Supporting Charlene's Friend

After Xia left, the guys shed their awkwardness and started discussing which bar to hit up tonight.

"Brothers, we're not going home until we're drunk tonight!"

Xue Tao stood in the middle of the dorm room, waving his hand with the grandeur of a general directing his troops. "I've already booked the place, OUT24! It's the hottest club in Jiangcheng this year. Let's go experience what an adult's nightlife is really like!"

"OUT24?" Chu Mingzhe was clearly no stranger to the name. "I heard that's the top influencer spot in Jiangcheng right now. The average cost per person is pretty high, right? So generous of you, Brother Tao."

"Ah, money is just paper. We spend it and make it back!"

Xue Tao patted his chest boldly, but the momentary flash of heartache in the corner of his eye did not escape Chu Mingzhe's notice.

In reality, Xue Tao was quite tight on cash lately.

His hospital stay had cost a lot, and his allowance had already bottomed out from previously trying to court Liu Yuanyuan and please Huang Ran.

Treating everyone this time probably meant overdrawing next month's living expenses or secretly using credit.

But for the sake of his pride, he had to bleed this cash.

"So how are we getting there? Where's your Cayenne, Brother Tao?" asked a guy from the next dorm over who was tagging along.

"If you drink, don't drive. If you drive, don't drink."

Xue Tao waved his hand with a serious face. "Just let that broken car gather dust at school. We'll take a cab tonight, safety first. Besides, going to a place like that, it's a hassle to find a designated driver if we get too wasted."

The real reason was that his secondhand Cayenne had been making weird noises in the gearbox lately. He was afraid it would break down halfway and embarrass him, especially since his driving skills were indeed somewhat lacking.

Moreover, OUT24's entrance was always packed with luxury cars. If he parked his older model Cayenne there, the valet might mistake him for a delivery guy.

"Alright, we'll follow Brother Tao's arrangement."

The guys got ready and were just about to head out.

Xue Tao suddenly stopped in his tracks, pulled out his phone, and typed furiously.

"Hold on, I need to report in to Huang Ran."

Chu Mingzhe rolled his eyes hard at this. "No way, Brother Tao? You guys aren't even officially dating yet, and you're already playing the 'henpecked husband' routine? You have to report just to go to a bar?"

"You don't know shit."

Xue Tao didn't even turn his head, his face bearing the weary look of someone who had been through it all. "This is called respect. Back when I was with Liu Yuanyuan, it was because I secretly went to a bar without telling her, and her so-called best friend saw me. She argued with me for three days and three nights when I got back. I don't want to experience that kind of painful lesson a second time."

A few seconds later, his phone buzzed.

Xue Tao checked his phone, and the corners of his mouth instantly stretched from ear to ear.

"See that? See that!"

He shoved the phone screen right in front of Chu Mingzhe's face, showing off triumphantly. "She replied: 'Okay, have fun with your classmates, stay safe, and don't drink too much and hurt your body.' Look at this! This is what you call class! This is what you call being reasonable and understanding!"

"Sigh, this new girl is just different. Not like some people who only know how to check up on you and make a fuss."

Seeing Xue Tao's smug "I've met my true love" expression, the guys in the dorm exchanged glances, silently roasting him in their heads.

The reason she doesn't check up on you might simply be because she doesn't care about you at all...

Or maybe she's just on a higher level and knows how to play the long game to catch a big fish.

However, no one said this out loud.

After all, Brother Tao was treating tonight; you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Besides, ever since that earth-shattering "ball-busting" incident, Xue Tao had successfully transitioned into a "comedic figure" in their class and even the whole college.

Everyone's attitude toward his habit of acting tough had changed from initial disgust to just watching him for entertainment.

As long as he wasn't doing anything heinous, what was the harm in letting him show off a bit? It even provided everyone with some emotional entertainment value.

"Brother Tao is awesome!"

"Brother Tao really has a good eye, this sister-in-law is clearly virtuous!"

