Chapter 1809 - Countermeasures

After seeing Old Man Fang politely off the premises, Madam Han summoned her two trusted "Guardian Generals" back into her private chamber and also had the pimp headman Huang Xiang called in for urgent consultation.

Huang Xiang was himself from a pleasure-house family background, born into the trade. Possessing some minimal literacy from childhood training, he had briefly been "famous for a fleeting time" as an adolescent boy singer, quite conspicuously favored by certain literati patrons and wealthy gentry with particular tastes. But after his voice inevitably changed with maturity, he never successfully recovered his commercial appeal. His once gracefully slender build had mysteriously transformed into something thick and powerfully muscled—entirely unsuitable for his former specialized role. Unable to profitably either "sell artistic craft" or "sell compliant body" in the manner cultivated, he had simply mixed general work in various establishments thereafter, surviving through operational utility.

Because he had been systematically "raised as female" from earliest childhood, forcefully bent both physically and psychologically into someone who could only assume the receptive position, his sexual orientation toward women had been rendered essentially incapable through this conditioning. Madam Han found such thoroughly emasculated "powder folk" considerably more reliable to employ in supervisory positions—at minimum she didn't need to constantly worry about him illicitly messing around with the establishment's valuable prostitute inventory.

Though Huang Xiang occupied merely a "powder folk" supervisor position within the establishment's formal hierarchy, he was recognized as an extremely clever and remarkably sharp-witted individual. He effectively served as half a de facto operational manager for this Fangchun Pleasure House enterprise.

After entering and performing proper respectful obeisances, Madam Han sat with stony-faced silence for an uncomfortably long while, visibly troubled. The three subordinates didn't dare speak presumptuously, only standing respectfully on the floor waiting for her to break the tense silence.

Madam Han wasn't deliberately putting on authoritative airs or enjoying their discomfort. She was genuinely deeply troubled about the current precarious situation and honestly didn't know what strategic course to pursue.

"These plague-bringing Australians!" she cursed silently with bitter resentment. The times had fundamentally changed beneath her feet. She suddenly felt profoundly lost and disoriented. Operational practices that used to constitute entirely routine business now required careful anxious reconsideration—she hadn't yet successfully figured out the new official masters' thinking patterns or determined their actual enforcement priorities.

What concerned her most urgently were the five or six pre-adolescent little girls currently undergoing intensive training under Muyun's supervision. The eldest was already twelve years old, technically a mature pipa apprentice girl who could begin accepting work assignment slips and receiving paying clients. Though these particular girls' natural artistic talents weren't top-grade quality by elite standards, proper systematic training would eventually yield wealthy patrons willing to pay substantial sums for the privilege of "combing" their virginity in elaborate ceremonial defloration. Each successfully marketed girl represented at minimum three or four hundred taels income. If exceptionally well-trained and the patron proved particularly generous or competitive with rivals, a thousand taels remained quite possible.

By normal operational logic, such young small girls should prove most worry-free to manage. Young and living entirely within the establishment's controlled premises—all had already been systematically beaten into psychological submission through proven techniques. But several of these particular children still maintained living family members in the city. If those families somehow learned specific details about this threatening new ordinance and its implications, there would certainly be trouble-making complaints and confrontations. One girl's maternal uncle in particular was recognized as an utterly disreputable neighborhood rogue who would certainly come brazenly making public scenes specifically to extort protection money.

In the comfortable former days she naturally wouldn't have feared such crude attempts at intimidation. But now in this volatile era of regime transition and power consolidation, privately-motivated vendettas and malicious false accusations proliferated wildly. People routinely destroyed entire families and ruined lives over such opportunistic denunciations. The Fangchun House had operated successfully at this location for many profitable years. Setting aside accumulated personal grudges and resentments entirely, the visible concentrated wealth alone was more than sufficient to provoke dangerous envious malice.

