133. Must the descent be so sudden and swift?

Some say that to win a beauty’s smile, one could even set the world ablaze and play rulers like pawns. Bai Haonan hadn’t reached such heights and didn’t quite understand this saying, but at least he thought it was worth spending a little money just to see such a pure, flawless smile.

That afternoon, during his workout, Yu Jiali didn’t ask a thing. Today, she didn’t join him on the court either, saying she had to attend some speech at a Chamber of Commerce banquet.

So Bai Haonan took five or six players with him. Sure enough, Li Lin had been eyeing the group, hoping to tag along. Bai Haonan, however, ordered her to go find Qian Niu to get some form, and as soon as she turned away, he slipped off with a bunch of young guys exchanging knowing glances, treating her like a playful child.

Once in the car, the young players were still chatting about how beautiful Li Lin’s smile was. Having spent a month or two together, it was clear that Brother Jianguo hadn’t laid a hand on her. They had grown somewhat protective of this simple, harmless girl, mainly because she was pretty—who wouldn’t feel uplifted seeing her smile? They warned Brother Jianguo that he’d probably offended a northeastern girl this time and should be careful not to get teary-eyed later.

That was Li Lin’s greatest tactic.

Bai Haonan laughed heartily, reminiscing about the simple joys of his early days in professional football when money was made without complication.

With this light-hearted mood, he played again tonight. Perhaps it was the nighttime floodlights rekindling his league days’ feeling, or maybe the absence of idle onlookers lowered the chance of leaks. Tonight, he relaxed more. Although only two young players joined him on the field, the three of them skillfully and effortlessly controlled the game for their client, suppressing the opposition, who seemed to enjoy themselves nonetheless.

At halftime, Bai Haonan handed his business card and flyers to the client, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a boss. He pulled a crate of sports drinks from his Mercedes SUV and generously offered to introduce some friends to join tomorrow. A man in his forties still playing football was clearly a true fan and cared about his health. Bai Haonan noticed that such clients had a success rate twice that of younger players, so he fed them even better in the second half with the intent to please.

The result was that the others felt so comfortable they wouldn’t let them leave after the game. After a quick shower, they happily invited Bai Haonan and his brothers to a nightclub. Their team of seven or eight people wanted to go, more people meant more fun, and they genuinely admired the three’s football skills, showing great enthusiasm.

Even handling business at a gym involved socializing!

Bai Haonan found it amusing. He hadn’t been to nightclubs lately and hadn’t set any rules for himself. “There are still three or four brothers playing the second match. I need to take them back later.”

They became even more enthusiastic. “Only two hours then? What’s the point of waiting here bored? Come on, let’s find a lively spot nearby. I’ve been doing construction around here, know the place well. Or are you planning to find a girl to party with all night?” His teammates burst into laughter.

The two young players were quite excited about the free outing, much like Bai Haonan when he first started mingling with the elder brothers on the team. They kept poking Old Wang’s waist behind his back. Bai Haonan thought it over, gave the few players some advice, left his card and flyers, and drove off amid their strong envy. Actually, he didn’t even need to drive far; just outside the court was a logistics market filled with large trucks in the suburbs. It seemed cheaper to build a court there—not everyone was a land-rich tycoon like the Yu family.

At night, the dull logistics street transformed into a neon-lit scene. Bai Haonan wasn’t picky, mainly there to have fun and maintain connections. He certainly wasn’t expecting to find a breathtaking beauty for a fleeting romance here.

His Hummer drew some attention, seeming to signify strength and connections, so no one treated him dismissively. They followed the sounds of lively singing from the second-floor private rooms and settled into a booth. Soon, a dozen or so girls arrived, filling the room with familiar scenes of fluttering chatter and laughter, surrounding Bai Haonan. Oddly, the usual excitement he once felt was gone—or perhaps he no longer found such scenes interesting.

Maybe those two months before the Spring Festival spent in a pyramid scheme had truly dulled his spark?

He had doubts but didn’t refuse when the Mercedes boss warmly pushed a heavily made-up beauty into his arms. Tall and sturdy, Bai Haonan quickly received a fragrant kiss. Hearing he was an athlete, she became even more excited. Amid all the “Brother Wang” shout-outs, he held the beauty close in the corner—not out of haste, but to avoid constant toasts, which could be exhausting. Such things were common back in his professional days.

Most nights out were paid for by company owners or nightclub managers, boasting about their connections to football stars. Clubs and bars with some pretensions would always buy them drinks, and to the women clueless about football, muscular pros were stars, so many came to drink and enjoy the company.

Hence, Bai Haonan had spent four or five nights a week in such places since joining the pro team. No wonder he was so familiar with women.

The familiar scent of makeup and alcohol soon relaxed him. He comfortably linked arms with his new companion, playing flirtatious games, pondering whether to bring this seemingly still spirited woman home tonight. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the door open. A tall, burly buzz-cut man strode in with a few others. Except for him and the woman holding bottles, the rest carried various snacks. They greeted warmly, “Heard Brother Xu knows some football experts. We brought barbecue and snacks. I like football too—let’s play sometime!”

Bai Haonan, an old hand, smiled and nodded to show respect, took the offered glass, and nudged his temporary companion with his elbow. As joked earlier, she giggled and raised their beers for a toast. The buzz-cut group didn’t notice the couple’s intimate embrace as they stood and clinked glasses. Bai Haonan switched cups with her, took a hearty swig, earning their praise. Acting slightly tipsy, he sat back while the coquettish woman leaned on his shoulder whispering, “Wow, you’re so cautious, afraid of being tricked, huh…”

Bai Haonan knew mystery was the key to seduction. Taking advantage, he hugged her waist and whispered close, “Athletes get urine tests all the time. Red Bull, barbecue spices, offal, luncheon meat—all can contain hormones. One slip, and you fail. Worse if there’s something illegal—I’d be done for…” He tugged her hand toward the bathroom. He was always on the hunt.

