With beauties on stage and liquor on the table, Huang Tingjun smoothly switched to his nightclub mode. As the host, Wu Zhiming naturally accompanied him attentively, while Wu Yuwei was responsible for pouring drinks, selecting songs, and stirring up the fun. In no time, the private room became lively.
At the front of the room was a large LCD screen displaying the scene from the main hall. Jin Zun's hall functioned as a bar, catering to those who preferred that atmosphere, while those who liked the nightclub vibe could enjoy the private rooms. Combining both offerings in one venue to maximize profits showed the owner of Jin Zun had a keen business mind.
Bottles of liquor, each costing tens of thousands of yuan, were downed like water, with three bottles finished in just over an hour. At this point, the girl accompanying Huang Tingjun whispered something in his ear. He nodded, and she got up and left the room.
"Where's the girl going?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"She went to the bathroom," Huang Tingjun replied.
"The bathroom? She better not be hopping tables," Wu Zhiming frowned.
"I gave her fifteen minutes. If she's not back by then, we'll deal with it. Come on, drink!" Huang Tingjun said nonchalantly.
Wu Zhiming glanced at Wu Yuwei. Wu Yuwei got up and left the room. A few minutes later, he returned and whispered to Wu Zhiming, "I waited by the bathroom door, didn't see her. She's probably not in the bathroom. Should I have Alai bring her back?"
"I got it. No rush, she's still got a few minutes," Wu Zhiming said calmly.
"Zhiming, how have you been lately?" Huang Tingjun asked. He wasn't familiar with Wu Zhiming's life in Haixia City but knew that in university, Wu Zhiming was a low-key and soft-spoken person. Now that they had graduated, he was curious if Wu Zhiming had changed.
"Not bad," Wu Zhiming replied noncommittally. Huang Tingjun was his university friend, and their bond was purely based on friendship. He didn't want to boast about his recent achievements as it would seem like he was showing off.
"You should seriously consider what I suggested before," Huang Tingjun said, clinking his glass with Wu Zhiming's. "Our family's company in Xianghai City is quite large. You could easily get a job there, and I guarantee it would be better than in Haixia City. At least I could look out for you."
Wu Zhiming smiled. During university, Huang Tingjun took good care of him, even after graduation, always trying to help him, though Wu Zhiming always declined.
"Stop smiling and just say yes, hurry up," Huang Tingjun urged.
"I'm doing fine at home," Wu Zhiming shook his head. "Maybe I'll visit Xianghai City to see you sometime, but as for work, I'll pass. I don't like the fast pace of international first-tier cities like Xianghai City."
"You..." Huang Tingjun rolled his eyes and said, "Fast pace means more opportunities and more fun. Just think about the bars and nightclubs; they're everywhere, with so many girls to choose from!"
"Can you go a day without talking about girls?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"You don't get it. In this world, nothing is more important than what's between your legs. You can skip meals, lose sleep, but never skip chasing girls!" Huang Tingjun said seriously.
"You'll die because of a woman someday," Wu Zhiming said.
"Not likely. I'm actually quite disciplined. I know what's playable and what's not, when to play and when not to. You know why I've never been beaten up in all these years in nightclubs? Because I'm smart!" Huang Tingjun said proudly.
"Alright, you're the man. Come on, drink!" Wu Zhiming laughed, pouring more drinks for Huang Tingjun.
At this moment, the LED screen in the room suddenly displayed a group of people. They walked to a booth, and many people gathered around them.
Through the screen's speakers, Wu Zhiming heard the DJ's voice.
"Welcome our VIP Mr. Yao for tonight's party. Good evening, Mr. Yao!"
"Good evening, Mr. Yao!" All the nightclub staff shouted in unison.
"This Mr. Yao is quite the figure!" Huang Tingjun remarked, watching the screen.
"That man is Yao Shanchuan," Wu Zhiming said with a smile, looking at the so-called Mr. Yao on the screen. "He's my wife's cousin."
"So he's your relative? Seems like someone who spends lavishly in nightclubs. Want to go have a drink with him?" Huang Tingjun asked.
"No need, we're not very close," Wu Zhiming shook his head.
On the screen, a large group surrounded Yao Shanchuan, each holding a bottle of Armand de Brignac. There appeared to be at least thirty or forty bottles.
At the current price of 8,000 yuan per bottle, those bottles alone must have cost hundreds of thousands.
As Wu Zhiming expected, the screen soon displayed the message "VIP Mr. Yao spent 308,888 yuan at booth 8 tonight," along with "Tonight's King of Spending."
