"Alright, I won't stand on ceremony with you. I have things to do today, I’ll treat you to a proper meal another day!"

Liu Xiaotang let out a loud laugh, lightly clapping Zhang Yang on the shoulder before turning back toward Zhou Yichen and the middle-aged man.

Returning was only a couple of steps; Zhang Yang and his group were just ascending the stairs, while Zhou Yichen stood slightly below, near the bottom landing, in the exact opposite position from before.

Zhang Yang glanced over at Zhou Yichen. Zhou Yichen’s eyes immediately flickered away. Just moments ago, Zhou Yichen had been secretly watching Zhang Yang, his gaze brimming with resentment.

"Let's go up," Zhang Yang said with a gentle shake of his head, then addressed the woman in the black uniform, "We’re heading up." The woman in black swiftly agreed and quickly moved toward the upper floor.

Once Zhang Yang and his party were gone, Liu Xiaotang turned to the middle-aged man. "Mr. Zhou, my apologies. Seeing an acquaintance, I had to stop and say hello!"

"No trouble at all, Captain Liu, your matters are paramount!" The middle-aged man quickly forced a fawning smile, though this one held a touch more exasperation than before. He also glanced toward Zhou Yichen, a hint of annoyance in his eyes.

Zhou Yichen himself was utterly bewildered. This Captain Liu was the head of the City Criminal Police Detachment. The middle-aged man, named Zhou Ming, was his actual uncle, who managed a string of entertainment venues—several nightclubs—making him a reasonably well-known figure in Changjing.

Zhou Yichen’s father was also a businessman, but in the more conventional liquor distribution trade, primarily supplying his elder brother. Zhou Yichen’s usual confidence stemmed entirely from this uncle. Zhou Ming had three daughters; having been unable to father a son after his daughters were born due to youthful indiscretions, he had decided to treat his nephew, Zhou Yichen, as his own son. Most of Zhou Yichen’s expenses were covered by his uncle.

Today, Zhou Ming was treating Captain Liu to dinner. Thinking that Zhou Yichen was smooth with words and a decent drinker, he had brought his nephew along to keep company and perhaps introduce him to useful connections. He hadn't expected that the group his nephew had just scornfully mocked were acquaintances of Captain Liu, and seemingly on good terms with him. The realization caused a prickle of irritation in Zhou Ming’s gut. His establishments were currently under investigation for illicit sexual activity, and his two biggest nightclubs had been temporarily shut down. He was entertaining Liu Xiaotang today precisely to use Liu’s influence to try and smooth things over.

Zhang Yang, unaware of this subplot, was leading Hu Xin and the others into a plush, spacious private room.

The main room was indeed vast, easily fifty square meters, dominated by a massive table capable of seating fifteen. Sofas and coffee tables furnished the periphery. The entire space was decorated in opulent gold and jade tones. Once inside, Hu Xin and his companions sat down cautiously, barely daring to move, appearing exceedingly reserved.

"Little Boss, how would you like to order?" After ensuring Zhang Yang and his group were settled, the woman in the black uniform approached Zhang Yang, holding the menu, and spoke quietly while bending low before him. As she spoke, she shot Zhang Yang a flirtatious glance. Zhang Yang paid little attention, but the nearby Mi Xue pouted, turning her head away in annoyance.

However, as the woman leaned in, the fullness straining against her uniform became immediately apparent, catching the eyes of Hu Xin and Gu Cheng sitting beside her. Both men were momentarily stunned, almost bleeding from the nose.

"There are only a few of us. You decide; just prepare a set menu suitable for our party," Zhang Yang took the menu, scanned it briefly, and tossed it onto the table. The names on the menu were bewildering—things like 'Immortal Points the Way' or 'Golden Rooster Fights Centipede.' Zhang Yang immediately lost interest. He realized he’d forgotten that in this era, many restaurants liked to give dishes bizarre names to attract attention. In truth, many were just simple items; for instance, a dish called 'Treading Snow in Search of Plum Blossoms' was nothing more than shredded white radish sprinkled with chili—as basic as it gets.