After an extended troubled silence she finally spoke with evident gravity: "You all certainly know about it by now—the Australians have promulgated a comprehensive new regulatory ordinance governing our industry." She hesitated, choosing words carefully. "We don't really understand the Australians' true fundamental nature yet, or accurately determine which direction they actually lean in practice. But as I assess the situation, officials are probably ultimately all the same regardless of dynasty. The Australians only just seized the city recently—they're harboring ambitious visions of conquering the entire realm eventually, so they're inevitably bound to exercise conspicuous administrative diligence for an initial period. Even conventional new officials require igniting three symbolic fires when they first assume office to demonstrate authority. So we absolutely need to accommodate them somewhat strategically. On the public surface we need to successfully muddle through compliance—and we shouldn't make circumstances too difficult for Old Man Fang's intermediary efforts."

The three subordinates naturally voiced immediate agreement—after all, Madam Han represented the establishment's essential operational backbone and strategic decision-maker.

"It's simply that several specific clauses in this invasive ordinance involving body-sale contracts and debt bondage—we absolutely cannot allow the working girls to find out detailed information about them." Madam Han stated firmly. "If this sensitive matter isn't handled with extreme care, this entire business enterprise of ours might as well immediately close up shop permanently."

Huang Xiang observed pragmatically: "Mother, this particular matter probably cannot be kept successfully secret for any extended duration. Even if we ourselves seal our own lips absolutely tight, there will always inevitably be loose-tongued patrons who mention details. The girls will discover the truth sooner or later regardless of our precautions."

Madam Han nodded acknowledgment: "I fully recognize this represents only a temporary delaying tactic. But delaying even for a brief moment provides precious time to prepare comprehensive countermeasures." She pondered the options, then decided: "For immediate present purposes, never mind those relatively independent 'self-employed' prostitutes already operating in the establishment under patron arrangements. Focus exclusively on all those girls who've been sold outright through body-sale contracts—within the next few days every single one must be compelled to write out formal loan indebtedness contracts: interest rates can't appear suspiciously high to avoid regulatory scrutiny, but principal amounts absolutely must be set crushingly high. High enough to permanently destroy any practical thoughts they might entertain about debt redemption or escape."

"This 'false money, real contract' deception—the girls almost certainly won't willingly agree to write such documents. They're not complete idiots despite their circumstances. Who voluntarily assumes massive debt obligations for absolutely no reason?" Muyun worried aloud about the obvious implementation problem.

Madam Yao responded with characteristic ruthless pragmatism: "If they stubbornly won't write the contracts, so what? First administer a thorough 'full blossom' beating until they're properly softened, then force her to kneel on the floor holding burning incense sticks. Whenever she finally becomes willing to write, she can get up! Anyone who proves persistently not tactful gets dragged to the back punishment room for some heated sesame oil treatment!"

Muyun countered: "Madam Yao, employing brute force methods—certainly, the task will get accomplished through intimidation. But this remains fundamentally 'false money, real contract' fraud after all, possessing absolutely no legitimate legal leg to stand on if scrutinized. These are profoundly troubled transitional times. Many potentially explosive things are genuinely better left alone rather than actively provoked. Push the girls too aggressively hard, and if they become sufficiently desperate or get instigated by outside agitators to make coordinated trouble together, potentially taking complaints directly to the new court system—we're already operating from an inherently wrong position legally, and now we lack reliable official backing protection. There will be expensive lawsuits to fight that we might actually lose!"

Madam Han, carefully absorbing Muyun's cautionary words, felt she raised genuinely valid concerns. Current times were extraordinarily volatile and unpredictable. Though closing the establishment's gates created an interior environment that seemed superficially no different from comfortable before, with her still functioning as the unchallenged absolute mistress—still, dangerous winds from the political storm raging outside had nonetheless somewhat blown inside the walls. This threatening "ordinance" represented one concrete alarming example.

If she pushed the captive girls too brutally hard and they collectively decided to make desperate public trouble, who could confidently predict what serious complications might explosively arise.

She'd actually considerably rather the Australians simply came to openly collect some reasonable taxes as normal government revenue—previously, the Ming government hadn't formally levied taxes on the vice industry, but there had nonetheless been countless protective deities and corrupt officials collecting tribute offerings flowing in every profitable direction. She could accept that familiar arrangement, provided they didn't excessively meddle in her internal operational affairs.

