The next day, Li Min and Chen Suozhu took Brother Niu and Sister-in-law Niu out for a stroll, while Ouyang Meihua waited at the hotel.
Lin Duoer dressed herself up simply and knocked on Tian Jing's door before leaving.
Tian Jing cautioned her to be careful and not trust people easily.
Lin Duoer nodded, acknowledging her words.
Seeing Lin Duoer head towards the elevator, Tian Jing called Ouyang Meihua.
Ouyang Meihua emerged from her room, startling Tian Jing: "What are you wearing?"
She was dressed in black, not to mention wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses.
Ouyang Meihua tossed her head: "Cool, right? Xiao Yu said big stars dress like this when they go out."
Tian Jing pressed her forehead: "Hurry up and follow her, your getup is like drawing attention to yourself."
Ouyang Meihua rushed towards the elevator.
Soon, she called back to say she couldn't see Lin Duoer anywhere.
Tian Jing told her to go to the subway, as Lin Duoer had inquired about subway directions at the hotel reception desk the previous night.
She had gotten the address of X Street in the West District from the reception, but not the detailed address.
Hanging up the phone, Tian Jing also left.
...
Meanwhile, Lin Duoer found the basement level two according to the address given by the woman yesterday.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, she saw the words "Golden Rose" shining in gold, with three smaller letters to the right: "ktv."
Although Lin Duoer recognized these letters, she knew they were English, not Pinyin.
This made her feel that the company was very high-class.
Beneath the words "Golden Rose" was a reception desk, but no one was there. The glass door next to it was open, and the interior was dimly lit.
She approached the door and peeked inside. It was a large hall with several sofas along one side.
Due to the dim light, she couldn't see further in. She stepped inside: "Is anyone here?"
The hall was very quiet.
Lin Duoer blinked, her eyes adjusting to the dim light. She saw a corridor on the left and another on the right.
A soft yellow light emanated from the corridors, creating a warm feeling.
She walked a few steps to the right and stood at the entrance of a corridor, seeing closed doors on both sides.
She called out into the corridor: "Is anyone here?"
There was still no answer, but Lin Duoer heard faint sounds.
After a moment, the door at the very end opened, and a man and a woman walked out.
The man's eyes flashed upon seeing Lin Duoer, while the woman's expression changed.
Lin Duoer asked nervously: "Are you hiring here?"
Hearing Lin Duoer's voice, the man's eyes lit up. He quickly stepped past the woman and walked towards Lin Duoer: "Yes, yes."
A strange smell emanated from the man, making Lin Duoer unconsciously take a step back.
The man paused, sniffed, and then smiled, his smile very gentle and friendly: "Are you here alone, young lady?"
Lin Duoer nodded: "I've come to see if the work environment is suitable?"
"Suitable, it's definitely suitable." The man smiled even more warmly and turned to the woman: "A Yun, take this young lady to see the environment. I'll go change and be right out."
"Yes," A Yun replied and beckoned to Lin Duoer: "Come with me."
Saying this, A Yun turned and opened a door next to them.
With a "click," a soft light illuminated the room, and A Yun walked in.
Lin Duoer hesitated for a moment before following her through the door.
The scene inside the room made Lin Duoer's eyes widen.
There were large, plush sofas with candy-colored cushions against the backs, making one want to sink into them and never get up.
To the right of the sofa was a tall potted plant.
In front of the sofa was a coffee table with a tissue box and a remote control, as well as two grenade-like items.
These items had long cords connecting to machines in a cabinet along the opposite wall.
Above the cabinet was a large screen, like a large LCD TV from an advertisement.
Seeing Lin Duoer staring blankly at the room, A Yun curled her lips and asked: "First time at a KTV?"
A Yun's voice brought Lin Duoer back to attention. She didn't understand what A Yun said, but she understood the mockery in A Yun's tone, so she nodded.
A Yun revealed a cold smile: "You dare to come for an interview without understanding anything. You have quite a lot of courage. Money isn't that easy to earn."
Listening to A Yun's words, Lin Duoer felt a little daunted. Although the room made her feel very comfortable and desirable, A Yun was right. She didn't understand, and coming here rashly was a bit reckless. It would be better to go back and ask Captain Tian.
As she turned to leave, the man from outside walked in.
The man had changed his clothes and looked very much like an elite professional:
"Young lady, I am Ah Hao, the agent for Golden Rose. I will be interviewing you. Let's sit down and talk. A Yun, go pour two cups of water."
Saying this, Ah Hao extended his hand and politely gestured for Lin Duoer to walk towards the sofa.
Lin Duoer did not move.
Ah Hao's smile remained friendly: "Don't worry, young lady. If you're not satisfied after the interview, we won't force you. We can just be friends."
Upon hearing this, Lin Duoer followed the man towards the sofa.
As A Yun left the room, she glanced at Lin Duoer.
A shiver ran down Lin Duoer's spine. A Yun's gaze was no longer mocking, but pitying. Pitying who? Her?
The sofa was indeed as comfortable as it looked. As soon as she sat down, she sank into the soft embrace. Leaning back against the cushion, she felt so comfortable she wanted to sigh.
Ah Hao sat diagonally opposite Lin Duoer, about a meter away. This further relaxed Lin Duoer, who had already let down her guard slightly due to the comfortable sofa.
Ah Hao began to ask: "Where are you from?"
"Province X."
"Why are you working here?"
"Of course, I want to earn money."
Ah Hao pointed to the large screen and the machines in the cabinet: "This is a KTV, which is essentially a singing hall."
"Customers pay to sing, seeking auditory and visual enjoyment."
"We have three ways to earn money here. One is as a regular server, delivering drinks and snacks ordered by customers to their rooms."
"Another is as a server who accompanies guests while they sing. If the guests have a good time, you'll get tips."
"The last way earns the most money – taking outside jobs. This means accompanying guests to sing elsewhere. The starting rate for outside jobs is one thousand yuan. If the guest gets really into it, the tips could be thousands or even tens of thousands."
"Don't doubt it, because the guests who spend money here are either wealthy or influential. This amount of money might not even cover a meal for them."
"Working here, you'll often see talented young men and women you only see on television. If you work hard, there's a possibility you could soar to success and marry into the upper class that everyone yearns for."
Lin Duoer's eyes brightened, and her face flushed. Ah Hao's last words completely moved her.
She looked down on her brother-in-law's ordinary life.
And Yu Ziyu's status was a mockery to her. Although Li Weihao hadn't brought a girlfriend back yet, with Yu Ziyu as a comparison, Li Weihao's girlfriend wouldn't be ordinary.
Although she had no feelings for Li Weihao, she knew she would be rejected because her status wasn't good enough.
Now she had a chance to change her status, perhaps even higher than that Yu Ziyu's…
A Yun brought in the water and saw the longing on Lin Duoer's face. She shook her head and pursed her lips.
Seeing A Yun put down the water glasses, Ah Hao waved her away: "You can go now."
As A Yun left, she looked back at Lin Duoer.
Lin Duoer didn't turn her head, engrossed in listening to Ah Hao talk about high society.
She sighed deeply and walked out of the room, only to have her neck gripped by a hand.