Chapter 17 - 17 Nuoxiang Building
Food Cauldron Building.
Zhong Lin found the manager of this Food Cauldron Building and rented some tables, chairs, stools, and the space at the entrance for a day at the price of ten large coins.
Food Cauldron Building is one of the four top restaurants in Black Mountain County, specializing in elegant vegetarian dishes and various detoxifying and nourishing medicinal foods.
It is precisely because of the vegetarian and medicinal foods that this restaurant is most popular with women, and singers from the brothels often order meals here.
The singers rarely show their faces easily, but they always have their servants running errands.
Zhong Lin isn't famous, so to quickly open up the situation, he must let customers see his work as soon as possible, and the best way is naturally to set up in front of Nuoxiang Building.
However, Zhong Lin always felt that Scholar Xu had ill intentions. Initially, he didn't react and thought the scholar pointed him to a bright path, but then he realized something was off.
Unnecessary kindness is either adultery or theft, especially since Zhong Lin wants to become his peer and steal his business. If he doesn't lead you astray, it's already good, let alone point you to a bright path?
Vigilance is essential, so Zhong Lin planned to hold something back, not directly setting up a stall in front of Nuoxiang Building, but instead coming to Food Cauldron Building. Although he could only contact the singers' servants, there was still an opportunity.
Setting up tables, chairs, and stools, and hanging up the two framed paintings of celebrities from the previous world that he prepared yesterday, he then confidently sat behind the table waiting.
Full-level three-dimensional painting skills, with color rendering for the figures in the paintings, are akin to a handmade version of a camera.
It was noon, the peak time for restaurant traffic, when even the singers from the brothels started getting up for their meals.
These people immediately noticed Zhong Lin at the entrance and the hanging paintings.
The vivid three-dimensional painting, almost like a photograph's likeness, instantly caught everyone's attention. Before long, a crowd gathered around Zhong Lin, with some quick-witted individuals grabbing takeout boxes and rushing back.
Zhong Lin watched with joy, feeling thrilled, thinking he would soon have his first customer, and wondering what price would be best to charge then.
"It seems I misunderstood Mr. Xu, I'll find time to treat him to a meal," Zhong Lin thought to himself.
While pondering, a pretty maid approached and knocked on the table.
"Did you draw this?"
The maid had her hair tied up in two buns with blue ribbons, her hair was smooth and glossy, softly draping over her shoulders. Her lively eyes examined Zhong Lin, and her round face enhanced her delicate features, making her look very charming.
If the maids were so pretty, then the miss they serve wouldn't be far off. Not only could he make money, but he could also look at beautiful singers to please the eye.
"Yes, I drew it."
Zhong Lin replied, not minding the disbelief on the maid's face.
It couldn't be helped; at this time, Zhong Lin indeed didn't have the aura of an artist.
His body was thin, his skin dark, and he exuded an unruly, wild vibe that was worlds apart from the refined scholar's aura.
It was genuinely hard to believe such a person could create such artwork.
Zhong Lin laughed and said, "Whether it's my work can be tested, can this thing still be forged?"
The maid glanced again at the lifelike portrait, nodded, and said, "Come with me!"
Business was coming.
Zhong Lin was overjoyed, hurriedly rolled up the painting scroll, kept his ink and brushes, and followed her. As for the tables, chairs, and stools, there was no need to worry; the waiter from Food Cauldron Building was watching. He had been keeping an eye on Zhong Lin all along, afraid that Zhong Lin would sneak them away.
Zhong Lin left with his paintings, and the onlookers dispersed.
Nuoxiang Building was built by the moat, which connected to the Baisha River outside the city, and the environment was extremely beautiful.
Zhong Lin followed behind the maid, stepping into Nuoxiang Building. Zhong Lin was particularly curious about this brothel; it was an ancient clubhouse after all.
Entering the door, there was a hall with a stage about one meter high in the center, clearly used for performances by the dance girls. Around the stage were tables and chairs, and the closer to the stage, the more spaced out the arrangement was, while the outer areas were more tightly packed.
Upstairs were rooms without doors, only blocked by screens, and with a lowered head, one could overlook the entire stage.
There was not the imagined noisiness, only a few servants mopping and cleaning since it was just noon, and the brothel's peak time was at night.
"Don't wander around; follow me."
The maid turned back to instruct Zhong Lin, then continued swaying her little waist to bypass the stage, exit the hall, and head to the small courtyard behind.
"Xiaoxue, who is this?"
The mid-walk was interrupted by a middle-aged man emerging from the corner, frowning at Zhong Lin's figure and asking.
"Greetings, Manager Zhang." Maid Xiaoxue bent in a bow and saluted: "This is the painter I found for miss."
"A painter? Him?"
Manager Zhang looked Zhong Lin up and down, showing a strange expression.
This rustic lad is a painter? What a joke, do I look blind?
"Manager Zhang, he is indeed a painter. I came across him at Food Cauldron Building, and his work is lifelike, as if a real person walked out of the painting. Miss usually loves self-portraits, so..."
"Enough." Manager Zhang impatiently waved his hand: "Don't you know that the girls of Nuoxiang Building all have paintings done by Miao Painting Workshop's people? Get him out."
"But..."
Maid Xiaoxue hesitated, having witnessed Zhong Lin's work and knowing her miss would likely love it; it would be too bad to chase Zhong Lin away.
"Audacious, a little maid dares to talk back to me? Don't think that just because you have Fuxiang's backing I can't handle you, don't forget, in two months you should be sorting your hair too."
Manager Zhang's face showed a sinister smile, like a hungry wolf eyeing a little white rabbit.
Maid Xiaoxue turned pale, lowered her head, and said quietly, "Yes."
Zhong Lin, who had been silent on the side, turned dark-faced, feeling like he wanted to beat this Manager Zhang to death. Was this hard-earned business ruined? Who was this damn person?
Before he could say anything, Manager Zhang snorted coldly and turned away, without giving Zhong Lin a chance to speak, while maid Xiaoxue also led Zhong Lin towards the exit.
"Are you very afraid of him?" Zhong Lin asked.
At this moment, maid Xiaoxue was like a frightened little rabbit, with none of her earlier cuteness.
"Manager Zhang is one of Nuoxiang Building's managers, responsible for managing us maids and servants."
"What about Miao Painting Workshop?"
"A painting group, all the portraits of Nuoxiang Building's misses are done by them, absolutely no outsiders are allowed to intervene."
Zhong Lin understood, it could be seen as the outsourced service in the past school cafeterias, except for that company, others weren't qualified.
Meanwhile, Zhong Lin also realized Scholar Xu's sinister intentions, as a painter, he couldn't possibly not know the relationship between Miao Painting Workshop and Nuoxiang Building, still pointing him to a "bright path," any fool would see there's something fishy.
A group that could cooperate with a brothel couldn't possibly just be an organization that could only paint.