While the two were exchanging words, a man walked over. "Qing'er! Don't you usually enjoy spending time at the China Club? Why are you at the Beijing Club today? Are you here for Nishimura's piano performance?" His tone was full of surprise, but Murong Feng found his manner arrogant. He looked up to see a man in his thirties, wearing flamboyant clothes, with a sycophantic smile directed at Tang Qing. The man's suit was flashy, with a floral shirt, a floral tie, and even a plaid suit.
Tang Qing's face immediately turned cold. She looked at him and said coldly, "Who gave you the right to call me Qing'er? Mr. Ma, please address me as Tang Qing or Miss Tang! I don't need to report my whereabouts to you."
The man, surnamed Ma, wasn't fazed by her harsh words. Smiling, he turned to Murong Feng and said, "Hey, move over and let me chat with Qing'er." Tang Qing coldly said to Murong Feng, "Murong Feng, you are not allowed to move!" Then she turned to the man, "Ma Kui, I warned you to stop pestering me. I call you Mr. Ma out of respect for your father. Don't push your luck! If you ruin my mood, you know what will happen!"
Ma Kui's face finally changed. "Tang Qing, you know how I feel about you. Why do you have to treat me like this?" Tang Qing sneered, "Ma Kui, measure yourself up and see if you're worthy of having feelings for me. Stay away from me; just seeing you annoys me." Ma Kui was furious, but he was wary of Tang Qing's family background and didn't dare to retaliate. He gave Murong Feng a fierce glare and then walked away.
Murong Feng was frustrated. What is this? I was just sitting here, minding my own business, and now I'm caught up in this mess? Looking at Tang Qing, he couldn't help but think that she was indeed trouble.
Tang Qing took a sip of her drink in frustration. Looking at Murong Feng, she suddenly asked, "Hey, Murong Feng, are you a member of the Beijing Club too?" She realized that joining such a top club required a membership fee of 100,000 yuan. How did Murong Feng get in? Wasn't he just a magazine editor?
At this moment, Murong Feng felt a barrier between them and didn't respond. Tang Qing's mood worsened. "Hey, why aren't you answering me? If you keep this up, I'll ask Ouyang Lanruo to teach you a lesson!" Suddenly finding her unreasonable, Murong Feng didn't like her hot-and-cold personality. He smiled and said, "Sorry, Miss Tang, I just remembered something urgent. I have to go." With that, he finished his drink, stood up, and left.
Tang Qing was stunned. It was the first time a man had walked away from her like this. She was taken aback for a moment, and when she wanted to confront him, Murong Feng had already disappeared.
At this time, Ma Kui was at the bar, asking Zhou Haitao, "Mr. Zhou, is that man your client?" Being a long-time member of the Beijing Club, he had never seen Murong Feng before and assumed he was a UBS private banking client attending the event, so he went over to ask.
Zhou Haitao had also witnessed the scene earlier. Knowing Ma Kui's reputation from other sources, he decided to help Murong Feng, whom he had taken a liking to. Nodding respectfully, he said, "Oh, are you asking about Mr. Feng, Mr. Ma? Yes, he is one of our top clients at UBS."
He deliberately emphasized "top client" to warn Ma Kui that Murong Feng was not to be trifled with. As expected, Ma Kui was taken aback. A top client of UBS private banking was likely to be a scion of a noble family or a millionaire, not someone a deputy mayor's son like him could afford to provoke. Seeing Murong Feng had already left and hadn't continued talking to Tang Qing, his anger subsided. He nodded, deciding to let it go.
Murong Feng had no idea that in the blink of an eye, he had almost made an enemy for no reason. He felt he had enjoyed the good wine and had no interest in further entanglements with Tang Qing, so he decided to leave.
He took the elevator from the 50th floor of the Beijing Club straight to the basement. With the staff bowing respectfully, he drove away from the Beijing Club Tower. This visit to the top club had left him feeling somewhat exhausted, possibly due to the emotional ups and downs from his conversation with Tang Qing. Driving onto the Third Ring Road, the wide road and neon lights on both sides began to lift his spirits. He sighed, thinking that woman was indeed a troublemaker. A few simple words could unsettle him. Leaving early was the right choice.
After getting off the North Third Ring Road and turning a corner, he slowed down as he drove along the Kunyu River. It was now nighttime, and there were few pedestrians. The summer night's breeze, carrying the river's humidity, was refreshingly cool.
Feeling refreshed, Murong Feng parked his car by the roadside when he was close to his apartment, intending to take a walk along the river. One reason for buying this high-end apartment was its proximity to water, a rare feature in Beijing.
After walking a few steps, Murong Feng noticed a shadow moving under a tree by the river. He immediately called out warily, "Who's there?" He remembered hearing about nighttime robberies in the area and wondered if it was a thief. However, he wasn't afraid, having been an athlete in college and never losing a fight.
The shadow stopped moving. Murong Feng saw a broken brick by the road, picked it up, and threw it towards the shadow. "Ugh..." The shadow moved again, and a low groan sounded. Realizing something was wrong, Murong Feng hurried over but remained cautious.
