Chapter 1: The Little Fool (edited)
An old, blue-and-white public air vehicle slowly docked at the station. The yellowish-stained transparent cabin door creaked open on one side.
Fashionably dressed passengers couldn’t wait for the door to fully open and surged out, Mu Mu, lagging behind, was swept along by the hurried crowd.
Once outside the station, people disappeared into the dark streets beneath the neon lights and cool private air vehicles, or into open storefronts. Mu Mu finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He found a corner where he wouldn’t obstruct passersby, lowered his head, raised his light brain – a watch with a cartoon disc design – and pursed his chubby lips, seriously tapping the screen.
A soft white light bloomed at his fingertips. The time displayed on the dial was 21:45 – fifteen minutes before Mu Mu’s shift started.
The station was less than two hundred meters from the nightclub where he worked, very close. If he hurried, he could get there in five minutes.
Plenty of time. Mu Mu’s tense mood finally relaxed completely. He curved his lips, revealing two cute dimples on his cheeks.
Clutching the strap of his crossbody bag, he slowly walked towards the nightclub where he worked.
The cool night breeze puffed up his ill-fitting, loose, pale yellow short-sleeved shirt. His thin body swayed within the clothes, like a child wearing adult clothes.
His slightly curly bangs, sticking to his forehead, were blown upwards, revealing his delicate eyebrows and eyes. Most of the sweat he’d accumulated on the air vehicle had dissipated, and he happily hummed a slightly off-key tune.
When Mu Mu arrived at the staff rest room, it was already empty. He didn’t delay, quickly changed into the white shirt with the shop’s logo, black trousers, and put on his black bow tie in front of the narrow dressing mirror.
Looking at the boy in the mirror—with his round eyes and docile appearance—he raised the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile he considered perfect. He clenched his small fist and cheered himself on: “Mu Mu, you have to work hard today! Work hard and earn money to buy a big house!”
After his self-encouragement, Mu Mu left the staff rest room. As soon as he stepped into the dimly lit, suggestive hall, he was pulled aside by someone grabbing his arm.
Mu Mu was completely unprepared. The sudden action startled him. He turned his head, his eyes widening like a startled puppy, letting out a short squeal.
The music in the hall was deafening; the squeal was completely drowned out, unnoticed by the closest customers, but perfectly audible to the young man who had grabbed Mu Mu’s arm.
He let go, impatiently frowning at Mu Mu, clicking his tongue and snapping, “What are you yelling about? You little fool is always so jumpy!”
The man’s angry voice, mixed with the hall’s music and the noise of the crowd, reached Mu Mu’s ears through his not-very-good hearing aid.
Mu Mu couldn’t understand exactly what the man was saying, but his temper was as soft as his curly hair.
It wasn’t his fault, but seeing the man’s darkened face, he instinctively shrunk his shoulders and took a step back, softly apologizing, “I’m sorry, Xiao Wen-ge, I didn’t know it was you.”
The young man, called Xiao Wen-ge, was about to continue scolding, but he seemed to remember something. His eyes flickered, his hands on his hips lowered, and the somewhat handsome face cleared, revealing a friendly smile.
He spread his left arm, putting it around Mu Mu’s thin shoulders, pulling the slender Mu Mu close, embracing him in a brotherly manner, “Mu Mu, can you do something for your brother?”
Now they were practically head to head. Mu Mu heard clearly what Xiao Wen said this time. He tilted his head in surprise, seemingly not expecting to hear the word “please” from Xiao Wen.
“Xiao Wen-ge, what is it?”
Mu Mu had been working with Xiao Wen for a long time, but one was a server in the upstairs private rooms, the other in the downstairs hall, so they only greeted each other casually and didn’t really have a close relationship.
Mu Mu always greeted Xiao Wen with a smile, but the number of times Xiao Wen reciprocated could be counted on one hand, most of which involved disdainfully calling Mu Mu a little fool.
When Mu Mu didn’t immediately agree, Xiao Wen became displeased, his smile fading, and he inwardly cursed Mu Mu for being a little fool with a lot of nerve.
__“Hey, agree to it first, brother! Only after you agree can I tell you. Little fool… Mu Mu, I’m practically begging you, you won’t refuse, right?!” Xiao Wen playfully teased, persistently.
Mu Mu, not good at refusing people, thought he had caused trouble and quickly nodded vigorously, “Okay, I agree.”
His curly hair bobbed with each nod, like a scruffy little dog.
At this moment, Mu Mu agreed readily; he genuinely thought it was just a simple favor.
He had no idea what kind of person he was about to meet, or what kind of situation he would encounter, that would completely disrupt his otherwise ordinary life.
If Mu Mu had known, he would never have agreed to Xiao Wen’s request. Even if Xiao Wen got angry and scolded or hit him, he wouldn’t have agreed.
Unfortunately, Mu Mu didn’t know. He only knew that Xiao Wen excitedly rubbed the top of his head, using a lot of force. It hurt, and he felt like his head was about to be pressed into his stomach.
