Chapter 321 - A.d.u.l.t's Paradise

The big golden door swung open and loud music filled the room momentarily as the staff quickly covered the children's eyes or distracted them with toys. Of course, a few children still peered curiously through the door, but they knew they weren't allowed outside. The woman that opened the door, quickly hurried them out and closed the door shut behind them, minimizing the exposure of the children to what was happening beyond the door.

Halia, Jackson, and Sean looked around. There were more people down there than expected. It seemed, apart from hotel guests, some of these people had come from other places just to visit this secret bas.e.m.e.nt.

Halia looked around and tried to contain her shock. She finally saw what the empty map in her memory used for.

In front of them, against the back wall was a stage with strippers. In front of the stage, was a pool. To the right, was a dancefloor. On the left was an illegal underground casino. And, to the far left, there were private rooms. Some had their curtains drawn, some were open, and all kinds of activities were taking place inside.

The air smelled of cigarettes mixed with the earthy, herbal scent of marijuana and the strong fragrance of alcohol. Smoking indoors was banned in the Philippines, so this, alone, was a huge sign of how lawless this place was. It was like an alternative reality where no rules existed.

Halia turned around to look at the round room they had walked out of and realized that the wall was made out of one-way mirrors. Inside, the children could not see out, but from this side, the a.d.u.l.ts could clearly see in. Parents could party at ease, as they kept a close eye on their children. It was the perfect a.d.u.l.t paradise.

Sean and Jackson had worked undercover in gangs in the past and visited their fair share of underground casinos, nightclubs, strip joints, and brothels, but never had they seen something this elaborate that combined everything into one. How did Trojan and Joel Gabriel Santos get away with this?

At that moment, a young woman approached the two men. With a wink, she said, "Sir, would you like a massage?"

She was dressed in a bikini and her hair was wet. Obviously, she had just stepped out of the pool. Her body was skinny, her b.r.e.a.s.ts were plump, and her legs were slender. But, she looked really young, like she had only just turned 18. The massage she was referring to, was obviously not the typical massage.

"How old are you?" Sean asked as he forced a smile on his face, trying to look interested.

The young woman leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I just turned 18 yesterday and I'm still a v.i.r.g.i.n."

Sean almost choked when he heard this. Did this young girl know what she was doing? Prostitution was already disgusting and illegal, but this was too much.

He quickly shook his head and said, "Maybe next time."

The woman shrugged her shoulders indifferently and walked off to find another target. After all, she didn't have to try hard down here. Within 5 minutes, she was seen leading a man across the floor to one of the rooms on the far left and closing the curtains as soon as she got inside.

Jackson shook his head. This scene slightly reminded him of his sister. Only about a month ago, she had been trafficked across Europe and was almost sold off into the s.e.x trade. What was the story behind this young girl? 

Halia sighed and carefully slid her hand into her pocket to pull out her phone. "Let's get a few videos and photos, and get out of here..." she whispered. This place was disgusting and she did not want to spend another moment down there.

Jackson and Sean nodded as they stood on her two sides to shield her from being noticed.

As they walked past the casino section, they noticed people betting in all different currencies. Clearly, criminals and wealthy people from all over the world flocked here and they could spend their funds (whether legal or illegal) in whatever way they wanted.

As they reached the private rooms on the far left, they peered into a few of the rooms that had their curtains open. Clearly, some people enjoyed being watched as they undertook activities that were normally done behind closed doors and there was a small crowd outside a few of the more 'entertaining' ones.

Then, there were rooms with the curtains closed, including the one that the young woman had entered earlier. As they walked past her room, the curtains shook a little and they could hear m.o.a.ns coming from inside, "Yes, Sir, keep going!"

The trio ignored the room and kept walking.

Just as they walked past one of the other rooms with the curtains closed, the door opened and a man walked out. "I will get Shinobu to contact you, Mr. Fuijiwara. It's a pleasure doing business with you," a familiar voice said as he walked out.

Halia's eyes immediately opened wide as a chubby man came into view. She quickly hid her phone away and continued to walk past like nothing had happened. It was Joel Gabriel Santos.

"If this goes well, I will recommend my associates to you," Mr. Fujiwara replied.

"Yes, The Organization has men all around the world. As long as you have money, we can fulfill any of your wishes," Joel Gabriel Santos smirked.

Mr. Fujiwara smiled and walked off with his bodyguards following behind him.

The trio glanced at each other. Did he just mention The Organization?

At that moment, they peered into another room and saw some men exchanging money for guns and they quickly realized what was going on down here. It wasn't just an a.d.u.l.t's paradise fueled by, drugs, s.e.x, gambling, and money. It was also an international black market where one could purchase illegal products and negotiate with The Organization. These negotiations could include anything from trafficking to trading to extortion, and even terrorism! Who knew what kind of negotiations successfully took place down here?