8: Onboarding

The morning light filtered through the gauze curtains, casting mottled shadows across the messy bedsheets.

When Li Zhan woke up, his hand was still resting on A Zhen... She had her back to him, the thin quilt having slipped down to her waist, revealing a perfectly proportioned waistline—

The dimples of her lower back vanished into the sheets, and further down was a sudden, rounded curve that shimmered like a pearl in the morning light.

Li Zhan leaned in and inhaled the scent of A Zhen's hair.

Sensing Li Zhan's movement, A Zhen was stirred awake... In the morning light, she saw a familiar flame dancing in Li Zhan's dark eyes, and her waist instantly went soft.

She tilted her head back, staring at the cracks in the ceiling.

In a daze, she recalled the first time they met.

This man had barged into her life in the same irresistible way... A Zhen lay on Li Zhan's chest, her hair sticking to his sweat-dampened collarbone.

"A-Zhan..."

Her fingertips brushed weakly across his chest.

"If this keeps up, I'll really have to call Lili and the others to come help..."

Li Zhan chuckled softly.

"How can it be that exaggerated? Isn't it said that only the ox gets exhausted, while the field never gets plowed to ruin?"

"Pah!"

A Zhen opened her mouth and bit him. "You're no ox; you're basically a wild elephant..."

She suddenly flipped over to lie on top of him, her nose rubbing against his chin.

"Seriously, should I call Lili and the girls out tonight?

I won't be jealous... as long as you have me in your heart."

Li Zhan gave a bitter laugh. Could he even respond to that? He wisely remained silent.

—

Night fell, and the neon signs of Phoenix City had just lit up.

This time, Li Zhan didn't linger at the side entrance, following A Zhen straight into the nightclub.

The security guards and host boys in the hallway who had seen him the other day nodded in greeting one after another. "Brother Zhan."

Li Zhan responded to each with a smile and a nod, following A Zhen to an office at the corner of the first floor.

Pushing the door open, Brother Biao was sitting in front of a tea table brewing tea. Seeing them enter, he set down the purple clay teapot and stood up.

"Brother Biao, I've brought him to you," A Zhen said with a smile.

Brother Biao walked over and patted Li Zhan on the shoulder. "Good!"

He turned to A Zhen. "I'm going to have a private chat with A-Zhan. You go ahead and get busy."

Once A Zhen closed the door and left, Brother Biao gestured for Li Zhan to sit down.

He skillfully rinsed a new cup and poured the amber tea into it.

"A-Zhan, there's usually nothing major going on here. Just drop by when you're free; if you're busy, do your own thing. Just keep your phone on."

Li Zhan picked up the teacup and drained it in one gulp. "Alright, I'll follow your arrangements, Brother Biao."

Brother Biao got up and went out, returning a moment later with a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

"Old Song, this is Li Zhan, a new brother. Get him registered."

Old Song pushed up his glasses and placed a form and a pen on the coffee table.

"A-Zhan, right? Just fill in some basic info."

Li Zhan scanned the form and picked up the pen to fill it out efficiently.

In the parents' column, he simply wrote 'Deceased.' For the ID number, he used the fake one A Zhen had helped him obtain.

Since he had decided to walk this path, his real family information naturally had to be wiped clean.

After filling out the form, Brother Biao led Li Zhan through the noisy dance floor to the back lounge.

He pushed open the door to find three sturdy men sitting in a cloud of smoke, playing poker.

"Everyone, come and meet him." Brother Biao knocked on a metal cabinet.

"This is Li Zhan. He'll be holding a position at our place from now on."

A man with a buzz cut wearing a black tank top was the first to stand up, the gold chain around his neck swaying.

"A Long. I manage the first-floor security."

He sized up the width of Li Zhan's shoulders. "I heard you took down Mad Dog Luo?"

The man next to him with a small braid slowly stubbed out his cigarette. "A Tai. Second floor."

He pointed to a scar on his temple. "Left by those guys from the South City last month."

The last one, a fat man, didn't stand up. He just tossed his cards onto the table.

"Just call me Fat Bo. The parking lot and warehouse are under me."

He squinted and smiled. "Sister A Zhen's boy, right?"

Li Zhan cupped his fists. "I'll be in your care."

