Chapter 60: Li Feifei
Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Li Feifei
"Sir, sir! This is a staff-only area. Many of the performers are changing clothes right now. You can’t come in here!"
"Get lost! Move!"
A gruff, overbearing voice cut through the receptionist’s protests, dripping with fury.
"I’m looking for Li Feifei! Damn it, I want to ask her what she means by this! Stringing me along like some sucker, huh? She talks a good game, but I’ve invited her out multiple times and she won’t even give me the time of day! Is this how Pattaya treats its regular customers?!"
Wang Xia’s face turned pale. "Oh no, Feifei, he... he barged in! Should I go get security to kick them out?"
Li Dehui pressed a hand to Wang Xia’s shoulder. "Don’t! Chen has tipped quite a lot in the past. If we get security involved and sour the relationship, I’ll lose a patron."
She stood up and smoothed out her skirt. In an instant, her expression shifted into a professional, somewhat languid and alluring smile. "It’s fine. Leave it to me."
Swaying her hips, she walked toward the door with a sweet, coy voice. "Oh my~ No wonder my eyelid has been twitching all day; it turns out Chen has graced us with his presence! Did I do something wrong to make you so angry?"
The man known as Chen was around forty years old. He wasn’t particularly tall but had a stocky, muscular build. He wore a floral shirt, a thick gold chain around his neck, and had a face full of aggressive, fleshy contours.
Several equally thuggish youths followed behind him, blocking the doorway.
Seeing Li Dehui appear didn’t quell Chen’s anger; if anything, it fanned the flames. He took a sudden step forward, viciously grabbing her arm and yanking her toward him. Spittle practically flew into her face as he roared. "You little bitch! Since you know I’m angry, why don’t you hurry up and help me blow off some steam!"
Li Dehui stumbled forward from the forceful pull. Her forced smile instantly vanished, replaced by pain and panic. "Ah! Chen! You’re hurting me! Let go!"
Chen completely ignored her pleas. His bloodshot eyes glared daggers at her as his grip tightened, and he began dragging her outside. "Cut the bullshit! Come with me!"
True panic set in for Li Dehui. She pulled back with all her might, desperately trying to break free from his massive hand, but his strength was overwhelming. Her struggles were as futile as an ant trying to move a mountain, and she was mercilessly dragged along. Stumbling, she was hauled all the way from the backstage staff area out into the nightclub’s main audience section, where quite a few guests were already seated.
The commotion immediately drew everyone’s attention.
"Huh? Isn’t that Li Feifei? What’s going on?"
"Looks like she pissed off that big boss."
"Heh. Trying to get something for nothing in a place like this? Yeah right."
"What a shame. Does this mean we won’t get to see Li Feifei perform tonight?"
"Not necessarily. It’s just... the venue and the audience might have changed."
"Yeah, yeah, she might even be hitting the high notes all night long..."
The murmurs and stares pricked Li Dehui like needles, filling her with a profound sense of humiliation and helplessness.
Just then, Manager Zhang of the nightclub rushed over with several security guards armed with black steel batons. "Mr. Chen, Mr. Chen! Please calm down. We can talk this out properly. There’s no need to get so worked up. Release Miss Feifei first, and whatever the issue is, we can sit down and discuss it, okay?"
As he spoke, the security guards subtly formed a ring around Chen and the two men he’d brought with him. The atmosphere turned instantly explosive.
Seeing this, Chen loosened his grip a fraction, but he still didn’t let Li Dehui go. Jutting out his chin, he bellowed at Manager Zhang. "Discuss what? This is between her and me! All of you, get lost!"
Manager Zhang’s smile remained fixed, but his tone grew firm. "Mr. Chen, the rule here at Pattaya is that our performers cannot be forcibly taken away by a customer if they are unwilling. Otherwise, what artist or singer would ever agree to work at our venue?"
"To hell with your rules!" Chen spat, saliva flying. "Do you know how much I’ve tipped her recently? At least a hundred grand! Nothing else matters today—it’s my mother’s birthday, and I just want to take her back to have a meal with the old lady and add a little festive cheer. Is that too much to ask?!"
Manager Zhang continued to play the diplomat. "Chen, I understand how you feel, and we are incredibly grateful for your generous support of Miss Feifei. However, Miss Feifei does have a scheduled performance tonight. If you insist on taking her away right now, the resulting financial loss and the disruption to our other guests... could you please reconsider?"
"Don’t try to scare me, boy!" Chen waved a hand dismissively. "Fine! A performance, right? I’ll wait! I’ll sit right here and wait until she gets off work! Then I’ll take her back to meet my mother as a show of filial piety. That shouldn’t violate your bullshit rules, should it?"
Manager Zhang frowned slightly, his gaze shifting to a pale Li Dehui. "That... would still require Miss Feifei’s personal consent."
Everyone’s eyes focused on Li Dehui.
Seizing the brief moment of distraction while Chen was speaking, she twisted her aching arm violently and finally broke free from his grasp, leaving several distinct red marks on her skin.
Massaging her arm, she forced down her fear and anger, squeezing out that same fawning smile. "Oh, Chen, why go to such lengths? There’s no need to get so worked up, and it’s been tough on your brothers coming all this way. How about this? Once I get off work, we can find a place to have a few good drinks, and I’ll properly apologize to you and your friends?"
But Chen wasn’t buying it. He waved a hand roughly. "Drink, my ass! Who the fuck wants to drink with you? Yesterday, I brought three of my brothers and we couldn’t even outdrink you! I’m not drinking anymore!"
Pointing right at Li Dehui’s nose, his tone turned vicious. "Today, I’m going to watch you like a hawk! I don’t believe your nightclub can protect you twenty-four hours a day! When you get off work, you’re coming with me!"
Fang Chen locked his bicycle at the intersection of Bobo Street and walked toward the entrance of the Pattaya nightclub.
Stepping up to the door, he calmly addressed a receptionist. "Hello. I’m looking for Li Feifei."
He knew Aunt Dehui used a stage name here. She always felt "Li Dehui" sounded too provincial and not at all like a singer.
The receptionist was a young man. Hearing this, he shot Fang Chen a surprised look. "You’re looking for Feifei too? What’s going on today? People are coming after her in waves..."
Fang Chen’s brow immediately furrowed. "What do you mean? Is Li Feifei in some kind of trouble?"
"It just happened," the young man said, lowering his voice with a hint of sympathy. "A regular customer named Chen, who tips Feifei a lot, is throwing a fit and demanding she go out with him. They’re locked in a standoff in the lobby right now. Sigh, Feifei is usually such a nice person. She takes great care of us lower-level staff... It’s really a shame."
Suddenly remembering himself, he asked, "By the way, what do you need her for?"
Fang Chen’s tone was deadpan. "Li Feifei is my aunt."
"Ah? She’s your aunt?" The young man’s expression changed, and he immediately pointed the way. "Then you’d better hurry! Go right in through here. The lighting is a bit dim inside, so be careful not to step on any guests. Keep to the right and go straight to the back. You’ll probably see a huge crowd of them facing off..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, he realized the young man who had just been standing in front of him had completely vanished.