After spending a few days with Hoang, I started looking for a new job. On the weekend, I asked him to drive me to the city center to find a place that included food and lodging.
Hoang quoted a price: “After driving me there, it’s three rounds, mind you. If you don’t want to, then forget it.”
I didn’t know if Hoang was still “straight,” because lately, for everything I asked him to do, he’d charge me only “three rounds.” And each time he finished, he looked so cheerful and happy, his skills in seducing men had improved significantly.
Whenever a place advertised “includes food and lodging,” I’d immediately go in and ask, but many places just put up that sign; with the current economic difficulties, they’d be kicking people out as fast as they could.
Hoang said, “Now we have to find the biggest restaurant in this area, then maybe we’ll have a chance.”
Then he drove me there, and after about five or ten minutes, we arrived at the biggest restaurant in the area.
I looked inside and saw that it was indeed very spacious, with tables and chairs ten times larger than An’s restaurant. But the place was deserted; the sign advertising for staff at the entrance made me hesitate to enter.
I shook my head: “Look inside the restaurant, the staff are still sitting there swatting flies, who would be hiring?”
Hoang clicked his tongue: “It’s a pub, for goodness sake! They only open in the evening, who would be open at this hour?”
This place was right on the corner, with two storefronts, and for some reason, they didn’t bother to put up a sign on this side. I went inside, and the young employee who was swatting flies cheerfully stood up: “Sit down, sir. How many people are you with?”
I replied: “Oh, no, I’m here to apply for a job. Are you still hiring?”
The young man put his hands on his hips, scratched his head, and yawned: “Oh, applying for a job? Can you read?”
I nodded: “Yes, sir.”
The young man pointed inside: “Go straight in there and find Mr. Trung in the kitchen and ask him for a job. He’s the manager here.”
I followed the directions and went straight inside, past the bar counter, and into the kitchen. There was an older man there, at least the same age as my mother, probably the head chef.
I said, “Uncle, I’d like to apply for a job.”
He replied curtly, “Business is slow, we’re not hiring at this rate.”
I pleaded, “Please hire me, Uncle! I can do any kind of work, big or small.”
He jumped up and walked quickly towards me, shouting, “I said no…”
Suddenly, he stopped, his fierce expression disappearing. Seeing this, I didn’t ask any more questions and softly said, “Okay then, thank you, Uncle.”
I turned to leave, and suddenly he asked, “Where are you from?”
I honestly replied, “I’m from Ca Mau.”
He continued, “What are your parents’ names?”
I replied, “My father’s name is Hung, but he passed away a long time ago. My mother’s name is Nguyet, people often call her Mrs. Hai Nguyet.”
When he heard my father’s name, Uncle Trung remained calm. But when he heard my mother’s name, he seemed deeply moved. I could almost feel him trembling. He said, “I had acquaintances down there back then. So why did you come all the way up here?”
I replied, “There was nothing to do back in my hometown, so I came up here. But this year is so difficult, I’ve applied everywhere and no one will hire me.”
He immediately said, “Do you know how to cook? Cook something for me to see.”
I shyly replied, “I only know how to fry rice with eggs.”
Uncle Trung waved his hand, “Go ahead. If I like it, I’ll let you work at the restaurant.”
At that moment, I regretted not learning this dish from my mother properly. But I tried everything I could remember, and in the end, I managed to make a bowl of rice, although it didn’t taste exactly like my mother’s. Uncle Trung scooped a spoonful of rice into his mouth, chewed for a long time before swallowing. I saw tears welling up in his eyes; it seemed the food I made couldn’t handle it.
He took a sip of water, sniffed, and said, “What kind of cooking is this that makes your eyes water? But it’s edible. Come help out at the shop tomorrow.”
I was so happy I jumped for joy, not forgetting to thank him profusely. According to him, I would have to try working here for a month, and if I did well, the shop would provide accommodation for me.
Above the shop were two rows of rooms, one for customers and one for staff. Customers who got too drunk to go home could stay overnight. On days when there were too many drunk customers, we staff even had to give up our rooms. Never mind, losing a night’s sleep to please the customers was fine; I could sleep in the morning after they left.
