Chapter 628: Just Afraid the Hooligans Are Cultured

Lu Cheng took Yang Yin to an underground dance hall, not far from East Fourth Street, but its location was very hidden.

When they walked down the stairs to the -1 floor, a wooden sign on the overhead beam read "East Fourth Street Cinema."

Yang Yin was puzzled: "Weren't we going to dance? Why are we here to watch a movie?"

Lu Cheng gave no explanation, only saying, "You'll know once you go in."

Yang Yin didn't mind; as long as she was with Lu Cheng, even a walk in the park would be fine.

Following Lu Cheng to the doorway, just as they were about to lift the heavy curtain, a leg suddenly shot out, blocking their way.

Beside the curtain sat a young man, about seventeen or eighteen, a half‑cigarette dangling from his mouth, half his body slouched in the chair, his eyes squinting as if smoked, looking like a little thug.

Seeing someone enter, he first stretched his leg to block, then took a deep drag, used his hand to remove the half‑burnt tip from his mouth, exhaled a puff, and asked,

"What are you here for?"

Yang Yin replied offhand, "What else? Of course we came here to watch a movie."

The young man took another drag, shook his head, "The code word is wrong."

Yang Yin glanced at Lu Cheng, then said irritably, "We just want to watch a movie; why a code word!"

The young man opened his eyes: "Hm? You look quite pretty. I'll give you another chance. I'm a revolutionary brick, take…"

Yang Yin, speechless, inhaled, "Move wherever needed."

She thought this time it should be right, was about to go in, but the young man still didn't pull his leg back.

"The code word is still wrong; you can't go in."

Yang Yin's anger flared instantly; coming to watch a movie and being challenged with a code word—was this a proper cinema?

Just as she was about to confront the young man, Lu Cheng hurriedly pulled her back and said to him, "Is your manager Xiao Piqiu here?"

Hearing someone call the manager by nickname, the young man finally gave Lu Cheng a once‑over: "Who are you?"

"Never mind who I am; call your manager over."

Hearing Lu Cheng's words, the young man reluctantly went to summon someone.

Yang Yin also heard, clearly skeptical: "Xiao Piqiu is the manager here?"

Lu Cheng was about to answer when Xiao Piqiu jogged out, seeing the two, his face beaming with a smile.

"Oh dear, the lady has arrived, your illustrious presence, welcome, welcome."

Seeing it was indeed Xiao Piqiu, Yang Yin instantly pouted, "So it's you here, what are you pulling, acting like a manager is something great, not letting us in to watch a movie?"

Seeing Yang Yin angry, Xiao Piqiu hurriedly scolded the young man.

"What are you doing, who told you to block her? This is my lady!"

The young man, looking aggrieved, muttered, "She didn't match the code word; you said even if it's your own father, without the code you can't get in."

"You still talking back, huh!" Xiao Piqiu gave the young man a hard slap on the face.

"Let me tell you, see this one? Lu San'er, unbeatable across the world, my best buddy, you have to call him San Ye."

Lu Cheng, speechless, waved his hand quickly: "No need, no need, it's the modern age, there's no such thing as a 'Ye!'"

Yet the young man, fearing Xiao Piqiu's authority, still shouted "San Ye."

Xiao Piqiu then led the two inside, and Yang Yin casually said, "We don't need tickets to watch the movie, right? Don't turn back and make this manager trouble you."

"No need, no need, what are you joking? I can't charge you any money."

Xiao Piqiu didn't dare to ask for money; it's good that Yang Yin didn't ask him for money.

The deeper they went, the darker it became; it was a basement, with no windows at all around.

When the heavy curtain at the entrance closed, the last sliver of sunlight vanished, but a few tungsten bulbs overhead provided illumination.

Yang Yin couldn't stand the environment: "Xiao Piqiu, what kind of cinema is this, like a prison cell! You even need a code word; if it doesn't match, people who want to watch a movie can't make that money, right?"

Yang Yin truly didn't understand; it was her first time seeing a code word required for watching a movie.

Following the dim corridor, Xiao Piqiu led them further inside, laughing as he explained.

"Of course we need to make money, but we only take money from acquaintances."

"Only take money from acquaintances?" Yang Yin shook her head speechlessly, having never heard of such a method.

Xiao Piqiu explained beside her: "We indeed used to be a cinema here; it was an abandoned theater, later taken over by the Street Office to house Unemployed Youth in the city. So we're also solving the country's unemployment problem."

Yang Yin looked at Xiao Piqiu in surprise; his clothes were no longer shabby, but his thug‑like demeanor when speaking hadn't changed.

"Alright, Xiao Piqiu, becoming a manager does make a difference; your thinking and awareness have even improved."

Xiao Piqiu was about to gloat when Lu Cheng immediately exposed his false front.

"Watching movies is just a cover; in reality it's a Black Dance Hall."

"Black Dance Hall?" Yang Yin was very confused, but after passing through the narrow corridor, she suddenly understood.

It turned out that inside was a whole different world.

The former movie‑watching area had been completely demolished, cleared into a large open space used as a dance floor.

Those who came to dance here weren't any officials in Zhongshan suits; only young men and women.

To the low‑quality sound system playing waltz music, the couples clung together, constantly moving their steps to the beat.

Some danced well, some awkwardly, but it seemed no one cared about correct steps; they just wanted to enjoy the feeling of contact with the opposite sex.

As for the movie screen, it had been moved to an inconspicuous corner; although movies still played, no one watched, it just gathered dust.

Everyone preferred dancing with the opposite sex, which wasn't really wrong; after being suppressed for so long, society had finally opened up, and people's pent‑up desires were eager to be released.

So it seemed normal; Yang Yin asked in confusion, "How does this become a Black Dance Hall?"

This time, without waiting for Lu Cheng, Xiao Piqiu spoke first: "Don't listen to Lu San'er rambling; our place is a proper dance hall. He calls it a Black Dance Hall only because our lighting is too dim."

"Oh…" Yang Yin was too lazy to argue about the Black Dance Hall: "What does the correct entry code word mean?"

"Oh, next time you come, you won't need to find me; I might not be here. If I tell you the code word and he asks why you're here…"

Yang Yin interrupted: "Then I'll say I'm here to dance, not to watch a movie."

Xiao Piqiu shook his head: "That answer is still wrong; you should say 'let's start a revolution.'"

"Revolution?"

"Exactly." Xiao Piqiu stood there, pointing at the men and women on the dance floor, with a manager‑like demeanor.

"Men and women are originally different bodies, yet now they can embrace and become one, precisely showing that the revolution has succeeded."

A dark line appeared on Yang Yin's forehead, and even Lu Cheng laughed, surprised that it could be explained that way.

Sure enough, a ruffian isn't frightening; it's the cultured ruffian that is scary.

Yang Yin then asked: "There's another password—'I am a brick of the revolution.' I answered that wherever it's needed I'll move there; why is that still wrong?"