"Zhengzong" massage parlor was a place of gloom, with the owner Lin Zhengzong wearing a worried expression on his face.
Business had been dismal recently, with daily customer traffic less than half of what it used to be, and those who did come were reluctant to opt for minor treatments like cupping or scraping.
If things continued this way, not to mention expanding and strengthening the business, even covering the mortgage and paying the staff would become unmanageable.
"Master, Brother Ma said he's got something on and won't come today,"
his disciple Yinghu said.
"Zhengzong" massage parlor operated on a master-disciple system, where all the massage therapists were disciples of Lin Zhengzong.
Yinghu was his senior disciple and also his favorite.
To better serve the clients, Yinghu regularly plucked his own claws, a fierce dedication that even the seasoned Lin Zhengzong found moving.