PDLP 121. Ice and Fire
121. Ice and Fire
Although Kondo's heart was bleeding, he had already spent the money, so he could only pretend to be magnanimous and accept the black-and-gold-lined membership card that Manyu handed him.
The membership card had a unique design and looked very elegant. Kondo examined it for a while, quite curious, and then handed it back to his teacher, Hiramasa.
Pingzhen glanced at the card in his hand, smiled, and asked, "So, may I enjoy the services offered by the membership card today?"
Zhou Hongyi quickly replied, "Of course! This is a VIP membership card, which allows you to go up to our third floor. Mr. Pingzhen, what kind of service would you like to enjoy? We have 'Ice and Fire' massage, Thai massage, French massage..."
Before Zhou Hongyi could finish speaking, the old lecher's eyes lit up and he interjected, "A world of ice and fire, that sounds very interesting."
Hearing the other party's choice, Zhou Hongyi paused for a moment, then said with some difficulty, "Mr. Pingzhen, this 'ice and fire' combination is a bit too intense and is more suitable for healthy young people..."
This time, Pingzhen interrupted Zhou Hongyi again, insisting, "No, I want to experience this extreme of ice and fire, and I want this young lady to take me up there." As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Elizabeth.
His action surprised both Zhou Hongyi and Manyu. Manyu was afraid that her new boss would lose his temper on the spot and was about to speak up to stop him, but Elizabeth stepped forward and said, "Sir, let Elizabeth show you this distinguished service."
Manyu wanted to say something, but seeing that Zhou Hongyi's expression was normal, she suppressed her curiosity and chose to observe.
Zhou Hongyi chuckled to himself, thinking, "You old codger, at your age you still want to play the ice and fire game? Don't blame me for not warning you before you kill yourself."
Led by Elizabeth, the lecherous old man, Hiramasa, took the newly installed elevator to the third floor. Since Kondo didn't have a membership card, Zhou Hongyi subtly stopped him.
"Teacher!" Kondo was still a little worried.
But Pingzhen gave him a nonchalant look. Everyone knew he was here today, and if anything happened to him at the New Paramount, Zhou Hongyi would be absolutely implicated. He didn't believe the other man was unaware of his true identity, nor did he believe any fool would murder an elderly gentleman named Sakura on the very first day of his new store's opening.
Kondo was still a little worried, and Zhou Hongyi chimed in, "Brother Kondo, it's actually quite simple if you want to accompany your teacher up there. You can get a card, and as an old acquaintance, I can give you a 10% discount. You only need to pay an additional 90,000 silver dollars to enjoy the same experience as Mr. Heimasa."
Kondo cursed Zhou Hongyi's entire female family in his heart, but on the surface he just snorted and said, "Then there's no need, teacher. I'll wait for you here. If you need anything, just send someone down to call me."
Pingzhen chuckled and followed behind Elizabeth until the elevator doors closed.
As the elevator doors closed to a mere crack, Elizabeth gave Zhou Hongyi a subtle smile.
The third floor is reserved for VIP members. It's strictly confidential and soundproofed, with each private room offering different functions and services. Pingzhen chose the "Ice and Fire" room, thinking it would be what he expected. However, as soon as he entered, he immediately sensed something was wrong.
This was a closed room, with wooden strips used for decoration on all sides. In the middle of the room was a large charcoal fire, and the billowing heat rushed towards him. Although it was December, Pingzhen was instantly covered in a fine sweat.
"Is this what they call a world of ice and fire?" he asked, somewhat surprised.
Elizabeth bowed slightly and said, "Yes, esteemed sir, this is a special 'Ice and Fire Dual Heaven' treat invented by our boss. It will give you the ultimate enjoyment and wash away all your fatigue. Someone, please serve our esteemed member."
Elizabeth's voice was somewhat calm, but Pingzhen sensed something was wrong and was about to leave when he was grabbed by the arms by two burly men with thick muscles.
The two men forced smiles that looked more like grimaces and said, "Honorable guests, please come in. We'll also provide you with a free body scrub."
"No need, I'll skip this project."
"That won't do. You are our most honored guest, having paid for our services. If you don't fully enjoy our special services, the boss will deduct your pay. Sir, please relax and accept our services."
Several burly men carried Pingzhen like a chick into the sauna.
That's right, this is the sauna room that Zhou Hongyi added. Otherwise, why did he just say that older people shouldn't try it? But Pingzhen just wouldn't listen. Since that's the case, let reality teach this old guy a lesson.
After Elizabeth led the guests in, she thoughtfully closed the heavy door, abruptly stopping the screams that had just been heard, completely shutting them out from inside.
Anyone who has been to a sauna knows that the air inside is already poorly ventilated, and with the addition of a charcoal tub, it's not a place for the average person to enjoy.
Pingzhen had obviously never taken a sauna like this before. He was held down by several big men inside, and with his nervous struggle, he was soon soaked in sweat.
The burly man providing the service was quite considerate. He took off all the old man's clothes, wrapped a bath towel around his hands, and began to scrub the old man's grime.
Because Miss Elizabeth had given specific instructions, these burly men scrubbed with great effort. With each rub, the color of the area on Pingzhen's back would contrast sharply with the skin around him. Of course, they did rub off quite a bit of the old dirt from his body.
"Ahhhhhh, let me go! I don't want to! It's so hot here, damn it! Let me go, I can't breathe! It hurts so much! My back hurts so much!"
Because of his fear and anxiety, the old man blurted out a lot of Japanese, which the burly men couldn't understand. They thought the customer was praising their technique, so they rubbed even harder.
And so, Pingzhen couldn't hold on for more than a few minutes before fainting due to lack of oxygen, the heat, and fear.
Seeing that the old man had stopped struggling and shouting, the burly men scrubbing him up chuckled and comforted each other, saying, "Look, the guest has fallen asleep comfortably. Now let's give him another service."
Pingzhen, who had become like a "dead dog," was dragged out of the sauna by two burly men and into the next room, where a completely different scene unfolded.
Covered in sweat and rubbed until his skin was bright red, Pingzhen was thrown into a pool of cold water. This extreme contrast and stimulation instantly woke him up, and he jumped out of the pool with a "whoop!"
"It's so cold! So cold... You... You're trying to murder me?!"
"Guest, take a dip in this ice water pool, and when you come back to the sauna, you'll know what true comfort is."
Pingzhen wanted to come out, but was held down by two strong men until his teeth chattered and his lips turned white from the cold. Only then was he pulled out and dragged back into the sauna.
But this time he felt as if he had come from hell to heaven. The warmth was like a spring breeze, soothing his heart and soul, gradually easing his expression. He then began to enjoy it, and then his eyes rolled back and he fainted again.
When Heimaru woke up again, he had changed into a bathrobe and was lying on the bed in the lounge. He was still groggy and didn't even know if it was day or night, where he was, or where he was going.
At the same time, he felt as if all his fatigue and tension had been swept away, and he felt light as a feather, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He was helped back to the private room on the second floor, his mind blank, unable to think of anything.
Kondo was already impatiently waiting downstairs, almost ready to clash with Zhou Hongyi's group, when his teacher finally returned.