Chapter Eleven

Back at Star Brilliance Nightclub on Portland Street, he sat in the spacious office on the top floor and suddenly realized there was a problem. He had ideas and insight, but damn it, he had no manpower!

Could he rely on that deadweight fatso in front of him?

He slapped his head hard. Damn it, the most urgent task was to recruit underlings—especially capable ones!

Ah Wai definitely had to come along. Not only because he was his childhood friend, but also because although the guy was timid, weak, and lecherous, he was very good at communicating with people and had well-connected sources of information.

After Wang Xuan explained his ideas and requirements, Ah Wai patted his chest and promised to handle everything properly.

Following Wang Xuan's instructions, Ah Wai merely mentioned Brother Blood Dragon, who had been making the biggest waves recently, and several people followed him over without hesitation.

"Make the introductions." Wang Xuan sat in the boss's chair with his legs crossed, looking at the tyrant of the reaction-image world before him. A trace of amusement crept onto his lips.

Ah Wai pointed at the group and said, "Brother Xuan, this is Ah Ying, Ah Wai, Ah Sen, and Zhou Kun."

Sure enough, it was "You ate shit!"

"Hahaha!" Wang Xuan laughed involuntarily. The four men looked at him in confusion. Although they had no idea why their boss was laughing, they knew they had to play along, so Ah Ying and the other three grinned as well.

Ah Wai and Ah Ying together, running around Mong Kok... That was interesting!

Ah Wai went on to introduce their backgrounds. Zhou Kun in particular caught Wang Xuan's interest. He had graduated from the University of Hong Kong, but after injuring someone in a fight and being unable to afford the compensation, he had spent six months in prison. Once he got out, his criminal record made it impossible to find a suitable job, so he had naturally fallen into becoming a street thug.

"You'll recruit your own manpower. Notify all the shops in every area. From now on, bring the collections to me. The prices will remain the same as before. Keep all the businesses running smoothly and don't cause any trouble. If you do well, I'll promote you. If you don't, go back to being 49ers. Understood?"

"Understood, Boss!"

Wang Xuan's problem was that he did not know whether all the businesses were currently ready to operate. They were the main source of income, and a portion had to be paid up every month. If the amount you handed over kept decreasing, you would no longer have a job. Whether it was a legitimate business or a gang, performance still mattered.

"From now on, if you follow me, you'll follow my rules. Being a street thug doesn't require foul language or bullying people. They pay us to avoid trouble. We take their money and deal with their troubles—that's what rules mean. Understood?"

"Understood, Boss!"

"All right, you can go. Zhou Kun, stay behind."

The others filed out one after another. Wang Xuan had Zhou Kun sit down to one side before speaking. "I have a task for you. Conduct some market research and compile detailed information on the whole of Portland Street. Get it to me as soon as possible."

"All right, Boss. I'll go take care of it."

Zhou Kun was extremely respectful and polite. The assignment surprised him, but it also made him somewhat excited. He had been in the gang world for more than a year, yet this was the first time he had heard of a gang doing market research. Everyone said Blood Dragon was violent by nature, but Wang Xuan had left him with an entirely different impression. He seemed more like a company boss than a gang leader.

If he had not been unable to find a proper job, he would never have entered this world. Judging from Wang Xuan's attitude, his future looked promising.

Some time passed. Wang Xuan never left the building, and the injuries on his body completely healed. Zhou Kun also submitted his market research report. After carefully reading it, Wang Xuan found it truly comprehensive. Zhou Kun had even organized information Wang Xuan himself had failed to consider. Only then did he gain a detailed understanding of Portland Street.

Ah Ying and the other two had also performed well. The various businesses were operating steadily, and the money was delivered on time every day. Now that he had money in hand, it was naturally time to begin implementing some plans.

Wang Xuan picked up the phone on the desk and dialed. "Hello, Ah Man. It's Wang Xuan."

"Oh, if it isn't Brother Blood Dragon of Portland Street. What made you think of me all of a sudden?"

Her words carried a faint trace of resentment. Wang Xuan laughed when he heard it. "What do you mean, all of a sudden? Of course I think about you every day!"

"Sweet-talking me. Tell me, what do you want?"

The matter itself was not particularly major. Wang Xuan planned to have the hostesses at his businesses undergo gynecological examinations. Once he upgraded the businesses, he naturally had to ensure there were no venereal diseases.

After arranging that matter, he called Ah Wai and Zhou Kun over. First, he had Ah Wai take the hostesses for examinations one after another and arrange for them to obtain health certificates. Second, he had Zhou Kun commission some clothing. He had written all the requirements down on paper.

Wang Xuan planned to create a series centered around uniform temptation: nurse uniforms, sailor uniforms, police uniforms, military uniforms, teacher outfits, and office-lady suits. He wanted all the hostesses at his businesses to wear uniforms, raising the establishments' quality and adding some fun. His goal was to make them the most alluring entertainment venues in all of Hong Kong Island.

He also had some rabbit, catgirl, and fox costumes commissioned, including rabbit-ear hair clips, bras, and little panties with tails. The servers would wear them as well, giving the people of Hong Kong Island a taste of what it meant to be surrounded by beautiful women, with a dazzling array that could leave the eyes overwhelmed.

The male servers at the businesses would all wear shirts with bow ties, while the security personnel would wear uniform black suits with white shirts. What he wanted was professionalism and grandeur.

He wanted Star Brilliance Nightclub to become the most upscale and distinctive nightclub on Hong Kong Island!

He also had to hire people to train the hostesses. Ah Wai would handle that as well. Whether they were dressed as nurses or teachers, they had to look the part. The clothes could not be worn for nothing; they needed the corresponding mannerisms and presence. The whole point was role-playing.

Once all these arrangements were made, money flowed out like water. Fortunately, it was the beginning of the month, and the protection fees for the new month would soon be collected. That kept Wang Xuan from going bankrupt after paying the gang's cut.

The reason his funds were so tight was largely because he had returned the drug business to Baki. This had caused Portland Street's original monthly income of over a million to fall by more than half.

Bit by bit, everything was finally prepared. Wang Xuan once again arranged for Zhou Kun to place advertisements, ranging from various newspapers to magazines like Dragon Tiger Leopard. He wanted everyone on Hong Kong Island to know that Star Brilliance Nightclub would be reopening, that all its hostesses would work with health certificates, and that they had all undergone professional training.

The photographs released one after another featured teacher outfits, nurse uniforms, sailor uniforms, and American female-soldier uniforms. They had all been shot by professional photographers using the most beautiful hostesses. Each one competed for attention, alluring beyond words.

Wang Xuan made a huge spectacle of the reopening. Overnight, the whole of Hong Kong Island learned what uniform temptation was. Before the grand opening that evening, Wang Xuan had specially sent invitations to all the East Star bosses. Whether they came or not was another matter, but the proper etiquette had to be observed.

Baki and Sha Meng both came. Uncle Fung and Uncle Fai, who had witnessed Wang Xuan joining the gang that day, came as well. The other bosses naturally would not lower themselves to show support for a newly recruited underling.

Wang Xuan had just turned around after welcoming guests at the entrance when a large group of people came marching over. Their aggressive manner made it obvious at a glance that they had come to cause trouble.