Chapter 116: Adding More Fuel to the Fire

Early the next morning, Liu Sheng arranged for Guan Xin to start working at Liu Yao World Film and Television Company. She was to study diligently under Zhou Jin and had even replaced the former president’s secretary. Zhou Jin personally taught Guan Xin the finer points of the job.

“Brothers, I brought you breakfast. Why are you all up so early?” Ren Xiaodong, having stayed up all night working overtime, returned to the dormitory carrying breakfast. When he opened the door, he found Liu Sheng and the others already packed and waiting.

Ren Xiaodong looked puzzled and asked, “Why are you all staring at me like that?”

“Shall we take a walk around Lushi City together?” one of them suggested.

The moment Ren Xiaodong heard “Lushi City,” he knew they were planning to hit the Imperial Bathhouse. He frowned and said, “Why didn’t you say so earlier? If I’d known last night, I wouldn’t have struggled so much! Going there is pointless—I just can’t get interested! I’m exhausted!”

Liu Sheng paid no heed to Ren’s complaints and simply grabbed him, heading straight home.

Once home, Liu Sheng and Ren Xiaodong went upstairs, each fetched their guns, and prepared plenty of ammunition. From past experience, Liu Sheng had learned that being stingy with bullets meant risking one’s life.

“Is this Liu Sheng and Ren Xiaodong’s home?” Xiao Jia asked Lao Jiu as they waited downstairs.

Lao Jiu also found it hard to believe, but then thought it made sense. After all, Liu Sheng was a world-class animation master and the boss of the largest company in Chong City. Having such a villa wasn’t unusual.

Because Liu Sheng interacted more with Lao Jiu and Xiao Jia at school, they often forgot that Liu Sheng and Ren Xiaodong were powerful and successful men, not mere students.

So Lao Jiu said to Xiao Jia, “Given their status, having such a villa is perfectly normal.”

Lao Jiu then casually opened the fridge on the first floor and started sampling whatever was inside.

“Let’s go,” Liu Sheng said as he and Ren Xiaodong hurried downstairs.

The four of them set off in Liu Sheng’s car toward Lushi City. Although not far from Chong City, the mountainous roads took four hours to traverse.

Upon arriving, Liu Sheng circled the Imperial Bathhouse and noticed the doors only opened at 8 p.m. So Liu Sheng led Ren Xiaodong and the others to find lodging first.

True to his nature, Liu Sheng insisted on staying in suites; anything less wouldn’t suit his status. Lao Jiu and Xiao Jia were thrilled—traveling with Liu Sheng meant the best of everything without spending a dime.

Xiao Jia and Lao Jiu shared a suite, while Liu Sheng and Ren Xiaodong occupied another. Liu Sheng told everyone to rest well in the afternoon; they would need their strength for the night’s activities. After all, Liu Sheng was no saint and had his own needs, especially since he’d heard the women at the Imperial Bathhouse were top-tier.

Another motive was to see inside the bathhouse and plan its ruin—exposing its scandals to the entire nation.

While Liu Sheng and Ren Xiaodong cleaned their guns in the living room, there was a knock at the door. They quickly hid their weapons, and Liu Sheng whispered, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Xiao Jia,” came the reply.

Liu Sheng opened the door, and Xiao Jia and Lao Jiu entered.

Xiao Jia spoke first, “Gentlemen, since this is our first time, could you share some tips? It would be so embarrassing if people see us as amateurs.”

Ren Xiaodong pulled them aside and shared his own experiences. Lao Jiu and Xiao Jia looked at him with admiration, thinking Ren was a true ladies’ man. Compared to him, they felt insignificant.

“All right, this kind of thing you have to figure out yourself. We can’t teach you much. Tonight, professionals will guide you—practicing as you learn. Now go rest; tonight will be physically demanding,” Liu Sheng said, gently steering them away.

Once they left, Liu Sheng told Ren Xiaodong about their plan to set fire to the Imperial Bathhouse that night.

“Why? It’s such a great place,” Ren Xiaodong asked, puzzled. He meant that if it burned down, where else could they go to have fun like this?

Liu Sheng replied sharply, “Setting fire to the Imperial Bathhouse isn’t like the shipyard explosion. The shipyard is far from the city with few residents nearby, so the news didn’t spread—illicit dealings were hidden. But the Imperial Bathhouse is downtown. If it catches fire, people won’t even have time to grab their clothes before fleeing. The crowd will be huge, and everything will be laid bare.”

“Clever, but letting so many people run around naked in the streets—that’s pretty mean. Fine, I’ll handle the fire tonight,” Ren Xiaodong said eagerly, rubbing his hands together.

Liu Sheng looked at Ren Xiaodong’s enthusiasm with mixed feelings. Here was an ordinary student whose family had been relocated. Though not wealthy, they had enough to live comfortably and had a home. Yet now, under Liu Sheng’s influence, he was involved in murder and arson. Liu Sheng felt a twinge of guilt.

Still, he smiled and said, “Remember, keep the fire contained. Don’t harm innocent people.”

They then devised a plan—not to burn the bathhouse to the ground, but to cause panic, force a mass exodus, and expose the disgusting deals inside for everyone to see.

