FY - 11

Criminal Investigation Team One.

Zheng Zhi burst into the office, threw a steamed bun on the desk, and headed straight for Wei Lian.

Wei Lian was lying back in his chair, a book covering his face, catching up on sleep. A gust of wind made his collar fly up. He took the book down, and sure enough, it was Zheng Zhi, that idiot.

His impatience was clear on his face: “Are you that idle?”

Zheng Zhi picked up the mug from his desk. He didn’t care that the tea had sat overnight, took a big gulp, patted his chest, and said, “Do you know that the escaped drug dealer has a cousin?”

Wei Lian frowned: “What cousin?”

Zheng Zhi flipped through his phone to a report on the ‘Liuhuo incident’ from several years ago, showing him: “Look at this testimony, it says this drug dealer has no relatives. But now look at this.”

Saying that, he pulled up another news article and zoomed in on a sentence: “This testimony, on the other hand, says he has a cousin who’s a businessman, right here in Qizhou, and the two barely keep in touch.”

Wei Lian glanced at it: “What are you trying to say?”

Zheng Zhi was excited: “I think this is a breakthrough! We can shift our focus from ‘finding the drug dealer’ to ‘finding the cousin.’ Maybe we’ll get lucky, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse.”

Wei Lian asked him: “Don’t tell me you read all the reports from back then.”

Zheng Zhi thought Wei Lian was going to praise him, and he was a bit embarrassed, scratching the back of his head: “It’s just my job, you know.”

Wei Lian almost kicked him out: “You’re so idle.”

Zheng Zhi: “...”

Wei Lian took his phone and scrolled up: “This media outlet says the drug dealer is 40 years old and named Fan Chang. Now look at this one, it says the drug dealer is 34 and named Fan Liang. This stuff is clearly made up for eyeballs, and you wasted so much time reading all of it. What else could it be but idleness?”

Zheng Zhi’s excitement deflated. Wei Lian’s retort left him speechless.

Wei Lian handed him the mug: “Go pour me some water, and remember to empty out the tea leaves.”

Zheng Zhi sighed, “Are you trying to be even lazier?”

________________________________________

Si Wen often traveled abroad, usually for a week, leaving on Sunday and returning on Friday, rarely breaking this routine.

But this week, he seemed to have less on his plate; it was already Tuesday, and he hadn’t left yet.

Zhou Yan would typically work about three times a week, accompanying bosses to sing and play dice. Occasionally, if a boss was willing to spend a fortune for a nude party, she would also be chosen, stripping naked to sing and play dice with them.

In such situations, she could earn thirty to forty thousand in two hours.

The bosses who played these games usually brought clients. There were intricate financial ties between them, and to avoid leaving themselves vulnerable, they didn’t dare to mess around, making it relatively safer.

The girls liked these kinds of gigs; there was little risk and high pay. However, these parties had high demands for both face and figure.

Zhou Yan was chosen eight out of ten times, a higher success rate than even the top girls, and it was no wonder she was envied.

Today was another day she was chosen.

As Zhou Yan went to the changing room to change, she was cornered by an older girl (a veteran) with a junior.

The small space was crowded with three people, and the air became stagnant.

Zhou Yan didn’t pay them any mind, continuing to rub stockings onto her legs.

“Zhou Yan, I know you’re not short on money, but can you let me take that gig tonight?” Fang Nana said.

Among the current girls at Candy, she was the most senior. She had been taking care of Zhou Yan even before Sister Hong arrived at Candy.

After coming to Candy, she also had good resources. She had been arranged with many middle-aged bosses, but she just couldn’t keep them. All the bosses who had requested her refused to request her a second time, saying they felt she was overpriced for her quality.

Internally, the people at Candy privately called her “see-it-and-die,” which was quite unpleasant.

The person next to her also spoke up: “Zhou Yan, just agree. Nana needs to pay her mortgage mid-month, and her family has been pressing her several times. These past two weeks, we haven’t gotten any good gigs, and Sister Hong took a commission, so we can’t even afford a bag with what’s left.”

Her name was Bubble Tea, a stage name she gave herself. Apart from the manager who registered her identity, no one knew her real name.

Zhou Yan finished putting on her stockings, stood up, and then put on her bra. When she took off her outer shirt, a pair of beautiful breasts were revealed to the two women. There were a few noticeable bruises on her chest, which only made her appear more alluring.

Of course, they knew they didn’t have Zhou Yan’s assets, but they still had to live.

