Kay Bar definitely served the best drinks out of all of Toi City 4th districts’ bars.
It was also the place where the 4th districts’ big shots gathered for drinks.
Was this caused by them having the best drinks or did they have the best drinks because of the presence of those big shots?
Whichever one came first and caused the other, Alex appreciated both of those points.
He needed to release some of his pent-up annoyance today.
Weite had been uncomfortable for the whole drive because of the high-class interior of Alei’s car.
When finally, he looked ready to strike up a conversation, they had already arrived.
“This guy will have to grow a lot before he and I can be a genuine business partner,” Alex thought.
“When he said he wants to explore the city, I did not realize it was just a joking dream instead of a realistic plan; judging by the way he is reacting he either did not know what this city is like, or he has not recognized his own position yet.”
Weite followed behind Alex; they left the car behind and entered Wandeng District’s entertainment area. The car would drive to the district’s parking by itself and wait for Alei’s summon.
Many colorful neon signs gave the area a lively appearance, but the walkway was not yet packed with people; it was still considered early.
They left the busy main street and, after five minutes of navigating smaller streets, reached a lively area once more.
Weite felt uneasy again: while before there had still been people dressed similarly, people here were showing off quite a bit.
It was different from Alex’ tasteful high-class appearance: instead of expensive fabric, these people’s clothes featured gemstones, famous brands, and holo materials.
They were less expensive than his, but this display of wealth was very on the nose.
“Tasteless,” evaluated Alex silently.
Walking towards the building with the golden-lettered sign of “Kay Bar”, Weite thought that this bar looked a little out of place:
Even though it was a high-rise, the white stone and old font on the sign looked too different from the neon signs of the surroundings.
Furthermore, two humans stood left and right of the building entrance, seemingly engaging in brotherly banter.
Where he was from, only buildings such as banks and government offices paid humans to guard their entrance; after all, there was an identify at the entrance.
On the other hand, Alex was not surprised at all; for one, he had read of this in the Organization’s file on the bar, also, this was still the best 4th level district bar.
A 4th level district was nothing to the big bosses of Toi City, but many people lived here; naturally, there were local bosses. Some of them might earn as much as a 2nd level district resident.
As local bosses, they needed a local place to coordinate that was classy enough; Kay Bar was that place.
“Brothers, what might cha be looking for?” the taller of the guards asked, looking at Alex.
“Here to have a drink,” responded Alex, not bothering with the local dialect since he was here as an outsider today.
The way he was dressed made this too obvious.
The guard gave Weite a sceptic look, then asked,
“What brought cha all-a-way ‘ere?”
“This is the only place keeping alive the good old times; my friend here is a fan,” he responded, gesturing at Weite.
Giving Weite’s leather jacket another look, the guard nodded and then pointed to the identify before getting back to bantering with his colleague.
This duo was a little unusual with one being under- and the other overdressed, yet he knew better than to offend someone with Alei’s appearance.
Wordlessly, Alex tapped on his wrist and then held his face to the identify.
This private identify was not connected to the official network, so with only a few taps he could have erased his presence.
Since he was here in capacity of his official identity as ‘student Alex Moqi’ and not as ‘Organization Member Moqi’ or an undercover identity, he refrained from doing so.
Then, he passed through the door; a few seconds later, Weite followed after him.
Like the outside, the inside leading up to the elevator was decorated fancily in the style of the 20th century.
“Let’s see if the drinks here are as special as they say,” Alex joked, entering the elevator.
Weite had a blank look on his face.
Within a few seconds, they arrived at the top floor.
This floor featured a few tables and a circular bar in the center; in the back, there seemed to be separate, sound-isolated rooms.
The design was Aisooge-ish... or what they imagined the western country to have looked like in the 20th or 21st century.
Only two tables were in use, most of the people were at the bar, sipping whiskey.
The jazzy background music was only disrupted by the quiet conversations of the two tables.
Alex led Weite straight to the out-of-place metal stairs; when the people who had stopped talking upon their entrance saw this, they resumed their conversations.
Weite had questioned his friend’s choice of venue, but when they reached the rooftop, he was stunned; the atmosphere was the polar opposite:
Loud techno-music, dancing scantily dressed girls in the middle, loudly joking men in the sitting areas near the dome covering the roof.
