RBCT Chapter 19 King's Lounge
Chapter 19 King's Lounge
The venue Tino chose, King's Lounge, is located in Williamsburg, a neighborhood in northern Brooklyn that faces Lower Manhattan across the East River. The streets are lined with vintage shops, galleries, and bars, boasting a vibrant arts scene and a lively nightlife.
After the busy work in the attic was over, the group drove to the King's Lounge.
The band members had all done their makeup and changed into their stage outfits. Amanda wore a sequined fitted long dress that accentuated her beautiful figure, and her makeup was exquisite and flamboyant. Holly wore a black short leather jacket paired with cargo pants, still looking as dashing as ever.
Keith, Anton, and Jimmy also changed into disco-style outfits, shedding their fatigue from rehearsals and exuding a more stage presence.
Zik helped Anton carefully carry the entire drum kit into the club, and also helped set up the electric guitar, bass, and sound equipment.
Although Amanda was generous, this was indeed a poor band, and the members had to do all the work themselves.
By the time all the equipment was properly set up, it was completely dark. The neon lights outside shone through the club's glass windows, casting dappled light and shadows inside. The air was filled with the scents of alcohol, cigarettes, and a faint fragrance, creating a truly ambiance.
As time went on, more and more guests began to enter, sitting around the tables in twos and threes, ordering drinks and chatting quietly.
Zik leaned against the bar, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over the customers entering the room, a sense of unease gradually rising in his heart.
He noticed that many of the customers coming and going here seemed to be members of the Mafia. Having grown up in Brownsville, he was all too familiar with this kind of vibe—an aura of someone who had been living on the fringes of the rules for years and who exuded an inherent sense of oppression.
Most of the men there wore well-fitting suits and matching pinky rings. When they met, they didn't exchange many pleasantries, just a simple "How have you been lately?"
He was accompanied by a voluptuous, glamorous female companion. He walked with his head held high and chest out, exuding a powerful aura. Every move he made revealed the arrogance and caution of a gang member.
"Because this is Poly's venue," Tino replied matter-of-factly to Zik, who had come to inquire. "Aren't you working with the big boss? Don't you even know this basic rule? Of course, you can't have your song debut performance anywhere else."
Zike was taken aback, his lips twitching. His so-called "making a living by following the big boss Poly" was just a pretext he used to test Tino and protect himself.
In reality, he had only been in Henry's gang for a few days. There were at least two levels between him and the big boss, Henry and Jimmy. It was still unknown whether the other party could even call him by name, let alone recognize him as "one of their own".
As he was pondering this, Tino patted him on the shoulder again, his tone becoming serious: "By the way, before the performance later, you need to get introduced to the band members by the big boss. To be honest, your song has a bit of a homosexual undertone, you know that yourself, right?"
Qi Ke was instantly furious and started ranting: "I knew that! If this song wasn't so gay, I would have sung it myself long ago. Why bother selling it to the Sirens and having to put up with their attitude!"
The problem is, even the bigwigs at Poly Real Estate might not recognize the band members, so how can they introduce them? Isn't that putting him in a difficult position?
He feigned composure and casually replied, "Is that really necessary?"
As he spoke, his brain raced, calculating how to get through this.
Should we call Henry now and have him report to the big boss?
That won't work unless Henry is right next to the big boss.
Pauli Valio was known for his caution; he never even used a telephone, firmly believing that telephones could be tapped and secrets leaked.
If anyone wants to contact him, they have to call someone who answers the phone for him. Those people do only one thing all day: answer the phone for Poly and run errands. It's a huge hassle to get directly in touch with Poly himself.
"Of course it's necessary!" Tino said very seriously. "There are quite a few people who want to kill homosexuals, especially in a mixed place like this. Without your background, I really wouldn't dare let Amanda and the others perform here. If someone causes trouble, we won't be able to control them and we'll easily get beaten up."
These words sent a chill down Zik's spine. He finally understood that Tino had been eyeing his "gang background" from the very beginning, not only choosing the venue on Poly's turf but also wanting him to use the big boss's influence to protect the band.
But he doesn't have that ability. If he's exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable.
"Uh, just for such a small matter?" Qi Keqiang feigned nonchalance, his tone somewhat dismissive. "I think it's quite safe here. In this short time, I've recognized at least six gangsters among the guests, all of them well-known, official members of the Mafia. Who would want to cause trouble here?"
Tino smiled, leaned closer to Zik, lowered his voice, and winked at him: "That's only one aspect. Later, I'll also have to persuade some DJs who might not want to play this song on the radio. You know, some people can't be bribed with money alone; they're completely stubborn. If you can get the big boss from Poly to endorse us, those DJs definitely won't dare to refuse, and things will be much easier."
"WTF, why didn't you say so sooner!" Zike was so shocked he almost raised his voice, then quickly lowered it, inwardly cursing Tino for being so cunning. "If you want them to help you get the DJ, they won't do it for free. There's a price to pay for this. Do you think the big boss's influence is just for show?"
He panicked completely. He knew firsthand how gangsters dealt with stubborn people...
Moreover, Tino is incredibly audacious. Not only did he hold the band's debut performance at a Mafia stronghold, but he also tried to take advantage of the boss's influence, acting like a fox borrowing the tiger's power.
Even if you gave him the guts, he wouldn't dare to fool the Mafia to their faces. Those people are ruthless killers who don't blink an eye. Once they discover Tino's little scheme, it's hard to say whether he can keep his life.
"Do I look like an idiot to you?" Tino rolled his eyes. "Of course I'll prepare the necessary gestures. Actually, I didn't charge for tonight's performance. If we perform here more often, it'll help boost his popularity, which is a way of giving back. The big boss knows what I mean."
Hearing this, Zik felt a little more at ease. Fortunately, Tino didn't really want to get something for nothing. With this "reward," even if the big boss of Poly noticed something, he probably wouldn't make things too difficult for them.
Now that things have come to this, we have no choice but to bite the bullet and go for it.
As the performance time approached, more and more people who looked like they were from the music industry began to enter the venue.
Most of them were dressed casually and fashionably, exuding an artistic vibe, which made them stand out from the gangsters here. When they entered the club, they all had a look of doubt on their faces, wondering if they had gone to the wrong place.
Only when they saw the musical instruments and equipment set up on the stage, and the busy Tino, did they breathe a sigh of relief, find seats, and chat quietly while waiting for the performance to begin.
Tino noticed that Zik's face was pale and leaned closer to urge him in a low voice, "You can't handle this, can you? It's too late to back out now. I've already made appointments with the media and radio stations. If we can't perform tonight, all our previous efforts will have been in vain."