Era of Mist

Ah Fei led them to their destination. Shi Tiexin glanced at the entrance. ’Hm, pretty impressive,’ he thought. He then looked at the sign, a mix of Japanese and Chinese script, with the Chinese characters written larger. The establishment’s name was "Smile Comprehensive Entertainment City."

’The name is... a little tacky.’

"Boss, we’re here. This is it." Ah Fei was the first to jump out of the car. He put on a show of opening the door for Shi Tiexin, bowing low to usher his boss out of the vehicle before leading the way inside.

𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

"Is this it?" Mai Ba sounded a little confused. "I remember it being a different place."

"Time for a change of pace. Plus, this way we can support one of our own businesses."

"Our own?"

"That’s right. This is one of Daxing’s spots, managed by Sanfan’s division. We’ll definitely get a discount, and they’ll make sure everything is taken care of." Ah Fei explained as he led the way. "And this place is a little less seedy. The ’menu’ is a bit tamer, but as a comprehensive entertainment city, there are plenty of activities."

Over the past few days, Shi Tiexin had come to understand that in Japan, so-called "underworld figures" were generally divided into three categories: Biker Gangs, the adult entertainment industry, and the yakuza.

As the saying goes, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do." Though there were many immigrants from the Eastern Realm and the West, Japan Island was still overwhelmingly populated by the Japanese. Consequently, gangs that established themselves here also tended to adopt these three structures for their development, and Daxing was no exception.

Daxing’s Big Dragon Head never showed his face in Japan, controlling everything remotely from the mainland. The person responsible for the Four Main Islands of Japan was a Squad Leader, who oversaw Daxing’s entire development strategy for the country. Below him, the various Hall Masters each occupied a territory, carving out fiefdoms in the major prefectures. Wang Dafu, also known as Brother Fa, was Daxing’s top man for the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Area.

Because of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area’s unique status in Japan, Wang Dafu’s own position was also special, placing him half a rank above the other Hall Masters.

Of his three top generals, the dopey Ah Hui was in charge of yakuza-related business; he had the most men and the greatest power. Shi Tiexin was in charge of the Biker Gang business, which focused on building a street reputation; he had the fewest men and the weakest force, though he’d been seeing good growth lately.

Sanfan’s division was responsible for the adult entertainment industry.

Gaining a firm foothold in Japan’s adult entertainment industry was no easy task; the competition was extremely fierce. This made Shi Tiexin suddenly quite interested in the place before him. He wondered what kind of special tricks Sanfan’s division had up its sleeve.

"Tamer?" Mai Ba pursed his lips from the back of the group and muttered, "I don’t want tame. I came here specifically for the sleazy stuff..."

"Shh! Are you an idiot?" Ah Fei sidled up, slung an arm around Mai Ba’s neck, and the two of them dropped to the back of the group. "When have you ever seen the boss go out for girls?" he whispered.

Mai Ba thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Never."

"Exactly. It just hit me—the boss might be surprisingly conservative about this stuff. What if we scare him away by bringing out the main course right off the bat? We’ll never get to hang out like this again! So it’s better to start with something light, just to whet his appetite."

"Oh?" Mai Ba glanced at Shi Tiexin’s back. "Don’t tell me the boss is actually... a greenhorn?"

"Bullshit! You tired of living?!" Ah Fei smacked Mai Ba on the back of the head, then mused, "But... that’s probably the general idea. What was that phrase again? Ah... an innocent virgin."

Shi Tiexin had no idea his underlings had already seen right through him. He was still busy giving himself a mental pep talk. ’As the big boss, I absolutely cannot show any weakness in front of my men. My expression must be natural, my posture relaxed, my movements fluid. I can’t be surprised by anything I see. I must act calm and composed, as if I’ve seen all the splendors of the world. That’s the only way to keep up appearances.’

He pushed open the main doors and stepped inside. Two long rows of illuminated pillars greeted him, and the air was filled with a cacophony of chatter and flirtatious laughter.

