Mister Zero, Her Story: Chapter 30 – An Unpleasant Place
“Why?” Luo Yan asked, curious, stopping in her tracks.
Davis and Qin Wen also looked at Cheng Hongyuan questioningly.
“Because… this place isn’t suitable for you,” Cheng Hongyuan stammered.
He couldn’t just say that this was… Flower Street’s most well-known, yet unspoken-of, area…
Almost everyone in Yan City knew about this place.
However, in Flower Street’s official layout, this place didn’t exist.
Davis, being a foreigner, like Frick, only knew Flower Street as a strictly managed shopping district.
She didn’t know that beneath this strict management, a deliberately overlooked loophole existed.
The locals called this place—”The Gold-Melting Kiln.”
A place of sensual indulgence and extravagant spending… a brothel.
Such a place shouldn’t be seen, and it certainly wasn’t somewhere a young lady should set foot.
But Cheng Hongyuan couldn’t bring himself to say it directly, especially with Davis present.
If she asked how he knew…
It would be very troublesome…
Under the questioning gazes of the three women, Cheng Hongyuan felt immense pressure.
“What kind of place is it?”
Davis sensed something amiss from Cheng Hongyuan’s expression, her voice sharpening.
“It’s…”
Just as Cheng Hongyuan was about to give in and reveal the truth, a commotion erupted nearby.
Startled, they all turned to look.
A group of stern-faced men in black were jogging towards them, pushing through the crowd and forming a line.
Behind them, a black private car slowly approached.
—Being able to use a private vehicle clearly indicated an important figure.
In most cases, Yan City prohibited the use of private vehicles.
But there were always exceptions, a select few who enjoyed such privileges.
Hua Qiling had simply chosen not to use this privilege, but that didn’t mean others would do the same.
In the New Era, some carried the burden, and some were the burden.
“Who is that?” Qin Wen asked, puzzled. “Such a grand entrance…”
“Is it because they discovered traces of the demon here?”
Luo Yan asked in a low voice, her expression serious.
Cheng Hongyuan twitched his lips. This young lady was taking this detective game a bit too seriously…
He sighed and said,
“Most likely Young Master Liu. Only he would be so ostentatious, and only he would come to this kind of place…”
“What kind of place?”
Davis’s eyes narrowed, a woman’s intuition telling her that this wasn’t a good place.
And Cheng Hongyuan’s evasiveness…
She had a suspicion, and it was likely correct.
“It’s…”
“The red-light district?”
Davis’s eyes narrowed dangerously.
“…Yes.”
Cheng Hongyuan avoided her gaze.
“Have you been here before?”
Davis grabbed his ear.
“No, no, never… Everyone in the city knows about it, but I’ve never been here…”
Cheng Hongyuan winced, then, turning his head, he saw Luo Yan’s innocent, confused expression.
“What’s a red-light district?”
Qin Wen blinked and asked.
“A red-light district… isn’t a suitable place for us?” Luo Yan pondered for a moment. “It’s not suitable for ‘women,’ right?”
“That’s… correct…”
Under Davis’s murderous gaze, Cheng Hongyuan wanted to run and hide, but he had to explain to Luo Yan.
“Specifically… underage girls… are even less suitable…”
Qin Wen argued that Luo Yan didn’t look “adult” at all.
“So adult men are suitable?”
Davis said coldly.
“…Not really suitable either.”
Cheng Hongyuan wanted to disappear.
At the same time, Young Master Liu finally emerged from the car, surrounded by men in black, and swaggered into the “Gold-Melting Kiln.”
However, due to the crowd, Luo Yan and the others couldn’t see his face clearly.
“Is there a penalty for underage girls entering?” Luo Yan asked. “Perhaps I should request permission from Elder Li Ping. He would agree.”
“She… she can even talk to Director-General Li?!”
And not just “Director-General” or “Elder Li,” but a more casual yet respectful “Elder Li Ping.”
Davis and Cheng Hongyuan exchanged glances, seeing the seriousness in each other’s eyes.
It seemed this young lady’s background was even more significant than they had imagined…
“Miss Luo Yan, do you really need to go in?”
Davis released Cheng Hongyuan’s ear and asked seriously.
“Qin Wen, are you certain there’s a demonic aura inside?” Luo Yan turned to Qin Wen.
“Of course, my senses are never wrong,” Qin Wen puffed out her chest.
“It seems we have to go in then,” Luo Yan picked up her communicator. “I’ll just tell Elder Li Ping. It’s a bit troublesome for him, but—”
“No, no, no!” Seeing that Luo Yan was actually about to call Li Ping, Davis and Cheng Hongyuan panicked and quickly stopped her. “No need to ask for permission, you can go in directly.”
They almost had a heart attack seeing Luo Yan dialing Li Ping’s number.
If she called and told him she wanted to enter a brothel, the Director-General would probably have an aneurysm.
But this young lady was so insistent, and from the current situation, stopping her seemed impossible.
“How about this, I’ll take you two inside, Cheng Hongyuan will stay outside,” Davis said, patting Cheng Hongyuan’s shoulder.
After careful consideration, this was the only solution.
“But didn’t you just say it wasn’t suitable for underage girls…?”
Qin Wen asked, puzzled.
“Ahem, ahem…”
Cheng Hongyuan coughed loudly, interrupting Qin Wen’s question.
Davis glared at him, then said,
“Because it’s… an unpleasant place, not suitable for decent people.
“But if you insist on going in, I’ll have to accompany you.”
“Just you…?” Luo Yan frowned slightly. “Will that be enough?”
They might have to face not only the Devil’s minion, but also his flesh puppets.
Although Qin Wen was confident she could handle them, she couldn’t guarantee minimizing the damage.
