Chapter 9

Everyone chatted and laughed in the car, keeping the mood lively, but the instant they stepped into the Between Life and Death bar, Qiao Huan and the other three all put on serious expressions.

Only Jiang Renbao dropped his jaw. "Whoa—"

When Jiang Renbao had followed the navigation through a series of twists and turns into a dark alley, Qiao Huan had already had a feeling this bar was no ordinary place.

Both were secluded and hard to find, but if the bar where he had hidden in City Escape was a gathering spot for street punks, then Between Life and Death was a vanity fair hidden in the heart of the city.

The walls were dark gold, accented with red velvet. The lighting was dim and yellow, and the air was filled with the mingled scents of liquor, tobacco, and expensive perfume...

Following Jin Xiaopeng's lead, Qiao Huan scanned the people seated at the individual tables one by one.

Every guest was a familiar face, someone who appeared regularly in newspapers or entertainment news.

A moment's thought made it clear to him. The bar was situated right between the three entertainment giants, with several major film and television companies nearby. It was hardly strange for it to have such guests.

"Buffing, be careful. This bar just opened, and we haven't gathered all the information on it yet."

His father's... no, Captain Qiao's warning came through the hidden, fully in-ear earpiece.

Qiao Huan tapped twice behind his ear to signal that he understood.

He had thought he might have trouble shaking off his roommates, so he had had no choice but to put on the special equipment before coming out.

Before he had time to think further, Jin Xiaopeng and Jiang Renbao had already ordered a tableful of drinks.

Though Jin Xiaopeng was the one treating them, he was still timid. He raised his glass and said, "Brother Qiao, this one's to you."

Qiao Huan nodded and drained his glass.

"Xiaopeng," Qiao Huan said with a smile, handing him a tissue, "how did you find this place?"

"Uh..." Jin Xiaopeng blinked rapidly. "I saw it online and thought it looked good, so I wanted to invite you all here..."

Qiao Huan sipped his drink with an air of nonchalance, already knowing what was going on.

Jin Xiaopeng was lying.

Never mind how hidden the place was; judging by the caliber of the guests alone, it didn't look like somewhere he could have found on his own.

Yet he knew his way around, from finding a table to ordering drinks. Someone had clearly brought him here before...

The voice in his earpiece confirmed his thoughts.

"Buffing, we just found out this place belongs to a newly established small investment company registered under Shi Xingzhou's assistant's name. Of course, several other investment groups are major shareholders too," Captain Qiao said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "So most of the people who come here are probably connected to those companies. Can you look around and see who's there?"

After listening, Qiao Huan saw Ye Yiwei, Zhuo Yang, and Bai Jike heading straight for the restroom and thought the timing was perfect.

He got up, stretched, and offered a casual excuse. "I'm going to look around. Lying down all day has left me a little tired."

Jin Xiaopeng stiffened. "Brother Qiao, let me buy you a few more drinks..."

"Oh, stop clinging to our Brother Qiao," Jiang Renbao interrupted. "Come on, Xiaopeng, play dice with me."

Qiao Huan thanked Jiang Renbao in his heart for a second.

Then.

He walked away without looking back.

The deeper Qiao Huan went into Between Life and Death, the dimmer the lights became.

Glasses clinked everywhere amid swirling smoke, and even the expensive perfume couldn't mask the smell of sweat. The atmosphere was worlds apart from the individual tables outside.

Every booth was packed, but from their clothes and bearing alone, he could tell which ones were the financial backers and which were the canaries waiting with open beaks to be fed.

Qiao Huan made a judgment. This place was more like a matchmaking market.

The famous artists, the washed-up ones, and those who had never been popular all sat at the individual tables outside. If a backer took a fancy to one of them, they would be invited to the booths in the back to discuss some "cooperation."

No wonder it was called "Between Life and Death." For people in entertainment, life and death were only a drink apart.

"Hey, want a drink?"

"Come over and play with us?"

"Handsome, looking for someone?"

As Qiao Huan walked along, gazes like those of hungry wolves clung to him.

"That's my boy, all right," Qiao Tang said, whistling. "Buffing, you wouldn't starve even if you didn't work undercover!"

Qiao Huan: ...

At this year's police force psychological evaluations, he had to offer his father's superior a few suggestions.

Between Life and Death wasn't very big, and Qiao Huan soon reached the very back.

A black wall blocked his path. It seemed to be a dead end, but two statues of the "god of entertainment" stood conspicuously on either side of the wall.

Qiao Huan found it a little strange, but the light was so dim that he couldn't make anything of it.

He suddenly felt a cool draft around his ankles.

There was a breeze.

Could it be... a secret door?

"Well, well, if it isn't the retired big shot Qiao Huan?" A man's voice interrupted his train of thought.

"I thought you had a strong enough backing. Why are you coming to a place like this too?" the man said. "That eager to climb the ladder?"