He took the cigarette A Long handed him but didn't light it, instead tucking it behind his ear.

Brother Biao clapped his hands. "Alright, we're all on the same side now."

He pulled out a black magnetic card and handed it to Li Zhan.

"Don't go to the top floor; you can roam anywhere else."

The monthly salary is twenty thousand. Collect it from A Mei in finance at the end of the month."

And so, Li Zhan had officially entered the gates of Phoenix City.

—

At 2:30 AM, the Old Chens food stall was still bustling with people.

Li Zhan sat on a plastic stool, feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles—

Lili's knee would brush against his thigh from time to time, and Feifei's chest was almost pressed against his arm.

Even Xiao Xue, who was usually cold as ice, kept glancing at him out of the corner of her eye tonight.

"Cheers!"

A Zhen raised her beer mug, foam sliding down the side. "To celebrate our A-Zhan officially joining Phoenix City!"

Amidst the clinking of glasses, Lili's eyes suddenly widened. "Brother Zhan really became a security guard?"

Her fingers, painted with glittery nail polish, poked Li Zhan's biceps. "It's such a waste for these muscles to just stand at a door..."

A Zhen smiled and took a sip of her drink. "It's just a nominal position; he doesn't usually have to go."

She winked meaningfully. "Only big matters require your Brother Zhan to step in."

Feifei stroked her glass, acting like an old hand. "Exactly, that fits my Brother Zhan's image as an expert."

Xiao Wen suddenly pushed up her glasses and asked in a small voice, "Brother Zhan... I heard you're even more... than a wild elephant..."

Before she could finish, her face turned red, and she hurriedly gulped down some beer to cover it up.

"Pfft—"

Feifei spat out a mouthful of booze, and Lili collapsed onto Li Zhan's shoulder laughing.

A Zhen clutched her stomach and slapped the table, and even Xiao Xue turned her head away, her shoulders shaking suspiciously.

Li Zhan looked at A Zhen speechlessly. She was laughing so hard her eyes were tearing up, and her red lips pressed against his ear.

"Don't look at me... it must be that big-mouth Lili..."

Her warm breath carried the scent of alcohol. "Though, what they said isn't wrong..."

Seeing the uncontainable mirth in everyone's eyes, Li Zhan's ears burned. He raised his glass and took a large gulp. "Drink!"

Lili immediately started heckling, "Brother Zhan is blushing!"

She poured a full glass of whiskey and pushed it over. "Come, I toast a glass to 'Brother Wild Elephant'!"

Feifei was not to be outdone, her fullness pressing against Li Zhan's arm. "Then I want to toast a glass too!"

Xiao Wen, with a red face, whispered, "Brother Zhan, I'm bottoming this," and tilted her head back to drain her beer.

Even Xiao Xue raised her glass for once, a rare smile touching the corners of her mouth.

A Zhen sat to the side, her finger tracing the rim of her glass, watching silently with a smile as the girls took turns toasting Li Zhan.

Her gaze was like that of someone watching prey fall into a trap, yet it also held a hint of doting.

How could Li Zhan not see what these women were thinking?

After three rounds of drinks, when Lili was about to pour him more, he pressed his hand over the glass.

"Enough. Any more and I'll really make a fool of myself."

Saying that, he raised his hand to call the boss. "Check, please."

The women exchanged glances. Feifei pouted, wanting to say more, but was stopped by a look from A Zhen.

"Alright, that's enough for today."

A Zhen stood up, a flash of cunning in her eyes. "Anyway, there's plenty of time ahead."

Lili reluctantly set down the bottle and leaned into Li Zhan's ear.

"Brother Zhan, I won't let you off so easily next time."

Walking out of the food stall, the night breeze blew away some of Li Zhan's drunkenness.

A Zhen naturally took his arm and stood on her tiptoes to give him a light kiss.

"Faking being drunk quite well, aren't you?"

Li Zhan smiled without answering, only tightening his grip on her waist.

From behind came the giggles of Lili and the others, A Long with Xiao Wen's soft "See you tomorrow."

But what Li Zhan didn't notice was that while she was kissing him, A Zhen turned back and shot Lili a look.

Lili's lips curled into a knowing smile, and she gave a slight nod.