Everything has a price [Nightfall X Ethereal] NSFW Images

[EtherealElvenEmpress]

@Nightfall

Moving to America was not an easy choice for the Zhao Family. Life never came easy to them but they were hard-working. It was a long road to get to America but they made it. Bitter sweet as it was since it was just the three of them. Wěi (49) the patriarch of the family sold all of their belongings on this Earth to pay their way to get to this country and start their simple business while bringing his eldest son Háo (21) and youngest Mei (18) in tow. This was the American dream everyone wanted. Or at least strive to achieve…

It may not have been some thing out of the movies but they had a small apartment that they shared. It wasn’t much but it was above their restaurant which had a fusion of Chinese and Japanese cuisine which didn’t do so bad in their neighborhood. It was good food in for a decent price but it was not something that would bring them to the point of being exorbitantly rich. So far it was a comfortable existence. After Wêi’s wife passed away there was nothing they left for them in China. There are Japanese family wanted nothing to do with them And they had a little connection to her side of the family but both children spoke Japanese, Chinese and English. They got around the one child rule since they were so deep in rural China. All of them worked hard to save up the money to pay someone legitimate to get them to America because they wanted to start a new and luckily they got their big break.

When they first arrived in America they moved into the nearest Chinatown in the big city making connections to anyone nearby the Village. Managing to get help and money from the ones who made it they opened a nice little restaurant

This was it! Or so they thought. His children by the time I got to America first or young enough to be enrolled in school. Managing to graduate his younger literally just finished high school and she was now attending community college classes but also working all her free time the restaurant alongside her brother and father. It was a nice routine to have the good times will not last very long for this family. Her father fell into gambling And using the profits from the restaurant to try and get rich. This made it very hard for Mei and Háo they took up so much work to try and make up the profits their father was losing. It didn’t take long for her brother to forward the same patterns as the father. Poor Mei was now trying to keep the business afloat along with her schoolwork since she just wanted to do better. She begged them not to do it especially since they were still not citizens of the country. They were trying their best to obtain citizenship. While Mei was the only one keeping her hands clean and going to school her brother and father she was terrified of them ruining her chances of becoming an American citizen!

Arguments happen daily in the Zhao household. It was always about money and how not to get caught though she kept herself out of it as much as possible especially since she did not want it to affect her or the scholarships that she was on. For now she did her best working in the restaurant downstairs as her father and brother did their part but we’re constantly at each other’s throats as she hoped today it would go uneventful and just bring the regular customers to the Star River Chinese restaurant.

 

[Nightfall]

It was nothing more than an average day for Mr Wallbridge. At least, that is what it was meant to be. Leaning back on his black leather sofa, a half-drunk mug of coffee slowly cooling on the table in front and a laptop perched upon his lap. The reflection of the white screen was within his eyes as she slowly scrolled through his debtor spreadsheet. Line by line, reading names and outstanding balances until one appeared. Its text is dark black and formatted in bold. The cells around the words are a deep red. This would be his job for the day. Visit Mr Zhao and collect the debt, one way or another. Leaning forward for the now lukewarm coffee before quickly placing it back down after the unwanted surprise. "Better make a new one." He quietly muttered to himself.

Mr Wallbridge was not in a rush to visit Mr Zhao's Chinese. He already knew about their tentative citizenship situation, and any attempt to run would only lead to a police report being filed to have the family deported. He had the family right where he liked them, right under his boot.

Mr Wallbridge took the laptop off his lap before placing it on his right side. Slowly, he walked to the kitchen before tipping the half-drunk mug of coffee into his sink. Looking at the reflection of his face in the window in front of it and enjoying what he saw. Lingering in place for a few more seconds than needed before carrying on the process of making himself another cup of coffee.

The morning and afternoon flowed by, spending the morning and early afternoon arranging work matters before meeting outside of the "Star River Chinese restaurant" with two of the group's enforcers, Bruce and Fredrick, at around 7 PM. He needed the protection, after all. The family might be under his thumb, but he was only a man after all and can be dispatched of all the same. The afternoon was spent at the gym.

Mr Wallbridge parked his Audi a few hundred meters away from the restaurant and waited within it before his backup arrived a few minutes later. The now trio walked down the street before walking inside the restaurant. A sign asking for customers to wait here to be seated greeted them, but they were not there for food tonight. Ignoring the sign, He walked through the seating area, not seeing either Wei or Hao.

With no interest in waiting around, the three walked towards what they thought must be the kitchen door.