“After tonight, I’ll officially declare war on Hu Yinghe. I’m only attacking the underhanded interests, so it doesn’t violate any peace treaties. The first floor’s bathhouse is legitimate, so nothing there can be damaged,” Liu Sheng said before retreating to his room to rest, preparing for the night’s wild endeavors—both in business and otherwise.

In Ren Xiaodong’s heart, there was an unchanging truth: with Tian Yun, he wouldn’t get involved with other women—unless it was purely transactional, no feelings attached. This was something he often told Liu Sheng before their return from another world.

At six o’clock, Liu Sheng took the group to a restaurant near the Imperial Bathhouse. They ordered two cases of beer and several authentic Sichuan dishes.

“Half a case each. Drink up, then let’s have fun,” Liu Sheng said, pouring drinks.

Xiao Jia trembled with excitement, barely able to contain himself. “Stop drinking, let’s go already!”

“You don’t understand. Liu Sheng is helping you. Alcohol stirs up the spirit. Men get impulsive not because they lose control, but because it boosts hormones, making you braver and more enduring,” Ren Xiaodong explained Liu Sheng’s reasoning.

After hearing this, Xiao Jia stopped eating and just kept drinking cup after cup. Seeing his wild enthusiasm, Liu Sheng hurriedly stopped him. “Water can carry a boat or capsize it. A little helps, but too much ruins the performance, got it?”

“What do you mean?” Xiao Jia looked puzzled by the jargon. Liu Sheng didn’t elaborate, just advised him to pace himself and stay sober enough to function.

After finishing the two cases, Liu Sheng checked his watch—it was 8:15 p.m. Seeing Xiao Jia and Lao Jiu practically bursting with anticipation, he said, “Enjoy tonight’s passion.”

Xiao Jia was the first to stand, but Liu Sheng quickly added, “Wait!”

He then pulled out two watches he had prepared and handed them to Lao Jiu and Xiao Jia. “No matter what, be back at the car by 1 a.m. Don’t linger!”

With that, he gave them the car keys.

The four entered the Imperial Bathhouse, took their wristbands, undressed, and entered the bathing area to scrub themselves clean.

“Feels great!” Ren Xiaodong said meaningfully.

They sat together in the steam room, savoring the luxurious life of the wealthy. Xiao Jia and Lao Jiu paced nervously, unable to sit still—impatient to go upstairs.

“Enough pacing. You’re making me dizzy. Go rinse off; we’re heading up soon,” Liu Sheng said.

Xiao Jia and Lao Jiu hurried out, with Ren Xiaodong muttering, “Such impatience. Can’t you act like you’ve seen the world?”

Following Guan Xin’s advice, Liu Sheng led the group to the secondary changing room—they had to pass through it to get upstairs.

After changing, Liu Sheng asked a staff member, “Which way to the upper floors?”

The attendant eyed them suspiciously and said, “We only have one level. You should rest in the massage area first.”

“What’s going on? There are seven floors. Do you think we don’t know?” Lao Jiu snapped, losing patience.

The attendant repeated, “Please rest first. We’ll talk later.”

Growing frustrated after waiting all day, Lao Jiu and Xiao Jia were about to lose their composure.

“All right, we’ll rest for now,” Liu Sheng said, leading them toward the lounge.

Lying in the massage chairs, Liu Sheng grew bored and summoned four foot massage therapists.

During the foot rub, Xiao Jia kept asking the therapists, “Can we really go upstairs?”

The therapists just nodded, indicating yes.

“Then why keep us down here?” Xiao Jia demanded.

Liu Sheng, noticing Xiao Jia’s agitation, said, “This is a risky business. They’re cautious, which is normal. Be patient—they might think you’re reporters. If news leaked, this place would be shut down.”

At that moment, a man in a shirt entered, saw them receiving massages, and said, “Gentlemen, enjoy your foot massage. I’ll be back shortly.”

According to Guan Xin, this man was the upstairs PR manager. When strangers arrived, he first interviewed them to prevent trouble. Once cleared, he would courteously escort them upstairs and fulfill any requests.

Seeing the manager leave, Liu Sheng said quickly, “No need for the therapists now. I’ll pay them anyway. Manager, please come in.”

After the therapists left, the manager asked, “Who referred you?”

“Word of mouth,” Ren Xiaodong replied.

The manager’s face remained stern as he said, “We’re a membership club. Minimum recharge is 200,000 yuan.”

Liu Sheng understood the logic: no real undercover reporter would spend that much, which made this place very secure.

“All right, my brothers are restless. How much to take us all to the seventh floor?” Liu Sheng asked, growing impatient.

The manager, still unsmiling, replied, “We don’t have upper floors. If you want to come regularly, you can get a membership card.”

Ren Xiaodong chuckled at this, but Lao Jiu and Xiao Jia looked ready to attack the manager. Clearly, there were upper floors—they were just denying it and forcing them to get memberships.

Just as they were about to protest, Liu Sheng gave them a warning glance to keep quiet. He knew this was all for safety; once they had memberships, the attitude would change completely.