A Tender Haven in a Nightmare

The name of this nightclub was quite interesting—Bewildering Blossoms Nightclub.

Finding its location was not particularly difficult. It stood at the very center of the town, in its most prosperous district—the center of power.

That alone showed how influential the nightclub’s owner was. Without someone powerful enough backing them, it would have been impossible to establish this sort of business here.

The moment they pushed open the door and entered the nightclub’s lobby, the dim surroundings and pounding beat rushed over them.

Along with them came the pungent stench of alcohol and perfume.

Zhang Ye frowned slightly and swept his gaze across the hall. Though it was called a nightclub, it felt more like a bar, styled after the old Western frontier. Yet its interior decor was quite modern, creating a peculiar beauty born from the collision of two eras.

Dynamic lights flickered through the darkness. They were not dazzling; instead, they were oddly soothing. After listening to the restless music for a while, one could even become immersed in it, unable to pull free.

Inside the bar, strangely dressed mercenaries sat together in groups of two or three, drinking and chatting. From time to time, their eyes drifted toward the beautiful girls onstage, their desire-filled gazes roaming freely over their bodies.

Following their gazes, Zhang Ye and the other two finally saw the scene on the stage.

Tall, young, beautiful girls swayed their alluring bodies beneath brilliant lights. Their feet moved through intoxicating dance steps as they wildly displayed their charm, teasing the already uncontrollable desires in the hearts of the men below.

Their fair skin was especially eye-catching beneath the lights, and their captivating faces made it impossible to look away. Every movement they made intoxicated the men present, as though their hearts had long since been anesthetized.

However, although most of the guests looked like they had bad intentions, not a single one dared make an improper move. They watched the girls hungrily, but none tried to take advantage of them in their drunkenness.

After all, the burly men stationed in every corner of the bar were not just for show. Those men had long grown tired of playing with pretty girls, and anyone who could work here certainly had no shortage of wealth.

Like guards protecting a king, they defended this enchanting place steeped in a bizarre, dreamlike atmosphere.

"Zhang, am I seeing things?"

After an unknown amount of time, Pietro finally recovered from his shock. Looking at the sexy girls performing seductive dances onstage, he spoke with a slight stammer.

"You’re not seeing things." Zhang Ye knew exactly what Pietro meant.

The girls onstage were not wearing ordinary outfits. They were dressed in costumes of various superheroes!

Scarlet Witch, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Spider-Woman.

Every female hero one could imagine had a corresponding performer here. If the heroine from your memories was not here, then she was probably in some other man’s bed right now.

"My God…"

Pietro took a deep breath. His head felt dizzy. He had imagined seeing familiar heroes in this world, but he swore this was absolutely not what he had meant.

"Zhang, now I understand what you meant when you said, ‘They’re no longer the heroes you remember.’"

Kara was not doing much better after seeing this. In that polluted universe before, the happiest part of Kara’s day had been reading comics and stories about superheroes. To her, those heroes were role models.

"Don’t misunderstand. They’re all ordinary people. They aren’t the heroes you remember." Zhang Ye put an arm around both Kara and Pietro, afraid the two kids would tear the place apart the next second.

And just as Zhang Ye had expected, after hearing his words, boundless anger suddenly surged up inside Kara. She would not allow anyone to insult those heroines, much less allow their reputations to be tarnished.

But with Zhang Ye holding her, Kara did not want to hurt him by struggling free. She could only suppress her anger, lower her head, and remain silent.

"What are you three doing here?" A burly man who seemed to be both a security guard and a waiter approached them. He stared at Zhang Ye and the other two with an unfriendly expression as he spoke.

Perhaps ignorance truly was fearlessness. The man clearly had no idea what kind of beings he was speaking to.

"We’re passing through on a business trip. We heard there were plenty of fun things here, so we came to relax." Zhang Ye looked up with a smile. Inside his sleeve, he had crumpled the flyer into a ball.

Then Zhang Ye raised his arm. A gold nugget gleamed beneath the lights in his palm. "Could you make an exception for us?"

Only upon seeing the gold did the burly man’s expression improve. He stepped aside and led Zhang Ye’s group to an empty table, brought over a case of beer, and invited the three of them to sit.

"There’s a menu on the table. Tell me what you want to eat or drink. If you fancy any of the girls, you can tell me that too. She can come drink a couple of glasses with you. Of course, if you want to have some real fun, I can arrange rooms for you. Or you can play here if you prefer."

Crack.

The beer bottle Kara had just picked up shattered all over the floor.

The burly man froze, his expression shifting uncertainly.

"Don’t mind her. She’s got a strong grip." Zhang Ye casually explained, then smiled. "We won’t be looking for girls yet. Bring us some food first. One of everything on the menu—I’m pretty hungry."

After staring at Zhang Ye for a while, the burly man finally nodded and turned to leave.

"Zhang, why did you stop me?" The instant the man walked away, Kara could not help asking in a low voice.

"Kara, you have a lot to learn. Let’s start with controlling your emotions."

Zhang Ye calmly handed a fresh bottle of beer to Kara.

"What do you think?"

Kara gritted her teeth. She did not say anything more, merely taking the beer and gulping down a mouthful.

Meanwhile, the burly man walked toward the kitchen at the back, humming along to the music while playing with the gold in his hand.

Business had been getting harder and harder lately. Generous customers like this were truly rare, so he planned to tell the kitchen to serve them the best they had. Since it was their last meal, it naturally had to be a lavish one.

Just then, a voice suddenly stopped him.

"Stop. What’s that in your hand?"

The burly man shuddered. Turning around, he looked at a bizarre being with a human body and an Eyeball Monster for a head, then replied tremblingly.

"B-Boss, it’s a tip from a customer outside."

"A tip?"

The Eyeball Monster revealed a strange look.

It scrutinized the paper ball in the burly man’s hand with deep concern.