Chapter 266 – Appraisal experts! (1/2)
Five days later. Afternoon.
Hai Bing Bath Palor’s Utility room.
Dong Xuebing was panting as he carried a stack of towels. “Xiao Shi, the guest rooms’ towels are running low. We need to wash them quickly.”
“Ok. You go ahead first.” Xiao Shi took out two clean bedsheets. “I will deliver these bedsheets to the guest rooms.”
“Oh, bring a bag of dirty laundry on your way back. That side might be running out of clean clothes.”
Xiao Shi nodded and went out. “Ok.”
Over the past five days, Dong Xuebing stayed in the bath parlor washing towels. It was tiring, and he had not been so tired before. Although he is getting impatient, he still endured it. Other than working, he monitored the bath parlor silently and took note of the possible places where the relics could be hidden, the locations of the offices, the identity of their boss, etc. But Dong Xuebing’s role as a washer in the laundry room does not allow him to get more information.
If this drags on, even if the stolen relics were hidden there, it would be relocated. Dong Xuebing needs to think of a solution!
Dong Xuebing walked along the corridor towards the back of the parlor when someone called him.
It’s Crew-cut. “Xie Hao put down the towels, and follow me.”
Dong Xuebing looked at him nervously. “Where are we going?”
“The guest in room 303 wants a massage, but we got no more masseurs. You need to be one.” The Crew-cut ordered.
“But, I have not learned massage before.”
“It’s just some pressing and knitting of the muscles.”
Dong Xuebing has no choice but followed the Crew-cut upstairs. At the end of the corridor, the Crew-cut pointed to a room and gave Dong Xuebing some instructions on how to give a massage. It’s just a back massage, and the duration is forty minutes. After that, the Crew-cut left after Dong Xuebing went to knock on the door. He entered the room after the woman inside asked him to go in and closed the door behind him.
A woman in her late thirties is lying face down, reading a magazine.
Dong Xuebing looks at her emotionlessly. “You called for massage services?”
The woman nodded and looks at Dong Xuebing. “I want a strong massage, and you need to use more strength.”
“Ok.” Dong Xuebing went to the washroom to wash his hands before sitting down on the bed.
The woman is wearing a white bathrobe and nothing underneath. She has got a nice figure and curvy. She is not very pretty, but she has a mature seductive look. Dong Xuebing was relieved as massaging her is better than massaging a middle-aged man.
Dong Xuebing reached over and started massaging her shoulders.
Hou Qing stopped reading the magazine and threw it aside. “Young man, you are quite strong. How long have you been in this line?”
Dong Xuebing replied. “Not too long ago.”
“What’s your name?”
“Xie Hou.”
Dong Xuebing was not in a mood to chat with her, as he is still thinking of how to find the stolen relics.
Dong Xuebing just answered Hou Qing’s questions calmly, until Hou Qing asked. “How is your boss doing recently?” She saw Dong Xuebing in a daze and added. “Is the boss still Boss Wu or someone else?”
Dong Xuebing glanced at Hou Qing and replied. “I have not met the boss, and only know the person in charge of the parlor is Manager Ma.”
Hou Qing nodded and did not continue.
Dong Xuebing becomes interested. “Sister, you know our boss?”
“Hehe, I had met him twice, but it is not very close.” Hou Qing relaxed and closed her eyes. “What is Manager Ma busy with recently?”
Dong Xuebing had started his massage on Hou Qing’s lower back. “Manager Ma is often not around and will visit the parlor every two to three days. Maybe he still needs to manage other businesses for the boss.” Dong Xuebing tried to gather some information about the boss of the parlor from Hou Qing but could not get anything out from her.
Forty minutes is over.
Hou Qing sat up and adjusted her bathrobe. She smiles. “Young man, you are quite good with your massage. I feel good.”
“Thank you.”
“What time is usually not crowded at the parlor?” Hou Qing asked.
Dong Xuebing blinked. “Before midnight, the parlor is quite crowded. But after 1 am, this place will be quiet.”
Hou Qing smiled and looked at Dong Xuebing. “Ok. I will call you at night if I need your services. What is your number tag?”
“Huh? I do not have any number tag. I am temporarily called to do massage because all our masseurs are busy.”
“Aright. Anyway, I remember your name. Xie Hao, right? Ok. I will ask you if I need it.” Hao Qing gave Dong Xuebing a 100 RMB bill as tips. “Here.”
Dong Xuebing starts to let his imaginations run wild. Call me after 1 am?! Damn! Why are you looking for me in the middle of the night?
After leaving the room, Dong Xuebing continued with his work. He returned to the utility room to wash bedsheets and towels. He continued working until around 8 pm when the night shift staff took over. Dong Xuebing and Xiao Shi returned to their rooms and laid on their beds. Dong Xuebing is sleeping on the upper bunk, while Xiao Shi is sleeping on the lower bunk. Xiao Shi had been working at the parlor before Dong Xuebing and knew a lot of other colleagues. But Dong Xuebing noticed that the rest of the people prefers to speak to him, instead of Xiao Shi.
Half an hour passed.
An hour passed.
Everyone in the dormitory was still awake, chatting about women.
Dong Xuebing is not interested in this topic and is thinking of ways to move up the ranks and find the stolen relics. But after five days, he could not find a solution. Sigh… seems like I was too naïve to think that I can find the relics after I had infiltrated into the parlor. I cannot even get any information after five days. Maybe I should try my luck in the manager’s office… but it will be dangerous!
Around 9 pm.
The dormitory’s door opened suddenly, and the Crew-cut entered. “Xiao Shi! Xiao Shi!”
Xiao Shi was already sleeping and asked sleepily. “Brother Liu, what is it?”
“Get dressed and follow me. Hurry! Manager Ma wants to see you!” The Crew-cut shouted.
Xiao Shi got up nervously and didn’t know why he is being called to the manager’s office. Dong Xuebing was surprised and noticed the rest of his roommates were discussing among themselves.
“Why is Manager Ma looking for him?”
“That’s right. If Manager Ma is going to promote that thieve?”
“Thieves?” Dong Xuebing was shocked. “What did Xiao Shi do?”
A young man on a lower bunk nodded. “Xiao Shi had stolen something in one of the southern provinces and came here to hide.”
No wonder everyone in the room dislikes Xiao Shi. Dong Xuebing asked. “What did he steal? Money? Phones? Or break into someone’s house?”
The young man shook his head. “I am not sure, but I heard it is a few antiques.”
Dong Xuebing’s eyes lit up and felt he had discovered an important clue.
About 10 minutes later, Xiao Shi returned to the room alone. The rest of the roommates asked him why Manager Ma looked for him, but Xiao Shi kept quiet and shook his head. The rest of the roommates had treated him badly, and he refused to speak to them. After a while, Xiao Shi got out of his bed and went to the bathroom.
Dong Xuebing saw it and quickly followed. “Wait… I need to use the bathroom too.”
In the corridor, Dong Xuebing asked softly. “What are you called into the office?”
Xiao Shi is closer to Dong Xuebing, compared to the rest of the roommates. He thought for a while and said. “Manager Ma asked me to appraise a few antiques.” He paused for a while and continued. “I had dealt with antiques in the past, and the manager might have thought I know about the values of antiques. But I don’t even know those items, let alone appraise them. If I know how to appraise antiques, why would I be here working in the laundry room?”
Antique?
Appraise?