 

[EtherealElvenEmpress]

Tonight was a rare night at the star river was actually busy it was filled with mostly Americans he wanted to taste of China and that was very good. Mei also told her friends about the restaurant which helped boost business. Mei was dressed In a mix of a Chinese and American style cheongsam With her hair in pigtails it wasn’t a perfect condition from your country but it brought the customers in. Wêi was dealing with paperwork and Háo Was cooking. They didn’t have much help and her brother had a couple of friends of the family helping in the kitchen where as Mei was the only one on the floor. The star river wasn’t a five star restaurant but it brought in business. Little did her father and brother know that tonight was going to be in eventful night and the collectors would show up for now they both thought maybe they were in their good graces since they did pay a little but not enough to make a dent in the debt that they owed. Mei notices customers walk in but she really didn’t have time to talk to them she motion for them to take a seat wherever was empty and they had some place in the back. She didn’t even notice they went straight towards the kitchen with her hands full of appetizers that she was bringing to a table near the front figuring the customers found a seat she will deal with them later. Unfortunately for Háo he was in the back. When they walked through the kitchen he would hear a splattering of Chinese mix with things like no customers back here please go out to sit with a good amount of broken English. Háo Could speak but not as good as his sister though he understood quite a lot and so did his father which meant they left it for Mei to do all the hard translating. Háo honestly thought he heard the footsteps of confuse customers making away for the kitchen since he didn’t see who it was he wasn’t worried in the slightest. “MEI! Customers! Seat them!!! Working now MEEEEI!!!” He was treated to yelling and all he could hear was an audible sigh of annoyance from the busy young woman out in the front. “HÁO! Send them back out I am busy! Yes I have your order of orange chicken right here. Extra sweet-and-sour sauce yes?” It was up to them to enter the kitchen to see what he was up to. Wêi was nowhere to be seen and his son didn’t have many people in the back so if he caught him at the right time he will be alone manning the stove.

 

[Nightfall]

Mr Wallbridge strolled into the kitchen, his head held high as he always does. His eyes saw the frantic nature unfolding before him. The frantic Háo trying to keep up with the order alongside what appeared to be less than a skeleton crew. The male just stood back and watched for a moment, letting the small family shouting match continue for a brief second. As to whose responsibility it would be to eject the unwelcome visitor back into the seating area. A devious smirk on his lips on his lips. Looking at his watch before back at Háo. Clearing his throat to get the man's attention. "Clearly, you are too busy a man for the likes of me, aren't you, Háo?"
A deep, imposing voice passed over his lips. One only all too familiar to Háo. The smirk on his lips remained as the male looked up. "I'm a reasonable man. Aren't I Háo?" Not giving the busy male a chance to speak before continuing. "I can see you are far too busy for me, but I have nowhere else to be tonight." His cold blue eyes fixated on the Chinese male. "Me and my friends here..." Both arms lifted to gesture at the two males on either side of him. "We will be in the dining area. Send that... Mei? to service us. We will speak after service and bring your father with you." Not waiting for a reply, he turned away to leave the kitchen. "Oh, and I expect that this will be on the house. Right Háo?"

The three males found themself a table in the serving area. Mr Wallbridge was sitting so he could watch the restaurant. For the first time, his eyes laid upon Mei, a young Asian woman dressed in a Chinese-looking outfit and hairstyle, keeping with the overall restaurant theme. It was hard to make out the full details of her body as she swiftly walked by. But he could tell she was slender and had an ample chest. Putting the small clues together and deciphering that it must be Mei. He was a little disappointed that the family had not introduced the pair before now; after all, they had done many deals together, but it seemed they would get that chance to meet now.

 

[EtherealElvenEmpress]

The skeleton crew had their hands full and the restaurant was decently busy for once considering they had Chinese new year events going on and there were so many people trying to get places to eat. Mei was doing a damn good job at keeping things going. Without even knowing who she was it seems like she was one keeping the restaurant afloat especially with her cheery attitude even though she was most likely exhausted. Háo Was going to yell again until he recognized the voice and any other scolding would immediately stop.

It was the familiar voice of Mr. Wallbridge. “No. No! Not too busy take seat anywhere. Order anything. Not busy for you.” He saw that he wasn’t alone and there was no way he could turn them away especially with how much money they most likely owed him. “After shift over we meet. You have my word please order anything and drinks are very good.” The last thing he wanted to do was alert an alarm his younger sister. Mei Was already on both of their cases to stay clean especially since they were in the process of trying to get citizenship well more like their green cards to start them off with for now they were on refugee status but Mei herself at least had a green card. Out of the three she was the most diligent but for some reason the country was still giving the entire family trouble it was most likely due to Wêi and Háo’s questionable activity whereas Mei was working and enrolled as a full-time student and somehow keeping her family more together than her two caretakers should have been!

