Chapter 56: Damn it, I told you—you’re a genius.

Shen Xian’s first stop was Xiao Yang’s KTV on Langxi Road. This venue had the largest investment, spanning three floors with hundreds of private rooms, and its decor was exceedingly lavish.

He arrived during the day, so the entrance appeared relatively quiet. The sign above was an LED display, but Xiao Yang had also hung banners—thirty in total—dangling from above like a company grand opening, conspicuous and eye-catching.

Many passersby couldn’t help but glance twice, especially since the banners announced, “Postman, Wang Tianqi’s new song now officially available in our song selection system, come and try it out.”

“How about it, pretty bold, right?” Xiao Yang walked out, draping an arm around Shen Xian’s shoulders.

Shen Xian shrugged him off, hands on hips, gazing upward. “The style of a real tycoon—beyond my imagination.”

Xiao Yang replied, “I just wonder, will this actually work?”

Shen Xian said, “It should have some effect.”

Xiao Yang sighed, “My lousy place closes before two in the morning. Look at Chen Dabao’s place next door—they don’t shut down until eight-thirty in the morning.”

Shen Xian looked over. The neighboring KTV was called Eight-Thirty, meaning it opened at eight-thirty in the evening and closed at eight-thirty in the morning.

A crowd of bleary-eyed, drunken men stumbled out in groups, arms slung over each other’s shoulders, with lipstick marks obvious on some faces.

As they passed, they glanced up at the banners, a thoughtful look in their eyes, but soon moved on.

“Xiao Yang, what kind of weird trick are you up to?” As Xiao Yang and Shen Xian crouched chatting at the door, a cold voice sounded.

Both looked up, their view dominated by a pair of long, pale legs.

It was Zhang Doudou, yawning as she emerged from Zero KTV. She wore a denim miniskirt, high heels, and a light-colored camisole, her figure striking, glaring down at Xiao Yang.

Shen Xian and Xiao Yang quickly stood up.

Chen Dabao stepped out from next door, first glancing at Xiao Yang’s KTV, then chuckling.

Earlier, he’d worried that Wang Tianqi’s new song would siphon away all his customers, but soon realized he’d been overthinking it.

Few men came to KTV with any intention of seriously singing. Over the past few days, not a single customer had asked why Wang Tianqi’s song wasn’t available at his venue.

Their greatest entertainment was getting the girls inside drunk—or taking advantage of them.

The more flamboyant would dance with the girls, sometimes even hire a performance, with the girls dancing atop the coffee tables.

As for songs? They were merely background music.

Chen Dabao laughed, “Xiao Yang, you don’t really think a few lousy songs will steal your customers, do you? You and I both know—KTV is a money pit. How many men come here just to sing?”

For example, if Party B entertains Party A, and they come here without girls, Party A would curse you for it.

“Xiao Yang, stop fussing around. Sell me the place at the price I offered before, and cut your losses while you can,” Zhang Doudou said, looking at Xiao Yang.

Some days ago, Xiao Yang had planned to sell, and could have gotten seven or eight million.

Zhang Doudou wanted to buy it as a package, offering six million, but Xiao Yang refused.

“I’d rather close down and sell it to someone raising pigs than sell it to you, Zhang Doudou,” Xiao Yang said.

Zhang Doudou scoffed, “Childish. Sacrificing real benefits for your worthless pride—utterly foolish.”

Xiao Yang picked his nose without a hint of grace, “I don’t care. My old man still has two hundred million lying cold in his account—I’m not bothered.”

A bankrupt pig farmer with two hundred million in his account? Zhang Doudou didn’t believe it for a second.

“In a while, this place won’t even be worth five million,” she said. “Look next door—customers pour out at eight in the morning, while you close at two.”

Her family owned seven or eight KTVs in the city, originally co-managed with Xiao Yang’s family.

Joint operations among KTVs were common. If an area needed to shut down for inspections or city-wide initiatives, all venues had to close temporarily. What about the customers? They’d arrange cars to shuttle them to other districts’ KTVs.

Some girls would privately add customers’ contacts, directing them to other venues for commissions and room fees.

So what kept a KTV alive was not the songs, but the girls.

Shen Xian looked at Zhang Doudou, “Men have sentiment and emotional needs too—not every man comes just for the girls.”

Zhang Doudou and Chen Dabao were dismissive.

Shen Xian said, “Just wait—within three days, all your customers will flock to Xiao Yang’s KTV.”

Chen Dabao looked at Shen Xian as if he were an idiot, “You’re dreaming. You think a few songs can steal customers? Why bother running a KTV then?”

“Let’s go, this conversation is pointless,” Zhang Doudou said, but she glanced at Xiao Yang one last time. “Think carefully, Xiao Yang, while I’m still interested. The economy’s tough this year—besides me, no one else would dare take over.”

With that, she and Chen Dabao got into their sports car and drove off.

“Rotten couple!” Xiao Yang spat through clenched teeth as he watched them leave.

But then he fell silent, “Chen Dabao’s right. Men come here for the girls, not the songs.”

Chen Dabao’s uncle wielded enormous influence in the city, his connections deeply entrenched. Other KTVs, if caught with paid hostesses, would be shut down for rectification.

But Chen Dabao’s place never had trouble.

Plenty of competitors had reported him, but it was useless. The authorities would do a perfunctory check—maybe close for a day or two—then reopen.

Meanwhile, those who reported him would suffer frequent inspections—not fire safety, then security issues.

Who could withstand such harassment in business? Over time, many gave up on KTVs, turning instead to quieter bars.

Only Xiao Yang persisted, working hard to hold on.

As for whether Xiao Yang had tried to pull strings—he had, of course, but his connections were no match for Chen Dabao’s uncle.

Shen Xian said, “Don’t worry. By tomorrow night, your KTVs will be packed.”

He paused, then added, “The regulations say paid hostesses are prohibited. But if a customer comes with his girlfriend or female friends, isn’t that reasonable?”

“For example, if I add a girl on WeChat and invite her to sing tonight, telling her I like her and plan to give her a two-thousand-yuan gift—isn’t that fine?”

“Or say a girl accompanies me all night, and I feel she’s worked hard, so I buy her a two-thousand-yuan purse the next morning. That’s reasonable too, right?”

“Or, if the girl is my girlfriend and I give her two thousand in cash to buy things, that’s also reasonable, isn’t it?”

“The regulation says no girls in the venue, but if I bring my own girl, and the authorities ask, both of us say we’re a couple. They check our WeChat—no financial transactions, right? They check your books—no hostess fees. The authorities can’t do anything to me, can they?”

“They can’t do anything to you either, right?”

Xiao Yang was stunned for a moment, then slapped his thigh, “I swear, you really are a genius!”