broken door aside.

Master Wu stood smiling outside, accompanied by several sturdy bodyguards. As for the curious onlookers who were watching the commotion, they had all vanished without a trace.

Prepared with their chairs and sunflower seeds, how could they leave so easily? The fact that they disappeared completely indicated that Master Wu was behind it.

This seemingly kindly old man was quite influential, at least in Lecheng.

Master Wu's appearance immediately drew everyone's attention. The chubby boss's face lit up with a smile as he respectfully greeted Master Wu and then promptly left the private room. The bodyguards Master Wu brought stayed at the door, preventing anyone from approaching.

"Old Wu, how did you know we were here? If you didn't send someone to track us, how did you arrive so timely? Let me tell you, I hate being followed!" Ma Ling's anger hadn't completely subsided, so even facing Master Wu, she spoke without a hint of courtesy.

Not only was she lacking in courtesy, but there was also an inclination to vent her anger on Old Wu.

Old Wu was a sly old fox. How could he not understand Ma Ling's current state? Instead of getting angry at Ma Ling's words and actions, he wore a kindly smile and said, "You, you have quite the temper. Old man like me, already halfway to the grave, and you still can't be a bit more polite."

Ma Ling grunted in dissatisfaction, realizing her attitude toward Master Wu might have been inappropriate, so she refrained from speaking further.

Master Wu then took out a mobile phone and handed it to Ma Ling.

"Old man like me, how could I know you were here? Take a look at the mobile phone, and you'll understand," Master Wu said, not just to Ma Ling but to Yang Haoran and his companions.

Though Ma Ling still felt a bit disgruntled, she accepted the mobile phone from Master Wu. With just one glance, her discontent disappeared, replaced by a strange expression.

This odd expression lasted only a few seconds before she burst into laughter.

Her laughter started off reserved but soon became exaggerated. She couldn't stop laughing, as if triggered by some laughter acupuncture point.

"What's so funny? Can't you be serious for once?" Wang Yiming, wearing a stern expression, interjected.

At this moment, Wang Yiming was still troubled by what had happened with Chen Ying. Seeing Ma Ling suddenly burst into laughter, he felt a mixture of curiosity and annoyance.

"Take a look for yourself. Haha!" Ma Ling handed the mobile phone to Wang Yiming, still struggling to catch her breath and speaking with a stutter.

Curious, Wang Yiming took the mobile phone. After just one look, he froze, then blurted out a curse.

"Damn!"

Now it was Yang Haoran's turn to be puzzled. Since the police burst into the room, he hadn't spoken. It wasn't because he was intimidated but because he was busy considering various courses of action and the potential consequences. He had to come up with a foolproof plan, one that wouldn't disadvantage him but also wouldn't let the other side off easily.

While he had thought of a plan, what he hadn't anticipated was the sudden departure of the police, followed by the appearance of the middle-aged chubby boss and then Master Wu. His planned course of action was rendered moot.

He was curious about why Master Wu had appeared here and so promptly, but also had some speculations.

Seeing Ma Ling and Wang Yiming's reactions to the mobile phone, his curiosity intensified. He wondered what they had seen on the mobile phone screen to elicit such strong reactions.

Yang Haoran glanced at Wang Yiming, who seemed to sense his curiosity. Without saying anything, Wang Yiming handed him the mobile phone.

Without hesitation, Yang Haoran took the mobile phone and looked at the screen.

"Shocking! Lunatic Restaurant diners suddenly go berserk, committing such acts!"

"Shocking! Three culprits take hostages and confront police in a restaurant!"

"Shocking! Lunatics murder, set fires, and even cannibalize live victims! Unbelievable!"

"Shocking!..."

Yang Haoran's expression became vivid. Bold headlines, similar to these, made him twitch at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't bear to read more than three of them.

Sliding his finger down, all he saw were headlines beginning with "Shocking," describing increasingly bizarre events, each accompanied by photos of the three of them being held at gunpoint by the police.

"Damn, starting with a single picture and then all fabricated content! What talent!" Yang Haoran lost interest in reading further. Even if he did, he suspected that all the news would have similar headlines and absolutely no substance.

Saying this, he returned the mobile phone to Master Wu, who smiled and said, "Although the content is fabricated, I must admit their speed is impressive. If they were any slower, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to fulfill my end of the bargain."