“It’s enough, enough, she’s very strong,” Cheng Hongyuan quickly interjected. He couldn’t stand this awkward atmosphere any longer.
“In that case, alright,” Luo Yan nodded. “Mr. Cheng Hongyuan, please stand guard outside. Miss Davis, we’ll go in.”
“Yes.”
Davis and Cheng Hongyuan nodded vigorously.
They had finally managed to navigate this tricky situation…
Although this young lady was incredibly strange, lost in her own world, and incredibly stubborn…
She was also surprisingly polite for someone of her apparent status.
She spoke softly, was very courteous, and incredibly beautiful…
If only she wasn’t so… eccentric…
Seeing the young lady’s enthusiasm, Davis and Cheng Hongyuan could only sigh inwardly. This mission was truly unusual.
Who would have thought a shopping trip would lead to a brothel…?
Davis glared warningly at Cheng Hongyuan.
Cheng Hongyuan could only offer a wry smile, then stepped aside, indicating he wouldn’t follow.
“However, Miss Luo Yan, entering a place like this, in that outfit… isn’t it a bit too conspicuous…?”
Davis hesitated, then asked.
“It’s alright, I have some… life hacks,” Luo Yan replied. “If that’s not enough, I can amplify it.”
“…What?”
Davis didn’t understand, but she soon would.
For some reason, her gaze, which had been on Luo Yan, involuntarily shifted away.
Davis knew that Luo Yan was still within her field of vision.
But a strange force seemed to be compelling her to ignore the young lady.
Only by focusing all her attention could she maintain eye contact with Luo Yan.
And this was only because she knew Luo Yan was there. If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have noticed her at all.
“Even ability users around ‘Calamity’ level can’t detect me.”
An ethereal voice echoed, seemingly coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
“Is this her ability? A mind-related ability user… truly bizarre…”
Except for Grifres from Dawn, almost all mind-related ability users employed such strange and unpredictable methods.
“In that case, I’m relieved,” Davis composed herself and stepped forward. “Miss Qin Wen, Miss Luo Yan, please follow me.”
…
Flower Street, “Gold-Melting Kiln.”
Seductive music drifted from an Eastern-style building.
Women danced gracefully, an intoxicating fragrance filling the air, their soft voices echoing.
Although this form of entertainment dated back to the ancient times of the Old Era, resources were scarce in the New Era, leaving little room for developing new entertainment technologies.
This human-centric form of entertainment was very popular among those with the leisure time and resources to enjoy it.
Like… Young Master Liu.
“Why do I have a bad feeling…?”
Red Butterfly sat in a room on the top floor, a room exclusively hers. Even the madam needed her permission to enter.
This woman in red, who had only recently entered this profession, was the hottest commodity in the “Gold-Melting Kiln.”
Many sought her company, paying exorbitant prices just to watch her dance, and even more to drink with her.
As for a night of passion… only Young Master Liu could afford it.
But now, Red Butterfly felt an inexplicable anxiety, a sense of impending danger.
But when she used her scattered “Gu Seeds” to investigate, she found nothing.
The bustling crowd seemed normal, nothing unusual.
“Could it be that Sword Saint Qin Wen has found me?” Red Butterfly frowned. “No, if she had, she wouldn’t be so patient…
“Knowing her, she would have stormed in already! Or at least tried to get close to me…”
Qin Wen’s reckless nature was well-known in the Endless Wasteland, striking fear into the hearts of Devil’s minions.
Especially those she targeted, her relentless pursuit was their worst nightmare.
Red Butterfly was unfortunately one of her targets.
She had considered hiding in a mega-city before, but ordinary Devil’s minions couldn’t hide for long.
Only those who were… special… could.
If Red Butterfly hadn’t been near Yan City and hadn’t accidentally obtained a portion of the “Witch of Envy’s” power, allowing her to suppress her aura, she would have been exposed by now.
“No, I’m not strong enough yet, I’m no match for her… Lord, please forgive your humble follower…”
Red Butterfly pressed her hand to her chest, a strong urge to kill rising within her.
She could feel the Lord urging her, pushing her to kill that slender figure in white.
The Lord seemed impatient…
“Red Butterfly—”
The madam called out from outside.
Red Butterfly parted the curtains and saw the madam’s oily face, her voice trembling as she shouted,
“Come down quickly, Young Master Liu is waiting for you in ‘Spring Breeze Pavilion’!”
“So soon?”
Red Butterfly frowned slightly and glanced at the sky.
The setting sun hadn’t yet touched the horizon, casting a golden glow on the street.
“So impatient… Well, it’s better to finish him quickly and recover my strength.”
Red Butterfly licked her nails expectantly and replied with a smile, “Coming, Mother…”
She opened the window and gracefully jumped down, her red dress fluttering in the air, drawing gasps from the pedestrians below.
The madam was startled, but when Red Butterfly landed safely beside her, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“My dear, you scared me to death…”
“Hee hee.”
Red Butterfly chuckled.
But just then, she felt an intense, almost suffocating gaze upon her, her heart tightening, her breath catching in her throat.
However, the feeling was fleeting, vanishing instantly.
Red Butterfly looked around nervously, but found nothing unusual.
“What’s wrong?”
The madam asked anxiously.
“Nothing, it’s nothing…”
Red Butterfly lowered her head slightly, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
What was that…?
“Good, good,” the madam sighed in relief, then took Red Butterfly’s hand. “Let’s go, Young Master Liu is waiting.”
“Mm.”
Red Butterfly suppressed her unease and let the madam lead her away.
…
“What are you looking at, Miss Luo Yan?”
Qin Wen turned to Luo Yan, who had suddenly stopped, her blindfolded eyes fixed on something.
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