His voice was full of teasing and mockery. Even Qiao Tang clenched a fist as he listened through the earpiece.

However.

Qiao Huan turned to look at him, stared blankly for a moment, and only then spoke.

"Sorry, which one of Wang Miaojiu were you again?"

The other man: "..."

Nothing was more frustrating when provoking someone than putting your heart into it, only for the other person not to recognize you at all.

"I'm the eldest," Xiao Wang said through gritted teeth.

"Ah, Brother Wang!" Qiao Huan looked as though it had finally dawned on him. "Having a drink?"

A middle-aged man and woman who looked very wealthy were sitting in the booth behind Xiao Wang. Qiao Huan nodded to them in greeting as well.

Seeing that he had failed to get a rise out of Qiao Huan, Xiao Wang turned back to the two backers with a smile. "I told you Qiao Huan was no mere fish in a pond. He got a little taste of fame on the show after only three days of practice, and he found Between Life and Death so quickly. On the show, he looked like a quiet salted fish, but the moment he came in here, he knew to head for the VIP area..."

Oh, a VIP room, Qiao Huan thought. No wonder there's a secret door.

"But you definitely can't get in!" Xiao Wang saw that Qiao Huan was still nodding as though he were being praised, and his anger flared even higher.

"That place and your tables out there aren't playing the same game. Someone like you? Tsk."

He drew out that final "tsk," making it long and affected.

Qiao Huan was just wishing he could wash out his ears when the male backer beside him said, "If you want to go to the V room, why don't we go together?"

Then he gave Qiao Huan a particularly greasy wink. "Drink more, and you can meet the VIPs in the industry."

Xiao Wang immediately put on a coquettish act. "Oh, Mr. Du, didn't we agree it would be just the two of us? Why invite Qiao Huan?"

The male backer smiled. "Let's all have fun together. The more the merrier. Today Mr. Liu and Mr. Jiang..."

"Xiao Du," the female backer interrupted, "you've had too much to drink."

The male backer immediately slapped his own mouth. "Right, right, right. I've had too much."

Then he pushed the two glasses in front of him toward Xiao Wang and Qiao Huan. "Drink up. I'll take you in to broaden your horizons."

Qiao Huan instinctively felt there had to be something wrong with the drinks...

But Xiao Wang had already reached for one.

"Hey, Brother Du." With no time to think, Qiao Huan stepped forward. "To tell you the truth, I can't relax and have fun with Xiao Wang around."

As he spoke, Qiao Huan undid the top button of his shirt.

It was a simple white shirt, but the patch of skin exposed at his chest was immensely alluring beneath the psychedelic lights.

Compared with the flamboyantly dressed Xiao Wang beside him, he outshone him by far.

A green light sprang into Mr. Du's eyes. "Oh..."

Xiao Wang's face went red with anger. He had waited so long for this opportunity, and now someone was swooping in to snatch it away?!

But Qiao Huan paid him no mind. He picked up both glasses, turned his head aside, and drained them.

As he drank, he looked at Xiao Wang, the sharp corners of his eyes full of provocation.

How could Xiao Wang stand such provocation?!

It was bad enough that Qiao Huan had stolen all the limelight on City Escape, but now he was even stealing the backer Xiao Wang had gone to such lengths to hook up with?

Worst of all, he couldn't even beat him to it!

But when he turned back, just as he was about to act coquettish with the backer, he saw that Mr. Du's attention was already entirely on Qiao Huan.

Furious, Xiao Wang no longer cared about manners and turned and left.

Mr. Du paid Xiao Wang no attention either. He immediately rose and put an arm around the unsteady Qiao Huan, apologized to the female backer, and eagerly took out his VIP room key card.

The moment the secret door opened, Qiao Huan saw the scene inside the VIP room. Even with all he had seen, he couldn't help sucking in a breath.

Fuck, Xiao Wang, you'd better go home and build two temples for me!

Behind them, Shi Lianyi wore an expression of utter disgust.

She had invited Mr. Du of Yuem Mo Films out today intending to discuss the progress of that S-tier variety show.

But it was one thing for him to bring along some unknown artist for company; now he had even taken a fancy to someone else and brought a newcomer to the VIP room.

Still, after so many years in the industry, she was used to seeing the true colors of financial backers.

What she couldn't understand was why these minor artists were all putting on palace-intrigue dramas over a bunch of rotten sweet potatoes.

They were even rushing to get screwed. It was disgusting.

...Huh?

She looked down and suddenly noticed two puddles of liquor on the floor that hadn't been there before.

She thought back to what the man had just done and suddenly smiled.

She had misjudged him. This artist named Qiao Huan was rather interesting.

Then she picked up a phone and sent a message to a family member she hadn't contacted in a long time.

[Nephew, come to your bar and help me get someone out.]

Author's note:

Years later, Xiao Wang became a thoroughgoing believer in gods, with dozens of statues in his home.

Every one of them looked like Qiao Huan.