He used to be a tough guy. He served two years in jail for seriously injuring someone in a fight, but was released for good behavior. He's incredibly ruthless. He still has a scar on his face, from being slashed with a knife. Even when he smiled, he looked like a butcher's grin; now, with his dark face, he's even more frightening. None of the madams dared to look him in the eye.
I deliberately leaned back lazily on the sofa, a cigarette between my fingers, a bottle of beer on the table in front of me, my eyes half-closed, not saying a word. When the other two supervisors came in, they wanted to greet me, but seeing my unfriendly expression, they subconsciously swallowed their words and sat down silently, smoking in silence.
Ten minutes later, Xiao Feng and A Qiang came in. Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Xiao Feng looked a little uneasy, but she was a woman who had been around in the entertainment industry, so she immediately forced a smile, swayed her hips as she walked to my side, and said with a smile, "Oh, Brother Xiao Wu, aren't you off today? I even told a few of my sisters that I was going to come see you tonight."
I raised my eyelids and gave her a cold look. She took a half step back, stung by my icy gaze. Seeing my gloomy expression, she subconsciously shut her mouth and quietly sat down.
Ah Qiang slowly walked to my side, and I could tell that his calm demeanor was mostly an act. The moment his butt touched the sofa, I abruptly spoke up: "Who told you to sit here?"
"Huh?" A-Qiang glanced at me somewhat guiltily.
I slowly sat up straight, leaving him standing there, then lowered my voice and said slowly, "I'm sure everyone is wondering why we're having this meeting today. Business has been good, and that's all thanks to everyone. The company has never shortchanged anyone, and you should all know that."
At this point, I glanced quickly at Ah Qiang, narrowed my eyes, and deliberately said in a nonchalant tone, "Everyone needs to make money, and the company needs to develop, so everything must follow the rules. If the rules are broken and something happens, everyone will be affected. I don't need to elaborate on this; everyone here understands, right?"
By this point, I had sat up straight, my hands resting on the table, looking down at everyone. Everyone was expressionless, but a few who had been there longer and knew me well showed a hint of fear in their eyes.
"Alright, since no one has any objections, I'll get straight to the point." I looked at a fair-skinned young man with glasses sitting near the door and said, "Look, you're in charge of the company's finances. Did you bring what I asked you to make?"
Ah Kan nodded, stood up, and handed me something. He was the company's accountant, in charge of the books. If you were to ask who in the company was closest to Huan Ge, besides me, it would be him.
I picked up what I was holding, glanced at it, and read aloud in a cold tone: "Last month, someone took advantage of their position to claim over 60,000 yuan in company expenses... What a huge amount!" I looked at Qiang: "Brother Qiang, can you explain this?"
Ah Qiang had fully realized that tonight's situation was aimed at him. After all, he wasn't a complete idiot. He quickly masked his slight panic and raised his voice, "Xiao Wu, what right do you have to ask me that? We're all company managers. How much I sign and how much I reimburse is none of your business, is it? Besides, managers have the authority to sign contracts, but you don't?"
I snorted: "I did! I signed just as many contracts as you last month, over 50,000 in total. But I only signed with big clients, more than half of which were with Boss Ma. And Boss Ma spent over 400,000 at the company last month! And you, Qiang, how much did your clients sell last month? Less than 40,000!"
Ah Qiang's face paled slightly, but he quickly recovered and shouted, "Xiao Wu, you're clearly picking on me! I did sign a few more deals last month, but that was to please the customers. If they're happy, they'll naturally come back next time! I don't need to explain that to them! If you want to deal with me, you don't need to use so many tricks! I know you're Huan Ge's man, but this place doesn't belong to Huan Ge alone! You, Xiao Wu, can't control everything!"
Hearing his words, instead of anger, a faint smile gradually appeared on my face. I slowly stood up, walked to his side, and gently patted his shoulder. Ah Qiang was startled, but seeing that I was only patting his shoulder and didn't do anything else, he didn't flinch.
