The Post-Apocalyptic Big Farm Owner

Chapter 11: The Striptease Troupe

As night fell, darkness enveloped the entire settlement. Lights began to flicker on sporadically inside the buildings lining both sides of the street. Xibu had power generation facilities that supplied electricity to the entire settlement. However, the electricity bills were exorbitant—one kilowatt-hour cost one jin of grain coupons. Few households in the settlement could afford to use electricity. As a result, once night fell, most people went straight to bed. “Yan'er, go to bed early.” During dinner, Li Ba had learned about the electricity rates from the landlady. After returning home and finishing his evening routine, he urged Yan'er to go to bed early so he could turn off the lights and extinguish the fire—ostensibly to save electricity, but in reality, he had his own ulterior motives. The little girl was very obedient and shut the door to go to bed early. Li Ba pressed his ear against the door; when he heard no movement inside, he began tiptoeing downstairs like a thief and walked out the front door. He was still quite interested in the “spectacular performance” the landlady had mentioned and kept it in mind—which was why he’d urged Yan'er to bed so early, to avoid letting the little girl find out. As he stepped outside, a cool breeze greeted him. Li Ba set off in high spirits toward the Villa the landlady had pointed out earlier that day. That evening, he’d already taken the time to take small samples of various grain varieties and plant them in the space within his bracelet. The plot of land in the bracelet’s space was miraculous—as soon as the seeds touched the soil, they immediately began to take root and sprout. After watering them with spring water, the crops grew rapidly; he was confident they would mature in just one night. He didn’t need to worry about that. Thanks to a special connection with the seeds planted in the bracelet’s space, Li Ba could check on their growth at any time. Right now, he was ******** and just wanted to see for himself the “spectacular performance” the flamboyant landlady had mentioned. The landlady’s estate was quite extensive, with a row of more than a dozen Villas, most of which had their lights on—either sold to others or rented out. As Li Ba walked toward the Villa in the middle, he saw other people, in small groups of two or three, coming along the concrete path in front of the Villas. Their destination was likely the same as his. Upon reaching the entrance, Li Ba saw two men in camouflage uniforms standing guard. Both were armed and looked incredibly imposing—clearly military personnel. “This slut’s got some serious connections!” The fact that military personnel were standing guard was proof enough that the landlady had extraordinary connections. Li Ba didn’t give it much thought—he was here to watch the show, with no ulterior motives, so he had nothing to fear from these soldiers. As he approached the entrance, a tall, burly, dark-skinned man with a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth glanced at Li Ba and asked, “Are you the tenant who just moved in today?” “Yes, yes,” Li Ba said with a smile, bowing and scraping. Perhaps out of habit, the moment he saw these soldiers, he immediately felt a head shorter than them and put on a fawning expression. The burly man gave him a quick once-over and said coolly, “It’s fine to watch the show, but mark my words: you can watch, but don’t you dare get involved. Otherwise, I’ll make you pay!” As he spoke, he nonchalantly patted his waist—two weapons were tucked diagonally into his pants pockets, reflecting a jet-black sheen in the moonlight. Li Ba’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, and he quickly forced a smile: “With you two big brothers here, how could I dare break the rules!” “You know your place!” A lanky young man standing nearby walked over impatiently and held out his hand. “Three jin of grain coupons—you can go in now!” Li Ba quickly pulled out three jin of grain coupons and entered the venue. Before leaving, he didn’t forget to bow and scrape his way through a farewell to the two “door gods.” “Brother Hei, this guy looks the part, but the way he talks… he’s not even as good as a woman—he’s a total wimp!” “Daozai, in the apocalypse, there are plenty of good-looking but useless losers like that!” “You’re right!” While the two “door gods” were discussing Li Ba, he had already walked into the Villa’s main hall. The layout was similar to his own home, but the furnishings were completely different. It was fully equipped with lighting and a sound system, looking just like a bar. In the center stood a performance stage with two stainless steel