The two young security guards watching from the side also snickered. Henry Johnson looked a bit embarrassed and blushed. He waved at the two young guards, “Go, go, go, get to your post at the entrance. Grown-ups are talking here, what are you kids listening for?”

……

The third stop was the karaoke club. When William Smith walked in, he was hit by the deafening music and the chaotic noise of the crowd. This was the oldest project in Jin Xiu; the first floor was for karaoke, and the second to fifth floors were all private rooms. A third of Jin Xiu’s hostesses and more than twenty security guards were gathered here, but it was still the most chaotic place in Jin Xiu.

William Smith went up to the second floor, into a corridor marked “Staff Rest Room.” Every floor had a place like this—more precisely, it was a lounge for the hostesses. All the hostesses in the club would pass through here before starting their shifts.

A flamboyantly dressed mamasan opened the door. Before she appeared, her voice rang out: “Aiya, big brother, what wind blew you in here?”

“Don’t I come here every day? What wind are you talking about?” William Smith bluntly brushed off the mamasan’s pleasantries. This mamasan surnamed Wu was a real character—she’d say whatever suited the person in front of her.

“Listen to you, big brother! What did I do wrong?” The mamasan smiled and pressed her obviously padded chest against him.

“Hey! I’m telling you, Sister Miller, cut it out!” William Smith quickly stopped her from going any further.

“Oh, big brother, you’re so shy! Today, a new little girl from my hometown just arrived—she’s young and pretty. How about this, I’ll make the call and let her warm your bed on her first day!” The mamasan winked flirtatiously.

“Mamasan, will you ever stop? Why are you trying to pimp for me too!” William Smith was both annoyed and amused. He said gruffly, “Have the newcomers been registered?”

The reason for keeping track of people was to prevent the mamasans from underreporting their income. At Jin Xiu, besides the room fees, they also charged by the number of hostesses. So, the more hostesses a mamasan had, the higher the fees she had to pay to the club. Although it sounded unreasonable, compared to Jin Xiu’s booming business, it wasn’t really a big deal. Of course, for the mamasans, the less they paid, the better—every bit of money counted. It was common for mamasans to try to cheat the system, and the security guards in charge of this became the ones the mamasans tried hardest to curry favor with.

Once inside, it was a different scene. Everywhere you looked, there were flashes of red and green, waves of cleavage, and a sea of curves. The twenty or so hostesses under the mamasan’s charge were scattered in small groups—some touching up their makeup, some changing clothes, and a few playing cards, cigarettes dangling from their lips. The room was filled with a mix of body odor, smoke, and the various perfumes worn by the women, making it a bit suffocating.

“Sister Miller, how many new people?” William Smith turned and asked.

“Aiya, big brother, look, these two girls just arrived today. They haven’t even started working yet. If they don’t get any business today, I’ll be losing money!” Mama Miller, clearly a bit guilty, hurriedly said, “Rose, Ivy, come over here and meet Big Brother Smith!”

Two hostesses stepped out from the crowd. One had her hair in a ponytail and was dressed very innocently, looking quite young. William Smith could tell at a glance that this was another of Mama Miller’s tricks—dressing the hostesses as students to fleece the customers. The other one looked a bit different, wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt, not at all like the flirtatious hostesses of the club. William Smith noticed her fair skin and big eyes—a typical southern beauty.

“What are you standing there for? Greet Big Brother Smith. Big Brother Smith is the head of security here, and you’ll need his help in the future!” The mamasan quickly chimed in.

“Big Brother Smith!” The two of them called out to William Smith in unison. Maybe the southern beauty had seen a lot before, because she added, “Please take care of us from now on, Big Brother Smith!”

“All right, Brother Smith, see how well-behaved my girls are? How about letting them keep you company for a bit… I’m telling you, Rose is from Xishi’s hometown,” Mama Miller said, looking all mysterious.

“Forget it, cut the crap! Take care of the newcomers. For the next couple of days, no registration, no headcount fee, but this is a one-time thing!” William Smith did her a favor by waiving the headcount fee. He knew that if he kept talking with this sly old mamasan, who knew what else she’d try to pull.

“Okay, okay, I knew Brother Smith would look out for me! I’ll treat you to dinner another day!” Mama Miller said happily, seeing she’d gotten what she wanted.

“But let me be clear—same old rules. Anyone using drugs, sick, or with sticky fingers, get rid of them early. Don’t cause any trouble in the club!” William Smith added.

“Don’t worry, Brother Smith, my girls are all carefully chosen. They’ll never cause you trouble! We’re all here to do business, who wants to break the rules?” Mama Miller patted her chest, looking very righteous.

“What are the names of the two newcomers…? You two, come over here. Go register your IDs at the security office in a bit. If you need anything, find a security guard. If you’re going out, let Sister Miller know. Be careful… Learn the ropes, don’t just focus on making money…” William Smith gave the usual lecture to the newcomers, as was customary. Most of it was just hard-earned experience.

“William Smith, why are you so attentive today!” One of the hostesses playing cards said as she played her hand, “Did you take a liking to Rose? You never gave me a lecture when I started!”