Rebirth: My Home Has Become a Gathering Place for Young Women with a "Crazy" Spirit

Qin Lang entered the room and glanced around. He saw Huang Ziqiang huddled on the sofa in the corner of the room, with a clear handprint on his face, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth, his clothes wrinkled, and several footprints on his body.

Seeing Qin Lang enter, Huang Ziqiang felt as if he had seen a savior. His eyes reddened, and he almost cried. "Brother Lang..."

There were five people in the room, not counting Huang Ziqiang.

Besides the one who opened the door, there were three burly men, each with broad shoulders and thick waists, clearly thugs who specialized in guarding the place.

There was also a middle-aged man sitting in the middle of the room, with his legs crossed, smoking a cigarette, acting like a big brother.

The middle-aged man was in his forties, with a slicked-back hairstyle, wearing a floral shirt, a gold chain around his neck that was even thicker than the burly man from before, and several gold rings on his fingers. He exuded an air of "nouveau riche".

The man glanced at Qin Lang, exhaled a smoke ring, and slowly said, "You're this kid's friend?"

Qin Lang glanced at him, then at Huang Ziqiang, and then slowly sat down on the sofa.

"Yes, it's me. What happened to my friend? Why did you beat him up like this?"

"Heh." The middle-aged man sneered and said, "What's wrong? Ask your friend what good deeds he's done."

Qin Lang remained calm, turned to Huang Ziqiang, and asked, "Qiangzi, tell me what happened? Tell the truth."

Huang Ziqiang stammered, his voice filled with grievance, "Brother Lang, I... I drank a little last night and wanted to let off some steam. Suddenly, this place you told me about popped into my head, so I came here for a bath, and then... then a masseuse gave me a massage, and while she was massaging me, she... she took off her clothes and pressed herself against me... I... I didn't do anything! Really, I swear, I didn't do anything! Then they burst in, saying I'd harassed the masseuse, and they wanted... they wanted 100,000 yuan from me, and wouldn't let me leave without it... They even beat me..."

As he spoke, tears streamed down Qiangzi's face; this grown man cried like a child.

After listening, Qin Lang's face darkened; he roughly understood what was going on.

Ha, it's a honey trap. The masseuse seduces the man, then takes off her clothes, others catch her in the act, and then she demands an exorbitant amount of money.

This tactic is common in bathhouses, KTVs, and hotels across the country, specifically targeting men who have been drinking or are reckless and impulsive.

Huang Ziqiang possessed both of these qualities, naturally becoming their "premium customer".

Huang Ziqiang said he hadn't done anything, and Qin Lang believed him based on his understanding of the guy.

The problem is, if a drunk man enters a place like this, and there's only the masseuse in the room, and she insists that you assaulted her, you can't clear your name even if you have a thousand mouths.

Qin Lang's gaze darkened, as if he were silently weighing his options. After a moment, he suppressed his anger and looked at the middle-aged man. "What's your name, boss?"

The middle-aged man exhaled a puff of smoke and said calmly, "My surname is Qiao. My friends in the underworld give me face and call me Brother Qiao."

"Brother Qiao," Qin Lang nodded, speaking in a neither humble nor arrogant tone, "My friend says he didn't do anything. Of course, your people say he did. It's hard to say for sure right now. How about this: you name a price, within a reasonable range, and I'll pay for him, and that'll be the end of it."

Brother Qiao squinted at Qin Lang, seemingly surprised that this young man was so decisive.

"You're quite straightforward." Brother Qiao flicked his cigarette ash, a cold smile appearing on his face. "Fine, since you've put it that way, I'll give you face. 150,000, not a penny less."

Damn it, it was 100,000 just now, and now it's 150,000?

Qin Lang's eyes turned cold, but he also smiled and calmly said, "Brother Qiao, you've raised prices a bit too quickly."

"One hundred thousand, that was the previous price." The middle-aged man smiled insincerely. "Now that you're here, I see you're a sensible person. One hundred and fifty thousand, not much. If you think it's too expensive and don't want to pay, then we'll do it the proper way, call the police, and let them handle it."

When he said this, he had a confident and smug expression on his face, as if he had Qin Lang and Huang Ziqiang completely under his control.

Call the police? Qin Lang sneered inwardly. Calling the police would do no good for anyone. In this kind of situation, if the police came, both sides would give their own version of events, and in the end, it would most likely be settled through mediation. But Huang Ziqiang's reputation would be ruined, and since the people in this area dared to set up such a blatant scheme, they must have connections behind the scenes. Calling the police might not be useful.

But he definitely wouldn't take out 150,000, nor could he afford it. He only paid a 25,000 deposit out of the 50,000 he earned yesterday, and spent over 8,000 on a meal. With his previous savings, he only has a little over 30,000 left.

Moreover, giving this money would be tantamount to admitting that Huang Ziqiang did that, which would become a handle that others could use against us in the future.

Qin Lang's mind raced, and a few seconds later, he had an idea.

"Brother Qiao, I can't come up with 150,000." Qin Lang's attitude was neither humble nor arrogant, and he said frankly, "But this matter can't just be left like this. I have a suggestion for you to consider."

The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow and said, "Go on."

Qin Lang: "First of all, my friend did come here to spend money, and he paid every penny he was owed, including the bath fee, massage fee, and room fee. Just name your price, and I'll pay it."

"Secondly, regarding what you mentioned, my friend denies it, and neither do I. But to show our sincerity, I'll give you an extra 20,000 yuan as compensation for that technician."

"Third," Qin Lang's voice deepened, his eyes fixed on Brother Qiao, "If you don't agree, then I'll have to make a few phone calls. I know a few friends who run social media accounts, with tens of millions of followers combined. What do you think the effect would be if they gave your Royal Dragon Hot Spring a good beating?"

Qin Lang emphasized the word "GG," his meaning clear: to ruin their reputation.

Upon hearing these words, Brother Qiao's face darkened.

Qin Lang ignored him and continued, "Of course, I don't mean to threaten you. I just want to say that if this gets out of hand, it won't benefit anyone. You're in business to make money, not to create conflict. I'm giving you a way out, and you should give me face too. Maybe we can even become friends in the future."

After he finished speaking, the room was silent for a few seconds.

The middle-aged man stared at Qin Lang for a full half minute, his expression shifting between light and dark.

Finally, he slowly nodded. "Alright, kid, you've got guts."

Brother Qiao stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said to Qin Lang, "We'll do it your way. The room fee, massage fee, plus compensation, will total 30,000 yuan. Once the money is in place, you can take him away."

Qin Lang breathed a sigh of relief, but his face remained expressionless.

He took out his phone and transferred 30,000 yuan to Brother Qiao on the spot. After the transfer, Qin Lang glanced at his balance—328.25 yuan.