A taxi took the four people to the west of the city, near the suburbs. After getting out of the car, Kirton looked around and saw that this was a new area waiting to be developed. The old houses in the surrounding area have not been demolished, and the new buildings have not been completed, and the whole area is desolate because there are too many unfinished buildings.

He asked a little puzzled, "Sean, this high-end massage center you mentioned is in such a deserted place - I thought it was in the downtown area." Sean said, "I don't have a vision." Don't look at this piece of land now, it's deserted. After the development is completed, all walks of life will settle in this new area, and it will become a prosperous area. My dad bought several plots of land here, and they will definitely appreciate in value in the future. ”

Lan Xi looked left and right, "Where is the massage center you said-" Sean pointed to a two-story building across from him and said, "It's there, let's go over." The name of this shop is a bit of a meaning - "Yatan Leisure Club". Sean walked in with three friends. The three of Kirton, who came here for the first time, all felt the culture and fashion taste of this high-end venue with a strong exotic atmosphere. The lavish décor and elegant touches remind the public that this is a place for the enjoyment and service of the upper class.

Sean walked to the counter familiarly and said to the beautiful waitress, "Please open a VIP room for four people for us." "Okay." The waitress nodded politely, "Is it an hour-" "Yes." The service lady smiled sweetly and made a "please" gesture: "A few people, please come with me." ”

The waitress at the front desk led four people to a large VIP room on the first floor. This room is spacious and magnificent, about 80 square meters, and luxuriously decorated. There are only four massage tables and a few small coffee tables in the room, all separated by European screens, making them four relatively independent single rooms. After the four people came in, the four masseurs came in from outside. Two men and two women, both in their twenties and thirties. They politely asked the four customers to lie down on the massage table.

The four of them randomly found a separate single room to lie down, from left to right: Kirton, Lu Hua, Sean, and Lancey. Kirton was lying on the first bed in the door, and he was massaged by a kind-looking masseuse, who looked a few years older than Kirton, like a gentle big sister. She sat down behind Kirton's head and whispered, "Massage is a traditional and effective TCM treatment that can revitalize muscles and bones, relieve pain, and relax the body and mind. Our massages here are mainly brain massages, which are especially effective in reducing mental stress, usually in four-day sessions, and if you can stick to one session, it will definitely feel like a rebirth. ”

This propaganda is also exaggerated - Isn't it just a massage to relax, as if it can make people ascend to heaven, Curton thought to himself. Despite thinking so, he didn't have a trace of rejection in his heart, because this big sister's voice was gentle and beautiful, which made him unconsciously feel a little good. At the same time, he wondered what Sean meant by 'service like no other'. At this moment, several more people walked in from outside, one of whom was a man in his thirties, who walked up to Kirton's massage table with a glass of juice, and a thick book under his arm. As he sat down, he handed the juice to Kirton and said kindly, "Sir, have a refreshing glass of juice." "Thank you." Kirton took the juice and sniffed it, which happened to be his favorite orange flavor, he raised his eyebrows in satisfaction, sat up a bit, and took a few sips of the drink—it tasted fragrant and rich. Combined with the cool breeze from the central air conditioning in the room, it makes you feel like you're in the wonderful Hawaiian Islands.

The well-dressed gentleman sat on a chair on the side of the massage table and said to the guest gently: "Sir, our leisure center has a special service that I believe will bring you a special enjoyment that you will not experience anywhere else." As Curton was thinking about it, he asked curiously, "What special service—" and the gentleman smiled and said, "I'll sit next to you and read you a story while you have a massage." This will not only avoid the boredom caused by a simple massage, but also give you some wonderful mental enjoyment. ”

I see. Kirton thought to himself—this is what Sean refers to as a 'service like no other'. Sounds like a great idea, though. These upper-class establishments can really come up with this kind of trick to provide high-class services to the wealthy. Kirton sighed secretly that two adults serving themselves alone was a luxury that had never been tried before. The gentleman who read the story also looked at Kirton with a smile on his face, as if waiting for his reaction.

Kirton hurriedly said, "Oh...... Great, I've loved listening to stories since I was a kid. Can you read me a martial arts or war story - I love this type of story. The reader shook his head slightly and said, "I'm sorry, guest, but the stories we chose are meant to help you relax and relieve stress with massage, so not just any story will do—besides, when you need to relax mentally, it's not suitable for listening to stories about war and fighting." ”

Kirton thought for a moment, and thought it made sense, and said, "Well—then, what kind of story are you going to read to me—" The reader opened the thick book in his hand, "The name of the story I read for you is 'The Tale of the Fisherman and the Devil.'" Kirton opened his mouth: "Ah...... Wait, this story...... I read it when I was in elementary school, and it's a story from One Thousand and One Nights, right-" "That's right. The reader nodded in acknowledgement, and then said in a mysterious tone, "But the 'Tale of the Fisherman and the Devil' that I read with you is not the same as the one you have read before. Curious, Kirton asked, "How do you know what I've seen that story before—I mean, how can you be so sure I'm not reading the book you're reading—" The smile on the man's face never seemed to go away, "Because I'm holding an out-of-print book in my hand, I'm sure no one else will own it but me." And the books that came out later, the versions you've seen, have been cut and adapted in some way. So the content is naturally different from mine, how about - you want to know about this...... Ah, no, I mean, what the real version of this story looks like-"

Kirton felt his curiosity ignited by the man's words, and he nodded, "Okay, please read it to me." The gentleman who read nodded at the big sister of the massage, signaling that she could start. As the masseuse's fingers lightly touched Kirton's eyebrows and temples, the reader's magnetic voice echoed at the same moment, giving Kirton a wonderful sense of harmony.

The intensity of the massage was just right, the technique was just right, and the gentleman's passionate reading was a high-level enjoyment that Kirton had never experienced in his life. He felt as if his whole body was gently stimulated by a thin electric current, and he became filled with an indescribable, incomparable wonder. He was like ice cream in the scorching sun, his whole body and mind melted into the story. (The following story is very relevant to the events that followed, so it is recorded in detail in the following sections.) )