Rear Garden Private Club

At 9:15 PM, Su Yang drove to the Houyuan Private Club.

Though called a private club, the place more closely resembled a luxurious five-star resort hotel. From the outside, the compound appeared vast, with the building's exterior exuding opulence, its golden glow under the night lights making it look resplendent.

The entrance opened to a wide stretch of lawn, dotted with elegant little fountains at its center. After parking his car, Su Yang strode toward the main door.

As soon as he reached the entrance, a waiter standing nearby approached and asked, "Good evening, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

"No, but my friend is inside."

"Understood. May I ask your friend's surname?"

"Meng—Meng Wenzhou."

"Very well, sir. Please come in." The waiter pulled open the heavy glass door and escorted Su Yang into the lobby.

The interior of the lobby was just as extravagant, with ceilings soaring nearly ten meters high. A massive crystal chandelier hung overhead, while the floor was laid with intricately carved beige marble. Artful sculptures adorned every corner, making it feel like stepping into a palace.

Su Yang glanced up and thought to himself, This place is impressive.

"Sir, please follow me." The waiter led Su Yang from the lobby’s right side into a long corridor.

The walls on either side were lined with expensive oil paintings. After traversing the hallway, the waiter pushed open a glass door, revealing a spacious and beautifully landscaped garden.

A flagstone path wound through the grassy lawn, flanked by clusters of blooming flowers. Following the waiter along the path, they entered another building, this one far livelier than the last.

Men in suits strolled about, each accompanied by one or two glamorous women in revealing outfits, chatting and laughing.

Su Yang observed the scene and mused, So this is what a private club is—a playground for the wealthy.

"Sir, this way."

"Alright."

Su Yang followed the waiter into a dimly lit corridor. At the very end stood the entrance to a private room labeled "Shuixi Yue."

The waiter paused at the door and nodded. "Sir, your friend is inside. Please wait a moment."

He knocked, and only after hearing a response from within did he open the door and usher Su Yang in.

The private room was unlike those in typical KTVs or bars—for one, it was far more spacious, easily covering 140 to 150 square meters.

Moreover, the furnishings were nothing short of lavish: high-end art pieces, a massive screen, plush leather sofas, premium sound systems, and a private bar. The room even included a dedicated mahjong lounge and a massage parlor.

Upon entering, Su Yang immediately spotted Meng Wenzhou and Liu Bo seated on the sofa, each flanked by a seductive woman in a black bodycon dress and stockings.

Noticing Su Yang, Liu Bo stood up and waved with a grin. "Yang! You’re here. Come, take a seat."

"Sure." Su Yang walked over.

Meng Wenzhou chuckled as he approached. "So, what’ve you been up to these days, old Su?"

"Not much. Just killing time."

"How’s the renovation on your courtyard coming along?"

"Haven’t checked in the last couple of days, but the work should be progressing. You’ll have to come over when it’s done."

Su Yang sat down beside Meng Wenzhou.

At that, Liu Bo tilted his head toward the two women and said, "Ladies, you can leave for now."

"Of course, President Liu."

The two women stood and followed the waiting waiter out of the room.

After scanning the private room, Su Yang speared a piece of fruit from the table and popped it into his mouth with a smile. "Alright, let’s hear it. What’s the situation?"

Meng Wenzhou sighed. "You explain, Fatty. I’ll fill in the gaps."

"Got it." Liu Bo first handed out cigarettes to the two before lighting one for himself. Then, he turned to Su Yang.

"Honestly, it’s not a big deal. Let me give you the rundown first."

"That guy from Shanghai I mentioned on the phone is named Deng Hao. His old man used to have some business dealings with Brother Meng’s dad—Uncle Meng."

"But things went south over a deal. They parted on bad terms, and since Deng Hao was involved back then, he’s held a grudge against Uncle Meng ever since, blaming him for the fallout."

At this point, Meng Wenzhou interjected, "Let me clarify. Both my dad and Deng Hao’s father lost a fair bit on that deal—my dad about one or two hundred million, Deng’s dad maybe four or five hundred."

"I only know it was some big entertainment complex investment, but the specifics are hazy since, as you know, I’ve never been involved in my dad’s business."

"Later, I asked him about it. The reason was simple—their visions clashed. They just weren’t compatible as business partners, and the project itself was a dud, so they took a hit."

"But in business, who can guarantee profits every time, right?"

"Problem is, Deng Hao’s dad dragged him into the whole thing to groom him. So when it blew up, he convinced himself it was my dad’s fault they lost those hundreds of millions. That’s why he’s had it out for me ever since."

Su Yang nodded, now grasping the backstory.

"What happened next?" he asked Meng Wenzhou.

"Nothing much, really. That was two or three years ago. A couple hundred million is nothing to my dad—he doesn’t dwell on losses. After that, our families just stopped interacting."

"Until two nights ago."

"What happened two nights ago?" Su Yang took a drag from his cigarette.

Meng Wenzhou sipped his whiskey and replied coolly, "Fatty and I were drinking at DE Bar when we ran into Deng Hao."

"Truth is, I barely know the guy—we’ve only met a handful of times. But he acted all chummy, insisting on joining us for drinks."

"I figured, fine, we’re all young. Even if our families had issues, that’s between the older generation, not us."

"So I let him join. But the guy was still bitter. The whole time, he kept making snide remarks and sarcastic jabs. You know me—I usually let stuff slide unless it’s way out of line."

"But he wouldn’t let up. Kept implying my family’s fallen behind his, that I’m just some washed-up loser with no real clout. He didn’t say it outright, but anyone could read between the lines."

"Then he said something—I don’t remember exactly what—but it was along the lines of calling me a pretentious poser. I was about to tell him to piss off, but Fatty beat me to it—dumped a near-full beer right in his face."

Meng Wenzhou turned to Liu Bo and continued, "Then, some guy who was with him got into a fight with Fatty. We thought Fatty would wipe the floor with him, but turns out that dude looked slow but packed a mean punch—took Fatty down in a few hits."

"Of course, he wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me. But after that, Deng Hao dropped the act and started openly calling me out."

"Even I’ve got my limits, you know? So yeah, things escalated to this mess. Looking back, it feels almost childish. But that guy didn’t stop there—he’s been spreading rumors about me lately, even calling Fatty an idiot."

Meng Wenzhou shrugged with a wry smile. "So, naturally, Fatty gave you a call."