Amidst a chorus of insincere flattery, a highly satisfied Xue Tao led the group downstairs, hailed two ride-hailing cars, and headed straight for the most bustling bar street in Jiangcheng.

...

OUT24 Bar.

As the new darling of Jiangcheng's nightclub scene, it indeed had the capital to make countless young people flock to it.

Even before entering, one could feel the overwhelming aura of luxury. The giant neon sign flashed with mesmerizing light in the night, and the entrance was parked full of various luxury cars: Ferraris, Lamborghinis, McLarens... It was practically a mini luxury car show.

The security guards at the door were all dressed in black suits, wearing earpieces, their expressions stern as they checked the reservation information of every entering guest.

"Hello, how many in your party?"

"Six, last name Xue. I booked a booth."

Xue Tao adjusted his collar, trying hard to put on the seasoned look of someone who frequented such venues.

"Understood, Mr. Xue. Right this way."

Led by the waiter, the group walked down a long corridor of lights and shadows and pushed open the heavy soundproof door.

Boom—

A massive wave of sound instantly rushed in like a tide, drowning everyone out.

The roar of the subwoofers made their very hearts vibrate, dazzling laser beams swept frantically through the darkness, and the air was a mix of perfume, alcohol, and hormones.

On the dance floor, countless young men and women were twisting their bodies wildly to the DJ's beat. Flashes of pale thighs and arms appeared and disappeared in the lights, forming a floating world painting of indulgence and extravagance.

"Holy shit... this place is insane!"

The guy from the next dorm stared blankly, his mouth open wide enough to fit an egg.

For virgins like them who usually only hung out at the food stalls around the school, the visual and auditory impact of such a scene was nuclear-level.

"Stay calm, stay calm."

Although Xue Tao was also a bit stunned, he forced himself to remain composed on the surface. "These are just minor scenes. Come on, our booth is over there."

The location of their booth wasn't actually very good; it was in a slightly out-of-the-way corner.

After all, in a place like OUT24, the minimum spend for booths in the core area could easily be tens of thousands or even over a hundred thousand. Although Xue Tao wanted to show off, he wasn't crazy enough to go that far.

Even so, the minimum spend for this corner booth was still a few thousand bucks.

"What would you bosses like to drink?"

A sales manager walked over holding an iPad, his face plastered with a professional fake smile.

"We'll start with two sets of Jägermeister, a fruit platter, and, uh... add two dozen Budweisers."

Xue Tao glanced at the prices on the menu, the corner of his eye twitching slightly, but he tried to keep his tone as casual as possible. "Just bring out some snacks for the rest."

"Alright, just these for now?" The sales manager clearly saw that this table was a student gathering and didn't push too hard to sell expensive liquor; after all, steady business was best.

"Yeah, that'll do for now."

As soon as the sales manager left, Xue Tao let out a long sigh of relief, feeling his wallet bleeding.

This whole set-up would cost at least three or four thousand.

He would only be able to eat dirt next month.

But seeing the excited looks in his brothers' eyes around him, he felt it was worth it.

"Come on, come on, don't just stand there, look at the beautiful girls!"

Chu Mingzhe obviously adapted very quickly. His eyes were already scanning the surrounding booths and the dance floor. "I think that girl in the slip dress over there looks pretty good. Brother Tao, should I go ask for her WeChat?"

"Go if you want, I'm a family man," Xue Tao refused seriously. In reality, he was just afraid of having to spend more money buying drinks for girls.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere gradually heated up.

Although their seats were in a remote corner and the liquor wasn't too high-end, this group of boys who had just crawled out from the hell of final exams was still having a blast.

Just then.

The lights in the entire club suddenly dimmed, followed by a sudden surge in the passionate music.

"What's wrong? What's going on? A power outage?" Wang Haoran was startled.

"Hillbilly! This means a big shot ordered some expensive liquor!"

Chu Mingzhe pointed excitedly at the center of the dance floor. "Look over there!"

A line of bottle girls, dressed in extremely revealing outfits and boasting smoking hot figures, held glowing signs and cold sparklers as they marched out from the backstage in a long procession, stepping to the beat.

