So-called Top Clubs

Although winter break had officially begun and college students from major universities were leaving campus like migratory birds returning to their nests, Su Bai was in no rush to set off for Shanghai.

On one hand, his scuba diving certification course in Shanghai was scheduled for a few days later. On the other hand, he still had quite a few properties in Jiangcheng to inspect. As a qualified mega-rich tycoon, enjoying life was his primary occupation, but occasionally checking in on the development of his territory offered a different kind of pleasure.

The massive black body of the Land Rover Defender OCTA drove steadily along the lake road in Jiangcheng.

The winter East Lake, though lacking the lotus fragrance and lushness of summer, held an extra touch of solemnity and tranquility. Withered yellow reeds swayed in the cold wind, the lake surface shimmered with a crisp, cold light, and Mount Mo in the distance appeared faintly through the mist, resembling an elegant ink wash painting.

"Boss, where are we going?"

In the back seat, Li Xingya clung to the window, looking at the scenery outside with eyes full of curiosity.

Today, she was wearing a milky white fleece jacket and a red scarf, making her look entirely fluffy, like a cute little white rabbit. Ever since the swimsuit party baptism at the Ascott that night, she was no longer as nervous when facing Zhou Jialu.

"To inspect some work."

Su Bai steered the wheel with one hand and glanced through the rearview mirror at Zhou Jialu sitting in the passenger seat. She had put on delicate light makeup today and wore a Chanel tweed suit, exuding the elegance of a high-society socialite.

"Inspect what work?" Zhou Jialu, who was touching up her lipstick, paused her movements at his words. "You aren't taking us to some construction site, are you?"

"Smart."

Su Bai snapped his fingers. "But it's not an ordinary construction site. It's our future happy home."

As they spoke, the car turned onto a quiet, tree-lined branch road.

The sign at the intersection, which originally read XX State-Owned Enterprise Guest House, was now obscured by a massive construction hoarding. There were no advertising slogans on it, only a heavy, closed black iron gate that exuded a mysterious, high-end vibe.

The security guard at the gate had clearly been notified in advance. Seeing Su Bai's signature Land Rover Defender, he immediately saluted and let them pass.

The car drove through the gate, and the view suddenly opened up.

It was a private, detached compound on a peninsula, surrounded by water on three sides, offering superb privacy. The original, old Soviet-style building was now covered in scaffolding, with countless workers bustling about inside. Although still in the construction phase, its magnificent layout was already beginning to show.

In the open space in front of the main building, a figure was already waiting.

It was a figure in a black jacket, slim yet standing tall and straight. If one didn't look closely, the vast majority of people would assume this was a clean-cut, handsome boy.

Liu Chenyang.

The daughter who was raised as a son by real estate tycoon Liu Chenhu, and also the most unique among Su Bai's female confidantes.

"Su Bai!"

Seeing Su Bai step out of the car, Liu Chenyang immediately came forward to welcome him, a radiant smile on her face. In that smile, there was both a brotherly heartiness and a subtle, hard-to-detect girlish shyness.

"Yangyang, long time no see."

Su Bai smiled and patted her shoulder. Although she felt a bit thin to the touch, he could tell she had a good bone structure.

Zhou Jialu exchanged a few pleasantries with her. She had met Yangyang a few times before. Though they weren't very close, she could feel that this was an all-around excellent girl. It was quite strange that she was raised as a boy, but it was obvious she had a very strong inner self.

However, during this meeting, Zhou Jialu noticed that Yangyang's frail constitution seemed to have improved significantly, and her mental state was very cheerful and relaxed.

She wondered what good things had happened recently.

"Let's go, I'll take you inside for a look."

Su Bai took the lead, guiding the three beauties into the main building that was undergoing renovation.

As soon as they entered the lobby, the overwhelming sense of luxury made Li Xingya involuntarily gasp.

Even though it was still under construction, with protective film covering the floor and the smell of building materials lingering in the air, just looking at the hard furnishings that had already taken shape was enough to leave one in awe.

"This ceiling height... it must be at least six meters, right?"

Zhou Jialu looked up at the dome, where a massive skylight had been designed. Although the glass hadn't been installed yet, the complex steel skeleton could be seen. "If a crystal chandelier is hung up there, how beautiful would it be at night?"

"This is just the appetizer."

Su Bai pointed to the stone floor. "See this? Italian imported Calacatta marble. Every single piece was quarried from the same pit, and the veins must match up to form a landscape painting. Just the flooring in this lobby alone costs seven figures."

"And this wall."

