Chapter 87: BEAR BRANT

Kai closed the locker door with a soft click. His new uniform felt stiff against his body—a black shirt that fit snugly at the shoulders, black pants that were a little tight at the thighs, boots that were still stiff at the ankles. He straightened his black tie in front of the mirror—the knot was simple, not too neat, but good enough—and pinned the name tag to his chest. The word KAI was printed there in bold capital letters, beneath the Hot Viper logo he didn’t recognize. He stared at his reflection for a moment. The person in the mirror looked like a door guard—not a teacher, not a former mercenary, not anyone. Just a man in a black uniform standing in front of a mirror, with eyes that showed nothing.

He left the changing room. The corridor was quieter than before—only a few staff passing with trays or documents, and a few closed doors along the wall. Kai walked down the corridor, past rooms he didn’t recognize, and turned toward the exit—the door leading to the main area, to the dance floor, to the crowd.

He hadn’t reached the end of the corridor when he saw Nolan. Nolan stood near the exit, with his hands in his pockets and a slightly tense face. Beside him was a man—a man far larger than Nolan, with shoulders that almost touched both sides of the corridor, with arms full of tattoos—from the wrists all the way to the neck, tattoos layered on top of each other until no skin remained—and a bald head, shining under the corridor lights. The man wore a black shirt unbuttoned at the top two buttons, so the tattoos on his neck were clearly visible. He stood calmly—not like a thug, not like a bodyguard. He stood like someone who had been in places like this for a long time.

Nolan turned when he saw Kai. "Kai," he said. "Come here."

Kai approached. He stopped in front of Nolan and the man. He didn’t say anything. He just stood there, with his hands at his sides, and his eyes looking at the big man—at his hard face, at the tattoos covering his skin, at his small but sharp eyes. And in his head, a name surfaced—from the list Leonhard had given him, from the page he had read that night.

Bear Brant.

"Kai," Nolan said. "This is Bear. He runs security at Hot Viper. You’ll be working under his supervision."

Bear looked at Kai. His eyes moved from Kai’s face to his uniform, from his uniform to the name tag on his chest, and back to his face. He didn’t say anything. He just observed—like he was assessing something he hadn’t yet decided on.

Kai extended his hand. "Kai," he said. "New door guard."

Bear stared at that hand for a moment. Then he took it. His hand was huge—a hand that could crush Kai’s hand if he wanted to—but his grip wasn’t hard. He gripped Kai’s hand firmly, once, then released it. And suddenly—without warning—he smiled. Not the thin smile people usually gave to new acquaintances. A wide smile—a smile that turned his hard face into something almost friendly, almost warm.

"Kai!" he said. His voice was heavy, but there was a cheerful tone in it. "I’m Bear! Nice to finally meet you!"

Kai blinked. He hadn’t expected this. He had read about Bear Brant in Leonhard’s list—the man who controlled the Lower Gate, the man known as "Fortress," the man who never spoke more than one sentence at a time. But the man in front of him—the man gripping his hand enthusiastically, smiling widely, speaking in an almost eager tone—wasn’t the man he had imagined. He was completely different.

"You," Bear continued, still with his wide smile, "I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time! I watched your match in the cage arena! You were incredible! I’ve never seen anyone fight like that—like water, like wind, like—" he raised his hand, trying to find the right word, "—like nothing could stop you!"

Kai looked at him. "You watched my match?"

"Of course!" Bear patted his shoulder—lightly, but enough for Kai to feel the strength behind it. "I never miss a big match. And your match—that was the best match I’ve ever seen! Twenty fighters! Twenty! I’m not even sure I could do it!"

Nolan, standing beside them, cleared his throat softly. "I’m handing him over to you, Bear. I have other business."

Bear nodded. "Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him."

Nolan looked at Kai for a moment—an unreadable gaze—then he turned and walked away, disappearing behind the door leading to the main area. Bear watched his back until it vanished, then he looked at Kai again. His smile was still there—but this time calmer, more controlled.

"Kai," he said. "I’ve heard about you. Not just from the match. Jona said you’re a calm person. Jona said you don’t talk much. Jona said you’re—" he paused for a moment, "—different."

Kai didn’t say anything.

