Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 57: The City Wall

As Yang Chen expected, even though they kept overtaking on the road, by the time they reached the Heavenly Kingdom, it was already getting dark, almost six o'clock.

However, Li Jingjing didn't seem to find anything amiss. Throughout the journey sitting in the passenger seat, she wore a smile on her face, occasionally stealing glances at Yang Chen, though what she was thinking was unknown.

The gate of the Heavenly Kingdom looked exceptionally grand, its splendid neon lights outshining the nearby bars and nightclubs. Several brightly lit characters danced in the distance, catching the eye from afar.

As soon as Li Jingjing got out of the car, she grabbed Yang Chen's arm nervously and followed him through the gate. Even though she had always been a good girl, she would feel a little scared even watching such places on TV. Thinking that she would be the center of attention at a gathering with her colleagues, she couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.

"Don't be afraid, it's really nothing to worry about. Just think of it as having a meal at a small restaurant," Yang Chen comforted her.

Li Jingjing nodded, feeling the man's breath next to her, which made her feel much more at ease.

After entering the gate, a hostess in a fiery red cheongsam warmly approached them, asking, "Respected sir and madam, do you have a reservation?"

Li Jingjing blinked and remembered the agreed-upon location. "Yes... it's a private room called 'Orchid'."

The hostess smiled and gestured for them to follow. "Please come with me."

As they walked through the dimly lit corridor, the glass walls reflected colorful gloss, and the service staff passing by were all handsome and beautiful. It was clear that the treatment here was not low.

When they arrived at the door with three white characters 'Orchid', the hostess smiled and gestured for them to enter.

Yang Chen took out a hundred yuan bill from his pocket, and the hostess, unsurprised, said, "Thank you," before taking the bill and leaving.

Li Jingjing looked at Yang Chen in surprise. "Big Brother Yang, is it really a hundred yuan just to be shown the way?"

"In places like this, they generally follow the consumption methods of some European and American countries. These service staff don't have salaries, they rely on tips. In fact, if you convert it to US dollars, it's only about ten or twenty bucks, not that much," Yang Chen explained.

"I almost forgot, Big Brother Yang, you're a 'sea turtle'." Li Jingjing smiled, forgetting her concern about the money.

Yang Chen didn't want to dwell on these matters. He skillfully opened the door to the private room. As soon as he pushed it open, deafening shouts came from inside...

"You're the loneliest when you want to stay but can't!"

A slightly chubby man with glasses was shouting at the top of his lungs, standing in front of the TV, holding a microphone, eyes closed, singing his heart out.

Inside the large private room, several people were already seated on the sofas, at least seven or eight of them, a mix of men and women. When they saw Yang Chen and Li Jingjing entering, they were momentarily surprised, then most of them showed peculiar smiles.

"Our protagonists have finally arrived!" A petite female teacher with big wavy hair was the first to stand up and call out.

Following suit, everyone else stood up and applauded. Even the teacher who was belting out songs like a pig just a moment ago exclaimed, "Teacher Li didn't forget to bring her boyfriend to our first gathering. Looks like the relationship is deep!"

Li Jingjing shyly let go of Yang Chen's hand, her cheeks turning red in the dimly lit private room. "It's not what everyone thinks, Yang Brother is not my boyfriend."

"What is he then?" another male teacher asked with a smile. "Not your real brother, is he?"

Seeing Li Jingjing getting anxious and unable to speak, her face filled with worry, Yang Chen had to step forward to explain, "I'm a close friend of Jingjing's father. Just think of me as her big brother taking care of her for a while. I happened to hear that you all were having a welcome party today, and since she was too shy to come to the KTV alone, I'm just accompanying her."

A female teacher with a somewhat flirtatious appearance giggled, "I see, in that case, handsome guy, why don't you sit next to me today? Teacher Li shouldn't mind, right?" She winked at Li Jingjing.

Li Jingjing subconsciously shook her head. "No, Yang Brother should sit next to me!"

As everyone laughed good-naturedly, Yang Chen looked at the flustered and embarrassed Li Jingjing with a helpless expression. This girl always made a mountain out of a molehill.

Just as the atmosphere in the private room was becoming more relaxed, the door was pushed open again, and a man wearing a Praline shirt walked in. He appeared to be in his early twenties, with neatly combed hair and distinct facial features, exuding a refined air.

Seeing the newcomer, the teachers greeted him as "Leader Jiang."

The man greeted several teachers warmly before turning his gaze towards Yang Chen and Li Jingjing. When he saw Li Jingjing, dressed stylishly and revealing a pair of long, beautiful legs in hot pants, a hint of heat flashed in his eyes. He praised, "Jingjing, you look really beautiful today. If you dressed like this at school on normal days, I bet the entire school's faculty and students would be captivated by you."

Other teachers also joined in, praising Li Jingjing's attire as beautiful and charming. Such exaggerated compliments were something any woman would love to hear.

Li Jingjing was no exception. She blushed shyly and simply replied with a "Thank you," lowering her head.

When he saw Yang Chen, the man narrowed his eyes slightly before smiling gently and extending his hand. "You must be Mr. Yang that Jingjing mentioned. I'm Jiang Shuo, the head of the English department at Yizhong. How should I address you, and where do you work?"

Yang Chen thought to himself, "Another smiling tiger," but he casually shook hands and replied, "Just call me Yang Chen. I'm just a lowly employee in a company, doing odds and ends."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuo's eyes lit up, and his posture straightened slightly. He said with some pride, "Mr. Yang, there's no need to be so modest. We're all still young, and there will be opportunities for success in the future. Perhaps people like me, Jiang Shuo, may have a bit more ambition. Oh, maybe Mr. Yang doesn't know, but my father, Mr. Jiang Meng, is the principal of Yizhong and the deputy director of Zhonghai Educational Bureau. Thanks to my father's influence, I was able to become the head of the English department and the deputy director of the educational department at such a young age. To be honest, besides publishing a few articles in some national educational publications and leading a few overseas visits, I haven't accomplished anything significant. Who knows, perhaps Mr. Yang's achievements in the future will surpass mine."

"Leader Jiang is being too modest. Who here doesn't know that Leader Jiang is the future hope of our Yizhong, the most eye-catching new star in the education field?" a middle-aged female teacher immediately chimed in.

"Yes," the petite female teacher also chimed in with a smile, "Who knows, in a few years, Leader Jiang might become our school principal. In terms of ability, no one can compare to Leader Jiang."

The teachers suddenly started praising Jiang Shuo, while he "humbly" smiled and waved his hand, saying, "I'm not worthy of such praise."

Yang Chen couldn't help but smirk inwardly. He had seen shameless people before, but he had never seen anyone as shameless as this! It seemed he wasn't alone in his observations. At least the guy in front of him had a thicker skin than a city wall!