Su Bai walked over to a wall on one side and reached out to touch the uniquely textured plaster. "This isn't ordinary cement. It's nano micro-cement imported from Japan. It's waterproof and mildew-resistant, and it feels as smooth as skin. Uncle Liu really spared no expense this time."

Liu Chenyang scratched her head somewhat embarrassedly next to him: "My dad said that Su Bai's affairs are the top priority. He picked out all these materials himself at the building materials exhibition, saying he wants to create the number one benchmark in Jiangcheng."

The group crossed the hall and went down to the first basement level along the spiral staircase that had not yet had its handrails installed.

This was the future entertainment area.

"Over here is the private theater, using a full Dolby Atmos system, and the screen is a custom miniature IMAX."

"This side is the KTV. The audio equipment is from the French brand Focal, and the microphones are custom Sennheisers. Singing here, even if you are tone-deaf, it can tune you to sound like Jacky Cheung."

Su Bai introduced everything as if enumerating his family treasures, making Li Xingya's eyes widen more and more as she listened.

She originally thought that the Yunshang International Apartments were already very high-class, and later when she went to Ascott, she felt that was the absolute ceiling. But now that she was here, she realized that poverty had truly limited her imagination.

How was this a clubhouse? It was simply a palace!

"The best part is down below."

Su Bai smiled mysteriously and led the group down to the second basement level.

As soon as they stepped off the stairs, a wave of damp moisture hit their faces.

This was the spa center, which was also the core and most money-burning area of the entire clubhouse.

The massive heated swimming pool had already taken shape. The pool walls were covered with mosaic puzzles, and even without water, one could imagine its sparkling beauty.

And on one side of the pool was a massive acrylic wall of astonishing thickness.

"This is..." Zhou Jialu covered her mouth in surprise.

"The viewing window for the underwater suite."

Su Bai walked up to the acrylic wall and patted the thick transparent material. "Once the pool is filled with water, we can even put some marine fish in it. When the time comes, staying in that suite and opening the curtains will reveal an underwater world."

"Furthermore..."

Su Bai lowered his voice and said to Zhou Jialu with a wicked smile, "This glass is one-way. That means the people inside can see those swimming in the pool, but the people in the pool can't see what's going on inside."

Zhou Jialu understood instantly. Two clouds of red instantly flew to her cheeks, and she playfully punched Su Bai.

"Hooligan! To think you'd come up with such a design!"

"It's called romantic appeal, understand?" Su Bai laughed heartily.

Although Li Xingya didn't completely understand the deeper meaning, looking at the massive glass wall and imagining the scene, she couldn't help but feel her heart race.

If she could stay here with the boss in the future...

Oh my god, that's too embarrassing!

After finishing the tour, the group returned to the courtyard above ground.

The winter sun shone on them, dispelling the damp cold of the underground.

"How is it? Are you satisfied?" Su Bai asked.

"Extremely satisfied!"

Zhou Jialu praised sincerely, "If this is finished, it will definitely be a place where Jiangcheng's socialites would fight tooth and nail to get into. Haha, but this is your private territory, so they wouldn't be able to come even if they wanted to."

"That's a given."

Su Bai smiled and turned to look at Liu Chenyang, who hadn't spoken much and had just been silently following behind.

"Yangyang, thank Uncle Liu for me. The construction quality is impeccable."

"You're too polite."

Liu Chenyang smiled and hesitated for a moment, seeming to have something to say, but then glanced at Zhou Jialu and Li Xingya beside them.

Su Bai understood implicitly.

"Jialu, take Xingya for a walk by the lake over there and take some photos. The reed marshes here are great for pictures, so you can teach Xingya how to pose."

"Alright, I know you two bros have private things to talk about."

Zhou Jialu was a smart person and immediately took Li Xingya's hand. "Let's go, Xingya. I'll teach you how to take those atmospheric, vulnerable-looking blockbuster shots."

Once the two girls had walked far away, Su Bai asked:

"What's wrong? Is something going on at home?"

"My dad has been a bit weird lately."

She lowered her head, looking at the gravel beneath her feet. Her voice carried a hint of confusion, along with a trace of irrepressible joy.

"How is he weird? Did he scold you?"

"No..."

Liu Chenyang shook her head. "My dad used to be extremely strict with me, especially... when it came to how I dressed. You know about that old Taoist priest's fortune-telling, saying I had to be raised as a boy so I wouldn't curse the family business. So from childhood to adulthood, I could only wear dresses secretly."

"But recently..."