"Jona also said you once saved one of my men," Bear continued. "At the shop. You beat up some thugs harassing the waiter there. That was my man—he wasn’t on duty at the time, but he’s still part of my responsibility." He looked at Kai directly. "Thank you."

Kai nodded slightly. "I just did what I was supposed to."

Bear laughed softly—a deep laugh, like distant thunder. "You’re simple. I like simple people." He patted Kai’s shoulder again, then turned and started walking. "Come on. I’ll take you to your post."

They walked down the corridor—Bear in front, Kai behind. Bear walked with wide steps, but he slowed his pace so Kai could follow. They passed several doors—some open, some closed—and passed several staff who bowed respectfully when Bear passed. Bear returned their bows with a nod—no more, no less.

"You know," Bear said midway, "I don’t talk much. Usually. But you—" he turned back briefly, "—you’re interesting. I’m curious."

Kai didn’t answer.

"I’m curious why someone like you would want to be a door guard," Bear continued. "You could be a fighter. You could earn more. You could be anyone you want. But you chose to stand in front of a door."

"I need steady work," Kai said.

Bear nodded slightly. "Steady work," he repeated. "I understand."

They hadn’t reached their destination when someone appeared from around the corner—the man who had earlier tried to chase Kai away from the VIP door. The man walked with quick steps, with a face still slightly flushed, and when he saw Kai—with his new uniform, with his name tag, with Bear beside him—he stopped. His face changed. The redness faded, replaced by paleness.

"Hey," Bear said. His voice—which had been friendly—suddenly turned heavy. "Come here."

The man stepped forward with hesitant steps—like a small child called by a teacher he feared. He stopped in front of Bear, with his head slightly bowed, and he didn’t dare look at Kai.

"You," Bear said. "I heard earlier you chased Kai away from the VIP door."

The man swallowed. Gulp. "I-I didn’t know, Boss. I thought he—"

"You thought what?" Bear stepped forward—one step, two steps—until his large body blocked the man’s entire view. "You thought he was a homeless man? You thought he had no right to stand there? You thought you could chase away anyone you wanted?"

"Th-that’s not what I meant, Boss—"

Bear raised his hand. The man closed his eyes, waiting for a punch that didn’t come. Bear didn’t hit him. He just squeezed the man’s head—with his large hand, with a movement like squeezing a basketball—and the man grimaced in pain.

"What did you do to Kai?" Bear asked. His voice wasn’t loud, but there was something in it that made the man tremble.

"I-I’m sorry, Boss! I-I’m really sorry! I didn’t know he was your acquaintance! I thought he was just some guy trying to sneak in! I was just doing my job!"

Kai stepped forward. He stood beside Bear, and he looked at the man for a moment—the man still held by Bear’s hand, the man still closing his eyes in fear. "He’s not at fault," Kai said. "He was just doing his job. I did look suspicious in those clothes."

Bear turned to Kai. His eyes narrowed. "You’re defending him?"

"Yes," Kai said. "If I were him, I would have chased away someone dressed like I was earlier too. He didn’t do anything wrong."

Bear looked at Kai for a long time. Then he released the man’s head—and the man almost fell from losing his balance. Bear stepped toward him, leaned his body down, and said in a soft but clear voice, "You owe your life to Kai. If not for him, I might have finished you. Now go."

The man didn’t wait for a second command. He ran—as fast as he could with still-trembling legs—and disappeared around the corner. Bear watched his back until it vanished, then he turned to Kai.

"Sorry," he said. "My subordinates are sometimes stupid."

"It’s fine," Kai said.

Bear looked at him for a moment. Then he smiled—a calmer smile than before, a smile that was more like respect. "You," he said. "You’re different from what I expected."

He extended his hand again. "I hope we can work well together."

Kai took that hand. He gripped it—this time a little longer than the first. "I hope so too," he said.

Bear released his hand and turned. "Come on. I’ll take you to your post. You’ll be working at the main door tonight. I’ll check on you every hour."

Kai followed him—down the corridor that was starting to fill with passing staff, past doors starting to open, and stopped in front of the main door—the large door leading to the main area, the crowd, the place where everyone gathered. Bear opened that door, and the light from inside illuminated Kai’s face—colorful lights, pounding music, and the sound of hundreds of people talking, laughing, and enjoying the night.

"Happy working," Bear said