Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 434 - 2 Inn

Chapter 434: Chapter 2 Inn

There are quite a few people in the waiting hall and not a single seat is free. Apart from luggage occupying some seats, most men are lying down to rest, with some even taking off their shoes. Although the posture is somewhat uncomfortable, it is better than sitting up all night.

Checking the time on his mobile phone, it was only after ten o’clock. Tang Zheng felt frustrated, he didn’t have the energy to play with his phone the whole night. After looking around and not finding a vacant seat, he wandered out of the waiting hall. Just as he had taken about twenty steps, four or five middle-aged women who were loitering around the dimly lit square rushed towards him.

"Young man, need a room at the inn?"

"Need a cab?"

"I’ve got tickets for long-distance buses."

Tang Zheng felt slightly uncomfortable by the overwhelmingly enthusiastic bunch. After waving them off, the drivers who had cardboard signs left. It was at this moment the announcement for the train’s arrival came and they hurried towards the station’s entrance. However, there were still four middle-aged women who did not give up soliciting.

"Need a room at the inn? We’ve got pretty girls for company."

Their lines were similar, paired with suggestive smiles. However, it was clear who was more skilled in this. Among them, a woman in her thirties reached out to grab Tang Zheng’s arm, a move that usually worked wonders in the summer, giving them the advantage and making him follow their lead.

Tang Zheng subtly avoided her advance and turned to see that the two on-duty policemen were still diligently stationed at the security checkpoint, even glancing in his direction.

Another passenger emerged from the waiting hall, and a middle-aged woman decisively left him to approach the new potential customer.

"I’m such a fool," Tang Zheng laughed. He had been wondering if these people were at all afraid of the police hearing their solicitation. It wasn’t until now that he realized it was just a ruse to attract interest from potential customers. Perhaps there really were girls waiting, but unless you went to the inn, you would never be able to confirm the validity of the offer.

Within a minute of not getting a response from Tang Zheng, two women panicked and ran towards the exit to find new customers. One woman, however, was very patient because she saw Tang Zheng’s hesitation. Most importantly, it was easy to earn money from bashful young men like him.

"Come on, it’s lonely and cold waiting at the train station all night. I’ll find a pretty girl for you." The woman enthusiastically sized Tang Zheng up, estimating the thickness of his wallet, "It’s very cheap."

"Are you not afraid that I don’t have money?" Tang Zheng asked surprisingly, considering he looked rather disheveled without even a gift to his name.

"Nonsense, just looking at your calm demeanor, I can tell you’re a man of wealth." The woman, of course, would never admit that if he was a poor man, he would have made excuses to leave out of embarrassment. Besides, her inn was shabby and even fifty dollars would be profitable for her. Of course, the quoted price was a hundred a night, with an additional fee if you wanted a girl.

"Can I take a bath?" Right now, what Tang Zheng wanted the most was to take a hot bath. He wasn’t the sort to be flattered just because of a few compliments. As for the fundamental reason, Tang Zheng wasn’t a born genius who automatically knew everything, so he only guessed a part of it - that was, the inn must be awful.

"Of course, what are you talking about? Our inn has the best service." The woman, seeing that Tang Zheng was convinced, immediately smiled, "Come on, I’ll take you there."

Tang Zheng didn’t care about the quality of the accommodation. If it had been a few months ago, he would have bought a newspaper and sat alone in the waiting hall all night long to avoid trouble. But now, he was somewhat interested to experience a different kind of life.

"It would be a good spot to carry out a robbery." After following this average-looking woman for about five minutes, with left and right turns, they had left the highway and were weaving through dimly lit narrow alleys. "I suppose most people would be scared by this."

"Don’t talk nonsense, I’m an honest person." The woman lightly slapped Tang Zheng while swaying her hips,"We are almost there in about a minute. I can’t afford to rent a place in the valuable area in front of the station."

Tang Zheng really wanted to suddenly announce his intention to rob her and see what kind of terrified expression she would reveal, but considering the consequences, he decided to abandon this prank idea.

The ’soon’ that the woman mentioned made Tang Zheng walk another thirteen or fourteen minutes, which left him a little frustrated.

"What if someone led by you thinks the road is too long and wants to go back halfway?" Tang Zheng knew this was less likely, as the woman was very talkative, discussing a variety of suggestive topics to lure the people she hooked.

"Usually, no. I’m good at choosing people." The woman was very proud of her skill to attract customers, "Of course, if they want to leave, it’s not easy. They at least owe me a few bucks for the loss."

Tang Zheng nodded in agreement. Indeed, if this woman made a fuss and yelled about harassment, those passengers would indeed be in a tight spot. Generally, those waiting in the waiting hall wouldn’t be locals. When outside, less is more. If they can spend a few bucks to get rid of their troubles, they won’t hold back.

"What if you encounter a robber?" Tang Zheng thought it would be a good idea to pretend to be a robber to leave. Maybe he could scare off this woman. However, there is a risk. If someone passing by happened to hear and take it as a real robbery, that would be a serious offence.

Although it was just a narrow alley, there were people passing by. Tang Zheng gave up on this idea.

"Who would dare to? Look, there are cameras in several places." The woman answered in a seductive tone, which also served as a subtle warning to Tang Zheng, "Even if I were really robbed, I wouldn’t be afraid. I only have two dollars on me, it’s not worth it."

"Impressive, if you ran away, you would definitely escape." Tang Zheng admired her. As expected from a professional, she knew the trade and its tricks well.