Chapter 9: Heavenly Garden
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As Xiao Bao entered his house, he noticed his younger sister Xiao Mei's presence was missing. He didn't think much of it, he turned to his mother, Xiao Xue, who was busy preparing dinner. "Mom, where's Xiao Mei?"

Xiao Xue glanced up from her work, a faint smile on her lips. "She went out with her friends."

Xiao Bao didn't think much of it at first, but then he his eyes widened as he remembered something crucial. "What date is it today?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

His mother's smile faltered, and she hesitated for a moment before answering. "It's August 25th, 2010."

The color drained from Xiao Bao's face as he processed the information. His heart pounding in his chest.

Xiao Bao stood frozen in the middle of the living room, a torrent of emotions crashing through him. His eyes darted from his mother's worried face to the empty space where his sister should have been. The reality of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks, sending him reeling. His thoughts raced as he tried to figure out what to do next.

He clenched his fists, feeling the urge to hit something, or even himself, to vent the overwhelming emotions that were boiling inside him.

"Mom, I need to go find her," Xiao Bao announced, his voice tight with anxiety. He turned on his heel and rushed towards the door, grabbing his jacket as he went.

Xiao Xue's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't have time to protest before her son was out the door. She hurried after him, calling his name, but he was already halfway down the street.

As Xiao Bao sprinted through the neighborhood, his mind raced with thoughts of what could be happening to his sister. He knew he had to find her before it was too late. The guilt weighed heavily on him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this was all his fault.

As he raced through the streets, he couldn't but keep thinking about what happened this day August 25th, 2010. How was he so stupid and forgot about this date? He was so happy that he had a second chance that he forgot the events of the past.

Today was the day that he and his mother had received a call from the hospital. Xiao Mei had been drugged that night while she was out with her friends, and then was raped by a man.

"I hope I'm not too late!" Xiao Bao ran as fast as he could as he searched for a cab.

A few minutes later Xiao Bao flagged found a passing cab, panting heavily from his sprint. He climbed into the backseat, slamming the door shut behind him. "Heavenly Garden!" he gasped out to the driver, his voice laced with urgency.

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, one eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Alright, would—

"Just drive!" Xiao Bao barked, shoving a wad of cash into the driver's hand.

The driver grunted but stepped on the gas, and the cab took off with a screech of tires. Xiao Bao's heart pounded in his chest as he tried to catch his breath and gather his thoughts. The Heavenly Garden was a notorious nightclub known as the ideal party place. It was a place where young people would party, and do things they would later regret.

As they sped through the neon-lit streets, Xiao Bao's mind raced with images of what might be happening to his sister at that very moment. He clenched and unclenched his fists, trying to control his rage boiling inside him. He knew he had to stay calm; he needed all his wits about him if he wanted any chance of saving her from this nightmare.

Finally, the cab screeched to a halt in front of a nondescript building adorned with flashing lights and scantily clad women lining up outside.

Xiao Bao's heart pounded as he stepped out of the cab, his eyes scanning the scene before him. You could hear the music from inside the Heavenly Garden.

Xiao Bao ran past the crowd, trying to sneak his way in, but he then was stopped by the guard at the entrance, a man of imposing stature, towering over the crowd at an awe-inspiring 1.90 meters.

The guard, with his arms crossed, blocked the entrance.

"Fuck off, and get back in line," the guard said, his voice a deep rumble, "there's a line for a reason."

Xiao Bao's frustration boiled over. "My sister!" he shouted, his voice cracking with emotion. "She's in there, and—"

The guard's eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, the crowd behind Xiao Bao erupted in indignation.

"What's the big idea, pushing in like that?" one woman demanded.

"Yeah, we've been waiting our turn!" a man chimed in, his tone accusatory.

As the crowd around him grew more agitated, Xiao Bao's frustration reached a boiling point. He knew time was running out, and his desperation to find his sister before she was harmed drove him to act impulsively.

In a fit of blind rage, Xiao Bao lunged forward, his fist coiled like a striking snake. With a primal scream, he unleashed his fury upon the unsuspecting guard, connecting with a resounding thud on the guard's jaw.

The impact echoed through the air, and the guard stumbled backward, eyes widening in shock. Before he could recover, Xiao Bao was upon him, punching him again. This time a crack could be heard.

The guard tried to defend himself, but it was no use; Xiao Bao's fists were like sledgehammers, each hit leaving the guard reeling. It was as if Xiao Bao had tapped into a strength he didn't know he possessed, a reservoir of power that had been unlocked by his urgency to save his sister.

In less than a minute, the guard lay crumpled on the ground, his face swollen and bloodied, while Xiao Bao stood over him, gasping for breath, his chest heaving with the effort.

