Unable to Refuse
"Is it over?" A girl who was touching up her makeup asked casually when she saw the young girl in school uniform walking in from outside.
The girl in the school uniform nodded. She didn't say anything and went straight into the private bathroom stall. After a while, she came out and took out a complete set of toiletries from her bag, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a towel.
Watching the girl diligently brush her teeth, rinse her mouth, and wash her face, the girl who was touching up her makeup sighed helplessly. She wanted to say something, but the girl in the school uniform looked at her through the mirror and shook her head, "No need, but thank you."
A simple "thank you" silenced the girl. She gave the girl in the school uniform a hug and left. Soon after, the girl in the school uniform also left, and everything returned to normal.
During this period, the main hall of the strip club was doing very well, with an inexplicable increase in customer traffic. The income of the girls in the main hall was much higher than before, but the number of customers in the VIP area decreased significantly.
Many girls are considering whether to move to the main area—the girls in the VIP area only provide one-on-one service, but the main area is not only complicated, but they also have to show their bodies to everyone, which makes some people feel that they are...cheap.
Of course, in places like strip clubs, there is an inherent antagonism between the girls in the main area and the girls in the VIP area. On the one hand, they envy the girls in the VIP area for earning a lot of money without having to work too hard, and on the other hand, they are jealous of the girls who, even after taking their clothes off, still pretend to be something special, which is disgusting.
Some girls have already switched districts and made a lot of money, which has made other girls eager to try as well.
The girl in the school uniform finished work just before dawn, and then she returned to her rented place. Lying in bed, she finally felt a sense of security.
She came from another city, and no one in this line of work would work in a strip club next to their own house, because that would make her a plaything for the bad boys on the street.
Most girls in this industry choose to work in places at least halfway across the city, while some go to other cities; this girl comes from the state capital.
The situation there wasn't much better than in Sabine City; most ordinary families were mired in financial crisis, including the girl's family.
The girl's name was Annie. She came from a very ordinary family. She had a beautiful mother and a father who was said to have been a star player on the Rugby school football team.
The couple gave Annie a beautiful appearance and a good figure, but that was all.
Annie's mother didn't have a job, and her father was an ordinary factory worker who also lost his job after the strike. The whole family faced huge problems.
To supplement the family income, Annie's mother worked long hours, and Annie had no choice but to follow this path.
Actually, for her, this matter... was just so-so; she didn't find anything too unbearable about it.
Looking back now, she was really foolish.
Those brats used sweet words to get her to obediently take off her clothes and lie on the bed, but she got nothing in return.
So she doesn't feel anything special about her current job, but it satisfies her pursuit of money. That's life; you always have to compromise with reality in some way.
At noon, Annie was awakened by a knock on the door. In her half-asleep state, she possessed a unique beauty. She sat cross-legged on the bed, staring blankly for a few seconds before cautiously approaching the door. "Who's there?"
She wasn't particularly worried about her safety. It has to be said that the Financial Tsunami wasn't all bad; at least at this time, rents in Sabine City had plummeted.
Apartments that used to cost over 100 yuan to rent now cost only 50 yuan. This is the city center and also the place with the lowest crime rate.
"Is this Miss Annie's residence?" The voice from outside the door was young, like that of a student or a teenager, a voice Annie often heard when she was in school.
The sound made her lower her guard a little, and she opened the door a crack—there was a chain lock on the door to ensure it wouldn't be fully opened.
Chain lock manufacturers claim their chains help at least 30,000 potential victims avoid harm each year, but this figure is actually misleading, as it has been proven that these locks are ineffective against those determined to do something.
Of course, that's another matter.
Through the crack in the door, Annie saw a boy who looked about fourteen or sixteen years old standing outside. He was wearing a well-fitting trench coat, over which he wore a suit jacket, a vest, and a shirt.
He wore a beige woolen Duckbill Cap with red checks, and looked clean and tidy, which made him very likable.
Annie lowered her guard. Although she didn't open the door, her attitude softened considerably. "Is there something you need?"
The young man smiled slightly. "A gentleman would like to speak with you..."