poles erected—presumably for pole dancing. Sofa chairs were arranged around the perimeter, most of them already occupied. These people all looked menacing—some wore military uniforms, others were dressed as mercenaries—and at a glance, none of them seemed like people to mess with. Mercenary groups were a unique product of the apocalypse, composed of daring, physically tough individuals who didn’t answer to any official authority. They operated independently, forming teams to hunt zombies and mutated beasts and scavenge for supplies to survive. These risk-taking, bloodthirsty individuals are ruthless and have spent years walking the fine line between life and death; their combat prowess even surpasses that of regular military personnel. Li Ba was timid and didn’t dare provoke them, so he found a random corner and sat down. Before long, a young girl approached with a beaming smile. “Li Ge, would you like something to drink?” The girl greeted Li Ba. She was Zhang Jie, the older of the two sisters helping out the landlady. In front of such a pretty young lady, Li Ba put on a generous front and waved his hand: “Bring me a bottle of beer—the best kind!” When he walked in, he’d noticed beer bottles on many tables, which reminded him to give it a try. “Sure thing!” Zhang Jie swayed her hips as she glided toward the bar, and before long, she brought back a case of beer. That’s right—a case, not just one bottle. Li Ba thought she must have misunderstood and was about to speak up when Zhang Jie gave a slight smile and said, “The landlady told me to bring a case of beer first—drink as much as you like!” Li Ba glanced over at the bar. The owner’s wife was dressed differently today—in a form-fitting dress that accentuated her sultry, hourglass figure. She was currently resting her delicate cheek on her hand as she looked over, even blowing a kiss at Li Ba. “What a devilishly alluring vixen!” Li Ba muttered to himself a few times, then accepted the dozen beers. Anyway, he’d already decided he’d drink only one bottle and wouldn’t spend recklessly. The reason? He had less than sixty jin of grain coupons left in his pocket, so he had to be careful with his spending. After about ten minutes, the hall gradually filled up, with as many as forty or fifty people. Not counting anything else, just from ticket sales alone, they’d rake in a hundred or two hundred jin of grain coupons that night. Li Ba was green with envy, thinking to himself, “That slut really knows how to run a business.” Looking up, he saw that the landlady was no longer at the bar; the two guys who’d been selling tickets at the door were sitting there instead. Even the two girls working under the landlady were nowhere to be seen. Li Ba figured they must have already figured out what was going on. Click! As the lights dimmed, colorful disco balls began to spin, accompanied by thumping music. Li Ba perked up—he knew the show was about to begin. The sound of high heels echoed from the stairs. Two women, dressed provocatively and heavily made up, walked down. Wearing miniskirts that barely covered their buttocks and revealing their long legs, they made their way step by step from the stairs to the stage. Positioning themselves one on each side, they began performing a highly sensual pole dance to the pulsating music. “It’s definitely them!” Li Ba had a keen eye; from the figures of those two heavily made-up women, he could already tell they were the twin sisters working for the boss’s wife. It must be tough for them—having to work as waitresses and perform on top of that. I wonder how much they’ll earn in performance fees tonight? The sisters looked innocent by day, but at night, they were like completely different people—all allure and sex appeal. As they danced up and down the pole, their long, white legs performed a variety of high-difficulty moves—splits, the “incense stick” pose, and more. Their short skirts couldn’t hide their curves, revealing black panties that were incredibly sexy, drawing howls, whistles, and loud cheers from the guys all around. Li Ba watched without blinking, taking in the view beneath their skirts and their alluring, sensual dance moves. He couldn’t help but think to himself, “Those three jin of grain coupons were well spent! “Hey, girl, take one off!” Someone started egging them on. “Take one off!” “Give us a real treat for the eyes—we’ll be back tomorrow to support your business!” The pulsating music, the colorful lights, and the waves of laughter made Li Ba feel as if he were back in a bar before the apocalypse, sipping beer while watching a steamy performance. Perhaps it was the alcohol kicking in, or maybe the atmosphere around him, but he was in high spirits. Li Ba suddenly stood up and shouted, “Take off one item, and I’ll tip you ten jin of grain coupons!” As soon as the words left his mouth, all the men in the hall turned their gaze toward him. Even the two performers on stage paused, casting surprised and delighted glances his way. “Bro, that’s generous. We’re riding your coattails today!” A muscular guy in a tank top gave Li Ba a thumbs-up. A dozen or so men were gathered around him, cheering loudly. It had originally been a spur-of-the-moment outburst, but now that he’d shouted it out—and with the crowd full of tough guys who weren’t to be messed with—Li Ba didn’t dare back down. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and see it through to the end. He gave the twin sisters on stage a beckoning gesture and declared proudly, “Ladies, I’m a man of my word. Take off one item, and I’ll reward you with ten jin of grain coupons. I’ll never go back on my word!” This time, the twin sisters on stage heard him clearly. Without a word, they immediately took off an item and tossed it on the ground. They were two necklaces they’d been wearing around their necks for the performance. “No way! That counts too?!” Li Ba nearly passed out from shock. The men around him, seeing the humiliated look on his face, all burst into laughter. The sisters continued their performance. But within a few minutes, things started falling off their bodies—bracelets, rings, earrings, and so on—all just useless trinkets. If he had to count all of them, the few dozen jin of grain coupons in Li Ba’s wallet wouldn’t even be enough for the tips. Who cares! At worst, I’ll just pay later once I’ve earned more grain coupons. Li Ba had already figured out a way out—he planned to run a tab for now. “Ladies, you should show us something more substantial—don’t let that guy waste his money!” Finally, someone couldn’t stand by and watch any longer and spoke up for Li Ba. This guy was a Changmao and was dressed like a triad thug, surrounded by a group of burly men; if I had to guess, he was probably the leader of this crew. “Feng Shao, my sisters won’t let you down!” Giggles came from the stage. By now, they’d already shed all their bits and pieces of clothing—quite decisively. With a single spin, both of them clamped their long legs around the pole, dangling upside down, and used the momentum to slip off their tops. Their tops had been nothing more than thin black tank tops to begin with. Once removed, their upper bodies were bare, clad only in sexy black bras that accentuated their firm, pointed curves, exuding pure sensuality. Finally, some skin! Li Ba’s chubby face trembled with excitement; he felt as though all his hardships had finally paid off. Aside from the tank tops the twin sisters had taken off, the scattered items on stage added up to about ten pieces in total. In other words, he’d spent over a hundred jin of grain coupons just to witness this scene. It’s worth it! Absolutely worth it! Judging by the sisters’ figures, they were both virgins. Li Ba kept telling himself that spending a hundred jin of grain coupons to see the bodies of these innocent young women was well worth it. In reality, he was just fooling himself. In the post-apocalyptic world, everything was in short supply—except for women. A hundred jin of grain coupons in a refugee camp could be traded for dozens of innocent young women. After the sisters took off their tops, the guys in the audience let out a barrage of whistles and loud cheers. Perhaps because the performance was nearing its end, the sisters moved swiftly and slipped off their short skirts as well. They twirled them around their hands a few times before tossing them off the stage, where they were immediately snatched up by a few brutes. The skimpy outfits left nothing to the imagination, showcasing the sisters’ youthful, vibrant figures to the fullest. The atmosphere in the venue reached a fever pitch, with laughter and whistles rising and falling in waves. Li Ba watched with a burning passion; his “little brother” down below reacted involuntarily, and he, too, cheered wildly while sipping his beer. At one point, the music stopped, and the sisters’ lithe bodies glided down the pole, standing one on the left and one on the right to bow to the audience below. After half an hour of performing, they were drenched in sweat, but with no time to rest, they retrieved a sheer silk cloth from the stage. The two pulled back the cloth, and the music began again—not as explosive as before, but a sultry, sensual melody that sparked the audience’s imagination. A curvaceous figure emerged from behind the sheer fabric, her well-defined contours gently swaying to the music in a thoroughly seductive manner.