Chapter 10 - 3: A Date with a 69-Year-Old Young Girl - Part 2
The air was thick with hormones, mixed with the stench of vomit and fermenting garbage. Indecent advertising slogans and moans sounded in the neon hues; amid the revelry, Lin Miao only caught one scent.
The smell of lost hope, of living in a drunken stupor.
The pachinko parlor doors were open 24/7, and inside, dozens of pinball machines clicked and clacked incessantly. Every machine was occupied, the gamblers’ eyes fixated on the screens as if every steel ball they launched synchronized with their souls and heartbeats, then plummeted into hell together.
Lin Miao didn’t spare them a glance, heading straight for the backdoor by the counter. A burly sumo stood blocking the entrance, looking down to scrutinize the man who was a head shorter than him, rumbling in Japanese.
"Name?"
Lin Miao took a business card from his chest pocket, holding it between two fingers. His brain implant could translate most common languages, but for obscure ones, he needed to find and install separate voice packs.
"Lin Miao, I have an appointment."
The sumo reached for the card, but Lin Miao immediately put it back in his pocket, giving nothing away. His tone carried arrogance and disdain, not even bothering to look at him further.