The term “plentiful masses” indeed gave ordinary people some face; consuming there was faster than throwing money into a fire pit. To illustrate, there was once a home invasion and murder in City A where the victim was a hostess from “Emperor’s Palace.” The robber only managed to snatch two thousand dollars before she screamed for help. He covered her mouth, stabbed her a few times, and hastily grabbed some jewelry from the table before fleeing. Those pieces of jewelry fetched twenty thousand when sold, but when the police caught him, they were puzzled and asked, “Why didn’t you take the box under her bed? It had ten million in it!”
As for why that unfortunate woman didn’t bank her money but foolishly kept it under her bed, that’s another story not worth delving into, but from this, one can see the exorbitant consumption at “Emperor’s Palace.”
Zhou Yuqian reserved a suite styled after an Austrian palace. Once everyone arrived, glamorous hostesses led out a variety of beautiful women, each with their own allure, from pure to seductive, a true bouquet of flowers. Everyone picked according to their tastes. Xie Jia Yi chose a girl with a hint of “innocence” in her features, while Zhou Yuqian, a regular, had his usual companions, sparing him the effort of selection.
Amidst the red lights and wine, the “gentlemen” were soon tipsy, shedding their suits, unbuttoning their shirts, and playfully touching the girls. However, Zhou Yuqian and Xie Jia Yi left their girls aside, half-heartedly discussing unimportant business.
Discussing business was just a pretext. Between them was Lai Hui, one an ex-boyfriend, the other a lover. This peculiar relationship, coupled with past grievances, made them silently compare their endurance, neither willing to show the first sign of being overwhelmed by desire. This had nothing to do with love; it was about male pride. Men are such strange creatures, hiding the beast within with fine clothes and noble demeanor.
