Chapter 22: The Bar Girl

By the time his wounds were properly tended to, night had fallen deep and heavy. Yet Wang Xuemei had not returned home to sleep; she remained by his side. This simple act filled Chen Erpao’s heart with warmth and gratitude.

“Xuemei, you have classes tomorrow. You should hurry back and get some rest,” Chen Erpao said softly, gazing at her. She looked tired and wan, yet her beauty was undiminished.

Wang Xuemei glanced at Zeng Fan. She was a clever woman and understood that Chen Erpao and his long-lost captain must have much to say to each other. With a reluctant nod, she took her leave.

No sooner had her figure disappeared than Zeng Fan burst into laughter. “She has classes tomorrow? Looks like a student—quite a catch! That girl, with her looks and figure, must be the campus belle. Just look at her, that chest, that backside—feeling good, aren’t you?”

Chen Erpao was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to reply.

“Captain, I haven’t even touched her, so how would I know how it feels? Let me try first, then I’ll tell you. But you tell me—where have you been these five years? What department are you in now? You’re even involved in state secrets.”

“Erpao, since you mentioned state secrets, of course I can’t just tell you everything. All I can say is, in my current department, we have the strongest special operatives in the whole country. My skills are just average there. We also hold considerable authority. I’m in Hong Kong now for a major mission concerning the nation’s economic stability and public welfare. That’s all I can say for now. As for the rest, when you tell me how it feels, I might tell you more.” Zeng Fan smiled slyly and said no more.

Apart from shooting him a look of disdain, Chen Erpao could only resign himself to the situation. The two of them squeezed onto one bed and fell asleep. As for whether anything “untoward” happened between them, who could say?

The next day, Chen Erpao did not go to work. Though the previous night’s bloodbath hadn’t harmed him fundamentally, he would need several days’ rest to recover from the pain. Upon waking, he called Li Meili to ask for leave. As soon as she heard he was unwell, she became anxious, insisting he see a doctor, asking where he felt unwell, whether he needed any food, and promising to visit him after work.

Chen Erpao was reluctant in the extreme. Now that his feelings with Wang Xuemei were clear, letting Li Meili interfere would only complicate matters. Yet Li Meili insisted on coming after work. After all, she was the respected director of discipline, and what could a humble security guard like Chen Erpao do to refuse? In the end, he could only agree, though inwardly he resolved not to yield.

Afterward, he and Zeng Fan went to Old Yang’s for breakfast. Once they’d eaten, Zeng Fan dragged him into a barbershop, complaining that Chen Erpao looked like a sleazy old man, disgracing their special forces unit—even if that was in the past, it shouldn’t be forgotten. He insisted the barber give him the buzz cut Chen Erpao used to favor, and made sure his face was clean-shaven.

“Now look—that’s more like the heartthrob of our squad! Even if those days are past, you needn’t lose heart. You look much better than before. For women over forty, you’re lethal,” Zeng Fan laughed.

A sudden nostalgia swept over Chen Erpao—a feeling of being back in the unit, where comrades were brothers, and pain was mingled with joy. Zeng Fan, once his captain and nearly a decade his senior, had always been his closest friend in the army. They’d saved each other’s lives; they were brothers, brothers forged in iron.

Last night, Zeng Fan hadn’t asked why Chen Erpao left the service. With his abilities, he could have risen much higher in the ranks. But Chen Erpao hadn’t spoken of it, unwilling to revisit old wounds, and knowing that Zeng Fan, with his background, must already know what happened. Since nothing was said, there was no need to bring it up.

“Captain, honestly, I think you’re jealous of me! So what if a campus beauty likes me? No need to be so sarcastic,” Chen Erpao chuckled, his eyes betraying only a hint of teasing disdain.

Zeng Fan immediately protested, “Kid, look at your expression! Why would I be jealous? Don’t forget, I was the one who taught you how to pick up girls! Remember that time you were cornered in the dorm by the squad of women soldiers? I was the one who rescued you. If not for me, your fate would have been... heh.”

As they reminisced, both burst into laughter, recalling the past.

“Come, I’ll take you to meet some friends,” Zeng Fan said suddenly, throwing an arm around his shoulder. For a moment, they were just like they had been—one a cheeky rookie, the other a seasoned veteran.

Zeng Fan made a call. In less than ten minutes, a sleek Mercedes pulled up in front of them. Chen Erpao couldn’t help but feel puzzled. A thought flashed through his mind: “Could he have landed himself a wealthy, powerful woman? In Hong Kong, it’s not unheard of for rich women to keep young men.”

Back in the army, Chen Erpao had driven a Mitsubishi off-road military vehicle, and even ridden in a commander’s Toyota Prado, but this was his first time in a Mercedes. He had to admit, the car was impressive: the long, elegant body, the luxurious, spotless interior—everything exuded comfort.

The car took them to the heart of Tuen Mun district, a street lined with bars. These establishments differed from the ones near the Lingnan campus, which catered mainly to students; here, the clientele were the wealthy.

Their car stopped outside a lavishly decorated, opulent bar. It was daytime, so few cars were parked outside, but each was worth hundreds of thousands.

“New World,” Chen Erpao read the gold-lettered sign above the door, then turned his gaze to the line of hostesses at the entrance. Young and beautiful, with long legs and high-slit cheongsams, their fair, tender thighs were fully on display.

“This isn’t the best bar in Tuen Mun,” Zeng Fan explained as they walked, “but it’s definitely among the top three. It’s open day and night, though the nights are the real highlight—more people, better shows. Even in the day, it puts ordinary bars to shame.”

The four hostesses at the door, seeing Chen Erpao and Zeng Fan arrive in a high-end S-class Mercedes, beamed with even brighter smiles. Their eyes sparkled with interest, and it was all they could do not to start flirting outright.