126: Chapter 126 My Cousin's Nightclub Invitation

"Paradise" was the biggest money-burning pit in Yunzhou, with more sports cars parked at its entrance than at an auto show.

The massive bass waves felt like an invisible hand, trying to claw your heart out of your chest and squeeze it. The air was thick with the scent of expensive perfume, alcohol, and the restless tang of hormones.

Chen Muyang followed Chen Haoyu through the dance floor. The men and women writhing wildly on the stage looked no different to him than live fish flopping on a butcher's block in a wet market.

"Brother Yang! Over here!"

Chen Haoyu, as if returning to his happy stomping grounds, expertly pushed open the glass door to the largest VIP booth on the second floor. The noise was instantly cut in half, but the atmosphere inside was no less intense than outside.

The table was covered with bottles of Ace of Spades, arranged like bottled water. Three or four young men dressed in flashy clothes were sprawled on the sofas, surrounded by a circle of long-legged beauties in skirts so short they'd risk a wardrobe malfunction with the slightest move.

"Let me introduce everyone!" Chen Haoyu threw an arm around Chen Muyang's shoulders, his voice loud enough for the whole room to hear, "This is my first cousin, Chen Muyang! From now on, in Yunzhou, seeing him is like seeing me... no, like seeing my Second Uncle!"

The few rich second-generation heirs who had been flirting with the girls beside them immediately straightened up upon hearing this. Everyone had heard about the fanfare surrounding Chen Fan's return to Yunzhou; this one was the genuine "Crown Prince."

"Young Master Yang! I've heard so much about you!" A chubby guy with dyed yellow hair was the first to raise his glass, his face wreathed in smiles, "I'm Li Kai, my family's in logistics. If you ever need anything, just say the word!"

The others chimed in, offering cigarettes and pouring drinks.

Chen Muyang didn't accept the cigarette, nor did he drink the glass of alcohol offered to his lips. He found a seat at the very edge and sat down, adjusted his glasses, and swept a cool gaze over the people at the table.

"I'm still in school, I don't smoke," Chen Muyang offered a casual excuse, pulling a bottle of his own mineral water from his pocket and unscrewing the cap.

If anyone else had done this, it would have been seen as disrespectful, grounds for a fight. But when he did it, these rich heirs instead saw it as "strict upbringing," as "refined purity," and they all nodded and bowed, saying, "Good habit, good habit."

After several rounds of drinks, the atmosphere warmed up.

The booth door was pushed open again, and a wave of heavy, powdery perfume hit them.

Four tall, slender girls walked in. The one leading them wore a tight, sequined halter dress, had wavy hair, and her makeup was so precise it looked like she'd just stepped off a magazine page.

"Oh, Young Master Kai, Brother Haoyu, you've got a new friend?"

The sequined girl's eyes darted around, her gaze accurately locking onto Chen Muyang, who sat in the corner with the iciest demeanor.

She'd seen plenty of these scenes. The loud, boisterous ones were usually upstarts or hangers-on. The ones sitting quietly in the corner, drinking water, were often the real big shots.

She swayed her hips over and, without waiting for Chen Muyang's consent, plopped down right beside him, her thigh deliberately brushing against his pants.

"Handsome, why are you drinking water all alone?" The sequined girl picked up a glass of champagne, her body going soft and boneless as she leaned into Chen Muyang, "I'm Coco, wanna be friends?"

Chen Muyang shifted to the side. Coco leaned into empty air, almost tumbling over the arm of the sofa.

The situation became extremely awkward.

Just as Chen Haoyu was about to smooth things over, Chen Muyang spoke.

"Your nose is newly done, right?" Chen Muyang stared at her profile, his tone as flat as if discussing a geometry problem, "The implant is a bit translucent. I'd advise against drinking alcohol for three months; it's prone to inflammation."

Coco's smile froze on her face. She instinctively covered her nose: "You... what are you talking about? I'm all natural!"

"And this bag of yours." Chen Muyang's gaze fell on the Hermès Birkin bag she'd placed on the table, "The wear on the hardware doesn't match the aging of the leather. Didn't you check when you rented it? If they make you pay for these scratches, your appearance fee tonight might not cover it."

Dead silence fell over the table.

Li Kai forgot to put down his glass. Chen Haoyu's mouth hung open, staring at his cousin as if he were an alien.

Coco's face turned beet red, the thick layer of foundation unable to hide it. She had indeed rented the bag with a few sisters, hoping to snag a wealthy catch tonight. She never expected to be completely exposed the moment she walked in.

"You... you're so rude!" Coco said furiously, grabbing her bag to leave.