Shi Tiexin glanced from side to side but didn’t see any R-rated behavior right at the entrance. Two security guards in suits looked familiar—they were from Sanfan’s division and approached from a distance to greet him. There was also a woman, apparently the madam, who was busy welcoming and seeing off guests.

The madam wasn’t old, maybe in her late thirties, a woman of a certain age who still possessed a mature charm. She wore a dress with a deep V-neck that revealed the tops of two hemispheres. She intentionally broke into a little trot as she walked, and the resulting jiggle made it very hard to look away.

"Well now, if it isn’t Brother Zun! Your presence truly brightens up my humble establishment!"

The madam trotted over, looking as if she intended to run him down with her assets. Shi Tiexin, however, remained completely poker-faced. No matter how flustered he was on the inside, Lord Shi could always maintain his composure. He simply offered the madam a faint smile and a nod. "Hello. I brought some of my men to have a little fun tonight. I’m not familiar with the house rules."

"Brother~~ Zun~~~," she cooed. "Don’t say that! When you’re here, what rules could there possibly be? There are no rules for you. Please, make yourself at home!" The madam’s smile was obsequious; she was clearly aware of Shi Tiexin’s identity. News that Brother Fa held Shi Tiexin in high regard had already spread, so those trying to make their way on the lower rungs naturally knew what attitude to adopt in front of the Black Venerable Lord.

"Brother Zun, is there a particular girl you’d like to request?"

"No, this is my first time here."

"In that case, please come have a look. If you see anyone you like, I’ll arrange it for you at once!"

The madam led Shi Tiexin and his men farther in. Past the door was a long corridor, its walls lined with photographs of various sizes.

Ah Fei, clearly familiar with the place, explained that this was a hybrid system they’d adopted after arriving in Japan. The photos, big and small, were all of the hostesses who worked there. The women were ranked based on their earnings; the higher a hostess’s rank, the more ornate her picture frame and the more conspicuous its placement on the wall.

Apparently, there used to be a dedicated ranking board that explicitly listed the club’s top three hostesses for clients to choose from, but that seemed to have been discontinued.

Shi Tiexin glanced around. All the women in the photos were Japanese. People from the Eastern Realm and the Japanese had similar features; to a Westerner, they might all look the same. But Shi Tiexin had recently learned to tell them apart. He could distinguish between the two nationalities by their facial bone structure, their expressions and temperament, and even their makeup styles.

Now, Shi Tiexin could spot the difference at a single glance.

His four underlings were chattering excitedly, thrilled with the selection. They thought the quality of the girls was high, their faces were attractive, and their bodies were impressive—a truly dazzling array of beauties. But as Shi Tiexin gazed at the photos on the wall, he felt completely indifferent.

’I’m just here to see what it’s like. No need to get worked up over it.’

"You guys go ahead and pick. It’s my treat," Shi Tiexin told his four underlings before turning to the madam. "I don’t have a preference. You can just arrange someone for me."

"In that case, Brother Zun, I’ll pick out a few of our best for you!"

"I’ll have to trouble you, then."

"Oh, Brother Zun, you’re being far too polite! It’s no trouble at all, not in the slightest. Please, come into the private room and relax for a moment~~"

The entertainment city was massive, with opulent decor and psychedelic lighting. The main hall on the first floor was filled with partitioned booths, packed to the gills and bustling with activity. The madam led Shi Tiexin and his men up to the second-floor VIP lounge and showed them into a particularly luxurious and spacious private room.

Shi Tiexin had barely settled onto the sofa when a line of servers filed in with trays of fruit, beer, and snacks, covering the large coffee table. A moment later, the madam knocked. She pushed the door open but didn’t enter, instead leaning forward in the doorway to emphasize her cleavage. "Brother Zun," she purred, "the girls are all here. Shall I have them come in for your inspection?"

With a magnanimous wave of his hand, Shi Tiexin said, "Send them in."

"Right away!" The madam leaned against the doorframe, hit a switch with a CLICK, and called out, "Here they cooome~~"