William Clark followed her for a couple of steps, frowning more and more as he looked. Years of experience told him that was definitely not a waist and hips a woman could swing.

Thinking again about that thick makeup, that strange voice...

Hiss!

He stomped his foot in fright and hurriedly said, "Forget it, forget it, never mind!"

The person ahead heard him, didn't say anything, and went back under the streetlamp.

At this moment, another lady came over and struck up a conversation: "Little brother, you have sharp eyes, huh? You figured it out?"

"Yeah, scared me half to death, almost lost myself there."

"Ha, you're really funny!"

When two social butterflies meet, it's just comfortable. The lady said, "There are four like him here, never go inside, just hang out in the woods."

"Oh, so do people actually come?"

"Of course, their business is pretty good, too."

"That wild?"

"Yeah! You think those men are all stupid? Can't tell, but still go through with it? I don't even have the heart to expose them!"

"Exactly, exactly!"

William Clark agreed wholeheartedly. Seeing those anti-vice news stories, men dressed as women soliciting clients, the johns all crying their eyes out, regretting it: "I didn't know!"

You idiot, you really didn't know?

They say Chengdu is paradise, but honestly, the capital is just as wild, especially since the reform and opening up—bodies and minds both set free. Dongdan Park, Mudanyuan woods, bathhouses, public toilets—all sacred grounds.

Especially public toilets—bird holes, you know about those?

The lady chattered on for a while, then asked, "So are you doing it or not, what do you want? You're not a reporter, are you?"

"No, no, at your age I can't really handle it. Any younger ones?"

"Older women are the ones who know how to take care of you! The young ones are up ahead!"

Though she wasn't too happy, the lady was still willing to help. William Clark even wanted to pull out three yuan to buy her a pack of cigarettes.

He kept walking down the street, feeling like he was passing levels in a game: first a random minion, then a guide NPC, then the boss.

"Since I've come this far, don't let me down."

He was almost at the end of the street when he finally spotted a figure under a streetlamp.

Medium build, on the thin side, not dyed yellow hair like the others, just a head of black hair. No knee-high boots, just cheap clothes and shoes. The makeup was heavy and, due to lack of skill, a bit exaggerated, covering up the features underneath, but the overall impression was very young.

"......"

The two locked eyes. The girl hesitated a bit, but still walked over awkwardly and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "You want to do it? 50 yuan, the place isn't far, and it's safe."

William Clark looked her over, his eyes getting brighter: "How much for the whole night?"

"2...200."

"Let's go, let's go!"

Chapter 9: Taking Photos

It was a little after 9 p.m., slightly cool.

William Clark followed the girl through twists and turns, passing under dim streetlights, through tall buildings, and finally arrived at a low-rise housing area.

The low-rises were wedged between high-rises, which towered all around, brightly lit, while this place was sunken, pitch-black, like an abandoned corner.

A big courtyard, brick houses. They stopped at a door, and before they could go in, a man and a woman came out, looking like they'd just finished.

The girl exchanged a few words with the woman, then signaled for William Clark to enter.

The space was extremely cramped: a bed, a table, not even a chair. An electric wire hung from the ceiling, with a bulb casting a dim light.

"......"

William Clark smelled a lingering odor, glanced at the bed, and felt it was dirty. He asked, "You two share this place?"

"Yeah, we share."

The girl locked the door, paused, and said quietly, "You have to pay first."

"Oh."

William Clark took out 50 yuan, reached out, then pulled back, saying, "Take off your makeup and chat for a bit. The 50 yuan is yours."

"You're not doing it?" The girl was stunned.

"Let's talk first."

"......"

The girl found it strange and hesitated, but seeing him hand over the money directly, she finally fetched a basin of water and washed her face.

William Clark looked her over again. Not bad looking, with delicate skin and youthful features, probably around 20, though her eyes were a bit small and her eyebrows not very nice.

He hadn't expected to find anyone especially pretty anyway, so he asked, "What hours does your overnight service cover?"

"Usually starts at 11 p.m."

"Every day?"

"......"

The girl didn't answer.

"What do you do during the day?"

"Sleep."

"Here's the thing: I want to hire you for a photo shoot, outdoors during the day, should take about a day, 200 yuan for your work. If it takes longer, I'll pay extra."

"......"

The girl grew even more suspicious, suspicion turning to wariness, wariness to unease—a kind of unease brought on by the unknown, beyond her imagination.

She stared at him for a while, then suddenly shoved the 50 yuan back: "I don't know what you're up to, but I'm not doing business with you. I don't want your money either, just go."

Seeing he didn't move, she got a bit anxious: "I'm telling you, I can call someone over! You better leave!"

"Don't be nervous, don't be nervous!"

William Clark waved his hand, his tone gentle: "I won't ask your name, don't need your contact info, we have no connection. I just want to hire you for a photo shoot."