Finally, the night fell and as it did, Jin went to pick his partner. He went first to check whether Hymin was ready and still agreeing to go alongside him. She was his first choice. Not only was she more agreeable to the eyes and draw them in, she was smarter than the other options he found.

Men or women, most of those desperate for money weren't the greatest scholarly materials. There were some of course but he had unfortunately not met one this time. He had not searched that hard either though.

That aside, he went to pick up the girl at the appointed time. After navigating through the red lights district and dodging the multiple invitations from other women and even men to spend a 'good time', he arrived.

As the guards at the entrance saw him, they obviously recognized him. Their boss had given them strict instructions. They bowed at the freaky-looking man and one of them led him inside personally. The stronger of the two was the one leading him this time. Clearly, he was no longer a random guy to this business.

He was left in a different and more secluded area to wait for Hymin. He was given free food and drinks which he did not dare touch. He kept the possibility of being betrayed in mind and, as such, entertained the possibility of the food being poisoned. As such, he stayed seated within the sofa, lazing down on it and enjoying its leather texture while he waited. From that place, he could still hear some diluted noises made from customers and workers.

It seemed like a background music to him.

He did not focus on it as he waited. Instead, he kept revising his plan within his mind. Until he was in, and even there, he would keep thinking. Only through continuous revisions could he continue to survive. These were tough times indeed...

He only waited a few minutes before Hymin was led inside his private booth. She looked even better than when they met. An elegant black chinese dress with white dragons accentuated her curves while still not being tight to the point of immodesty. Her make-up was light and her hair tied into a ponytail. She looked refined and beautiful.

Perfect to draw the attention away from him.

However, she did not seem to have a mask...

As she arrived and after the usual greetings and pleasantries, he asked her straightforwardly: "What about your mask?"

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She sighed as she shrugged. Then, she said: "Had no time. It was hard to find a suitable outfit, you see..."

Jin nodded. He could accept this kind of excuse. She was a woman and not part of the higher classes. To tell her to dress like them on such short notice... Well, forgiving her for lacking a mask was easy. It was not worth it to get angry at it either. He let it go, deciding to give her one of his. He made sure to buy many just in case.

He got up and walked next to her. He extended his arm, smiled at her and said: "Shall we go, dear?"

It was incredibly fake but it seemed natural. His ability as an actor was impressive thanks to years of deceptions, in both lives.

As for Hymin, she sent a similar smile back, seemingly natural and answered coquettishly: "I'd love that greatly, dear"

They both left the shop. As they did, both guards bowed at them, wishing them a happy night. Neither knew if it would be so...

After leaving the red-light district, Jin took Hymin to the upper-class area. As they walked, she asked: "So, dear, what's your name supposed to be?"

Jin did not hesitate before giving a fake one: "He Bi"

He was not even remorseful. In fact, he would have been an idiot to keep introducing himself as 'Jin' when the most wanted man was named 'Jin'... Even if there were many people named so, there were no reasons to add to the suspicious stuff.

Even though he answered right away and with a steady tone, Hymin obviously understood that it was a fake name. She did not point it though. It did not matter to her as long as she was paid. Whether he be Paul, George or Sam, she did not give a fuck.

As they walked, Jin wondered when the invitation would give him the location of the event. It had yet to show any more signs. He picked Hymin at 8 p.m. to have ample time and be certain not to miss the schedule... In the end, since there was time and walking for hours was not necessary, he led Hymin to a fancy restaurant. It was mostly frequented by cultivators as prices were rather on the higher side. Obviously, Hymin had never gone to such a place. She did not make it seem like it as she sat at the table with Jin. Even as she ordered and such, she remained calm and her act was perfect. She seemed like a veteran actor to Jin. To the waiter, she looked like a woman of high-standing coming for a usual fancy dinner she was used to get.

They attracted some attention and glances from time to time due to Hymin's beauty but nothing more than that. At the very least, this was what Jin thought. On the other hand, Hymin noticed that the gazes were admiring her indeed but not for her beauty... Not just her beauty at least. It was quite clear to her that some people here knew about her. Still, she refrained from getting out of her act. She was anxious that her client would discover her origins and renege on the deal.

If he did, not only would she lose her sweet future but she would also enter into heavy debts. She did not lie when she said she did not have the time to get a mask due to finding a decent outfit. That chinese dress was expensive enough that she was forced into a loan.

Either everything went well or she was heavily fucked.