Bar Female Elite

Xia Yunjie couldn't bring himself to look directly at Sister Yan due to her revealing attire.

"Sister Yan, my name is Xia Yunjie. I just graduated this year and have no experience working in a bar. I'll need your guidance and patience," Xia replied steadily, despite feeling slightly embarrassed by her provocative appearance.

"No problem. If you lack experience, just ask and learn more," Sister Yan responded kindly, showing no displeasure. She then turned to Cheng Ping and said, "Cheng Ping, since Ah Jie is your friend, teach him well over the next few days."

"Got it, Sister Yan," Cheng Ping replied with a nod.

Xia Yunjie felt amazed at how simple it was to land the job. He couldn't help but think that people in the bar industry must be straightforward compared to the bureaucratic processes of corporate or public organizations.

Taking advantage of the bar's pre-opening hours before any customers arrived, Cheng Ping handed him a drink menu and said, "Ah Jie, familiarize yourself with the items on this menu. Most of our customers are regulars who casually order their usual drinks, so you need to memorize them."

Xia Yunjie nodded, taking the menu. Flipping through it, he saw over ten pages, many filled with English names. Since he had only graduated from technical school with poor English grades, he felt overwhelmed—he could hardly understand most of the words.

Clearly, he would need to work on his English. He remembered that English was a compulsory subject for next year's college self-study exams, so it was a good time to start. "Do I have to memorize all of this? My English isn't very good, so I'm afraid it'll be hard for me to remember these quickly," Xia said, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Relax! Do you think anyone in this job has good English? Here, take this—it's a translation guide that Sister Yan put together."

Xia accepted the additional booklet and opened it. Sure enough, it was a direct translation of the drink menu, with English names followed by their Chinese counterparts, such as Vodka and Whiskies 

As Xia skimmed through a few pages, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although his English was weak, his memory was much better than average. With this guide, memorizing the drink names wouldn't be too difficult. What surprised him, though, was that the glamorous Sister Yan was apparently quite proficient in English.

With no customers yet and nothing else to do, Xia spent the next ten minutes studying the menu against the translation guide. Closing the booklet, he returned it to Cheng Ping and asked, "Is there anything else I need to memorize besides the drink menu?"

Cheng Ping, surprised at how quickly he finished, replied, "Take your time. You can't rush things like this. Since there's no one here yet, keep studying. Familiarizing yourself now will help you later. I'll tell you what else you need to know afterward."

"I've already memorized it," Xia said with a smile.

"Seriously? You remembered all that in such a short time?" Cheng Ping exclaimed, clearly skeptical.

"Don't believe me? Test me," Xia said confidently.

"Alright, let's see," Cheng Ping said, still doubtful. She began quizzing him, but as the questions continued, her eyes widened in amazement. By the end, she was staring at him as if he were a monster.

"What? Did I get something wrong?" Xia asked, slightly unsure under her gaze.

"Ah Jie, are you really just a technical school graduate?" Cheng Ping asked incredulously.

"Of course. Why do you ask?" Xia replied, confused. Why would anyone lie about having such a low qualification?

"Wow, with a brain like yours, you could have easily made it into Tsinghua or Peking University! How did you end up in technical school? Wait… I get it! You must've been a playboy in school, chasing girls and neglecting your studies, right? You little rascal!" Cheng Ping teased, poking him on the forehead.

Xia was dumbfounded that memorizing a drink menu could lead to accusations of being a playboy. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The truth was that his inability to get into a top university wasn't due to laziness or distractions. His master had forced him to devote most of his time to learning mystical arts, leaving little room for conventional studies. Moreover, the drink menu, devoid of complex grammar or syntax, wasn't particularly challenging for someone with a sharp memory. Grammar, after all, was the true hurdle in mastering any language.

Despite her surprise at Xia's remarkable memory, Cheng Ping handed him another booklet. "Here, take a look at the types of glasses. Many drinks are charged based on the glass size, shape, and the amount of liquid they hold."

Xia opened the booklet and found pictures of various glasses with annotations about their uses.

By around 8 p.m., customers began trickling in. Cheng Ping instructed, "Since it's your first day, just focus on clearing glasses and other odd jobs for now."

Xia nodded and officially began his job as a bar server. Stationed in a dim corner of the bar, he quietly collected glasses and dishes whenever customers left.

He occasionally observed Cheng Ping, who navigated the customers like a nimble butterfly. She greeted them warmly yet skillfully dodged any inappropriate advances.

Feeling reassured, Xia still couldn't help but marvel at how challenging her job was. If not for the nature of this work, who would dare face such audacity?

Life at the bar was far livelier than Xia had imagined. Men flirted with women, and women often took the initiative with men. Those who succeeded left the bar arm in arm, behaving like lovebirds despite just meeting. Xia, inexperienced in matters of romance, could guess they were headed somewhere to continue their fun.

Some couples couldn't even wait to leave. Once, while collecting glasses, Xia inadvertently glimpsed a woman straddling a man in a dim corner. The man had his hands on her hips, lifting her skirt just enough to reveal she wore nothing underneath.

By 10 p.m., the bar reached peak capacity, coinciding with a provocative dance performance. Rock music blared from the speakers, voices filled the air, and the lights flickered. In the center of the stage, a seductive dancer performed, captivating the crowd. Many joined her in the dance floor, writhing and moving wildly, their faces alight with exhilaration.

It was Xia's first time witnessing such a performance. The intense spectacle stirred the passions of his youthful heart. He felt an almost uncontrollable urge to join the revelry.

However, Xia remained aware of his role as a server. Resisting the temptation, he kept a watchful eye on the bar, ensuring he didn't miss any duties.

In one corner, a sharply dressed young man with an air of success caught Xia's attention. Holding a glass of wine, he confidently approached a secluded table. Xia sighed and murmured, "The tenth one."

Seated at the corner table was a woman in her thirties. Her striking, angular features exuded competence, and her outfit—a white blouse and black pencil pants—enhanced her clean, professional look. She seemed the epitome of an urban elite, likely a career woman or executive.

To hunters of romance, such women carried an irresistible allure, offering the thrill of conquest. Adding to her charm, she was beautiful, with a curvaceous and mature figure. From the moment she entered, she had caught the attention of many male patrons.

However, her aloof demeanor deterred most. Since arriving, she had already turned down nine advances, two of which involved unwelcome physical attempts. Her swift leg sweeps sent the offenders sprawling, leaving them too embarrassed to retaliate further. Even so, several others had tried their luck.

And now, the sharply dressed young man was the tenth suitor.