"Modern nightclubs are all about flashy gimmicks, like kings of spending and auctions, to stimulate pointless spending. I never go for that. Buying so much alcohol at once just to show you have money is crazy. It's better to spend the money taking a girl out for a late-night snack!" Huang Tingjun scoffed.
"Speaking of girls, where's your girl? Why isn't she back yet?" Wu Zhiming asked.
Huang Tingjun checked his watch and said, "No rush, it's only been fifteen minutes. Everyone has things to do."
"Wu Yuwei, go check," Wu Zhiming ordered.
"No need!" Huang Tingjun quickly intervened. "Don't ruin my fun!"
"Ruin your fun?" Wu Yuwei was puzzled. How could the girl's absence ruin his fun?
Wu Zhiming was also confused and asked, "What do you mean, ruin your fun?"
"Wait another fifteen minutes and you'll see," Huang Tingjun replied with a mysterious smile.
Wu Zhiming wasn't sure what he meant, but since Huang Tingjun said to wait, he didn't send Wu Yuwei to call her back.
Another fifteen minutes passed quickly, and the girl still hadn't returned.
"Hey, beautiful, you see, I waited half an hour, and she still didn't come back!" Huang Tingjun said to the girl beside Wu Zhiming.
The girl smiled awkwardly and said, "Maybe she got held up."
"Held up?" Huang Tingjun stood up, walked to the screen, and pointed to a spot at Yao Shanchuan's booth. "Look, isn't that the girl who was with me earlier?"
Everyone followed his finger and saw that the girl sitting at Yao Shanchuan's booth was indeed the one who had been with Huang Tingjun earlier.
"You noticed earlier? Why didn't you call her back?" Wu Zhiming asked, puzzled.
"You don't get it, do you? Brother, can you get your marketing friend over here?" Huang Tingjun said to Wu Yuwei.
Wu Yuwei glanced at Wu Zhiming, who nodded. Then, Wu Yuwei got up and left the room. A few minutes later, Alai walked into their private room.
"Mr. Wu, what can I do for you?" Alai asked with a smile.
"My girl switched tables and hasn't come back for over half an hour. Get me another one," Huang Tingjun said.
"Switched tables?" Alai was taken aback. "That's strictly not allowed here. She might have been held up by something."
"Held up? For half an hour? Look for yourself, she's right there!" Huang Tingjun pointed to the screen.
Alai looked and saw that it was indeed the girl who had been with Huang Tingjun earlier.
"Sorry, sir. Mr. Yao is our VIP. It's necessary for Xiaohui to have a drink with him. I'll get her back right away!" Alai quickly said.
"Forget it, let her stay. Just get me another one," Huang Tingjun said.
"Well... okay!" Alai nodded and then turned to leave.
Huang Tingjun sat down next to Wu Zhiming, smiling as he said, "In nightclubs, many girls will switch tables. It's a rule in nightclubs nationwide: if a girl switches tables, you don't tip her. We gave her thirty minutes, but she didn't come back, so we can get a new girl. The time she spent with me just now is basically free. Got it?"
"Wow, so that's what you meant by a good deal!" Wu Zhiming said in surprise.
"Of course. When you're out having fun, sticking to one girl gets boring. If you call two girls at once, they'll think the other can replace them, and you won't have a good time. So, the best is to play for a while, and if she switches tables, switch her out. Just don't be too hasty; give her some time, in case she really has an urgent matter. Once the time's up, you switch her out, don't tip the previous girl, and get a new one. Isn't that great?" Huang Tingjun explained with a sly grin.
"But you don't seem like someone who's short on money. Why wait for her to switch tables? Why not just get another girl when you're tired of one?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"You don't understand. It's about the thrill. I can't play the role of someone who gets bored easily. I need to feel justified in switching girls. It's not about the money. Just because you have money doesn't mean you should be a jerk. No, I'm the one who's been wronged here. In a bit, I'll need to find a busty girl to soothe my wounded heart. Didn't you notice? The first one I picked had a really pretty face. Now that I've had enough of looking at her, next I'll get one with a great body," Huang Tingjun said, grinning lecherously.
"You're shameless!" Wu Zhiming gave him a thumbs up. Then, he looked at the girl beside him and asked, "Do you switch tables?"
"I don't, brother," the girl said, hugging Wu Zhiming's arm with a smile.
"Why not?" Wu Zhiming asked.
"Because you're too handsome," she replied.