I'm not a genius detective

Chapter 150 The Existence of Casinos
8pm.

The night sky over Qingchang was completely shrouded in darkness, the city's pulse had quietly shifted its rhythm, and nightlife was in full swing.

The daytime hustle and bustle gradually subsided, but the noise never stopped, and the neon lights along the street were dazzling and alluring.

On the entertainment street where Han Ling and Tong Feng were, Phoenix Nightclub was undoubtedly the most dazzling one. Its massive building silhouette was imposing, and only the luxury bathhouse a few hundred meters away could rival it.

Have you been to this place before?

Standing at the entrance of Phoenix Nightclub, Han Ling looked up slightly and asked Tong Feng beside him.

Above the porch is a flame-shaped archway outlined in dark red and gold light strips, resembling a phoenix rising from the ashes.

At the very center of the arched ceiling, the words "Phoenix Nightclub" are displayed in large, dazzling LED lights, shining brightly in the darkness.

As expected of one of the top nightclubs in Qingchang, just looking at the decoration of the entrance, most people probably wouldn't dare to come in and spend money.

"No," Tong Feng calmly denied.

Han Ling: "To be honest."

Tong Feng: "Really not."

Han Ling: "To be honest."

Tong Feng: "I came here once when I was in high school... Damn it, can you please stop interrogating me like a suspect? I'm your comrade-in-arms, your friend, not a criminal!"

Han Ling laughed; he knew this kid wasn't honest.

Of course, Tong Feng probably wouldn't dare to do anything too outrageous. With that kind of spending power, he'd only do it once as a teenage experience.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

Tong Feng: "It was my birthday, so I invited some classmates over for a drink. We only sat in the private booths in the lobby. I don't know anything else. I didn't go to any of the private rooms."

Han Ling: "Then you should speak less and watch my signals later."

"???" Tong Feng used to listen to Han Ling, but this time he was unhappy. "At least I've been inside before and have experience. You probably didn't even know which way the main door faced, right? You should talk less and watch my expression... Hey? Wait for me!"

Han Ling smiled without saying a word and walked into the Phoenix Nightclub. He had been to more entertainment venues than Tong Feng had walked in the past twenty years, and he had seen both the places he should and shouldn't have seen.

As I walked through the gate, the marketing manager quickly greeted me with a standard smile.

The manager was young, a woman, dressed in a casual suit, probably under thirty, with short hair and light makeup, and she made a very good impression.

"Hello, do you two have an appointment?" the manager asked first.

Han Ling responded, "No, this is my first time here."

Seeing that they were new customers, the manager's smile became even more sincere. He invited the two to sit down in the reception area and then brought over two bottles of water.

Developing new customers and retaining existing customers are two essential tasks for marketing managers, directly impacting performance and commissions.

"My surname is Wang, you can just call me Xiaoya." The manager, judging by his appearance, chose to sit next to Han Ling, who could smell a faint perfume scent that wasn't overpowering.

Although Xiaoya doesn't have much of a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry) air about her, the fact that she can be a sales manager at Phoenix Nightclub and seems to be very skilled in her work means she's definitely not someone to be trifled with; she must be quite shrewd.

They present one face to guests and another to others.

Try not to get too close to girls in nightclubs, and don't have any expectations.

This statement is very valuable.

Han Ling scrutinized Xiao Ya with an aggressive look in his eyes. Xiao Ya remained unmoved, smiling as she met his gaze. She even leaned in slightly, making the fragrance even stronger.

If it were a young man in his early twenties, inexperienced in the ways of the world, he might not be able to handle it, and a narcissistic one might even think that he's being pursued.

"Let me explain, how much does it cost?" Han Ling took out a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

Just as he was about to grab a lighter, Xiaoya brought the flame to his hand.

Who could resist this service? No wonder it's one of the biggest nightclubs in Qingchang.

Han Ling stuck her head out and lit it.

Xiaoya smiled and said, "This is a place to relax, have a drink, chat, and dance. I wonder if you prefer a lively atmosphere or a more private one? We can satisfy both."

Han Ling: "Let's keep it private."

Xiaoya: "Then let's go to the private room upstairs."

Han Ling: "Are there any beautiful women?"

Xiaoya nodded: "Yes."

Han Ling: "How do I pay?"

Xiaoya took out her phone and showed Han Ling a picture.

Han Ling glanced at the room and saw that the minimum charge for a small private room was 1200, the minimum charge for a medium private room was 2000, and the minimum charge for a large private room and a luxury private room was 4000, each with a private dance floor. The VIP presidential suite required a card to open and had a minimum charge of 5000.

The minimum charge means that even if the total amount spent on drinks, fruit platters, snacks, etc., does not reach the minimum amount, the fee will still be charged according to this standard.

This price was extremely high in 2010, and it was only something that working-class people could afford to look at.

Han Ling: "What's the price for a beautiful woman?"

Xiaoya: "Eight hundred for two hours."

Han Ling: "What services are available? What kind of venue?"

Xiaoya realized that the young man in front of her was a seasoned veteran of entertainment venues, and replied, "This is an entertainment venue, so you can rest assured about the quality of our staff. As long as it's not excessive, it's fine."

Han Ling: "Are there any venues with no vacuum areas or slipper areas?"

Tong Feng, who was standing next to him, was a little confused. He had been here once before, but he was still a good boy and didn't understand these terms.

"No," Xiaoya said.

Han Ling asked bluntly, "Will there be any more after the crackdown on prostitution?"

Xiaoya was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said, "I don't know."

They are very cautious and don't say much to new customers.

