Bab 2: Chapter 2
One evening a week later, he found himself at a small bar near the eastern edge of the city outskirts.
Having lived in K City for so many years, Xu Ye was confident he had seen every venue worth visiting. Yet, he had never known about this bar. The storefront was small, but the ambiance was nice, and he even noticed some expensive imported liquor behind the bar. Could a place like this actually get customers? He wondered.
Two young bartenders were lounging around lazily behind the counter. One of them looked up as he approached and asked, "What'll it be?"
Xu Ye pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his suit pocket. A name was scribbled on it: "I'm looking for him."
The bartender smiled, his eyes narrowing. "That doesn't sound like a person's name."
"I know." Xu Ye glanced at the words "Little White Rabbit" written on the slip, his expression somewhat awkward. "David sent me."
This note had been obtained through Liu Jing, but not before Xu Ye had to submit a very detailed health report. The specifics were unclear to him. He only knew that the process involved several layers of connections, and the name on this note belonged to someone who could take him somewhere. At first, he thought it was a prank and threw the note away. But after Liu Jing repeatedly assured him that it wasn't a joke, he decided to check it out.
The bartender chuckled. "Just messing with you. Come with me." He stepped out from behind the bar and walked towards a small door, which led to an elevator. He pulled out a card, swiped it, and the elevator doors opened. Xu Ye followed him inside, and the bartender pressed the button for the second floor as the elevator began to ascend.
"Your name is Xu Ye, right?" the bartender suddenly asked.
"Yes." Xu Ye made no attempt to deny it.
"This is your first time here, so there are some rules I need to explain upfront." The bartender looked him in the eye. "Forgot to introduce myself—I'm the 'Little White Rabbit.' You can call me Rabbit, or just Bunny."
Xu Ye looked surprised, then smiled. "A fairytale, huh?"
Rabbit chuckled. "That's right. I'm a guide, just like the rabbit in *Alice in Wonderland*." He continued, "You can also pick a name for yourself; it'll be your name within this circle. Of course, if you're comfortable with it, you could use your real name too."
At this moment, the elevator arrived, and the doors opened.
Inside, it was spacious, divided into many small private rooms.
"Here are the private dressing rooms, available for single, double, or multiple guests. You can store your personal belongings in that locker over there. Now, please put your phone inside."
Xu Ye did as he was told. Rabbit handed him a silver electronic card, saying, "Take care of this card—it's your membership ID." Then he led Xu Ye upstairs via another stairway.
The third floor was a grand banquet hall, with a massive chandelier casting crystalline light across the room. People there wore a variety of outfits, some quite exaggerated. What shocked Xu Ye the most was that some of the people were kneeling. They knelt beside others, heads bowed, a few naked and with collars around their necks. Xu Ye's gaze fell on a man kneeling with a feathered half-mask on his face, resting his head on the thigh of a tall man seated nearby, who was now looking in Xu Ye's direction.
Rabbit cleared his throat softly and murmured, "It's impolite to stare at others for too long."
Xu Ye's gaze wavered, and he quickly looked away.
He began to understand where he was.
"I assume you're familiar with BDSM," Rabbit's voice was soft. "This is a BDSM club, strictly for regulars. You were recommended by David, so I'm bringing you in. But that doesn't mean you can freely share what you see here with others. If you do, you will regret it—deeply. That includes the person who referred you here and any of your contacts." He smiled, with an air of innocence that belied the threat in his words. "Truly regret it."
Xu Ye nodded. He didn't know exactly who owned this club, but he did know whose territory it was. Some former underworld boss had built this as his hideout and, despite having since legitimized his business, still dominated the area. It was clear that the club's presence here was permitted with his blessing.
Rabbit guided him to a food table. Silver trays held an array of delicacies, including a variety of pastries and drinks. "The club is open on Saturday and Sunday nights. Saturday nights include some classes and demonstrations. You're welcome to socialize here, and if you find a dom or a sub you're interested in, you can talk to them and perhaps exchange contact information for a private meeting. But be careful not to touch anyone who already has a contract."
"Slaves?" Xu Ye's eyes widened; he wasn't used to that term.
