America: Starting from collecting corpses, leveling up to godhood

He'd rather stay in the morgue facing the stench of giants that had lingered for days than watch a muscular Black man, bigger than himself, wearing an apron and wielding a pole in the dance floor...

This damn place has to pay for watching this stuff!

Chen Ming closed his eyes and adjusted himself for a long time before squeezing to the edge of the dance floor.

His carefully prepared outfit was proving effective; before he had even walked ten meters, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey."

A young white man carrying two glasses of vodka blocked his way.

The other person was wearing a barely-there fishnet vest and stared unabashedly at Chen Ming's open collar, their gaze so direct it sent chills down one's spine...

"A new face, good taste in clothes, and a fit physique." The young man handed him a glass of wine and winked at him.

"My name is Chris. Would you like to go over to the terrace for a drink?"

"Wow, what a great start! Chen, hurry up and tell him with your captivating deep voice that you're feeling really empty right now..."

Chen Ming's forehead veins throbbed.

He suppressed the urge to smash the glass in the other person's face, forced a dry smile, and quickly walked away.

"Sorry, I'm here to see someone."

Chen Ming encountered similar attempts to strike up a conversation six or seven times within a distance of less than 100 meters.

"Don't run away, you Casanova, aren't they all very enthusiastic?" Sophia continued to chime in through the earpiece.

"Let's go check out the VIP booths. A rich lady like Michelle wouldn't be squeezing into the bar with everyone else."

Chen Ming pressed his earphone and turned into the semi-open-air area next to him.

The music was a little quieter here, and there were comfortable velvet sofas and glass coffee tables all around.

He didn't need to search hard; he quickly spotted his target.

Michelle was sitting in a semi-circular booth in the corner. She had changed out of her trench coat and was wearing a black sequined slip dress. She was holding a pink cocktail in her hand, and her aura was much stronger than before.

"Good evening... This place is truly impressive." Chen Ming sat down next to Michelle.

Michelle looked up at the sound, and when her gaze fell on Chen Ming, she was clearly stunned for a few seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter.

"Oh my god..." Michelle laughed so hard that her makeup at the corners of her eyes almost smudged.

"I did say we'd meet at a bar, but you didn't really need to dress like this... it's a bit too much like trying to fit in."

She raised her eyebrows and looked Chen Ming up and down with great interest, her words full of teasing.

"How many times did they ask for your phone number as you walked from the main entrance to here? Did anyone secretly slip a room key into your pocket?"

"A few people did try to chat me up, but that's not important."

Chen Ming tugged at his collar.

"Why did you choose to meet here? It's too noisy and crowded; it's not a place to discuss serious matters."

"Relax, boy. Did you think you were the only person on my schedule tonight?"

Michelle's smile faded slightly as she subtly pointed with her finger to the semi-enclosed box above the dance floor on the second floor.

"Media professionals can't rely on just one story to survive. I came here tonight to investigate other people, but I didn't expect you to arrive at this time."

"Could you elaborate on the specifics?"

Chen Ming glanced at the second floor following Michelle's gaze, then quickly looked away and lowered his voice.

"A second-tier Hollywood actor."

Michelle shook the pink cocktail in her hand.

"He plays tough guys in action movies and romantic leads in romantic comedies. His management team spends a lot of money every year to maintain his image as the perfect heterosexual lover, but every month he sneaks into The Abbey's VIP box wearing sunglasses..."

"So you called me to a place like this just to show me how you're going to blackmail a Hollywood actor?"

"Not entirely. Didn't you want me to demonstrate my abilities?" Michelle corrected.

"It's just a matter of operating on multiple fronts simultaneously."

"I have absolutely no interest in the private lives of Hollywood male stars."

Chen Ming just wanted to get away from this place that made him feel so uncomfortable.

"If you're trying to show off your extortion skills, I don't see the need for that..."

"Shhh."

Michelle suddenly raised an index finger to her lips, interrupting Chen Ming.

She sat up abruptly, like a lioness locking onto her prey, staring intently at the dim corner diagonally in front of her.

Chen Ming frowned and followed her gaze.

Standing at the edge of the dance floor was a tall man wearing a baseball cap and large sunglasses. He had a strong jawline and, even though he was completely covered up indoors, he still exuded a tough and masculine aura often seen on the big screen.

He was looking down, talking to a fair-skinned boy in a tight vest in front of him, and the two seemed to be arguing.

After exchanging a few words, the tough-looking man suddenly grabbed the boy's hand, pulled him around, and headed towards the back door of the bar.

"The big fish has emerged from its hole."

Michelle quickly grabbed her handbag, then grabbed Chen Ming's arm and pulled him up from the sofa.

"Let's go, I'll show you how top journalists close the net..."

Chen Ming instinctively wanted to pull his arm away, but remembering his mission, he suppressed his irritation and let Michelle pull him into the crowd.

Michelle's movements were very skillful. She did not follow in a straight line, but instead used the crowd as cover to walk in a zigzag pattern, always maintaining a safe distance of about seven or eight meters from her target, so that she would neither lose him nor be conspicuous.

"Lower your head a little, don't look directly at the back of their heads."

Michelle whispered quickly in Chen Ming's ear, her warm breath, tinged with the smell of alcohol, brushing against the side of his neck.

"People are very sensitive to eye contact when they are on guard, so we just need to keep an eye on their pants and heels."

After passing through the noisy corridor, the tough-guy actor pulled the boy and pushed open a security door marked "Employee Only".

Michelle didn't follow him inside immediately, but instead pulled Chen Ming to a stop in the shadows by the door.

She quickly pulled a small point-and-shoot camera from her handbag and skillfully turned the screen brightness to its lowest setting.

"Not even a flash?"

Chen Ming glanced at the unprofessional-looking machine.

"Using long lenses to take photos secretly is like telling security you're asking for a beating... A high-sensitivity lens is sufficient for this kind of place."

Michelle gently pushed the security door open a crack with her shoulder.

In the back alley, the man who usually plays tough guys on the big screen is pinning a boy against a brick wall, with exaggerated movements and scale.

Fortunately, Chen Ming was prepared and turned his head away in advance.

"Aren't you going to look at it at all?" Michelle asked, a little surprised to notice Chen Ming's actions.

"I have to protect my eyes; they are very fragile."

"Unfortunately, such scenes are very rare."

Michelle peeked her camera out the crack in the door and quickly pressed the shutter button with her thumb.

Everything was going smoothly—until a burly, tattooed arm suddenly yanked open the security door from the outside.

"What are you doing?!"

A towering black man appeared outside the door with a loud shout; he didn't look like a bar security guard, but rather a private bodyguard.

The sudden turn of events caused the two people in the alley to separate instantly. When the male star turned around and saw the camera in Michelle's hand, his expression immediately changed.

"Damn it, grab her!"