She raised her head, her clear eyes sparkling. "A couple of days ago, my dad suddenly told me that if I wanted to grow my hair long, I could try growing it out a bit. He also said... I don't necessarily have to wear those tough men's clothes; something more neutral would be acceptable too."

"Even yesterday during dinner, he asked me if there were any boys I liked..."

At this point, Liu Chenyang's face turned a rare shade of red. That kind of girlish shyness looked exceptionally moving on her slightly handsome face.

"Do you think... my dad doesn't believe that old Taoist priest's words anymore?"

Looking at the expectant yet bewildered tomboy in front of him, Su Bai's mind was as clear as a mirror.

It seems Xu Xinran has made her move.

That old Daoist priest who supposedly could read fates was nothing but a charlatan. Relying on a bit of psychological suggestion and some blackmail material, he had manipulated Liu Chenyang's superstitious father for years.

To help Liu Chenyang reclaim her identity as a girl, Su Bai had deliberately gathered all the dirt on that old priest—his frauds, his peddling of feudal superstitions, and even his messy private life—and handed it all over to Xu Xinran, a prominent journalist.

With Xu Xinran's methods and the media resources backing her, ruining a swindler's reputation was a piece of cake.

The old priest was probably fending for himself by now, or might have even been thrown behind bars.

And although Liu Chenhu was superstitious, he wasn't an idiot. Once the old priest's golden facade shattered, his belief in those so-called fate readings naturally began to waver.

Not to mention, Liu Chenyang was almost twenty years old now. She was healthy, free from disasters, and her family's business was booming... Well, after meeting a generous financial backer like Su Bai, it would be hard for the business not to boom.

As a father, Liu Chenhu certainly hoped his daughter could live a normal life.

"This is a good thing."

Su Bai reached out and ruffled Liu Chenyang's short hair, finding it surprisingly soft to the touch. "It seems feudal superstition really does ruin lives. Since Uncle Liu has relented, you can try to change yourself a bit."

"To be honest, looking at your features, if you grew your hair out and put on a little light makeup, you'd definitely be a gorgeous beauty. When that time comes, Jiangcheng University's campus belle rankings will probably need a major reshuffle."

"Brother Su, you're making fun of me again..."

Liu Chenyang lowered her head shyly, but the corners of her lips couldn't help curving upward. "I... I don't want to be a campus belle. I just want... to be a bit more normal."

To be able to stand beside you as a girl.

She kept the second half of her sentence hidden in her heart, leaving it unspoken.

But Su Bai could more or less read it from her flickering gaze.

"Take your time, there's no rush."

Su Bai said gently, "Anyway, by my side, you can always happily be yourself."

Liu Chenyang nodded, her heart filled with gratitude.

She knew that even though Su Bai hadn't said anything, his shadow was definitely behind this matter. If it weren't for Su Bai's constant encouragement, and if it weren't for his behind-the-scenes maneuvering (though she didn't know the details), her stubborn, old-fashioned father would never have relented so easily.

...

Leaving the clubhouse construction site, Su Bai felt exceptionally good.

It wasn't just because he had seen the prototype of his future money-spinning paradise, but more so because he had resolved a matter weighing on his mind.

This woman, Xu Xinran, was truly reliable.

Although her motive for approaching Su Bai was far from pure—it could even be called a bit bizarre, wanting to borrow his seed to have a child.

But he had to admit, she was an extremely pragmatic partner.

She wasn't like those manipulative girls who spent all day acting cute, demanding emotional value and material rewards. On the contrary, she got things done first before making demands.

Helping Su Bai acquire the song and dance troupe, helping him solve the trouble with the old priest.

She handled everything beautifully, leaving no room for complaint.

To be honest, this kind of "I want to sleep with you, but I'll give you a huge gift first" operation wasn't off-putting at all; it was actually somewhat admirable.

"Deep down, she's a very honest person..."

Su Bai leaned back in his seat, watching the scenery fly by outside the car window, thinking to himself.

Since the great journalist Xu was showing so much sincerity, he couldn't be too stingy either.

Once he returned from the magic city, this dinner, this date, or even a rehearsal for that baby-making plan...

Could certainly be arranged.

"Boss, what are you smiling about?"

Li Xingya leaned over from the backseat and asked curiously.

"Nothing."

Su Bai snapped back to reality. Glancing through the rearview mirror at the three uniquely charming beauties, a satisfied smile played at the corners of his lips.

"I was just thinking about what delicious food we should go eat tonight to celebrate."

"Celebrate what?"

"Celebrate... the start of construction on our private territory."