New Skills

"Damn, that guy is pretty handsome."

"Yeah, and so young with a great physique. Did you notice his watch?"

"What kind is it?"

"Looks like a Vacheron Constantin. Any random piece from them costs over a million."

"Holy shit, must be a rich second-generation heir. And check out the two girls sitting next to him—total stunners."

"Yeah, rich people really know how to have fun."

The scene was so eye-catching that guests at other tables began murmuring about it.

A waitress placed the drinks on the table.

The male server from earlier approached Su Yang with a grin. "So, Brother Su, how’s the vibe? Pretty impressive, right?"

"Not bad. It’s my first time experiencing something like this. Here, let me pay first."

"Awesome!" The server’s smile widened. Selling a premium bottle like this earned him a hefty commission.

After Su Yang scanned the QR code to pay, the brief spotlight on him faded.

The club quickly returned to normal, with the sultry dancers resuming their routines on stage.

[Ding! Detected host’s nightclub expenditure. Host’s mood is exceptionally pleased. Reward: 500,000 RMB in cash, plus a basic combat skill. Physical stats upgraded to 85.]

—Huh? New rewards?

—Basic combat skill? Sounds kinda weak. Explain.

[Basic combat skill grants host unarmed combat abilities superior to ordinary people. Under normal circumstances, host can take on ten average opponents alone.]

—What the hell?! You call a 1v10 a basic combat skill?

—Does that mean intermediate and advanced skills turn me into some martial arts master?

[Details about unacquired skills cannot be disclosed.]

—Fine, fine. Basic is already insane. I’m not greedy.

Beside him, Lin Yiyi and Tang Yuwei were also exhilarated, basking in the unspoken thrill of being the center of attention.

This was a new experience for them—usually, they were the ones watching others. Now, they’d gotten a taste of being admired, feeding their vanity.

[Ding! Detected Lin Yiyi’s favorability toward host has increased to 50. Reward: 300,000 RMB.]

Su Yang finished his mental exchange with the system and glanced at Lin Yiyi, whose favorability had risen again.

‘Her favorability’s climbing fast. Might not be hard to seal the deal tonight.’

He grabbed a freshly opened bottle of Ace of Spades and started pouring.

"Come on, quit zoning out. Let’s drink."

Su Yang filled their glasses.

Lin Yiyi and Tang Yuwei, swept up in the atmosphere, didn’t hesitate and took their first sips.

The trio played dice and drank, with Su Yang musing inwardly: "Just two days ago, it was Zhao Mengrou and Gu Xiaoman. Now it’s Lin Yiyi and Tang Yuwei. Heh, life’s never dull."

After a few rounds, the girls’ cheeks were tinged pink. Su Yang sat sandwiched between them, with Lin Yiyi and Tang Yuwei pressing close.

Guys at nearby tables cursed under their breaths.

"Jesus, look at that dude!"

"Goddammit, where’s the justice?"

"Why the hell isn’t that me sitting there?!"

"So damn jealous."

Su Yang wasn’t entirely comfortable wedged between the two. Though he occasionally brushed against their soft curves, the crowded setting made it awkward, and their closeness made drinking difficult.

He shifted slightly and chuckled. "Aren’t you two hot?"

"Not at all."

"Well, I am. Scoot over a bit—I can barely lift my arms."

"Oh, right..." Only then did they realize how tightly they’d been clinging to him. The circular couch had barely enough space for two, let alone three.

Lin Yiyi and Tang Yuwei exchanged sheepish looks and shuffled apart.

Just then, a slender figure approached from across the room.

Su Yang, engrossed in the game, didn’t notice until the person plopped down on the couch opposite them.

He looked up, startled. "Y-you... Pan Ning?"

"The one and only."

"What are you doing here?"

"I’ve been here the whole time," Pan Ning said flatly, casually pouring herself a drink from an untouched bottle.

"Whoa, how’d you even spot me?"

"You were literally on the big screen earlier. Hard to miss."

"Oh. Right." Su Yang laughed. "You here alone?"

"No, I’m with friends."

