"This place really is a district of passion and lust!" Xiao Lin laughed heartily. "Just wandering around these past couple of days, I’ve noticed hotels and those dainty little shops everywhere. Big brother, why don’t you point us to a clean place for so fun. Safety is quite important, you know."
With that, Xiao Lin hooked the boss into his embrace, feigning a lascivious intent. For n, it’s quite normal to drink and talk about won—young or old, they’re all the sa. If you’re too serious, you just co off as bizarre.
"Hahaha, if you’re asking about that, honestly, I don’t know. But I do know soone who’s very familiar with the flora and fauna of this region, the station head up front. He’s like the local emperor here, nothing happens that he doesn’t know about."
"Ah, Director Zhao, right? We’ve crossed paths. I even saw him grabbing a drink from your place last ti!" Xiao Lin seized the chance to ask.
"Yeah, we’ve known each other for ages. Ever since I opened this shop, that precinct has been there. I’ve renovated twice, and it’s still the sa. The officials in our area are poor, you know. The director is in his forties and still hasn’t found a wife, but spends all his ti mingling with won. If you want to find a girl, I can ask him to take you to have so fun." The boss looked around cautiously and lowered his voice. "My wife keeps a close watch, or I’d join you too, hahaha."
"Hey, boss, what’s the reputation of the person you sent out today around these parts?" Hua Qingyi pulled the boss away from Xiao Lin, pointing and shouting at him as if he were drunk, showing his displeasure at being ignored. Xiao Lin looked at him, holding back laughter. It’s not easy pretending to be drunk when your expression doesn’t change.
"Oh, that guy!" The boss, pulled over by force, raised his glass to Hua Qingyi. "You both should definitely avoid him. He’s ruthless in business."
"Oh!" Hua Qingyi exclaid in mock surprise. "What do you an by that?"
"He’s the local tyrant, does everything. Because he’s part of the Wang Family, no one dares to say anything. Every year, he smooths things over with so major figures here with his monetary offerings. I heard he’s recently gotten into the dangerous goods business, and it’s quite the hot topic." The boss lowered his voice, careful not to speak too openly with other diners nearby.
"We ca here because we heard he’s got the connections for that kind of business. You know it’s our first ti here, we don’t know the area well."
The innkeeper quickly turned his head, waving his hand at Xiao Lin and his companion. "You guys are young, don’t ss around. This kind of business could get you executed, just like what happened with Ah San."
"Ah San?" Xiao Lin paused, hesitated a little, then continued. "You an the guy rumored to be involved with the woman by the lake?"
"Yes, it’s surprising how you two, being outsiders, know about these rumors!"
"In a place this small, you hear things just by wandering around." Xiao Lin lit a cigarette, while Hua Qingyi poured the boss a drink. "Are the rumors true?"
The boss squinted his eyes, his expression a little pained. "Ah San is a young man who, at heart, isn’t bad. He often cos to my shop for odd jobs to earn so pocket money. He’s not the best-looking guy, but he’s got a kind heart. As for the rumors about him and Xiao i being a couple, I find it hard to believe. While working here, I never saw them interact. She’s always dressed to the nines, working in a place full of glitz, earning money from n. Do you really think she’d be interested in soone struggling with odd jobs at my shop?"
Xiao Lin nodded along. "Ah San and Lao Zhao were always together, like father and son, and I never heard Lao Zhao say anything about him having a girlfriend, so I don’t believe such rumors either."
"So why did this rumor suddenly start spreading?" Hua Qingyi poured himself another drink. He knew those types of won wouldn’t settle for a poor boy; their goal was to find sugar daddies.
"To explain that, let’s go back more than a month ago." The boss, who was not just a heavy drinker but also a smoker, reached out for one of Xiao Lin’s good cigarettes without hesitation, revealing his thrifty nature when alcohol takes over.
"Xiao i isn’t considered exceptionally beautiful here, but because she only sells smiles, not herself, it piques the interest of many bigshots, making her quite popular. She used to be a hostess at a place half a block away, at that entertainnt hall. The madam there valued her highly, driving up her worth. Despite that, people were still willing to throw money her way."
"She’s still a virgin?" Hua Qingyi asked, having never seen the woman, while the only thing Xiao Lin had seen was a severely decomposed corpse.
"At first, it was believed so, but later, soone started a rumor about her having a lover, and that’s when Ah San’s luck turned. He stopped coming to my shop for odd jobs, yet he’d still bring wine occasionally, and his clothing improved significantly. When asked, he wouldn’t say why. We guessed that maybe he found a woman. It’s said that when a man finds a woman, he tidies himself up. During that ti, Ah San really did present himself quite differently."
"You’re saying Ah San changed after Xiao i ntioned she had a boyfriend?"
"That’s right." The boss nodded.
"What about those suitors? Did they just back off? That doesn’t seem like the behavior of wealthy n."
"It’s not that easy. They invested heavily in Xiao i and definitely want so return on their investnt. Out of them all, the big boss was the most formidable."
"Who’s this big boss?" Xiao Lin couldn’t resist interjecting.
"Ah! That’s Wang Canghai’s boss you just t. We all call him the big boss. If you’re considering doing that kind of business, he’d be the one to talk to."
"So, he had ties with Xiao i too?"
"Heh!" The boss waved them closer, the three heads huddled together as he lowered his voice. "You wouldn’t believe it, Xiao i stayed in my shop for a week, and sothing happened during that ti." He chuckled again, clearly having drunk his fill.
"Then how co Director Zhao never ntioned this to anyone at the city bureau?"
"How could he say anything?" The boss shook his head, his eyes starting to glaze over. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian) and vote for recomndations or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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