One of the boys said ingratiatingly, "Fifth Brother, how about we take you home first? The security isn't good at night."
I pretended to kick him and laughed, "What are you giving me? I'm not a girl, what's there to give me? You guys should go back now."
Di suddenly spoke in a low voice, "I...I'll take Fifth Brother back."
I glanced at her, and she immediately blushed, avoiding my gaze. She seemed somewhat startled and quickly said, "I... Fifth Brother, you stood up for me tonight. Let me take you home, otherwise I'll feel bad." As she finished speaking, she gently twisted the hem of her clothes with both hands, her eyes showing a hint of panic.
The boy next to him was about to say something when his companion gave him a light kick, and he immediately realized what was happening. Both of them had ambiguous expressions on their faces.
I could guess with my toes what filthy thoughts those two guys were having! I'm just too lazy to waste my breath arguing with them.
I waved them away, and the girl next to me cautiously walked over, took my arm, and led me outside.
I smelled a faint, pleasant fragrance on her, not perfume, but more like the faint scent of soap on her clothes.
How long has it been since I've seen such a pure and innocent girl?
I chuckled to myself. The place where I work has been completely devoid of innocence for ages.
Over the years, I've seen many initially innocent girls enter this industry, only to transform into little vixens within months. They used to blush when they spoke, but later they could seduce men with just their eyes.
After taking a couple of steps, I suddenly felt like teasing her: "Are you very afraid of me?"
"No! No!" She quickly shook her head. "Everyone says you're a good person and take good care of us. You're always willing to stand up for us when something happens. I heard them say that of the four managers in the company, you're the best."
A good person?
I shook my head. A good person? Hmph... How could someone in my line of work be associated with the word "good person"?
However, I started from the bottom in the company, so I know how hard it is for the people below me. Therefore, I am usually very kind to them and considerate of them.
Just as I reached the hospital entrance, a van pulled up in front of me, and several men jumped out and ran into the hospital. I could tell these guys weren't good people; some had shaved heads, some had dyed blonde hair, and two had tattoos on their necks—they were obviously thugs.
I didn't pay any attention at first, but then these guys ran into the hospital lobby and helped a few people out of a ward. When I looked, I realized they were the same three people I had beaten up earlier!
Damn! What a coincidence! These three guys also came to this hospital for treatment!
But thinking about it, it's not surprising. This is the closest hospital to the nightclub. When someone is injured, they will naturally choose the nearest hospital for treatment.
But this kind of coincidence wasn't a good thing for me. Sure enough, one of them had sharp eyes and spotted me from afar!
My heart sank, and I knew something was wrong.
I know my own limitations. Normally, I wouldn't even consider these guys a threat, but now my head is bandaged, I'm dizzy and lightheaded, and my fighting ability has obviously dropped several levels. Besides, I only have this little girl with me right now. I should have just let those two bastards leave earlier.
"Damn it! Stop that man and woman!!" the guy who saw me yelled.
I immediately panicked, grabbed Xiaodi's arm and shouted, "Run!"
The girl saw the man too, and naturally recognized him. She turned pale with fright, grabbed him, and ran outside.
Before the others could figure out what was happening, the guy who saw me shouted again, "That man is the one who hit me!"
That's it, five or six people suddenly realized what was happening and pounced on me. Some even pulled out daggers or similar weapons from their pockets.
I didn't have time to worry about being dizzy; I grabbed the girl and ran as fast as I could. But being injured and drunk, my legs were a bit weak. The girl wasn't running very fast to begin with. Seeing the people behind us getting closer and closer, I suddenly grabbed a bicycle from the roadside and pushed it backward, using the momentum to slow them down a couple of steps. Looking up, I saw a taxi parked on the side of the road ahead. I immediately mustered my strength, rushed over, opened the door, shoved the girl inside first, then jumped in myself, yelling, "Drive! Drive! Drive!!"
The taxi driver was startled. Seeing my head wrapped in bandages and several menacing-looking guys chasing after me, he hesitated for a moment, then I shouted again, "Aren't you going to drive?! If you catch up, we'll smash your car!"
Those words worked; the driver stepped on the gas, and the car shot off. Only after the shouts and curses from behind faded into the distance did I breathe a sigh of relief. I said "thank you" to the driver, then suddenly realized I was lying on the girl's lap.
We both rushed into the car, and now I'm lying on the back seat, pressed against the girl. She's half-reclined, face up, with my legs on top of hers, my head almost touching her full breasts. Her pretty face is flushed, as if she's trying too hard to speak, her face full of shyness, her eyes watery, yet she seems afraid to look at me.
The air seemed to freeze for a moment. My nose was filled with the girl's sweet fragrance, and her beauty made me feel dizzy. There was fear in her eyes, but even more so, shyness. Finally, she gently bit her lip, her voice so low it was almost inaudible: "Fifth Brother... can you... can you get up?"
