Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Little Swan Entertainment Club
After some discussion, Lu Luo and the seafood lady finalized the details of the commission.
Firstly, to withstand a Second-Tier peak Transcendent expert, along with several First-Tier ordinary or beginner Transcendents, the Qinglian Gang would pay a total of 10,000 yuan.
The price wasn’t high, and it might even have to be split with others. Of course, if one could handle it alone, they’d keep it all.
This was because, in addition to Circle Studio, the Qinglian Gang was also preparing to hire others, primarily because they weren’t confident in dealing with that Second-Tier peak Transcendent, which is why they contacted Circle Studio in the first place.
These were all the details written on the original commission contract, which was meant to be a cooperative mission, and Lu Luo barely changed anything.
10,000 yuan wasn’t much, but it wasn’t insignificant either. For 10,000 yuan, he was naturally willing to take action.
However, Lu Luo wasn’t the type to stick to the rules. Since it was agreed that the payment needed to be increased, it certainly had to be clarified.
So, he inquired about the possible number of members from the opposing Dirty Hands Gang who might participate in this gang fight.
It was said to be about 200 people, so he added another term to the commission contract.
During the gang fight, for every gang member taken down, an additional 100 yuan would be paid.
Hmm, looking at the new contract, Lu Luo was satisfied!
It’s just a brawl with over 200 people, he thought. Whether it’s me taking on 200 of them alone or 200 of them ganging up on me, either way, it’s all money.
10,000 yuan might not be a lot, but 30,000 was not a small sum.
While Lu Luo fantasized in the car about how to get money from the Qinglian Gang, the seafood lady from the Qinglian Gang was somewhat dissatisfied.
"Are you really up to the task? Didn’t you say you guys could find a Hunter? You’re so skinny, are you really capable?"
"There’s no need to repeat yourself. Whether I’m capable or not, you’ll know soon enough!"
「」
Fourth Ring, East Ring’s entertainment street.
When Lu Luo and the seafood lady were on their way here, at the bar counter of a club named Little Swan, two very eye-catching women of distinctly different styles were seated.
The lighting in the clubhouse bar wasn’t dim. It was bustling with patrons, women outnumbering men; it was common knowledge here for women to pay for men’s bills.
Even though most of the men were surrounded by company, their gazes still frequently drifted towards the bar.
Such behavior would undoubtedly cause their female companions’ discontent!
One wore a slim-fit suit, a white shirt, standard black high heels, and black-rimmed glasses, her black hair tied in a ponytail.
The other had white hair with a strand of Dumb Hair sticking out, wore a casual sports coat and a colorful sweater.
The woman in the suit was none other than Yan Danqin, the Alliance Council’s Fourth Ring security advisor, who had once interrogated Lu Luo at the Wasteland Security Bureau.
And the woman with the Dumb Hair was Bai Yuetong, the creator of Lu Luo’s Mechanical Arm.
Both women were very attractive, especially Bai Yuetong with her cool outfit, which attracted a lot of attention in the bar.
They had already encountered three men attempting to flirt with them, offering to buy them drinks.
There wasn’t much in the way of gentlemanly conduct here; men buying women drinks was rare, and they had dismissed all such offers.
Bai Yuetong had just come down from the Watcher’s Wall, then directly hailed a taxi and told the driver to take her to the most entertaining place in the Fourth Ring.
As a result, the seasoned driver brought her here.
A clubhouse is a clubhouse, Bai Yuetong didn’t mind. She quickly contacted her childhood friend Yan Danqin to come over, saying she wanted to have a drink and experience the local culture of the Fourth Ring.
"Bai Yuetong, why would you come to a place like this?"
Yan Danqin was very dissatisfied; she had work the next day.
She was now the link between the Inner Ring and the Hunters, serving as the Fourth Ring security advisor.
This was a very promising job, and she didn’t want to lose it just because she decided to visit a clubhouse for fun.
"What’s the matter? I find the clubhouses in the Fourth Ring much more interesting than those in the Inner Ring. These people’s desires are written all over their faces; at least they’re not as hypocritical as the people from the Inner Ring."
