11: Work is on the way.

The night rain drummed against the neon signs of Phoenix City, making a pitter-patter sound.

Red halos bled into the puddles, looking like diluted blood.

When Li Zhan went to pick up A Zhen in the early morning, he ran into Feifei and Xiao Wen at the side door of Phoenix City.

The two girls were huddled under a narrow eave to avoid the rain, the thin fabric of their uniforms darkened by the water.

"Brother Zhan!"

Feifei's eyes lit up, and she trotted over, her ample chest almost bursting out of that pathetic piece of fabric. "Can you take us to your place? We can't get a cab in this rain, and we aren't going back tonight."

Li Zhan took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Where are A Zhen and Lily?"

"Lily already went back to your place, and Sister Zhen is drinking with a client; she said you should go back first."

Xiao Wen pressed against him and hooked her arm through Li Zhan's. "You have two beds and a sofa; that's enough space to sleep."

Li Zhan sighed and opened his umbrella.

The two girls immediately pressed against him on either side, sandwiching him in between.

The rainwater mixed with the scent of their perfume, creating a dizzying aroma.

In the rental apartment, Lily was wearing an apron in the kitchen, boiling ginger soup. Hearing the door open, she poked her head out. "Brother Zhan, you're back? I made soup, go change your clothes quickly so you don't catch a cold."

Seeing the three of them soaked, she immediately trotted over and handed Li Zhan a towel. "How did you get so wet? Go take a hot shower quickly."

Then she turned, pulled two T-shirts from the wardrobe, and said to Feifei and Xiao Wen, "There's hot water in the bathroom; just make do with these clothes for now."

Feifei took the clothes, immediately undid her buttons, and stripped off her wet clothes, revealing her beautiful upper body.

Seeing this, Xiao Wen also smiled and went to untie the strap of her tube top, the lace edge already sliding down to her shoulder blades.

Li Zhan was speechless; they really didn't treat themselves as outsiders.

Just as Feifei was about to pull off her bra, he went up and grabbed her wrist. "Stop messing around."

Then, with his other hand, he put his arm around Xiao Wen and pushed them both into the bedroom. "Hurry up and change, don't catch a cold."

It was late at night when A Zhen returned.

Pushing the door open, she saw Li Zhan on the living room sofa, watching TV with a sleeping Lily in his arms, while Feifei and Xiao Wen were curled up on another sofa, boredly flipping through magazines.

"So lively?"

A Zhen kicked off her high heels, sat directly on Li Zhan's lap, and pressed her red lips to the corner of his mouth. "Did you miss me?"

Li Zhan put his arm around her waist. "Why so late?"

"The client was difficult."

A Zhen leaned on his shoulder. "But I earned an extra three thousand."

She glanced at the sleeping Lily and lowered her voice. "Was this girl well-behaved today?"

Li Zhan smiled helplessly. "Stop teaching her all that nonsense."

A Zhen suddenly bit his earlobe. "Then shall I teach you something new tonight?"

Her hot, damp breath puffed against his ear. "Since Lily is asleep, it's perfect..."

Li Zhan's Adam's apple bobbed, and just as he was about to answer, his phone suddenly vibrated.

It was a text from Brother Biao: "Tomorrow at 10 AM, see me at the tea room, I have a job for you."

He stared at the text message for a long time, until A Zhen snatched the phone away.

"It's finally here."

A Zhen glanced at it, her red lips curling into a complex smile. "I knew Ninth Master wouldn't let go of such a good blade as you."

Li Zhan pulled the sleeping Lily closer into his arms, while his other hand held A Zhen's fingertips. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

He kissed the top of her head. "Let's rest for tonight."

Outside the window, the neon lights of Phoenix City Nightclub seemed exceptionally blinding after the rain, like a bloodshot eye, coldly watching everything in this city.

Li Zhan knew that the peaceful days were over.

——

The first-floor corridor of Phoenix City Nightclub was always filled with the strange smell of cheap air freshener mixed with cigarette smoke.

Early in the morning, apart from the cleaning lady, not many people were at work.

When Li Zhan pushed open the office door, Brother Biao was pouring water into the tea tray with that Zisha teapot, the stream of water held high, not a single drop splashing out.

"Sit."

Brother Biao didn't even look up, his wrist flipping to pour him a cup of tea.

Li Zhan sat down opposite the tea table, noticing that today's tea leaves had been changed to Wuyi Da Hong Pao, the kind Brother Biao usually couldn't bear to drink.

Next to the tea tray was an unsealed kraft paper bag, revealing the corners of several stacks of banknotes.

"Heard about what happened the night before last?" Brother Biao pushed a cup of tea over.

Li Zhan picked up the teacup and swirled it in front of his nose. "A Long took a hit?"

"Three broken ribs. It's a good thing he ran fast, otherwise he would've left his life there."

