I was taken aback for a moment. Li Wenjing smiled calmly, revealing a set of white teeth, looking very well-mannered: "Those people were some business acquaintances... I don't have any friends here. You and Qiaoqiao have a good relationship, and I would like to have a chance to talk to you. Even if it's just to make friends."
Be friends with you? I smiled bitterly to myself. If Qiaoqiao knew, she'd probably chop me up with a knife!
However, Li Wenjing's smile seemed very sincere, so I didn't feel comfortable refusing him immediately. After thinking for a moment, I heard him smile again: "Alright, Mr. Chen Yang, if this is putting you in a difficult position, then forget it... I know. Qiao Qiao probably has a deep prejudice against me... Actually, I just want to have a very frank talk with you."
“Okay.” I nodded. “Let’s find a place to sit down.”
They've already gone this far; if I were to refuse again, it would be too deliberate.
We went into the cafe next door, found a seat, and I casually ordered a cup of tea, while Li Wenjing simply ordered a glass of tequila.
“I’m used to having a small glass of water before bed; it might help me sleep better.” Li Wenjing smiled just right. “I hope you don’t think I’m an alcoholic.”
It must be admitted that Li Wenjing is indeed a very classy man; he possesses an indescribable personal charm…
There are some people in this world who seem to be born with the ability to attract attention. They naturally exude a unique charm, and no matter what circle they're in, they easily become the focus of everyone's attention, a central figure, and unconsciously influence the words and actions of those around them.
It's obvious that Li Wenjing is that kind of person too. I was initially worried we wouldn't have anything to talk about, but it turns out my worries were unnecessary!
He always seemed to have an endless supply of topics to lighten the mood, always finding something to spark a conversation. Half an hour passed. And our conversation hadn't even gone cold! He was a master conversationalist, skillfully introducing topics and then leading to discussions. I have to admit once again… if Li Wenjing weren't some bastard trying to marry Qiaoqiao, I'd be quite happy to be friends with him.
"Chen Yang, when did you and Qiao Qiao meet?" He took a small sip of his drink during a break in the conversation, and then asked the question as if it were a casual question.
"Hmm, about three years ago." I thought for a moment. "In a bar. Jojo is a very unique girl. We got along very well... Maybe most people would find her difficult to get along with at first, but if you spend more time with her, you'll find that she's actually a very good friend."
Li Wenjing nodded. He seemed to think for a moment, then said, "But I feel she has a... um, hostility towards me?"
I smiled, thought for a moment, and then cautiously said, "Mr. Li... forgive my intrusion... but I seem to have heard that you came here this time... for the marriage between our two families?"
Li Wenjing laughed: "That's right, you know too. It's true that my father and Uncle Qiao are very close, so they really hope that I can get together with Qiao Qiao... But frankly speaking, we are both young people... If it were you, and your elders forcefully pushed a girl you didn't know in front of you and asked you to marry her... such a thing might have been normal decades ago, but now... neither of us would be able to accept it."
My eyes lit up: "So...you're also resistant?"
Li Wenjing smiled meaningfully: "Oh, Chen Yang... you said you 'also' resisted, it seems I've found the reason why Qiao Qiao is hostile towards me." I was a little embarrassed, but Li Wenjing quickly smiled and continued: "Okay, let's not beat around the bush... to be honest, I do have a sense of resistance... you might be surprised... I don't want to marry Qiao Qiao at all, not at all."
I couldn't help but sit up straight: "Really?"
Li Wenjing shrugged: "I received a Western liberal education, and I'm inherently disgusted by this kind of... well, I should call it arranged marriage... God, what era is this? Why can elders just assume they can arrange our life's happiness with a single sentence? Qiaoqiao may be very pretty, or as you said, she may be a very nice girl... but I really don't feel anything for her at all."
I breathed a sigh of relief and said with a wry smile, "That's quite a coincidence... If you had said it sooner, Qiaoqiao probably wouldn't have had to go through all this..."
Li Wenjing raised an eyebrow: "Oh? What does she plan to do to me?" He then smiled knowingly: "She must have some tricks up her sleeve. I'm quite curious too... Actually, there's something I need to tell you... There's a reason why I saw you tonight and invited you over for a chat."
What's the reason?
Li Wenjing smiled apologetically: "It's like this... Qiaoqiao called me a while ago and asked me to meet her tonight... To be honest, I was very surprised when I received her call. She said she wanted to introduce me to some friends... I felt that she was hostile towards me, and I couldn't understand why she did that."
A thought struck me.
What is Qiaoqiao planning to do? Could it be... "The operation has begun?"
No way! If she were planning something, why wouldn't she tell me? Why wouldn't she ask me to join?
I almost instinctively pulled out my phone. But after one glance, I froze…
My phone ran out of battery and shut down sometime ago!
I was just thinking about how to tell Li Wenjing when I saw Qiao Qiao and Aze making a grand entrance at the coffee shop entrance...
Qiao Qiao wore a very stylish fur coat over a glamorous low-cut dress, paired with heels that were a full inch high! The delicate straps accentuated the perfect curves of her calves. Beside her, Aze wore a glamorous casual suit, without a tie, and his printed shirt had the top two buttons undone. On his wrist was an Omega watch… the one endorsed by 007. He looked incredibly dashing and effortlessly cool!
This handsome man and beautiful woman combination immediately attracted a lot of attention as soon as they walked in! Qiao Qiao and A Ze were originally greeting Li Wenjing in a very flamboyant manner, but when they saw me, to be honest, they both froze for a moment. However, the three of us quickly exchanged glances and then calmed down.
"Chen Yang." Qiao Qiao approached and, without greeting Li Wenjing first, patted my shoulder: "Why couldn't I get through to your phone? I've been looking for you all night!"
I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder from the woman's slap! I wondered if she wanted to kill me with it...
"Hello, I'm Qiaoqiao's friend. Please call me Aze." Aze shook hands with Li Wenjing in a gentlemanly manner, and Li Wenjing still had a calm smile on his face: "Hello, Li Wenjing."
Qiaoqiao deliberately stood next to Aze, very close to him, and said, "Alright, let's go out for a walk. It's no fun drinking tea here... Li Wenjing, you've come from afar, let me show you the nightlife here."
Li Wenjing immediately nodded: "Alright."
The four of us walked out of the coffee shop. Frustrated by not having a chance to whisper anything to Qiaoqiao and Aze, I tried to wink at them… but unfortunately, neither of them understood. Instead, they kept winking at me, probably trying to ask why I was with Li Wenjing…
After leaving home and getting into the car, we drove to one of the city's more famous entertainment venues.
This is a street lined with bars of all sizes, some of which are quite wealthy and well-connected.
The four of us entered a club-style venue. As soon as the four well-dressed men and women entered, two polite waiters immediately came to greet us.
This place looks very quiet from the outside, and it's decorated in a Western style, which is very elegant. But once you go inside, down to the underground hall, and push open the door, you're immediately hit with deafening heavy metal music!
We pushed our way through the crowd and the waiter led us into a private room. There were already two or three people in the room... I glanced at them and recognized them all. They were all acquaintances we met at the bar, and we were on pretty good terms with them, just not as close as the four of us: me, Qiaoqiao, Aze, and Mutou.
Looking at these people, I immediately understood... This was yet another trap set by Qiaoqiao!
My first thought was to talk to Qiaoqiao, but I didn't get a chance. I also wanted to drag Aze to the restroom with me, but the problem was... there was a separate small restroom in this private room...
Damn it, I can't just hide in the bathroom with Aze and me, two grown men, in front of so many people...
"OK!" Qiao Qiao laughed loudly, "Everyone's here! Let's start!" Then someone turned up the music, and the loud music shocked our eardrums. Li Wenjing's expression remained unchanged. He greeted the people present with great tact and then sat down to chat with Aze.
Aze seemed to have been prepared: "Mr. Li is from Southeast Asia?"
“Singapore,” Li Wenjing said with a smile. “My family is all Chinese, so I’m practically half Chinese.”
Just then, a friend came over. He deliberately rolled up his sleeve, revealing a tattoo on his arm—a blue dragon… I knew at a glance that it wasn't a tattoo, but a body painting…
Moreover, judging from his feigned fierce smile, I knew this guy was playing the role that should have been mine... a gangster.
Sure enough, he casually bit open a bottle of beer: "You're in business? Great! If you're having any trouble here, just tell me! If you have any cash flow problems in your business, just come to me!"
Li Wenjing smiled: "Oh? You work at a bank?"
"No! I'm a loan shark! I do usury!" This guy seemed to have a good grasp of memorizing lines, and his acting wasn't bad either: "Need funds? Just come to me! You're Qiaoqiao's friend, so you're my friend!"
Li Wenjing smiled faintly and said, "But isn't usury illegal?"
"Tch, what's there to be afraid of!" The man acted all cocky, pointing to the ceiling: "I have connections!"
Holy crap... I almost spat out my drink... I glanced at Qiao Qiao and thought, you're not even going to change your lines, are you?
Li Wenjing showed no surprise whatsoever, and smiled faintly, "So, how's the loan sharking business in China?"
"Great!" the friend said casually. "There are plenty of people who need quick money right now! Our prices are fair, no collateral required, and we only charge a small percentage interest, like a rolling mill! It's very profitable!"
“Hmm…” Li Wenjing thought for a moment, “What if we can’t get the money back?”
"Dare!" the friend glared. "I'm not just some nobody! The company employs a bunch of people who specialize in collecting debts! Anyone who dares to owe money and not pay it back! A bunch of brothers will go over and chop off their hands and feet! Then we'll splash paint on their doors! Post red graffiti! If they still don't pay, we'll block their doorway!" As he said this, probably rehearsed beforehand, he turned back to look at Qiaoqiao with a serious expression and deliberately laughed loudly, "Qiaoqiao, last time I took you to check out that family's house, didn't you think it was fun?"
"That's fun!" Qiao Qiao laughed heartily in agreement.
Li Wenjing frowned. He seemed to lower his head and think for a moment, then looked up at his friend very seriously and sighed: "Sir... can I give you some advice?"
"Huh?" The friend was a little stunned, not expecting that Li Wenjing would not have any extreme reaction.
Li Wenjing said with a sincere expression, "To be honest, after listening to your business, I have some suggestions for improvement..."
"Uh... well, you tell me..."
"It's like this, there are many underground finance companies in Southeast Asia, and several branches in Hong Kong and Macau have some business dealings with our family... I feel your company's methods are somewhat outdated..." His tone was very sincere: "Nowadays, using these violent methods to run a finance company is outdated. Even Hutchison Whampoa in Hong Kong has adopted new methods. What you're describing are practices from the last century. Modern triads have adopted more effective methods that don't break the law." He even pulled out a business card from his pocket and sincerely handed it to his friend:
"This is the phone number of 'Sheng Ge,' the current head of Hutchison Whampoa in Hong Kong. You can contact him. With my connections, it shouldn't be difficult for him to send two experts in this field to give your company some professional advice."
"..." The friend was stunned.
The first book, "A Man in the Martial World, Helpless in His Own Way," Chapter 80: A Terrifying Suggestion...
An awkward silence...
The friend who was temporarily filling in almost mechanically accepted the business card, but couldn't help looking up at Qiaoqiao with a pitiful expression. Qiaoqiao coughed forcefully, then turned and winked at another friend…
The friend immediately understood and deliberately laughed loudly, "Come on! Let's do something exciting!"
After saying that, he deliberately acted furtively and took out a small transparent plastic bag from his pocket, inside which was a small packet of white powder!
Then he wiped the glass tabletop clean, carefully poured out a little bit of white powder, spread it evenly on the table, and looked up at the others: "How about it? Want some?"
Qiaoqiao immediately laughed arrogantly, "The usual rules!"
I broke out in a cold sweat...
There's no need to make it so exaggerated...
Fortunately, Aze had already quietly mouthed "flour" to me.
I felt a little relieved, but Qiaoqiao had already given Li Wenjing a provocative look: "How about it? Want to give it a try?"
Li Wenjing frowned slightly, and finally sighed: "I...I'm not used to it..."
Before he could finish speaking, Qiaoqiao, with a victorious smile and a disdainful tone, said, "Why wouldn't you dare? This is really exciting! Want to try it?"
I glanced back at my friend; his face was contrivedly excited, but his eyes looked more like he was going to his execution… He could only mimic the drug addicts in movies and TV shows, carefully spreading a trail of white powder on the table. Then, gritting his teeth, he pressed a finger against one nostril, brought the other nostril closer… and inhaled forcefully…
Achoo!
Immediately, a deafening sneeze erupted! Then the poor guy, with teary eyes, clearly in pain, tried to act all high, shouting, "So good! So good!"
Qiao Qiao gritted her teeth and glared at Li Wenjing: "How about it? Want to give it a try!"
Li Wenjing smiled wryly: "What I meant just now was... I think the way you're using ketamine is wrong... If you want it to feel even better, you can try diluting it with some glucose solution, then drying it with aluminum foil on a lighter, and then using it... it might feel even better."
The entire audience was sweating bullets...
Damn! This guy is... so "professional"!
I couldn't help but ask, "Li Wenjing...you...you haven't done drugs, have you?"
Li Wenjing smiled somewhat frankly: "I've never used drugs. It's just that when I was in college, I spent a year as an exchange student at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States. I secretly smoked marijuana for a thrill... You know, many college students in the West have smoked marijuana. But I don't touch these things anymore."
Another awkward silence...
To be honest, although we guys are a bit crazy sometimes, none of us have ever touched drugs... not to mention marijuana, we've never even touched ecstasy!
Li Wenjing said frankly, "Personally, I still think it's best if you don't touch drugs... because they're not good things and they'll damage your health... If you insist on using them, I'm afraid I'll have to say goodbye, because I've already quit."
Qiao Qiao gritted her teeth. She was a little stunned, but luckily Aze had already reacted: "Alright then, everyone put your stuff away! We'll just drink..." Then he winked at the others, and except for the poor brother who kept sneezing, everyone else quickly hid the bag of flour.
Then Qiaoqiao gave Aze a wink, and Aze, feeling helpless, continued talking to Li Wenjing: "Mr. Li, what kind of business does your family engage in?"
“Many industries,” Li Wenjing said modestly. “The family business is quite complex, and in recent years we’ve felt that we might be involved in too many areas. We’re planning to reorganize it.” He then asked, “Aze, may I ask what kind of business you’re in?”
It's here!