"Wait."

Chen Muyang stopped her.

A flicker of hope rose in Coco's heart. She thought this rich young master was playing hard to get and was about to turn back and strike a pose.

"Your stockings have a run." Chen Muyang pointed at her calf, "For disposable items of this quality, go to the wholesale market next time. They're 1.8 RMB a pair on Pinduoduo; no need to skimp."

"Pfft—" Li Kai spat out his drink.

Coco couldn't stay a second longer. Stomping her foot, she covered her face and rushed out of the booth. The other three aspiring "socialites" who had been eager now looked at each other, none daring to approach Chen Muyang, afraid he'd calculate the wholesale price of their lingerie.

"Incredible!" Chen Haoyu gave a thumbs-up, "Brother Yang, you're the man! That was Coco, known as Yunzhou's 'Man-Slayer.' She didn't even last a single round with you!"

Chen Muyang took a sip of his mineral water, his expression indifferent.

"It's not that I'm amazing, it's that they're too unprofessional." Chen Muyang fiddled with the bottle cap in his hand, "If you want to snatch meat from a wolf's mouth, you should at least wear the sheepskin properly. Fakes that obvious can only fool people like you..."

He paused, sweeping a glance over everyone present.

"...kind-hearted folks with too much money to spend."

Far from being angry, Li Kai and the others laughed even harder. In their eyes, being called "kind-hearted" by someone of Chen Muyang's caliber was a form of recognition, proof they were in the same circle.

In the later hours of the night, empty bottles littered the table.

The rich heirs had taken the remaining girls to dance on the floor, leaving only Chen Haoyu and Chen Muyang in the booth.

Chen Haoyu was quite drunk, his tie askew, face flushed. He shed his earlier boisterous demeanor, his eyes becoming somewhat cloudy and unfocused.

He shuffled over to Chen Muyang, slinging an arm over his shoulder, his breath reeking of alcohol.

"Brother Yang... hic!" Chen Haoyu hiccuped, "Actually, I asked you here tonight not just to have fun. I wanted you to meet these people. These bastards might seem unreliable, but they have connections in every industry in Yunzhou. For Second Uncle to establish himself here in the future... these kinds of people... need to be utilized."

Chen Muyang looked at his cousin with some surprise. He had originally thought he was just a good-for-nothing playboy, but it seemed he had a clear head on his shoulders.

"I know," Chen Muyang nodded.

"There's one more thing..." Chen Haoyu suddenly lowered his voice, leaning close to Chen Muyang's ear. His tone sounded somewhat sinister, "You think our Second Uncle is sitting pretty now? Bullshit! These past few days, running errands for Second Uncle, I've noticed something's off."

Chen Muyang's eyes sharpened. He put down his water bottle: "What's off?"

Chen Haoyu grabbed a bottle from the table and took a big swig, as if fortifying himself with courage.

"Back in our Chen family hometown, there are still a few distant branch relatives. When Second Uncle was poor, they stayed farther away than ghosts. Now that Second Uncle's made it big, these bloodsuckers have caught the scent."

Chen Haoyu let out a cold laugh, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"I heard from friends on the street that there's one called Chen Jianye... by seniority, he's your uncle. That bastard has been privately hiring people to look into Second Uncle's taxes lately, and he's been getting cozy with the bosses of a few small companies that were acquired by the Huihuang Group. They're trying to... trying to stir up trouble."

Chen Muyang's fingers tapped lightly on the glass tabletop, emitting a rhythmic *tap-tap* sound.

Chen Jianye?

He had some impression of that name. Five years ago, when his father was down and out, this Chen Jianye had led the ridicule in the village, saying Chen Fan was a hopeless loser who would never amount to anything.

"Investigating taxes?" A cold curve lifted the corner of Chen Muyang's mouth. The laser lights from the dance floor reflected off his glasses, "Every cent of my father's money can withstand scrutiny. But since they dare to reach out their hands..."

Chen Haoyu shivered. At this moment, in this nineteen-year-old cousin of his, he saw a killing intent more terrifying than even that of Second Uncle Chen Fan.

"Brother Yang, what do you want to do?" Chen Haoyu swallowed.

Chen Muyang stood up, straightened his denim jacket which had no wrinkles, and looked down at the bleary-eyed Chen Haoyu.

"No rush."

He picked up the half-finished bottle of Ace of Spades on the table and casually poured it into the nearby trash can.

"First, make me a list of these names. Since they want to play, I'll play a big game with them. Coincidentally, I've been researching a new game lately—it's called 'Family Match-3.'"