"A-Ta, you know how to fix electronics?" I asked casually.

  "Nope. It was actually the man from the rental bookstore who fixed it. He's skilled at everything—super skilled," A-Ta replied, leaving me dumbfounded.

  "A-Ta, you're the impressive one. Who would've guessed that a manga shop owner is also a handyman?" Auntie Jin-Dao said as she pced a piece of fresh bamboo shoot onto his pte.

  That's right—A-Ta was truly something. Who would have thought that above a undromat, there would be such an incredible hidden dining experience?

  What made me happiest during the meal was that the hostess didn't impose any unnecessary formalities just because she had prepared a refined and vish feast. There were no rules about which dish to eat first or when to drink the red wine—everything was casual and rexed, making the whole experience all the more enjoyable.

  "Thank you all for this eye-opening experience. I really indulged myself tonight!" I grinned like an idiot.

  "Don't mention it! You're always welcome to come by. My wife always buys far too much food," Uncle Jin-Dao said, fshing a dazzling golden-toothed smile.

  "By the way, where are you guys headed after this? Young folks these days just go straight to a motel, right?" Tie Tou asked, rubbing his belly.

  "Date? We're not a couple!" I nearly tripped over myself—motel? That was way too far removed from my world.

  "Hey, Tie Tou, don't talk nonsense! If A-Ta's girlfriend runs off because of you, don't even think about coming back here to eat!" Auntie Jin-Dao warned the bbbering Tie Tou.

  "It's only 8:30 PM. Si Ying, do you have to rush home?" A-Ta quickly changed the subject.

  "Nope. Did you have something in mind?" I replied casually. To be honest, I wasn't the type to overthink things—I just cared about whether something was fun or not. It didn't even cross my mind that an invitation between a man and a girl might imply anything. And frankly, with A-Ta's incredibly clueless personality, it was difficult to read too much into it.

  "Come! Come to my pce! I'll sing karaoke for you guys!" Tie Tou said excitedly, patting his shiny bald head. "And then I'll show A-Ta's girlfriend my Shaolin Iron Head kung fu that I've been training for years—it's terrifying!"

  I flinched. Clearly, I had no interest in witnessing the legendary "Shaolin Authentic Iron Head Kung Fu" performance, and A-Ta must have noticed my expression. He cleared his throat and said, "Si Ying, how about we go watch a movie instead?"

  "Sure!" I agreed immediately, even though I had no idea what movies were currently pying.

  With that, A-Ta handed over 300 yuan, and we happily waved goodbye to the secret gourmet undromat.

  "So, what movie are we watching? Are we going to the International, the Golden Awards, or New Fujin for a second-run film?" I asked as I sat behind him on the scooter, letting the wind rush past.

  "It's already getting te. Let's save the cinema for another day. Tonight, I'm taking you to a super awesome pce!" A-Ta, said excitedly.

  He rode right past the International Cinema, turning into a narrow alley filled with grimy trash bins and the stench of waste. The dimly lit street was lined with rundown pubs, their neon signs flickering like they could colpse at any moment.

  My imagination started running wild—on a dark, moonless night like this, a terrifying vampire could leap out from a trash bin at any second. And what if A-Ta, acting all mysterious, was actually a werewolf? Maybe the moment the moon peeked through the clouds, he'd start transforming…

  "We're here."

  A-Ta parked his scooter in front of an old, rundown apartment building. Looking around, the only signs of life were a few stray dogs mating in the corner, their whimpering noises echoing through the empty street.

  "I believe you're a good person." I patted A-Ta on the shoulder, encouraging him to stay on the right path—because, honestly, this pce was creepy as hell.

  "I know that," A-Ta replied, completely baffled by my statement. He parked the scooter properly and led me toward an open-air staircase, with me following closely behind.

  The rust-covered stairs looked like they could crumble at any moment. With each step, I felt like I was channeling some legendary inner strength, ready to punch a hole straight through the metal beneath my feet. Every step was a nerve-wracking adventure.

  "Where are we going? Do you live here?" I gnced down—wow, we were already up to the fourth floor.

  "As if'd live in a pce this amazing," A-Tascoffed, but then, to my surprise, he pulled out a set of keys from his backpack and stuck one into the door's lock.

  Wait—he didn't live here, but he had a key?

  The door swung open, and A-Ta fumbled in the dark to switch on the lights. Curious, I looked around.

  At first gnce, the room looked just like any other lived-in apartment—cluttered with everyday items, a bit messy but nothing too unusual. What caught my eye, though, was the enormous couch in the living room. It was wide and spacious. I ran my hand over it, unable to determine what material it was made of, but it felt incredibly soft and comfortable. Yet, it wasn't just some overly plush sofa—there was something firm and bouncy inside, maybe tex or some other cushioning material.

  "Nice sofa." I instinctively sat down, patting the genuine leather surface.

  Then I noticed—there was no TV in the living room. Instead, each of the four corners had tall, standing surround-sound speakers. It was a bit eerie.

  My brother sometimes borrowed audio magazines or computer magazines from his friends, and I would flip through them occasionally. The moment I saw the brand names on those speakers, I immediately realized—they were top-of-the-line, the absolute best of the best.

  Looking up, I spotted small, suspended speakers mounted along the upper edges of the walls. And right above us? A projector.

  But what shocked me the most was that, aside from the floor, every single wall was covered in acoustic foam panels for soundproofing. Whoever owned this pce was either a serious audiophile or someone who loved to belt out karaoke concerts at home.

  "What do you want to watch? The DVDs here aren't as new as the ones in theaters, but there are so many that you'd never run out of choices. Come on, let's pick one together."

  A-Ta walked over to an entire wall filled with DVDs, VCDs, LaserDiscs, and even old VHS tapes, scanning the collection intently.

  I jumped up excitedly and joined him.

  Hollywood blockbusters, European art films, Southeast Asian musicals, horror movies from around the world, Broadway stage performances, cssic Chinese and Hong Kong cinema, bizarre documentaries, and even some not-so-family-friendly Danish "romantic action films"—this pce had everything.