After listening, Annie shook her head. "I'm sorry, please tell that gentleman that I don't do prostitution."
This is Annie's bottom line. Everyone has their own bottom lines. For example, some people will do anything but refuse to kiss because these things have a special sacred meaning in their eyes.
Annie also has her own bottom line, which is not to engage in prostitution. This might make people think she is a bit hypocritical, but she doesn't care about other people's opinions. She just won't engage in prostitution.
The young man didn't show any disappointment. He took out a card and slipped it through the crack in the door. "That gentleman said that if you make this call, you might get some unexpected benefits."
After saying that, the boy adjusted his hat and ran off. Listening to the receding footsteps in the corridor, Annie shook her head and went back to her room.
She was no longer sleepy, although most of the time she would sleep until the afternoon.
She got up a little early today, took a shower, changed her clothes, and decided to go out for a meal.
Whether it was due to some mysterious force or not, before leaving home, she hesitated for a while, looking at the business card she had casually placed on the shoe rack by the door, and finally decided to take it with her.
After Annie had a cheap lunch, she visited several shops, most of which were deserted and seemed very quiet.
The mannequins in the display case wore clothes and accessories that would make any woman envious, showcasing everything that was most fashionable in the new year and new season.
At the same time, it also means that everything from last year and even earlier is outdated; fashion is a cycle that never ends.
When she reached a Phone Booth on the street corner, she inexplicably thought of the small card with only one phone number on it, so she went inside and dialed the number.
The call was answered quickly, followed by what Annie perceived as a very gentle voice, "It's me..."
This explanation for answering the phone made her suddenly a little nervous. She stammered, "It's like this, someone asked me to make this call..."
The person on the other end of the phone seemed to immediately understand the purpose of the call. "Is this Miss Annie?" After Annie gave an affirmative answer, the voice came through the receiver again, "Before that, I must apologize to you. What I am about to say may affect your mood, and I hope you can forgive my offense."
Annie paused for a moment, then said, "I'm sorry, I won't answer the question."
The person on the other end of the phone chuckled. "I've run into some trouble lately, and it just so happens that Miss Annie could offer me some help. If you're willing to help me resolve these problems, I can provide some money to improve your life..."
Just as Annie was about to refuse, a number she couldn't refuse came through the phone receiver. "Twenty thousand yuan, Miss Annie. Twenty thousand yuan to solve this problem for me. Do you think that's a fair price?"
Annie, who wanted to hang up the phone, fell silent. She wanted to muster the courage to say that she refused, but she couldn't refuse and didn't have the courage to do so.
The girl's silence seemed to confirm this, and the person on the other end of the phone continued, "Before you start work tonight, someone will deliver some documents to you, which also include my sincerity."
"However, before that, I must inform Miss Annie that if you do not refuse now, I will consider our agreement to be complete, and if in the future..."
The voice suddenly stopped there, and then resumed after a few seconds, "I need to confirm your stance one last time. Are you going to refuse?"
At 3:30 p. m., the same big boy from the morning knocked on Annie's door, holding a box about a foot square in his hands. "A gentleman asked me to give this to you, madam."
Normally, Annie would have corrected the boy's mistake, reminding him that she was a young lady, not a lady, but she wasn't in the mood at the moment.
She took the box, said thank you, and was about to return to her room when she suddenly grabbed the boy's hand as if she had just remembered something. "What did the person who gave you that thing look like?"
She desperately wanted any clue that could confirm the other person's identity, even if she knew it was worthless, as it would give her some peace of mind.
The boy just shook his head without saying a word, adjusted his hat brim again, and left.
Back in her room, Annie sat on the bed for a while, lost in thought, before finally opening the box.
On top of the box was a check. Annie's heart skipped a beat as she looked at the three thousand dollars on it. She hadn't actually earned much money since she started in this line of work, so the amount on this check was undoubtedly a huge sum for her.
After a brief moment of surprise, her mood began to sink; the feeling of being controlled was unpleasant.
Inside was a notebook, a file folder, and a bracelet that looked somewhat worn.
What exactly does that mysterious person want? This is a completely fictional world, and its setting is not based on any actual stories, backgrounds, or eras.