Lily Zhong gripped her phone tightly, hurrying out through the school gates.
Today, Lily Zhong wore a black trench coat, high heels, and a brown blouse underneath.
"Where are you?"
Lily Zhong held her phone, quietly asking into the receiver. After listening for a moment, she flagged down a taxi and got in.
Not far away, in a beat-up minivan, a yellow-haired punk sat behind the wheel. Jace, his arm in a cast, rode shotgun. In the back were five more: Jack Zhang with his head bandaged, three burly henchmen, and finally a morbidly obese man.
His rolls of fat seemed to pile up like mountains, his face brutish and fierce, his expression dark.
"She’s out! That’s her!" Jace in the passenger seat spotted Lily Zhong getting into the taxi. "Follow her! Go!"
The minivan driver floored the gas and followed after her.
"Jace, you got beat up over that woman?" the burly man in the back rumbled.
"Yeah, Big Tank, all because of that woman!" Jace replied angrily.
"A woman like her could beat you up that badly?" Big Tank frowned.
"No, it was her student—he’s crazy strong. But I didn’t see him just now." Jace had barely finished speaking when Big Tank slapped him hard on the head.
Caught off guard, Jace’s head slammed into the windshield.
"You dumb mutt, you got beaten up by a student? And you have the nerve to say you run with me, Big Tank?" Big Tank roared, his face twisted in anger.
"Big Tank, that student is kind of freaky," said Jack Zhang from the back, unable to hold his tongue after seeing Jace get hit.
After Jace got wrecked by Evan Lin, he went looking for Big Tank.
Big Tank’s temper was clearly bad, and his sheer bulk radiated an oppressive force.
"You wanna run your mouth? Damn it, if not for you, would my guys have gotten beaten?" Big Tank shouted at Jack Zhang, spittle flying.
"That woman looks pretty good—big chest, long legs, nice ass. When we grab her, I get first dibs. Any objections?" Big Tank stared at Jack Zhang, enunciating each word.
"Big Tank, isn’t that a bit much?" Jack Zhang blurted out instinctively.
"Damn!"
Big Tank didn't move, but one of the three burly henchmen behind him kicked Jack Zhang hard.
"What are you yapping about? When the boss speaks, he's telling you he's going first, not asking for your opinion!" the thug snarled.
"Got it? Any objections? If you don't like it, I'll throw you out of the van right now!" another shouted at Jack Zhang.
Jack Zhang's face turned pale, then green, then white. Finally, he gritted his teeth and nodded hard. "Fine, Big Tank, you go first. But be careful of Evan Lin."
"That high school kid, right? No rush. After we finish with his teacher, I'll go deal with him. He crippled my man, so he's gonna pay," Big Tank sneered, lips curled in a cold smile.
Inside the taxi.
The driver was a middle-aged man, and when he saw Lily Zhong, he was stunned by her beauty.
"Imperial Grand Karaoke Club."
Lily Zhong gave an address, biting her lip, her eyes full of determination.
Imperial Grand Karaoke Club?
Hearing the address, the driver floored the gas, eyes drifting over Lily's figure. His gaze lingered on her legs, then stole a glance at her chest before swallowing hard.
So it's just the Imperial Grand Karaoke Club.
Thinking about it, the middle-aged driver shook his head to himself.
So pretty, and in such a hurry to get to Imperial Grand... What else could she be doing there besides selling herself?
These days, beautiful women are all kept by rich men.
If you've got money, you're the boss.
Imagining this beauty soon being pinned down by some fat guy for cash, the driver sighed to himself.
Society's getting worse, people aren't what they used to be. Even the prettiest goddess ends up bowing beneath some man's crotch.
The car sped along and finally stopped outside Imperial Grand Karaoke Club.
Lily Zhong tossed the fare and hurried out, rushing toward Imperial Grand.
"What a shame, so pretty, but just another gold-digger in the end."
The middle-aged driver shook his head, about to leave, then glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted a van parked nearby. Out climbed a one-armed guy with a cast, peering at Imperial Grand.
"Hey, kid, got your eye on that woman just now? You’re a cripple with dreams, huh? Watch out, someone from Imperial Grand might come out and mess you up!" the driver yelled at Jace from the window.
Jace froze, cursed at the driver, grabbed a rock, and hurled it, but the driver quickly sped off, his mind still lingering on the beauty who’d just been in his passenger seat.
She went into Imperial Grand—no doubt she's about to get played.
Thinking of those long legs, that figure, that face, the driver felt a rush of heat. He ditched his shift and gunned it home, eager to use that excitement to finally satisfy his wife, who'd been complaining about him for ages.
"Big Tank, she went into Imperial Grand."
Jace climbed back into the van and muttered nervously.
"Imperial Grand, huh? Then we wait for her to come out," Big Tank frowned, making the call, his eyes flickering with a complicated look.
If it were anywhere else, Big Tank would barge right in.
But Imperial Grand? Big Tank didn't have the guts.
Lily Zhong headed for Imperial Grand, took the stairs to the second floor, and found private room 201.
Inside, an old man in a gray undershirt was kneeling in the corner, covered in dust, his face ashen, trembling like a weak chicken.
Besides him, there were four young men.
As Lily pushed open the door, a guy in a black T-shirt was howling his way through 'Single Love Song,' his voice so raspy and off-key it sounded like a pig getting slaughtered.
"Shuiyu!"
The old man in the corner saw Lily come in. His gray, haggard face lit up. He tried to stand and walk to her, but before he could get up, one of the young punks kicked him over.
"Ow!"
The old man lost his balance, rolled to the side, banged his head, and a flash of pain crossed his face.
"Dad!"
Seeing this, Lily’s face changed and she rushed forward to help the old man up.
But two men quickly stepped in to block her.
"Find someone to love, to cherish, to want, to hold dear—"
"To say goodbye to being single—"
"Someone passionate, devoted, heartless, cold—"
"To give me scars—"
"So many heartbroken people, I should be brave and move on—"
"Don’t love and regret, don’t leave me single—"
"Singing love songs alone—"
"This heartfelt, devoted, sorrowful—"
"Single Love Song—who wants to duet with me?"
Blocked by the two thugs, Lily watched as the guy in the black T-shirt finished the last note, chuckled, stood up, and looked her over, eyes filled with undisguised lust.
"Such a big chest. I like it."
"Lily Zhong, we meet again. Are you ready for me to show you some real favor?"
The man in the black T-shirt grinned lewdly, eyes burning with desire.