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.
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