“Very good.” I said with a smile, “Brother Qiang, you’re right, I’m here to deal with you today. But you’re wrong about one thing. I’m not trying to control everything. My power isn’t that great! But I’ve made it very clear today that there are rules to follow when doing things in the company.”
I gently placed the bill in front of him and whispered, "We can settle the bill later. Now, I have another question for you. Last month, someone in the club opened a 'hit room,' right?"
Ah Qiang's expression froze!
"Hi-bao" is an abbreviation that generally refers to someone bringing ecstasy to a nightclub, booking a private room, hiring a few prostitutes, closing the door, and taking drugs together for a slutty party.
This kind of thing happens in many entertainment venues, especially some low-end discos and nightclubs. However, generally, slightly higher-class places refuse customers to participate in this activity.
The reason is that these "hit bags" are a target of severe crackdowns by the police, and they are inherently dangerous!
There have been cases in this city where people have died from drug overdoses during group drug-fueled orgys! People who enjoy drugs, once they get carried away, have absolutely no self-control. Besides, it's such a dangerous activity; we nightclub owners don't make much extra money, and we're taking on such a huge risk for nothing. That's why many high-end establishments no longer allow customers to use drugs.
If everyone does business honestly, they've already made enough money.
In our establishment, Brother Huan once set a rule: no ecstasy, no heroin. Although these two things are very lucrative, the money is too hot to handle.
Moreover, most prostitutes are unwilling to accompany customers on drug use... Everyone knows that once you get involved with this stuff, the harm is endless. Once you get involved with drugs, at best you'll be bankrupt, and at worst you'll be ruined and your family will be destroyed!
Ah Qiang's eyes darted around, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Xiao Wu, don't wrong me. If you're so capable, show me the evidence."
I know he's just putting on a brave face, but I really don't have any proof, because I wasn't there on those nights when they were having sex. Besides, the girls involved were all Xiao Feng's subordinates, and no one dared to speak out because of Xiao Feng and A Qiang's power.
I was too careless for a while, and I didn't even notice these things happening in the venue!
Fortunately, nothing serious has happened yet.
I maintained my smile and said, "Brother Qiang, I really don't have any evidence. But we're not the police; we don't need evidence for everything."
I was still smiling when I suddenly grabbed his shirt by the collar and pulled him down hard! At the same time, I slammed my knee into his face! Ah Qiang screamed, and a burst of blood erupted from his face. He went limp and covered his nose with his hands.
I picked him up, and Awei came up beside me, grabbed his hands and placed them on the table, straightening his fingers one by one. Aqiang struggled desperately, but in the hands of the burly Awei, he was no more effective than a chicken waiting to be slaughtered.
I patted A-Qiang's hand on the table, took a deep breath, picked up the bottle, and smashed it down!
Ah Qiang screamed like a pig being slaughtered, but I didn't change my expression. I grabbed the bottle and smashed it down again!
"I'll ask you one more time, about the party room thing, did it happen?"
Ah Qiang could only scream in agony, too exhausted to speak. I smiled, and with a swift motion, I smashed the bottle!
"Brother Qiang, I'm waiting for your answer. Do you have it or not?" My tone was so gentle that there wasn't a trace of murderous intent in it. After I finished speaking, I hit it again.
On the table, Ah Qiang's hand was a bloody mess, blood flowing everywhere! The people sitting around him were all ashen-faced, and although a few of them looked somewhat distressed, none of them dared to speak.
Those sitting here are all managers of the venue, not ordinary people, and they have seen similar scenes before.
By the fifth time I smashed the bottle in my hand, Ah Qiang no longer had the strength to shout; his body was limp like a puddle of mud: "...Yes, yes, yes..."
I shrugged, looked at everyone, and laughed, "See, everyone, I didn't wrong him, did I?"
After saying that, I picked up the bottle again and smashed it down hard. As Ah Qiang screamed in agony, a sinister smile appeared on my face: "So, I heard that you forced your subordinate princess into the water, is that true?"