During that month, Hoang woke up very early every morning to drive me to work. At night, when I finished my shift, he would come to pick me up. Of course, the compensation was two “rounds” a day, but I was incredibly grateful that he took the time to help me during this time.
A month flew by so quickly. That last night, Hoang couldn’t sleep; he just hugged me and whispered, “Are you moving over there tomorrow?”
I replied, “Yes, I’m leaving tomorrow. Sad, right? Soon there won’t be anyone to have sex with every day anymore!”
Hoang said, “If I had known, I would have just barged over that night.”
I wondered, “Which night?”
Hoang laughed, “The night you and Minh secretly went to the bathroom behind me and Tan. Did you think I didn’t know you two had sex that night? I just didn’t bother to say anything.”
It turned out there were many things Hoang knew, but he simply didn’t say.
I gave Hoang a scrutinizing look and said, “Ah, so you knew I was gay from the start and still brought me home, huh? Planning to play gay? You’ll get hooked, you might as well not get married or have children.”
Hoang replied, “Pfft, I play gay every day and I don’t feel any addiction. Actually, I was just teasing you for fun at first.” “I didn’t expect it to be so good, so I thought it was okay.”
I asked again, “So, are you still into girls?”
Hoang nodded, “Of course! But it’s time to start playing gay now. Even if a bad person like me reforms, no one will believe me anyway, no girl would dare marry me.”
Hearing this, I felt even more sorry for Hoang. People spend decades of their lives learning how to make money, start a family, and settle down. But an orphan like Hoang spends just as much time learning what it means to live a good life.
But even a late bloomer still brings fragrance and beauty to life.
Before going to sleep, Hoang suddenly hugged me tightly and said, “Thank you, thanks to you I know that I still have value, that someone still cares about me, and that I can still help people. If you’re in trouble in the future, call me. I probably won’t have money then, but I can easily provide for your accommodation and two meals a day.”
I wasn’t sure if I had “bent” Hoang, but I was certain that his nature wasn’t inherently bad.
I whispered, “You’ve helped so many people already, including me. It’s never too late to start being a good person. I just bought you some new underwear; yours was all stretched out and you wouldn’t change it. And stop smoking, switch to chewing gum instead. Smoking makes your semen taste so bitter, nobody can stand that.”
Suddenly, Hoang pulled me up and kissed me on the lips. I was truly shocked because I’d never thought about this.
As soon as we pulled away, Hoang said, “Damn, I must really be gay.”
He took my hand and placed it on his penis, which was already rock hard the moment our lips touched.
Without further hesitation, Hoang quickly undressed me in a flash.
He licked and sucked me like a real top. I don’t know when, but he no longer hesitated to put his mouth on my backside, thrusting his tongue deep into my anus to pleasure me.
That was the first time Hoang and I did the 69 position. He licked my ass while I licked his penis. The moans couldn’t escape, echoing continuously in my throat.
After a while of licking and sucking, my arousal reached its peak. Hoang pushed me down and inserted his penis, face to face with me.
I asked, “Aren’t you scared today?”
Hoang laughed, “I stopped being scared a long time ago!”
Hoang thrust his penis in while leaning over to kiss me. His penis seemed harder than usual. Occasionally, Hoang would curse, “Damn, I should have just French-kissed you from the first time, what a waste!”
Every breath, every movement, every gasp, every moan was filled with ecstatic lust. Hoang’s penis, like a hard log, kept thrusting in and out, and I was so aroused I could barely open my eyes.
Suddenly, Hoang pulled my lips away and said, “Your face looks so slutty.”
People usually kiss with their eyes closed, but Hoang kissed me with his eyes wide open. I was both embarrassed and angry, so I squeezed my butt muscles, making him yell, “Hey, don’t! You’re squeezing too hard… I’m going to cum… Don’t! Oh my god… I can’t hold it in… Mmm… Mmm…”
And so, Hoang ejaculated on the first try. I teased, “You’re so weak today?”
