Chapter 1808 - Procuress Fang
Madam Han Qiaojie said with practiced diplomatic concern: "Father Fang, speaking in such formal terms creates unnecessary distance between us. Yueque Street represents everyone's shared livelihood—when one establishment suffers, we all feel the consequences. If circumstances truly deteriorate in that direction, how can any of us continue operating this business sustainably?"
"Mother Han speaks absolute truth. Originally these girls' market prices were rising steadily year over year, profitable and predictable. Now we're suddenly not even permitted to buy and sell women anymore through normal channels—they're all supposedly 'self-employed independent contractors' now—how are respectable businesspeople supposed to conduct organized commercial operations under such absurd regulatory constraints?" The woman positioned beside her chimed in with strategic supporting commentary.
The woman was in her early thirties, possessing a curvaceous and deliberately alluring figure, wearing an expensive pink embroidered silk jacket over an emerald green skirt of fine quality. Her professional flower name was "Muyun"—she served the establishment as head "dormitory matron" responsible for training. Muyun had risen through the ranks as a former prostitute herself, a seasoned veteran of the pleasure trade with intimate knowledge of its mechanics. She had also previously served as a discarded concubine from some minor gentry family, which left her well-versed in upper-class social manners and elaborate protocols. Madam Han had specifically recruited her to train the establishment's young pipa apprentice girls in sophisticated techniques.
A dormitory matron's professional competence directly affected the quality and earning potential of future "money trees"—the establishment's primary revenue generators. Thus she occupied a position of considerable operational importance in the hierarchy.
An older woman in her mid-forties immediately simpered with calculated obsequiousness: "Sister Mu speaks profound truth! In the old days, purchasing a suitable little girl cost merely three taels of silver through normal trafficking channels. If you visited the public charity hall seeking an orphan, it was frequently even entirely free—just taking desperate children off overwhelmed administrators' hands. Now the situation has become absolutely unbelievable—eleven or twelve-year-old girls, provided they possess reasonably pretty features, immediately cost twenty or thirty taels from even common human traffickers! This represents practically highway robbery committed in broad daylight!"
These inflated market prices were naturally familiar to Muyun's professional experience—ever since the Australians arrived in Guangzhou and systematically established charity halls with institutional orphan care, the comfortable old days of offering a few strings of copper cash or a few dou measures of rice, or even merely promising basic food sufficient to survive, and then freely selecting and claiming girls wherever desperate refugee populations gathered, had vanished forever into nostalgic memory.
"If current trends continue unchecked, soon there simply won't exist any young pipa apprentice girls available for recruitment and training!" Muyun felt genuinely rising anxiety about professional obsolescence. If suitable pipa girls became unavailable, her actual means of livelihood would be severed entirely! Muyun depended absolutely on this specialized work for her economic survival. If the training function were abolished or rendered impossible, she would become operationally useless to the establishment. The entertainment business was ruthlessly heartless about such pragmatic personnel calculations. Once Madam Han coldly turned her face and refused to recognize prior services rendered, she—a mature woman with no husband and no living relatives—when her modest accumulated savings inevitably ran out, would face only two realistic options: either enter a Buddhist nunnery as a destitute nun, or return humiliatingly to her former trade as an active prostitute. At her current advanced age, that particular bowl of rice wouldn't prove easy to earn any longer.
The woman helping vocally support her case didn't comprehend these deeper anxieties. She simply kept mechanically echoing agreement. This woman's surname was Yao. She was also a former prostitute, but her looks had always been plain and her social background coarsely common. After more than thirty years working as a prostitute in lower-class brothels serving crude clientele, she had clawed her way up to become a "client matron" through systematic flattery and conspicuous willingness to serve as the madam's loyal running dog in enforcement matters.
The client matron position was nominally supposed to provide personal service attending to established senior prostitutes' daily needs, but actually functioned primarily for intensive surveillance and behavioral control. Madam Yao came from prostitute origins herself and consequently knew the emotional patterns and psychological thoughts of working prostitutes with the intimate familiarity of the back of her own hand. Her personnel management techniques therefore frequently hit their targets with devastating accuracy, earning her the widely known nickname "The Iron Press." The sobriquet meant that any difficult or rebellious prostitute who fell into her administrative hands would inevitably be "pressed flat" into compliant submission. Her treatment methods toward resistant prostitutes were notoriously fierce and physical. When whipping "misbehaving" prostitutes as disciplinary punishment, she felt absolutely no moral qualms whatsoever, methodically keeping numerical count as she systematically administered beatings. As for innocent good girls purchased through trafficking who initially refused to submit to prostitution work, her psychological torment techniques were even more creatively varied and cruel. Her operational viciousness could only be described as ruthlessly cold and utterly merciless.
Madam Han fundamentally didn't trust male "powder team" enforcers for internal discipline—she firmly believed that deploying women to manage and control other women proved inherently more reliable and effective. So she had deliberately recruited Madam Yao away from the lower-tier brothels to serve as administrative head of all client matrons employed in her premium establishment.
Old Man Fang responded slowly and carefully: "Madam Han, even the Ming Dynasty formally forbade 'buying decent women for forced prostitution' in its legal codes..."
