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墨書 Inktalez
1. I reported the situation to Deputy Director An, who took it seriously, but he never informed me of any progress. He would occasionally ask me a few questions, but I was not a professional; I merely provided information and had no interest in how he operated.
During this time, Sister Hong seemed to be attending more social gatherings. A few times, she returned to the shop at night reeking of alcohol, and during the day, she appeared troubled. This was unusual. In our line of work, many people have their taboos. From what I understood, Sister Hong didn't even have a close friend. So who was she drinking with? Why did she always drink so much?
I was worried about her but didn't know how to approach her about it. One day, Sister Hong called me, "Xiao Lin, come with me to an event tonight." She asked me to help her carry a bag that felt hard; it must have been money.
I couldn't hold back any longer. "Sister, why do you often give them money?"
Sister Hong paused for a moment and said, "Sigh, it's complicated. I'm just confused; it's easy to get on a pirate ship but hard to get off!"
The car turned left and right until we reached a parking lot. Damn it, it was Heavenly Abode again. We went up to a private room on the third floor. What a coincidence—the organizer was Pretty Boy, who had bullied Sister Hong last time and whom I had beaten up. Beside him was Scarface, lighting cigarettes and pouring drinks.
When Pretty Boy saw me, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. He jumped up and shouted, "You dare come here? I'll make sure you regret it!" He grabbed a wine glass from the table and hurled it at me. I reached out and caught it in my hand, shooting him a fierce glare that made his voice choke in his throat.
In my hand, the glass shattered as I "accidentally" squeezed too hard. Scarface shot him a look while telling the security guards who had entered, "It's fine; it's fine; you can go." Then he turned to me and said, "Little brother, come sit next to me; it's all a misunderstanding."
Misunderstanding my ass; your hat is practically turning green with envy. Pretty Boy rolled his eyes at me in frustration as I sat down without acknowledging him.
Dishes began to arrive—cold ones, hot ones—plentiful and lavish. Drinks followed: red wine, white wine, and beer. But judging by the atmosphere, the drinks were not good quality, nor was this a pleasant gathering.
2. The drinking party progressed slowly. Through their conversations, I gradually learned that Pretty Boy was actually the brother-in-law of the general manager of Heavenly Abode and also the head of security there, while Brother Dao was an assistant in security at Heavenly Abode.
If Brother Dao knew that his boss almost slept with his woman, I wondered if he would still act so subservient in front of Pretty Boy.
They were discussing money continuously.
Pretty Boy smiled insincerely and said, "Boss Hong, prices are rising like they've sprouted wings; shouldn't our payment go up too? Don't worry; I'm not greedy—originally it was fifty thousand; let's raise it by twenty thousand for a total of seventy thousand. How about that? Honestly, it's not much..."
Sister Hong looked troubled. "Water Brother, I know very well that without you in the middle, there would be no Wanhau... But the company's profits really aren't that great right now, so I hope you can understand!"
Water Brother lowered his head to sip his tea. "Business isn't done like that. Look at that bastard Chen Senran; he dares to charge eight thousand for the most ordinary Urn, and even the worst graveyard he asks for fifty thousand. You're too soft-hearted. If this continues, you'll ruin the business. When it comes to commerce, we need to speak plainly, don't you think?"
He continued, "Also, stop bringing just anyone into the shop. If they don't work out, send them away. You could save a few thousand each month..." He glanced at me as he spoke.
That was his way of refusing Sister Hong's request.
What did Wanhau have to do with that bastard?
I wasn't quite sure and didn't want to interrupt, so I focused on my food.
Scarface kept insisting I drink. "Little brother, anyone who can fight can drink. Come on, let's get to know each other better." Although his words sounded friendly, I sensed some kind of conspiracy in the exchanged glances between him and Pretty Boy.
I declined, "Brother, I'm not feeling well; I've caught a cold. Can we do this another day? I'll arrange it then and treat Scarface separately!"
I felt a deep aversion towards this "brother-in-law."
—His woman was negotiating with someone else while he stood by without saying a word. Was he even a man?
Pretty Boy then laid out his terms. He took out a tall glass and filled it with 52-degree liquor, raising it toward Sister Hong. "How about this? You drink one cup, and I'll reduce three million from here. Deal?"
Seeing Sister Hong's troubled expression, he turned to me: "Or you could drink too; one cup will also reduce three million!"
Noticing Sister Hong's struggle, I reached for the glass and downed the liquor in one go without acknowledging her gaze.
I slammed the glass back onto the table. "Pour it again!"
I downed five cups in a row. Each time Pretty Boy poured more liquor, I forced myself to endure it; to them, I must have looked drenched in sweat, my hands soaked with tissues.
Sister Hong anxiously tried to stop me, her face pale, but she never dared to confront Pretty Boy directly. "Water Brother, please understand; it's not easy for me as a woman dealing with death every day! Boss Chen has been doing this for years; there are many things I haven't learned from him!"
...
In the end, Pretty Boy relented a bit. "Alright, beautiful lady, considering Scarface and these five cups of liquor, let's settle on fifty-five thousand; it can't be any less!"
Before Sister Hong could respond, Scarface quickly expressed his gratitude. "Thank you, Water Brother; I'm grateful for your kindness... Let me toast you..."
This scarred man was nothing but a coward without any backbone.
Sister Hong shot Scarface a glance but said nothing more; she lifted her glass and drank it down herself.
With the negotiations concluded, it was time for the gathering to disperse.
The waitress in a qipao brought over some juice. In the meantime, I ate the dishes they passed around and drank from the same pot of tea as them. As everything came to an end, I casually picked up a cup of Fruit Sweat.
Sister Hong raised her cup and clinked it with mine. I took a sip, and the icy sensation was refreshing. After finishing the Fruit Sweat, Sister Hong stood up, and I followed suit. Suddenly, her bag slipped from her hand and fell to the ground. I wanted to help her pick it up, but suddenly felt dizzy and unsteady on my feet.
Water Brother stood up, his face contorted in anger as he shouted at me, "Damn it! Last time you ruined my plans and gave me a black eye. Today, you're in my hands—let's see how I deal with you! What's wrong with your sister? I'm going to have some fun with her right in front of you!"
In my vision, Sister Hong had already slumped down to the ground, and I felt stars dancing before my eyes. Brother Dao smiled even more obsequiously, "Water Brother, you have no idea what she's like—soft and alluring..."
I collapsed as well, lying there unable to move, my consciousness gradually fading. In a daze, I saw Sister Hong being laid out limply on a hastily cleaned table, her clothes being violently torn open by Pretty Boy...
As the world spun around me, Brother Dao kicked me in the chest. "Damn it! You dare kick me? Today you'll know what I'm capable of!"
A few security guards wielding batons rushed in, swinging their weapons mercilessly at my body, head, arms, and legs. The pain kept me barely conscious, but I couldn't move; my limbs had completely lost feeling. The house, tables and chairs, floor, shadows of people... everything around me was swirling.
Water Brother's lewd laughter and Scar's furious shouts echoed in my ears. In the last moment before losing consciousness, my hand finally managed to press against something at my waist.
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