Brother Biao handed him a cigarette. "It was a fighter Seventh Uncle hired from Thailand."

Li Zhan took the cigarette and tapped it lightly with his fingertips. "A professional?"

"He comes from underground fighting in the Golden Triangle; it's said he beat two Chinese businessmen to death in Myanmar."

Brother Biao took out a lighter and leaned in. "But I've watched the surveillance footage; the way that kid throws punches is a bit like how you handled Mad Dog Luo in the private room that night."

Li Zhan lit his cigarette with Brother Biao's flame, the smoke blurring his expression. "They're all just ways to hit people, how much of a difference can there be?"

Brother Biao took a photo out of the drawer. "Chai-Cai will be on the Yongchang at the South City Wharf tonight."

The man in the photo had shoulders as wide as a door panel, and his neck was so thick that his chin was almost invisible.

His bare upper body was covered in knotted muscles, and the crisscrossing scars on his skin gleamed a pale blue-white under the camera flash.

"Ninth Master's orders?" Li Zhan asked.

Brother Biao nodded. "Handle this beautifully." Brother Biao tapped that kraft paper bag. "This fifty thousand is your tea money in advance; there's another fifty thousand if you succeed. Also, the Gambling Den on Xinmin Street will be under your management; that counts as your official entry into the organization."

The incandescent light above the tea tray buzzed.

Li Zhan reached out to open the paper bag and took a look; they were brand-new hundred-dollar bills, and the bank seals were still on them.

"A-Tai will go with you; take ten brothers."

Brother Biao poured another round of tea. "They are responsible for holding back Mad Dog Luo's gang, and you focus on dealing with that The Thai Guy."

Li Zhan suddenly laughed. "Brother Biao thinks so highly of me?"

"This is an opportunity."

Brother Biao leaned forward, his elbows resting on the tea tray. "A-Zhan, since you've stepped into this world, you can't stay out of it. What are we in this for? That Gambling Den on Xinmin Street has a monthly turnover of at least eight hundred thousand."

He looked at Li Zhan with complex eyes. "This position has opened up, and how many eyes in the gang are staring at it. You were brought in by me, so naturally I want to keep the benefits in the family. Do you really want to just hold onto those girls and waste your days?"

Speaking of which, Brother Biao shook his head. "Originally this task was for A Long, but unfortunately he couldn't handle this blessing."

As he spoke, Brother Biao pulled a "Black Star" from under the tea tray and placed it casually next to the banknotes. "However, Seventh Uncle's people won't just take a beating, so take this as insurance. But don't shoot randomly; if you shoot, the nature of the situation changes, and the higher-ups are investigating strictly."

Li Zhan didn't touch the gun, only used his fingers to turn the teacup a different direction. "What kind of result does Ninth Master want?"

Brother Biao's eyes lit up. "Ninth Master's original intention was just to get back at them, but if you can cripple that The Thai Guy, the underground Billiard Hall next to the Gambling Den will also be yours."

Outside the window came the "swish, swish" sound of the nightclub cleaning lady sweeping the floor.

Li Zhan picked up the teacup and drank it in one gulp. "Fine, I'll take this job."

Then he picked up the kraft paper bag and got up to walk out.

"The car will arrive at the alley entrance at seven." Brother Biao said to his back. "The gear is in the glove box."

Li Zhan waved his hand without looking back.

When he walked out of Phoenix City, he pulled out his phone; A Zhen had sent a text three minutes ago: "I made slow-cooked soup, come back and drink it."

At the far end of the alley, A-Tai and a few lackeys were squatting and smoking; seeing him come out, they immediately stood up.

Li Zhan stuffed his phone back into his pocket and walked over.

"Did Brother Biao give you the instructions?" A-Tai handed him a Furongwang.

Li Zhan took the cigarette, lit it with A-Tai's flame, and took a deep drag. "Tell your men to go back and get a good night's sleep."

The cigarette butt flickered in the morning light. "Meet at the alley entrance at seven tonight."

A-Tai scratched his head. "Don't we need to go first..."

"A Long just took a hit there the night before last. If you go now, there will definitely be people guarding it; it's better to just wait until dark and sneak over."

Li Zhan blew out a smoke ring, his gaze sweeping over the surveillance camera at the alley entrance. "Get your energy up, don't drop the ball tonight."

A-Tai grinned. "Understood!"

As he turned, he remembered something and lowered his voice. "Do we need to prepare some gear?"

Li Zhan flicked the cigarette ash, and suddenly an idea struck him.

He pulled A-Tai over and whispered a few words in his ear.

After listening, A-Tai looked at Li Zhan with a strange expression, hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll have it ready before we gather."

Li Zhan patted his shoulder. "Go ahead, get it done and then get some sleep, keep your energy up."