After leaving the casino, Yang Le brought Cao Yang back up to the first floor.
The first floor was managed by Chen Tai, another of Jie Ge's subordinates, in charge of the spa and hot spring projects. The profit wasn't huge, and Chen Tai's cut was small.
After greeting Chen Tai and taking a quick look around, they headed to the second floor.
The second floor hosted the bathhouse and sauna, including spa, foot massage, hydrotherapy, and fire therapy. Wang Qi, another of Jie Ge's men, was in charge.
Next, they went to the third floor: KTV and entertainment. When they arrived, the manager was holding a meeting with the hostesses. Cao Yang glanced around. The floor was packed—hundreds of fair-skinned, long-legged, slender-waisted, curvy women.
All the resident staff numbered over three hundred, and with the non-resident girls, the total easily surpassed five hundred.
Cao Yang, being… well, a man of certain tastes, stared wide-eyed. If Yang Le hadn't nudged him, he probably would have kept staring.
The third-floor manager, Qin Chuan, another of Jie Ge's trusted men, handled the hostesses. His monthly cut was substantial. He and Sun Xiao were known as Jie Ge's left and right arms.
The fourth floor was a dance hall, the fifth a private room area, the sixth regular guest rooms.
The seventh floor was staff dormitories and offices.
On the rooftop stood an illegal villa—Jie Ge and Hu Qing's private residence. Sometimes they stayed there when not at home.
"You've introduced me to everyone else, but what about you, Yang Le? What do you handle?" Cao Yang asked after seeing five of Jie Ge's subordinates in charge of various operations, but Yang Le had shown no responsibilities yet.
Sighing, Yang Le replied, "I used to handle the smuggling business. But after that… incident, it got shut down. Now I'm responsible for showing you around."
"Just because of that chip incident, you all stopped the entire smuggling business?"
Yang Le explained, "We didn't even have a real smuggling operation—it was just a trial this year. Jie Ge and Hu Qing told me to try it out. After a few runs, something went wrong, so it was suspended."
"Then it wasn't your skill?" Cao Yang teased.
"Don't talk nonsense! It's not my skill; someone was sabotaging us!" Yang Le said angrily.
"That batch of chips was tampered with. Otherwise, such a small shipment wouldn't have attracted the coast guard!"
"You're saying someone's messing with you?"
"Yes."
"Who's bold enough to touch Jie Ge's business? Did he not retaliate?"
Yang Le shook his head. "We only suspect; there's no proof. And it's our own people—before evidence, Jie Ge won't act."
"Your own people? Sabotaging your own?"
"Yes. We suspect it's the Shencheng Yihehui. Smuggling has been their territory. Jie Ge trying to step in naturally upset them."
…
After talking for a while, Yang Le went off to handle his own tasks. Cao Yang, left alone, wandered around, bored. Despite holding the title of manager, he had nothing to do.
Eventually, he found himself back at Hu Qing's office. He felt that Jie Ge had done him a huge favor—surely there was something he could do to contribute. He didn't want to feel indebted.
"Why are you back again?" Hu Qing asked suspiciously.
Cao Yang scratched his head. "Big Sister, I'm looking for Jie Ge."
"He's sleeping. What for?"
"I don't have anything to do. Assign me something—anything. Some dirty work. I want to contribute."
Hu Qing shook her head. "There's really nothing. Go out on the street and kill a couple of people if you want to."
Cao Yang blushed awkwardly.
Hu Qing chuckled, "Honestly, nothing for you. If you're bored, go to the third floor, see Qin Chuan. He can assign you a couple of girls to entertain for a while, I'll put it on my tab."
Cao Yang's face burned. True to her reputation as a Jianghu woman, Hu Qing's one sentence made him feel embarrassed.
Watching Cao Yang leave sheepishly, Hu Qing shook her head and entered the room.
"This kid never sits still. Always wants to do something. Maybe I should have him torch that ship on the high seas?"
Tang Shaojie, just waking, shook his head. "Alone? Impossible."
"But he's strong! He can break out of a dozen people surrounding him."
"That's at sea. Land is different."
"Then take some brothers with him."
Tang Shaojie still shook his head. "He's not familiar with the men yet. Let them train a while. Besides, I haven't decided to act. Don't want to push things too far."
…
Cao Yang wasn't actually going to the third floor to play around. He knew Hu Qing was teasing him.
Instead, he went to visit Lei Dian. The police weren't after him now—he felt fearless.
"Knock knock knock…"
"Who is it?" Lei Yu's voice came from inside.
"It's me!" Cao Yang replied cheerfully.
With a crash, Lei Yu opened the door. Seeing Cao Yang bouncing at her doorstep, tears streamed down her face. She threw herself into his arms.
"I thought I'd never see you again! Wuuu…"
"What's going on?" Cao Yang was stunned, taken aback by her sudden embrace. This wasn't the cool, aloof Lei Yu he knew.
Of course… women after certain… experiences lose their aloofness.
A few days ago, news of Liu Zhenhu's death spread. Even small-timers like Lei Dian had heard about it. They didn't know who did it, but Lei Yu knew it was Cao Yang.
She had analyzed his situation with Lei Dian: Cao Yang was in serious danger—either arrested, killed by the Henan gang, or forced to flee abroad.
"Don't cry. I'm fine," Cao Yang whispered softly.
"Wuuu… Why did you come back? You have to run! Go abroad!"
"Wuuu… Are you out of money? I have some, I'll get it for you."
"It's fine, I've taken care of everything. No need to run."
"Really?" Lei Yu held him, eyes brimming with tears.
"Really."
"Then that's good. I almost… wuuu…"
Lei Yu kept sobbing, pouring out her emotions.
Cao Yang, meanwhile, started undressing her. Soon, she was completely naked.
"Yu Jie, don't cry… there'll be time for tears later."
With that, he scooped her up and carried her into the room.
Lei Yu struggled a bit, embarrassed and angry.
She was still crying, still expressing her feelings—and yet he began undressing her. Did he only think of… that?
Lei Dian returned home and heard meowing from his sister's room.
He froze. Was she dating someone? Bringing a man home? Impossible! She wasn't that kind of person!
Could someone be harming her?
"Damn it! I'll kill you today!"
Lei Dian, furious, grabbed a kitchen knife.
"Bang!" He kicked the door open.