In the middle of them, several burly waiters carried a massive, glowing base.

Neatly stacked on the base were dozens of bottles of Ace of Spades champagne. That brilliant golden light was almost blinding in the darkness.

"Holy crap! Is that... the Grand Dragon Set?!"

Xue Tao exclaimed, "That thing costs hundreds of thousands for a set, right?!"

"Eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand!"

Someone at a neighboring table, clearly in the know, said enviously, "That's OUT24's ultimate treasure, the Grand Dragon Set! Whenever this set is ordered, all the lights and music in the club have to coordinate with it. It's the ultimate flex!"

"Eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand..."

Xue Tao swallowed hard, feeling his worldview shatter.

The few thousand yuan he spent tonight was not even a fraction of the cost of that single liquor set.

This was the gap between them.

Under the envious and jealous gazes of countless people, the line of beauties holding the glowing signs didn't head towards the lively booths around the dance floor. Instead, they walked straight across the hall towards a private room at the far end of the second floor.

"So the big boss is in a private room..."

"What kind of person is in that room? To be this wealthy?"

A few young boys craned their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the big shot's true face through the occasionally opening door crack.

Unfortunately, the heavy door closed quickly, leaving behind only a group of awestruck onlookers.

...

Second floor, SVIP Room 1.

Unlike the noisy hustle and bustle downstairs, this place used top-tier soundproofing materials. Although the vibration of the music outside could still be felt, it had become a rhythmic background noise that didn't interfere with conversation.

The decor inside the room was extremely luxurious, featuring a massive crystal chandelier, imported leather sofas, and even an independent KTV system and a pool table.

At this moment, Su Bai was sitting in the center seat of honor, swirling a glass of amber liquid in his hand.

Sitting beside him was a girl in a white dress who looked a bit reserved.

It was exactly Li Xingya.

It was clearly her first time in a place like this. Her large, doe-like eyes were filled with curiosity, but mostly tension. She pressed tightly against Su Bai, her hands gripping the hem of his shirt as if it were her only source of security.

"Young Master Su, are you satisfied with this first Grand Dragon Set?"

A charming voice rang out.

A voluptuous woman wearing a black velvet cheongsam was holding a wine glass, looking at Su Bai with a smiling face.

She was the owner of this OUT24 club, and also a friend of Xia Lin, Qin Man.

When Su Bai came to support the business previously, Xia Lin had introduced them.

In her early thirties, she was at an age where a woman was most charming. The slits on her cheongsam were extremely high, revealing a stretch of snow-white thigh that peeked out with her movements, full of the seductive allure of a mature woman.

"It's alright."

Su Bai took a sip of his wine and said indifferently, "The atmosphere here at Sister Qin's place is indeed quite good."

"As long as you're satisfied."

Qin Man's eyes were alluring as her gaze faintly swept over Li Xingya beside Su Bai, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

So this is the girl Young Master Su brought today?

She looks delicate and cute, and her figure is quite nice, but this temperament... isn't it a bit too weak? She looks like an innocent little bunny who just entered the city.

It seems Young Master Su has changed his tastes recently? He likes this pure and innocent type?

As Qin Man thought this, she quietly scooted closer to Su Bai. Her beautiful legs, clad in black stockings, gently stretched out under the table, attempting to brush against Su Bai's calf.

As a woman who had navigated the nightlife scene for years, she had seen too many rich men.

But a man like Su Bai—young, handsome, generous with his money, and most importantly, possessing an unfathomable background that could make a proud eldest miss like Xia Lin dead set on him—was practically a piece of premium meat.

Even if nothing real could happen, even if it was just a one-night stand, she would still be the one profiting.

However.

Just as her toes were about to touch Su Bai's pant leg.

Su Bai suddenly moved.

He naturally crossed his legs, perfectly avoiding that restless foot, and then turned his head to smile at Qin Man.

That smile carried a bit of teasing, as if he had seen right through everything.