"Yes! Yes, yes!" Snot and tears streamed down A-Qiang's face, and he couldn't even cry anymore: "Brother Xiao Wu, please... spare... me!"
I shook my head and said gently, "Qiang, it's not that I'm not going to forgive you. The company rules were set by Brother Huan. No one can break the rules, and if you break the rules, you will be punished! You should have understood this from the first day you joined the company."
After saying that, I raised the bottle and slammed it hard on his head. With a bang, the bottle shattered, shards of glass flying everywhere, and the liquor mixed with his blood, tears, and snot streamed down his face.
I took a breath and gestured for Awei and the others to let go of him. Aqiang was too weak to move and slid softly to the ground, unable to even groan.
I quickly wiped away the few drops of blood that had splattered on my face, dusted off my clothes, took a cigarette from Awei, lit it, took a drag, and then slowly sat down. Looking at everyone, I said calmly, "That's it for today. Everyone, it's not that I, Xiao Wu, am heartless. It's just that he broke the rules. I've said it before, I don't have absolute power, but if someone breaks the rules, they'd better watch their hands! If I find out anyone is doing anything underhanded..." I paused here, deliberately giving Xiao Feng a deep look. Xiao Feng's face turned pale, and her body trembled as if she had a seizure, before slowly continuing, "Then don't blame me for turning my back on you. As for forcing the female waitresses into the water, I've said it before: if they want to earn money in the water, I don't care. But if they were forced by other means, humph, I'm making this clear today: whoever causes trouble, the company will come after them! We're all in business, and harmony brings wealth. Let's not make everyone unhappy!"
After a pause, a smile returned to my face: "We're all company employees. As long as you work hard to make money for the company and follow the company rules, the company will definitely protect you."
Then I stood up, smiling at everyone: "I've finished speaking, everyone... no one objects, right?"
Part One: In the Martial World, Unable to Control One's Own Fate, Chapter Thirteen: The Luck Maniac
The matter did not end so simply.
That night, A-Qiang had his leg broken and disappeared from nightclubs. I knew that Brother Huan had given the order: he wasn't allowed to make a living in this city, and no place in the city would take him in!
This was already a way out left by Huan Ge; otherwise, the gigolo would probably have had no choice but to sell his body.
I didn't touch Xiaofeng.
After all, Xiaofeng and Aqiang are different. Aqiang gets paid by the company and is considered a company employee; no one can say anything about what we do to him. But Xiaofeng is just a madam who takes girls to her establishment; she's not considered a company employee, she just hangs out at our place to make a living.
According to the rules, we have no reason to touch her. The turnover rate for madams is very high; they can leave this place today and find work at another place tomorrow, as long as they still have girls working for them.
Although Huan could easily eliminate her with just one sentence, that would be too abusive and against the rules.
When you're making a living in the underworld, sometimes you can't go too far.
After this incident, the only thing that surprised me was that the waitress who was forced into prostitution by Xiao Feng actually chose to continue working as a prostitute, but she switched to working for Mary.
This surprised me, and at the same time, I felt a little lost.
Perhaps this is just how the world is: it's easy to fall into depravity, but it's very difficult to break free.
Only a few managers from various nightclubs witnessed the entire incident, but it quickly became the talk of the town, probably because the madams were too talkative. The next day, when I went to work, I saw all the girls looking at me with strange eyes, their expressions a mix of excitement and fear—it was all very complicated.
Later I realized that I had that almost sinister smile on my face, and then, with a cold-blooded attitude, I broke Ah Qiang's hands amidst his screams of agony. In many people's eyes, this was a very perverted act...
However, these young ladies probably think it's very cool.
Actually, this wasn't the first time I'd experienced something like this. Dealing with Ah Qiang was a minor matter; he was just a nobody, a gigolo who relied on his female shareholder's influence. Taking him down wasn't difficult at all. The show I put on that day was actually to intimidate the others in the room.