Thinking along these lines, she became hesitant and uncertain again about the best tactical approach. Just as her resolve wavered, Huang Xiang spoke up with an alternative proposal: "Mother, in this humble subordinate's considered view, we needn't necessarily compel the girls to write fraudulent loan contracts at all. I just carefully examined the ordinance's precise wording in detail. In my humble professional opinion, why not proceed openly through apparent compliance? Gather all the girls together and announce that from now forward, even those who've previously sold themselves outright through body-sale contracts—their earnings from receiving paying clients will henceforth be split proportionally with the house according to the new regulations..."

These radical words were barely out of his mouth before Madam Han could formulate any response, when Madam Yao had already jumped forward in outraged objection: "Brother Huang, I sincerely think excessive lard has greased your diseased heart! Revenue splitting arrangements—those are exclusively for genuinely 'self-employed' independent girls operating under patron protection! If the entire establishment suddenly adopted this ruinous practice, how would Mother Han possibly make a sustainable living?!"

Madam Han also initially found this proposal utterly preposterous and economically suicidal. She didn't immediately speak, simply observing with raised eyebrow to see how this cunning pimp would explain and justify himself.

Huang Xiang remained completely unruffled by the hostile reaction: "Now that we're implementing revenue splitting with them, they technically become people receiving regular wages for services rendered. But consider—the room and board the establishment generously provides, the servant girls assigned to attend their daily needs, the clothing and cosmetics supplied... which of these numerous services and goods doesn't represent real money costs? Even if Mother doesn't aggressively nickel-and-dime them on every minor expense, they'd naturally feel embarrassed to simply freeload indefinitely on such comprehensive support, wouldn't they?"

At these cunningly phrased words, everyone suddenly grasped the elegant deception with dawning comprehension. Exactly right—previously, except for the relatively rare "self-employed" prostitutes operating under wealthy patron sponsorship, all the other captive girls' client fees belonged entirely to the madam as property owner. The girls themselves, besides whatever private money they managed to pilfer covertly from sympathetic patrons, possessed absolutely no legitimate income. Food, clothing, cosmetics, and all supplies were naturally provided unilaterally by the madam as operational overhead.

Now implementing "revenue splitting" ostensibly meant the girls would be earning actual money—but these prostitutes' every single tea service and meal, every bowl of soup and cup of water, down to the elaborate clothes they wore, the bedding they slept on, the expensive lamp wax they burned, the rooms they occupied... absolutely all of this could be meticulously itemized and priced as charges against their accounts. Be even moderately ruthless in the internal pricing, and what the girls supposedly received from their revenue split wouldn't even adequately cover their inflated living expenses.

"...And if their earnings prove predictably insufficient to cover costs, no serious problem. Mother Han is extraordinarily benevolent toward her girls. They can simply owe the accumulating balance—just charge a modest reasonable interest rate on the growing debt. As long as it's not openly usurious gouging that attracts regulatory attention, the Australians probably can't legitimately object to standard commercial lending practices." Huang Xiang bowed with an ingratiatingly sycophantic smile of professional pride.

Such systematically exploitative practices weren't unprecedented in pleasure house operations. Some supposedly "self-employed" independent prostitutes lacking substantial patron backing and financial support, attempting to operate entirely on their own fragile resources—this was precisely the insidious mechanism through which they were ultimately coerced into complete desperate body-sales after accumulating unpayable debts.

Madam Han's troubled brow immediately relaxed with evident relief and satisfaction. She reached out to pat Huang Xiang's head affectionately with an approving smile: "You clever little rabbit, so that's your elegant game! How didn't I think of this perfect solution myself!"

"It's entirely Mother's generous benevolence that creates the opportunity..."

"Absolute nonsense! Is benevolence edible as food?" Madam Han curled her lip dismissively. "Just implement it precisely your way!"

