dognovel Chapter 53 Part-time Singer at the Bar
Chapter 53 Part-time Singer at the Bar
Lin Ximeng pushed open the door and walked into Lanbei Live House.
Unlike the noisy and chaotic bars he remembered, this Live House was noticeably quieter.
A few scattered guests sat in a corner, slowly drinking, and no one talked loudly.
Is it because it's not time for the performance yet and the band hasn't arrived?
Lin Ximeng glanced around and noticed a huge stage in the center of the bar, occupying nearly a quarter of the bar's area.
Professional sound equipment was neatly arranged around the stage, a level far superior to that used in ordinary bars.
There was no band performing on stage at the moment. A black curtain partially covered the backdrop, which was covered with performance posters of several bands, all of which appeared to be unknown niche or underground bands.
Lin Ximeng casually found an empty seat near the side of the stage and sat down.
I had barely sat down when a waitress came over.
"Sir, what would you like to drink?" The waitress's voice was slightly husky and magnetic, but it was clearly not a West Coast accent.
Lin Simon looked up and saw a head of fluffy flaxen hair and a warm smile, looking like a Latina.
"I'm Jeremy's friend," Simon Lin said.
"I heard he recently started working here. He had a tough time before, how have you been lately? Is everything going well?"
Simon wanted to find out about Jeremy, the old white man who handled garbage collection at the bar, so he pretended to be a friend visiting him.
"Are you talking about old Jeremy, who's in charge of our bar's trash collection?"
Seeing Lin Ximeng nod, the waitress didn't say anything more, but just smiled and glanced at the tray in her hand.
The tray held five or six bottles of various kinds of alcoholic beverages, including whiskey, vodka, and beer.
"I haven't opened for business yet today."
As the waitress spoke, she stretched her body, her tight white T-shirt taut from the pressure, and her long, shapely legs were tightly wrapped in black fishnet stockings.
While not as flamboyant as Max, it possesses a unique, hot Latin flair from South America.
Lin Ximeng immediately understood, took out five dollars from his pocket and handed it over, saying casually, "Five dollars, any drink will do."
After receiving the $5, the waitress's face instantly lit up with a smile: "I'm Sharana, it's a pleasure to serve you."
She turned around, grabbed a glass, wiped her fingertips on the rim, and deftly poured a glass of tequila, handing it to Simon Lin.
"Thanks, sir," Sharana said in a much lighter tone, humming an unknown tune as she poured the wine.
Lin Simon took the glass, took a small sip, and waited for Xia Lana to continue.
"Old Jeremy arrived four days ago. The boss was checking accounts at the bar when he went over and chatted with him for a bit. In less than ten minutes, he finalized the deal to take over our bar's garbage collection."
I didn't hear the specifics of what was discussed; I was just focused on serving drinks and doing my job, so I don't know anything else.
She paused for a moment, then added, "He hasn't come yet today. He usually comes around this time, so if you're looking for him, you'll have to wait a while."
Lin Simon picked up his phone and glanced at the time. It was exactly 4 p.m. According to the information in the "Daily Intelligence" section, Jeremy should appear in about 15 minutes.
Since he had plenty of time, he leaned back in his chair and decided to wait patiently.
Seeing that Simon Lin seemed to be waiting, Sharana moved closer to the table and asked with a smile, "Sir, would you like to request a song? Requesting songs is a specialty of our Live House; it's a good way to pass the time."
Lin Ximeng glanced at the empty stage and asked curiously, "I see your bar is completely empty, not even a band or singer in sight. Did you think it was non-music time?"
"The band usually comes to perform after 8 PM," Sharana said, waving her hand with a hint of pride in her voice.
"However, I am also a part-time singer. For example, when the band is not around in the afternoon, we waiters can temporarily fill in."
As she spoke, she put down the tray in her hand, her shoulders slumped slightly, and her waist and hips swayed in the motion, making a smooth dance wave movement that perfectly showcased the curves of her body.
"We might not be very good at singing, but dancing is definitely one of our strengths."
After saying that, Sharana blinked and gave Lin Simon a look that was clearly suggestive.
Lin Simon smiled, took out another $5 from his pocket, and as Sharana stood up, he casually slipped the money into the lace leg ring on her thigh.
"I'll definitely come next time," Lin Ximeng said casually.
"This is an extra tip. Please keep an eye on Jeremy for me today, and let me know as soon as he arrives."
Seeing how generous Simon Lin was, Sharana gave him a sweet smile and made an "OK" sign with her hand: "No problem, sir, just wait patiently."
After saying that, she picked up the tray, swayed her hips, and turned to walk towards other tables.
But as soon as Sharana turned around, she took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back, as if she had remembered something.
She walked straight to Simon's table, leaned down slightly, and whispered in his ear, "Sir, those people drinking at that table over there might also know about old Jeremy's situation."
As she spoke, Sharana gestured with her eyes to the booths not far away.
Lin Ximeng followed her gaze and looked up, only to see four middle-aged white men sitting in the booth.
They were all wearing faded plaid shirts, their bodies overweight, their beer bellies making the shirts bulge.
The group chatted and laughed, occasionally clinking glasses and taking a sip, clearly enjoying their time at the bar.
"They're unloading workers from the nearby port, they often come here to drink," Sharana added, then straightened up. Simon blinked at her, turned and walked away quickly.
Before Lin Ximeng could think it through, the atmosphere in the booth suddenly changed.
The group stared at their phones for a moment, and the cheerful atmosphere that had been filled with laughter and conversation abruptly ended.
The group glared at each other, their voices growing increasingly aggressive and suddenly rising in volume.
One of the taller, stronger men had his face flushed red. He pointed at the person opposite him, as if he were angrily rebuking someone, and it looked like they were about to start arguing.
The other person offered a few words of explanation.
Before the other person could finish speaking, the tall, burly man shoved him forward forcefully—"Get lost!"
Caught off guard, the man who was pushed fell hard to the ground, his beer glass shattering with a crash, splashing foam and beer all over him.
The tall, burly man wasn't finished. He rushed forward, grabbed the other man by the collar, and started punching him in the face, cursing incessantly: "Momxxx Fxxker! I haven't settled the score with you for what happened at the docks last time!"
The punch was delivered with great force, and blood quickly appeared on the other person's face.
The other two companions rushed forward to break up the fight, but the tall, strong man was clearly enraged and they couldn't stop him at all.