Chapter 150: He's on the ninth floor, I'll take the tenth

Actually, Long Fei had visited the Chang'an Club once before, last year. He remembered that visit vividly; accompanied by Yang Batian, he had entered with a remarkably low profile. The two of them had spent half the night drinking at the Library Bar, keeping the manager on his toes. Fortunately, the club kept a deep stock of fine wines; otherwise, Yang Batian surely would have flown into a rage. As it turned out, Yang Batian did lose his temper eventually—after Long Fei drank him under the table, Yang Batian smashed one of the wooden tables to pieces. Yet, for all his overbearing fierceness, the fellow still possessed a sense of reason. Once sober, he had personally arranged to airfreight an identical table from abroad.

Long Fei led the three of them at the front, while a manager and a retinue of uniformed attendants followed close behind. Having a gold membership card certainly ensured smooth passage everywhere. Long Fei intended to eat first. He had long heard that the club's Chinese restaurant served exceptional dishes, having received glowing recommendations from Yang Danni on multiple occasions, so he wanted to sample them today. As for the club's renowned Western restaurant and Korean cuisine, Long Fei held no interest in them whatsoever. Just as he preferred domestic cars when driving, foreign culinary fare simply failed to appeal to him.

The Chinese restaurant within the club bore a wonderfully poetic name: Clear Goblet and Red Candle.

The dining hall was elegantly opulent and grandly luxurious, consisting of a main dining area and eleven lavish private VIP rooms. It specialized primarily in Cantonese cuisine, complemented by specialty dishes from various regions across China. The menu was extensive, and the master chefs were more than willing to prepare custom dishes tailored to each guest's preferences.

Naturally, fine cuisine went hand in hand with fine wine. The wine cellar of the Chang'an Club boasted a collection so vast that many five-star establishments could not possibly rival it. Yet, securing a bottle of fine wine here required far more than an unimaginable sum of money; the crucial prerequisite was that, without enough wealth and prestige, one simply lacked the qualifications to even step through the door.

After ordering a selection of signature dishes—having arrived with a nearly empty stomach—Long Fei discovered that Yang Danni had by no means exaggerated. The dishes here were truly superb; at the very least, Long Fei could find no fault with the master chefs' work. He knew very well that even if he possessed the skill to cook such meals himself, he could hardly guarantee they would turn out better than these chefs' creations.

Whether because she had eaten too much at the restaurant earlier or because her mind remained preoccupied with the previous incident, Ye Qian—who usually threw all caution to the wind in the presence of good food—ate very little this time. Instead, she repeatedly cast sidelong, strange glances at Gouzi. She had truly misjudged him; she never expected Gouzi to possess such formidable strength, appearing seemingly no less capable than Tieniu.

Ignoring Ye Qian, Long Fei focused entirely on his own meal. With fine cuisine right in front of him, even Ye Qian's alluring charms could not fill an empty stomach. Thus, with wise and decisive judgment, Long Fei dispensed with any further polite pretenses toward Ye Qian, diving instead into a ravenous feast. His speed left the pretty waitress serving nearby secretly astonished; she simply could not fathom how any guest coming to the club could eat with such complete disregard for table manners. She even shared the lingering suspicion held by other waitresses that Long Fei's membership card must have been stolen or picked up off the street.

Though Long Fei appeared totally absorbed in his meal, the flag-dress-clad woman standing not far behind was too strikingly attractive for him not to notice. When the young woman stared at him in fascinated absorption, Long Fei abruptly set down his chopsticks, let out a hearty burp, turned around, and beckoned to her.

Long Fei flashed a charming, slightly roguish smile. Taken aback, the young woman hurried over to his side, bowed, and asked, "Sir, how may I help you?"

"Am I handsome?" Long Fei stared directly into the young woman's eyes, his smile turning somewhat wicked.

The girl's face instantly flushed crimson, leaving her momentarily at a loss. She had never encountered such a situation before and had no idea how to respond.

"Actually, I know I'm very handsome. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been staring at me the moment you walked in, right?" Long Fei leaned closer to the young woman and took a deep sniff. "Mmm, you smell wonderful. I'm guessing you aren't even twenty yet, are you?"

Despite her burning cheeks, the girl did not dare shrink back. Fortunately, the high collar of her qipao shielded most of her neck, yet she could still distinctly catch the faint scent of alcohol on Long Fei's breath, making her heart flutter wildly like a trapped fawn.

Long Fei had guessed correctly; she had indeed not yet turned twenty.

