The explosion caused even more panic inside and outside the bar. Amidst screams, the crowd rushed madly towards the main door.

In the chaos, many people were knocked down and trampled. Before long, the bar patrons had fled, leaving only a few injured people groaning on the floor.

Several bodies lay in the dance floor, the ground stained red with blood.

At the end of the corridor, Zheng Guang was stunned for a moment when he saw the grenade explode. He bellowed, "Who the hell threw that?!"

"Kang, kang, kang!"

A burst of gunfire suddenly erupted in the smoky bar. Bullets pierced the smoke, shattering bottles on the table beside Zheng Guang.

Zheng Guang immediately snapped back to his senses. Without thinking, he scurried down the hallway, shouting, "Quick, retreat! Retreat!"

The young men, quick on their feet, followed Zheng Guang out the door. The entrance was chaotic, and they seized the opportunity to slip away unnoticed.

"Damn, where did they go?"

Da Lao Wang's men chased them to the door, only to find that the San Guang Society members had vanished. Several people had been killed in the bar.

Realizing it was best not to linger, they all piled into their cars and sped away.

...

By the time Wei Xiangzuo came downstairs, the hall was almost empty. The scene was a chaotic mess, with seven or eight security guards nervously blocking the entrance. Several bloodied corpses lay on the floor.

Wei Xiangzuo was momentarily stunned by the sight.

"Mr. Wei!" The manager, covered in dust, hurried towards him.

Wei Xiangzuo frowned and asked, "What happened here?"

"They fought!" the manager said hastily. "Da Lao Wang's men clashed with some young punks... They even used grenades."

Wei Xiangzuo frowned, looking at the bodies on the ground. He immediately ordered, "Call the ambulance! Quick! Call the police immediately."

"Yes!" The manager quickly instructed the security guards to check on the injured while he pulled out his phone to call the police.

Everyone sprang into action, busying themselves in the hall. Wei Xiangzuo quickly walked over to the young men who had been blown up by the grenade and checked their condition.

Their bodies were torn apart, their internal organs spilling out. They were definitely dead.

Wei Xiangzuo felt a strange tremor in his heart as he looked at their gruesome deaths.

...

Twenty minutes later, more than a dozen police cars from the precinct screeched to a halt in front of the bar, their red and blue lights flashing across the street.

A large number of officers got out of the cars and quickly set up a cordon, sealing off the area.

"I heard there was a shootout inside! They carried out a lot of injured people!"

"I think there was an explosion too. A lot of people died!"

"How could this happen? Dragon City has been quiet for so long..."

Many onlookers crowded the edge of the street, craning their necks to see what was happening inside, gossiping about what had just occurred.

In addition to the crowd, many reporters also arrived on the scene, filming with their cameras. But a row of police cars blocked the entrance, obstructing their view.

"Whirr!"

The door of an SUV parked nearby was pulled open, and Wang Daolin, dressed in a police uniform, stepped out. Seeing the reporters eagerly taking pictures, he instructed an officer beside him, "Tell those reporters to disperse. No filming for now."

"Yes, sir." The officer nodded and called a few colleagues to speak with the reporters.

Given his rank, Wang Daolin wouldn't normally be at a scene like this. But this case was serious. Guns and even grenades had been used, so he came as soon as possible.

Wei Xiangzuo was standing outside, smoking a cigarette. When he saw Wang Daolin, he immediately threw the cigarette away and walked over. "You're here too?"

"How could I not be?" Wang Daolin asked anxiously, "What's the situation inside?"

Wei Xiangzuo frowned. "Some lackeys of the garrison came to do something here, but I don't know the details. I was upstairs checking accounts when I heard the commotion downstairs. By the time I came down, everyone was gone."

"God damn it..." Wang Daolin's forehead veins throbbed, and he cursed in a hoarse voice.

He quickly composed himself and said to Wei Xiangzuo, "Let's go in and take a look."

Wei Xiangzuo nodded, pushed open the door, and walked into the bar with Wang Daolin.

The stench of blood hit them immediately. Wang Daolin's mind reeled as he looked at the shattered bodies on the floor.

"You, come here!" Wang Daolin rubbed his forehead and beckoned to an officer. "Check the identities of these people. I want results as soon as possible!"

"Yes, sir!" The officer nodded and immediately walked over to the bodies, taking pictures.

After giving the order, Wang Daolin patted Wei Xiangzuo on the shoulder. "Also, get me a copy of the bar's surveillance footage."

"It's ready. I've asked for it to be sent over." Wei Xiangzuo waved to the manager.

Wang Daolin avoided the bloodstains on the floor and continued inside. Soon, he saw the body of Da Lao Wang.

"This guy looks familiar," Wang Daolin said, carefully examining the body, trying to recall the man's identity.

"That's Da Lao Wang, one of Lu Guangwei's men..." Wei Xiangzuo lowered his voice as he spoke to Wang Daolin.

...

At the same time, in a hotel in the Zha Nan port district...

Lu Guangwei, dressed in a clean suit, sat at a dining table, discussing business with a client.

"Ring, ring, ring!"

The phone on the table suddenly rang. Lu Guangwei glanced at the caller ID and gave the client an apologetic gesture. "Excuse me, I need to take this call outside."

"Please."

Lu Guangwei stood up, walked into the hallway, and answered the phone. "Hello?"

His subordinate's urgent voice came through the phone. "Brother Wei, bad news! Something happened to Da Lao Wang! Those punks got away, and Da Lao Wang is dead. Our men opened fire at the scene, and several people were killed in the bar..."

Lu Guangwei was stunned. "What the hell? How could anyone die?"

The subordinate hurried to explain. "I don't know the specifics, but Wei Xiangzuo of the Hua Tong Society and Wang Daolin of the police department are already at the bar."

"What kind of mess is this?" Lu Guangwei rubbed his forehead, feeling annoyed. "Alright, I'll go over there and take a look."

"Understood!" The call ended.

Lu Guangwei beckoned to a henchman standing outside the door. "Contact Vice President Wang and have him entertain the client for me. I need to go out."

The henchman nodded. Lu Guangwei then called six or seven people and walked out.

Five minutes later, they left the hotel and got into two SUVs.

Lu Guangwei sat in the car, thought for a moment, and pulled out his phone to call Jiang Zheng. "Brother... I've got a little trouble here. I need you to find me some people..."