Jack Young pointed helplessly at the two girls beside him. "Seriously, do you think it's appropriate for me to go to a brothel... like this?"
"Why not? What's so inappropriate about it? People bring girls to brothels all the time!" The Big Boss said matter-of-factly, leaving Jack Young a little stunned by the local customs. Then the Big Boss patted Jack on the shoulder, "Here, take this token. I'll keep track for you. If your turn comes up, I'll save you a room. You can come back to stay whenever. Maybe it's not ideal, but it's better than sleeping on the street, right? Eight Directions City doesn't have a curfew, but with all sorts of characters gathering here, it's not safe to be out at night."
Well, he actually made a good point. Whatever happens later, Jack took the No. 18 wooden token for now. If he didn't end up staying, he could always return it. Still, you don't just throw away an opportunity like this.
"Master, I really don't want to go to that kind of place," Fiona Fang said, tugging at Jack Young's sleeve and trying her best to look cute. Rachel Luo looked uncomfortable too. 'Grand Brothel'? That name was so blunt, she couldn't even convince herself to say it out loud.
"Come on, Eight Directions City is huge. I refuse to believe we can't find somewhere to stay. Let's go, follow me and let's look around."
If inns won't work, regular homes should do. Slip the locals a bit of cash and they'll probably let you crash for a night, right? Jack Young decided to walk around and see. If nothing else worked, he'd reconsider the Grand Brothel option.
After making a lap around Eight Directions City, Jack Young headed to the docks first. The docks weren't actually inside the city—they were just outside the south gate. The place was massive, and the Long River truly lived up to its reputation as one of the great rivers of the Central Lands. Misty waves stretched as far as the eye could see. Jack's plan? Buy a boat. Boats aren't like cars—they can double as houses. Get a fancy one, and it's basically a floating villa.
But after asking around, Jack found that while cargo and passenger boats were everywhere, buying a private boat was strictly forbidden.
"Unless you've got a special government permit, there's no way we'd dare sell you a boat, no matter how much money you offer," the boat boss said, looking at Jack Young with a face full of innocent conviction. Man, if he could flash his Protector of the Flower Kingdom credentials right now, he'd have everyone stunned by his undercover boss routine. Too bad, that's not a card he can play yet.
Then the boss glanced around, leaned in, and whispered, "But... if you're willing to pay a premium, well, maybe it's not totally impossible." Figures. The official rules and the real world? Two completely different stories.