Chapter 105: The Fish Is Hooked

Hearing Kaja muttering in dissatisfaction in Russian outside Li Xian's door, Xu Maohé, who had left after the other person, came over in his big shorts.

Seeing Li Xian wrapped in a towel and breathing heavily, Xu Maohé raised his eyebrows and said, "Hey, brother, wasn't that a bit quick? You were in there for such a short time. You're not… a virgin, are you? Tsk, tsk, daring to face a Russian girl on your first try. Impressive!"

Li Xian glared at him.

What kind of nonsense is this!

He steadied his breathing, which had become a bit disordered after his earlier excitement, patted his waist, and snapped, "What quick? I'm full of vitality and well-endowed!"

"I understand, I understand…" Xu Maohé chuckled, his face full of lecherous curiosity, clearly obsessed with Li Xian's private affairs. "I heard from Lao Huang during dinner that Kaja is only eighteen. With her figure, she clearly hasn't lost her virginity. How does she feel?"

Seeing Li Xian's glare, Xu Maohé smacked his head. "Could it be that after the 'one, two, three, four' action, you didn't get anything out of it? Tsk, what a waste."

Li Xian was quite helpless with this guy. He thought that the little vixen who came in with a seductive demeanor didn't seem like someone new to the scene.

Although he was yearning… well, Li Xian considered himself to have principles. He had a bit of a clean-freak attitude towards relationships.

Sexual desire is natural; any healthy male will have these needs, and Li Xian also yearned for the opposite sex subconsciously. However, in his superego, he always believed that relationships without an emotional foundation were somewhat dirty.

That was why he rejected Kaja.

After shooing Xu Maohé, whose curiosity burned like a raging fire, out like a fly, Li Xian threw himself onto the bed.

He slept poorly that night. In his dreams, the enchanting figure under the silk nightgown and the never-ending "Swan Lake" symphony kept alternating. In his dazed state, he even saw the mute girl who had attacked him in the alley earlier that day reappear…

The next morning, Li Xian grinned as he changed into a new pair of shorts.

...

Xu Maohé had already made a deal the night before, and today he went to the market's container to barter, grabbing two slices of bread and heading off.

After some preparation, Li Xian and Wang Tielin left with Kaja guiding them.

Although Chita was full of tall apartment buildings, the streets were quite deserted. It was still Sunday, and apart from a few cars speeding by occasionally, there were hardly any signs of life.

In the empty city center, traditional songs played intermittently through high-powered loudspeakers. In between the songs, male announcers with a strong, rhythmic tone broadcasted propaganda about economic system reforms.

It wasn't until they reached the commercial street in the city center that Li Xian saw some people. Rows of small storefronts with wave-patterned awnings decorated the wide and long street, giving it a somewhat lively appearance. However, a closer look revealed that aside from a few bakeries, sausage shops, and barbershops, the shelves in most stores were empty.

Looking at the "open" signs on the storefronts, Li Xian really had no idea what they were still selling.

Knowing that Li Xian wanted to get a new outfit, Kaja skillfully took him to a tailor shop.

Ignoring Wang Tielin's refusal, Li Xian ordered a set of clothes for both himself and the less talkative Han who had come abroad.

When the tailor finished measuring them, Li Xian noticed that Kaja was looking at the ready-made clothes in the shop with a look of longing.

Li Xian had asked her to dress up well last night, and she followed his instructions.

However, it was clear that the situation at Huang He's place was not very good.

She was wearing a plaid wool coat, and Li Xian noticed that the coat's cuffs had worn holes. The scarf around her neck also seemed quite old, but her youthful face kept her from looking too shabby.

Seeing this, Li Xian called the tailor over and ordered another set of clothes.

Kaja was thrilled to receive such a benefit while shopping. She walked with a ballet rhythm and flitted around Li Xian like a butterfly.

For the entire morning, Li Xian outfitted himself and tidied up his appearance on the commercial street.

In the evening, when Xu Maohé saw Li Xian, who had reappeared with a new look, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

"Holy moly, bro, you look too flashy! What's going on? Are you planning to settle down with a Russian wife like Lao Huang?"

Li Xian chuckled, patted Xu Maohé on the shoulder, and mysteriously said he was going to scout the area. Then he left with the equally well-dressed Kaja and Wang Tielin.

According to Kaja, wealthy individuals and officials in Chita generally frequented a club called Minet on the west side of the city.

The three of them went straight there.

Though called a club, it was similar to a domestic nightclub. Inside, there was a small bar and a large stage in the center.

As they entered, a performance of an unfamiliar opera was ongoing on the stage.

The club was filled with smoke, and rows of round tables below the stage were mostly occupied. Li Xian glanced around and noticed that these people looked much more upscale compared to the ordinary citizens they had seen earlier.

However, although the performers on stage were singing passionately, the audience seemed disinterested.

Groups of people chatted quietly, and there was no sign of the usual entertainment.

Li Xian and his companions chose a table and had Kaja order the best drinks and food.

When the food and drinks were served, Li Xian paid with a US dollar bill and tipped the waiter five dollars.

The waiter gasped in surprise and repeatedly thanked Li Xian—this five dollars could almost provide the waiter with a couple of days of good living.

The commotion attracted the attention of those around them.

Li Xian smiled indifferently and began chatting with Kaja in Chinese. He used jokes and risqué stories from a time that didn't exist yet, making Kaja laugh loudly and occasionally show a shy demeanor.

Clearly, Li Xian's appearance at the club disrupted some sort of harmony.

Chinese middlemen were common in Chita. However, there hadn't been anyone as flashy as Li Xian.

Middlemen came with the intention of making money and typically, after selling their goods in Chita, they would try to exchange their rubles for US dollars as quickly as possible and hide them in hotels or dormitories to avoid the local police's extortion or attention from unsavory figures.

Thus, despite being among the richest people on this foreign land, Chinese middlemen were rarely seen in various consumer venues.

Just as the stage performance ended and Li Xian clapped symbolically, not understanding anything, a man with greasy blonde hair walked over, holding a glass of wine. He gave Li Xian a slight nod and said a long string of words.

"This is Mr. Alyosha. He wants to meet you."

Facing Li Xian's puzzled look, Kaja translated.

Li Xian smiled slightly, raised his glass, and said, "Please, sit down."

The fish was hooked.