Blood Neon-Chapter 28

Chapter 28
The Picture Ran Out
Watching the girl, after being egged on by everyone, reluctantly drain the drink almost in one gulp, Liu Hao also picked up his cup with satisfaction and took a big swig of beer.
The foreign liquor mixed with Sprite made it slightly easier to swallow, but for someone who usually did not drink it was still quite harsh. As the alcohol surged to her head, the girl's cheeks were immediately flushed with a touch of red. A few seconds after putting the cup down, she let out a cute hiccup.
Seeing that, Liu Hao felt a rush of blood and an itchy excitement in his chest.
"Good! Little sister, you're thorough."
With an approving expression, he quickly snatched the girl's cup, performed another round of alchemist-like mixing, and poured in a fresh drink.
But this one was not meant to be drunk in a single gulp. He tilted the cup slightly with the side of his palm and said,
"We won't make it hard for you. From now on just drink slowly. If you want to sing, sing. If you don't, sit over here and nibble some snacks — help yourself."
The others made a little more room and pushed over a fruit plate.
The girl, still flushed, obediently sat in the empty seat.
Liu Hao was pleased; that meant there was no need to rush. Since she had sat down, whether she wanted to or not, she would not be leaving anytime soon.
He had seen plenty of girls like her, and had slept with several of them.
They were all naive, rebellious girls — either brought here by friends or sneaking out for a thrill. Before drinking they acted unwilling, but once coaxed to finish a cup they turned flustered, playing coy yet receptive. From there, if one kept topping up the drinks and guiding her along, she would soon lose consciousness.
Then they could do whatever they wanted, alone or with others.
The only downside was that she might not respond much during the act; at best she was a bit warmer than a corpse.
So Liu Hao felt a bit disdainful about that method. It was no better than going to the row of brothels near the square! It only cost a bit more money, but the professionals were more skilled and varied in technique. He could only say picking up passed-out girls was for those chasing a distinct kind of thrill — the particular taste mixed from alcohol and hormones. To him, it was merely a diversion to play with occasionally.
If he wanted to keep playing, he could take some photos or record a video; usually that allowed for a few more encounters later, maybe even to trap them into more. Yeah, it was more troublesome, but at least then everything could be done while she was sober. He loved watching these girls who were dragged out, how unwilling and frightened they looked — he never tired of the sight.
Looking at the girl's small, beautiful body and imagining what came next, Liu Hao licked his lips and smiled even more happily.
Time ticked by.
Inside the private room the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.
The girl's arrival had been a small interruption. Most of the students and hoodlums present did not know her; after the leader started drinking with her and the teasing subsided, everyone went back to their own business, mostly socializing in their own circles.
After all, a gathering that was "presentable" made one look good when talked about. Knowing more people here was always useful. If conflicts broke out between gangs later, or if one needed to pick a fight as a leader, being able to call out the names of a few people on the other side made things easier.
Face, face, face. Young students talked nonstop about face, brothers, and honor, turning this shabby bar party into something resembling a small aristocratic banquet from a century ago. Their goals were not essentially different.
After a few rounds, the middle-aged KTV playlist had nearly been sung through.
Night grew deeper.
Lin Ying, squeezed between the few actual local toughs present, held her cup and, whenever others toasted and drank together, obediently took a small sip.
Unconsciously, the small glass had been emptied again and again, and refilled again and again.
The girl, face flushed, leaned against the sofa and seemed to have grown a little hazy in consciousness.
Those around her, as if unaware, continued to chat happily, drink, and occasionally sing a song.
Two or three of them seemed to be whispering things with leering undertones, while one or two appeared not very interested.
Even if she tried, Lin Ying really could not make out what they were saying.
Because she had truly gotten drunk.
But it was not her original self that had been intoxicated — it was the physical body.
Like ordinary dozing, the physical body possessed a physiological system not much different from a human’s: it could eat, drink, sleep, and dispose of organic waste normally.
If it were hungry it would feel uncomfortable; if sleepy it would grow dizzy. The only possible difference was that, no matter how hungry it became, it would not actually starve to death in the outside world.
One had to admit it was indeed some kind of supernatural projection. A strange link was maintained between the original self and the physical body, allowing her to forcibly merge two completely different perspectives into a single consciousness, a single point of view.
So even while the physical body slumbered, she could still observe her surroundings from the shadows and at any moment had the ability to deliver a fatal blow to any threat.
That sentence might sound ambiguous, because in fact Lin Ying had never encountered a real threat. Those who fancied themselves capable of “threatening” her had already disappeared from this world.
Keeping her awareness blurred and following the physical body’s normal reactions, Lin Ying leaned on the sofa, tightly gripped the emptied cup, nodded like a chick pecking rice, and looked ready to topple over.
Time had already reached 11 o’clock, the hour when people usually dispersed. After all, many present were still students; even if their parents were indulgent and careless, returning home after midnight would likely result in consequences.
A few jokers picked “Unforgettable Tonight” and a number of people sang along.
When the song ended, Liu Hao stood up, clapped his hands, and instantly the room’s attention converged on him.
Originally he had intended to give a little speech.
After all, that had been his actual purpose — to strengthen his control over these school delinquents and increase their loyalty.
But by now his intentions had drifted far from the drink; his mind cared more about the “sister valley” in between.
“...In short, everyone had their fun, so let’s end it here for tonight. All of you should head home early.”
Having said some perfunctory words and summarized a few matters, Liu Hao concluded the gathering.
Surprisingly, the little hoodlums seemed quite pleased; even casual remarks of that sort had produced a good effect.
It was to be expected — tonight had been too cool for them.
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