Top Soldier Pursued by a Beauty

Zhao Dong walked over and glanced at the group of girls. Each one could be considered campus-belle material, with beautiful and well-defined features. They were all tall, dressed in short tank-top dresses, black stockings, and small leather boots, looking incredibly sexy and fiery.

One of the girls, her pretty face lighting up in surprise, spotted Zhao Dong and exclaimed, "Qirou, is this your brother? He's so handsome!"

Zhao Dong was 183 cm tall. Combined with his time in the military, his features were sharp and handsome, and he carried himself with a strong presence. He was undeniably handsome. The other two girls were now staring at him, completely lovestruck, with little stars twinkling in their eyes.

A baby-faced girl who was generously endowed said with open admiration, "Your brother is even more handsome than those Korean pop stars! He's literally the man of my dreams!"

"So, Qirou's brother, do you have a girlfriend? How about me?"

"Back off! Don't even think about it. Qirou's brother is mine…"

The girls chattered on, practically drooling. Zhao Dong gave a wry smile and sat down to the side. He wanted to say a few words to Zhao Qirou, but her friends gave him no opportunity, continuing to buzz around him nonstop.

Zhao Dong was a little speechless as he looked them over. They had clearly all had a fair bit to drink, and since a bar was a place to let loose, their boldness was understandable. Besides, they were Zhao Qirou's friends, so he couldn't just give them the cold shoulder.

Seeing that Zhao Dong had arrived, Zhao Qirou started drinking even more enthusiastically, which only made her friends more excited. Before long, they had pulled Zhao Dong into their drinking games and started playing with dice. He had wanted to refuse, but their fiery enthusiasm was impossible to resist, so he reluctantly joined in.

Throughout the game, the girls never took their eyes off Zhao Dong's face. Each one of them looked ready to leap into his arms. Zhao Dong could only offer a helpless, wry smile.

However, he was completely unaware that another man at the table was watching, his face livid.

The young man's name was Ma Quan, a second-generation heir from a wealthy East Sea family. Right now, his expression was thunderous.

This was his party! He was the one who set this whole thing up! And here were four beautiful women—three of them fawning over Zhao Dong, and the fourth is Zhao Dong's own cousin? Are you kidding me?!

"Ahem, that's enough," Ma Quan cut in coldly. "Can you girls stop swarming him and give the man some space?"

The girls, realizing their faux pas, fell silent with awkward, nervous laughs.

Ma Quan patted the sleeve of his suit and extended a hand toward Zhao Dong. Though his tone was passably polite, his expression was one of immense pride. "Hello, I'm Ma Quan of the Ma Family. Surely you've heard of us?"

The Ma Family? Zhao Dong was taken aback. He really hadn't heard of them. But not wanting to cause offense, he still smiled and said, "Of course. The Ma Family. I've heard of them."

Seeing that Zhao Dong knew his place, Ma Quan's anger subsided slightly. He offered a faint smile. "Brother Zhao, Qirou was just telling us how capable you are. So where do you work? What does your family do?"

Zhao Dong smiled. "I don't have a job. My family is just ordinary."

Ma Quan snorted with derisive laughter. "No money and no job?" he sneered. "In other words, you're just a broke loser?"

The atmosphere at the table instantly turned cold.

Zhao Dong frowned. He had intended to be amicable, but who'd have thought this kid would be so foul-mouthed right from the start?

Ma Quan, completely unfazed by the change in atmosphere, continued, "Kid, it's not your fault you're poor and powerless. But being poor and powerless and not even trying to make money is. Instead, you come here to freeload and hit on these girls? That just shows you have no self-awareness!"

He jabbed a finger at Zhao Dong. "If you know what's good for you, get the hell out now. Don't wait for me to throw you out!"