Hoang said, “Because kissing you was so incredibly pleasurable.”
I chuckled, then suddenly realized that the piece of wood underneath was gradually hardening, preparing for the second round…
That night, after three rounds, Hoang finally stopped. If the head of his penis hadn’t been so irritated by the friction that it had become swollen, he probably would have continued to play with me until dawn.
The next morning, I gathered my things and asked Hoang to take me to the shop, where I was preparing to start everything over again.
Outside, they always say “the economy is tough,” but inside, I never see it that way. Around five in the afternoon, there are countless people coming and going. Even until one or two in the morning, there are still customers sitting there chatting.
Actually, the shop had already hired enough staff inside, so Uncle Trung let me work outside as a security guard. Being a country boy, I could even herd buffaloes, let alone handle a few motorbikes.
And this shop was also a gathering place for the “big shots” and influential people. Every motorbike was the kind I couldn’t afford in my lifetime. Every time my colleague, Ly, saw a nice motorbike, he’d wave at me. I just said, “That one costs a hundred million dong, kid. This one is eighty. This one is cheaper, around forty.”
I swallowed hard. Mr. Ly even threatened that if I lost any of the cars here, I’d have to work for free at this place for the rest of my life.
At two o’clock in the evening, while we were cleaning up inside, another customer came in. Seeing this, I said, “Our shop is closing now, sir. Please come back tomorrow.”
The person in the expensive car immediately cursed at me: “Damn it, where did this guy come from? Are you crazy? People are drinking at this hour and you’re telling them to come back tomorrow? Are you coming back to find your grandfather or something?”
Hearing the loud noise, Mr. Ly rushed out from inside. He explained, “Sir, is Thien new here? Please understand, this young man is new to the job and doesn’t know much.”
Thien clicked his tongue: “I’ll let it slide this time.” “Next time, I’ll shut down your place completely!”
Mr. Ly enthusiastically led the customers inside, shouting, “Get ready for Mr. Thien, kids!” Immediately, not one, but two or three people rushed out to greet them. One wiped the tables and chairs, another held the menu, and another introduced the delicious dishes available today.
Mr. Ly came back out, and I curiously asked, “Hey, who was that?”
Mr. Ly shuddered, “Don’t mess with him. He’s a hornet’s nest, kid. That guy is the son of Mr. Nhut. He’s very rich, just look at him.” “You know what kind of car he drives, right? He’s a spoiled brat, but he’s incredibly rich, nobody dares to mess with him.”
Mr. Ly led Thien’s car to a corner, trembling so much he could barely breathe. He instructed, “Next time he comes, just let him in, even at two or three in the morning. Park his car separately; it’s okay if someone else’s car gets scratched, but scratching his car would be a disaster for the whole place.”
Inside, Ly—the hottest waitress in the district—was holding a menu coquettishly in front of the young master. She asked, “Why haven’t we seen Mr. Thien at our shop for so long?”
He arrogantly replied, “I just got back from Europe. I went to three or four countries at once, so I had to stay for a whole month.”
Ly pouted, “Oh my god, Mr. Thien is so lucky. I don’t know how many lifetimes of good karma I’d need to have to be as fortunate as Mr. Thien.”
I asked Mr. Ly, “Is that guy really that old? Why does everyone call him ‘Mr. Thien’?”
Mr. Ly said, “No, he’s about your age, and he likes it that way, who would dare argue?”
Since I started working here, I’ve heard that my boss is a big shot, the youngest son of Mr. Phu. The name sounds familiar, but I can’t remember where I’ve heard it before.
I asked, “Our boss isn’t any less powerful than him, is he? Surely he’s not afraid of him?”
Ly replied, “It’s not that I’m afraid, but this guy is very vengeful and cunning. He only comes once in a while, so we just entertain him to keep him happy so we can do business peacefully. He has plenty of money, and if he hires thugs to cause trouble, it’ll be a hassle.”
I laughed, “It’s like a pile of shit, isn’t it? Just standing there, if you step on it, your feet will get dirty, and if you stomp on it hard, the shit might stick to your head.”