I coughed and quickly sat up straight, being extremely careful not to touch her again.
I admit I'm not a good person. Working in a nightclub, I'm definitely not a gentleman when it comes to women. But deep down, I have a lot of respect for these pure girls.
Perhaps because they've seen so much filth, they have all the more respect and cherish this rare purity in modern society.
I could tell that the girl's eyes were very pure; it wasn't an act of feigned innocence, but a genuine clarity.
"Your name is Xiaodi, right?" I sat up straight, deliberately hiding my embarrassment, and smiled, "How long have you been working at the company?"
"Fifth Brother, my surname is Yan, and my name is Yan Di. Today is my third day at work." Yan Di's expression was a mix of shyness and something else. He sat down carefully next to me, seemed to hesitate for a moment, and then leaned closer to straighten the gauze on my head. It had gotten a little crooked when we were running away earlier.
When she tugged at the gauze, a burning pain shot through the wound on my head. Startled, she pulled her hand away and looked at me timidly: "Did I hurt you?"
I shook my head: "It's nothing."
Then he realized he hadn't told the driver where he was going. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Yan Di, where do you live? Let me take you home first."
"No need, I'll take you there first." The girl shook her head, her voice soft but firm.
I live in the south of the city, on a small street in the old town. It's known for its complex environment.
The so-called "complex environment" refers to the relatively chaotic public security. This area is home to all the low-end hair salons, small nightclubs, and various food stalls. Even at two or three in the morning, you can see all sorts of thugs loitering on the streets. Often, in the dead of night, petty criminals will start fighting over a mere disagreement.
The main reason I live here is that the rent around here is very cheap.
I live on the third floor of an old-fashioned building. Before going upstairs, Yan Di suddenly pulled me into a small convenience store next door and bought two anti-inflammatory pills.
I just remembered that I forgot to pick up my medicine at the hospital.
Then she helped me upstairs. In the dark stairwell, I could feel the girl struggling to support me. She seemed a little tired, panting heavily, but she tried her best to suppress it so I wouldn't hear. There was also some damp sweat on her palms.
I don't know why, but it felt like a soft spot in my heart was gently touched, and I was suddenly moved.
I can't remember the last time I was cared for so tenderly and attentively. It seems like I only experienced this kind of warmth when I was living with my master.
As I was thinking, a strange feeling suddenly arose in my heart, as if I was reluctant to leave. Without realizing it, I leaned closer to her.
The girl didn't notice, assuming I was just weak from the injury, and continued to help me climb the steps one by one.
"Fifth Brother, why are you willing to stand up for me tonight?" In the darkness, it seemed as if a pair of bright eyes were watching me.
I took a deep breath, turned my head away, not daring to meet that gaze, hesitated for a moment, and tried to speak in a calm tone: "You are different from those girls. They hang out in the club. But you work for the company and get paid by the company, so I'm going to protect you."
After a moment of silence, I heard a gentle voice.
"Brother Xiao Wu, thank you... I know you're a good person. I heard from them that if other managers were in this situation, they would have pushed me out long ago and would never offend a customer for the sake of a waiter like me."
I remained silent, seemingly instinctively, unable to accept that pure gratitude.
"You're wrong, I'm not a good person," I replied sullenly.
Hmph, a good person? Do I deserve it...?
Part One: In the Martial World, Unable to Control One's Own Fate, Chapter Four: The Taste of Pain and Joy
We finally made it home, and both of us were exhausted. Yan Di was exhausted from carrying me, a grown man. As for me, I was in a lot of pain.
Why do I feel so bad?
Nonsense... I'm a young man full of vigor, and I had a few drinks tonight. I was half-carried in the arms of a charming and lovely young woman for so long. If it were you, wouldn't you feel "uncomfortable"?
As soon as I entered, Yan Di stared blankly at the two large suitcases in the living room. I smiled and explained, "I'm moving out of this apartment in a week. These are my packed belongings."
Yan Di helped me into the bedroom and lay me down. Then she ran to the bathroom and handed me a warm, damp towel a moment later. After I wiped my face, she quickly brought me a cup of hot water and some anti-inflammatory medicine.
Looking at the sweat on her forehead, I realized that when we went upstairs, I had almost deliberately clung to her, making this rather weak girl bear almost my entire weight as we went up to the third floor.
"Alright, sit down and rest for a bit." I was touched, took the cup, and swallowed the pills under her gentle gaze. Only then did Yan Di smile.
Under the light, I found her smile to be very charming. There was a small dimple on the left corner of her mouth, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards like a crescent moon, giving her a slightly playful look.
"Brother Xiao Wu, are you hungry?" Yan Di asked me in a soft voice. "I can smell alcohol on you. You must have drunk a lot tonight. My mother told me that it's easy to get hungry at night after drinking."
I smiled and said, "You seem to know quite a lot. Okay, I'm fine, you can go back now. This area isn't very safe, so take a taxi whenever you go out. The company will reimburse you tomorrow."