"Young Master Ma, please don't be like this…"

At that moment, one of the other beautiful women stood up, trying to smooth things over. The woman had her long hair in a ponytail that draped over her shoulders. She wore a white short-sleeved top, blue jeans, and a pair of white sneakers. Zhao Dong hadn't gotten a good look at her before, but now that she was standing, he was amazed. Even with only light makeup, she was stunningly beautiful, easily rivaling Zhao Qirou.

She smiled at Ma Quan. "Big Brother Zhao is Qirou's cousin. Since he's here, that makes him a friend. Please, don't be like this…"

"Hmph! Friends?" Ma Quan sneered. "Me, the great young master of the Ma Family, friends with a penniless bastard like him?"

"And you, Chen Rongrong!" he taunted, turning on her. "If it weren't for your pretty face, you think someone with your family background would even have the right to sit here and drink with me? I'm telling you, if you know what's good for you, sit back down! Who the fuck do you think you are, lecturing me? You're nothing but a poor piece of trash."

Chen Rongrong's face instantly flushed crimson, her cheeks burning. She was utterly humiliated. She had only meant to de-escalate the situation, but who would have thought Ma Quan would turn his venom on her?

At this, Zhao Qirou couldn't take it anymore and started to rise.

But Zhao Dong pressed her back down. He then looked at Ma Quan, a half-smile playing on his lips. "Ma Quan, is it? Are you deliberately looking for a fight?"

"Looking for a fight?" Ma Quan mocked. "I'm just reminding you what kind of place is for what kind of person!"

"Oh, really?" Zhao Dong's smile didn't waver. "And I need you to remind me? Who do you think you are?"

Ma Quan slammed his hands on the table and shot to his feet, pointing at Zhao Dong. "Kid! I gave you a chance and you're throwing it back in my face! Let me tell you, I'm a Taekwondo black belt. If you don't leave now, I'll make sure you bleed tonight!" he roared, his eyes filled with malice.

"That's it?" Zhao Dong said dismissively. "I thought the young master of the great Ma Family had some real backing. Turns out it's just a Taekwondo black belt?" He let out a soft chuckle.

Embarrassed and enraged, Ma Quan shouted, "I'll have you know my master is Wang Long, a famous Taekwondo master in the East Sea!"

Wang Long? Zhao Dong frowned. The name sounded vaguely familiar.

"Hahaha, scared now, kid?" Ma Quan said proudly. "Not only that, my master is also one of the leaders of the East Hall!"

"East Hall?" Zhao Dong was confused. He didn't remember any such leader.

Seeing his reaction, Ma Quan grew even more smug. "Heh, it's normal for an ant like you to have never heard of the East Gate. The East Gate is a new power that has recently emerged in the East Sea. Ever heard of Hong Wu? His territory was just taken over by the East Hall. Now do you see how powerful we are?"

The name struck them like a thunderclap. The faces of Chen Rongrong, Zhao Qirou, and the others changed dramatically.

Of course, they had heard of the East Gate. But they never imagined that Ma Quan's master was a leader within it.

Filled with worry, Chen Rongrong quickly grabbed Zhao Dong's arm. "Brother Zhao Dong, the East Gate is not a force ordinary people can afford to provoke. You should just apologize and leave."

Zhao Dong glanced at Chen Rongrong. She seemed like a kind-hearted girl. He smiled faintly. "The words 'give in' aren't in my vocabulary."

"Fuck you! You're really asking for it, aren't you?" Ma Quan was instantly enraged. He had assumed that dropping his master's name and the East Gate would have Zhao Dong on his knees begging for mercy. Yet this guy still dared to be so arrogant? He was asking to die!

"Die, you bastard!" Ma Quan roared, launching a punch straight at Zhao Dong's face.

"Brother, watch out! Ma Quan, what are you doing?!" Zhao Qirou cried out, her face paling. She had drunk so much that her head was spinning, and she hadn't fully grasped the argument. Now, seeing them come to blows, she was horrified.

The bystanders were shocked as well. Chen Rongrong and her friends broke out in a cold sweat for Zhao Dong. Ma Quan's punch was fast and vicious. Getting hit by that would mean severe injury, if not death.

