The boss's wife didn't comment much on Chen Ergou helping to cover up the scene. In her way of thinking, if she had the ability to rob a bank, she would have done it long ago. She just focuses on making money, but unfortunately, she always feels that she doesn't have the ability to make a fortune easily, so she has always been honest and law-abiding. The boss and Zhang Shengli, those two cowards who were scared by evil forces, think Chen Ergou looks less and less like a good citizen. Li Sheng, who has watched too many police movies, can't wait for Chen Ergou to become the king of this city district tomorrow, and thinks that becoming a bandit is more interesting than contributing to socialist modernization.

  Li Wei knew afterwards and had been ignoring Chen Ergou with a bad face, almost putting him in the category of class enemies. Chen Ergou was habitually unmoved by others' opinions, as if he were saying "my heart is like a rock" - being extremely self-centered was his best protection. If not for this, Chen Ergou might not have been able to survive until today amidst the curses and scolding of a group of people.

  When some hoodlums from Jiangxi gang saw Chen Ergou, they all greeted him with respect and called him "Gouzhang" (brother dog). These people were mostly from the Jiangxi gang. As for the Northeastern gang, they had long considered Chen Ergou as one of their own. Several big shots also spread the word that whoever dared to mess with Chen Ergou would be messing with the Northeastern gang. In this way, Chen Ergou became a celebrity in both gangs.

  When one man gets his way, even chickens and dogs rise to heaven. Améi's restaurant business boomed as a group of big shots would come there for a hearty meal after finishing their bloody battles or smashing up the town. At first, the boss and Zhang Shengli were nervous serving these rough men who splattered spittle everywhere, fearing they might accidentally get their arms chopped off or legs broken off. However, over time, they got used to it and started daring to squat in the corner listening to them recount their exciting exploits, occasionally even getting excited by some lewd jokes. Men all like martial arts novels; actually, they like the killings and heroic spirit inside. They get angry, draw swords, kill people, and after killing, still have beautiful women throwing themselves at them - thinking about it is already thrilling. With three loyal listeners, the boss, Zhang Shengli, and young Li Sheng, these thugs felt extremely satisfied and in high spirits, as if they could conquer Shanghai with one foot during the day and let that "beautiful woman Bamboo Leaf Green" warm their beds at night. When Li Sheng learned there was a woman named "Bamboo Leaf Green" in Shanghai, he immediately transferred all his interest from his classmate Water Spirit Girl to this mysterious woman who shook up Shanghai.

  On the 14th day of Cao Jing's arrival in Shanghai, Chen Ergou followed Cai Huangmao to his first visit to a nightclub, SD Bar. The bar was located near several "wild chicken universities" where students could buy a graduation certificate after spending a few years and some money there. Cai Huangmao seemed to be well-known in this area, owning a heavy motorcycle that he rode with Chen Ergou to the bar, followed by four or five motorcycles, making Chen Ergou feel dizzy and confused - was this what they called "big brother style"?

  Cai Huang Mao, this young punk who's always nodding his head, told him that the students in these schools are basically illiterate, but they have a lot of money to throw around. They're all either second-generation rich kids or rich girls who are willing to spend big bucks at SD. Overall, SD can be considered a student hangout, the scene isn't chaotic but there's definitely a lot of money flowing around.

  A heavy motorcycle came to a stop in front of a neon-lit building, followed by a row of uniformed motorcyclists. Chen Ergou stood with his hands tucked into his sleeves, slightly hunched over, and gazed up at the sign for the SD bar with narrowed eyes. The dazzling lights shone down on Chen's pale, gaunt face, which was accentuated by his tattered shoes and cheap clothing, as well as his awkward posture, giving this country bumpkin a strangely seductive aura despite being in an entertainment venue for the first time.

  Chen Ergou just stared blankly at the signboard, and even the several heavily made-up girls standing at the entrance of the bar as human billboards looked puzzled. Some young people who came to the bar for fun also regarded this man wearing avant-garde and frightening clothes as a bit abnormal.

  "Is that it?" Chen Ergou finally spoke up, although to outsiders he looked like a profound and introspective person, in reality he was just thinking that since he had finally gotten the chance to come to this kind of place, he should at least get some free drinks and cigarettes, right? As for whether or not there would be any beautiful women to keep him company, Chen Ergou, who was still relatively innocent, hadn't even thought about that yet.

  "Brother Dog, it's right here. The ground floor has a bar with a disco hall and a KTV, and there's also a billiards room upstairs. There are plenty of places to have fun. To be honest with you, before you came, the KTV was doing some small-time business on the side. But since Brother Tiger spoke up, we don't dare do it anymore. We've already smoothed things over with the boss here, but the bar and billiards room still have some business that can't be withdrawn for the time being. If they're withdrawn, this place will collapse. Brother Dog, if you're not satisfied, you can talk to the boss about it." Cai Huangmao looked at Chen Ergou with caution, afraid of provoking this living Buddha.

  "I'm here to help with the scene, not to mess it up. No trouble, everything is easy to say. My wife said that if you can sell arms, it's also your skill." Chen Ergou joked, these days he has been asking Zhang Shengli, a half-bucket water, about various doors in this city district. Walking towards the bar, at night, the four or five girls standing at the door are still quite decent, tall and cold, elegant and charming, plump and seductive, really gathering all kinds of representatives, even Chen Ergou feels that these beautiful girls standing at the door can indeed attract business.

