Chi Wang looked down from his high perch, his eyes pitch-black and unreadable at the base of the wall.
He let out a puzzled "Hmm" and pondered for a few seconds: "Your name seems to be a bit of a jinx for me."
Though casually spoken, Su Lian felt as if his heart had been pricked by a fine needle, his mental preparation instantly crumbling.
He pressed his lips tightly together, clenching his fingertips to control himself from losing composure.
In the past, Chi Wang had said their names went well together, that they looked like a pair on paper, and that Su Lian was destined to keep him in check.
Only now did he belatedly realize that the seventeen-year-old Chi Wang was entirely different, and their feelings had dissipated like smoke with the change in time and space.
Wanting to manage someone, he seemed to no longer have the standing to do so.
The night breeze picked up, lifting half of his school uniform's hem. A gust of hot, sticky air rushed over, making Su Lian feel short of breath.
Chi Wang carelessly flicked his cigarette, his voice lazy: "Hey, jinx, move aside. You're blocking my way to climb over the wall and skip class."
After four kicks, this person remained oblivious. That arrogant spirit hadn't changed; if anything, it had intensified.
Su Lian remained silent, only moving two steps to the side while suppressing his emotions.
The muscular body on the wall bent slightly, half-squatted, jumped, and landed in one fluid motion.
"I'm off," Chi Wang said, casually waving his hand with his back turned.
"Chi..." Su Lian couldn't hold back anymore and reached out to snatch the crimson cigarette.
The night wind blew, and half of the cigarette butt unexpectedly fell on the back of his hand, burning painfully.
He shook it off forcefully and threw the remaining half far into a nearby trash can. "Smoke less, or you'll get lung cancer."
Chi Wang turned back, raising an eyebrow at him: "Is your mom the discipline master?"
"..." The tone was too provocative; Su Lian wanted to give him another kick.
"Just a friendly reminder," Su Lian put his hand in his pocket, his voice lower, his expression colder.
Chi Wang nodded, somewhat puzzled: "Got it, see you around."
The night was deep, and Su Lian stood rooted to the spot for a long time, staring at Chi Wang's silhouette until it disappeared into a small black dot.
A burning sensation slowly spread from the back of his hand. He pulled it out of his pocket to inspect it, only to find that the cigarette had left a red mark on that patch of skin.
His fingers pressed against the burn, but his mind couldn't stop replaying and pausing the conversation he'd just had with Chi Wang, cycling through it again and again.
The more he pondered, the gloomier his mood became.
What exactly was this person trying to do? Still unable to stand by and do nothing, Su Lian quickly pursued the retreating figure.
Fortunately, he hadn't gone far. After turning a corner along the street, the familiar silhouette came into view again. Only this time, there were two more people beside him.
The group was arm in arm, without a hint of propriety.
"Everything's been arranged?" Chi Wang's voice was low and lazy.
He had taken off his school uniform and was casually half-carrying it in his hand. A loose black T-shirt hung on his shoulders, and his long legs strode quickly.
"Yeah, it's all been taken care of."
"Tonight, all the brothers will be present! This! Is! Wang's style!"
Two responses, seamlessly connected.
The three passed under a street lamp, the dim light briefly illuminating their faces before they plunged back into darkness.
Su Lian narrowed his eyes; the faces looked quite familiar.
The tall, skinny one was called Lin Yan, and the one with slightly chubby cheeks was Gu Anjiu.
Coincidentally, weren't these the two brothers who would do anything for Chi Wang?
The two of them stuck with him even later when Chi Wang started his business, their relationship remaining strong and loyal. After a few years, they even managed to build the company to a considerable scale, earning the title of new business elites.
But that's getting ahead of ourselves. These three sneaking around like this couldn't be up to any good.
Su Lian pulled up the hood of the sweatshirt under his school uniform, the wide brim covering half his face. He maintained a distance, carefully following behind.
The group ahead was horsing around, their voices rising and falling, punctuated by a few laughing curses. They seemed to be in good spirits.
After walking a bit further, turning left and right as if navigating a maze, they finally wound their way into a corner alley of the city.
Two rows of dim yellow streetlights cast the entire alley in a hazy glow. Small shops on both sides were sparsely lit with provocative magenta lights, particularly eye-catching in the night, inviting speculation.
Chi Wang stopped at a long staircase, turned, and went up. The group instantly disappeared from view.
