109: Chapter 109 New School Circles and Old School Circles

Su Ye's mind raced, then he said, "Sister Xi, this is my first time here. Just now, Brother Chen and Brother Ze told me that getting a membership card here requires recommendations from two members, but I think that's too much trouble. Since you're the manager here and my good sister, why don't you just give me one?"

Luo Xi watched Su Ye looking at her with an "innocent" expression and silently cursed him as a little fox in her heart. Was a membership card for the Black Pearl really that easy to get?

The threshold was simple, yet not so simple. Just as Su Ye had said, recommendations from two members were the primary requirement, but there was another point: a 3 million entry fee and an annual fee of 380,000.

What kind of caliber were the Black Pearl members? Most of them were billionaires on average. After all, consumption at the Black Pearl was not cheap. Setting aside the nearly 400,000 annual fee, a single visit would cost at least six figures, and that was without touching any of the really big expenses.

After all, the real big money for the Black Pearl was in the yacht auctions. Items at a single auction could easily go for tens or hundreds of millions. Only they knew how much they charged in commissions, how much Sothebys took, and how much the Black Pearl kept.

And now, with one sentence, Su Ye wanted to waive the 3 million entry fee and the 380,000 annual fee. The question was, would she give it or not? If she brought up money, would they still be good sister and little brother? Forget about that after that.

If she didn't talk about money, she would have to pay the 3.38 million herself, or waive it for Su Ye. Did she, Luo Xi, have that authority? To put it nicely, she was a mistress and a manager; she had a little bit of power, but she likely didn't have the authority to waive 3.38 million. Moreover, she didn't dare set such a precedent. If she did, how would she handle it the next time Chen Ze, Yu Chen, or Su Ye brought more people?

Continue being the "good sister"? That would mean taking out real money. If she didn't? How would she explain the differential treatment? She wouldn't have made a friend, but would have offended someone instead.

Luo Xi realized Su Ye was not someone to be trifled with and didn't dare to keep playing games, fearing she might end up trapped herself. "Mr. Su, you must be joking. You might not know that in addition to the recommendations, there is a 3 million entry fee and a 380,000 annual fee. As a mere manager, I can't make that call."

Seeing the mix of resentment and playful reproach in Luo Xi's eyes, Su Ye smiled. "Is that so? It seems Brother Chen hadn't finished telling me earlier. No problem, just bring the card over later, Manager Luo, and I'll swipe it."

Yu Chen secretly gave Su Ye a thumbs-up behind his back. Not many people could make Luo Xi come out on the losing end in just a few sentences. A fresh brain really was useful.

"Ahem, anyway, Manager Luo, the auction out back is starting soon, right? We should head over, or we might miss it."

Chen Ze, who had walked over, also added, "That's right. I heard that Deng Hua, Luo Bing, and Liu Yong are also here. It seems like it'll be quite lively this time."

Luo Xi smiled and added, "Not just those few. That young master from the Qiao family is here, too."

Chen Ze's gaze sharpened. "Who? Qiao Wen?"

Luo Xi nodded slightly. Yu Chen, standing to the side, felt a bit of irritation. "That means it's not just Qiao Wen, but Liu Yi is here too, right?"

Luo Xi covered her mouth and chuckled. "Brother Chen is certainly well-informed."

After saying that, she wiggled her hips and led the way forward.

Su Ye looked at Chen Ze's darkened face and asked curiously, "Brother Chen, do Brother Ze and that Qiao Wen have a grudge?"

Yu Chen wasn't as cheerful as he had been at the start. "Sigh, it's not exactly a grudge, just mutual dislike. There are circles everywhere, with smaller circles nested inside larger ones. For example, A-Ze, myself, and Deng Hua, Luo Bing, and Liu Yong—we all belong to the same small circle. People in our circle are a bit more old-school: get married, have kids, and slowly take over the group. I'm a bit older and have more resources, so I'm considered the big brother."

"People like Liu Yi, Qiao Wen, and a few others prefer the 'seize the day' approach. Plus, they rely on being a few years younger and having money and connections from their families, so they like to play with different things. They especially love playing with things like your Family Office. After all, they don't have any real skills themselves; they were just born into a good family."

Su Ye looked at Yu Chen and made two gestures. "Playing with this?"

Chen Ze turned his head and laughed, scolding him. "What are you thinking, Ye-zi? This is Daxia, not abroad. At most, they just mess around in the gray areas. They basically won't touch anything that's actually illegal or criminal, especially the big taboos. They like to have fun, but they aren't stupid."

He then gave a disdainful smile. "The kind of stuff you're talking about that affects your lifespan? They haven't had enough fun yet; they don't want to kick the bucket. Who knows if they'll have such good luck in their next life?"

Su Ye thought that made sense. Generally, these second-generation heirs weren't that brainless. He then asked curiously, "So, Brother Chen is the leader of our circle, who is the leader of theirs?"

Hearing Su Ye say "our circle," the two big brothers felt pleased: Their hearts were greatly comforted.

"Liu Yi is the leader of their circle. You know Baiheng Pharmaceuticals, right? The one with a market value of over 100 billion? His family owns 55% of the shares. As for Qiao Wen, his family is with Tianke Pharmaceuticals, and they have over 30% of the shares. Their circle is mostly pharmaceutical-related and capital-focused, while our circle is mostly focused on real industry."

Su Ye finally understood. It was capital looking down on real industry—a clash between new concepts and old ones.

At this moment, Luo Xi had already led Su Ye and the others to the edge of Lake Lu. A cruise ship, of a model Su Ye didn't recognize, was docked there. On the terrace in front of the pier, two groups of people were sitting separately, clearly divided. On the left, near the entrance, sat five or six young men around thirty years old. They had a steady temperament, were dressed in a fairly standard and proper manner, and spoke to each other with grace.

On the right side sat two tables with seven or eight people in their twenties and thirties. They were louder, dressed in more trendy clothing, and the topics they were discussing were audible to Su Ye: which club was fun, which girl was pretty, which car they had bought, and so on.

The people on the left stood up to greet them as soon as they saw Yu Chen and Chen Ze arrive. "Brother Chen, you're here. Haven't seen you in a long time." "Brother Ze, how are things at home?" "Brother Chen, Brother Ze, are Anan and Xiaoxiao doing okay?" "Brother Ze, I was planning to go to your place tomorrow to visit the old man; I didn't expect to see you today."

Chen Ze and Yu Chen also greeted them with smiles and then introduced them one by one. "This is Deng Hua. His family is in the food business. That popular 'Hao Hao Jia' brand sold outside is theirs."

Su Ye greeted him with a smile. "Brother Hua!"

Deng Hua was a slightly chubby man with an honest, simple look, wearing black-rimmed glasses. He didn't look like an executive or the heir to a 10-billion-dollar company at all; instead, he looked like a nerd.

Hearing Su Ye's voice, he smiled and nodded. "Hello."

Everyone present was older than Su Ye, so it was appropriate for him to call them "Brother." Su Ye didn't mind that at all.