N-M Chapter 65 "The Godfather from Prison"
Chapter 65 "The Godfather from Prison"
"Brother, you can just call me Ian."
The burly man, Ian, led the two through the alleys of Chinatown and stopped at the entrance of a basement gym.
A sign that reads "POWER GYM" hangs outside the door.
Pushing open the door, you'll find bright overhead lights and a dense array of fitness equipment.
The small space was packed with people, and the clanging of barbell plates hitting the ground echoed throughout the room.
The group of men all had swollen muscles, and they were panting heavily as they trained.
Many people are setting up phone stands in front of them to livestream.
"Hey bro, check out our supplements, the link's in the bottom left corner. Take them and you'll have a body like mine..."
Lu Yiming's gaze swept across the entire room.
A burly man, estimated to weigh over 200 pounds, with bulging muscles, grinned at the camera, holding two pink 10-kilogram dumbbells in his hands.
Another woman, wearing a backless sports vest, was posing in front of the mirror. Her back was covered in purplish-red hives, making her look like a strawberry.
In the corner, a bald man was inserting a syringe needle into his groin.
……
It seems this gym is using exercise as a front to sell illegal drugs and mass-produce these "tech fitness" influencers.
"How much do you fitness influencers earn in a month?"
Lu Yiming asked Ian curiously, "Look at my physique, do I have a chance to get into this industry?"
"Brother, I can't do it. I don't earn much, and I haven't even paid off my loan for medicine yet. But if you become famous, you can easily get a supplement endorsement and make hundreds of thousands of dollars a month."
"Our godfather often said, 'If you can't endure the bitterness of steroids, you'll have to endure the bitterness of life!'"
Lu Yiming nodded.
In the United States, selling these kinds of potent hormone drugs is illegal, but drug dealers will repackage them as dietary supplements or muscle-building drugs.
Unless someone dies on the spot, the police will turn a blind eye.
He came here hoping to find clues about the counterfeit money ring.
Even if we can't find it, it's okay. Just consider it escaping that pot of buttery and cheesy Sichuan hot pot...
"Junior, why are we in such a dirty place? If you want to work out, you can come to my house." Caroline looked around warily.
Lu Yiming whispered in Caroline's ear, "I'm here to investigate a case. Senior, please cooperate with me and act out a scene."
Ian led them through the noisy training area and into an office.
The trash can in the corner was stuffed with syringes and bloody cotton balls.
The air was thick with the stench of alcohol and rotting matter.
A middle-aged man with a small mustache was straddling the back of a blonde woman wearing tight shorts.
The woman lies face down on a yoga mat, her hips raised upwards.
The man with the mustache held her waist with one hand and held the syringe in the other, inserting it into her gluteus maximus.
"Ah~~" the woman let out a long sound, her gluteal muscles contracting several times.
The man with the mustache pulled out the needle, threw the syringe into the trash can, and patted the woman's buttocks: "Alright, go out and practice your legs while the drug is still working."
The woman stood up and hopped out.
"God Father! I brought a new client! He also wants to be a fitness influencer!" Ian said, bending down.
Lu Yiming looked at the little mustache.
godfather?
Are people selling veterinary medicine these days trying to make friends?
The bearded man quickly sized up the man and woman.
He then excitedly stood up and gave Lu Yiming a hug.
The guy's bespoke suit and the woman's dress were both high-end items.
This is a fat sheep! This is definitely a huge fat sheep!
"Bro! You won't regret choosing us!"
The man with the mustache spoke in English with a Mexican accent, patting Lu Yiming on the back.
"We can tailor a plan just for you! We can even help you enter next year's Mr. Olympia competition."
Lu Yiming felt he couldn't let himself be taken advantage of, so he raised his hand and slapped the other person's back hard a few times.
"Really?!"
"Of course!"
As he spoke, the man with the mustache bent his arms and made a bodybuilding gesture.
A tattoo was visible on his wrist.
It was an ouroboros, with its head and tail intertwined, coiled around an inverted cross.
Lu Yiming's heart skipped a beat.
This old man is actually a follower of the Lazarus cult?!
It seems that even if we don't find any clues about the counterfeit money, this trip wasn't a complete waste.
"Call me Coach Quentin, or Godfather, it's up to you."
"Our medicine not only strengthens the body but also prolongs life!"
Lu Yiming's eyelids twitched. "Prolong life? What, did you inject me with the first-generation compound 5?"
"Now, let me see what you're made of." The bearded man rubbed his palms together.
In the past, Lu Yiming would have been a complete novice with no strength, and he would definitely be embarrassed right now.
But now... he took off his suit jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.
The smooth muscle lines were exposed under the light.
His pectoral muscles were thick and his abdominal muscles were well-defined, without any of the swelling that one would experience after injecting medication.
Caroline stared wide-eyed, swallowing hard.
Is this still the same timid junior from school? When did he become so... wild?
"Brother, your muscles are absolutely perfect!" Ian exclaimed, clapping his hands in praise.
Lu Yiming proudly raised his chin.
Without batting an eye, he thought to himself: It's all thanks to my hard work, promotions, and bonuses!
"Young man, good looks alone are useless; you need strength." The bearded man stepped forward and pressed his fingers on the young man's deltoid muscle.
"Your muscles are dead muscle; you definitely won't have explosive power."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards a bench press rack in the corner, and Lu Yiming followed him.
Several black counterweight plates are hung on both sides of the barbell, with a total weight of over one hundred kilograms.
"Don't believe me? Try drawing a set yourself."
Lu Yiming lay flat on the bench press, gripped the barbell with both hands, and took a breath.
He exerted force upwards, and the barbell disengaged from the latch.
The muscles in the arms and chest contract and bulge.
Push the barbell up until your arms are straight, then lower it to above your chest.
"Wow, junior, you're amazing!" Caroline clapped excitedly.
He completed fifteen consecutive nominations.
Coach Quentin's eyes widened and his mouth drooped. This wasn't right. I tampered with this pole.
How did he lift it so smoothly!
Coach Quentin coughed twice: "Ahem, you've got some talent! If you buy our premium technology package, you'll be a top influencer online within three months!"
"I had a former cellmate who was about the same age as you. Now he's a nationally renowned bodybuilding coach with tens of millions of fans, and he owns luxury cars and villas."
So you're still a released criminal?
You shouldn't be selling medicine, you should be making movies, and the title should be "The Godfather from Prison".
If you play yourself, go to the San Sebastián Film Festival, and they'll give you an award, no matter what.
But the play must go on.
Lu Yiming sat up abruptly, then sighed, feigning difficulty:
"But... I don't have any money. To be honest, this lady and I are actually print models, and these clothes we're wearing today are rented. We haven't had time to return them after work."
Caroline understood immediately and cooperated by tugging at the hem of her skirt, making an embarrassed expression.
"Yes, boss, we're very poor."
Coach Quentin suddenly realized.
After all that, it turns out they were just a pair of penniless guys from the outer circle.
But he didn't seem disappointed and continued enthusiastically:
"It's okay! It's okay!"
He grinned wickedly and pulled a wad of US dollars and a contract from the drawer.
"We offer unsecured loans! I can lend you the initial capital!"
"But if you take out a loan of 10, you'll only receive 3, and you have to use it all to buy medicine from me..."