Qin Man was startled and quickly pulled her foot back, yet her face still maintained that proper smile, as if nothing had ever happened.

Su Bai withdrew his gaze, secretly finding it funny.

This Qin Man, although she looked good and had a top-tier figure, but...

[Name: Qin Man]

[Special Tags: Nightclub Queen, Extremely Shrewd, Rich Emotional Experience (Number of exes > 10)]

[Overall Evaluation: Non-S-rank target. It is not recommended for the host to invest too much effort.]

For a woman of this caliber with such a complicated past, Su Bai really had no interest.

However, as a business partner, this woman was still very reliable.

Every time Su Bai came to hang out, she arranged everything perfectly. She saved the best private room for him, served the best liquor, and even the bottle girls were personally selected by her to be the cleanest bunch... although Su Bai didn't really need them.

At least it showed she put her heart into it.

Moreover, the liquor she brought out was indeed good stuff.

For example, the whiskey currently in Su Bai's hand was an extremely scarce hard currency on the market.

"Sister Qin, this liquor is good."

Su Bai raised his glass and clinked it against hers. "Save two more bottles for me."

"No problem. As long as Young Master Su likes it, my effort in carrying it all the way back from Japan wasn't in vain."

Qin Man, seeing that her flirtation was hopeless, tactfully and quickly switched back to her female boss persona, laughing charmingly. "By the way, that Grand Dragon Set just now left all those kids outside dumbfounded. With this kind of prestige, you are definitely the only one in Jiangcheng today."

"Of course. Coming to Sister Qin's venue, I naturally have to show my support."

Su Bai smiled and casually took a Cuban cigar from the humidor on the coffee table. Qin Man immediately leaned over with great tact, used a professional cigar cutter to clip it for him, and carefully toasted it with a match.

"By the way, Sister Qin."

Su Bai blew out a smoke ring and pointed outside. "That premium Ace of Spades set from earlier? Bring out another one every hour from now on, right up until we leave."

"What?!"

The match in Qin Man's hand almost fell to the floor.

She widened her eyes, looking at Su Bai in sheer disbelief.

One set every hour?!

That set alone cost 888,000!

If they stayed and partied until two or three in the morning, wouldn't that be several million gone?!

Even though she knew Su Bai was wealthy, she had never seen anyone spend money like this! This was practically setting money on fire for fun!

However, Su Bai wasn't just throwing money away blindly. Right then, the system had popped up with a limited-time limit increase for an indulgence reward, presumably to celebrate the end of his final exams.

Tonight, he could spend as much as he wanted at the bar. The system would foot the bill, and every cent would be fully cashed back.

It was also a good opportunity to support Xia Lin's friend's business.

"What? Not enough in stock?" Su Bai raised an eyebrow.

"Enough! Absolutely enough!"

Qin Man's voice pitched up in excitement. "Even if it wasn't, I'd transfer the entire stock of Jiangcheng over just to keep them coming for you! Young Master Su, you are truly... full of surprises."

She was utterly convinced.

No wonder a proud and haughty heiress like Xia Lin was so dead set on this junior who was several years younger than her.

This spending power, this aura, this damn sense of composure...

Let alone Xia Lin, even an experienced older woman like herself, who had seen countless men, couldn't help but feel her heart race, and even her legs go a bit weak, as she looked at Su Bai's exceptionally handsome side profile through the swirling smoke.

This was what a true god-tier tycoon looked like!

Compared to those little boys outside who would haggle for ages over a few-thousand-dollar booth, the difference was like night and day.

"Then it's settled."

Su Bai patted the back of Li Xingya's hand beside him and asked softly, "How is it? Is it too loud here? If you don't like it, we can leave after hanging out for a bit."

"No... it's fine, it's pretty good."

Although Li Xingya was still a little unaccustomed to this kind of environment, looking at the quiet private room Su Bai had specifically chosen to accommodate her, and seeing how respectful the beautiful lady boss was toward him, the slight unease in her heart had long been replaced by a strong sense of pride.

This was her man.

No matter where he went, he was always the most dazzling one of all.