Su Lian's steps grew lighter as his worries intensified.
Looking up, he saw the characters for "Night Color" blazing in red light, even more ostentatious than the neighboring hair salon.
The narrow staircase seemed endless, with a row of gaudy recruitment notices neatly pasted on one wall.
He casually tore one off and brought it close to read in the dim light: "This establishment is recruiting beauties, no age limit, as long as you're attractive. Generous salary, come one, come all~~~~"
"..."
The wavy lines at the end made his head throb and buzz.
Back in the day, there were plenty of these small ads on the broken wall near his home. If the content were changed to "Seeking children for high rewards," it wouldn't have seemed out of place.
When he first met Chi Wang, the guy was indeed quite poor, the type to split a yuan in half to make it last. The three brothers squeezed into a small, rundown dormitory, running to and from hospitals every day to sell medical equipment, nearly getting kicked out several times.
Back then, he was resilient and hardworking. Now at seventeen, had he really sunk so low as to become a gigolo for money?
His earlier wild guesses were close to being confirmed, but it was harder to accept than he had imagined.
Su Lian felt the outer pocket of his backpack; he had his ID card, but it wouldn't be of use since he wasn't of age.
He could try using money to get in, but he had no cash in his pocket. He probably couldn't even get through the door. Being kicked out would be quite embarrassing.
He took off his school uniform and stuffed it into his backpack, then leaned against the opposite wall of the alley, his long legs crossed, staring blankly at the glaring sign.
The place looked quiet, but there were quite a few people coming and going.
From time to time, a few young men would go up the stairs, laughing. As the night deepened, business seemed to pick up.
Hidden so deep, could it be illegal?
On second thought, if they were hiring minors, how legitimate could this place be?
Su Lian waited for a long time but didn't see anyone come out. He didn't know how Chi Wang had become like this, but he couldn't stand by and watch someone fall into depravity.
Growing more and more agitated, he decided to go up and check out the situation.
The second floor was brightly lit, the rooms illuminated.
Through the glass doors, amidst the haze, he saw a row of non-mainstream youths with various hairstyles standing outside the front desk. Chi Wang stood in the center with his hands in his pockets, giving a lecture.
Scanning the room, he saw rows of neatly arranged computers. Everyone was wearing headphones, the screens displaying a variety of special effects, clearly engaged in intense battles.
The entrance was made to look so mysterious, with a name more suggestive than a nightclub.
Damn... it was actually an internet cafe?
Leaning against the glass door, he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to recall where exactly their conversation had gone wrong.
"You need to maintain your energy to make money, it's very tiring."
"Entertaining clients? I guess you could say that."
"Today, I'm treating everyone to the Night Color private room."
The two of them had been talking at cross purposes, yet somehow their conversation still matched up.
Su Lian felt like his head was about to explode. Because of Chi Wang's bad boy image, he had seriously misunderstood him.
Looking at his current lecturing stance, he seemed to be a manager who could command respect.
At least he hadn't fallen too far.
He closed his eyes briefly and let out a long sigh, his heart finally settling back into place after being on edge all night.
Inside, Chi Wang's gaze slowly swept across everyone, his voice not loud but extremely intimidating: "Who told you to find so many young girls to be internet cafe attendants?"
"Little Nine told the brothers to find them," Lin Yan said, quickly passing the buck as he leaned against the side with his arms crossed. "I said it wasn't a good idea. Pig-headed."
"Why isn't it a good idea? Wang, didn't you say we needed a fresh start for the opening? Pretty young girls are effective. Look at today, the first day, so many guys came, filling up all the seats. Isn't that good?" Gu Anjiu exclaimed, his finger sweeping around the room like he was showing off his domain. "Look at this surging crowd, the bustling atmosphere. From today on, we'll be rolling in money!"
He lifted his chubby face, full of confidence.
Chi Wang half-leaned against the bar, sneering, "Internet cafe customers are mostly male to begin with. Do we need to specifically attract guys to come use the internet?"
"I don't get it," Gu Anjiu shook his head, humbly asking for guidance. "Please explain in more detail. I'm afraid I might miss a step and fail to keep up with your wealth code."
"City University is right next door. Those who want to use the internet will come anyway. If you put some handsome guys here, you'll attract female customers who don't usually come to internet cafes. Won't that bring in even more people?"