Under the circumstances, he preferred letting them recommend something; a restaurant this lavish must have a few signature dishes.

The woman in black paused to consider, then suggested, "Very well. There are six of you. I recommend the Bird's Nest and Fish Maw Set for 258 per person, which includes shark's fin and bird's nest, along with twelve main courses!"

"That sounds fine. But I suspect that doesn't meet your minimum requirement. Bring two bottles of 'Long Chuan' 1982 vintage as well." Zhang Yang nodded with a slight smile. The woman in black looked surprised for a moment before quickly responding, "We don't have the '82 Long Chuan, sir, only the '90 vintage. Will that suffice?"

"Then bring the '90 vintage," Zhang Yang replied with a slight smile. The woman in black stared at him for a moment, slightly dazed, before snapping back to attention and hurriedly nodding, "Yes, the '90 Long Chuan is 380 a bottle. Two bottles, I'll have them brought up immediately!"

"Three hundred and eighty a bottle? That expensive?" Hearing the price, Hu Xin and Gu Cheng immediately pulled their eyes away from the woman. Hu Xin couldn't help but stick out his tongue and mutter under his breath. The real reason they looked away, however, was that once Zhang Yang ordered, the woman had stood upright, making her prominent assets vanish from view.

But the two quickly noticed that both Xiao Dai and Nan Nan nearby were staring at them with wide, glaring eyes. As Gu Cheng started to turn toward Nan Nan, she immediately spun her head away, presenting him with the back of her head. Xiao Dai glared fiercely at Hu Xin, silently forming a few words that Hu Xin couldn't decipher. If he had understood them, he probably would have bolted. Xiao Dai was silently mouthing, 'You're dead, I’m going to skin you alive.'

"Everything you ordered will be brought up shortly. Little Boss, here is my business card. If you visit again, you can contact me anytime; there are discounts!" The woman in the black uniform retrieved a shiny gold card from her person and slipped it directly into Zhang Yang's hand, giving him one last sultry smile before swaying her hips out of the luxurious private room.

Zhang Yang looked up at her retreating figure, a hint of weariness on his face. When the woman slipped the card into his palm, she had secretly scratched his hand—it was ticklish. Unfortunately, her little tricks were useless against Zhang Yang; he wouldn't be swayed by her intentional provocation. His life experience from a past existence was enough for him to handle anyone here.

"Was she pretty? Were they big?" As soon as the woman left the door, Xiao Dai demanded of Hu Xin, her face looking quite ferocious.

"Yeah, they were quite big!" Hu Xin replied reflexively, momentarily stunned. The image of those two pale mounds flashed in his mind, and a small tent quietly rose beneath his trousers.

"Quite big? I'll show you big, Hu Xin, you pervert! I’m going to castrate you today—it'll be a public service!" Xiao Dai shrieked, exploding into a rage. Hu Xin, caught off guard, received a swat on the head from Xiao Dai and quickly jumped up, bolting away. The two immediately resumed their physical skirmish around the table.

Zhang Yang simply shook his head gently. From memory, he knew these two argued like this constantly; it would be abnormal if they didn't fight one day. He still held the golden card, which carried a faint, delicate fragrance. In elegant script, it read: Liang Yan—the name of the woman in the black uniform.

…………

Yesterday’s third chapter. I've had some family matters these last two days, so I misjudged the update time. Everything is sorted out now. Six chapters in two days—though a bit late, Little Feather has managed to complete them. Thank you to Jiyuqing, Suifengwuchenran, Book Friend 120813150019109, Fat Bug Kai, Brother Wu 182, and other friends for the tips. A special thanks to friend Yan Huiman for the second 1888 Qidian Coin tip, and congratulations to friend Yan Huiman for becoming the Sect Leader of this book!

C