124: Chapter 124 The Conflict at the Night Bar (Part 5)

At this moment, on the first floor of Nightlife Bar, Zhao Lintai strolled in. His gaze swept through the bar's decor and atmosphere with great interest, and the corners of his mouth curled into a faint smile.

Just then, Xiao Dao came trotting over to Zhao Lintai's side, his face covered in a fawning smile. He bowed his body slightly like a pug eager to please, his eyes shimmering with sycophancy and awe. "Boss, you're here... You should have told me in advance so I could have come out to give you a grand welcome."

"Haha, there's no need for a welcome. Xiao Dao, you're managing this bar quite well; you must be making a lot of money every night, right?" Zhao Lintai said with a laugh, his tone carrying a hint of teasing. However, his eyes revealed a flicker of imperceptible sharpness as he tested Xiao Dao.

"Hehe, Boss, you're joking." Xiao Dao chuckled, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes. He lowered his voice and continued, "You know me; I opened this bar purely to attract customers for the gambling den. As long as I don't lose money, it's fine; making a profit is secondary." As he spoke, he even gave a conspiratorial wink.

"You certainly talk a good game, but I wonder how the actual work is going..." Zhao Lintai said nonchalantly, his tone playful. Yet, his eyes remained fixed on Xiao Dao, as if trying to read something from his expression.

"Boss, rest assured, I've handled everything you entrusted to me exactly according to your wishes." As Xiao Dao spoke, he immediately straightened his back and patted his chest with an air of confidence. However, his face still maintained that fawning smile as he continued with a smirk, "So, how about I give you a report on my work, Boss?"

"Haha," Zhao Lintai laughed, his eyes full of mockery as he looked at Xiao Dao and asked with a smile, "You're planning to give me a report while standing right here?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. Boss, shall we go to a suite or sit in the office?" Xiao Dao asked hurriedly, his tone filled with urgency and a desire to please. He leaned forward slightly, seemingly afraid of displeasing Zhao Lintai.

"Let's go to the office first. Are the recent ledgers ready?" Zhao Lintai asked in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Don't worry, Boss. Knowing you were coming to Shanghai, I had them ready early this morning, just waiting for you to audit them." Xiao Dao responded quickly. At the same time, he silently patted himself on the back for his prior preparations, a smug smile appearing on his face.

"Mm, well done. Let's go then, and see those ledgers you've organized!" Zhao Lintai said, stepping toward the office. Xiao Dao followed like a servant, his body slightly bowed as he led the way.

Once they entered Xiao Dao's office and the door was shut, the cacophony of the nightclub was sealed outside.

Zhao Lintai sat in Xiao Dao's office chair, propped his legs up on the desk, and looked at Xiao Dao, reaching out his hand. "Where are the ledgers? Bring them out for me to see."

Xiao Dao did not dare to hesitate. He immediately pulled a key from his pocket, opened the bottom drawer of the desk, and respectfully handed the thick ledger to Zhao Lintai with both hands, his face still wearing that fawning smile. "Hehe, please have a look, Boss."

Zhao Lintai took the ledger and began flipping through it seemingly at random, yet his gaze was exceptionally sharp.

Xiao Dao stood to the side, a flash of cunning in his eyes as he said with a grin, "Boss, actually, I've prepared a good show for today. I wonder if you'd be interested in taking a look?"

"Oh? What kind of show?" Zhao Lintai's hands didn't stop as he continued flipping through the ledger. He asked casually, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

Smiling, Xiao Dao took the mouse by Zhao Lintai's feet and moved it a couple of times on the desk. The monitor lit up, displaying the scene inside the Imperial Suite.

Zhao Lintai glanced at the screen and saw a woman in a dress sitting on the sofa in the suite. Her figure and appearance were quite attractive. His gaze lingered on the screen for a few seconds before he looked at Xiao Dao, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Zhao Lintai naturally knew that this woman was likely the bait to hook that kid named Qin tonight, but he feigned ignorance. With a tone of teasing and mockery, he asked, "What's this? Do you have a hobby for voyeurism?"

"Hehe, Boss, you've misunderstood... It's like this," Xiao Dao explained quickly. He then gave Zhao Lintai a brief report on the friction between Qin Yi and Wang Hao.

After hearing this, Zhao Lintai's lips curled into a smile as he inquired, "This Wang Hao is Wang Hongtai's son, right?"

"Exactly, Boss, it's his son. However, this Wang Hao isn't nearly as difficult to deal with as his old man. That kid is just a shameless rich second-generation brat. This woman was already with Wang Hao, but to think he'd actually be willing to hand her over to someone else." As he spoke, the fawning smile returned to Xiao Dao's face as he looked at Zhao Lintai sycophantically. "Boss, I see this chick is quite pretty. If you like her, I'll have her sent to you once things are finished..."

"Hmph," Zhao Lintai snorted coldly. His expression darkened as he looked at Xiao Dao with disdain and indifference. He said in a deep voice, "What? Do I look like I'm that desperate? A second-hand item like this is fit to be with me?"

Xiao Dao was stunned, and his face quickly became awkward and nervous. He hurriedly waved his hands to explain, "Uh, Boss, please don't be angry. This was indeed a lack of consideration on my part. I just saw she was good-looking and had a great figure, so I thought of showing my respect to you... I really didn't mean anything else..."

"Fine, watching the show you've directed is acceptable. As for this woman, if you like her, take her for yourself! I have no interest!" Zhao Lintai said, continuing to flip through the recent ledgers with his legs still propped up.