Madam Han's eyes rolled with evident skepticism. "That regulatory prohibition I naturally know well from long experience. It's simply that back in those comfortable days the authorities fundamentally didn't particularly enjoy meddling in our affairs, and absolutely no one proved tactless enough to actually invoke that legal principle in practice! Even if some rare idealistic fool did prove that monumentally tactless, we always maintained reliable methods to handle such inconvenient complications—"
Back in those golden years she had commanded powerful influential patrons providing comprehensive protection. Yamen runners and constables were all her familiar old personal acquaintances cultivated through years of strategic payments. Whatever outrageous illegal activities she engaged in, she feared absolutely nothing from official consequences. But current circumstances had deteriorated drastically. Her primary backer presently didn't dare attract unwanted attention or provoke trouble, and had specifically dispatched someone to deliver stern warnings that she should "create considerably less conspicuous trouble." As for her formerly familiar and cooperative yamen runners and constables—some had been arrested with fates still unknown, others had opportunistically defected to serve the Australians directly. Now they all behaved as meekly well-mannered as nervous shop apprentices fearing dismissal.
Most critically and alarmingly, she had personally witnessed firsthand the Australians' characteristically swift, ruthlessly decisive, and disturbingly word-keeping administrative methods—merely considering how they had systematically cleaned up Yueque Street's sanitation conditions and public health standards, several previously secure madams and pimps had their buttocks bloodied through public corporal punishment, while extracted regulatory fines totaled an eye-watering two or three hundred taels of silver.
Old Man Fang observed her visibly hesitant expression and immediately understood precisely what anxious calculations occupied her strategic mind. He laughed knowingly a few times: "New officials invariably burn several symbolic fires to demonstrate authority when they initially assume office." As he spoke casually, he glanced sideways twice with deliberate meaningful emphasis. Madam Han grasped his implication instantly. She immediately instructed Muyun and Madam Yao to withdraw and leave them to private discussion.
Old Man Fang said confidentially once they were alone: "You're a born pleasure-house child yourself who grew up immersed in this world. Don't you inherently know these operational tricks—simply designate purchased girls as formally adopted daughters. When they mature sufficiently, have them sign legal documents stating they willingly and voluntarily chose to become prostitutes of their own free unconstrained will."
Madam Han sneered with evident contempt: "I genuinely thought you possessed some clever innovative idea worth hearing. This transparent scheme hardly qualifies as throwing convincing dirt in official eyes to obscure reality. In the comfortable old days such crude methods might have functioned adequately. Now they absolutely won't work effectively: purchase a child, and there must exist a legal body-sale contract documenting the transaction. With that contract existing as evidence, the transaction constitutes illegal buying of women explicitly for prostitution. But without possessing that protective contract, if she simply runs outside to escape, what legal grounds do I retain to retrieve her as my legitimate property? Current circumstances aren't remotely like the permissive past. If matters escalate and blow up publicly, I'll be the party facing serious criminal trouble."
Old Man Fang smiled with evident satisfaction: "You're demonstrably clever throughout your entire professional life, yet momentarily confused about this particular tactical adaptation. Consider this parallel—even in notorious examination bribery cases, absolutely no one directly takes physical silver to bribe examiners in crude fashion—they write formal IOUs creating financial obligations. The traditional body-sale contract obviously can't be executed under current regulatory scrutiny, but having her family write a comprehensive IOU document proves easy enough to arrange, doesn't it? Structure the principal loan amount at a sufficiently crushing level, and you'll permanently destroy any practical thought of debt redemption. Even if her family somehow prospers financially later through unlikely fortune, all those accumulated years of compounding interest charges—haven't you already earned your investment return anyway? If there exists no family at all, the arrangement becomes even simpler: provide false worthless money but demand a real legally binding contract—even if she labors for you an entire lifetime she'll never mathematically pay off the structured debt. You genuinely think she won't willingly sign such documentation when facing no alternatives?"
These calculated words genuinely moved Madam Han's mercenary thinking. "That does indeed constitute a potentially viable method!" But upon further reflection, this clever-seeming method still fundamentally required tacit official tolerance to function in operational practice. Currently this was the Australians' controlled territory. Their intrusive police forces loved meddling in private business affairs more than anything. If she encountered even a few troublesome difficult customers who created public scenes and attracted attention, her rehearsed rhetoric might prove inadequate to intimidate or persuade. Though Old Man Fang superficially presented himself as an unconcerned elderly gentleman of leisure, he was actually a notoriously shrewd calculating operator. He surely hadn't failed to anticipate this obvious implementation obstacle.
Could this manipulative old man be concealing some backup contingency plan? She recognized clearly that Old Man Fang maintained no particular special relationship with her establishment. Being this enthusiastically generous about offering detailed strategic suggestions struck her as rather suspicious and unusual. Probing carefully, she said:
"This method possesses theoretical merit, but without securing reliable official protection and tacit cooperation, if matters genuinely blow up into public scandal, the outcome still won't end favorably for anyone involved."
