2

（The Da Hu mentioned earlier is the same Tiger I will write about in the following parts).

The phone rang a few times, and a deep, impatient voice answered:

"Who is it?"

"Big Tiger, it's John!"

I finished my sentence with a lack of confidence, and there was silence on the other end of the phone, as if he was trying to remember who I was.

"Ah fuck! John, you're out!"

Tiger was excited, then laughed:

"Fuck, I've been so busy today I forgot it's your release day!"

Hearing that Tiger still remembered me, I was also happy.

"Tiger, I just got out… I don't have anywhere to eat!"

Tiger understood what I meant by "eating," and he was also a man of strong emotions.

Hearing me say this, Tiger immediately offered generously:

"Little John, you're my brother. Now that you're out, Tiger won't leave you in the lurch!"

"Come to the Hei Shan Street Sheng He Bay Bathhouse to find me!"

"Alright!"

I hung up the phone with a smile, then went to the supermarket and picked up a newspaper at random.

A glance was all it took to make my heart no longer calm.

The newspaper had a large headline in the middle:

"Memphis Gang Power: Lirard Gang and Others, Smashed by Memphis Police!"

Below the title was a large black and white photo of a middle-aged man, handcuffed and being led to a police car.

Seeing these words and the photo, I felt particularly complex, even considering whether the Tiger I was about to rely on would eventually end up in the same situation.

Putting away the newspaper, I spent a bit of money and hailed a taxi, heading directly to the Sheng He Bay Bathhouse.

The taxi ride cost ten dollars, and although I had very little money left, at this moment I didn't care at all, because I felt that at least I had food and shelter with Tiger.

As soon as I entered the luxurious lobby of the bathhouse, I was surprised by the opulent decoration, not expecting Tiger to have such a large business.

I approached the front desk, where a female receptionist greeted me with a smile:

"Sir, just one person?"

I looked at the receptionist, who was smiling warmly, but her smile seemed more numb from work.

"Hello, I'm here to see Tiger!"

I said with a smile, and the receptionist nodded:

"Please wait, I'll call Tiger for you!"

The receptionist used the phone in front of her and spoke for a while.

Soon, a few seconds after she hung up, a man in a suit and tie came down the side stairs and shouted at me:

"Are you John?"

"Come with me, Tiger is waiting for you!"

I swallowed my saliva, silently following the man towards the stairs.

As we went up, the man remained silent, his eyes deep. Although he was slightly thin, he had a strong presence, especially the scorpion tattoo on his hand, showing that this man was not to be trifled with!

I followed him to the third floor, through the dimly lit customer lounge, down a corridor, and into Tiger's office.

The man knocked on the door, and after hearing the response from inside, he opened the door and led me in.

As soon as I entered, I saw Tiger, who had gained weight since the prison, sitting in the boss's chair, smoking with his legs crossed.

Upon seeing me enter, Tiger stood up happily and walked up to me, patting me on the shoulder as he exclaimed:

"John, it's been a long time! Sometimes I dream about the days we spent together in prison!"

I smiled at Tiger, unsure if he genuinely meant that or if it was just a polite remark.

Tiger, with his shaved head and small eyes, had gained weight, making his head resemble a hard-boiled egg, but the scar on his right cheek was still as prominent as when I first met him.

"Tiger, you've put on a lot of weight!" I said, making small talk.

Tiger grinned and said:

"Yeah, I've been eating and drinking well since I got out, unlike in there!"

"Alright, let's talk about the real thing. John, you just got out, so you'll work here for now. You'll be the head of the guest room department. I'll give you a starting salary of three thousand dollars a month, and I'll give you a raise if you do well. Tiger won't mistreat you!"

Hearing this, I was overjoyed, as three thousand dollars a month in this era was not a small sum.

"Thank you, Tiger!" I said gratefully.

Tiger patted me on the shoulder, his tone serious as he advised:

"John, treat this place like your own home. You're new here, so you need to observe and learn a lot. Try not to get into conflicts with the guests, and if you don't understand something, ask for clarification."

"Don't worry, Tiger!" I smiled, promising.

Tiger nodded and turned to the man who had brought me in, giving instructions:

"Sean, take John to take a bath first, and take good care of him. From now on, John is my brother, so you should take care of him more."

"Understood, Tiger!" Sean responded.

"Go ahead, John. If you have any questions in the future, ask your Sean brother!"

Hearing Tiger say this, I turned to Sean and said politely:

"Sean brother, I hope you can give me more guidance in the future!"

Sean glanced at me coldly, without speaking, his face still stern, as if he never smiled.

I followed Sean to the front desk, where Sean handed me a key card and said:

"John, do whatever you want today, I've arranged everything for you. If you need anything, just call a server!"

"Enjoy yourself today and be ready to work hard tomorrow!"

"Thank you, Sean brother!"

I took the key card from Sean and, under the guidance of a server, went to the basement for a bath.

As soon as I entered the changing area, a waiter rushed over to greet me, calling me "John supervisor," and even helped me hang up my coat, almost taking it off for me.

This sudden treatment made me feel a bit dizzy, considering I was only twenty-one years old and had spent three years in prison, with a relatively simple nature.

After stripping off my clothes, the waiter simply threw them into the trash can. As I looked at him in confusion, the waiter laughed and explained:

"John brother, Sean leader has arranged for new clothes to be delivered to you later!"

I had a good impression of the young waiter, who seemed to be about my age.

"What's your name, buddy?" I asked with a smile.

"John brother, I'm Parker. You can go ahead and take a bath. If you need anything, just call me!"

I smiled and walked into the bath area to take a shower. After washing up, I went to the massage area and lay down on the bed.

The masseur, wearing a large pair of shorts, joked as he massaged me:

"John, it looks like you haven't had a massage in a while. I'll add some vinegar for you!"

"Thank you, uncle!"

I was surprised that the staff here knew me, which was unexpected.

The masseur was particularly talkative and chatted with me off and on.

As I watched him work so hard, I couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Uncle, how much do you make a month by doing this?"

The masseur patted my back, making me turn over, and complained:

"Hey, this doesn't earn much money. It's just physical labor, not like those women on the third floor, who make money so easily!"

"Huh? What do they do on the third floor?"

Being naive, I didn't understand what the third floor meant in the masseur's words.

But when he saw me asking, the masseur said with a knowing smile:

"After you finish your bath, you'll go up and find out. Sean boss has everything arranged for you. That's a place for men to be happy!"

After hearing this, I was filled with curiosity and anticipation about the third floor, wondering what the "happiness" the masseur spoke of could be.