The group discussed implementation details and tactical specifics of the method. Madam Han then dismissed Huang Xiang and Muyun, deliberately retaining only Madam Yao for sensitive private discussion. Then she quietly asked with evident concern: "How's that particular new girl in the back courtyard isolation room progressing?"

Madam Yao, perfectly understanding the implied question, whispered confidentially: "Still stubbornly refusing to cooperate or accept her situation. But her rhetorical words don't sound quite so rigidly chaste and virtuously defiant anymore." She smiled with evident smug satisfaction. "If Mother hadn't been so unexpectedly kind and specifically instructed me not to employ too many of my proven harsher methods, I'd have already had her desperately on her knees actively begging to receive clients long ago!"

Madam Han nodded with slight approval: "Your effective methods and professional capabilities I know intimately well. But though she's technically a widow by marital status, she remains physically intact as a virgin. And being from a genuinely respectable good family background—if trained properly with appropriate care, wealthy patrons willing to pay premium prices to ceremonially 'comb' her could fetch us quite a spectacular financial windfall. So maintain two absolute priorities: first, absolutely no letting the powder folk male servants spoil her virginity and destroy her market value. Second, don't physically torment her too excessively or carelessly. Visible scars left prominently on her body wouldn't present attractively to discriminating patrons."

The systematic process of forcing decent respectable women into prostitution against their will involved deploying both soft psychological manipulation and hard physical coercion methods in calculated combination. Setting the soft persuasive techniques aside entirely—the hard coercive ones included: first, having the establishment's pimps violently rape her, thereby destroying her cherished chastity and breaking her psychological defenses and sense of identity. Second, employing sustained torture and systematic beatings until she simply couldn't endure the unrelenting suffering any longer. Meanwhile, maintaining close constant watch to prevent suicide attempts. Torment her relentlessly until she desperately wanted neither to continue living nor to die, then strategically deploy gentle compassionate methods—offering the carrot after brutally wielding the stick—this calculated alternating between hard and soft, tight control and apparent loosening. Very few women possessed the psychological resilience to successfully escape this proven process.

However, this full brutal treatment regimen had to be applied cautiously and with restraint on women who remained virgins—carelessly defiling them meant no wealthy patron could subsequently "comb" them in the lucrative ceremonial defloration, costing the madam an absolute fortune in lost revenue. Similarly, excessive beating that left permanent visible scars marring their skin would likewise dramatically devalue them in the competitive marketplace. Pleasure houses after all functioned as "high society entertainment venues" of that historical era. Such shameful brutal matters, however well-known through reputation, absolutely couldn't be so blatantly displayed to damage the establishment's cultivated refined image.

The Fangchun House had experienced precisely such costly incidents previously. So Madam Yao exercised especially careful measured restraint regarding this sensitive balance.

"I understand the commercial priorities completely. So I've stationed two reliable people to watch her continuously day and night without break. The restraining ropes aren't entirely untied—she retains some limited movement. It's simply that this particular girl possesses an extremely violent defiant temper. Without administering some genuine suffering to break her spirit, she probably won't properly appreciate Mother's eventual kindness and generosity." Observing that Madam Han still appeared hesitant, she quickly added reassurance: "You just rest completely easy, Mother. You know my specialized few little tricks intimately well, don't you? Guaranteed absolutely no visible scars left anywhere on her valuable body!"

Madam Han acknowledged: "Your proven techniques I know and trust. I'm just genuinely worried—" She proceeded to explain the ordinance's specific requirement about prostitutes having to formally volunteer their entry into the profession. "Though Old Man Fang has confidently patted his chest in assurance, the arrangement still feels inherently unreliable to me. If she really has to physically travel to the police station, or register directly in front of Australian cadres to obtain an operating license, and she suddenly makes a desperate defiant scene right there in public—what then?"

Madam Yao heard this represented her primary concern. She too hesitated with genuine uncertainty: "If that's the actual procedural requirement, it does prove a bit genuinely hard to handle reliably—she's got no family attachments, no vulnerable loved ones we can use as leverage against her cooperation. Let me think carefully of some foolproof method..."

(End of Chapter)