Old Man Fang sipped his cooling tea with deliberate casualness: "Madam Han, you needn't worry excessively. Since I'm confidently offering this operational idea, naturally I possess a foolproof contingency plan already arranged for managing the official side of complications. I'll pose just one direct question: what do you honestly think of this proposed tactical idea?"
Madam Han privately calculated there truly existed no superior alternative approach available—if she genuinely had to operate in strict compliance with this new invasive "ordinance," the silver flowing beneficially to her establishment coffers would decrease dramatically and unacceptably. Moreover, the psychological loyalties of girls already working in the establishment would become dangerously unstable. Quite a substantial number might successfully "go straight" and escape the profession entirely. This outcome she absolutely could not accept under any circumstances. For tactical present purposes, she'd tentatively agree. Then observe what specific arrangements he proposed.
She nodded with calculated provisional agreement: "That method possesses practical merit. But securing official cooperation will naturally require financial expenses and strategic payments. Provide me a concrete figure—I need to carefully weigh whether the investment proves economically worth the risk exposure."
Old Man Fang chuckled softly with evident satisfaction: "Madam Han demonstrates admirably straightforward business sense. But I'm not entirely definitively clear on the precise expense requirements at this preliminary stage—rest completely assured, the amounts surely won't exceed the comfortable old standard fee levels."
Not exceeding the old standard operational fees meant the costs would approximate what was previously distributed to shift head constables and common runners as routine "regular payments" ensuring cooperation. This financial burden wasn't economically unbearable. However, she still wasn't entirely reassured about the arrangement's reliability. In the comfortable old days, the senior men among the constable force were all her familiar old personal acquaintances cultivated over years. Now Old Man Fang's deliberately vague talk about undefined arrangements—who could confidently know if he was speaking honest truth? She suddenly grew genuinely suspicious. Could this manipulative old man have suffered heavy losses at gambling, or become pathetically infatuated with some expensive painted lady courtesan, spending considerably more than he earned, and now, cynically exploiting the Australians' threatening new ordinance as convenient cover, was attempting to systematically swindle money from vulnerable madams?
Madam Han had operated brothels successfully for many hard years. She had personally witnessed and survived all manner of commercial storms and encountered countless varieties of deceptive characters. She understood intimately that human hearts were inherently treacherous and fundamentally untrustworthy. Even supposed friends of many years' standing might suddenly flip the bowl and betray you without warning—let alone someone like Old Man Fang lacking deep personal ties. This clear risk absolutely had to be carefully guarded against. Testing his reactions, she said:
"Father Fang, please rest assured. We've been business neighbors for years—how could I possibly trap you in bad faith? It's simply not the appropriate time yet for full commitments. When circumstances prove right, I'll naturally demonstrate the real tangible deal with concrete evidence."
Madam Han remained suspended in a state of half-believing, half-doubting his claims. She gestured dismissively with her sleeve: "Whether real deal or empty promises we'll set aside temporarily. But I fundamentally don't burn incense until I personally see the Buddha's face."
Old Man Fang nodded with an understanding smile: "Perfectly understood, perfectly reasonable. Since I'm functioning as your temple keeper in this arrangement, managing the incense-burning offerings naturally falls under my direct business responsibilities. Conveniently, I happen to have something immediately available that'll allow you to see the real Buddha materialize. Your establishment's back courtyard—isn't there a fresh new girl just recently arrived there?"
Madam Han visibly started with surprise. She released a cold knowing laugh: "Father Fang, that you'd possess such specific knowledge isn't particularly strange given your comprehensive information networks. So what relevance does she have?"
"This particular girl was brought to your establishment by that reckless little brat Wang Dong, correct? That foolish brat's got genuinely impressive nerve. The Australians currently maintain an active bounty posted for his fugitive father's capture, and he still brazenly dares run around outside publicly engaged in seducing and trafficking women!"
"So what if he personally brought her, so what if he didn't? I fundamentally don't care who specifically brought her here."
"This transaction legally counts as you buying a decent woman explicitly for forced prostitution." Old Man Fang narrowed his eyes meaningfully and smiled with evident confidence. "But, provided you meticulously follow the method I've described, I personally guarantee you'll successfully obtain the required official license within mere days."
According to the newly promulgated Guangzhou Vice Industry Management Ordinance's specific regulatory requirements, new prostitutes had to personally travel to their designated local police station and formally declare their completely voluntary entry into the vice trade profession, then receive a special "yellow ticket" operating license. Otherwise the practice qualified as illegal unlicensed prostitution, and both the madam and pimp would be held criminally responsible. A girl like the one Wang Dong had brought through trafficking could naturally never credibly "voluntarily" declare herself willing to become a prostitute—otherwise she wouldn't have required being physically tied up and transported against her will.
Madam Han remained suspended in a cautious state of half-believing, half-doubting his assurances. Observing Old Man Fang's evident confidence and self-assured demeanor, she calculated that this manipulative old man might indeed harbor mercenary greed motivating his involvement, but probably didn't possess the suicidal gall to deliberately make a dangerous enemy of her by engaging in transparent swindling—might as well attempt his method first as a practical test. She nodded with provisional agreement: "Fine, let's proceed according to your proposed way!"
(End of Chapter)