The van waited for us downstairs on time. I stood up, and Xiao Hong, after stuffing the banana in her mouth, grabbed her bag and stood up to go out with me.
When we got into the car, Wen Siqiang was already inside. I asked him why he was here and if he was going to my place.
He said yes, Sister Zhou mentioned that your situation was a bit complicated and asked me to keep an eye on things for you.
I smiled and got into the car with Xiao Hong. The female demon wouldn't be so kind without her own agenda.
She didn't have Wen Siqiang help me on my first day. Now that I'm familiar with things, she sends someone over? It's obvious she has plans.
It's true that my situation is complicated and I do need help. But why not on the first day?
I didn't ask him any more questions. I'll wait and see what their next move is.
However, I'm sure something will happen, possibly related to this transaction. The van drove to the entrance of the club, and a few of us got out. Qiangzi didn't come in with us, he stood outside smoking. I went to greet the lobby manager and then sat down with Xiao Hong.
Xiao Li saw Xiao Hong's new attire and came over, saying, "Sister Hong looks so beautiful today. Did your boyfriend buy it for you?"
I knew Xiao Li was saying it intentionally and was about to stop her, but Xiao Hong said, "Yes, my boyfriend bought me a lot of clothes, I change them daily, and no outfit is repeated for a week."
Xiao Li rolled her eyes in annoyance but had no comeback.
I felt Xiao Hong had matured; at least she knew how to shut people up. Before, she would have just endured it.
Xiao Li pouted and then pinched my waist hard. It hurt terribly, but I dared not cry out, pretending everything was normal.
I saw Wen Siqiang come in after finishing his cigarette, but he didn't come over to us; he went straight upstairs.
The manager didn't even question him when he went up, which meant Wen Siqiang had more influence here than I did.
Xiao Hong, not wanting to be outdone, took off her windbreaker and placed it on a stool. She then walked a few steps, asking me to look at her outfit to see if it looked good.
I could only give her a thumbs-up, indicating it looked good, afraid to make a sound. Xiao Li was still squeezing my flesh hard.
I had no choice but to hold Xiao Li's hand and flick her fingers a few times, signaling surrender, before she let go. I figured that part of my flesh was definitely bruised.
Women can be terrifying when they're angry; they really go for the kill!
At that moment, the manager called me over, saying that Mr. Liu wanted to see me upstairs.
I released Xiao Li's hand. She still looked at me with anger in her eyes. It seemed I wouldn't get away without some sacrifice. I gave her an OK sign, and she finally looked away. I went over, hugged Xiao Hong, and then headed upstairs.
In the office, both Mr. Chen and Mr. Liu were present. Wen Siqiang stood beside them, listening to Mr. Chen. Seeing me enter, Mr. Liu pointed to Mr. Chen's position and told me, like Wen Siqiang, to stand in front of Mr. Chen.
Mr. Chen said, "You've arrived at the perfect time. The day after tomorrow, you two will go to Nong Island to pick someone up. I'll arrange for someone to take you to scout the exact location tomorrow. We won't be there when you pick up the person. You two will take the car directly to bring the person back. Remember, once you have the person, return immediately. Don't say a word, and don't ask any questions. Can you two handle this?"
Wen Siqiang said, "Brother, I can do it." Then he nudged me, and I quickly added, "Don't worry, I promise I can do it."
Mr. Chen said, "Very well, a car will pick you two up tomorrow noon to go to Nong Island. When you get there, memorize the location clearly. No mistakes allowed. That's all. You two can go down now. Don't say anything you shouldn't, understand?"
We quickly nodded and said loudly, "Understood!" Then we hurried out the door.
I thought, what must come will come.
Wen Siqiang went downstairs with me. We didn't speak. I couldn't ask about this matter; asking would show I was suspicious. I could only pretend ignorance and willingly do their bidding.
The situation is rather complicated. Neither of them will show themselves, instead sending two outsiders like us for the rendezvous. They only mentioned picking up a person, not cargo. If anything goes wrong, they'll have no connection to it. We'll have to bear all the blame.
I must admit, they played a clever game.
Wen Siqiang didn't leave; he sat at the bar, drinking.
I didn't return to the group of women. They were all there, and they started bickering again, and I was the one who suffered.
I sat down next to Wen Siqiang and ordered a drink, being smarter this time by asking the waiter to add ice directly for me.
Wen Siqiang took out a cigarette and offered it to me. I took it and grabbed a lighter from the bar to light it.
After one puff, I didn't dare take another. I wasn't sure if he had taken any drugs. If he had put something in the cigarette, I would have fallen into his trap.
Although Wen Siqiang appeared to listen to me in every way, I couldn't trust him. If our positions were reversed, and I was the one beaten by Wen Siqiang outside the jade shop, would I be convinced? No, I would definitely seek revenge at the first opportunity! Therefore, I couldn't take any of his actions seriously; it was all just a show, a pretense of ignorance.
I took my drink and left my seat, pretending to go to the trash can to flick cigarette ash. I took the opportunity to extinguish the cigarette and throw it away, then stood by the dance floor watching guests dance.
There were also a group of women here who were outsiders. They specialized in dancing with guests who couldn't get to the higher levels. If they negotiated terms, they might go up to sing or even book a room. They didn't belong to the club, but they were the primary consumers of the bar, existing somewhere between guests and public relations.
Later, this group expanded to include male escorts. I once heard a story about a female escort upstairs who fell for a male escort in the bar. The female escort worked tirelessly, drinking and singing with guests to earn money, only to spend it on the male escort downstairs. She pursued him for a whole month and finally won him over, even posting on social media to show off. Little did she know, all the money she painstakingly earned for a month was gone, not a penny left.
This story happened in the 2010s. In the 1990s, the Ruili Club only had female escorts; male escorts did not exist yet.
At this moment, Wen Siqiang also walked over, glanced at me, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
I said, "What could I be thinking about? Making money, working hard to make money, saving enough to gamble on stones and strike it rich."
Wen Siqiang said, "So that's why you kept going to the jade shops. You want to gamble on stones? I heard that if you're not good at it, it can be fatal."
I said, "Everyone dies in the end, sooner or later. But what if I win? I could rise to the heavens in a single step!"
Wen Siqiang laughed, clearly disbelieving, and patted my shoulder, saying, "I have faith in you. If you ever gamble, count me in. I'll invest a share."
I said, "Sure, but I'll be gambling big. A share will still cost a lot of money."
He asked, "How much are you planning to gamble?"
I said, "From five hundred thousand to one million. You'll need at least two hundred thousand, or it won't be enough for a single round."
He replied, "Then forget it. I can't come up with that much."
I said, "Money is earned by people. If we follow the two bosses diligently, I think it's easy to earn this amount, don't you think?"
He paused for a moment, then realized what I was implying and smiled, saying, "Money earned with one's life, spent on gambling a stone, seems a bit of a waste."
I said, "What's the point of earning money if not to spend it? There's no such thing as a waste. If you're not interested in this, I won't force you. Anyway, I'm saving money for gambling on stones; I have no other interests."