Chapter 2 The Next Morning
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Jing Lei's call came in. She hadn't forgotten about the trip to China-Myanmar Street and said she was waiting for me at the mall.
I glanced beside me. Lan Ya was sleeping extravagantly next to me, her posture completely unlike the white-collar female CEO I usually saw. Legs splayed, she occupied most of the bed, her pretty mouth slightly ajar, letting out soft snores.
With a helpless smile, I picked up the silk quilt from the floor and draped it over her.
We had agreed to take half a day off that morning to go to China-Myanmar Street and see if we could pick up any bargains.
However, it was still a bit early, as the shops on China-Myanmar Street wouldn't open until after nine.
I tiptoed to the bathroom. After last night's high-intensity labor, I was covered in sweat. I had fallen asleep immediately after finishing, so I needed to wash up quickly.
I didn't dwell on what happened last night. Regardless of Blackie or Whitey, I would deal with whatever came my way. Many people had opposed me; he was just one more.
Although I was being quiet, I still stirred the sleeping Lan Ya. She had entered the bathroom at some point and hugged me from behind.
"I want to wash too."
I handed her the showerhead, but she didn't take it, cooing, "You wash me."
"Don't talk to me like that, it gives me chills."
She snatched the showerhead, placed it on the rack, forcefully turned me around, and said fiercely, "How about talking like this?"
I responded shamelessly, "Now that's more like you, much more comfortable to hear."
"Alright then, I'll show you my power!"
Before she could finish, she suddenly…
Then, under the warm spray of water, a fierce offensive began.
After a long while, we both finished showering and got dressed.
"Let's go to Jing Lei's for breakfast. She's waiting at the mall."
Lan Ya didn't reply, she was already at the dressing table, putting on makeup.
I walked out of the bedroom to call Wen Siqiang to pick us up and also asked about Ah Bei's condition.
Wen Siqiang said that with the antibiotics from the provincial hospital and a consultation with specialists from the same hospital, Ah Bei's condition had stabilized, but he hadn't woken up.
I hung up and sat on the sofa outside waiting for Lan Ya to come out.
Women take longer to get ready, especially someone like Lan Ya. As a professional woman, she paid meticulous attention to every detail.
Even though she was wearing casual clothes today, she was so accustomed to her usual attire that she couldn't change it.
However, Wen Siqiang arrived first. I checked my message, stood up, and went inside to see if Lan Ya was ready.
As soon as I entered the inner room, I was met head-on by Lan Ya coming out. She was startled and, after seeing it was me, exclaimed, "You came in without making a sound! You scared me half to death!"
"I didn't expect Senior Sister to be so timid. Weren't you just fearless a moment ago!"
Lan Ya froze for a moment, then suddenly understood and looked at me fiercely, "So what if I'm fearless? What are you going to do about it? Want to fight again!"
"I submit, Senior Sister, I truly submit. Spare your poor junior!"
"Poor you? I think you're the one who embraces beauties every night?"
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. Wen Siqiang is already downstairs, let's go down quickly."
My heart calmed down a bit. As long as he could keep his life, even if he lay in bed forever, I would do my best to care for him.
We tidied ourselves up and went downstairs. Wen Siqiang's car was already parked in the Da Shijie parking lot.
It wasn't business hours, so we came out from the side entrance.
I told Wen Siqiang the destination. He didn't say anything and started the car, driving off smoothly.
These days, Qian Fugui had been guarding Ah Bei, leaving the front passenger seat empty.
We didn't speak on the way. Ah Bei's condition was stable, and we didn't need to worry about him for now.
Lan Ya sat on the other side in the back. With a subordinate present, she reverted to her "big boss" demeanor.
There had been no activity from Hui Ge's remnants in recent days, but then there was North City Blackie. It seemed like things were going to be restless again for a while.
Lan Ya took out a few papers from her handbag and handed them to me, saying, "This is some information I had someone compile last night. Take a look."
It was a document about North City Blackie, detailing his journey from working on a farm to being laid off, opening an underground casino, and managing several bars and dance halls, along with a map of his establishments.
He had three venues, all located in the urban-rural fringe, with his reach not extending into the city center. Our park development was right next to his largest casino, less than two kilometers away.
His venues were close to the suburbs, while ours were a bit farther.
If one were to go to the park, one would have to pass by his establishments. Perhaps our recent activities had been too conspicuous, drawing his attention.
I had been to similar venues before. Casinos couldn't operate in the open and were usually disguised as bars or dance halls.
They would operate under the guise of a bar or some "XX Song and Dance Hall."
No one dared to put "casino" on their signboard.
The venue near our park was called "Cloud Dance Hall."
Anyone who lived through that era knew that in many places, "dance halls" were where you could find bars, discotheques, slot machines, and roulette wheels all operating together. It was only later, with strong crackdowns, that gambling industries operating under various guises were banned, leading to the segmentation of the entertainment market.
In fact, even now, these industries still existed on the fringes, stubbornly surviving in the gaps.
Cloud Dance Hall. I suddenly had an idea. I would go and check it out tonight.
Since they had made a move, I should reciprocate. It's impolite not to return a courtesy.
The car stopped downstairs at the mall. I told Wen Siqiang to get something to eat himself and wait for us.
We went upstairs through the side door. Jing Lei had bought breakfast and laid it out on the coffee table.
Rice noodles with beef balls, and pan-fried buns.
There was a large spread of food in containers and on plates.
"Are you trying to feed a pig? Who can eat all this?"
Lan Ya said exaggeratedly, looking at the half-covered table of food.
Jing Lei smiled and said, "But there's one foodie here. What are you afraid of it going to waste?"
She was definitely referring to me.
I scratched my head sheepishly and said, "I'm actually a bit hungry. I don't care about you two, I'm eating first."
Saying that, I grabbed a container of rice noodles with beef balls and also pulled over a plate of pan-fried buns.
Jing Lei pointed at me and said, "Looking at you, are you still afraid of not finishing it?"
Lan Ya sat down, picked up a pan-fried bun, and ate it, nodding, "Mmm, it seems so."
I said sheepishly, "We've been training intensely next door, and they've been giving us a lot of food. I feel like I can eat so much now and still not be full. I'm worried I'll turn into a fat person."
"That's true. Eating more means exercising more. If you eat without moving, it will definitely turn into fat. But for you, gaining a little weight wouldn't hurt. As long as you don't become fat, it's fine. Men who are too skinny don't look good either," Jing Lei said.
Gaining weight is actually a sign of maturity, I understood that, but I just didn't want to get a paunch and become greasy.
Many young people, not old in age, are unkempt, with round bellies, toothpicks in their mouths, wearing flip-flops, and walking with their feet turned outward. They look as decadent as one can be.