"I need to see your manager."
The guard and the women couldn't help but widen their eyes, trying to confirm his identity.
However, the token that the government had given was extremely special. It was made of silver with a symbol of a dragon. The Magistrate would have a golden token while the one lower than him would have a silver one. The fact that the dragon symbol wasn't coated by gold meant that Hao Yu was not the Administrator himself but the second-in-command.
It looked like the people were panicking because Hao Yu truly appeared like that of an official. Still, they hadn't heard anything about Hao Yu's existence, considering Hao Yu was related to the South District instead of the East District.
"Do you think we're easy to be fooled?" The guard narrowed his eyes, not believing Hao Yu's token.
Hao Yu grabbed a scroll from his coat and placed it on the table. "If you think I'm lying, then you're free to do anything you want. Just beware that you, and everyone in this brothel will be paying for the consequences."
Hao Yu wasn't scared of the muscular guard. He was actually glaring back at him. The guard gritted his teeth. On the one hand, the anger had crept inside his heart. On the other hand, he couldn't do anything since he would implicate everyone if the other party was an official.
Fortunately, before he could make things worse, a gentle voice echoed in everyone's ears.
"Please forgive him, Sir Official."
Hao Yu and the guard turned their heads around, finding a mature woman approaching them. She had long brown hair and a calm demeanor. Her beauty couldn't be described with a simple word. Her gaze was sharp as though she was able to see through everything, but it had a certain complexity that made her hard to read.
She looked at the scroll and said, "It's an honor to meet you, Sir. This lowly self is the manager of this brothel, Luo Xuan. Our guard is just a little confused because we haven't been notified about the sudden visit."
"No, that's where you're wrong. You've been notified." Hao Yu shook his head.
"!!!" The manager raised her eyebrows, fully understanding who Hao Yu was. "May I know if you are Sir Hao Yu, the South District Administrator's assistant?"
"Yes."
"I apologize for being rude. We've been notified about your arrival." The manager corrected herself and continued, "We shall punish the guard for his rudeness."
"There's no need. Due to the sudden change, it's normal for you to doubt my identity."
"Thank you very much." Luo Xuan paused for a moment before asking, "Would Sir have a drink first? We would need a little time to clean up the brothel."
"There's no need. I'll begin my inspection immediately." The moment Hao Yu stated it, the manager looked a bit panicked. Hence, Hao Yu added, reassuring her. "Don't worry. Just like the rest, I will only be inspecting the safety of this brothel. As long as it's something that can be cleaned up, I will disregard it."
Luo Xuan hesitated for a moment but since Hao Yu was in charge of the inspection, she couldn't do anything. "I understand. Let me guide you around."
Hao Yu agreed.
Luo Xuan and Hao Yu immediately walked around the first floor. The brothel had a regular inspection to avoid all kinds of diseases. By being regulated by the government strictly, the brothel could flourish as a well-established entertainment and receive the government's protection.
Of course, they had to undergo the regular inspection, which consisted of three main categories: cleanliness, safety, and the workers.
"I'd like to apologize once again. I had been notified about your arrival, but I didn't expect that you would be coming this early."
"There's no need. I have a few things to do tomorrow, so I have to do the inspection today."
Luo Xuan furrowed her eyebrows. On the one hand, she wanted to believe that was true. On the other hand, changing the person to do the inspection alone was suspicious.
…
A few days ago.
Hao Yu was visiting the East District Office where he met a young man.
"Hao Yu!" The young man waved his hand with a big smile.
"Oh, Jiang." Hao Yu greeted him.
The young man approached Hao Yu, put his hand on the shoulder like that of a friend, and said, "What are you doing here?"
"It's not a problem. I want to visit your Administrator to ask him if he can allow me to do the inspection."
"What? Inspection… That kind of inspection?" The young man looked surprised. Normally, the people that would do the inspection came from their office. And they would simply do the usual.
However, Hao Yu seemed to be planning to 'abuse' his position in order to get the opportunity to become one of the inspectors.
It didn't take too long for the young man to realize why Hao Yu wanted it. He made an understanding smile while whispering, "If you only wish for that, I can help you."
Hao Yu made a wry smile, which was mistaken as an embarrassed smile. Still, this situation favored him. If he could get help from his friend, Jiang An, he might get this chance. He said, "In that case, can you arrange it for me?"
"You don't have to worry. I'm quite curious what kind of woman deserves your fancy. I have never heard of you roaming around the brothel, so I'm looking forward to what I find. Come on, tell me about her."
"Ahaha…" Hao Yu chuckled while looking away. "Later."
"Fine." The guy gave a thumbs up. "It's not possible to give you the chance for all brothels, but if you can give me the name of that brothel, I can definitely ask for that spot for you."
Hao Yu looked embarrassed and whispered his choice to him.
Jiang An nodded in understanding and waved his hand. "I'll deal with it for you, Hao Yu. Just go back and receive good news later."
"Then, I'll have to trouble you. When this is over, let me treat you to some good wine."
"I'm looking forward to it."
As Jiang An said, he passed the news that Hao Yu had received a special permission to inspect the brothel of his choice. And the brothel would be notified that there would be a change in the inspector.
This was actually not that uncommon in the East District. There were a lot of officials or soldiers that tried to get their chance in order to court one of the workers. And the brothel manager fully understood what it meant to have Hao Yu instead of the regular inspector. But Hao Yu should be quite important since he could do it at the last minute.
Luo Xuan said, "Sir… Should I ask someone to pour you a drink? You must be tired from all the walking, so how about taking some rest?"
"Is that so?" Hao Yu squinted his eyes, scanning the girls who had been out to watch the situation. When Hao Yu's gaze was locked on them, they ended up frozen on the spot. On the one hand, they were afraid that the official this time would be unreasonable and caused a lot of problems. On the other hand, Hao Yu was an Assistant Administrator despite being so young. He had a great future ahead of him and receiving his fancy would promise a good livelihood.
Hence, even if they were scared, none of them backed away. But it seemed that not everyone had the same thought this time.
The moment Hao Yu raised his head, there seemed to be a movement on the top floor.
"What's wrong?!" One of the women reacted instantly, looking worried.
That shout caused the others to glance at her, wondering what was happening.
Even the manager was displeased since the situation had just gone out of hand. But Hao Yu remained calm and asked, "If possible, can we go up? If my presence is not welcomed here, then I would rather finish this inspection as quickly as possible."
The manager couldn't help but tremble upon seeing Hao Yu's displeased look. She thought everything would be fine and one of the workers could end up receiving Hao Yu's favor and lead a better life. But someone had just ruined it.
Unfortunately, there was no other choice but to comply with Hao Yu's wish. She extended her hand helplessly and said, "Let me guide you to the upper floor."