The crowd stood in stunned silence, their eyes wide with disbelief at what they had witnessed. The once imposing guard, now a pathetic heap on the ground, was no match for the enraged Xiao Bao.

He pushed past the stunned onlookers, his eyes scanning the club's interior for any sign of her. The pulsing music and neon lights played tricks on his vision, making it difficult to focus.

Xiao Bao's eyes scanned the dimly lit club, his heart pounding in his chest as he searched for any sign of his sister. The thumping bass of the music made it difficult to think, and the flashing lights disoriented him. He pushed his way through the throngs of people, his desperation growing with each passing second.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his arm, and he turned to find a scantily clad woman smiling seductively at him. "Hey there, handsome," she purred, her fingers tracing a path down his chest. "Want to dance?"

Xiao Bao's eyes narrowed, and he shook her off. "whore, fuck off!" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

The woman's smile faltered, and she took a step back, her eyes widening in fear. "psycho" she stammered, before disappearing into the crowd.

Xiao Bao continued his search, his frustration mounting as he was repeatedly stopped by women trying to seduce him. He pushed them away, his mind focused solely on finding his sister.

As he made his way through the club, he felt a hand on his groin, and he spun around, ready to lash out. But before he could react, there was a woman with her face covered in lots of make-up. She had a seductive smile.

Xiao Bao's anger boiled over, and he pushed her away with a force that sent them sprawling to the ground. "Get the fuck off me!" he roared, his voice echoing through the club.

Xiao Bao's anger reached its boiling point, and without a moment's hesitation, he raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap across the woman's heavily made-up face. The sharp crack of skin on skin reverberated through the club, silencing the pulsating music and the chatter of the crowd. The force of the blow sent the woman reeling backward, her legs buckling underneath her as she crashed to the floor with a thud. The crowd nearby gasped in shock, and all eyes turned to Xiao Bao, who stood there, seething with rage and determination to find his sister, Xiao Mei. The woman on the floor clutched her reddening cheek, her seductive smile replaced by a look of fear and pain. The once lively atmosphere in the club turned tense and silent, with everyone waiting to see what would happen next.

Without a second thought, Xiao Bao pushed his way through the crowd, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of his sister. He spotted a door marked "Men's Toilet" and made a beeline for it.

He burst through the door, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of his sister. The bathroom was empty, save for a few men at the urinals. Xiao Bao's frustration mounted as he slammed open each stall door, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey, what the fuck do you think you're doing?" one of the men shouted, his voice echoing off the tiled walls.

Xiao Bao ignored him, his focus solely on finding his sister. He continued to slam open each stall door, his desperation growing with each passing second.

Finally, he reached the last stall, and he heard a muffled cry coming from inside. He slammed the door open, his heart racing as he prepared himself for the worst.

Xiao Bao's heart stopped as he saw his little sister, Xiao Mei, laying there naked and unconcious. A man stood over her, his pants pooling around his ankles, exposing his bare legs. It turned out that this was Feng Long! Xiao Bao's vision turned red as he took in the scene, his fists clenching at his sides.

"I...I haven't touched her yet," Feng Long stammered, his voice shaking as he tried to defend himself. But Xiao Bao was beyond reason at this point. His rage consumed him like a wildfire, and he lunged at the man, his fists flying.

Feng Long desperately raised his arms in a feeble attempt to shield himself from the relentless onslaught, but Xiao Bao's wrath was an unstoppable torrent. Each punch landed with a sickening thud, echoing through the small, dimly lit room. Feng Long's face became a gruesome spectacle, his once arrogant sneer replaced by a mesh of bloodied flesh. His nose was a crushed, misshapen semblance of its former self, liquid crimson pouring from both nostrils. His lips, now grotesquely swollen, were split open, revealing the jagged, broken remnants of teeth. With every forceful blow Xiao Bao delivered, Feng Long's eyes grew wider, tears streaming down his cheeks, a silent plea for mercy. But mercy was not in Xiao Bao's heart, only the fierce, protective instinct to defend his sister.

Xiao Bao didn't stop until Feng Long crumpled to the ground, unconscious and a bloody mess that his own mother wouldn't recognize.

Xiao Bao dropped to his knees beside Xiao Mei, he took off his own shirt and covered her up. He removed Feng Long's pants, and placed them on his sister.

"It's okay, Mei Mei," he whispered. "I'm here now. I've got you." Xiao Bao hugged Xiao Mei, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. "It's okay, Mei," he said, his voice shaking as he tried to comfort her. "I'm here now. I'm going to take you home."

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