Next to the entrance from the stairs was yet another identify, this one required a database match; in other words, you needed a recommendation or to have been added to it some other way.
No problem for Alex.
Under the watchful gaze of a short, burly man, Alex identified, then spoke with a glance at Weite,
“He’s with me.”
Seemingly stating the obvious, he revealed that Weite was not in the database.
“Do you wish to add him Sir?” Noticing Alex’ clothing, the man spoke respectfully.
“We’re only checking this place out today. New in the city.”
At the same time, he thought,
“How annoying, perhaps I should have simply added him beforehand? He will have to learn about these things to be truly useful though...”
For a moment, his attention shifted back to the stairs, it seemed more people were coming.
“Very well Sir. As Sirs might now, we have some special rules here. May I ask Sir to read these and mark your acknowledgement?” he said and handed Weite a thin tablet dressed up as a book.
At the same time, the newcomers had reached the top of the stairs, walking up to the entrance where Alex and Weite stood with the burly man.
The newcomers were two blond, Mei-country-esque women and a muscled man with a plumb, sparkling ring on each of his fingers.
Alex only gave them a glance, then returned his gaze to Weite who was still reading the document.
The burly man had also noticed the newcomers and beckoned them to the identify.
He identified, then spoke,
“Those belong to me,”
and pointed his chin first at the thick girl to his right, then at the cute on clinging to his left arm.
“Does Sir wish to add them?” the burly man asked respectfully.
“Didn-che ‘ear me? They belong to me,” the muscled men bellowed in annoyance, speaking the district’s dialect.
“I am sorry Sir. We have some special rules here, standard members may only bring one unregistered guest. Adding a temporary member is ve...”
“Think I’m stupid, don-cha? I know ya ma’s rules! I’ll be payin’ so spare me the ‘assle!”
“I apologize Sir! It will only take a minute Sir, please, can the Miss fill out...”
Weite had read through the document and was now standing there awkwardly, glancing at Alex for help.
The same was watching this scene, bored, waiting for it to end so they could enter.
“Fill out ya ma!” the muscled man cursed; his face crunched up in disgust.
With a few taps on his Wristpie, he attempted to send money to the short, burly man:
“This ‘nuff?” he asked before he saw the man’s rejection of his money.
“I am sorry Sir, may...”
“Fock, jus’ tell me, ‘ow much? A mill, two?”
Alex, being fed up waiting, gave the short man a pointed look and coughed slightly.
The man acknowledged his cough with an apologetic look, and then responded to Mr. ‘ow much:
“I am terribly sorry Sir; this is not a question of mo...”
Unfortunately, the guy’s attention had left him and focused on Alex and Weite.
Ignoring the polite, burly man, he addressed them:
“What-cha kids got a problem?”
Annoyed by the man’s aggression, Alex’ laughed:
“Ha! While this would be slightly amusing in a series, it is not the entertainment we came for.”
Then, Alex snatched the tablet from Weite’s hands and put it in the polite man’s:
“Are we finished here?”
He quickly responded,
“Of course, Sirs may enter. I apologize for the wait.”
“What-cha... Oi!”
The man grabbed Weite’s shoulder to stop him.
Alex instinctively intercepted his hand and turned around.
“Now, what problem do *you* have?” Alex returned the question from earlier.
“If not for Weite, you’d be on the ground and crying already...” he sighed in his mind.
The muscled man pointed at the polite man and then at Weite and Alex:
“I can’t bring my girls, but this little boy can bring some filthy foreigner?
“Boy, why don’ cha bring my girl in for me?” he asked Alex.
To Weite he said, “Wanna earn some money to send home, kid?
“Let my girl...”
“Not interested,” Alex interrupted him.
Before his opponent could say more, he added:
“However, you better apologize now.”
Alex did not mind him; focused on his Wristpie, he made a few swipes...
The guy’s face instantly turned red from anger:
“Apologize? Did-cha loose it?”
Freeing his arms from the accompaniments, he pointed at Alex’ head:
“With ya apology, I might still let-cha leave... I got five guys downstairs. Get on ya knees and let that dog lick my shoes...”
Before the polite man had the chance to say anything, the rude guy's head met with Alex’ fist.
“Clean them yourself.”