“On the house. Or course! It always is please sit waitress will be with you shortly!” Háo refuse to say his sister since he and his father were doing their best to keep her out of this. They were allowed to take any seats that they wanted and luckily there was a booth somewhere in the back that was open for the three of them. Once the group was seated and she was finished handing off other dishes Mr. Wallbrigde would finally get the honor of seeing her up close when she would approach their table. “Hello. I’m Mei. Welcome to Star River i’ll be your server today. Happy lunar new year we have some special dumplings tonight if you’re interested.” She would place menus in front of each man and give a welcoming about her English was much better than her brothers and they could tell she was working very hard tonight to make sure all the customers were happy it was just her and another waitress on the floor. Mei what is the more veteran of the pair and at least with the other waitress food was getting delivered and it wasn’t all on her but even so she was still busy. “ Would you like me to start you all off with a drink?” She asked politely and since she missed the majority of the conversation between them and her brother she didn’t know exactly who they were other than most likely very hungry customers.

 

[Nightfall]

Mr Wallbridge and his two companions made themselves at home in their booth. They were chatting amongst themselves while waiting for the server to come over. Several minutes passed, and the small group could not do anything about it. In a private setting, they would cause an issue for being made to wait. However, the restaurant's only protection is the number of other clients inside and eating. He would need to bide his time.

A little more time passed before their server for the evening finally came to the table. The male's eyes darted towards the approaching woman, seeing her chest lightly bouch with each step, the soft swaying of her hips as she almost strutted instead of walking, her strong-looking thighs and flawless skin. Finally, he looked up at her youthful face, large brown eyes and delicate nose. Now, in closure, he could see some family resemblances between herself and Háo. Taking a moment to put the dots together and concluded that she was related to Háo and, by extension, what must be the pair's father, Wěi. This only adds to why he had not been introduced to her sooner; maybe she did not know about their dealing with him. Hopeing by keeping her out of the loop, she will be safe?

Smiling up at the young woman when she finally reached the table. His eyes briefly looked down at the menu before looking up into her brown gems. "Happy Lunar New Year to you too..." Giving her a warm smile as his eyes drift down towards her exposed cleavage. "And I would love to try your special dumplings." Not making any attempt to hide what he meant. Causing himself to chuckle lightly along with his two companions and composed himself for a second by taking a deep breath. His eyes moved away from her breasts and down at the menu once more, mainly towards the drinks section. Looking for a moment before looking back up at her. "I think my friends will agree. Let's have a bottle of your most expensive Mijiu." Bruce and Fredrick nooding along to the idea. It was on the house, after all.

"Before you go, Mei, how long have you worked for Wěi and Háo?" Going silent for a second before carrying on, realising he probably needed to explain why he was curious. "I just have been here several times. Doing deals and helping the pair, but I have never seen you." His question is trying to sound innocent, but he is trying to see if she would give any hits away and if his hunch of some family relation was correct. "Normally, I am here in the mornings or early afternoons. Do you not work the lunch shifts?"

 

[EtherealElvenEmpress]

It really wasn’t Mei’s fault they were short staffed. It was just her and one of Háo’s lady friends. Mei wasn’t close to her, but she was grateful for any help they had. Both her father and brother kept the crew minimal even if Mei begged them to get more help. To be fair they kept her out of the loop and didn’t tell her had bad their money issue had become.

When Mei finally got to the table she made note of how many were on the group as usual to make sure they’d get water first. When the customer wished her a happy lunar new year she beamed with an even happier smile. It was really nice when not Chinese customers wished them well. That smile soon turned into a rather embarrassed blush when he commented on her special dumplings. She chuckled but said nothing in response only listened to what he began to order.

When the new customer went to the menu Mei was relieved when he mentioned ordering a rather expensive bottle of mijiu. “Of course. I’ll get that right away. She was about to place the order before the customer caught her before she was able to scamper off. “Me?” She asked catching how he referred to her brother and father. She had no idea who their friends were but they were on a first name basis she figured just someone she never met. “I only work evenings. Lunches are usual other servers. My classes don’t give me time to work the mornings or lunches. The lunch menu is really amazing. I highly recommend the afternoon dim sum. If you have any questions or even requests about the menu feel free to ask me. I plan the menus.” Mei said with pride. Figuring they were regulars and maybe wanted their opinions heard she’d listen. “Three glasses and mijiu. Give me just a moment.” With that she was off to the kitchen again to get what they wanted and left them alone for a few moments to get their drinks.