"You do have a point," Yan Danqin admitted.
Both Yan Danqin and Bai Yuetong kept their palms over their glasses, never letting them out of their sight—a form of self-protection.
"But you invited me for a drink, and you come here to have milk? Papaya milk, no less?" Yan Danqin said disdainfully.
"What do you know? I’m a mechanic, and mechanics need to keep their minds clear at all times. So, I’m destined to have no relationship with alcohol in this lifetime."
Though she claimed abstaining from alcohol was due to being a mechanic, the real reason, known only to Bai Yuetong herself, was her somewhat sigh-inducing A-cups.
Bai Yuetong had always wanted to develop further, at least to a B-cup, but sadly, hopes often go unfulfilled.
"You talk about others being hypocritical, but you’re quite the hypocrite yourself, aren’t you? You obviously want to grow bigger, yet you beat around the bush. Also, you still haven’t told me why you came to the Fourth Ring."
Bai Yuetong wasn’t annoyed at being called out; she and Yan Danqin had known each other for many years and understood each other very well.
"I’m here to find someone."
"Find someone? A man or a woman?"
"A man with enormous gall."
"Is there something about this man that caught your attention?"
"He cracked a construct formula, making a previously unlikely idea of mine suddenly seem very hopeful!"
「」
Lu Luo followed the seafood girl to the entertainment street in the East Ring; the Qinglian Gang’s lair was the Little Swan Entertainment Club located here.
Standing at the entrance of the club, Lu Luo didn’t look at the Little Swan’s sign; instead, he glanced diagonally across the street.
The words "New Hope" stood out in bold letters!
The famous New Hope of the Fourth Ring, Ludie’s legendary freeloading spot. A shame it’s gone now. Guge’s ex-girlfriend used to work here too! Ah, poor Guge!
Lu Luo had already noticed that the club names here were quite elegant, which very much aligned with the wastelanders’ yearning. New Hope, Little Swan, Bright Light—the names were all quite similar!
"Stop looking and come in with me. If we delay past midnight, when the guards’ regular shift ends, Dirty Hands will come looking for trouble."
"Okay."
Following the seafood girl inside the Little Swan Club, Lu Luo quickly scanned the club’s directory.
Seeing the layout on the directory, Lu Luo realized he had previously underestimated the complexity of wasteland clubs.
These places weren’t just for simple seafood dining; they offered bath massages, various sports courts, bars with karaoke, and all sorts of entertainment facilities.
As long as you had the money, you could relax to your heart’s content amidst lavish decadence, lost in hedonistic indulgence.
The two of them walked one behind the other through the bar area. As they passed the bar counter, Lu Luo casually glanced to the side.
One of the two women there looked familiar.
This woman in the suit!
*Observer: Yan Danqin, Security Bureau consultant, who once conducted a simple interrogation on you.*
I remember this woman now, Lu Luo thought. The one with an overabundance of "false fire," still a virgin well into her twenties.
Withdrawing his gaze from Yan Danqin, Lu Luo glanced at the white-haired girl with the Dumb Hair beside her. At first sight, he was stunned.
This girl... not bad!
Then, a very bizarre thought popped into his head.
If I punched such a beautiful woman, would she cry?
"What are you staring at? Let’s go!"
"Oh, right."
Actually, while Lu Luo was looking at Bai Yuetong, Yan Danqin had also seen him. She had an excellent memory.
Being able to converse well with Bai Yuetong, she was, at the very least, a top female student with a very sharp mind. Even without the Observer’s hint, she had recognized Lu Luo instantly.
Who’s that? Lu Luo? That student... what’s he doing here? He seems to have gotten more robust!
"Hey, Old Yan, what are you looking at? Who’s Lu Luo? Are you dating someone?" Bai Yuetong patted Yan Danqin.
"Shut up! Don’t call me Old Yan, you A-cup!"
"Tsk, as if you’re any bigger. Yours are just propped up by pads, you hypocritical Inner Ring person."
「」
While the two were exchanging barbs, the seafood sister had already brought Lu Luo to the core area in the back hall of the Little Swan Clubhouse.
