Chapter 392: Chapter 371: Are You Sure You Want to Buy Her Clock?
Underneath the dazzling lights is a vibrant world, with rows of bar streets set up at tourist spots. Beneath the colorful lights are glamorous figures, men and women alike shedding daytime conservatism, becoming as if possessed by Demons, grotesquely displaying humanity’s best side.
Miyako is one of the more famous pubs on this Financial Street. What makes it famous is not the singers or the dancers, but the Bartender. There’s nothing he can’t make.
The Bartender is young and handsome. He’s not the owner, yet he commands more authority than the owner. It’s not that he’s disrespectful; it’s a privilege bestowed by the owner, who allows anything as long as it doesn’t break principles. The owner is adept at business and social dealings, so no matter how much money other bars offer, they can’t poach this Bartender.
Miyako’s other special feature is its combination of slow and fast beats. Guests can freely choose their positions. Though separated by just a wall in decor, the volume difference is vast, thanks to the expense the owner incurred to hire a famous Italian design firm for this effect.
Through the partition wall, a pair of eyes gazes at the fluid movements on stage, hand holding a swirling glass, with black eyes seemingly capturing every person like prey.
It’s the weekend; even though it’s not the peak hour yet, most are already seated. Xiao Lin chose a conspicuous spot, situated at the midpoint between slow and fast beats, which is the front of the second floor. From here, you can overlook the main stage on the first floor; there are small stages on both sides of the second floor, below him is the first-floor lobby area, behind is the middle section of the second floor, and the very back row is the slow beat area with its independent bar, venue, and boxes.
Miyako is considered one of the larger bars on the street, with expenses above mid-level. People come here not to foolishly order a dozen beers but for the Bartender. Much like the unknown purple liquid in his glass, with a spicy kick amid the sweet and sour.
Most of the time, the Bartender begins concocting after observing the person, claiming that each drink’s taste echoes its owner’s personality. This trick is well-liked by women, but rumor has it that most patrons here are men. Xiao Lin took a sip, the fiery zest coursing through his body, making him chuckle.
Liang Feng wasn’t sure whether her information was accurate, but tonight that person was bound to appear at Miyako. Xiao Lin stopped Liang Feng from coming along, things would be easier alone.
Taking Lin Jiaqi away in the afternoon was a necessity. Liang Feng’s first reaction upon seeing her was to give her two hard slaps. He didn’t understand what women think, but he merely stood by. Lin Jiaqi’s parents were going to report the incident but quieted down after receiving a package. Money can smooth over many things, especially for those without it. Their daughter wasn’t a virgin maiden, so getting bitten like a dog, with compensation of a million, seemed worthwhile.
Xiao Lin could easily sense the irony in Lin Jiaqi’s words, deeply hurt by her family’s actions, using a frivolous facade to mask her internal pain. This girl possessed strength ordinary people couldn’t have, and Liang Feng’s distress made Xiao Lin frown.
Despite the low alcohol purity, the drink had a spicy taste that gave Xiao Lin a new impression of the Bartender; it suited his character.
At ten in the evening, the true nightlife flung open its gates. Music on stage was deafening, the opening show continually shaking men’s hearts, beautiful women flaunting their alluring and sexy figures, exuberantly displaying all their passion. Xiao Lin, holding a glass, walked toward the right side of the second floor, from there he could comprehensively observe the first-floor venue.
The one spreading the news was a man around thirty years old, often lingering in bars big and small, making a living selling aphrodisiacs. Lin Jiaqi’s memories were chaotic; she only recalled drinking excessively and, after singing and dancing on stage then returning to the box, everyone had dispersed. She was quite frustrated with their lack of loyalty, grabbed her bag intending to leave, but was stopped for not paying the bill. With too much alcohol, she was completely bewildered and had no cash; a middle-aged man swiftly cleared the bill, after which she remembered nothing.
A woman sat beside him; Xiao Lin cleverly ordered a drink for her then left. Most hostesses earn their living selling drinks, slightly different from those on stage.
As it approached midnight, the medicine-selling man still hadn’t appeared. Xiao Lin checked his watch and walked up to the Bartender: "This drink’s nice, got anything better than liquor?"
The Bartender wasn’t much of a talker; Xiao Lin queried with his eyes.
"See that woman upstairs? Hehe!" Xiao Lin chuckled dryly twice, some things are best left unsaid, every man understands that "hehe."
"Lao Chen’s in the back alley!" The Bartender glanced at Xiao Lin: "You sure about visiting him?"