“Mu Mu, you know which private room I’m responsible for, right?” Xiao Wen, a not-so-skilled hunter, looked at the overly innocent prey with a self-satisfied yet undisguisedly excited gaze as it stepped into the trap.
Mu Mu looked towards the second floor, “Mmm,” he said, “Is it the biggest one at the end of the corridor on the right after you go upstairs? That’s the biggest private room in the shop, right?”
Xiao Wen saw Mu Mu about to describe the room’s contents and quickly interrupted, “Yes, that one. My stomach hurts, probably from that expired nutrient solution I drank earlier.”
As if afraid Mu Mu wouldn’t believe him, he bent over, clutching his stomach, making a pained expression, his face contorted in exaggerated agony.
Anyone could see Xiao Wen was acting.
Only Mu Mu believed him, thinking Xiao Wen genuinely had a bad stomach ache. He anxiously circled Xiao Wen, wanting to help but afraid of hurting him further, his hands wringing.
“Does it hurt a lot? Should we go to the hospital? Should I call emergency services?” Mu Mu reached for his light brain.
Xiao Wen was instantly drenched in cold sweat, grabbing Mu Mu’s hand. What a joke! Calling emergency services on Liuli Star? Was he trying to bankrupt him?!
The whole empire knew Liuli Star had the most expensive medical care!
Moreover, he had finally pleased the boss and became the exclusive server for the shop’s biggest private room.
If he took time off, the boss would definitely replace him without hesitation. He’d be crying without a place to go then!
“Thank you, Mu Mu, brother doesn’t need to go to the hospital.” Xiao Wen wanted to yell at Mu Mu for being meddlesome, but remembering he was asking for a favor, he swallowed his words, maintaining a pained expression and forcing out a weak smile, sweating profusely.
At first glance, he really looked unwell.
“But Xiao Wen-ge, your face is so pale! Are you really okay?” Mu Mu knew hospitals were expensive; a visit for their level would likely bankrupt them, so he didn’t insist on the hospital. “Maybe take a day off and rest at home?”
Xiao Wen cursed inwardly, but coaxed, “No, no. Taking leave is counted as absenteeism and wages are deducted. I’ll just rest in the break room. It’s just that the guest in the private room ordered a whole cart of alcohol and wants it urgently. Mu Mu, could you deliver it for your brother?”
Running errands was something Mu Mu was good at; besides, there were many hall servers, so delivering alcohol wouldn’t cause any problems.
He got the order from Xiao Wen, once again urging him to rest well before going to the bar to get the drinks.
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Chapter 2: Waiter Mu Mu (edited)
Xiao Wen watched the thin, small figure limp into the crowd and burst out laughing.
He stretched, languidly leaning against a decorative pillar, pulling an e-cigarette from his pocket and taking a deep drag.
“Hey! Is bullying the little fool that fun?” A sarcastic female voice rang out behind Xiao Wen.
Xiao Wen’s face paled, the smoke in his mouth un-exhaled, swallowed with a “gulp” along with his saliva.
Seconds later, he hastily straightened up and turned to face the beautiful woman in a red halter dress, a black fur stole, and loose brown curls.
Xiao Wen’s muscles and fingers trembled uncontrollably, the e-cigarette slipping from his grasp and falling to the ground with a “thump”, rolling into the darkness.
Xiao Wen swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing, and offered a forced smile. “Bo, Boss! Good evening, you are so beautiful tonight~”
The woman’s red lips curled into a smile brighter than roses, but her words were sharp and sarcastic. “What? You didn’t want the chance to get close to that big shot, and gave it to Mu Mu, that little fool? I didn’t know when you, Zhang Wen, became so generous.”
Xiao Wen’s face flushed, but he didn’t dare to retort, wearing a bitter expression. “Boss, you’re joking. That person… I’m just a small fry, I wouldn’t dare even if I wanted to. I might lose my life.”
The woman coldly glared at Xiao Wen, her sharp gaze piercing him, making him avert his eyes.
“Heh!” The woman sneered, raising her slender, crimson-lacquered finger, pointing it first at the ceiling, then at Xiao Wen, her sharp nail almost touching his nose.
“If you mess up upstairs, Zhang Wen, pack your bags and get lost! Don’t even think about working on this street again. Just go next door and sell yourself!”
—
“Ding!” The elevator doors opened, revealing a small cart laden with alcohol on two levels.
The cart wobbled out of the elevator, landing on the dark brown marble floor, followed by Mu Mu, firmly gripping the cart’s handle.
The order Xiao Wen gave Mu Mu was a long list of drinks. The bartender couldn’t help but mutter that a wealthy patron must have arrived; a single night’s consumption would equal their three to five years’ worth of revenue.
Because so many drinks were ordered, the bottles were tightly packed on the cart, some even stacked on top of others on the second level.
With every movement of the cart, the bottles swayed and clinked against each other.
Mu Mu wasn’t very strong, and his left leg wasn’t right, making it difficult to exert much force. The cart, full of heavy liquids, was a real test of his strength.
