A-Club

Five minutes to nine in the evening, Hiro alighted from the taxi across the A-club in the entertainment district, a local area located near the intersection between the suburb and residential region of the city.

Luckily, there was a lack of traffic, as Hiro would have definitely arrived late otherwise.

Looking around, Hiro found a group of people around his age range huddled together in pairs or more. They occupied a corner all to themselves, and they were either chatting or tapping away on their phones.

After thinking for a bit, Hiro checked the chat group and confirmed his guess. Then, he walked over toward the group with an artificially cold expression.

Here goes nothing… Hiro thought to himself while walking over. When he got close enough to the group, he started to hear their discussions.

"Broski really did it this time, guys. I heard that he has connections with one of the male hosts in this club, and they will let us through with work passes disguised as part-time waiters."

"What did you think was going to happen? It's impossible for you to enter as a customer here, just forget about it!"

"Tsk tsk, but the people in the chat are really a bunch of pussies. From over 70 members in the chat, only less than 20 people pulled up to the club."

"Hey, there's another one coming up! This rounds it up to 20 people, right?"

"It's just you guys?" Hiro asked them the moment he got close enough. Although he tried to put up a cold front, he still couldn't get into the act and took the initiative to start a conversation.

It couldn't be helped—he didn't have the standard emo protagonist genes in him.

Then again, that clown bad guy who was always as cheerful as he could get proved that the secret of the trade wasn't in acting cold and distant.

So, in the short period of walking over, Hiro switched up his approach and decided to be a little more authentic with himself.

Nevertheless, he wasn't about to put white powder on his face and draw a fake smile, it'd be a pity to hide his handsome face.

Someone turned to Hiro and asked curiously, "What's your nickname in the group chat?"

"I didn't put up a nickname for that group yet, I was only lurking to see how things go," Hiro responded with a smile. "I mean, I didn't want to embarrass myself in case Broski kicked me from the group later."

Broski is one of the big names in the delinquent circle of the school, and it was rumored that "Mr. Monocle" is working as a lackey and a middleman for him.

Broski's real identity and real name weren't something many people knew, but his nickname had already spread around to those in the know.

He never revealed his face to the second-years and freshmen, and only the third-year delinquents had the privilege to visit his house and talk to him face to-face without a disguise.

It seemed that Mr. Monocle was helping him flesh out new blood for the next "Broski" of the delinquent circle.

According to Hiro's understanding, the nickname "Broski" was just an identity, and it must have become something to be passed down in the delinquent circle over the years.

As the group was discussing enthusiastically with one another, a man in a black suit walked over with a plastic bag in his hand.

He did a rough count and nodded, tossing the bag over to Hiro, who was closest to the entrance from the man's position.

"There should be enough work passes in this bag, put them on and head over to enter from the back entrance. Once you're inside, you'll be under periodic surveillance so that we can test your metal and backbone."

Hiro caught the bag reflexively, gently nodding his head and helping his brothers each pick a work pass so they could pin it on their chests.

"Got it, man," Hiro didn't waste time and was the first to leave the spot. As for the others, some of them followed while others stayed behind to ask some questions.

However, the man in the suit only provided lukewarm answers, not giving them anything of substance.

Three guys followed after Hiro, forming a small group of four as they walked side by side, simultaneously checking their surroundings.

"So, you said you're called Hiro, right? What do you think they mean by testing our metal and backbone?" Asked one of the guys.

Hiro thought about it for a moment and responded, "The first thing we need to do is learn the hidden and open rules of this nightclub. From then on, I guess we need to improvise."

Hiro didn't know much about the nightclub business, but he understood that most privileged guests are big shots in their respective industries.

Places like these usually entertained hidden rules that one must follow, and if a small fry like them wanted to survive in these waters, they needed to learn how to avoid the blood in the waters, lest they accidentally got marked by the nearby sharks.

Although Hiro's current level put him above the baseline human level, that identity was useless in such a setting.

"That makes sense, man. But still, it'd be difficult to ask around, I think we might get ourselves into trouble…"

As the group of four walked through the back door, they swiftly made their way to the storage room where the workers gathered.

Another guy agreed and said, "Hm, I think this must also be part of their test for us. Nonetheless, it's our advantage to have entered early, those idiots are wasting their time on the guy in a suit. His aura was too strong and cold; he clearly despised them and yet, they tried to butter him up."

Hiro looked around and ignored the banter of the guys around him. Quickly, his eyes zoomed in on a potential target, and he immediately walked over.

His actions drew the attention of not only his immediate companions, but the other workers in the room, both the male and female employees.

Hiro didn't mind and quickly approached one of the ordinary-looking females waitresses who was putting some foundation on her face.

Her figure was honestly a disaster in terms of assets, and she was currently attending to her own business in a corner of the room.

The other female waitresses were socializing across the room with their colleagues.

"Hm?" Confused, she closed her pocket mirror and looked up. "Can I help you, handsome?"

Her words didn't contain any improper insinuations, as it was clear to all that Hiro and his companions were high school students.

"I'm here to experience the ways of night life, but I don't want to accidentally offend any big bosses… Say, can I tag along with you for the night?" Hiro extended his hand for a handshake as he spoke.

The waitress clearly didn't expect this straightforward approach, and she was at a loss for words.

The other students who came together with Hiro and the latecomers witnessed this scene, and their eyes lit up as they scanned the area.

Meanwhile, the girl stored away her pocket mirror and smiled teasingly. "Oh? Say I helped you out this time, what do I get in return?"

Hiro blinked and responded, "How about this, sister? Other than owing you a favor, I'll also be your errand boy for the night. If you want anything, just say the word!"

Hiro slapped his chest, giving her a confidant look as he expressed his loyalty.

The girl laughed. "Alright, let me give you a test to see if you're worth this sister's care and guidance."

As she spoke, she pointed to a wall across the room and said, "Do you see that poster on the wall? That's a multilayer blueprint of our nightclub, I'll give you 10 minutes to get familiar with the place and I'll test your capabilities. If you satisfy me, don't worry about your future here."