Throughout the journey, the veteran driver regaled us with tales of his adventurous life, traversing north and south. Truthfully, the man possessed an impressive gift for gab. Though I couldn’t discern how much exaggeration laced his stories, Bingying was utterly captivated, resting her chin in her hands and listening intently. She seemed to have forgotten the very purpose of her visit.
Meanwhile, I turned my head to gaze out the window, silently committing the car’s direction to memory. As time wore on, I noticed pedestrians and vehicles gradually thinning out.
The sun had already begun its descent in the west, sinking halfway into the mountains. Its remaining crimson glow bathed our taxi, stretching the vehicle’s shadow to an extraordinary length.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected them to venture this far. We were practically on the outskirts of Xingjiang City. What could that fellow possibly be doing out here?
If it were merely an illicit rendezvous with that man, a nearby hotel would suffice. Why come all the way to a place like this? A growing sense of unease settled in my heart.
“Ah, we’ve arrived,” the driver announced, pulling the car to the side of the road.
I turned to the front window, and sure enough, the other taxi had already stopped. After paying, the two individuals disembarked, still entwined as before, and disappeared into a narrow alleyway.
“That’ll be fifty-eight yuan,” the driver stated, casually glancing at the meter.
“Keep the change,” Bingying said, handing over a hundred-yuan note. “Consider the rest a tip. Your stories were quite engaging; I enjoyed them immensely.”
“Oh, thank you for your generosity, young lady,” the driver chuckled, a hint of playfulness in his tone.
“Let’s go,” I urged Bingying, prompting her to alight first. Then, in a voice I knew she wouldn’t overhear, I addressed the driver. “Say, old man, if the opportunity arises, would you be willing to speak with me again? About ‘The Witch’s Game’?”
“You!” The driver’s pupils constricted sharply, and he spoke in a grave tone. “I apologize, I was merely spouting nonsense earlier.”
“Don’t say that,” I replied smoothly. “My uncle, after all, is the deputy director of the police bureau.”
“You mean, ‘Detective King’!” The driver was visibly taken aback.
“So, how about it? Can you tell me now?”
“…I’m sorry, there’s truly nothing to tell,” he said, clearly struggling before ultimately choosing to refuse.
‘Honestly, are you forcing my hand to use my trump card?’
“Good heavens, you’re truly stubborn,” I sighed. “But old man, since you were formerly with the police department, you must have heard of Chenyue, haven’t you? I happen to know how to contact him.”
“Impossible!” His voice abruptly rose an octave. “That person vanished completely three years ago! How could you possibly know how to contact him?!”
“Who knows? Believe it or not,” I shrugged, casting a glance at his work ID hanging from the rearview mirror. “That’s your employee number and contact info, isn’t it? I’ve memorized it. If you find it feasible, give me a call—say, tomorrow evening?”
I casually tore a page from my notebook, jotted down my phone number, and lightly placed it on the passenger seat. The driver remained silent, his head bowed, his expression unreadable.
“Luo Tianchen, what are you doing? If we don’t go now, we’ll lose them!” Bingying’s voice came from outside the window, laced with urgency.
“Ah, I know,” I replied, stepping out of the car.
‘So, what will you choose?’
“…I understand.”
Hearing the weary voice from behind me, an involuntary smile touched my lips.
‘It seems the fish has taken the bait.’
“Hm? Why the sudden smile? Did something good just cross your mind?” Bingying asked, scrutinizing me with curiosity.
“Nothing at all,” I chuckled dismissively. Though Yao Xinchang and the man were no longer in sight, thankfully, this alley had no forks, allowing us to follow straight on.
“Th-that…”
“What is it?”
“No, it’s just that…” Bingying unconsciously leaned closer to me, a hint of fear flickering across her face.
I understood perfectly well what terrified her, for our attire was utterly out of place in this environment.
We were now walking through an alley barely wide enough for a few people. On either side stood old walls, their paint severely peeling to reveal the bare brick. Beneath them lay several ragged figures, faces covered with newspapers, from whom wafted a pervasive stench. Swarms of flies circled above them, seemingly contemplating their next feast.