"Tell me, what's your name?" Long Fei seemed genuinely curious about the girl. Off to the side, Ye Qian glared daggers at Long Fei with furious, narrowed eyes, though Long Fei remained completely oblivious. Even when he occasionally caught Ye Qian's gaze, he simply ignored it. Tieniu, meanwhile, merely offered a foolish, honest grin and hurried to finish the food in his bowl. Being larger of frame, he ate considerably more than ordinary people. Gouzi had already stopped eating, chuckling obscenely as he watched Long Fei flirt with the young girl.

Seeming somewhat frightened, the girl lowered her voice and said, "Everyone calls me Xiaotao."

"Xiaotao? Ah, what a nice name. Is it the 'tao' of peach blossom? Haha, I bet you're a freshman at a certain university in Yan City, right?" Long Fei nodded and smiled.

A flicker of surprise crossed Xiaotao's eyes, and she had no choice but to nod. She found herself growing rather curious about Long Fei; she could not fathom how he knew her background so precisely.

"Actually, I'd like to trouble you with a small favor. Would that be convenient?" Long Fei suddenly broke into a quirky smile.

Startled for a moment, Xiaotao quickly replied, "Convenient, perfectly convenient. Please go ahead, sir, I am entirely at your service."

"Oh, thank you. Could you tell me where the washroom is? Ideally, would you mind showing me the way? I'm quite serious." Long Fei felt he could no longer hold it in; any longer, and he might genuinely develop kidney stones.

The girl's cheeks, which had slowly regained their normal color, turned beet red once more, yet she dared not show the slightest hesitation. She pointed toward the direction of the restroom, bowed, and made a single-handed gesture. "Please follow me, sir. I'll lead the way right now."

Long Fei blinked playfully at the pouting Ye Qian and hurried after her. All the way down the hall, he kept his eyes glued to Xiaotao's swaying hips. Women dressed in qipaos—especially pure and lovely girls like Xiaotao—possessed an extraordinary, irresistible allure.

Fortunately, Long Fei was not shameless enough to ask Xiaotao to help him untie his trousers. He ducked into the restroom alone to relieve himself. When he emerged, Xiaotao's face was still as red as an autumn apple, prompting an impulse in Long Fei to lean in and take a bite. He suddenly thought of the girl named Meng Ling. Compared to Xiaotao, though both shared a similar aura of pure, dewy innocence, Meng Ling appeared somewhat more mature and sensual. Long Fei felt a twinge of regret for letting such a ripe morsel slip through his fingers so easily. He chuckled inwardly: *Amitabha, Heaven preserve me, grant that I cross paths with Meng Ling once more.*

***

Long Fei recalled a classic piece of dialogue: Once, a girl was laid right beneath him, but he failed to possess her, leading to endless days of bitter regret. If Heaven were to grant him another chance, he would fiercely ravage her and then tell her how amazing it felt. If she insisted on asking just how amazing, he could only reply: *I won't tell you.*

By the time he returned to the dining table, even Tieniu had finished eating. Seeing Long Fei, Tieniu offered a naive grin. "Brother Fei, I'm full. The food here isn't bad at all—it's only a tiny bit behind my absolute favorite beef noodles."

Tieniu uttered those words with absolute sincerity, yet they left Long Fei feeling rather speechless, as the two culinary styles hardly belonged in the same category. Xiaotao and Ye Qian, meanwhile, were practically struck dumb, nearly coughing up blood in disbelief.

Gouzi laughed and scolded, "I tell you, Tieniu, you really are a hopeless glutton. Can those noodles of yours possibly taste better than this feast? Tch, whatever."

"It's true though. In Tieniu's heart, beef noodles are the best. Of course, the kind with extra beef," Tieniu insisted earnestly, even closing his eyes as if reminiscing about the flavor of beef noodles, leaving the others utterly speechless.

Noticing Ye Qian staring daggers at him with an intensely disdainful look, her expression wavering between speaking and holding back, Long Fei chuckled. "Come on, Ye Qian, if you have something to say, spit it out. Don't bottle it up inside; that's how you get sick. If you don't speak your mind, I feel terribly stifled and awkward."

"You really want to hear it?" Ye Qian sneered.

Long Fei nodded. "I suppose you're about to shower me with compliments, right?"

Ye Qian nodded. "That's right, I want to shower you with praise. You are simply too shameless, too brazen, too depraved, too vulgar, and far too much of a rogue. I am in awe—truly in awe. My admiration for you flows endlessly like the great river..."

"Stop, I get the picture!" Long Fei hastily cut her off, then grinned with even greater shamelessness. "Don't worship me, brother is merely a legend!"

At a loss for words, Ye Qian mimicked the motion of vomiting.

Unfazed, Long Fei continued his shameless banter. "Actually, whenever others praise me, I always feel uneasy. That's because... the praise isn't enough!"

