The solid iron door clanged, and the long metal grid used for ventilation was opened.
"Yuan, you're here early today."
Seeing that it wasn't a stranger, the vigilance in those eyes dissipated.
Accompanied by the sound of the latch being pulled, a burly man appeared behind the door.
Bald guy, neck tattooed, wearing a sleeveless denim jacket and studded leather pants.
He perfectly fit the stereotypical image of a gangster, provided one didn't hear his gentle voice.
What a bear-like tough guy!
Qin Shi was startled, thinking to himself, "Bro, you look so burly, like a bear turned into spirit."
But his voice was as cute as Hakimi's, such a stark contrast.
Li Yuan laughed and said:
"Brother Yu said there's a big show tonight, so make sure Cheng and I are careful and not to be late."
The bald guy scratched his head, looking totally harmless and dumb, contrary to his appearance:
"Oh, right. Brother Yu's been preparing for a long time, brought in lighting engineers, hosts, and ring girls from the Urban Circle. You better get in quickly. If Brother Yu doesn't see you, he'll start cursing again."
His football goalie-like robust figure moved aside to let them in, Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng entered one after the other.
"Hey Yuan, why are you bringing someone else in through the back door?"
The bald guy quickly blocked them, shaking his head, upon seeing a very unfamiliar and delicate-looking young man:
"He's not from Midnight Imperial Palace, doesn't follow the rules."
Li Yuan turned his head:
"He's my classmate. Midnight Imperial Palace has been hiring a lot recently. Brother Ze treated us to drinks last time and asked Cheng and I to see if we had any trustworthy brothers to recommend for the job.
Shi trains with me, he's smart. Brother Ze will definitely like him!
Li's reason was sufficient. The bald guy looked at Qin Shi, who looked delicate and well-behaved.
If he wore glasses, he'd look like a good student from a wealthy family in the Urban Circle.
"Alright, but get him a uniform, otherwise he'll stand out too much."
"Don't worry about Yuan's work! I'll treat you to a meal sometime, Sister Hua!"
Xie Yucheng thanked the bald guy with a playful grin and hands clasped.
"Why do you call him Sister Hua?"
Walking through a narrow corridor that only allowed two people side by side and turning into the staff changing room of the Midnight Imperial Palace, Qin Shi asked softly.
"The bald guy's real name is Niu Aihua. He likes tending to plants and feeding cats, so the old guys who have been with Brother Ze for a long time joke that he's like a woman and call him Sister Hua.
He doesn't mind the nickname himself, so it stuck."
Xie Yucheng changed into a white shirt, black vest, trousers, and shoes, and then tied a red bow tie.
In an instant, he transformed from a senior high student at Sons and Daughters Ninth Middle School into a nightclub waiter.
"You're taller, so wear this set. Shi, don't think there's anything bad about this place. We just serve fruit plates and drinks, can make almost a hundred bucks a night, and with a generous tipper, even a few hundred."
Li Yuan retrieved a uniform set from a locker, holding it in his hand without handing it directly:
"Brother Ze is a good person. Get familiar, and you can work here when you have time.
Of course, if you don't like the environment, that's fine too..."
Qin Shi raised his hand to take the uniform and swiftly put it on:
"I'm looking for work! I quit my gym job for Mr. Liang's cram school, only have a daily gig at the Youth Palace.
Being a waiter is better than doing front desk, at least I can move around. No need for thanks, when payday comes, I'll treat you and Cheng to a feast at that Li's big stall behind Ninth Middle School! Their stir-fries are great!"
Xie Yucheng stifled a laugh:
"What are you saying, the owner is Yuan's dad."
Qin Shi was stunned:
"Huh?"
Seeing that Qin Shi did not show any disdain or distance, Li Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, his heart approving even more, he smiled and said:
"My parents switched to several small factories after they were laid off, but none lasted long, as the bosses ran away.
Later, they thought, we can't just hold it in, so they got a tricycle and started selling lunch boxes early in the morning.
After years of saving, they finally got a storefront and started a neighborhood business.
Next time you go, say you're a classmate of mine, and tell my brother to give you extra food."
...
...
"Explosive show, exciting performance, to make your blood boil!"
"Fight Club, trial opening in a week!"
"Fists to flesh, return to primal instincts..."
Several flashy posters were pasted along the corridor, huge artistic fonts surrounding scantily clad ring girls, attracting the eyes of passing guests.
"This is tonight's program. Brother Ze has hired a lot of boxers, planning to hold underground fights to attract more bosses."
Li Yuan and Qin Shi stood in a corner, like little thugs waiting for a call.
The interior of the Midnight Imperial Palace was luxurious, the hall was huge, with a height of seven or eight meters.
A winding staircase divided it into two floors, with private rooms on each level.
Not a place one would expect to find in Old Factory Street.
This thought popped into Qin Shi's mind.
"Boxing match? Is there a prize?"
He asked casually.
"Of course! I heard it's two hundred thousand... But it's not easy money, it's not a regulated match, easy to get seriously injured."
Li Yuan shivered, as if he had witnessed some bloody scene:
"Brother Ze's fights are underground, once on the ring, if someone dies, no one cares.
Everyone follows the rules, no reporting to the police, the most you get is some compensation for the family."
Qin Shi's eyelids twitched:
"That ruthless? Bare fists can kill?"
Li Yuan nodded:
"You don't know, a long time ago, North Guan Street was chaotic, with protection rackets, pimps, and brothels, selling people to sweatshops, all sorts of dirty business.
So some groups formed and set some rules. Every year during harvest season, the big shots sit together and divide territories, making money in harmony."
Brother Yuan, your boss isn't from Hongxing, is he?
The more Qin Shi listened, the more it sounded like a Triad movie he had seen in a past life.
He observed the surroundings quietly, noticing several burly men in black suits guarding the stairway to the second floor.
Each of them had a tattoo on the back of their hand, a black fist with tightly clenched fingers!
"These are the big boss's bodyguards. A few years ago, the big boss founded the 'Righteous Fist Society' and recruited many boxers. I heard Brother Ze used to fight in the ring and earned the big boss's favor by winning the biggest venue on North Guan Street, the Midnight Imperial Palace."
Li Yuan was well-informed, indicating he had been mingling here for a long time.
"Righteous Fist Society..."
Qin Shi silently noted it, then asked:
"Why keep boxers? To train bodyguards?"
Li Yuan hesitated, looked around, and lowered his voice:
"To train Fighting Warriors, the kind that goes on the ring and fights underground. With many territories and factions in Old Factory Street, bosses found it hard to do business, so they settled disputes with fights.
I heard from Sister Hua that Brother Ze made his name by winning a death match against an underworld challenger, earning both face and profit for the big boss."
Qin Shi understood, finally realizing why Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng worked hard to train and attend Mr. Liang's classes to develop Life Force.
Unlike other students, who planned to go into the mines for work.
The appearance of Brother Ze from Righteous Fist Society presented them with an alternative path.
"Sigh, being a Triad member is pointless, Brother Yuan. With your intellect and personality, you'd at best be a 'flyer', and even then, you'd need the opportunity to become a godson to a big boss."
Qin Shi thought silently, not optimistic about Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng's choices.
However, from their perspective, it was the only chance for kids from Old Factory Street who couldn't get into a good college.
"Thankfully, I have other options, a wider path to run."
Qin Shi was glad. If he hadn't gotten into the new Tai'an Metropolitan Area High School, hadn't learned Old Martial with Mr. Liang,
perhaps he too would be stuck in such a precarious fate like wild grass swaying in the wind!