Chapter 41 Advance Pay

"Sorry to have startled you all, please continue. What are you useless bunch still standing around for? Why haven't you thrown these two out yet?" Brother Xiao was somewhat surprised by He Yuyi's martial arts skills. Although young, he had subdued two large, heavy men in just a few moves. Surprised as he was, he knew it was his time to step in. He waved his hand and instructed the security guards who had initially lacked the courage to step forward.

"Brother Xiao, may I leave for a moment?" He Yuyi looked at the disheveled woman curled up on the sofa, burying her head into it, with her upper body clad in barely any fabric. He took off his black jacket, instantly wrapping it around her to conceal her exposed skin, leaned down to whisper gently in her ear, scooped her up into his arms, and walked out.

"Go ahead, it won't count as missing work," Brother Xiao waved with a cheerful smile, completely unconcerned about what He Yuyi intended to do with the woman outside, nor did he ask. Instead, he openly stated He Yuyi's relationship with the establishment to enhance the nightclub's security deterrence and simultaneously warn any customers wanting to call the police, letting them know this was merely security handling troublemakers.

People who came to frequent such establishments knew full well what so-called security personnel were like in places like this. At first, they had wondered why the venue was making no moves.

"So that young man is in the underworld, no wonder he's so tough." The timid men exchanged glances, smiled it off, and then returned to their seats, acting as if nothing had happened, continuing with whatever they were doing.

Of course, He Yuyi was no fool. Running down the street so high-profile while carrying a raggedly dressed woman—if people didn't take him for a highwayman, it would be a miracle. He chose a relatively secluded alleyway and ducked inside. Even for that short distance, it still attracted quite a few sideways glances and focused gazes.

"Asuka-san, are you alright?" He Yuyi found a clean spot and gently put down the woman he had been carrying on his shoulder, asking with concern.

Asuka Suzumiya had not yet fully recovered her wits. She clutched the black jacket wrapped around her tightly, buried her head between her knees, and remained silent, only letting out soft sobs.

Facing such an incident, He Yuyi had no idea how to comfort her. It was his first time witnessing something like this, and he felt a deep sense of indignation. Otherwise, he would not have struck the two fat men with hidden, imperceptible heavy blows meant to ensure they would never be capable of committing such acts again.

How much time passed, no one knew, but Asuka Suzumiya finally stopped crying. She took off the jacket He Yuyi had wrapped her in, put it back on properly, wiped away her tears, tidied her hair, and stood up.

"That..." He Yuyi wanted to try comforting her, but did not know how to begin.

"Thank you, I'll return the jacket another day." With that, Asuka Suzumiya stepped out of the alley.

"Um, where are you going?" Seeing her walk back in the direction they came from, He Yuyi thought she wanted to return.

"Home." Asuka Suzumiya did not look back. She merely paused for a brief moment, uttered that single word, and resumed walking forward.

"Why would you choose to do that kind of work?" He Yuyi wanted to ask, but his lips merely parted without producing a sound. Recalling how Zhuo Uno bullied her in class, it was clear she was desperately in need of money, making her motive for working painfully obvious.

He still preferred the simple, busy life on the island; there were truly far too many things he had to worry about now.

When He Yuyi returned to the nightclub, due to the passing of time, the atmosphere was even livelier, the business even more thriving. People were drinking to music, indulging in intoxication, seeking romance and pleasure, singing and dancing through the night.

Brother Xiao was also busy behind the bar, mixing one drink after another.

"Brother Xiao, I'm back." He Yuyi bypassed the odd gazes of the security guards stationed by the entrance and approached the counter.

"Oh, take a seat first. I didn't expect your martial arts to be so good." Brother Xiao raised his head, spotted He Yuyi, and offered a faint smile.

"I used to watch kung fu movies and liked to mimic the moves. My head just got hot and I jumped in," He Yuyi said casually and easily while sitting on a round stool before the bar, making it sound entirely believable.

"Right, by the way, what's your name? I still don't know it," Brother Xiao asked, paying no heed to He Yuyi's evasive explanation, acting as though he took it completely at face value, while freeing one hand to pat He Yuyi on the shoulder.

"My name is... just call me Xiao Yi." He Yuyi was about to state his full name when he suddenly remembered he was currently a student, and working here would be inconvenient. Although he had never been to such a place before, judging by the environment and the deliberately suppressed, frenzied, joyful sounds of excitement drifting from the corners, even the most innocent person would know this was no place for a student. If the school found out, it could lead to endless trouble.

"Alright, Xiao Yi. Since I just saw that your skills are pretty good, are you interested in another job?" Having witnessed He Yuyi's courage and combat prowess earlier, Brother Xiao was puzzled as to why such a bold and capable young man would want to work as a "PR host." Although he was the manager here, and having such a handsome male host would boost revenues significantly, seeing He Yuyi's striking performance gave him a bit of personal bias and alternative plans.

