The Quagmire of Desire: From Gambling Addict and Village Flower to Movie Queen

Brother Chen and the strange woman went back to their room, and the living room became quiet again.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling were still sitting on the sofa, their neck collars making their skin feel hot.

"Go to sleep." Liu Meiling stood up and walked towards her room.

Sun Xiaoyan got up and the two of them went back into the house one after the other without saying a word.

The next morning, Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling got up as usual to make breakfast.

Brother Chen and the woman sat at the dining table eating, while Xiao Hui lowered his head and drank his porridge.

Halfway through the meal, Brother Chen put down his chopsticks.

"Don't go out tonight," he said. "Come with me to a place tomorrow night."

Liu Meiling's eyes lit up: "What kind of venue?"

"A club, a big venue." Brother Chen lit a cigarette. "It was arranged by Boss Zhou. A lot of big shots go there."

Sun Xiaoyan's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the spoon.

Brother Chen glanced at her: "You two have to go, dressed to the nines. I'll bring your clothes and jewelry back this afternoon."

The strange woman scoffed, "Dressed up? No matter how beautiful you look, you still have to take it off."

Chen ignored her and continued, "Let me make the rules clear first. First, no shoes allowed."

Liu Meiling was stunned: "Not wearing shoes?"

"Yes, barefoot." Brother Chen exhaled a puff of smoke. "Second, no underwear, nothing underneath."

Sun Xiaoyan's face turned pale.

"Third," Brother Chen flicked his cigarette ash, "there's a 'body showcase' segment. You two have to go up on a rotating platform, showcasing each part of your body one by one, letting the guests judge and tip you. You also have to use professional terminology to describe your 'advantages,' such as your bust size, leg length, and butt shape."

He paused, looking at the two of them: "Do you understand? This is a crucial test for climbing the ranks. If you perform well, your future prospects will be bright."

Liu Meiling immediately nodded: "Understood, Brother Chen, I will definitely do my best!"

Sun Xiaoyan opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Brother Chen stood up: "I'll come back this afternoon and let you try on clothes. Don't go out today, rest up."

After he finished speaking, he left with the woman.

Xiao Hui put down his bowl and went back to his room.

Only Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling remained in the living room.

Liu Meiling leaned close to Sun Xiaoyan's ear and whispered, "The opportunity has come."

Sun Xiaoyan looked at her.

"Big venue, lots of big shots," Liu Meiling's eyes lit up, "If one of them takes a liking to us..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xiaohui's door suddenly opened.

Xiao Hui came out, looked at the doorway, and only walked up to the two of them after confirming that Brother Chen had gone far away.

"Have you thought about what we talked about last night?" he asked.

Liu Meiling laughed: "I've thought it through, let's do it."

Xiao Hui looked at Sun Xiaoyan.

Sun Xiaoyan bit her lip and nodded.

Xiao Hui took two small things out of his school uniform pocket; they looked like button batteries.

"Miniature recording devices," he said. "Each of you gets one. Tomorrow night, find a chance to turn them on and record what those big shots say. The key is their commercial illegal activities, and also evidence of my brother murdering his wife for insurance money."

Liu Meiling took one and examined it carefully: "How do I use this?"

"Press once to start recording, press again to stop." Xiao Hui pointed to a barely visible protrusion on the side. "Hide it well, don't let anyone find out. I've contacted a trusted friend to meet you outside. Once you get the key evidence, we'll call the police and take them all down."

Sun Xiaoyan took the other one with trembling hands.

She pressed the protrusion, and the device vibrated slightly.

"It's starting," Xiaohui said. "Press stop again."

Sun Xiaoyan pressed it again, and the vibration stopped.

She practiced several times, and her fingers trembled more and more violently.

"Don't be nervous," Xiao Hui said, looking at her. "The more nervous you are, the more likely you are to give yourself away."

Liu Meiling has already hidden the equipment.

"Is it okay to hide here?" she asked.

"Okay," Xiaohui nodded, "Remember to move to a different spot before going on stage tomorrow. Under the armpits, groin, in the hair, figure it out yourself."

Sun Xiaoyan looked at the equipment in her hand and asked softly, "What if... what if it gets discovered?"

Xiao Hui sneered, "Then we'll all die together. But what my brother did with Boss Zhou is enough to get them ten or eight years in prison. You're just accomplices at best, and you might get a reduced sentence if you do good deeds."

Liu Meiling patted Sun Xiaoyan on the shoulder: "What are you afraid of? Just do it. What's the difference between us being like this and being dead?"

Sun Xiaoyan fell silent.

She gripped the equipment tightly in her hand until her fingers turned white.

Chen came back in the afternoon, carrying two big bags.