  As soon as he heard the word "wife", Cai Huangmao's mind immediately conjured up Cao Jingyin's face, a contradictory mix of coldness and mystery. Cai Huangmao had been in the underworld for a few years and was able to reach his current position not only by following the right big brother but also with the brain that got him into Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. He feared Cao Jingyin out of instinct, and he felt uneasy because he noticed her unusual calmness in every move. Bamboo leaves, easily reminded him of this taboo name, inwardly sighed "trouble water", Cai Huangmao withdrew his thoughts and said to the group of heavily made-up girls at the door: "This is Dog Brother, Tiger Brother has handed over the place to him."

  "Brother Dog."

  Four or five girls gazed at Chen Ergou with different eyes, their tender voices rising and falling in unison, making people feel soft all over.

  "Is it cold?" Chen Ergou asked with concern, smiling like Maitreya Buddha. His smile was completely different from the foolish and wealthy look that often misled people. The future backer of SD Bar was intentionally or unintentionally staring at the girl's thin clothes, his face showing a mixture of sympathy and lust, but his gaze stopped short of being obscene.

  "It's not cold." The group of girls giggled, it was a pleasant thing to be appreciated by men, especially when facing the appreciation of a big shot. It seemed that unintentionally, Chen Ergou, who was still a small restaurant waiter a few days ago, had become a superior in other people's eyes. Life is always more absurd than reality, this was said by Cao Jingjian while playing chess with his wife.

  "Xiao Yao, you're in charge of entertaining Dog Brother, don't slack off, or the boss will fire you." Cai Huang Mao instructed a girl with a very Lolita-like face and an angelic appearance, but with a seductive figure. She stood at the back of the crowd, seemingly carrying a bit of awkwardness as if she had just arrived. She glanced nervously at Chen Er Dog, responded with a "yes", and quickly lowered her head.

  A petite girl of 1.6 meters, with a delicate face that looked like porcelain, but her chest was surprisingly prominent. She was the one who wore the least makeup among them, and her eyes were also the most reserved. Chen Ergou couldn't help but secretly admire Cai Huangmao's good taste. The group entered the bar, which had only a few tables of people at 8:30 PM. Another entrance led to a KTV that was already packed full. Chen Ergou suppressed his urge to look around and slowly found a spot with a good view on the second floor. A group of young men who hung out with Cai Huangmao sat at the next table, while Cai Huangmao and a girl named Xiao Yao accompanied Chen Ergou. The waiter had already brought over drinks and fruit plates. Chen Ergou pretended to be sophisticated as he gazed down at the dance floor on the first floor. Xiao Yao skillfully opened the red wine, hesitated for a moment, but didn't add any tea water to it. Cai Huangmao explained: "Brother Dog, today is Monday, so the scene isn't lively. If we came on a weekend, there wouldn't be any seats available after an hour. From 9 PM to 3 AM, it's smoky and chaotic, but people who like to party love that kind of crazy atmosphere."

  "How much is this wine per bottle?" Chen Ergou asked.

  "Over 500." Xiaoyao said softly, carefully pouring a cup for Chen Ergou. Because she was leaning forward towards Chen Ergou, her chest, due to her petite and delicate figure, became even more alluring, and her entire person was full of curves. Although Chen Ergou was a virgin who had never been to such places before, he could still tell at a glance that this little girl was different from the others.

  "It's too expensive." Chen Erdou curled his lip, secretly scolding in his heart, but still maintaining a half-dead and half-alive demeanor on his face. He took the glass cup and tasted it, saying: "It's not good to drink."

  Xiao Yao looked at Cai Huang Mao with a helpless expression, seemingly unsure of how to deal with this eccentric figure in front of her. In fact, she had secretly glanced at Chen Er Gou several times along the way. Despite his young age, he was able to take on a big scene, wearing a strange outfit that would be rare even in Shanghai. He didn't speak much, and his eyes were relatively honest, but somehow he still made Xiao Yao feel terrified. Subconsciously, she had already regarded Chen Er Gou as a madman. If this madman didn't know how to cherish flowers, Xiao Yao felt that no matter how clever she was, she would only end up being destroyed by him.

  Cai Huangmao ignored Xiao Yao's pleading eyes, but this couldn't be blamed on his being heartless. If he really wanted to get close to Chen Ergou, a non-relative and non-friend like Xiao Yao could be completely abandoned. Such a delicate and pure student girl was hard to find, but even if she was pitifully charming and lively, it still wasn't as important as climbing up the social ladder. Moreover, in Cai Huangmao's opinion, Chen Ergou wasn't that kind of brainless stud either; his private evaluation of Chen Ergou was very high.

  "If something really happens, just call me."

  Chen Ergou got up and left, with a flourish of his sleeve, leaving behind a tall and majestic figure. The little eunuch who had been following him with bated breath finally let out a sigh of relief, and for a moment, he felt that this young man in cloth shoes was quite strange. She, who loved playing Go, suddenly thought of an absurd phrase, a term that would make people's eyes widen in the Go world.

  Demon Sword.

  ——