"What job?" He Yuyi asked with a puzzled look. Could it be that his earlier violence had displeased Brother Xiao? After all, those two fat men were customers, and he had damaged some company property, so was he going to be demoted to a cleaner or something?

"Security guard." Brother Xiao winked at He Yuyi.

"A security guard?" He Yuyi froze, then felt a slight sense of dejection; it was precisely as he had feared—he was demoted.

"What's wrong? Unwilling?" Brother Xiao tapped his slender, pale fingers rhythmically against the bar counter.

"I'm willing, but... how much is the salary?" He Yuyi placed his hands beneath the bar counter, asking anxiously and quietly, wondering if they would deduct too much.

"So you were worried about that. Don't worry, the salary stays the same: six thousand a month, with commissions based on performance at the end of the month." Hearing He Yuyi's words, Brother Xiao let out an understanding smile.

"Thank you, thank you, Brother Xiao. Um, um, can the salary be paid in advance?" Upon hearing this, He Yuyi instantly felt a surge of joy. Although it sounded like a demotion in position—at least in his impression—as long as the pay didn't drop, he was fine even working as a janitor. Amidst his delight, He Yuyi didn't forget to put on a thick skin, looking at Brother Xiao with a cheeky smile as he tested the waters for an advance. He Yuyi currently didn't have a single penny to his name; as the saying goes, a penny can beat a hero, which perfectly described his current plight.

"Sure, I can advance you half a month's salary. Here is three thousand yuan." Brother Xiao laughed and shook his head, not at all angered by the fact that He Yuyi was asking for money before even starting his new job. Instead, he generously pulled cash from beneath the counter and handed it to He Yuyi with an open and forthright manner. He wasn't afraid that He Yuyi would run off with the money; what kind of business were they in? They ran a nightclub, and the last thing they feared was someone trying to default on debts.

"Thank you."

He Yuyi snatched the money, stuffed it straight into his pocket without counting, and thought to himself that his master was truly a miser—giving him only a thousand yuan when he left home, whereas coming here to be a security guard earned him three thousand instantly. He Yuyi couldn't help feeling a small wave of excitement, considering this his very first pot of gold—ahem, an advance of three thousand.

"Um, Brother Xiao, what will my duties be?" Feeling slightly embarrassed under Brother Xiao's lingering, ambiguous gaze, He Yuyi gave a couple of dry coughs.

"Usually, it's just keeping an eye on the venue and resolving disputes. Of course, the bottom line is not letting the place suffer losses. The most important thing is protecting the safety of the establishment. Our venue has a very high profit margin, so others will inevitably want a piece of the pie. You understand what I mean, right?" Brother Xiao said earnestly. What he valued most was He Yuyi's courage and skill. After all, even though their current organization was a local hegemon, they couldn't avoid being targeted by rivals, not to mention occasional emergencies. Just like today, Tiger had pulled away most of the men, leaving only a few skinny guards behind. When facing someone slightly aggressive, they didn't dare move at all—how could they guard the place like that? Fortunately, he happened to cross paths with Xiao Yi today; otherwise, he would have had to call Tiger for reinforcements.

"Right, understood." He Yuyi was not some naive, sheltered rich kid; he naturally knew what Brother Xiao meant by wanting a piece of the pie—it meant turf wars. However, He Yuyi was not afraid of such things at all; he had lived amidst danger since childhood.

"Alright, then go on to work. I have to get back to work myself." Brother Xiao smiled at a tall, handsome customer approaching the bar to order drinks, and walked over to serve him.

He Yuyi spent about ten minutes touring the nightclub, standing at various vantage points to memorize the layout: the restrooms, private rooms, kitchen, front door, back door... This was something an assassin entering a new environment had to master to execute missions smoothly. Of course, this time it was merely out of habit, to do a good job as a security guard.

"Did you see that? That's him, the pretty boy Brother Xiao just took a fancy to."

A few idle security guards stood in a corner, eyeing He Yuyi not far away and discussing in low voices.

"Keep it down, don't let him hear you. He looks like he packs quite a punch," one security guard warned.

"What punch? It was just sheer luck that he ran into two fat guys with all fat and no muscle. If I'd known those two fat chunks were that weak, I would've gone up myself. Such a great chance to show off, and it was handed to him on a silver platter," a guard said with disdain, his tone tinged with sour jealousy.

"Haha, are you jealous of him?"

"Go to hell."

He Yuyi, standing with his back toward them, had originally been looking for them to introduce himself and ask for advice on what precautions he should take.

Having inadvertently overheard their conversation, he frowned slightly, felt a bit helpless, and quietly walked away.

It seemed he wasn't very welcome here after all.