A large, dense crowd stood here, men and women alike, all emanating an aggressive aura—clearly people who had fought and experienced battle.
Without exception, all of them had a green lotus tattooed somewhere—on their necks, thighs, or chests and backs.
This had to be the mark of the Qinglian Gang, and these people were its members, its enforcers.
"Liu Fa, I told you to go to Circle Studio and invite a Hunter! Why did you bring back this kid? Don’t tell me he’s the Hunter. How do you handle things?"
"Sorry, Brother Hua, I did as you asked. He really is from Circle Studio."
Hearing their exchange, Lu Luo realized the seafood girl who hired him was named Liu Fa. ’Fa’ as in ’to prosper’... he mused. What an unpretentious name. She’s surely destined for wealth.
Lu Luo stepped in front of Liu Fa, gesturing for her to step back.
"Hello, Brother Hua. May I ask if you are the leader of the Qinglian Gang?"
No one answered Lu Luo’s question, but the other suited gang members, men and women alike, burst into hearty laughter.
Lu Luo knew they were mocking him.
That’s fine, he thought. I don’t much care about their attitude; what matters is whether I can smoothly get the money—at least 30,000 yuan.
"It seems Brother Hua is not the leader. Since you’re not the boss here, would you mind stepping aside? I have business with your leader."
Brother Hua was stunned, then a flush of anger and embarrassment crept over his face. He was the Qinglian Gang’s top enforcer and had just been promoted to a Second-Tier Transcendent.
Such strength made him a notable figure among the myriad gangs and societies of East Ring’s entertainment street.
A man of his stature demanded respect in the East Ring entertainment street; he couldn’t tolerate being demeaned and insulted by Lu Luo like this.
"You’re fucking looking for death!" Brother Hua hurled a punch at Lu Luo, not holding back, using about eighty percent of his strength.
However, the outcome was often different from what everyone expected.
THUMP!
Lu Luo took Brother Hua’s punch square in the chest and didn’t even flinch.
He turned to Liu Fa beside him and said, "He hit me first, did you see that? You all saw it, right?"
After asking Liu Fa, Lu Luo addressed the other gang members. Then, under their astonished gazes, he retaliated with a kick to Brother Hua’s stomach.
OOF!
The moment the enormous force connected with Brother Hua, his face contorted. He was sent flying, knocking over a swath of Qinglian Gang members.
"I told you, minor characters who aren’t the leader should step aside. Why make a fuss?"
If he were facing the Alliance Council, the Church, or Hunters from other areas, Lu Luo might have been more cautious.
But now, he was merely facing a gang from East Ring, a place accustomed to private brawls; he felt no psychological burden whatsoever.
According to Ludie, the East Ring Hunters would back him up, and Ludie was supposedly the strongest Hunter in East Ring.
Liu Fa, standing beside Lu Luo, was stupefied. She hadn’t expected that a random person she’d found from Circle Studio would possess such formidable strength.
This Circle Studio really has something to it!
Other gang members wanted to swarm Lu Luo, but recalling his impressive power and the sight of the usually arrogant Brother Hua flying backward, most managed to restrain themselves.
At that moment, the Qinglian Gang members parted, and a woman wearing a cheongsam that revealed legs tattooed with green lotus patterns walked out with a commanding presence.
"Are you here to pick a quarrel, sir? If you wish to cause trouble for our Qinglian Gang, I, Li Qinglian, will keep you company to the end."
Lu Luo sized up Li Qinglian. Beautiful, mature, not at all green like Qi Xinzhu, nor arrogant like Han Shiyu. She’s as tempting as a ripe peach.
Lu Luo’s gaze lingered, a bit brazen. In my past life, I had a preference for women with such flavor. But for now, making money is the priority; other matters can wait until I’ve secured the funds.
"A misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding, Gang Leader Li Qinglian, right? I came to help, genuinely. Just now, Brother Hua obviously wanted to disrupt our close relationship; chances are he’s an undercover agent sent by the Dirty Hands Gang. I’ve already caught the mole for you. Calling me a great loyalist of the Qinglian Gang wouldn’t be too much, right?"