After saying that, I felt a little dizzy. Yan Di noticed that I was listless, leaned over, gently helped me lie down, and then helped me take off my coat. I then realized that I was still wearing my work suit, which had a puddle of vomit on it. I remembered that it was from that guy in the private room who had been kicked in the stomach by me that night, and I couldn't help but feel nauseous.
Yan Di covered me with a blanket, wiped my face with a towel, then left the bedroom with my clothes, closing the door behind her.
The air in the room still carried the faint fragrance of Yan Di. I don't know why, but I slept very soundly that night, and I even seemed to dream about scenes from my childhood.
Back then, practicing kung fu with my master was tough. I was often spanked by him with a bamboo stick, but after that, he would always stew a pot of pork rib soup for us to drink every night.
That pork rib soup smelled so good it made our mouths water! Eventually, we kids were in a constant state of conflict, and some even deliberately neglected our training to get a beating. Because everyone knew that if we gritted our teeth and endured the beating, we'd get a delicious bowl of pork rib soup that night.
It was from that time that I understood what it meant to experience "pain and pleasure at the same time"...
I had such a warm and sweet dream all night. When I woke up in the morning, I had a smile on my face. I touched the top of my head, and it didn't hurt as much anymore.
Stepping out of the bedroom, I saw a suit hanging in the bathroom—the very suit I'd taken off last night, now washed clean. Not only the suit, but even the few dirty pieces of underwear I'd tossed in a basin in the bathroom were washed and hung up. The thermos in the kitchen was full; the house looked spotless. The floor had clearly been swept, and the kitchen cabinets had obviously been wiped clean.
This girl is so adorably silly. I told her I was moving soon, and she still cleaned the house for me...
As I looked at all this, a strange feeling of emotion welled up inside me. I didn't even dare to reach out and touch the things around me, afraid that if I did, I would dirty these clean things.
In the morning, Huan called me.
Huan is my boss, and the Golden Splendor Entertainment Center is his business.
This man is a legendary figure in the city. Legend has it that twenty years ago he went to a coastal city in the south with only 1,000 yuan, where he supposedly smuggled electronics and gold, and later opened a seafood restaurant. Eight years ago, he returned to his hometown with a large sum of money, and now he's a big shot in the city! Besides his "Golden Splendor" restaurant, he also owns two Western restaurants and a seafood hot pot restaurant. Two years ago, he invested in a local taxi company, and now a quarter of the taxis on the city's streets are under his company's name.
This person is a very influential figure in the city, as evidenced by the fact that the Golden Splendor Entertainment Center has never been subject to any official inspections.
To outsiders, Jinbihuihuang appears to be located within a famous five-star hotel in the city. However, this entertainment center has no connection to the hotel whatsoever; it merely rents space from the hotel and is entirely Huan Ge's private property.
Huan-ge is very kind to his subordinates, a very generous person, and he's also good to me. One of his favorite sayings is: "You work for the company, you get paid by the company, so you're one of the company's people, and the company will definitely protect you!"
I often say this to my nightclub employees now.
Huan once said that in two years I should quit working at the nightclub and come work for him. He trusted me a lot, which is why I became a manager at the Golden Splendor nightclub at such a young age. He especially admired that I had worked there for five years, starting as a waiter and working my way up. He also took good care of me. What others didn't know was that my salary was the highest among the four managers at the nightclub. With Huan supporting me, when he wasn't around, I was practically the boss of the nightclub.
"Xiao Wu, I heard there was trouble at the place last night, and you got hurt a little?" Huan Ge's voice came from the phone. His voice was very soft, a very pleasant baritone, and his tone was always calm and composed, as if he always had the upper hand.
"Well, it's nothing. A few guests got drunk and caused a little trouble."
“Young man, you’d better be careful. You know I value you a lot. Don’t be so hasty in handling things in the future. Some things don’t need to be done personally; just delegate them to your subordinates. And Ah Wei and the others, we pay them so much every month; they’re not just there for nothing. If you have to do these things yourself, then just let them go.” Huan Ge said calmly, “You should rest today. Don’t go to work tonight. Remember to go to the hospital for a follow-up appointment, otherwise, if you damage your head, no one will practice boxing with me anymore.”
The "Awei" he mentioned was the head of security at the venue.
We don't have any gangsters here.
Don't assume that everyone in our line of work is connected to the underworld. Take Brother Huan, for example, who is a powerful figure in this city. He's not a member of the underworld, but what underworld member would dare to mess with him?
Besides, we run a high-end establishment; the customers who come in are either relatively wealthy or have some status. If we had a few burly, menacing gangsters guarding the place every day, wouldn't that scare all the customers away?
I knew Huan was joking with me, so I grinned and said, "I'm fine, Huan."
"Okay, I'm glad you're alright." Huan paused for a moment, then suddenly asked me, "How's A-Qiang doing lately?"