I realized that I've really let my guard down lately. Deep down, I seem to have developed an instinctive aversion to life in this kind of place.
It feels like after living in a dark environment for a long time, you yearn for sunlight.
During the day, I suddenly felt a bit bored. I grabbed a jacket and went for a stroll.
Because I always work at night, my sleep schedule is mostly reversed. My habit is to get up at four or five o'clock in the afternoon and go to bed at six or seven o'clock in the morning.
As far as I can remember, it seems like it's been a long time since I've gone out shopping during the day.
Feeling a bit bored, I called Aze. As soon as he answered, he started cursing, "You'll get your comeuppance for disturbing someone's sleep, you little brat!" and then hung up.
I called Qiaoqiao again, but a beautiful young girl answered the phone. I politely asked Qiaoqiao to take the call, and she told me in a sweet voice that she was taking a shower...
I sensed a hint of ambiguity in those words, and then I hung up the phone politely.
Disturbing a young couple's intimacy will also bring retribution.
Even though the other couple are two women.
Standing on the street, I was feeling the heat of the sun, probably because I hadn't been in the sun for so long, and it made my eyes a little blurry. I squatted by the roadside, smoked a cigarette, and glanced at the beautiful women passing by. Based on their walking posture and the frequency and amplitude of their waist swaying, I secretly judged which were virgins and which were not.
After an hour, apart from two middle school students wearing school uniforms and carrying backpacks, I mentally labeled all the others as not virgins.
"This damn world," I cursed, then stood up and prepared to find some wood to kill time.
The clinic where Mu Tou works is in a nearby neighborhood. To outsiders, it's an insult that a top medical student and surgical genius has been demoted from a major hospital to a community clinic. But Mu Tou seems to be quite pleased with himself.
His job was very easy. The community clinic didn't handle any serious illnesses; it was mostly for people with minor ailments like headaches, fevers, or colds who would come in for medication. They basically treated the clinic like a pharmacy. People in the neighborhood didn't trust these small clinics, and even for minor illnesses, they preferred to go to a large hospital.
The only time of year that Mu Tou is busy is in the spring when he conducts physical examinations for the residents of the community.
The rest of the time, he mostly sits in the office swatting flies.
When I walked into the clinic, Mu Tou was engrossed in a comic book. This was one of Mu Tou's quirks! This top medical student, considered a genius by his professors, a seemingly simple-minded person, surprisingly had a hobby typically associated with teenage boys… reading Japanese comics!
And... it's a shoujo manga!
This is an absolutely chilling and bizarre scene!
It's like telling you that Osama bin Laden spent his spare time from his terrorist activities volunteering at kindergartens and playing games like "drop the handkerchief" with the children...
The first time I visited Mu Tou's house, I was amazed by the two whole bookshelves full of comics!
From CLAMP's RG Veda series to manga like "Daughter of the Nile" and "Love Hina," which are typically only popular with young girls, his bookshelves and bedside table were filled with them...
I had always thought that Mu Tou was the kind of medical fanatic who held a gleaming scalpel, wore a white coat, had a pale face, and a melancholy and cold gaze.
When he saw me come in, Mu Tou just glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, continued to read a comic book, and quickly flicked the cigarette pack on the table to me with his other hand as a greeting.
I sat in front of the wooden box with a smile, completely ignoring the no-smoking rule in the clinic, and lit a cigarette.
This clinic doesn't even have a single patient all day, so why bother with all these formalities?
"Dr. Mu, I'm not feeling well," I said, deliberately making a face.
Without looking up, a cold voice came from behind the book: "Go out the door, turn left, take the bus to the station, go four stops, turn right, cross the intersection, and you'll find the mental hospital."
Depend on!
Chatting with a blockhead is a painful experience, because you can often say a hundred things and he might not say a single word.
But I'm used to this by now. I forcibly snatched the comic from his hand, and then bravely met his gaze under his cold, unyielding stare. Finally, a hint of helplessness appeared in his eyes: "So, what's wrong?"