Li Qinglian was momentarily speechless. The Qinglian Gang members were equally stunned.
Looking at Lu Luo, Li Qinglian was somewhat puzzled by his intentions. Was he really here to help?
"Sir, how may I address you?"
"Lu Luo, from Circle Studio Hunter Agency."
Circle Studio needed to build its reputation, so Lu Luo had no intention of hiding his identity.
"A Fa?"
Li Qinglian looked towards Liu Fa, who finally snapped out of her daze and started nodding vigorously, like a pecking chick.
"Yes, yes, yes, he’s the man I called for help, and he’s indeed from Circle Studio. Don’t worry, Big Sister."
Hearing Liu Fa’s words, Li Qinglian felt slightly more at ease.
"If you really are here to help, then I naturally welcome you, Mr. Lu Luo. Do you have any demands?"
Although Lu Luo had only made one move, his astonishing strength had already compelled Li Qinglian to use honorifics.
"Easy. Just be quick with the payment. As long as I’m paid, I can wipe out any Dirty Hands Gang members who show up here in minutes!"
Li Qinglian was taken aback. She had anticipated Lu Luo presenting some unreasonable demands, such as shares in Little Swan or something else that couldn’t be offered due to complex underlying reasons. She hadn’t expected it to be so simple.
"Is it that simple?"
"It’s that simple. I’m rather short on money right now, Gang Leader. Give me a chance."
Lu Luo’s expression and tone were sincere.
It was precisely because of his long past involvement with the underworld that he understood their ways.
He only needed to display absolute strength and a simple purpose, and most of the time, their discussions would become very pleasant.
He wasn’t trying to seize the Qinglian Gang’s territory, nor was he trying to take over their business. Such a person was naturally welcomed by the Qinglian Gang.
"Our Qinglian Gang has money, but I still need to know, Mr. Lu Luo, how much you require. The Qinglian Gang’s money has been accumulated little by little by our brothers and sisters, and I am responsible to them."
Lu Luo spread his hands and handed the commission contract Liu Fa had brought to Li Qinglian.
Li Qinglian frowned as she looked at the contract Lu Luo handed her, examining it for quite some time before finally managing to utter, "This is it?"
Lu Luo nodded. He was greedy, but his greed had principles, for it was principled greed that could bring him substantial benefits.
He felt that the gang fight here was a lucrative opportunity. It’s better to eat moderately ten times than to stuff oneself once, Lu Luo understood this principle.
"My demands aren’t high. For that Second-Tier expert, a base payment of 10,000 yuan, plus 100 yuan per person, is fine. If you want to give a bit more, I don’t mind. Ideally, give me some sort of Diamond Supreme Membership Card, and a 10% discount when I come to your place for fun would be good enough."
Li Qinglian rolled her eyes. A 10% discount? You might as well just ask for it to be free.
This was what many gang members were thinking, but no one dared to say it out loud due to Lu Luo’s unreasonable and formidable strength.
Li Qinglian approached Lu Luo. Some gang members, feeling Lu Luo was too dangerous, wanted to stop her but were halted by her raised hand.
"Boss!"
"It’s okay."
She slowly walked up to Lu Luo and looked carefully into his eyes, trying to discern something.
Lu Luo’s demands weren’t high; one could even say they were very reasonable, even a bargain. But were his motives really that simple?
Compared to the potential threat Lu Luo might represent, the Dirty Hands Gang was the more immediate and terrifying danger. After much thought, Li Qinglian had made her decision.
"Alright. As long as Mr. Lu Luo can handle the Dirty Hands Gang for me, the money will naturally be offered with both hands. Moreover, whenever Mr. Lu Luo comes to Little Swan for fun, it’ll be on the house."
Lu Luo hadn’t noticed until just then, when Li Qinglian stood face to face with him, that she was quite tall.
She wore traditional-style canvas shoes and a cheongsam, with no heels at all, yet she was almost as tall as Lu Luo.
This made Lu Luo subconsciously glance at Li Qinglian’s legs. Wow, super long legs!
Lu Luo silently thought to himself: With legs like those, it’s a waste not to be pedaling a rickshaw.