Chapter Forty-Three: The True Purpose

The matter of the penalty drink was hastily concluded due to Lin Lei’s sudden intervention.

Since the topic of job interviews had come up, Manager Liu had no choice but to proceed to the next step.

“I’ve already heard about your situation from Xiao Jing. Originally, it would have been no problem at all to arrange for you to join the factory. However, I’ve just received news that our HR Director is about to be transferred to the Xiangjiang headquarters. If I perform well as Deputy Manager, I might have a chance to move up. At present, our electronics factory has completely halted recruitment. If I forcefully bring you in now, it might give my rivals something to attack me with. How about this: you wait for a month, and once things are settled on my end, I’ll bring you into the factory. By then, once your probation is over, I might even be able to arrange a team leader or even a workshop supervisor position for you.” Manager Liu spoke with ease, making promises of lucrative rewards that could not be fulfilled in the short term.

“A month’s wait?” Li Fang hesitated.

She had worked in factories before and knew all too well the vast difference in treatment between management and regular workers.

To be honest, if she could truly become a supervisor, she would be willing to wait half a year, let alone a month.

The pressing issue now was that she had just arrived here and knew no one. If she waited a month without a job, given the high cost of living in the city, she couldn’t even afford rent, much less food.

She couldn’t possibly just go back home tomorrow and return in a month’s time.

“Manager Liu, I’m afraid that’s not really fair. I already told Fangfang that as soon as she arrived, she could start working immediately. If she has to wait a month now, I’d be going back on my word,” Zhou Jing interjected at just the right moment.

“Well… how about this,” Manager Liu thought for a moment before continuing, “This bar belongs to a friend of mine. I’ll have a word with him and get your friend a part-time job here—just serving drinks and clearing tables. Meals and accommodation included, two thousand a month. Once things are settled on my end, she can report to the electronics factory immediately. As for this young man… since no one mentioned him to me before, I assume he has his own plans for work. I won’t play the good guy here.”

Sure enough, this was exactly the ploy Xue Lei had boasted about before: first, lure the girl out of town with the promise of a job.

Next, invent various excuses and make grand promises to persuade her to stay and work at the bar or KTV.

The third step was all too predictable: have so-called “best friends” tempt her toward a life of indulgence, high spending, and the illusion of high status. They would find ways to saddle her with heavy debts, even high-interest loans.

Once she succumbed to temptation, the “friends” would frequently suggest quick ways to make money, painting sordid deeds as casual and insignificant.

The classic line of brainwashing was: “You’re far from home, there’s nobody here who knows you. Once you’ve made enough, you can go back, find an honest man, get married, and live a stable life.”

One can’t help but wonder what sins those honest men must have committed in a past life.

If sweet words and manipulation failed, there was always the dark room, whips, candles, threats with compromising photos, and all manner of coercion.

Once you’re trapped, it’s worse than falling into a pyramid scheme—far more terrifying and harder to escape.

In the old days, this was called forcing good women into prostitution.

“Only two thousand for a month? That’s rather low. It should be at least twenty thousand,” Lin Lei remarked sarcastically.

It was a reminder meant for Li Fang.

“What’s your problem, kid? The job I’m arranging for Li Fang is that of a legitimate waitress. Don’t let your mind run wild,” Manager Liu retorted with feigned righteousness.

“In a bar like this, who’s to say what’s legitimate? For example, these two ladies here are also waitresses, aren’t they?” Lin Lei hinted.

While there are indeed proper female waitstaff, those are usually found in quiet lounges—and even there, everything is consensual and owners don’t take a cut.

As for this small bar, in truth, it was nothing more than a den of flesh trade.

“You outsider, are you trying to show off in front of me? Believe me, you won’t walk out of here today if I don’t allow it!” Finding that soft words were useless, Manager Liu decided to take a harder stance.

At his signal, five brawny men moved to surround Lin Lei and Li Fang.

“Fangfang, what are you doing? Manager Liu’s arrangement is for a proper waitress job. Apologize to him at once!” Zhou Jing took the opportunity to play the good cop. “And you… whatever your name is, what business is this of yours? What’s your relationship with Fangfang? I’m her best friend—why would I harm her? It’s already agreed: she’ll work here as a waitress for just one month, then move to the electronics factory. It’s your dirty mind turning good things into bad.”

Zhou Jing turned the tables with her words.

“If it’s only a month, how about this—I’ll lend Li Fang five thousand yuan. She can spend the month enjoying herself in Yangcheng. Once Manager Liu settles things, she can go straight to the factory. Li Fang, what do you think? If you really become a supervisor, your salary should be pretty good. Just remember to pay me a bit more interest then,” Lin Lei said.

“Hmph! Brat, this isn’t about whether Li Fang gets into the factory anymore. If I don’t teach you a lesson today, how can I hold my ground around here? Get him—beat him to death!” Manager Liu barked.

He couldn’t let this rare opportunity slip away. Li Fang was a rare beauty, and he had a thousand ways to make her submit once Lin Lei was out of the picture.

After all, this was his territory.

“Damn it, another fight. What curse have I picked up lately?” Lin Lei muttered in exasperation.

Ever since he got that smart watch, his days had been filled with fights and violence—even in the real world, he couldn’t find peace. He’d only wanted to expose their scheme, hoping they’d back off, but clearly, they were determined to court disaster.

So be it, then.

One of the thugs threw a straight punch, but Lin Lei dodged easily, grabbed the man’s arm, stepped in, and flipped him over his shoulder, slamming him into the glass coffee table, which shattered instantly.

With one dispatched, Lin Lei turned on another, returning a straight punch to the chest, sending the man flying into the LCD TV and breaking several of his ribs.

The remaining three met similar fates. Lin Lei made sure to throw them into the most expensive items in the room, breaking bones while destroying as much valuable property as he could.

The private room exploded into chaos. Even the grand chandelier crashed from the ceiling.

The two hostesses screamed and fled at the first sign of violence, while Zhou Jing and Manager Liu cowered behind the sofa, trembling.

Li Fang, meanwhile, stood stunned, gripping a beer bottle, uncertain where to strike.