Ly patted my shoulder, “Great! You’re good! I’ll buy you a bottle of beer tomorrow!”
(Illegible text) Thien sat there for a while, then his gang of friends rushed in. As soon as they entered the bar, they gave me goosebumps.
The guys in the group knelt down at his feet, fawning over him: “Big Brother… Oh my God, we missed you so much we forgot to eat and sleep, and finally you’re back…”
Thien turned to a girl and asked, “Really, Vy?”
Vy replied, “He’s lying, man! He messed with me for a bit before coming here!”
Thien said, “You’re lying! Five bottles for me, quick!”
So the guy opened five bottles of beer and gulped them down in front of Thien. A customer tattled, “Big Brother, while you weren’t here, the Tiger gang came over to our territory and caused trouble. They beat up Phat and left him bleeding from the head!”
One girl spoke up: “That Long from District 4 called us prostitutes, boss, saying you’re high on expired drugs and trying to act rich despite being poor.”
Another guy said: “Boss, let’s save the fight for another time. Let’s go for a second round later, boss. I just found a really great place, once you step inside you’ll forget your way home, boss.”
Hearing that, the whole group grinned mischievously. Thien shouted: “Let’s all go in, guys! We’ll party until morning, and tomorrow I’ll deal with each of you. Whether you’re a dragon or a tiger, you’ll all die if you’re crushed by the sky!”
The whole group clinked glasses noisily; I thought it was my bar from eight or nine o’clock in the evening. Suddenly, some office workers walked by and said to me and Ly: “It’s late, and you’re letting the customers yell so loudly. Go tell them to be quiet so the people around can sleep.”
Ly shook his head: “The big shots are inside, brother.” “If you think you can clean this up, then come in and clean it up for me.”
The two office workers stormed in, their faces contorted with anger at seeing Thien sitting at the table. Finally, they could only helplessly leave, their expressions suggesting they wouldn’t dare touch him even for money.
Thien and his gang drank until nearly four in the morning, all of them completely drunk and unable to drive home. Mr. Ly whispered to me, “Here we go again, we won’t be sleeping tonight.”
Uncle Trung had finished his work in the kitchen by now, so he cleaned up the area, putting the trash into several large bags and carrying them to the roadside for the garbage collector to pick up early in the morning. Passing the drinking table, he said, “Take the guests up to their rooms, guys, hurry up so we can close the shop and rest.”
Seeing how disheveled they were, Mr. Vu approached Thien, intending to help him up to his room. But Thien struggled and shouted, “Get away from me, you filthy, smelly thing!”
Hearing this, Anh Vu let go, and Thien immediately staggered. Sister Doan jumped in to support Thien, gently saying, “Let me take you upstairs to rest, okay?”
Thien didn’t reply, but after a few steps, he vomited violently. Sister Doan’s shirt and skirt were covered in a messy mixture of food and alcohol. She gritted her teeth to keep from vomiting herself at the horrifying sight.
After getting Thien upstairs, Sister Doan ran downstairs like a madwoman, her wooden clogs clattering on the tiled floor faster than one could count. She collapsed to one side, vomiting up her undigested meal. Then she cursed, “Damn it, it’s always like this!”
Uncle Trung saw this and comforted her, “Try to bear with it, son. There’s still some food left in the kitchen. Go wash up and eat it. You can’t sleep on an empty stomach.”
Here, everyone treats Uncle Trung like a father figure. He rarely expresses affection verbally, only showing his care through timely actions.
The whole group cleaned up, but everyone was eager to sleep, so it was all done in ten minutes. Ly shouted, “Go to sleep! Go to sleep!”
Vu grumbled, “Nobody can sleep.”
I wondered, “Why, brother? Those devils are all asleep already?”
Vu splashed water on the yard and replied, “You’ll know after tonight.”
With the cleaning finished, everyone in the shop hurried upstairs, yawning repeatedly. The whole row of rooms was quickly cleared. Only the sound of breathing remained; everyone was exhausted after being subjected to all sorts of abuse throughout the long night.