"Yes. What you're seeing now—those kneeling—are slaves who have established a master-slave relationship. They're a variation of the sub role in BDSM. Typically, subs submit to doms, following their commands. Most doms don't require their subs to carry that obedience outside of designated settings; they can go days without meeting or might even hang out as equals in public. However, some doms demand that their subs maintain this submissive behavior in other contexts, like here."
Xu Ye blurted, "So subs don't have the right to refuse?"
Rabbit smiled. "Well, it depends… Different couples have different arrangements." He added, "There are many other facilities on the first and second floors. You're free to explore, but you don't have access to this elevator. Please use the stairs over there. If you don't show up for three months, your membership will automatically be canceled. Violence, photos, and recordings are strictly prohibited. Violation of these rules will get you banned, making it hard for you to stay in this circle." With that, he smiled, waved, and walked away.
Xu Ye felt dazed as he took some food and found a quiet corner to sit. He silently observed the massive hall. The majority of attendees were men, though he couldn't tell if that was due to the demographics or because women into this scene were less willing to be public.
He glanced at the card in his hand. The BDSM world had always seemed enigmatic. It was an accepted fact within the gay community that this scene had its own unique way of operating, transforming the roles of dominant and submissive into an entirely new dynamic. As a result, it was more covert, more secretive, with stringent standards for accepting newcomers. And here he was, unwittingly stepping into it. Staring at the strangers who appeared to be enjoying themselves, he felt utterly lost. He had no idea what he was searching for. Even as he was here, he hadn't found the answer he sought.
"Hey." A short voice drew his attention. A man dressed in a black, high-collared military uniform had seated himself across from Xu Ye. He wore tall riding boots and held a riding crop in one hand. He looked to be just over thirty, with a confident, cocky smile on his face as he asked, "You don't have a dom?"
Xu Ye blinked, taking a moment to realize what he was asking, then pressed his lips together. "How do you know I'm looking for a dom and not a sub?"
The man laughed, flashing a bright smile. "It's obvious."
Annoyed, Xu Ye pushed back, "What makes you so sure?"
"Everything about you," the man replied with a teasing glint in his eyes. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them. "The way your eyes dart around nervously, the way you're sitting, the way you talk. It's cute. You're clearly new to this."
A faint blush colored Xu Ye's ears as he snapped, "Stay away from me."
This man seemed to have a natural charisma that drew attention. As soon as he sat down, Xu Ye felt more eyes turning their way, and even a few people were approaching.
"I'm Marvin," the man said, raising the whip in his hand slightly. "Want to give this a try, little guy? It could bring you a lot of pleasure."
Xu Ye frowned. "No, thank you."
A few people nearby chuckled softly, others whispered to one another, and still others seemed to be speculating about this newcomer. Xu Ye felt deeply uncomfortable under all the scrutiny and started to stand up, but the whip blocked his path.
"Rejecting me like that hurts my feelings," Marvin said with an amused look.
"Blocking someone's way with a whip isn't very polite, Sir Knight," Xu Ye replied, his gaze turning cold.
"And ignoring someone after they've introduced themselves isn't very polite either, handsome," Marvin shot back, clearly unwilling to let him off the hook.
"Sorry, I'm not planning on using my real name, and I haven't decided on the name I'll go by yet," Xu Ye replied bluntly.
Marvin found this amusing and pulled the whip back, asking, "Mind telling me why you're turning me down?"
"You already have a slave, don't you?" Xu Ye glanced at the man wearing a white feathered mask, kneeling in a nearby corner.
"So you don't go for poly relationships. That's a pity." Marvin tapped the whip lightly against his palm and then, with a sudden grin, added, "I could recommend a good dom for you. He's currently without a sub, and he's both skilled and patient, which is rare for beginners. But be warned, he has high standards. Whether or not you catch his eye is up to you." Marvin stood up, a hint of a challenge in his voice, "Do you want to meet him?"
Xu Ye hesitated. Part of him was intrigued by this world, as though a long-hidden secret had finally found a space where it wasn't so strange, wasn't so unacceptable. Yet he was also hesitant, afraid he'd end up like one of those slaves, kneeling at someone's feet—a prospect he absolutely couldn't accept for himself. So he was torn. Was this really what he wanted?
"Afraid to even give it a try?" Marvin said with a smirk, shrugging in feigned disappointment.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone