When the large door, which looked like it was made of mahogany, was opened, light immediately poured out. Although the light wasn't strong, it was enough for Zhuang Rui to see the situation inside.
"This...this, second brother, are you sure there's food here?"
The first thing you see is a large hall of about three or four hundred square meters. Around the hall, there are more than a dozen sofas that look like karaoke rooms. In front of each row of sofas is a large glass coffee table, which is almost always full of people. Around the coffee table, there are quite a few girls dressed in revealing clothes walking around.
In the middle of the hall was a stage about 70 or 80 square meters in size, where a girl dressed in white was playing the piano, and soft music echoed throughout the hall.
After looking around, Zhuang Rui didn't see any food such as rice or steamed buns at any of the teahouses.
"Youngest brother, aren't you even a little bit shocked?"
Brother Yue Jing was very dissatisfied with Zhuang Rui's performance. Although his own stomach was growling with hunger, eating was not the most important thing when he came here.
Zhuang Rui replied irritably, "Shocked my ass. I'm telling you, Second Brother, we've been wandering around for almost two hours and haven't even had a meal. If I don't tell Wei Ge and the others, they'll say you're stingy."
"I...we have no language..."
Yue Jing was so angry at Zhuang Rui that he rolled his eyes.
"Gentlemen, please follow me..."
A soft female voice rang in Zhuang Rui's ears. Looking in the direction of the voice, a pretty girl wearing a low-cut cheongsam stood in front of the two of them. The large expanse of white skin on her chest made Zhuang Rui's eyes light up. Moreover, the girl's appearance seemed somewhat familiar to Zhuang Rui.
"Come on, what are you standing there like an idiot at the door for..."
The second brother pulled Zhuang Rui along, and the two followed the girl towards a teahouse. The girl's long, slender, fair legs, partially hidden beneath the high slit of her cheongsam, exuded a silent allure.
"I remember now, she's the one who acts in TV dramas, her name is..."
Zhuang Rui walked to the sofa, but before he could sit down, he suddenly remembered the background of the waiter in front of him. Just as he was about to shout, Yue Jing covered his mouth. However, Zhuang Rui's words still attracted a lot of attention, or perhaps it would be more appropriate to call it contempt.
"Hey, youngest brother, you're my older brother, okay? Let's keep our voices down and give your older brother some face."
The second brother wondered if he had made a mistake bringing Zhuang Rui here. He had originally wanted to give Zhuang Rui a surprise, but he didn't expect to be frightened by him. If he lost face here, the whole of Beijing would know about it the next day.
"Please have a seat, both of you. Please let me know if you need anything."
The girl seemed not to hear Zhuang Rui's words. She turned around, smiled sweetly, and left. However, this only strengthened Zhuang Rui's conviction.
"Second brother, isn't that girl the actress who starred in the TV series?"
Zhuang Rui also felt that standing here was attracting attention, so after sitting down, he pulled the second brother aside and asked.
Zhuang Rui's reaction just now wasn't because the girl was particularly beautiful; it's just that ordinary people are so far removed from these celebrities in real life. The sudden appearance of one, especially as a waitress, shocked and somewhat disbelieved Zhuang Rui.
"Hehe, she's just a third-rate celebrity, why are you making such a fuss? How about it, isn't the place your brother brought you nice?"
Seeing Zhuang Rui's expression, the second brother felt very satisfied. It wasn't easy for him to get this card from his older sister after begging and pleading.
Zhuang Rui recalled a term and asked, "Is this what you call a club?"
"Tch, who goes to clubs these days? You're so out of touch. This is called a private club, a private club. You can't just get in if you have money. Don't think you're a billionaire now. Let me tell you, there are at least dozens of billionaires lining up outside waiting to squeeze in here."
Yue Jing scoffed at Zhuang Rui's words. He used to come here often before he started working, but after he started working, his card was taken back by his family. If he wanted to come, he could only use his older sister's card.
"Second brother, why don't you order some food first? You can't just stare at women until you're full..."
After a brief moment of shock, Zhuang Rui's stomach started growling again. Although there were some fruits and other things on the coffee table in front of him, they weren't enough to keep him full.
Chapter 261 A Familiar Feeling
Phrases like "a feast for the eyes" are utter nonsense. If you were starved for a few days and then locked up with a beautiful woman, you might actually "eat" her. Zhuang Rui had been running around all day and was starving; he had no interest in looking at women with curiosity.
In a place like this, there was no rice or steamed buns to eat. The second brother ordered a few fancy-looking pastries and ate them with some red wine that Zhuang Rui couldn't name, which finally calmed his rumbling stomach.
"Second brother, tell me about your place."
After filling his stomach, Zhuang Rui began to look around and noticed that many of the girls walking around looked familiar. Although Zhuang Rui didn't watch TV dramas much, the ubiquitous advertisements these days had made him remember quite a few celebrity faces.
The girl playing the piano was actually a minor celebrity, while Zhuang Rui was just a young man in his early twenties. Seeing so many female stars he had previously only dreamed of working as waitresses and pianists here filled him with curiosity.
"This place was originally a manor bought by a rock singer who often gathered entertainment industry people here for parties. Later, someone else took a liking to it, bought the place, renovated it, and turned it into this clubhouse."
When the second brother got to this point, he lowered his voice and continued, "Most of the people who come here now are well-known figures in Beijing. Look at this card I have; it only allows me to enter Building 2. Most of the people here are of similar status to me, relying on the influence of their elders. Those who can hang out in Building 1 are the real core circle."
"Second brother, what kind of status do you need to have a VIP card here?"
Zhuang Rui understood a little after hearing this. It turned out that this place was set up to entertain spoiled brats like the second brother. However, the capital city lacked everything except officials. Moreover, Zhuang Rui really didn't know much about the background of his second brother, who had been his classmate for four years.
"This place is divided into three VIP buildings. Building number three is where the children of department-level officials play. If you have money, you can get a VIP card there. Right now, even provincial and ministerial level officials can't get in, no matter how much money they have. Building number one is..."
The second brother didn't say anything more, but instead raised his thumb to the sky.
Zhuang Rui couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement. No wonder there were security checks and safety gates to get in. If someone with ill intentions were to sneak in and cause trouble, the whole of Beijing would probably be shaken.
"Second brother, at your home..."
When Yue Jing was in school, he always kept his family situation a secret, but now that he's brought me here, he probably won't hide it anymore.
"My old man works for the Ministry of Finance..."
Sure enough, the second brother readily told him this time, which startled Zhuang Rui. He might not know who this person was in another department, but as someone who studied finance, he would pay attention to the country's fiscal and financial policies, and he was naturally familiar with the name of old man Yue Jing.
"Damn, you really hid that well..."
Zhuang Rui punched the second brother hard on the shoulder. Back in college, they had all guessed about Yue Jing's family background, unanimously thinking that the second brother's family might only have a department-level background. They never expected that the background was so profound. If this were released, he would at least be a high-ranking official in a region.
"Do you think I want this? My family is very strict; they wouldn't even let me go to school in Beijing. I have to think twice before I do or say anything. Now that I'm working, I still have to be very careful. I'm going crazy..."
The second son said with a helpless expression that his father had two brothers, but in his generation, there were five older sisters and he was the only boy. So he was destined to take the path of officialdom from a young age. Perhaps if he persevered for several decades, he could reach the same level as his father.
The officialdom is treacherous, and these are things that should never be said. The second brother usually has no one to confide in, so he poured out his grievances to Zhuang Rui, an outsider.
In fact, people in high-level circles are quite strict about their children's education. However, the children of some local tyrants are often arrogant and cause trouble.
Especially after the major case involving Chen Mou in the last century, it served as a wake-up call for many, and the lives of the privileged elites in Beijing became less comfortable. This led to the emergence of this private club. It also gained the approval of some; staying within a fixed circle is certainly better than going out and causing trouble.
"Second brother, are all the female celebrities at this club there voluntarily?"
Zhuang Rui looked at the women dressed in their finest attire and was still puzzled. The entertainment industry in today's society is far more prestigious than the Peking Opera in the old society, and these people's incomes are not low. Why would they be willing to serve others here?
"Hey, that's a really novel question. You think you can force someone to do this? What era do you think we live in?"
The second brother glanced at Zhuang Rui sideways and then said, "Don't think that just because I'm not as rich as you, I can still make someone famous. Not to mention me, among the people here, as long as they can win over just one person, it won't be difficult for them to become big stars."
Let alone here, even over in Building 3, it would be easy for them to hook up with some rich guy and have him invest in their film. Otherwise, do you think they would willingly stay here?
However, most of the people here are not very famous. Let me tell you, in Building Number One, there are all A-list celebrities. Even I, your older brother, have never been there..."
“When we go back to Pengcheng, we can’t let our daughter idolize these celebrities anymore.”
The second brother's words left Zhuang Rui speechless, and the somewhat mysterious celebrity image he had once held crumbled in his mind.
The relationships between men and women in the entertainment industry are actually quite chaotic. Unspoken rules are everywhere, and it's common for people to find wealthy patrons or powerful connections outside the industry. It's just that Zhuang Rui doesn't usually have access to such relationships and therefore doesn't know about them.
The second brother looked at Zhuang Rui and said with ill intent, "How about it, youngest brother? I'll arrange one for you. As long as you can afford the price, there are people willing to do takeout."
The two had been eating without anyone accompanying them, but now that they were full, Yue Jing was getting restless, having not been here for a long time.
"Let's forget about it. I'm not very interested in this. Second brother, if you want to play, feel free to do so. Just arrange a hotel for me later."
Zhuang Rui was actually somewhat tempted, but then he thought about how these girls spent all their time in places like this and had been with countless men. His desire was immediately extinguished. He figured his first time should be with someone of equal standing.
"You're such a no-no, sir. I should have called the fourth brother over..."
Yue Jing glared at Zhuang Rui with displeasure, stood up, and prepared to call a girl over.
"Yue Xiaoliu? What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in years..."
The second brother had just stood up when he heard someone greet him. He turned around and his face immediately lit up with a smile.
"Oh, it's Fourth Brother. Hehe, I brought a friend here to show him around. Fourth Brother, what brings you to Building Two? We don't see you here often."
Upon hearing his second brother mention him, Zhuang Rui politely stood up. He looked at the newcomer and was momentarily stunned.
The man who greeted Yue Jing looked about four or five years older than Zhuang Rui, probably in his early thirties. He was very tall, and there was a tall woman next to him, holding the man's arm.
This woman is quite famous. Zhuang Rui had seen many of her films in the 1990s, especially those two dimples on her lips, which captivated countless men. However, Zhuang Rui never expected to run into her here.
However, what stunned Zhuang Rui was not the woman, but the fact that when he looked at the fourth brother Yue Jing mentioned, he had a very familiar feeling, as if he had seen this man somewhere before. But after thinking about it carefully, it was impossible, as this was his first time in Beijing and he had never had any contact with this circle before.
"Hey? Xiao Liu, this guy looks familiar. Haven't we met somewhere before?"
When the man called Fourth Brother looked at Zhuang Rui, his expression changed, and he frowned, trying to recall if he had seen Zhuang Rui somewhere before.
"Fourth Brother, you've definitely never met this guy of mine before. His name is Zhuang Rui, and this is his first time in Beijing. Wait a minute, you two look a bit alike, Miss Xu, don't you think?"
The second brother looked at the man, then at Zhuang Rui, and exclaimed in surprise. Upon closer inspection, the two men bore a striking resemblance in their features, and given their similar ages, they truly looked like brothers when standing together.
Zhuang Rui then realized why the person seemed familiar. He looked at himself in the mirror every day, so it was natural to feel a sense of familiarity when he met someone who looked like him.
"They do look somewhat alike, Fourth Brother. You don't have any brothers you don't recognize, do you?"
The famous actress surnamed Xu and this man seemed to be quite familiar with each other, as they started joking around.
"Nonsense, I don't look like my dad. But I've heard from the elders that I look a bit like my aunt. But... sigh, why am I talking to you about this? Little brother, since you're here, have some fun. Xiao Liu, put today's expenses on my tab."
That fourth brother seemed to have a wide circle of friends. He hadn't been standing with Zhuang Rui and his group for more than a few minutes when people came over to greet him. So he didn't chat with Yue Jing for long, patted Zhuang Rui on the shoulder, and left with the big star.
After sitting down, Zhuang Rui asked his second brother, "Second brother, who is this person? Are you familiar with him?"
Aside from their somewhat similar appearances, the man also gave Zhuang Rui a very friendly feeling.
Chapter 262 Fourth Brother's Confusion
"We were close when we were kids, and all the elders in our families knew each other. When we were in elementary school, we went to the same school. He was three or four grades older than me and was my sister's classmate. Back then, I was young and didn't know any better. I would follow him around all day looking for fights. After that, we saw each other less often, but I never did as well as him."
The second brother beckoned a girl over as he spoke, and the two grown men sitting there actually attracted a lot of attention.
The girl was very well-behaved. After sitting down, she didn't say anything, poured a glass of wine for each of them, peeled a pistachio and fed it to Yue Jing. These people were all very perceptive. Although they wouldn't judge Zhuang Rui by his appearance, they still clearly distinguished between host and guest.
Taking a sip of his drink, the second brother continued, "His father is currently in the Ministry of Culture, and several of his uncles are also high-ranking officials. After the reshuffle, one of them will probably be able to enter the central government. By his generation, there are many men in the family, and quite a few are in politics. Their influence is immense. Plus, the old man is still alive; even if he were the top leader, he would still have to give them some face. Hey, those two in their family are really living long lives. I heard they're going to celebrate their 90th birthdays this year. Since the founding of the country, there aren't many couples who are still alive..."
In fact, Yue Jing's family was not much different from that of his fourth brother. However, by his generation, there were few members, and Yue Jing's grandfather passed away two years ago, greatly reducing his influence and cutting off the possibility of his elders advancing further.
Don't underestimate those old guys who came through the war years. Although they have all retired, they have a profound influence on this country. Whether in local areas or the military, they have the power they cultivated during their time in power. As long as they are alive, these people dare to go to the No. 1's office with their canes, and the other side has to send them back with a smile.
"Brother Yue, are you talking about Fourth Brother?"
The young, somewhat innocent-looking starlet looked at Yue Jing with adoration, though it was unclear whether she admired Yue Jing or the "Fourth Brother" he was referring to.