Chi Wang slightly lowered his head, giving Gu Anjiu a playful tap on the back of his head as if he were a fool. "This is why I tell you to study more. Differentiated management, competitive positioning - do you understand?"
Gu Anjiu clapped his hands together. "Brilliant!"
A group of brothers with various hairstyles chimed in, parroting like parrots, "Brilliant!"
Chi Wang felt the scene was becoming suffocatingly idiotic. "...Shut up. Let the girls go home early; it's not safe for them to be out late at night. If anyone really needs work and wants to stay, change their shifts to daytime."
As the conversation reached his ears, Su Lian's expression softened slightly. He knew this person had always been business-savvy. Now it seemed he was also gentlemanly and considerate. At least he still had some redeeming qualities and wasn't completely hopeless.
Even though they were complete strangers now, there was still time. With a bit of guidance, there might be hope for him yet.
He pulled his cap brim down a little and turned sideways, preparing to leave first.
His elbow hit the glass door, making a crisp "clang." The non-mainstream crowd inside turned their heads in unison, freezing the atmosphere.
The group craned their necks like owls spotting prey, staring intently at him. The scene became awkward for a moment.
Gu Anjiu glanced at the job advertisement Su Lian was holding, then fixed his gaze on the flawless face before him. His face instantly bloomed into a smile. "We just changed our marketing strategy, and a cute boy shows up at our door? Handsome, want a part-time job? Our shop is offering high pay for beauties, no age limit, as long as you're good-looking. The salary is generous, come on, come on~~"
Su Lian: "..."
Although he was eager to save someone, he didn't want to embarrass himself like this.
He lowered his eyes, crumpled the job ad into a ball, and threw it back. Somewhat irritably, he strode out the door. "Not interested."
Chi Wang tilted his head, squinting his eyes to discern, "Wait... Nemesis? What a coincidence?"
"You know him? If he's an acquaintance, it's even easier to rope... I mean, invite him." Gu Anjiu's smile deepened, very enthusiastically. "Handsome, don't be so cold. Give it a try, won't you?"
Su Lian retreated, his brow furrowing even more. "I don't know you. I took a wrong turn."
"Really a wrong turn? This place isn't easy to find." Chi Wang's gaze carried a hint of inquiry.
Su Lian nodded calmly, thinking, 'As long as I look cool enough, no one will realize I've been following and stalking.'
Chi Wang said nothing, just leaned to the side with a cigarette, thoughtfully staring at him.
Running into each other twice in one night was quite a coincidence.
"Hey, to find this place after so many twists and turns, what does that mean? A thread of fate in this 8D terrain, cherish this connection."
Lin Yan stepped over, joining the persuasion team: "I think you look good, well-built and proportioned. You'd be perfect for our midnight headliner position. Working hours tentatively set from 10 PM to 2 AM, won't interfere with your regular business."
He paused for two seconds, praising sincerely: "With looks like yours, at least 250 yuan per hour."
***Only 250, their mouths running faster than each other.
Su Lian recalled that this person had once used the same tactics to convince their department to buy dozens of medical devices.
"Sorry, the working hours are too late. Really can't do it."
Su Lian paused for a second, his gaze sweeping over almost imperceptibly: "Unlike some people who sleep all day and entertain clients all night."
The "some people" being indirectly criticized leaned against the glass door, looking casual: "It's not that late, is it? Sleeping at two or three is considered staying up late?"
Su Lian looked up, his gaze flying over like a knife: "I sleep at eleven, for health reasons. Is that okay?"
Seeing the barely suppressed irritation on his face, Chi Wang couldn't help but laugh: "Don't tease him, guys. He's just a high school student. Internet cafes don't allow minors, it's illegal."
Su Lian thought to himself, 'At least you have some bottom line.'
He put his hands in his pockets, looking incredibly cool: "I'm leaving. Any later and the dorm will be locked."
Chi Wang took out his phone and glanced at the screen, kindly reminding him: "It's a quarter past twelve now. The dorm's probably already locked. What are you going to do?"
"..." Damn, he'd waited too long at the door and forgot to check the time.
The cool facade he'd maintained for five minutes slowly cracked.
A new day, and he hadn't had time to do his divination. It was definitely an omen of great misfortune.
Chi Wang lazily yawned: "You can sleep at my place for the night. But the bed's small, you'll have to squeeze in with me."