Upon entering the lobby, the decor was actually quite nice, though overly fixated on golden embellishments to give an air of "splendor and grandeur." To Lin Qiang, it appeared more like false opulence and genuine gaudiness.
The receptionists, dressed in short black cheongsams, their thighs fully exposed, stirred certain imaginations. After a brief glance at the group, one receptionist bypassed Xiao Xiao and approached Lin Qiang directly.
"Sir, how many are in your party?"
"Oh, four people," Lin Qiang waved his hand, "We'd like a medium-sized private room, something a bit spacious."
The receptionist smiled politely, "Alright, please follow me."
Xiao Xiao grumbled, "I was clearly the one leading. Why didn't she ask me?"
The receptionist smiled awkwardly without responding, guiding them to the private room.
Zheng Shuai shrugged, consoling Xiao Xiao, "They've been doing this long enough to know who's who at a glance. You don't exactly look like a leader."
"Hmph, who wants to be a leader anyway?" Xiao Xiao pouted, sidling up to Lin Qiang, "Supervisor, don't forget my help today when you get promoted again. Oh no, I mean… my explosive contribution."
"Stop with the nonsense. I've been demoted," Lin Qiang laughed lightly, "Moving back up will be tough."
"I believe you can do it!" Xiao Xiao encouraged.
"Yes, I believe in you too, Supervisor," Lin Xiaozhao echoed.
"Hey! Hey! Am I invisible here?" Zheng Shuai felt provoked, "I was demoted too, remember!"
"Be good, Shuai Shuai, big sister will comfort you," Xiao Xiao teased, ruffling Zheng Shuai's hair.
"…"
The karaoke room was decorated in light gold, which was much more comfortable than the gaudy exterior. Once everyone was seated, the receptionist approached Lin Qiang and whispered, "Sir, would you like any additional services?"
"Oh no, we're fine," Lin Qiang waved her off, "Just bring more drinks. We're here to sing."
The receptionist frowned slightly, advising, "You know… coming here to spend like this…"
"Alright, we won't make it hard for you." Lin Qiang threw 400 yuan on the table, "We really don't need any extra company. Here's an extra 100, will that work?"
The receptionist smiled, pocketing the money, and politely said, "Alright, I'll instruct the staff to take good care of this room. Call us if you need more drinks."
"Wait!" Xiao Xiao stopped the receptionist and turned to Lin Qiang, "Why? Why did you give her an extra 100?"
"You don't know anything," Lin Qiang shook his head, giving the receptionist a helpless look before explaining, "Remember, any place offering 'unlimited drinks' with scantily clad staff isn't a proper venue."
"Huh? Isn't it just singing?"
"In Jijing, this price is too cheap. 300 yuan for unlimited time and drinks, it's too cheap." Lin Qiang explained, "They actually make money from the company of the hostesses, that's their main business."
"Ah?!!" Xiao Xiao's worldview was momentarily shattered. She turned to look at the receptionist.
The receptionist nodded apologetically.
After some contemplation, Xiao Xiao turned to Lin Qiang and Zheng Shuai, "If you want to call them, go ahead. Don't worry about us."
Lin Xiaozhao nodded along blankly, recalling her mother's advice before leaving—Let the city folks play however they want, just go along and don't be a wet blanket.
Lin Qiang shook his head irritably, "I've had enough of that with clients, it's no fun."
Zheng Shuai also showed no interest, raising an eyebrow at Xiao Xiao, "Your company is enough for me, sis."
"No, I'm curious... I want to see what they look like," Xiao Xiao, truly audacious, quickly came to terms with her shattered worldview. She turned to the receptionist and said, "Call in a few pretty girls and let these gentlemen choose."
"Pfft..." Lin Qiang had just taken a sip of his drink and spat it out, "Don't mess around..."
The receptionist, adept at reading the room, thought Lin Qiang was just pretending to be prim and proper, taking cues from Xiao Xiao instead. "No problem, I'll call a few girls for you to look at. If you're not satisfied, that's fine."
With that, she ignored Lin Qiang and left the room.
"You...!!" Lin Qiang pointed at Xiao Xiao, wanting to scold her but not knowing how. In just one day, it seemed like they had become too familiar with each other.
"Haha, you guys want to, don't you?" Xiao Xiao's eyes darted around as she raised her eyebrows at the two men.
"Well... kind of..." Zheng Shuai felt a surge of excitement and an inexplicable anticipation, "Lately, nothing's been going right. I need some fun."
Lin Qiang felt like crying. His old friend of four years of hard study had so easily fallen.
Soon, an older woman with heavy makeup knocked and entered. She had a thick braid and wore somewhat concealing clothes, clearly the madam here.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," she greeted warmly, and with a wave, several young women entered and lined up in front of them.
The girls wore different outfits but shared a common feature: they were all short. Short skirts and hot pants covered their lower bodies, and they posed coquettishly with sweet smiles. The atmosphere of the place came alive.
Despite his excitement, Zheng Shuai now felt shy, adjusting his collar and feeling parched. Lin Xiaozhao fiddled with her phone, not daring to look up. Even Xiao Xiao, who had been so nonchalant, felt a bit intimidated by the dazzling display.
"Sigh..." Lin Qiang patted Zheng Shuai's shoulder and said to the madam, "My friend here likes the innocent type. Do you have any newcomers?"
The madam smiled and clapped her hands, "You've come to the right place. All our girls here are newcomers!"
With that, she gave the girls a signal, and they began to bow and introduce their stage names and hometowns.
Lin Qiang watched them introduce themselves. When it came to the last girl, his expression tightened, and he stared at her, lost in thought.
The madam, seeing that the men hadn't spoken up after the introductions, asked, "Not satisfied? Want me to bring in another batch?"
After a long pause, Lin Qiang suddenly said, "Lele, come over here."
"Thank you," said the last girl, wearing a white short skirt and a side braid, with a sweet smile. She walked over confidently and sat beside Lin Qiang, leaning against him.
A fragrant scent enveloped him as her smooth, white thighs brushed against his side. Lin Qiang couldn't help but take a closer look. Lele's face was fresh and smooth, and her smile revealed a pair of tiger teeth, giving her an innocent, budding allure that seemed perfect for Zheng Shuai's taste.
"Tch!" Xiao Xiao immediately reacted, "Lin Qiang, look at you, pretending to be proper!"
The madam turned to Zheng Shuai and asked, "And you, handsome? What do you think?"