A rogue? My old man has always been a rogue!

A hero's origin matters not, a rogue cares nothing for age; as for me, I shall forever uphold my virtues and carry them forward with pride!

Completely speechless this time, Ye Qian simply turned her head away to avoid looking at Long Fei. Xiaotao, however, found herself amused by Long Fei's remarks, caught between laughter and proper decorum, enduring an agonizing struggle. Fortunately, at that moment, the manager who had escorted Long Fei earlier came to her rescue. Entering the restaurant with an inscrutable smile, the manager approached Long Fei and turned first to Xiaotao. "Xiaotao, you may step away."

Xiaotao hurried off, feeling deeply unsettled whenever she was around Long Fei. Yet, at the same time, she found him hilariously witty—possessing a touch of wickedness and a hint of endearing charm. It truly proved the old saying: a man must have a bad-boy edge for women to love him; without that mischievous streak, where would his charm come from?

"Pardon me, are you Miss Ye Qian?" Ignoring Long Fei, the manager addressed Ye Qian with a polite, smiling inquiry.

Ye Qian nodded, looking puzzled. "You know me?"

"I would certainly love to know you, though I hardly dare. The situation is this: Young Master Bai invites you and your companions to join him upstairs," the manager replied with a faint smile.

Frowning, Ye Qian glanced at Long Fei. Clearly, she had no wish to go and sought Long Fei's verdict.

Displeasure flickered across Long Fei's face. "Bai Yaowu?"

Hearing that, the manager gave a start. In Yan City, people who dared address Bai Yaowu so familiarly were rare indeed.

His expression shifting slightly, the manager seemed to notice Long Fei for the first time and replied coolly, "Indeed, Young Master Bai."

"Is he inviting Ye Qian alone, or all of us together?" Long Fei chuckled.

"Young Master Bai requested that Miss Ye Qian bring you along," the manager answered, casting an uneasy look at Long Fei. Was Long Fei being overly difficult? In Yan City, how many people warranted a personal invitation from Young Master Bai? Yet, recalling the trace of fiery jealousy in Bai Yaowu's eyes earlier, coupled with his immediate realization of the relationship between Ye Qian and the two men, the manager had naturally leaned toward Bai Yaowu's side, leading him to deliberately give Long Fei the cold shoulder.

Long Fei delivered a flat refusal. "We're not going."

"But Young Master Bai instructed me to invite you along. You must be Mr. Long, right? Why not humor me and make the trip? Otherwise, I won't know how to report back to Young Master Bai." Growing anxious, the manager understood Bai Yaowu's temperament; though usually courteous to others, it did not mean he lacked a temper. His patience was limited and situational. If he failed to bring Ye Qian upstairs, he would find himself in a truly difficult position with Bai Yaowu.

"Where is he?" Long Fei asked with a smile.

"Ah, at the Library Bar." The manager's expression eased somewhat. He dared not maintain his previous attitude toward Long Fei; if Long Fei truly refused to budge, he would be the one caught in the middle.

Long Fei smiled. "That would be the ninth floor, then?"

The manager paused. He had initially assumed Ye Qian's membership card must have been borrowed and that Long Fei had never set foot in the club before; otherwise, he would not be unfamiliar with the club's layout. Yet Long Fei knew precisely that the Library Bar occupied the ninth floor, throwing the manager into confusion.

"Indeed, the ninth floor," the manager replied dazedly.

Long Fei nodded. "Very well, let's head off. We're going to the billiard room on the tenth floor instead. If Young Master Bai wishes to see us, tell him to come up to the tenth floor and find us!"

*Damn it, why should we go down to see you? You're on the ninth floor, so master here will take the tenth. I simply must be a level higher than you, heh.*

"That's right! If he wants to see us, he can come up to the tenth floor. We don't have time to entertain him," Ye Qian chimed in, seemingly quite thrilled by Long Fei's deliberate defiance of Bai Yaowu. She eagerly followed Long Fei toward the exit, while Tieniu offered his trademark honest grin and trailed right behind them. Gouzi brought up the rear, sidling up to the manager, peering him up and down before letting out a quirky laugh, shaking his head, and murmuring under his breath, "Pitiable."

The interior decor of the Chang'an Club was indeed magnificent, dominated by beige tones that imparted a warm, cozy ambiance. Overhead, astronomical chandeliers suspended from the vaulted ceilings created a dreamlike atmosphere. Every few meters along the corridors hung meticulously carved rosewood picture frames showcasing private collections from absolute masters of the art world, both domestic and international. One could only wonder how the club managed to acquire such priceless masterpieces.