I couldn’t sleep, perhaps because it was past my usual bedtime. I tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep, so I took out pictures and videos of Sang and masturbated.
Ever since Sang found out that Binh had dumped me, he would growl and get annoyed whenever his name was mentioned. His voice was like a predatory tiger stalking its prey; if Binh made even the slightest mistake and went back to his hometown, Sang would pounce on him and tear him to shreds.
He kept saying to me, “Come back here, I’ll support you. Why work so hard?”
I refused, only replying, “No, I know you care about me, but I don’t want to be a burden.”
Although the images on the phone were a bit blurry, watching them while stroking my penis was incredibly pleasurable. Fluid dripped from the tip of my penis incessantly. Once, Hoang even asked me if I was a virgin or something, because I had so much fluid.
I stroked it a few more times, and my penis in my hand was already hard. Just as I was about to ejaculate, I heard a small, rhythmic sound nearby. A soft tapping sound echoed in the night, a steady rhythm occasionally punctuated by a “slap.”
I quietly opened the door and stepped out into the hallway, wondering which customer might be having sex in the hallway in the middle of the night. But then I realized there was no one outside; the sound was coming from the room next door.
The tapping continued steadily, accompanied by Ly’s unmistakable voice: “Quiet, sir, someone might hear!”
A male voice replied: “That’s how you get to enjoy yourself! Besides, everyone’s asleep at this hour, what’s there to be afraid of?”
I was surprised, not because of the two of them having sex, but because that voice was definitely Ly’s. I’d been working here for over a month, and I’d never seen them being intimate. Moreover, Ly was from Saigon; after closing the shop, he usually went home instead of staying overnight. Who would have thought that in the middle of the night, the two of them would do something like this?
Even more surprising was that Mr. Ly, who seemed quite ordinary, somehow managed to win over the “beverage bar beauty” who was the most beautiful woman in the entire district.
As if sensing my curiosity, Ly inside gasped and moaned: “Oh, it feels so good, honey! No dick can make me feel as good as you! Shoot into my pussy, honey… Push it deep and shoot… Mmm… I’m coming again, honey…”
Ly then roared: “Mmm… So good… I’m coming… Spread your legs so I can shoot… I’m going to shoot… Ah… Ah…”
I stroked my own penis in sync with Mr. Ly’s moans, not daring to ejaculate in the hallway, so I ejaculated inside my underwear. Afterward, I was about to go back to my room when I unexpectedly overheard Mr. Ly discussing: “Hey, I always ejaculate inside, why haven’t you gotten pregnant yet?”
Ly replied, “I’m a month late for my period! I’m sure it’s coming! It’s a good opportunity today.”
Ly looked pleased, “God helped us! Okay, I’m going home now. Go to sleep, we still have to go to her room in the morning.”
I heard what they said, but I still didn’t understand what was going on. Afterward, I went back to my room, wondering what kind of outrageous plan they were plotting.
After a while, everything was quiet again. Suddenly, I felt hungry. Looking at the clock, it was past five in the morning. I told myself I’d just hold on a few more hours. Around noon, Uncle Trung would wake up and there would be something to eat.
But my hunger was getting worse and worse, making it impossible for me to sleep even with my eyes closed. I just went down to the kitchen to see if there were any instant noodles or anything to eat raw to stave off hunger.
The kitchen door was already closed. I hesitated, wondering if I should open it and go in. Uncle Trung had been working hard all day; if he woke up hearing the door, I’d be the one to blame.
But I was so hungry…
I reached for the door, intending to push it open, but unexpectedly heard a sound coming from inside.
“Uncle, let me put it in… I’m so horny…”
“Here… go ahead and put it in, but slowly. Yours is too big, if you go too fast, I can’t handle it.”
My hand on the door immediately recoiled, then I leaned against the wall. My heart pounded, because the voices I heard were Uncle Trung and Vu.
Vu exclaimed: “It feels so good… So good, Uncle… Why didn’t you let me put it in before… It feels so good, and you only let me now… Mmm… It feels so good…”
Uncle Trung shushed: “Keep it down, if anyone hears, we’re dead.”
