I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when the door to the private room suddenly swung open behind me. I turned around just in time to see Xiao Hong being thrown out like a sack of potatoes. She collapsed onto the floor, sobbing, as angry curses echoed from inside before the door slammed shut again.
I rushed over and tried to help her up, with a server quickly coming to assist. I could pretty much guess what had happened, so I didn’t ask questions, just half-carried her toward the stairs.
I brought her out to the parking lot and settled her into the minivan, telling her to rest there and wait for us.
Xiao Hong clung to me, refusing to let go. "I'm scared," she whimpered.
She told me the Burmese man had pulled a knife on her, forcing her to strip in front of everyone. When she said she was on her period, he flew into a rage, beat her, and then threw her out.
She kept coughing—probably from being hit in the chest—and complained that it hurt to breathe.
I suggested going to the hospital, worried he might have broken something, but she insisted she was fine, just sore.
*That bastard.* Not only was he dealing drugs and ruining lives, but he also had to go around acting like a tyrant. *I’m going to take him down.*
I couldn’t stay too long. After comforting her and telling her to lie down on the seat, I gave the driver some instructions and headed back inside.
At the entrance, the manager was waiting for me. "Boss Chen wants to see you," he said. "His office, third floor, Room 318."
I knew they wouldn’t let this slide easily. Clubs hated it when girls disobeyed—it hurt their reputation. But I hadn’t expected Chen himself to summon me.
I went upstairs, knocked, and entered.
The man from the Burmese guy’s private room was inside—probably Boss Chen. There was also a Liu, as Lan Jie had mentioned yesterday. Both of them used to work under Brother Bao, but once they got powerful, they took over the club for themselves.
The moment I walked in, Chen grabbed me by the hair and slapped me twice across the face.
"How the hell do you manage your girls?" he snarled. "You send one on her period? You trying to ruin my business? Can you even do this job or not? If not, get the hell out tomorrow!"
I kept my head down and stayed silent. Arguing wouldn’t help—I just had to endure it.
He kept yelling. "Go tell Zhou Yingying that if she sends me trash like this again, she can find another damn club to work in! You hear me?"
I nodded. "Yes, boss. It’s my fault. It won’t happen again."
To him, I was just a kid. His tone was like a parent scolding a child.
"This isn’t over," he snapped. "That Burmese guy isn’t done with her. Next time he comes, he’ll ask for her again. You make damn sure she’s available!"
I quickly agreed. After a few more curses, he finally dismissed me.
As I left Chen’s office, I saw Xiao Li leaning against the bathroom door, a cigarette dangling from her lips. She was clearly drunk, her eyes glazed as she stared at me.
I walked over. "You’re not holding back on the drinks, huh? What if another customer comes?"
She smirked. "Relax. No one can outdrink me. I’ve got my ways—I won’t pass out."
With that, she flicked the cigarette away and disappeared into the women’s restroom.
I shook my head. *Is money really worth destroying yourself like this?*
I checked on Xiao Hong again. She was asleep in the back seat, so I didn’t wake her. Back inside, the real party was just getting started—the dance floor pulsed with deafening music, people thrashing like madmen, lost in the frenzy.
Thinking back to what Chen had said, the Burmese guy wasn’t done with Xiao Hong. He’d be back for her in a few days, which meant he’d be back to deal. *That’s my chance.* But first, I needed to figure out how and where they made their exchanges.
Earlier, the Burmese man had been empty-handed at the bar when waiting for Chen and Liu. By the time Xiao Hong went upstairs, he had a bag of cash. That meant the deal was already done before they even met up—tonight was just the handoff.
So the key was finding out *where* the actual drug exchange happened. If it wasn’t in the club, catching them here would be pointless.
*You need evidence to nail them.*
Just then, Xiao Lian walked over and sat beside me quietly. Unlike Xiao Li, she wasn’t too drunk.
"Done for the night?" I asked.
She shook her head. "They’re still singing. I just needed air—it’s suffocating in there."
At least her customers weren’t forcing her to drink herself to death.
"Don’t stay out too long," I said. "Don’t give them a reason to complain."
She hummed in agreement, took a few quick drags from her cigarette, then headed back upstairs.
The moment she left, Xiao Li stumbled over, reeking of alcohol. She threw her arms around my neck. "Hua-ge, you see how good I am? Drank ‘em all under the table! One guy even puked right there!"
She giggled stupidly. I could tell she was wasted, so I held her steady and pulled over a chair. But she refused to sit, just kept hanging off me, her face inches from mine as she slurred her words.
Her breath was so strong I had to turn my head.
"Did your customers leave already?" I asked. "If you walk out before they pay, you won’t get your tip."
She rolled her eyes. "You think I’m stupid? They paid up first." She dug into her bra and pulled out a wad of cash, slapping it into my hand.
The girls were supposed to hand their earnings over to the She-Devil, who then took a cut.
I glanced at the money—over two thousand. Not bad for a night of drinking. Those guys must’ve been rolling in it.
The club’s clientele fell into two categories: gemstone gamblers and high-stakes gamblers. Neither group was short on cash, and they tipped generously.
Xiao Lian came back down soon after and handed me her earnings—much less, only about a thousand.
I told them we were done for the night and should head back.
Xiao Lian nodded obediently, but Xiao Li refused to let go of me.
I had no choice but to keep holding her until she sobered up or passed out.
Xiao Lian went to the bar and bought us each a bottle of water. "Did Xiao Hong come down already?" she asked.
I nodded. "Yeah, but she didn’t get paid. Got beat up instead. She’s waiting in the car."
Xiao Lian didn’t react. For girls like them, getting stiffed or roughed up was just part of the job.
I didn’t take the water. Instead, I scooped Xiao Li up and motioned for Xiao Lian to grab her purse. Together, we carried her out to the minivan.