Passing down the long corridor, a handsome young attendant at the elevator lobby bowed respectfully to Long Fei. Without a word, Long Fei pressed the button for the tenth floor. The moment their group stepped inside and the doors closed, the manager broke into a brisk jog, heading for a separate elevator to ascend to the ninth floor. With no other choice since he had failed to escort Long Fei and his party up, he had to report the outcome truthfully, silently rehearsing his wording all the way.

On the ninth-floor Library Bar, only a single table of guests occupied the room that evening. At the center sat Bai Yaowu, looking exceptionally sharp in a blue shirt. His neat, medium-length hair was slicked back, and his leather shoes gleamed with polish—the unmistakable mark of a man who placed immense importance on his image. At that moment, he held a stemmed wine glass, took a gentle sip, and let out a slight frown that quickly smoothed away. Looking at the manager with a smile, he asked, "They're in the billiard room?"

Nodding, the manager lowered his head deferentially. "Yes, Young Master Bai. My apologies, I failed to handle the task properly."

"No, this isn't your fault. Very well, you may leave," Bai Yaowu said, waving a hand. He took another sip, his fair, slender fingers tightening slightly before relaxing instantly.

A pang of guilt accompanied the manager as he withdrew. He refrained from asking how Bai Yaowu intended to handle the situation; being a wise man, he knew this matter was far from simple. At last, he understood the old saying—*no fierce dragon crosses the river without power*. Perhaps Long Fei and his companions were formidable figures from out of town after all; otherwise, Bai Yaowu would hardly have been so accommodating, showing not a shred of anger, as if everything had unfolded precisely according to his expectations.

Seated beside Bai Yaowu was Huang Tang. This fellow had once barely managed to scrape his way into the top tier of the princeling circle, but unfortunately, his grandfather—who had served as Vice Premier—passed away far too early. Consequently, he naturally slipped from the front ranks into the secondary tier. Many who had once cozied up to him distanced themselves, a reality that constantly filled him with bitter resentment.

Precisely because of the cold shoulder turned by others, Huang Tang cherished Bai Yaowu's enduring friendship all the more. Though he knew full well that such friendship was essentially superficial, compared to everyone else, Bai Yaowu's near-pitying or charitable brand of camaraderie genuinely moved him, drawing him ever closer to Bai Yaowu.

Huang Tang possessed a small head and beady, rat-like eyes, yet he harbored a weakness for chasing women. Over time, his excesses had drained his vitality, leaving him looking chronically listless. Back when his grandfather was still alive, he had enjoyed immense sway in Yan City—indulging freely in women and stepping over many fellow princelings along the way, thereby accumulating numerous enemies. It was thanks solely to Bai Yaowu's backing that he had avoided a far more wretched fate. Of course, his current state was hardly enviable, though he kept it to himself; he knew deep down that he was merely one of Bai Yaowu's dogs.

Yet Huang Tang possessed one redeeming quality: he was exceptionally skilled at flattery, which was the primary reason Bai Yaowu chose to keep him around during difficult times. Bai Yaowu believed that no one in this world was truly useless; rather, most people simply failed to discover others' strengths. Take Huang Tang, for instance—to outsiders, he was utterly incompetent, good for nothing besides chasing women and bullying others. Yet Bai Yaowu found him useful, even if the moment to employ him had not yet arrived.

*Cultivate troops for a thousand days to use them for a single hour*—Bai Yaowu understood this principle better than anyone. Having been instilled since childhood with the adage that "those who rule use their minds, while those who are ruled use their brawn," his greatest strength lay in managing people. For someone like Huang Tang, if one hoped to put him to use one day and reap the corresponding results, one had to first invest in cultivating him. Thus, he chose to keep Huang Tang by his side.

Squinting his eyes, Huang Tang frowned and asked, "Young Master Bai, do you intend to go see them?"

Bai Yaowu smiled and nodded. "Why wouldn't I?"

Seated across from him and wearing gold-rimmed spectacles was a fair-skinned young man named Wang Ji, hailing from Guangdong. He had traveled to Yan City specifically to negotiate a business deal and had been personally invited by Bai Yaowu to drink at the club. Over the past few days, Bai Yaowu had escorted Wang Ji to numerous locations, indulging in round-the-clock nightlife. Interestingly, Bai Yaowu himself never touched women—a well-known personal habit within their social circle. Yet that idiosyncrasy in no way hindered him from ensuring Wang Ji was thoroughly entertained. The Chang'an Club possessed the capability to procure any type of beauty Wang Ji desired, complete with a guarantee of genuine innocence—natural beauties untouched by surgical reconstruction.