Alisa shrieked, "What are you doing!"
Her cheeks were swollen, and her speech was slurred, making her words indistinct.
Shen Qingqing hadn't expected Fu Jingshu to order his men to act, but since the beating had already happened, there was no point in apologizing. She was, of course, indifferent. "You slandered me, and this is the punishment you deserve."
"You, you actually dare..."
Alisa's tears welled up from the pain, her words failing to form a complete sentence.
She smiled faintly, "Why wouldn't I dare? In our country, those who speak nonsense are slapped to clear their heads. I'm teaching you a lesson, to make you understand that words can bring disaster."
"You, you...!"
Alisa wiped her tears, accidentally touching her swollen cheek. The pain made her wince, and she longed to curse, but she managed to restrain herself with her last shred of reason.
"You just wait!"
With great effort, she managed to utter a threat before turning and fleeing in a disheveled state.
Upon returning home, she immediately began to ice her cheek. The process was not pleasant; a man's slap was enough to stun a woman.
It took her over an hour to recover.
Then, grumbling, she returned to the venue and found the mentor from the Sai country. When she removed her mask and revealed her damaged face, even the mentor was startled.
"What happened to you?"
Alisa's cheeks were numb, devoid of sensation, making it difficult to speak. "It was Shen Qingqing... she hit me."
"Why did she hit you?"
"I don't know. You must do me justice."
Seeing her struggle to speak, the mentor felt some sympathy. "Alisa, you've attended the same training classes before and are considered classmates. There's no need to escalate this. How about we let this matter go? I'll give Shen Qingqing a verbal warning, telling her not to cause trouble with classmates like this anymore."
Trouble?
Alisa could hardly believe her ears. "I've been beaten this badly, and you consider it 'trouble'?"
The mentor grew impatient. "Then what do you want?"
"Teach her a lesson! Kick her out of the competition!" she blurted out eagerly.
The mentor sighed. "Alisa, you should know that Shen Qingqing is accompanied by someone named Fu Jingshu. He's a prominent and powerful figure in the country, known as Master Fu. We can't afford to offend him."
Alisa propped herself up on the table, leaning her terrible face towards the mentor. "Are you really not going to do anything?"
The mentor was startled and leaned back, clearing his throat. "It's not that I won't, it's that I can't. If you want to offend him, then handle it as you see fit. The competition organizers certainly can't help you."
Given Master Fu's status, no one dared to question him.
Young people, they understood nothing!
Alisa, sensing his disdain, stormed out in anger.
However, she couldn't swallow her pride. She took out her phone and called her brother. After confirming the location, she hung up and went there.
In a dimly lit, noisy bar VIP room, music blared as a man embraced two beautiful women, engaging in passionate foreplay.
Alisa pushed the door open, yanked the two women away, and smashed a wine bottle, startling everyone who was dancing wildly.
The music stopped, and everyone stood in awkward silence.
The man waved his hand. "Everyone out."
As if granted amnesty, they quickly fled.
Saibo then turned to Alisa. "What's wrong, my dear sister? Who bullied you?"
Alisa remained silent, directly removing her mask. The sight of her face, even Alisa's brother, Saibo, was shocked. After a moment of concern, boundless anger surged through him.
"Who did this?"
"A female classmate from the training class I attended earlier, named Shen Qingqing." Alisa burst into tears, her eyes flowing freely.
"Bitch!"
Saibo was a local power player, surrounded by a gang of followers, always commanding respect. His sister being bullied was unacceptable!
He slammed the table. "Just wait while I teach her a lesson!"
Alisa's tears finally subsided, and she winced in pain. "Brother, I've suffered so much..."
Saibo, heartbroken, pulled her into his embrace. He called in a few of his cronies, gave them instructions, and sent them off. He then found several handsome men for his sister.
He threw down a wad of cash. "Cheer up my sister. As long as she smiles, all this is yours."
For the sake of money, even though Alisa looked terrible, everyone braced themselves and started trying.
That same evening, Shen Qingqing also arrived at this bar. She had been cooped up in her hotel room, unable to find inspiration, so she decided to go out for a walk.
Passing by the bar entrance, she saw the men and women inside and thought she might go in to take a look.
Perhaps she'd find inspiration.
However, less than a minute after entering, she was surrounded by a group of men, all leering and appraising her with undisguised gazes.
One particularly tall man, seemingly drunk, stumbled towards her.
"Shen Qingqing?"
"You know me?"
Saibo chuckled, a cigarette dangling from his lips. "No, but I've seen your competition poster. You're quite attractive, a typical Eastern woman."
As he spoke, he reached out to touch her face.
Shen Qingqing dodged to the side. Saibo's eyes narrowed, his gaze subtly sweeping over her legs. They were long and slender, with a stable stance.
She was a fighter.
His sister hadn't mentioned that.
But even if she was a fighter, Saibo wasn't afraid; he found it even more challenging. "Little girl, your legwork is good, but against me, it's not enough."
He signaled to two men behind Shen Qingqing, who immediately reached out to grab her.
Shen Qingqing's expression darkened. She stooped, executing a sliding step, and flashed between the two men to their rear. Her hand, in her pocket, clenched slightly, and her voice was icy. "Sir, I advise you not to touch me."
"Oh, do you have some background?"
Saibo always showed a little more patience towards pretty women, but that was it.
Shen Qingqing subtly glanced at the hotel entrance and whispered, "Do you think a woman who can't even lift a chicken would come to a bar alone?"
"I see, you've got some skills. But we're not to be trifled with either."
The smile on his face vanished instantly. With a wave of his hand, several men surged towards Shen Qingqing. She certainly wouldn't allow herself to be captured.
Her fist, emerging from her pocket, struck one of the men in the face with fierce momentum!
He staggered back instantly.
"Damn it, boss, this woman's got some strength!"
Saibo's expression also soured. "I see that. Brothers, be careful, don't get injured by her. As long as she doesn't die, broken arms and legs are fine."
With that order, the men became less restrained, their attacks becoming increasingly vicious, aiming for vulnerable areas.
Everyone else in the bar moved aside, and a large space was cleared in the center as Shen Qingqing grappled with several men.
She was formidable, her punches sharp, and her strikes at tricky angles. For a moment, four or five men couldn't even get a hold of her.
Saibo watched anxiously, spitting. "Damn, a bunch of useless idiots! I'll have to do it myself!"
He charged forward, his fists clenched. This charge disrupted his brothers' attacks and gave Shen Qingqing an opening to control his arm.
She twisted it backward, and with a crack!
"Ah!!"
Accompanied by a scream, Saibo's arm was broken.
He was a tough man, enduring the intense pain, he grabbed a wine bottle with his other hand and swung it at her. Shen Qingqing had to let go and retreat a step.
Although she dodged the wine bottle, she was still surrounded.
Especially since the scream had attracted attention, another four or five men arrived. Now there were about ten people in total, all with grim expressions and vicious attacks.
Shen Qingqing was forced to switch to blocking, and gradually, she began to fall at a disadvantage.