"So why’d you come over?"

"You looked like you were having fun. Thought I’d join. Got a problem with that?"

"None at all. You’re welcome anytime."

As they spoke, Lin Yiyi’s brow furrowed.

"Want to invite your friends over?" Su Yang asked Pan Ning.

"Sure, I’ll go get them."

Pan Ning stood and walked off before Su Yang could react. He’d only been polite—he hadn’t expected her to actually fetch her group.

"Su, who is she?" Lin Yiyi asked.

"Not really a friend. We’ve only met once."

"Then why’s she acting so familiar?"

"That’s just her personality—bold and straightforward."

"But we don’t know her or her friends. It’ll kill the vibe if a bunch of strangers crash our party," Lin Yiyi grumbled.

"Relax. We’re all young—more the merrier, right?"

Lin Yiyi had no comeback. She glanced at Tang Yuwei, who just shrugged.

"Fine..."

Lin Yiyi pouted, stewing in frustration. This was supposed to be her date with Su Yang. Instead, she had to compete with Tang Yuwei, and now Pan Ning—who seemed like an even bigger threat—was bringing reinforcements.

‘Ugh, I never should’ve invited Tang Yuwei. If it were just me, we might’ve been holding hands by now.’

Pan Ning returned shortly with her entourage: a girl, followed by two guys in their mid-twenties.

Su Yang smiled and extricated himself from between Lin Yiyi and Tang Yuwei to greet them.

"Hey, these your friends?"

"Yep. This is Shen Yixue. As for these two..." Pan Ning gestured to the men behind her. "Introduce yourselves. I can’t be bothered."

She and Shen Yixue took their seats.

The two guys were a study in contrasts—one lean and stylish, the other round-faced and endearing.

The slimmer one was sharply dressed in luxury brands, a Richard Mille RM11-03 gleaming on his wrist, and stood about Su Yang’s height.

The other was shorter (around 175 cm), with a chubby face, smallish eyes, a fleshy nose, and full lips that gave him a vaguely cute vibe. Despite his looks, he carried himself with trendy confidence.

The lean guy stepped forward first. "Hi, I’m Meng Wenzhou."

"Meng... Meng Wenzhou?" Su Yang blurted out.

"What? You know me?" Meng Wenzhou asked Su Yang, who looked stunned.

"No way, this is too much of a coincidence! I’m the one who chatted with you on Douyin—Su Yang."

"Huh? You’re Su Yang?" Meng Wenzhou was equally surprised.

The chubby guy next to him, named Liu Bo, eyed Su Yang and said, "So you’re the one who out-gifted my bro Meng back then?"

"And you are?" Su Yang turned to Liu Bo.

"I’m Liu Bo, Meng’s good buddy. I was right beside him when you two were battling it out with gifts."

"Ohhh, got it. Nice to meet you both." Su Yang shook hands with them.

"This is insane—never thought I’d run into you here, Su."

"Same here! Guess it’s fate. We just met, and now we bump into each other at a bar. Plus, you guys know Pan Ning too."

"Haha, Pan Ning’s my cousin," Meng Wenzhou said with a light chuckle.

"WHAT?!" Su Yang’s eyes widened as he glanced over at Pan Ning, who was drinking with Lin Yiyi.

"She said she had some friends here and asked us to join. Never imagined it’d be you. And I sure didn’t expect you to know Pan Ning either. Looks like we’re meant to be friends."

"Haha, absolutely! Come on, take a seat."

Su Yang waved them over, but with four more people joining, the drinks on the table were suddenly not enough.

He signaled to the waiter who had served them earlier, calling out loudly, "Hey, handsome! Over here!"

The waiter, seeing Su Yang’s gesture, hurried over with a smile.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Su?"

"What’s your name?"

"Just call me Xiao Li, Mr. Su."

"Xiao Li, right? Got a few more friends joining us. Bring us another set of the Grand Shenlong."

"Another one?" Xiao Li blinked in surprise.

"What? Out of stock?"

"No, no, plenty left! Just give me a moment, Mr. Su—I’ll get it sorted right away!"