A dull thud echoed through the bar.

The crowd gasped in unison. The bloody scene they had imagined—Zhao Dong with his head smashed in—never happened. Instead, it was Ma Quan who was sent flying!

No one had even seen how Zhao Dong moved.

Everyone was stunned. One of the other girls looked on in amazement. "This… Qirou… is your cousin really that strong? Young Master Ma is a Taekwondo black belt, and he was sent flying by a single kick?"

Zhao Qirou, after a few seconds of shock, breathed a sigh of relief and beamed. "My brother's incredible! No one can beat him!"

Ma Quan curled up on the floor like a shrimp, letting out agonizing moans. The loud commotion instantly drew the attention of everyone else in the bar.

"Motherfucker! You dare hit me?" Ma Quan snarled, struggling to his feet. He pulled his phone from his pocket and hissed, "You have the guts to stay right there, you motherfucker. I'm calling my guys to come and kill you!"

"Fine. I'll be waiting," Zhao Dong said calmly, taking a seat.

"Good! Good! You've got guts!" Ma Quan gritted his teeth and dialed his master's number. "Master, I got beaten up at a bar!" he cried into the phone. "Yes… I told him! Of course, I mentioned you and said you were from the East Hall, but this bastard isn't scared at all! Okay, I'm sending you the address now."

Hanging up, Ma Quan roared with arrogance, "Kid! My master and the men from the East Hall are on their way. You're fucking dead!"

East Hall? Hearing those words, the expressions of the onlookers in the bar changed.

"Holy shit, this guy can actually call people from the East Hall?"

"No wonder he's so arrogant. He really has the connections!"

"Yeah! Anyone who can summon the East Hall is a big shot. Right now, the East Hall is the biggest underground force in the East Sea. Who would dare to offend them?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Chen Rongrong was terrified. She rushed over and grabbed Zhao Dong's arm. "Brother Zhao Dong! We can't wait! Losing face is one thing, but losing your life is the end of the line. Quick, you have to leave with us!"

Chen Rongrong and the other girls tried to pull Zhao Dong away. Zhao Qirou also pleaded anxiously, "Brother, let's go! That East Hall is seriously powerful. If they get here, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

But their pleas couldn't move Zhao Dong an inch.

He took a drag from his cigarette and said coolly, "It's fine. Let them come. I'd like to see who dares to lay a finger on me today. Whoever shows up is going to end up on their knees calling me Brother Dong."

Dead silence. The entire bar went dead silent.

A moment later, the room erupted in laughter.

"Hahahaha… has this kid lost his mind? He's telling men from the East Hall to kneel and call him 'brother'?"

"Damn! This bar attracts all sorts of crazies. He has a few drinks and suddenly thinks he owns the East Sea?"

"I'm dying! This guy must be drunk out of his mind. When he sobers up, he'll regret this for the rest of his life!"

The crowd howled with laughter. Chen Rongrong and her friends sighed, looking at Zhao Dong with complicated expressions. Zhao Dong was great in every way… but why was he such a braggart? To make people from the East Hall kneel and call him Brother Dong? That was just a pipe dream.

They had wanted to help him for Zhao Qirou's sake, but seeing how stubborn he was, they felt truly helpless.

"Alright, kid!" Ma Quan sneered. "I hope your life is as tough as your mouth!"

Just as he finished speaking, the doors to the bar were violently thrown open with a THUD.

Dozens of thugs in black suits swarmed inside.

"East Hall business! All irrelevant personnel, clear out!"

The men in black immediately shoved the onlookers to the sides, clearing a path. A middle-aged man then strode confidently through the center of his thugs.

"Who the hell dares to hit my disciple?" the man roared, his fierce gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"Wang Long! It's Wang Long!"

"It's over. That kid's not getting away today!"

"Step back! We don't want to get spattered with his blood!"

Seeing the man, the crowd exclaimed in shock.