The music was switched off, and the only sound in the room was the fat man’s rough snoring. The changing images of the MTV on the screen reflected on Ah Zhou’s face, blurring his expression. He held a cheap mobile phone and typed a series of familiar numbers on the keypad, but his finger hesitated over the dial button. After a while, there was a knock on the door. He quickly put his phone into his pants pocket and stood up.
It was the room attendant who came to pick up Fatty Zhang. Ah Jie, who happened to take over, also arrived, so he returned to the staff dormitory.
Though it was called a dormitory, it was actually just a low building next to Lihao’s, only about five hundred meters away. Each small compartment was packed with three sets of bunk beds, accommodating six people in total. Each floor shared a restroom at the end of the corridor. Since it was free, the accommodation was always full. Young boys gathered here, playing cards, smoking, and making noise. The cramped rooms were cluttered with shoes, socks, and clothes thrown about, and even with the windows open, the air was still filled with a strong smell of sweat.
At this time, except for the two people on the night shift, the other three were already asleep, snoring slightly. Ah Zhou went in quietly, knocking over something in the darkness and making a soft sound. He casually wiped his face with the towel hanging by the bed and fell on his own bed. He couldn’t sleep for a long time and couldn’t help but take out his mobile phone. He looked at the numbers for a long time. Finally, he pressed ‘Cancel’ and threw it aside.
Nothing could be done.
A surge of powerlessness completely surrounded him.
Mother, Jiahui, Minran… The longing grew crazily in his heart, yet he didn’t even dare to reach out. He felt like a rat hiding in a hole, struggling to survive.
As the night grew darker, everything became quiet. He lay in a daze as if he hadn’t had a good sleep for a long time, and he was living the life of a walking zombie every day without end.
He dreamt again of the past. In midsummer, after the rain, the sky was clear, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and wet soil. The old man napped in a reclining chair under the eaves while the big dog lay obediently by his side. His father and three uncles chatted in the garden, laughing heartily at some joke someone had told. His mother chatted with an aunt while handing him a peeled apple. Jiahui, wearing a white dress and a small crown, tiptoed over, covering his eyes from behind with her little chubby hands, asking him to guess who she was. Minran, with a slingshot in hand, called out his name and ran over, insisting on pulling him to play. And then there was that person…
“Yichen, do you want to eat the apple?” He heard his own young voice.
A slightly young and handsome face turned to him, with a smile in his bright eyes, as gentle and soft as moonlight.
“I’ll share half with you.” He handed it over.
Suddenly, the person’s brows furrowed, shifting from surprise to coldness. There were no words, no movement; those black eyes were as cold as ice, sharp enough to seem as if they could see through everything.
But the apple in his hand had somehow turned into a gun—cold and heavy. “No, this isn’t right…” In his panic, he tried to throw it away, but it wouldn’t come off. He looked up in terror, only to see numerous black gun barrels pointed directly at him.
His heart trembled suddenly, and he woke up, sitting up from the bed and gasping for air.
It turned out to be a dream.
The cold sweat on his body almost soaked his clothes. Fear followed him from nightmare to reality.
How much longer would he have to endure? How much longer could he hide? What would happen if he was caught?
He didn’t dare to think about it.
How on earth did it get to this point? He curled up on his side. The name tag with ‘Ah Zhou’ written on his chest glowed light green in the dark.
He gave a bitter smile. The name was truly fitting—he now felt like a small boat lost at sea, fearful of the tumultuous waves that might come at any moment and hoping for a safe harbour that might never appear.
The old man was right. He really was no match for that man, and he had never been better than him since he was a child. Just because of his stupid dissatisfaction, he was instigated and flattered with ulterior motives, and he became arrogant enough to want to replace him. In the end, in just three months, he was forced into a desperate situation where he was betrayed by his family and had to hide out and work as an inconspicuous waiter in Lihao.
Yang Lin arranged this for him. His father’s former subordinates were his last resort, and he promised to send him abroad secretly. However, ten days had passed since the last contact, and the person Yang Lin sent to pick him up still did not show up. Every day was like torture, and there was nothing to do but wait. He felt that if he continued like this, he might go crazy.
After spending the night in a daze, he ordered some takeout to fill his stomach. Ah Zhou stayed in the dormitory all day and started the night shift at ten o’clock in the evening. As soon as he arrived at the private room he was responsible for, he heard Ning ge’s call in his headset.
Luo Ning was the human resources manager. He always had a serious look and was very strict with Lihao’s employees. He had fired many people because of their shortcomings. Ah Zhou thought that the whole Fatty Zhang incident had happened yesterday, and he was mentally preparing himself for the consequences. However, what he received instead was a notice of his own transfer to a higher floor.
“Why?” He was very surprised.