The bag contained two dresses, one red and one black, both made of shiny fabric with very low necklines.

There were also two sets of jewelry, a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet, all sparkly.

"Try it on." Brother Chen tossed the clothes to them.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling went back to their room to change clothes.

The red one belonged to Liu Meiling. After she put it on, she turned around in front of the mirror. The hem of the skirt was slit up to her thighs, and her chest was almost completely exposed.

The black one belongs to Sun Xiaoyan; it's a bit more conservative, but the back is completely open, held together by only a few straps.

"Not bad," Brother Chen said, looking them over. "Put the jewelry on."

Liu Meiling put on the necklace and earrings, making her look dazzling.

Sun Xiaoyan put it on too, and she shivered as the cold metal pressed against her skin.

The strange woman leaned against the doorframe, watching, and laughed: "Finally going to go on stage and sell your body, congratulations."

Liu Meiling turned around and smiled at her: "Thank you, sister."

The strange woman choked for a moment, snorted, and walked away.

Chen was busy adjusting the straps on Sun Xiaoyan's back and didn't notice their conversation.

Xiao Hui didn't leave the room.

In the evening, Brother Chen received a phone call and went out with that woman again.

Only three people remained in the living room.

Xiao Hui then came out and called Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling to a corner.

"Is the equipment hidden well?" he asked.

Liu Meiling nodded: "It's well hidden. I'll find another place before going on stage tomorrow."

Sun Xiaoyan nodded, her voice still trembling slightly: "It's... well hidden."

"Remember," Xiao Hui lowered his voice, "when you record crucial evidence, find an opportunity to signal me. My friend is outside; he'll act as soon as he receives the signal."

"What signal?" Liu Meiling asked.

"When you come out of the venue, if you're recorded, touch your left ear. If you're not recorded, touch your right ear," Xiaohui said. "My friend will watch."

Sun Xiaoyan started practicing touching her ears again.

Liu Meiling looked at her and laughed: "Alright, stop practicing. The more you practice, the more you look like a thief."

It got dark.

Brother Chen and that woman haven't returned yet.

Xiao Hui went back to his room.

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling sat in the living room, neither of them turning on the lights.

The neon lights outside the window lit up, and the colorful lights shone through the window, flickering on their faces.

"Meiling," Sun Xiaoyan suddenly spoke, "Are you scared?"

Liu Meiling thought for a moment: "A little, but mostly excited. If we can really get the evidence and bring them down, we might be able to turn things around."

Sun Xiaoyan looked at her: "And then what happened after you turned over?"

Liu Meiling paused for a moment, then didn't answer.

The sound of a key turning came from outside the door.

Brother Chen is back, and the woman is following behind him.

"Get ready," Chen said, "let's go."

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling stood up and went back to their room to make final preparations.

They took the recording equipment out of where they had hidden it during the day and hid it again.

Liu Meiling hid it inside her thigh and taped it in place.

Sun Xiaoyan hid it under her armpit and also used tape to cover it.

Then they changed into gowns, put on jewelry, and finally put on the leather choker.

Sun Xiaoyan closed her eyes briefly as the collar was fastened.

Brother Chen urged from the living room, "Hurry up!"

The two walked out.

Xiao Hui's door was ajar, and he stood behind it, looking at her with a sinister gaze.

Chen, oblivious, pulled the woman toward the door, saying, "The car's waiting downstairs, hurry up."

Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling followed.

The high heels clicked on the floor.

As she reached the door, Sun Xiaoyan glanced back.

Xiao Hui stood behind the crack in the door and nodded to her.

She nodded, turned and walked out the door.

The motion-activated lights in the hallway turned on and off.

As the elevator descends, the numbers jump from floor to floor.

Liu Meiling suddenly grasped Sun Xiaoyan's hand.

Her hands were cold, and Sun Xiaoyan's hands were also cold.

Two cold hands clasped together, and neither of them spoke.

The elevator doors opened.

A black sedan was parked downstairs, and the driver was already waiting.

Brother Chen opened the back door and let the woman go up first, then gestured for Sun Xiaoyan and Liu Meiling to go up as well.

The two got into the car and closed the door.

The car started and drove into the neon-lit streets.

Sun Xiaoyan watched the lights rushing past the window, and secretly touched her armpit with her fingers.

That small, sturdy device is still there.

She took a deep breath and then slowly exhaled.

Liu Meiling leaned close to her ear and said in an almost inaudible voice, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."

Sun Xiaoyan nodded and clenched her fist.

The car sped up, heading towards the brightest neon lights deep within the city.

A meticulously prepared "presentation" and a covert "evidence gathering" are about to unfold simultaneously.