proximity to power deludes some into thinking they wield it
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'' You're a surprisingly fast learner for someone who has never worked a day in their life. ''
'' They don't call me 'the nation's princess' for nothing. ''
'' I might live in China and spend every day cleaning this place, but I still know that isn't true. ''
Huang Renjun was leaning against his broom and watching me mop the floor in one of the dark corners of Shangri-La's. A fight broke out there and we were called in to clean the remains of blood and spilled alcohol. I was starting to get used to working in the large building, full of dangerous criminals. The first day was the worst, but Renjun was a good teacher, extremely chatty and even better at giving advice on people and places to avoid.
The nightclub floor generally wasn't the optimal choice for cleaning, but I wasn't really allowed to spend too much time there anyway, unless I was called in for a special reason, like the fight that left one of the booths covered in a mess of broken glass and splatters of blood. The boss didn't want to risk me getting spotted by someone that would bring the authorities to Shangri-La. My face was still on television every day, with numerous reporters talking about my supposed sightings in different corners of the world. One day someone saw me lounging on a yacht in Europe, the next one I was slurping cocktails in Hawaii and the third one I was partying in Malibu. Those were all reports from people who were trying to get the money reward that the police was offering to anyone who would find me or my father.
Lounging on a yacht in Greece, huh? If only...
I started sweeping the shattered glasses on a pile and Renjun began scrubbing the blood off the couches that were in the booth. He was humming in the rhythm of the Chinese music that was playing from the speakers and my curious gaze was wandering around the nightclub, that was still half empty at these early hours of the night. The flash of Taeyong's red hair stood out too much for me to miss it and my eyes briefly met his. He was standing by one of the bars, smoking a cigarette and ignoring something that his friend was telling to him. '' Taeyong is watching us like he wants to kill us. ''
