Chapter Eighty: Diamond KTV

Four young men, all around twenty years old, approached. They had an energetic, sunny air about them; the one leading was slender and wore a Nike jersey. When they reached the Jack Jones counter, he addressed the duty manager, “We overheard the argument just now. The sales assistant’s attitude was indeed problematic. If Star Mall can’t handle this properly, how can customers like us ever feel comfortable coming back?”

Following their testimony, other customers who had witnessed the altercation also stepped forward in support, making the expressions of the manager and supervisor increasingly grim. Their initial intention had been to downplay the incident, but with so many eyes watching, failure to address it would seriously damage Star Mall’s reputation.

The manager, face darkening, said to the sales assistant, “Apologize to the customers first, then hand me a written report of the incident.”

The sales assistant, adept at reading faces, understood that refusal would mean immediate termination. She walked up to Chen Hao and his companion and said, “I’m sorry.”

Ban Qianqian, who had been stewing in frustration, pointed to her ear and said, “I didn’t catch that—could you speak up?”

“I’m sorry. My service attitude was inappropriate just now.” The sales assistant’s face flushed deep red, her eyes burning with barely-suppressed rage.

“Sorry?” Ban Qianqian feigned surprise. “But didn’t you say you hadn’t done anything wrong? Why are you apologizing to me?”

The sales assistant stood there, mortified, her face twisted with resentment but helpless to act. Sales assistants like her, lacking other skills, often had no alternative but to work in retail; Star Mall offered far better conditions than most, and she was reluctant to lose her job.

Seeing her discomfort, Ban Qianqian felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. She pointed to the four sets of clothes they had chosen. “We’ll take these four. Please ring them up quickly.”

The supervisor signaled the assistant to process the sale, then handed Ban Qianqian a discount card. “You’ve spent over ten thousand yuan. This is our VIP gold card—next time you visit, you’ll enjoy a ten percent discount.”

The duty manager personally apologized to the pair and promised to deduct the sales assistant’s monthly bonus according to policy. Ban Qianqian’s mood lifted considerably. Chen Hao walked over to the four youths who had spoken up for them and smiled. “Thanks, guys! Without you, I’d never have cleared my name.”

The leader waved it off. “We just told the truth. You’re lucky—your girlfriend’s really beautiful.”

Chen Hao laughed. “You flatter me. We’re done shopping, so we’ll head out.”

“We’ve got a basketball game at school today, so we need to get back to Huaxi District. Take care!”

Chen Hao’s university, Huayang, was located in Huaxi District. Hearing the leader mention returning to school, he was struck by a thought. “Are you students at Huayang University?”

“Yeah! Are you too?”

Chen Hao nodded. “What a coincidence—I’m in the Economics Department. My name’s Chen Hao. Let’s exchange numbers and grab a drink sometime.”

They swapped contact information. The young man in the jersey was named Huang Shuanghui, a third-year student in the Computer Science Department at Huayang University.

After the four left, Ban Qianqian didn’t pick out any clothes for herself but insisted on leaving. Chen Hao was puzzled. “Qianqian, why did you come to the mall just to buy clothes for me? Aren’t you getting anything for yourself?”

Ban Qianqian winked mischievously. “Does a beauty need to buy her own clothes? Find a man to pamper her, and she’ll have designer outfits every day.”

Chen Hao couldn’t help but laugh. He understood her playful scheme; she deliberately refrained from buying clothes, hoping to mimic the online joke that she’d ‘pamper’ Chen Hao first, and then he’d return the favor.

After leaving the mall, Ban Qianqian’s face was aglow with excitement. “That sales assistant was infuriating, but you handled it perfectly, making her apologize in disgrace. Otherwise, I’d have been angry all day.”

Chen Hao shook his head. “It’s best to show mercy when you can. No need to stoop to her level.”

Ban Qianqian looked a little aggrieved. “Chen Hao, do you think I’m too fierce? I’m not usually like this. If someone looked down on me, I’d just walk away. But for some reason, when you were being insulted, I felt so angry—I hated her with all my heart…”

Chen Hao could tell she was speaking sincerely, and he was deeply moved. He took her delicate hand and said, “It was my fault. If anyone ever made you feel this way, I’d do the same.”

A sweet smile bloomed on Ban Qianqian’s face. “I believe you. Go change into your new clothes, and let’s head to Diamond!”

“Diamond” was a large entertainment venue, specializing in KTV rooms, and was always bustling with business. In one of the deluxe suites, Dong Xiaohui sat on the lap of a bald man, her starry eyes glazed. One of his hands toyed with her full chest beneath her camisole, while the other caressed her long legs sheathed in black stockings.

The bald man’s arm bore a tattoo of a black dragon, and a two-centimeter scar slashed across his face, lending him a savage air. After a few moments, he gestured for Dong Xiaohui to remove her stockings and then entered her roughly, thrusting as he excitedly said, “Huimei, that virgin in your dorm—is she really as pretty as they say? I need to entertain an important guest tonight, and nothing can go wrong.”

A jealous glimmer flashed across Dong Xiaohui’s face. “She’s extraordinarily beautiful—the most exquisite features I’ve ever seen. Though she’s petite, her chest is impressively large, just the kind of baby-faced beauty men adore.”

The bald man squeezed Dong Xiaohui’s chest hard. “Is she bigger than you?”

Dong Xiaohui replied sulkily, “She’s six centimeters shorter than me, but her chest is a size bigger. It’s just unfair.”

Excitement shone in the bald man’s eyes, and his thrusts grew more vigorous. He lamented, “If it weren’t for entertaining Young Master Zhou, I’d try her out myself first.”

Dong Xiaohui looked worried. “Boss Dao, she’s not like us—she’s always been very conservative. What if something happens to her after tonight?”

The bald man, Zhu Xiaodao, sneered lewdly, “Just slip something in her drink and she’ll be at any man’s mercy. You and the other girls ended up with me the same way—I didn’t see any of you rushing off to end your lives, and now you’re enjoying it, aren’t you?”

Dong Xiaohui frowned. “Ban Qianqian really is different. Once, we joked in the dorm about what we’d do if we were assaulted, and she said that if a man she didn’t like ever touched her, she’d rather die. I’m worried…”

Zhu Xiaodao snorted coldly. “If she wants to die, let her! The man tonight is someone important—even if she does, it won’t affect you. Don’t worry about a thing.”

Zhou Shi’s father, Zhou Lianggui, had previously served as secretary of the Political and Legal Affairs Committee in Huayang District, then risen to county chief of Xifeng, and last year became county party secretary. Zhu Xiaodao was eager to ingratiate himself with Zhou Shi because the current secretary and police chief in Huayang District were Zhou Lianggui’s trusted aides, and rumor had it Zhou Lianggui might soon be transferred to Huayang as district party secretary.

For a thug like Zhu Xiaodao, having the secretary and police chief as allies was the best way to stay out of trouble, hence his plan to attach himself to Young Master Zhou through this scheme. Drunken girls in Diamond KTV weren’t uncommon, and Dong Xiaohui had already said Ban Qianqian’s family lacked connections; even if she were to commit suicide after the assault, Zhou’s influence would ensure the matter was hushed up.

Hearing Zhu Xiaodao’s words, Dong Xiaohui stopped worrying. Many boys in their class pursued Ban Qianqian, and she had always been jealous. After she herself had been dragged into the underworld, every time she met the still-pure Ban Qianqian, she felt inferior. If something happened to Ban Qianqian, and Dong Xiaohui wasn’t implicated, seeing her innocence shattered would bring her a sense of satisfaction.