Chapter 5

Chapter 5

When I woke up, Fang Qing was already gone.

And the woman had actually taken everything with her-even the used condom from last night and the empty water bottles.

I didn’t understand why, but I didn’t give it much thought.

I left the hotel and took a taxi to an old office building at the location Lu Yong had sent me.

Room 111, 11th Floor.

Sutong Financial Services.

The receptionist was a long-haired beauty in professional attire.

I told her my name was Chen Chuan and that I was there to see the boss, Boss Lu.

The beauty asked, “Do you have an appointment?”

“I’m his brother,” I replied.

A flicker of understanding crossed her eyes. Without further questions, she stood up and led me to Lu Yong’s office.

The office was quite grand.

There was a dark walnut executive desk, a black leather boss chair, and a solid wood tea table on one side set with a full suite of kung fu tea tools.

In the very center of the room, directly facing the door, stood a Golden-robed Guan Gong statue nearly a meter tall.

Guan Gong’s phoenix eyes were slightly narrowed, and he held the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand.

“You’re here, Chuanzi.”

“Come, have some tea.”

Lu Yong’s eyes were heavily bloodshot; it was obvious he hadn’t slept a wink all night.

He raised his hand to pour me a cup of hot tea, a cigarette clamped between his fingers. He was chain-smoking, his other hand typing rapidly on his phone, his gaze never leaving the screen.

I downed two or three cups of tea in a row before I couldn’t help but ask, “Brother, is Brother Xiong here?”

Only then did Lu Yong put down his phone and look at me. “Not yet. I don’t know if that guy Old Xiong drank too much or what, but he’s not replying to messages or picking up his phone.”

“Tell you what, go straight to his place and see what’s going on.”

Lu Yong didn’t send me a location pin. Instead, he gave me the name of the residential complex where Wang Xiong lived and told me to use GPS.

“He should be there,” Lu Yong said.

I smiled. “Big brother, don’t tell me you’ve only been there a few times yourself?”

Lu Yong handed me a cigarette. “That kid is a wild one. He has more places to sleep than you can count on one hand.”

“The complex I just mentioned is one he goes to often. There’s a high probability he’s there.”

“Do you remember the girl Old Xiong brought along yesterday? She lives there.”

“Out of all his women, Old Xiong likes her the most.”

“Just looking at her, you can tell she’s a real firecracker, right?”

Lu Yong narrowed his eyes and took a deep drag of his cigarette.

“She is quite beautiful,” I said.

“Want a turn?” Lu Yong asked.

I froze for a few seconds before quickly changing the subject.

“Brother, stop joking.”

“I need to pick Brother Xiong’s brain and learn how he manages to get so many women.”

Lu Yong scoffed. “In our line of work, we’re never short on women.”

“The women Old Xiong sleeps with are all his clients.”

I quickly realized what Lu Yong meant and asked weakly, “Debt repayment through sex?”

Lu Yong laughed. “College students really are smart.”

“Don’t think it’s only men who borrow money. Plenty of women do these days, especially female college students.”

“The allowance their families give them isn’t enough, and they’re vain, so they borrow money to spend on luxuries.”

“When the deadline comes and they can’t pay, a few threats are usually enough to make them ‘voluntarily’ pay with their bodies.”

“Of course, sex only covers the interest.”

“Don’t be in such a hurry. Work hard, and you’ll have plenty of women in the future.”

Once he finished his cigarette, Lu Yong urged me to head out.

Morally speaking, Lu Yong’s line of work deserved to be condemned.

But from a personal perspective, being able to make money while playing around with different women-and most importantly, not having to take any responsibility-was every man’s dream.

Fang Qing’s apartment complex wasn’t far from the office, only about a ten-minute walk.

It was an old neighborhood. The walls of the buildings were mottled and peeling, revealing the dusty grey concrete underneath. The buildings were crowded close together, with junk piled haphazardly at the entrances of the stairwells. At a glance, the place looked cluttered and cramped.

She lived in Building 6, Unit 1, on the third floor.

When I reached the door, I realized the security door wasn’t locked at all. Even the wooden door inside was left slightly ajar.

I instinctively assumed Fang Qing had returned from the hotel, and I suddenly felt a bit guilty.

If Wang Xiong found out I had cuckolded him, he’d probably beat me half to death, if not chop off my fingers.

I pushed the door open gently and called out, “Brother Xiong?”

There was no response; the house was silent.

I walked into the living room, but the sight before me left me utterly frozen in shock.