"Why?" Xiao Lin was curious about the Bartender’s query.
"Nothing, just surprised someone like you would be interested in a man."
What he had just gulped almost spewed back into the glass. Xiao Lin widened his eyes, again looking toward the second floor, where the woman playfully raised her curly hair at him and blew a kiss.
"There’s the famous Bavasa, feel free to try." The Bartender joked. Men like Xiao Lin who visit for the first time, such situations he had seen many times, but was in a good mood today, kindly reminded this decent-looking man.
"Thanks for the heads-up, not interested."
The bar’s back alley was a narrow lane along the inner lake, where the chefs would gather while resting to smoke, drink, and chat, thus all the chefs along the street knew each other.
Xiao Lin exited through the back door, entering midnight as chefs were busy gathering to play cards, few customers needed food at this hour, and roughly after another hour they could leave, leaving cleanup to the junior staff.
The inner lake and the alley are roughly separated by the distance of a garden. Here, the row of bars faces the street, while the bars opposite face the inner lake, catering to each other’s customers.
The information from the bartender was that the drug dealer’s name was Lao Chen. Having a surname made it easier to find him. He casually grabbed a helper to inquire.
"Lao Chen?" The helper scrutinized Xiao Lin with his slanted eyes, emitting a piercing sound from his mouth: "Over there!" In the direction he pointed, two figures were being secretive under the garden, looking suspicious.
Xiao Lin lit a cigarette and walked around the garden. Two voices arguing emerged from the bushes, and the disagreement over the price made one of them raise their voice.
"If you can’t afford the drugs, don’t bother saying my drugs are useless." A strong Beijing accent already overwhelmed the other party with its presence.
After a bout of muttering, a figure jumped out of the bushes: "Buy it or don’t, you’re wasting my time."
The person under the down jacket was hard to make out, wearing a hat with hands stuffed in pockets, a cigarette dangling from the mouth, walking with a certain intensity. Xiao Lin followed behind, expecting him to return to the bar, but unexpectedly, he walked out of the bar street along the garden.
It was early morning, and Financial Street, under its prosperity, had fallen into slumber. Lao Chen, humming a tune, was unaware of Xiao Lin behind him.
"Lao Chen?" It was getting further, so Xiao Lin called out to him at the entrance of a mall.
"Who’s asking!" Lao Chen turned around, his slightly bulging eyes appearing rather eerie in the night. This wasn’t a healthy person; Xiao Lin concluded him to have a tumor in his brain judging from his protruding eyelids, yet not life-threatening.
"Heard you got some drugs!"
"Ah!" Lao Chen perked up a bit, learning it was a buyer. Business hadn’t been good recently: "I haven’t seen you before, who recommended you?" Dealing illegal drugs, of course, required caution.
"The bar owner!"
"Ah! What type do you want?" Lao Chen squatted in a secluded spot; the night was too cold, he couldn’t stand discussing business in the wind.
"Got any date rape drugs?"
"Kid, you’re playing me!" Lao Chen spat out the cigarette from his mouth, grabbing Xiao Lin by the collar.
"Just heard you’ve been throwing that term around lately, so I thought I’d come to you to get some." Xiao Lin looked at the hand before him, grinning cheekily.
"I... when did I... when did I say... this." Lao Chen stammered when agitated, taking a long time to say a sentence.
"You keep telling people about a woman getting raped, all thanks to your drugs." Xiao Lin patted Lao Chen’s hand: "How do you do business holding me like this?"
"Precisely, without my drugs, it wouldn’t be so easy to get that woman." Lao Chen let go, rolling his protruding eyes: "You’ve got some looks, why need such drugs? That’s illegal."
"Knowing it’s illegal, yet you sell it!"
"Money’s good; why not make it!" Lao Chen took out a package of pink pills and tossed it to Xiao Lin: "Ten pills per pack, a hundred bucks, take it all."
Receiving the drugs, he sniffed the package. These drugs had no technical content in them, though effective, the side effects were strong. Overconsumption could lead to food poisoning symptoms, and worse, could induce short-term coma.
"A hundred bucks, too little." Xiao Lin took out five red bills. "Keep this package for yourself, I’ll give you five hundred if you tell me who buys these drugs?"
"You a cop?" Lao Chen eyed the red bills in Xiao Lin’s hand, hesitating.
"I’m not." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to recommend votes, monthly tickets at Qidian (). Your support is my biggest motivation.)