Vu said again, “It’s almost six in the morning, who’s still awake to hear? Your asshole is so tight, it feels so good. My wife at home is so bored, she cries out after just a little bit of penetration. Ah… So good… Did you tighten your asshole?”
Uncle Trung replied, “Tighten it? It’s just that no one has used it for decades, that’s why it’s as tight as new. Besides, yours is so big, it’ll become tight even if it wasn’t tight. It’s no wonder your wife can’t handle it.”
Vu said, “Luckily you suck my dick and drink my semen every day, otherwise I’d probably die of horniness. Your testicles are as big as a bull’s testicles, there’s so much semen, and no one drinks it, it’s such a waste of God’s gift.”
The moans echoed throughout the kitchen. I stood outside listening, my emotions in turmoil, to the point that I forgot I was hungry.
I ambled upstairs, and near my room, I saw Ly coming down from upstairs. When he saw me, he said, “Mr. Phuc, please come down and make a glass of lemonade for the guests. They woke up earlier and were calling a lot, but there was no one around, so I had to run up to check on them.”
I nodded. I hunch over and went down to the drinks counter, taking the opportunity to grab something to quench my thirst, which had been parched since last night. Ms. Đoan is the official “owner” of this counter; she can make any kind of drink, whether in a restaurant or a bar. She often teaches me how to make lemonade, because every morning there are customers ordering, and she doesn’t want her sleep disturbed.
I made a glass of water and brought it up. I saw Ly come out of her room dressed up in fancy clothes and smelling strongly of perfume. I handed her the glass and asked, “Where are you going all dressed up like that this morning?”
Ly sighed, “Bringing water to Mr. Thien, brother. Oh my god, if I’m not presentable, he’ll scold the whole place. And if you hear any shouting later, just ignore it and don’t barge in. You’ll only bring trouble upon yourself!”
I didn’t care; we weren’t that close anyway. After she left, I went to my bedroom. Not long after, I heard moaning coming down from upstairs.
The moaning and pleading sounds, like crying, made me jump up and run to see what was happening.
Standing in front of the room where Thien was resting, I could still hear faintly: “Please, don’t… I beg you… Be gentle, please… Please, don’t, please…”
Following that were harsh, vulgar slaps: “Damn you, you whore… Close your pussy lips so I can enjoy myself, understand? Do you hear me, you bitch? Damn you… I’ll fuck you until your pussy is torn apart, you bitch…”
I thought Thien was beating her, but it turned out he was just poking her with his penis. If I hadn’t heard what happened last night, if I didn’t know that Ly wasn’t a simple girl, I probably would have rushed in to save her when I heard the choked sobs.
Besides, she had warned me earlier, so I just pretended to be blind and deaf.
Before I could even go downstairs, a voice from inside called out, “Don’t, please… Don’t shoot inside, please… Please…”
Thien snarled, “Damn you, you dog… Getting me to pump air into your pussy is a blessing from eight lifetimes of good deeds… Don’t? Don’t? I’m going to release air into your pussy, you slut. A bar girl daring to demand this from me, huh? Damn you… Damn you, you bitch…”
Then I only heard Ly’s desperate cries: “Ah… It’s so hot… It’s so hot, please… So much… You’re coming too much… Ah…”
Seeing that it was over, I didn’t care anymore and went downstairs. Upstairs, Thien yelled again, “Clean everything up for me. Tell them to prepare food, prepare the car for me to go home!”
Just hearing that made me realize I wouldn’t have any free time. Sure enough, as soon as I closed the door, Ly started knocking, telling me to come down and get the car for him. He was cleaning up the mess in his room, and I even caught a glimpse of a condom full of semen.
The whole place was in a commotion. From the bartenders and waitresses to the security guards and chefs, everyone was forced to be cheerful because of Thien’s morning. But then again, if he hadn’t come here, I probably would never have known there were so many hidden corners in my shop.
But never mind, everyone is usually friendly to me. So if it doesn’t concern me, I don’t want to dwell on it.