The woman’s breathing quickened, “Urine test? How…?”

Bai Haonan, grinning, blew warm breath into her ear, about to deepen the tease with his tongue, when two young players nearby giggled, “Damn, who the hell are these guys? Acting all high and mighty like they’re hot stuff!”

In the noisy private room, low voices were hard to hear, so they had to speak louder. These barely twenty-year-olds, mostly training all day, were buoyed by praise and spoke proudly, their voices carrying. Unfortunately, the music just changed, and the tail end of their words was caught by the buzz-cut man and his group.

Jiangzhou was a city full of rough edges; in nightclubs, a careless word could spark trouble. Bai Haonan usually kept a low profile but perhaps feeling on top of the world lately, or for some other reason, he noticed the buzz-cut man’s smiling face turn cold. The man merely kicked one of the young players and warned, “What crap are you talking? Show some respect…” but didn’t demand an apology—too busy.

The man glanced sharply once more before leading his group out.

These barely twenty-year-olds couldn’t differentiate the battlefield of the pitch from the ruthlessness of the streets. Most lived respected lives on the field, where adults called them coach. They cared little for outsiders’ authority, joking with Bai Haonan, “What idiots, no clue who they are but still trying to show respect and drink with them. Screw that!”

Bai Haonan, seeing them leave, said no more. As he resumed drinking and playing games with the beauty and Brother Xu, a growing unease gripped him. He couldn’t focus, frequently glancing toward the door. The woman noticed and teased, “What are you looking at? Eyeing some girl? You pervert…”

Before she finished, the door opened again. Two buzz-cut youths entered silently, eyes fixed on their corner.

A year ago, Bai Haonan would have been smitten, paying no attention. Now, a seasoned veteran after thousands of kilometers, just seeing the hostile expressions under the nightclub’s strange lighting sent chills down his spine. As they approached, they suddenly flicked their wrists, revealing sharp knives from behind their arms.

Bai Haonan shoved the still-affectionate woman away, nearly pushing her into the blades, pulled her away, and grabbed a square bottle of foreign liquor from the table.

He intended to use it to block and intimidate, but the two barely eighteen-year-olds wasted no words and immediately stabbed one of the shocked young players in the thigh.

Damn!

Instinctively, Bai Haonan cursed. Were these professional killers? So ruthless, so reckless with life! He shouted, “Xiao Zhou! Liangzi! Run!” and hurled the bottle.

Not at these reckless fools who treated people like nothing!

The most feared type for an old hand like Bai Haonan were these naive, fearless youngsters—clearly sent by the buzz-cut man for revenge.

The bottle shattered against the glass window behind them.

The street-facing glass, over a meter tall, shattered. The loud crash startled the knife-wielders.

Bai Haonan grabbed the wounded, screaming young player by the collar. Using his strong athlete’s build, he pulled him away and threw a plate at the knife-wielding youth who had jumped onto the sofa. Another young player was also stabbed but less panicked, jumping up to help drag their companion.

Together, they pulled the screaming man through the broken window three meters above the street and escaped. Bai Haonan, a little older and more loyal, knocked over a sofa and high stools to block the exit. Yet even so, when leaping through the shattered glass, he felt a sharp pain in his buttocks, his muscles tensing like iron.

The two young players waited below. Xiao Zhou, still terrified, held his bleeding hand, “Brother! Is it an artery?”

Athletes knew a bit about sports injuries—arterial wounds could be fatal, bleeding out in minutes. If not severe, just a skin wound needing ten days or two weeks to heal.

Liangzi, previously calm, now wept, “Brother Wang! What to do? It hurts so much…”

Bai Haonan scoffed, “Well, that’s what you get for talking crap earlier. I’m just…”

The nightclub’s main door burst open. A group of buzz-cut men wielding steel pipes and machetes charged in.

Near the broken glass, a wild youth shouted, “Kill them! These are the ones…”

The three professional players bolted, Bai Haonan clutching his drenched backside.

He recalled an elder from Rongdu who, a decade ago during the Jia A era, was stabbed over ten times in the buttocks during a night out and still managed to escape.

That’s a professional athlete’s difference—endurance and strength beyond comparison. Ignoring injury, Bai Haonan jumped into his Hummer and fled. The attackers angrily threw stones at the massive vehicle but didn’t pursue. Only Ada, the dog, barked fiercely from the passenger seat.

What else could Bai Haonan do?

This was his life’s reflection from ten years ago—arrogant, reckless, and abandoning the mess behind.

He pulled out his phone, called the number exchanged with Brother Xu, and demanded, “What the hell just happened?!”

Brother Xu was even more panicked, “Damn! That was a big boss in this area. How did you provoke him?!”

Bai Haonan said, “No more talk. Sorry for today. I’ll cover the drinks and damages. Call me tomorrow to settle.”

Brother Xu kept insisting it was no big deal but quietly asked about the blood on the ground.

Bai Haonan sighed. How could he call the police about this?

He couldn’t show his face here. He called Qian Niu to bring a car to pick up the players and took the injured to the hospital himself.

Feeling the burning pain on the car seat, Bai Haonan was truly shaken. What seemed like a flourishing career could collapse instantly over something so trivial.