Zhou Yan put on her bra, reaching behind her to fasten the hooks. It wasn’t difficult, but Fang Nana still helped her.

Once fully dressed, she said: “I can get thirty thousand from this job, so what equivalent are you offering to exchange with me?”

Fang Nana and Bubble Tea exchanged glances. They had thought Zhou Yan might refuse, but they hadn’t expected her agreement to be conditional. Bubble Tea was younger and quicker-witted, saying: “Next time there’s a good gig, Nana will let you have it.”

Zhou Yan shook her head: “Trading my certain present for your uncertain future? Trying to catch a white wolf with empty hands? I’m sorry, but I don’t do charity. Don’t say I don’t have money; even if I did, who complains about having too much money?”

“Your behavior, phrased as asking me to give up an opportunity, when you strip away the pleasantries, isn’t that just asking me for money?”

Fang Nana’s face fell.

So did Bubble Tea’s.

“No.”

Zhou Yan finished speaking, pushed open the curtain, and exited.

________________________________________

Coming out of the dressing room, Zhou Yan bumped into Sister Hong, who was escorting Si Wen inside.

Sister Hong gave her a look, but Zhou Yan didn’t know what it meant. Just as she was wondering whether to greet Si Wen, he brushed past her, not even glancing at her.

Zhou Yan didn’t care and walked down the opposite corridor.

Sister Hong saw the situation and knew that Zhou Yan had offended Si Wen again, that reckless thing.

However, this time she was truly overthinking it; Zhou Yan hadn’t offended him. The last time he bit her, she still kept her phone on for him 24/7, but he hadn’t called even once. Why should she care about his bad mood now?

Zhou Yan pushed open the private room door with some emotion, making a bit of noise, and everyone looked over.

She met their gazes with a professional fake smile and slowly closed the door.

Zhou Yan wasn’t the type of beauty that instantly captivates; she had to be appreciated slowly. By the time you found her a little charming, a little dangerous, and wanted to stop yourself in time, she had already conquered you.

Of course, this didn’t include Si Wen.

Zhou Yan felt that the person who could conquer Si Wen... well, she doubted anyone could conquer him.

She drifted off for a few seconds thinking about Si Wen, and the boss’s hand reached her lower back: “What’s your name?”

Snapping back to reality, she said: “Si Wen.”

The boss’s entire face dropped.

This was Zhou Yan’s first time making such a mistake. Still smiling, she added: “Boss, your demeanor is elegant, exactly my type.”

The boss was very pleased by her flattery, and his smile returned.

“Then can you tell me what your name is?” he said, his mouth so close to her ear that another word would have been a kiss.

Zhou Yan, devoid of any emotion, replied very perfunctorily: “You can call me Rose.”

At this moment, the private room was already heating up—the girls were all taking off their clothes.

Some undressed themselves, while others were undressed by the bosses.

The boss next to Zhou Yan seemed to have been impatient for a while. He unbuttoned her outer shirt and reached inside.

His hands were too clumsy, or perhaps he was nervous, and he couldn’t unbutton past the second one.

Zhou Yan smiled at him to ease his embarrassment, and casually took off her outer shirt herself, leaving only her bra.

The boss stared, mesmerized. Zhou Yan, being close, could hear his breathing losing its rhythm.

She unzipped her skirt, lifted her leg, hooked the edge of the skirt, and pulled it down, her underwear beginning to show from above.

The boss started swallowing, his inexperienced look truly nauseating.

Zhou Yan suddenly didn’t want to take it off and stopped.

The boss was still staring at the edge of her underwear that was showing, his eyes unblinking.

Zhou Yan took a pack of cigarettes from the game table, put one in her mouth, and asked, “Can I smoke a cigarette?”

The boss’s eyes were completely fixated. He nodded somewhat robotically: “Yes, yes.”

Zhou Yan had just lit it when the door was pushed open. Sister Hong entered: “Gentlemen. I apologize, but the boss next door had a special request. These sisters were just bid for at six times the price by the private room next door. We will arrange replacements here.”

There was a twist. In all her years at Candy, Zhou Yan had never encountered such a situation.

Candy had the most ‘chickens’ (female escorts) and relatively fewer ‘ducks’ (male escorts). Together, there were hundreds of people, far from being in short supply; even during peak times, there were more than enough. What did it mean to have a ‘special request’ on a weekday night? Outright poaching?

Zhou Yan finished her last puff of cigarette. She almost instantly knew why. That old bastard Si Wen was in the next room.