"Yes, yes. Then please go ahead and look, Boss. I'll go have someone bring you a few bottles of fine wine..." Xiao Dao said hurriedly.

"Mm, go on," Zhao Lintai replied flatly.

After Xiao Dao left, Zhao Lintai looked up. He reached out across the computer monitor and touched the woman on the screen, shaking his head with a laugh. "She is quite good-looking, but it's a pity she followed the wrong man! What a waste of a beautiful shell..." His tone carried a mix of pity and mockery.

Then, he went back to flipping through the ledgers with his legs up, no longer paying attention to the woman on the screen.

...

Meanwhile, Qin Yi's group of two cars slowly drove into the underground garage of the Shenjiangwan Community.

After Qin Yi settled the fees with the two designated drivers, they politely took their leave. The group of five then headed toward the elevator lobby of Building 7.

Qin Yi walked at the front of the group, occasionally turning back to chat with his parents and his sister, Qin Xiaoyue. He was all smiles. Xu Qian followed closely by Qin Yi's side like a devoted woman, a faint smile constantly on her face.

The elevator doors slid open, and the five filed in. Xu Qian familiarly pressed the buttons for the 32nd and 33rd floors, the elevator lights reflecting on her soft features. Soon, the elevator reached the 32nd floor. Xu Qian stepped out first, turned to face Qin Yi's parents, and said in a gentle yet slightly reluctant tone, "Uncle, Auntie, it's getting late. I won't go up and disturb you. Please get some rest early."

"Alright, Qianqian, you should rest early too; you have to work tomorrow. Come up and visit when you're off next time. I'll cook some of my specialty dishes for you." Wu Xiuhua was all smiles, her eyes full of affection for Xu Qian, as if she already considered her part of the family.

To everyone's surprise, Qin Yi also stepped out of the elevator at that moment. He naturally took Xu Qian's hand and said to the three inside the elevator, "Dad, Mom, I won't be going back to stay tonight. You guys rest early. Xiao Yue, you rest early too."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the elevator froze. Qin Xiaoyue's eyes widened, and she looked at Qin Yi and Xu Qian in shock. She was about to say something, but she saw that Qin Yi was already pulling Xu Qian away, walking hurriedly toward her door, leaving only the sound of receding footsteps.

The elevator doors slowly closed. Qin Xiaoyue had a look of dissatisfaction on her face as she looked huffily at Wu Xiuhua and Qin Jianye. She pointed a small hand at the closed elevator doors and complained, "Auntie, look at him! He's really someone who forgets his family for a woman. Now that he has a girlfriend, he's forgotten about his sister!" Although she was complaining, a hint of an imperceptible smile was hidden in her eyes; she clearly wasn't truly angry.

Hearing this, Wu Xiuhua couldn't help but laugh. She gently patted the back of Qin Xiaoyue's hand and comforted her, "Haha, alright, alright. Your brother and Qianqian are in the middle of a honeymoon phase. We should give them more time alone to enjoy themselves."

"Hmph, I don't care. He's just a stinky brother who values women over his sister!" Qin Xiaoyue grumbled. Though her face showed dissatisfaction, in her heart, she was happy that her brother had found happiness.

As the elevator doors opened again, the three stepped out, opened their door, and entered the apartment.

On the other side, Qin Yi followed Xu Qian into her apartment. He took a turn around the rooms to familiarize himself with the environment, then nodded in satisfaction with a smile of approval. "The layout is quite good and very reasonable. How is it, Qianqian? Are you used to living here?"

"Mm, this place is much better than my previous home," Xu Qian replied with a smile. She proactively approached Qin Yi, wrapping her arms gently around his waist. Her cheeks were flushed crimson from the alcohol at dinner, and her eyes were hazy and tender. She continued, "Young Master Qin, thank you..."

"Thank you for wha—" Qin Yi was about to respond when he was interrupted by Xu Qian's sudden kiss.

Her lips were soft and warm, carrying an irresistible sweetness. Qin Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately held Xu Qian's waist tightly. Their lips pressed together firmly, as if the entire world had come to a standstill.

However, just as this passionate moment reached its peak, Qin Yi's phone rang at an inopportune time.

That abrupt ringtone was like a sharp knife, instantly pulling Qin Yi back to reality from his daze. He frowned helplessly, a hint of apology welling up in his heart. He remembered that there were more important things to do tonight, so he released his hold on Xu Qian's waist, reached into his pocket, and pulled out his phone.

When he saw the caller ID was indeed Shen Jianan's name, his heart skipped. He hurried to separate from Xu Qian, showing her the caller ID on the screen. With a tone of helplessness and apology, he said softly, "Qianqian, I need to take this call first; it might be something urgent. Wait for me for a moment..."

Hearing this, the flush on Xu Qian's face deepened. She nodded shyly, a flash of disappointment in her eyes. But she quickly adjusted her emotions, pointed toward the bathroom, and whispered, "Then I'll... go take a shower first... and wait for you... Remember to be quick." With that, she turned and left the living room, leaving Qin Yi with a glimpse of her slender figure.

Qin Yi watched Xu Qian leave before answering the phone.

As soon as the call connected, Shen Jianan's slightly anxious voice came through: "Qin Yi, Young Master Qin, is your family gathering still not over? I've been waiting so long that the flowers have withered!"

Hearing this, a helpless smile curled on Qin Yi's lips. He shook his head gently and replied, "Hehe, don't worry, it just ended. What's the situation over there?"

Then, Shen Jianan repeated the information she had received from Su Mo to Qin Yi...