The elevator wasn’t close to Xiao Wen’s private room, and Mu Mu struggled to push the cart to the door.
The tinkling sound of the bottles colliding attracted the attention of several private room servers whose rooms were unoccupied.
However, they merely stood at their doors, watching Mu Mu struggle with the cart with curiosity or scrutiny, offering no help.
As if unaware of their attitude, Mu Mu greeted them cheerfully as he passed.
Some reacted as if they’d seen a harbinger of misfortune, their expressions changing, glaring at Mu Mu, muttering about bad luck before slamming their doors shut.
Two others felt awkward and hesitantly came out, asking if Mu Mu needed help.
Mu Mu, thinking he was already helping someone, didn’t see the need to accept further assistance, so he declined their offer.
The two weren’t really sincere either, smiling awkwardly as they returned to their rooms.
By the time Mu Mu pushed the cart to the innermost private room, his thin arms, hidden beneath his sleeves, trembled slightly.
Mu Mu didn’t rush in but released the cart’s handle, slightly raising his head, curiously observing the black door with gold filigree—in stark contrast to the rest of the shop’s decor—and two long, gold metallic handles.
He remembered gossip he’d overheard from colleagues who had said that their boss had connections with powerful figures; this private room was reserved for those big shots to have fun.
One of them was a true big shot on Liuli Star.
The person, pointing upwards, stopped speaking, and the others exchanged knowing glances, changing the subject.
Now it seemed the gossip was true. The massive, luxurious door indicated that it was a very important room, certainly for a powerful figure on Liuli Star.
Mu Mu became more nervous, afraid of presenting a poor image and offending someone. He moistened his dry lips and smoothed his slightly disheveled curly hair.
Fearing his old hearing aid might malfunction, he pushed it deeper into his ear canal.
Only then did he muster the courage to press the doorbell.
“Hello! I’m here to deliver the drinks!”
Half a minute passed, with no response.
Mu Mu pressed the doorbell again, his voice higher than before, fearing the person inside hadn’t heard, “Hello! I’m here to deliver drinks. May I come in?”
Due to his hearing impairment, Mu Mu’s pronunciation wasn’t perfect, and his voice was soft. Raising his voice slightly lessened the softness, making it clearer, but his pronunciation and rhythm became stranger.
This time, Mu Mu waited for two whole minutes without an answer. He didn’t know if his voice was too quiet or if they didn’t want to answer.
Mu Mu looked at the golden button next to the door, hesitating whether to press it again.
He vaguely remembered the boss’s instructions during a meeting: if no one opened the door after two rings, don’t press it again to avoid annoying the guests; quietly place the drinks and leave.
That was better.
Mu Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This meant there would be no interaction; he just needed to place the drinks and leave, minimizing mistakes, especially since his hearing aid could malfunction at any time.
Little did Mu Mu know, not everything would go smoothly; trouble and accidents always strike unexpectedly.
The closed luxurious door was, for Mu Mu, a closed Pandora’s Box. Once opened, it would unleash terrible demons.
Mu Mu didn’t know; he gripped the golden metallic handle, the cold temperature of the metal touching his warm palm like a handful of snow, the chill spreading through him, causing him to shiver and instinctively loosen his grip.
However, he didn’t think much of it, tightening his grip a second later and pushing open the door of Pandora.
After opening the door, the first thing Mu Mu smelled was a fragrance.
Not a light floral scent, nor a rich, intoxicating aroma of alcohol, but a cloying sweet smell of many different perfumes and cosmetics.
Perhaps due to his significant hearing loss, his other senses were heightened.
While not as sharp as those with high spiritual power or the famously perceptive sub-humans, they were still superior to ordinary humans.
The overpowering scent made him wrinkle his nose. After adjusting his breathing twice to suppress the discomfort in his stomach, he managed to adapt to the heavy fragrance before pushing the cart inside.
The private room was lit with dim yellow light, not too dark but obscuring the seating area, ensuring privacy.
In the ambiguous light, handsome men and women in sexy attire were twisting their slender waists to classical music in a way that was both sexy and strangely unsettling.
Besides the dancers in the center, the hidden sofa area seemed full of people, their laughter and chatter drowning out the music.
This world within the room was not the wild, bizarre scene Mu Mu usually encountered downstairs. It wasn’t the glittering, glamorous affair he saw on television either.
It was, how to say, another version of a wild, chaotic scene. Classical elegance and sensual allure combined to create an indescribable strangeness.
Mu Mu was a little afraid. He shrank his shoulders and instinctively turned towards the door.
A woman in a halter dress, who had somehow approached, blocked his view, and the door he had opened had silently closed.
Mu Mu had no choice but to press on. Thankfully, his presence wasn’t strong; no one noticed him after he entered.
He didn’t dare to look around, pushing the cart silently towards the small bar in the private room. He struggled through the crowd of dancers who didn’t seem to notice him, almost reaching the bar.
Then, something unexpected happened.
[Author’s Note]: Mu Mu is a hardworking employee today~
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