“Someone on the tenth floor has resigned, and now we are short of people.”
“I mean… why me? My ability to work is not outstanding, and I heard that waiters above the fifth floor must undergo professional training.”
“You follow Da Hua, he will lead you.”
“But…”
“What, you don’t want to?” Luo Ning looked up at him, “Not many people refuse a salary increase.”
At Lihao, the servers received a basic salary in addition to commissions based on the amount spent in the private rooms. Ah Zhou, who was currently working on the third floor, was responsible for four smaller rooms, where the service revenue for a single night amounted to only a few thousand yuan. In contrast, if he were transferred to the tenth floor, he would be assigned to a luxury room with two to three colleagues, where the spending could reach ten thousand yuan or more per night, naturally doubling his income. Lower-level servers would do anything to move up, often flattering Luo Ning. Xiao Ding had even tried to bribe him, but Luo Ning refused. It was a pity that this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity was not good for Ah Zhou. He lowered his eyebrows and said, “I am too timid. I am afraid I will make mistakes and make the guests unhappy.”
Luo Ning’s lips curled up, “Really? I think people who dare to charge extra money to their guests must be brave.”
His heart skipped a beat, and his face turned a little pale. As expected, this matter had indeed not gone unnoticed.
“If this kind of incident—adding orders secretly while the guests are drunk—gets exposed, not only will you be fired, but you’ll also have to pay for all the ordered items. Whether I expose it or not depends on your attitude. Think carefully.”
With that being said, there was no way out for him. He pursed his lips and said, “Which room on the tenth floor am I in charge of?”
“1003.”
“I’ll go over now. Thank you for the promotion Ning ge.”
The elevator stopped on the tenth floor, and as the doors opened, the surroundings brightened. The hallway was lined with golden silk carpets, and the electronic wall displayed blue wave-like light patterns guiding the way to various private rooms. The guests for Room 3 had not yet arrived, so Da Hua, who was in charge of this area alongside him, led him around the room. Akin to a presidential suite, the room was equipped with all the necessary facilities. There was a small stage for entertainment performances with a space reserved for live music, and a silver pole stood tall. The room’s open-concept design allowed for an unobstructed view of the inner bed and the bathtub positioned by the window. The luxury of the space carried a subtle air of sensuality, making it convenient for guests to enjoy a variety of intimate services.
“How about it? It’s much better than the third floor, isn’t it?” Da Hua glanced at him, “Working on this floor is no different than working downstairs. You need to have sharp eyes, quick hands and feet, and you have to keep your mouth shut no matter what. Whatever you do inside has nothing to do with us, so don’t make a fuss and don’t act around, do you understand?”
“Yes.”
“The guests are scheduled to arrive at eleven. You should prepare yourself first, cheer up, and fix your hair—it looks messy.”
“Oh.” Ah Zhou responded but didn’t actually move. While Da Hua stepped out to get the fruit tray, Ah Zhou sat down in the middle of the circular sofa, looking at the empty little stage. A faint, self-mocking smile appeared on his lips.
He was no stranger to this place. There was a time when he loved to hang out here, getting drunk with his buddies, drinking a lot of wine and hugging a lot of women. One time, he drank too much and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment. When he woke up, he saw Jiahui’s crying face, and he never came here again after that.
He didn’t want her to cry.
But he knew she would definitely cry if he left without saying goodbye.
Ah Zhou frowned a little irritably. Seeing Da Hua come in, he immediately stood up and pretended to wipe the clean coffee table.
“Someone is looking for you outside.” Da Hua said, “Please deal with it as soon as possible. It will be bad when the guests come.”
He responded, not surprised to see Tang Shaocheng standing outside the door, and greeted him politely.
“I heard you were transferred here. I wanted this room, but it’s a pity it’s been booked today.”
“Yeah.”
“Then I can see you on this floor more often from now on, which is good.” The man smiled.
“The guests will be coming soon.” It was a clear hint for him to leave.
“Why don’t you go to East Lake with me tomorrow? You’ll be bored if you stay in the dormitory all the time.”
Ah Zhou initially didn’t want to agree, but fearing that the man would keep pestering him and draw unwanted attention, he reluctantly complied. He knew that moving to this floor increased the chances of running into someone from his past, so he had to be extra cautious. After sending off Tang Shaochen, he immediately lowered his head and returned to his post outside room 1003, waiting to greet the guests.
Around eleven o’clock, the buzzer vibrated, indicating that the guests had arrived. The sound of staggered footsteps came from the direction of the elevator, getting closer and closer.
Ah Zhou raised his head slightly and saw the person clearly from under the burgundy bangs. He suddenly stiffened and even stopped breathing.
Notes:
His name the Zhou in Ah Zhou (阿舟) means boat
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