Feng Yue walked into the restaurant with the woman beside her, and Qian Gang, who had been standing in the lobby, immediately greeted them with a beaming smile.
Xu Mu was too far away to hear their conversation.
However, through his perception, he could roughly guess they were just exchanging pleasantries.
Afterward, Qian Gang led Feng Yue and the other woman upstairs.
Qian Gang remained there, waiting quietly—clearly for Chen Bei.
Xu Mu continued observing and noticed Feng Yue went to the fifth floor, though the private room had changed to the one next to the previous one.
About ten minutes later, a BMW X5 pulled up at the entrance, and Chen Bei stepped out.
The moment Qian Gang saw Chen Bei, he immediately went out to welcome him with a smile. "Old Chen! You’re finally here. I’ve been waiting forever."
"Old Qian, what’s going on? Why the sudden invitation to dinner?" Chen Bei asked with a grin.
"It’s been too long since we last had a meal together. Come inside first, and we’ll talk there."
Qian Gang grabbed Chen Bei’s arm and led him into the restaurant.
Xu Mu didn’t rush to act. Only after sensing they had entered the private room did he follow them inside.
The moment he stepped in, a waitress approached him with a smile.
"I’m here to meet someone."
Before Xu Mu could finish speaking, he spotted a familiar face—the young man who had previously worked for him.
He immediately walked over and stood in front of the young man. "Come with me."
The young man recognized Xu Mu and followed him outside the restaurant. Once there, he asked, "Sir, what do you need?"
"Here’s your payment. Same as before—five thousand."
Xu Mu handed a listening device to the young man. "Room number 520."
The young man was stunned. He hadn’t even spent the five thousand from yesterday, and now another five thousand? Was money really this easy to make?
"What? Not interested?"
Seeing his lack of reaction, Xu Mu couldn’t help but ask.
"No, of course I’ll do it. You’re always so generous, sir. Leave it to me."
The young man nodded slightly.
Without hesitation, Xu Mu found the previous transaction record and transferred another five thousand to him.
Seeing the money arrive, the young man flashed a smile before turning back toward the restaurant.
Xu Mu, meanwhile, headed to a nearby bank. At this hour, it was already closed.
He sat on the steps, connecting the listening device to his phone.
Holding the phone to his ear to give the illusion of a call, he focused his perception on the private room.
...
"Gentlemen, this is our signature dish. Please enjoy."
The young man, just as before, carefully placed the dishes on the table before leaving.
"Old Qian, what’s going on? Did you get a new wife?" Chen Bei teased with a smirk.
"Don’t talk nonsense. Let me introduce you—this is Feng Yue, owner of Moonlight Bar."
Qian Gang pointed at Feng Yue.
Feng Yue smiled politely and said, "Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Chen. This is my sister, Zhou Wen. She owns a beauty salon."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Chen."
Zhou Wen offered a mature, charming smile.
There was no denying it—women like her were like poison to men like Qian Gang and Chen Bei.
"Nice to meet you both."
Chen Bei played dumb, turning to Qian Gang with a questioning look. "So, what’s really going on?"
"Between brothers, I won’t lie to you."
Qian Gang poured Chen Bei a glass of wine. "But let’s drink first. We’ll talk after a few rounds."
"What’s this about? You’re making me nervous."
Chen Bei frowned.
"Mr. Chen, I’ve heard from Mr. Qian that you’re a man of great capacity. Let me toast you first."
Zhou Wen raised her glass and downed it in one go.
Seeing this, Qian Gang patted Chen Bei’s shoulder. "Don’t embarrass me now. She drank first—you can’t refuse a few glasses, can you?"
Chen Bei had no choice but to drink along.
After several rounds, everyone at the table was slightly tipsy.
Qian Gang, sensing the right moment, let out a heavy sigh before speaking. "Old Chen, I’ve made a mistake. I need your help!"
Chen Bei furrowed his brows. "What happened?"
"The formula materials Mr. Xu entrusted me to safeguard—I let someone else get their hands on them."
Qian Gang wiped his face with his hand.
"So that’s why the prices suddenly spiked these past few days. It was you!"
Though Chen Bei already knew, having worked with Xu Shou for so long, he knew how to keep his composure.
His face was a picture of shock.
"I had no choice. I was threatened. You know my son—he’s no better than Xu Mu. Someone set him up. If I didn’t hand it over, he’d go to prison!"
Qian Gang downed another glass of liquor.
"Old Qian, you know the Chairman’s temperament. Given our history, he’ll forgive you if you just admit your mistake. Go apologize."
Chen Bei patted Qian Gang’s shoulder. "Even if they have the materials, without the exact process and ratios, replicating it won’t be easy."
"It’s too late. The evidence against my son is still in their hands."
Qian Gang grabbed Chen Bei’s shoulders. "Brother, I’m begging you—give me the documents you have."
"Qian Gang! Have you lost your mind? You want me to betray the company too?"
Chen Bei’s expression darkened.
As seasoned veterans, they both knew it would be suspicious if Chen Bei handed over the documents too easily.
"I’m begging you. I just want to save my son! I swear, if you give me the documents, I’ll hand over everything I own to you."
Qian Gang stood up and bowed deeply. "Brother, please!"
"No! This isn’t negotiable. I’ve been loyal to the Chairman for decades. I won’t betray him!"
Chen Bei rose abruptly.
Before coming, he had spoken to Xu Shou on the phone and shared his plan—to reject Qian Gang outright during the first meeting and leave immediately.
Xu Shou had agreed. Only by being resolute would they not suspect the falsified documents later.
But just as Chen Bei stood up, his vision blurred, and he collapsed back into his seat.
"Old Qian… the wine… it’s drugged…"
Chen Bei struggled to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids refused to obey.
"Old Chen, I’m sorry. The wine was fine—it was your glass."
Qian Gang sighed deeply. "I know you too well. You’d never give them to me willingly, so I had to resort to this."
"What are you planning to do to me?"
Chen Bei was stunned. He never expected Qian Gang to be this ruthless—drugging him at their first meeting.
"Sister Zhou Wen here will take some… intimate photos with you. If you refuse, those photos will be leaked."
Qian Gang’s expression was cold. "Your wife, Xu Shou—everyone will see them. You’ll be ruined."
"Qian Gang! After twenty years of friendship, this is how you treat me?" Chen Bei roared.
"I’m sorry. I really have no choice."
Qian Gang exhaled heavily.
At the same time, Chen Bei slumped forward onto the table, unconscious.
...
Watching from afar, Xu Mu shook his head slightly. The saying was true—business was war.
He was considering whether to go to the rescue.

young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."

iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.

ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!

ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"