Han Ling didn't ask any more questions. After exchanging contact information, they chose a luxury private room. Xiao Ya became even more enthusiastic and led the two to the third floor and into the private room.

The private room was similar to a karaoke room, with a large area and a private bathroom. The most eye-catching feature was the dance floor in the middle, which sparked the imagination. When rows of beautiful women dressed in revealing clothes walked in, Tong Feng stared blankly, but his excitement was quickly extinguished by the police badges above his head. He silently sang "Golden Shield, Forged with Passion" in his heart.

Han Ling crossed his legs, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and began to carefully select items.

Tong Feng didn't want to choose, so he did it for him, selecting four in total.

It's quite rare for two people to choose four. Xiaoya understands that two wealthy people have come today, and if she can maintain a good relationship with them, her commission in the future will be substantial.

"Have fun."

After offering a few toasts, Xiaoya left, leaving the guests with a private space to be alone. She would come back to serve more wine and offer toasts at the end of the meal.

There are seven people in the private room now.

In addition to Han Ling, Tong Feng, and four beautiful women, there was also a princess to liven up the atmosphere.

For the first half hour, Han Ling and Tong Feng sang a song, and then the princess turned off the lights and started the game.

Tong Feng was "suffering" when a beautiful woman sat directly on him, leaving him at a loss for what to do.

"My friend is rather shy," Han Ling explained, her hands moving freely without any restraint.

Tong Feng didn't have the guts; every second felt like an eternity.

Whether he truly felt like every second was an eternity or was enjoying it, only he himself knows.

Two hours later, the atmosphere reached its peak. Han Ling pulled out some cash from his bag, looking like he was drunk, and said, "Stop fucking making me drink! One hundred a glass of wine, who's in?!"

Upon seeing the cash, the three girls' eyes lit up, and they rushed over to pour the drinks, with one of them even chugging the entire bottle.

"Brother, one bottle is four cups!"

"Round it up!" Han Ling tossed over five hundred dollars.

Nightclubs are money pits. As long as you're willing to lower your standards and focus on making money, even if you're not particularly good-looking, you can buy a car and a house in a short time.

Tong Feng was terrified. This was money allocated by the bureau, and they were just wasting it like this.

He now has a new understanding of Han Ling.

The only one who didn't participate was a girl in a sundress. She quietly watched the chaos in the room and silently drank the wine in her glass.

Until Han Ling drank too much, he lay back on the sofa to relieve the effects of the alcohol.

"Brother, I need to use the restroom," the girl in the sundress whispered as she approached.

"Um……"

As the girl got up and left, Han Ling slightly opened his eyes and watched her disappear, his gaze flickering.

He had a specific goal in mind when he was selecting the girls. This girl's temperament was clearly different from the other girls. She wasn't particularly pretty, but she had a very high and mighty attitude.

The girl returned quickly, seemingly having only gone to the restroom.

Han Ling was still pretending to be drunk, and Tong Feng had also drunk quite a bit. The girls told the guests to rest first and started singing, their alcohol tolerance was obviously ridiculously high.

A dozen minutes later, the door to the private room opened, and a woman in a suit walked in, but it wasn't Xiaoya.

The woman was probably over thirty-five years old. Even in the dim light, you could see the heavy makeup on her face. Her goal was clear: she was walking towards Han Ling.

The girl in the sundress made way for her.

"Brother?" The heavily made-up woman sat down next to Han Ling and gently patted the back of his hand.

"Huh?" Han Ling straightened up, puzzled. "What's wrong? Who are you?"

The woman smiled and said, "I'm Xiaoya's friend. You can call me Sister Meng. Are you having fun?"

Han Ling rubbed his head: "Not bad, your environment is nice and the girls are of high quality. I'll come again next time, but I won't recharge my card. I'll do it next time."

Sister Meng: "Brother, you've misunderstood. We're not asking you to top up your card. Topping up your card is the customer's choice, we don't force them. But if you're going to come often in the future, it would be more appropriate to top up your card."

If you top up your card with 20,000 yuan today, all drinks and private room fees will be waived.

Han Ling knew the routine.

The purpose of pre-charging the card is to bind customers so they will definitely come back in the future, but the money in the card can only be used to buy alcohol; other expenses still need to be paid in cash.

The price of alcoholic beverages is ten times or even dozens of times higher than outside.

Over time, they can squeeze a lot of money out of their customers.

"We'll talk about it next time," Han Ling repeated.

"Okay." Sister Meng nodded, then leaned closer and whispered, "Little brother, are you interested in playing something else?"

Han Ling: "Huh?"

Sister Meng didn't answer, but picked up the sieve cup on the table and shook it.

Han Ling blinked, seemingly understanding: "Where?"

Sister Meng smiled and said, "If you're interested, I can take you there, but you have to hand over your cell phone first. It's the rule, and all guests have to do it this way."

Besides mobile phones, other electronic devices are not allowed; they will need to go through security checks.

"Wait a minute." Han Ling sat down next to Tong Feng and whispered something in his ear.

Tong Feng initially shook his head, but after Han Ling's persistent pleading, he reluctantly agreed, and the two began to act.

The guess was confirmed.

There were people soliciting customers at the Phoenix Nightclub.

At the same time, it was confirmed that the casino existed and was still open despite the strict security measures in place.

Not only is it open, but it even dares to welcome new customers.

Han Ling could imagine the scene: police conducting a routine inspection downstairs, while people upstairs were having a great time. That would be really exciting.

……

P.S.: Chapter Two will be released at night.

(End of this chapter)