Chapter 14: Mask
The Fishpond was much livelier at night than during the day. It wasn't until eleven o'clock that Fan Debao finally closed the glass door and hung up the "Closed" sign, officially ending the day's business once the last customer left.
The alley outside remained noisy with the clamor of people coming and going. It was a place that never slept.
"Sometimes we do business late at night—the kind that only happens in the dead of night."
Fan Debao watched over Gu He as he cleaned the bar, laying out the rules. "But not today."
Gu He's imagination instantly ran wild. Late-night business? Was it illegal...
He had served all sorts of customers today, gaining a deeper understanding of Liuguang City, the Kabukicho area, and Shuhui Street. His biggest takeaway boiled down to one word: illegal.
The city appeared to have laws and order, but in reality, from top to bottom, no one actually took them seriously.
Gu He felt a flash of self-pity. As a proper first-class law-abiding citizen who merely enjoyed chatting with female clients and collecting red envelopes, how had he wound up in the yakuza?
Looking at Old Fan's ferocious scowl, he didn't dare press him for details about the yakuza gang. It was better to wait until the man felt like talking.