While I managed to remain calm, Bingying’s face had already turned ashen.
Though I had heard tales of it before, this was my first time actually setting foot in this slum, notorious as a place where ‘light cannot reach’ and ‘dark forces converge.’
Rumor had it that this slum, roughly the size of a small town, harbored nearly half of the nation’s fugitives and gang members. It was, in the truest sense, a ‘no-man’s-land,’ and Xingjiang City’s largest festering wound. The police department had long been plagued by it, yet remained helpless, for the powers involved were too intricate and the depths too obscure.
Fortunately, even the gang leaders harbored a fear of state authority. Privately, both sides had forged a non-aggression pact: the government wouldn’t interfere in the slum’s affairs, and the gang leaders wouldn’t allow their subordinates to cause trouble in the city center. This fragile peace had endured for quite some time.
However, it seemed this tranquility was soon to be shattered. Following the national leaders’ latest declaration to ‘crack down on organized crime,’ action against this place was likely imminent. The wary glances we received were undoubtedly a result of this.
“Hey, kids, you look like students,” a hulking, tattooed brute snarled, blocking our path after we had walked only a short distance. “This isn’t a place for you. Go back home and suckle your mothers!”
“Eek!” Bingying yelped, clutching my left arm tightly.
“What should we do? Should we turn back?” I whispered.
“N-no, we can’t! We’ve chased them all the way here, so…” Bingying bit her lip, her voice wavering.
‘She talks so tough, yet her legs are trembling.’
‘Looks like it’s up to me after all.’
“We’re also here for the event,” I declared, meeting the brute’s gaze directly. “Just like those two who came before us.”
“You two?” The brute eyed us suspiciously, scanning us from head to toe. “You fit the description, but your age…”
“Why all the chatter? What if I just happen to look young?” I retorted fiercely.
“Hey, Luo Tianchen, sh-shouldn’t we try to be polite? Maybe they’ll let us in then,” Bingying whispered urgently, clearly taken aback by my sudden aggressive demeanor.
“Don’t be scared. Don’t let his towering, menacing appearance fool you, or the ‘Villain’ practically written on his face. He’s just a low-level thug, the kind meant to fill out the ranks. Real gang bosses are impeccably dressed and appear perfectly respectable; you wouldn’t recognize them if you passed them on the street.
These small fry wouldn’t dare lay a hand on anyone without a boss’s command. The more brazen you are, the less they’ll be able to gauge your identity,” I whispered back.
“But what if he actually attacks?”
“Then it’ll be up to you.”
“Huh?!”
“What do you mean, ‘huh’? You know my capabilities, and aren’t you a karate black belt? If it comes to a fight, they’ll definitely focus on me. You just seize the moment and deliver a kick to a vital spot—it’ll take him down instantly.”
“H-h-huh?!”
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn’t unfold. The brute remained silent for a moment, then bowed respectfully, his demeanor noticeably more deferential. “Please, follow me.”
“Say, Luo Tianchen, how did you know they were here for some kind of event?” Bingying seized the opportunity to voice her confusion, as the number of eyes on us significantly decreased while we followed the brute.
“A guess,” I replied succinctly.
“A guess? What if you were wrong?”
“Who knows? But I wasn’t, was I?”
“…What kind of event is it?”
“I don’t know. Let’s just follow and see.”
And so, we followed the brute through a maze of winding paths, finally arriving before a building that starkly contrasted its surroundings, boasting exceptionally lavish decor.
A red carpet, tens of meters long, stretched from the entrance. On either side, a dozen beautiful qipao-clad girls stood, bowing repeatedly to arriving guests.
Even from outside, we could hear the blaring music, mingling with the cheers of men and women, while the rich aroma of various wines wafted towards us.
“Hey, Luo Tianchen, this couldn’t possibly be…” Bingying asked, her expression peculiar. She seemed to have a suspicion, yet dared not believe it.
“It’s exactly what you’re thinking,” I confirmed, nodding.
Indeed, this was the forbidden ground for minors, a place where adults indulged themselves—dubbed ‘Heaven on Earth,’ a locale every young boy yearned for but could never reach: a nightclub.