During the alcohol prohibition period, underground bars were everywhere.
They can be hidden behind the small wooden door in a grocery store, in an ordinary house in a residential area, or even in a cellar that has been expanded thousands of times. People don’t care where it’s at, they only care about whether it has the booze they need or not.
Qi Leren thinks that the underground bars during this period is probably filled with the stench of sweaty men. A large number of these men who are thirsty for alcohol like blood-thirsty vampires come to the bar after getting off work just to drink a glass of low quality “drink” but still containing alcohol. They be getting all happy like a chain smoker who just got a tube. (1)
But the underground bar Luna went to was different.
This one is a quite modern bar. It’s hidden behind a shelf in a second-hand (2) bookstore. The security guard was eyeing Qi Leren who was dressed like a dirty truck driver and also emitting the smell of engine oil. He seemed to speculate the possibility of this person being a policeman who disguised to come and look for trouble.
“You don’t look like someone who would come to a place like this.” The security guard adjusted his thick glasses, lowered his head and continued to read——a fashion magazine that has far less leaks, maybe it’s the predecessor of the upcoming “Playboy” (3).
Looking back on the well-dressed “regulars” who was wandering the bookstore, Qi Leren realized his failure on dressing up this time. No matter how good the disguising skill, you also need to consider the different occasions. This bar is dominated by fashionistas, obviously someone like him is not welcomed. (4)
What to do? Go back and dress up all over again? But the time gap is too short, what if he gets recognized by the security guard?
Turning back now is definitely not in Qi Leren’s mind. He looked around and began to improvise after a brief thought.
He coughed twice: “I….. uh, I heard….. that, Miss Luna, likes to come here.”
The security guard who was immersed in his fashion magazine lifted his head, raised his eyebrow, and stared at the blushing big guy.
He looked strong. With anxiety and fear of rejection written on his tanned face, he stood embarrassedly in front of the counter, his hands unconsciously tugging at the seams of his white-washed jeans. He stuttered: “I’ll just treat her a drink and ask for an autograph, I promise…. I promise that’s all.”
The security guard raised the corners of his mouth knowingly: “Are you her fan?”
The big guy’s eyes suddenly lit up: “I see her plays every week, she’s so pretty isn’t she?”
“Is she pretty?” The security guard pointed to a sexy woman wearing a short skirt in the fashion magazine——During this era, the currently popular bikini hasn’t been invented yet. The sexiest and most fashionable swimsuits are just one-piece swimsuits that look more like tight everyday dresses.
The big guy was silent for a while. He seemed to be contemplating whether to tell the truth or please the security guard, then he finally said: “I don’t know, she doesn’t dress like this when she’s on stage.”
The security guard was amused by his answer. He stood up and patted him on the shoulder, then pushing the bookshelf behind him to the side, revealing the passage leading to the underground bar: “Go ahead, get the autograph, she won’t be staying for too long.”
Nailed it!
Qi Leren was overjoyed. He calmed himself down, and entered the underground passage.
This underground bar isn’t very big, but the environment is very elegant. Qi Leren looked around and soon found Luna’s trace in a hidden corner.
She sat on a small table and smiled at the person hidden in the dark. They both raised their glasses and bumped them lightly, each taking a sip.
As soon as you start acting, you’ll have to act until the end. Qi Leren asked the bartender for wine, as well as a piece of paper and a pen. He took a few deep breaths and walked towards Luna.
“Excuse me, sorry to disturb, are you Miss Luna?” Qi Leren’s acting vividly depicted a dull man who just saw the lover of his dreams.
Luna lifted her head, her pretty eyebrows raised slightly: “I am.”
“Miss Luna, I’m a fan! I go to see your performances every week, ca… can….. can I have an autograph?” Qi Leren asked nervously, but he was firmly paying attention to the woman sitting opposite Luna.
He’d seen this woman before!
In David’s office!
She’s Amanda, the mistress of the Irish gang’s boss, Louis! After Louis went to jail, she went to find David, and happened to encounter Qi Leren who was also looking for David.
After realizing this, Qi Leren pretended that the pen in his hand fell to the ground. After picking it up, he quietly turned to the side, trying his best to not make eye contact with Amanda, so as not to be recognized by her. After all, disguising is not as easy as it may seem, since there will always be similarities.
If a player is really possessing Amanda, then this caution isn’t really necessary, since they’ve only seen him once.
But QI Leren was still being very cautious. After being “tortured” by Chen Baiqi for so long, Qi Leren has learned that if he wasn’t cautious, he would’ve died long ago.
Luna subconsciously took the pen——Qi Leren almost put the pen in her hand, but the next second she hesitated again.
In his heart, Qi Leren knew that Luna couldn’t sign her name. She couldn’t imitate the original’s handwriting, but standing in front of her was a fanatic fan of her body. If her sign was different, the fan would be able to tell at a glance.
“Ah, sorry, my hands were shaking.” Amanda flicked her right hand and knocked over the wine glass, spilling the wine on the table, soaking the paper that hasn’t been signed yet and some spilled on Luna’s dress.
This ‘accident’ just helped Luna to cover up the embarrassment just now. She took advantage of the situation and stood up: “I’m going to the bathroom.”
Amanda chuckled softly, her voice was hoarse: “Hurry up and come back.”
Luna left. Amanda chatted with Qi Leren with great interest, asking about his job. Qi Leren already made up a set of answers beforehand and so he successfully fooled her.
When Luna came back, she had two glasses of wine in her hands, and one of them was handed to Qi Leren: “I don’t have a signature, but I can treat you to a drink.”
Qi Leren looked flattered. The experience of being invited to a drink by an idol naturally made him ‘forget’ about the autograph and left with satisfaction.
As soon as he left the bar, Qi Leren’s expression changed, and he thought about what to do next.
He’s pretty sure that Luna and Amanda are the players who’s holding the two hearts. and the next step is to figure out how to handle these two people.
Luna came here by car. Amanda, who was in the same team as her, would definitely assist her if he did it in the parking lot outside the bar. He didn’t know how strong these two people are, but in this copy, skill cards and items can’t be used, everyone was relying on guns. Qi Leren wasn’t sure if he could defeat the both of them in a two on one situation, moreover leaving unscathed.
Let’s do it near Luna’s house. By that time, Amanda would’ve already gone home and Luna would be alone. There’s no reason to get killed if he could avoid it.
The only problem is that when he defeats Luna, Amanda will also be prompted by the system, and it’d be hard to defeat her at that time.
Qi Leren made a plan and walked to his car parked in the parking lot.
The moment he was about to open the car door, Qi Leren suddenly felt a strong gut feeling.
It was like the pain of getting pricked by a needle, which suddenly came to his mind. Even if there was no prompt coming from his skill card, Qi Leren still believed in his gut feeling that saved his life countless times from death.
Without even thinking about it, he fell to the ground, rolling and crawling to hide behind the car.
Just the second he laid down, a gunshot sounded in the silent parking lot, the shot hitting the car metal sheet.
The Grim reaper’s scythe brushed past his head, and the cold terror and fear made one shudder.
Translator’s Notes:
- 一管, it’s supposedly just a counter for cylindrical things, so like a tube. In this context I’m guessing it’s referring to a cigar, correct me if I’m wrong.
- If you’re not familiar with this term, a second-hand shop is a shop which sells used goods. Probably similar to a thrift store.
- “Playboy” is an American men’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine found in 1953. You’re probably familiar with this logo.
- This sentence originally had “土鳖” in it, most likely in a figurative way, means someone who looks bad. Literally, it means sand cockroach, don’t look it up if you don’t like roaches.
FOITINSTL 
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