When he got closer, he saw that the shadow was a man, his eyes closed and his body covered in blood, seemingly seriously injured. Murong Feng was startled, fearing the brick had caused the injury. He hurriedly approached and supported the man, who had already fallen unconscious.
Looking around, Murong Feng saw that it was late, and the area was deserted. He gently patted the man's face, saying, "Hey, wake up! Wake up!" The man slowly opened his eyes. "What happened to you? Don't be afraid; I'll call 120 and get you to a hospital!"
The man tried to speak but fainted again.
Murong Feng quickly called 120 and accompanied the man to the hospital when the ambulance arrived. It turned out the man had been stabbed multiple times. Fortunately, he was brought in time, or his life might have been in danger.
Murong Feng didn't know the man's identity and, as he needed immediate surgery, paid the medical and surgery fees upfront. Only then did he remember his car was still parked by the river. He took a taxi back to get his car and drove home.
He soon forgot about this accidental incident. Compared to saving a life, a bit of money was insignificant, especially since he wasn't short of money now.
Two months later, Murong Feng had developed a passion for golf.
He used to think golf was an old man's game—slowly hitting a ball, walking for ages, and then hitting another, hardly an exercise.
But during a golf event hosted by UBS at the Reignwood Manor, he found the green environment incredibly soothing. After Zhou Haitao gifted him a VIP card to the Reignwood International Golf Club and a set of golf clubs, he began driving there to play a few holes whenever he had free time.
To his surprise, Murong Feng discovered a talent for golf, soon managing to occasionally score a par on some holes. This greatly increased his interest in golf, and he began to love the healthy sport.
One day, as he was preparing to go golfing, he heard the intercom buzz.
"Is this Mr. Murong in 3201? A Mr. Guo is here to see you."
It sounded like the security guard. However, Murong Feng hadn't told anyone about his apartment, so how could someone be looking for him? "I don't know any Mr. Guo," Murong Feng replied, ready to hang up the intercom.
"Hello, Murong Feng, I'm the person you saved by the river the other night. My name is Guo Guodong." A deep, powerful voice came through the intercom.
Murong Feng was taken aback, finally recalling the man he had saved by the river that night. He quickly pressed the button to unlock the door. "Oh, I understand. Please, come in!"
Guo Guodong came upstairs. That night, he had been covered in blood, his face unrecognizable. Now, seeing him clearly for the first time, Murong Feng saw a man around 30 with a square face and determined eyes, a very imposing figure.
Seeing Murong Feng, Guo Guodong's eyes filled with emotion. "Mr. Murong, thank you!..." He extended his hand and gripped Murong Feng's tightly, his lips trembling slightly.
Murong Feng felt touched, sensing that this man, though not very talkative, was deeply emotional.
"Please, come in and have a seat. How did you find me?" Murong Feng invited him in, puzzled. He had avoided leaving his name at the hospital to prevent trouble.
"I checked the hospital's footage from that day, and I remembered your car. There aren't many cars like that in Beijing. I saw it when you got out by the river that night." Guo Guodong explained respectfully, though his words left Murong Feng a bit unsettled.
Checking hospital footage? Recognizing my car? Who is this guy?
"You could access hospital footage? Are you a policeman?" Murong Feng asked curiously.
"No, a friend of mine in the police helped me check," Guo Guodong explained respectfully.
"Oh..." Murong Feng nodded in understanding. "Are your injuries healed?" He couldn't help but wonder what had caused such serious injuries. A robbery? A fight? However, he didn't want to pry, assuming Guo Guodong had his reasons for not explaining.
"Almost fully healed. If you hadn't passed by that night, I would have been finished. The doctor said another hour's delay would have been critical." Guo Guodong was still full of gratitude.
Murong Feng waved his hand, smiling. "You don't need to be so formal. It was just a small favor."
"It may have been a small favor to you, but it was a matter of life and death for me, Mr. Murong. I'm here to see if there's any way I can repay you!" Guo Guodong said sincerely.
"No, no need!" Murong Feng insisted. He hadn't saved the man expecting a reward, adhering to traditional Chinese values of helping without expecting anything in return.
Besides, compared to the last time he saved someone in Houhai, which involved some personal risk, this time he had merely called 120 and covered the medical expenses.
Seeing Murong Feng's genuine indifference to repayment, Guo Guodong admired him even more. He didn't insist but took out a paper bag and placed it on the table. "Mr. Murong, I won't push it. But I do owe you my life. If you ever need anything, I'll do my best to help. Please accept this to cover the medical expenses you paid."
Murong Feng saw the thick paper bag, opened it, and found at least tens of thousands of yuan inside. He said seriously, "Mr. Guo, the medical expenses are nothing. Do I look like someone who cares about that money? Besides, this is too much. I can't accept it! Take it back. Don't dwell on it. Let's just be friends, okay? We can meet up for golf sometime! Don't mention the money again!" His mind was now preoccupied with golf.
Seeing Murong Feng's resolute expression, Guo Guodong finally sighed, put the bag away, and said, "Alright, Mr. Murong, but like I said, if there's ever anything I can help with with, please let me know. I'll do my utmost. You're not just a friend; you're my benefactor!"
He handed over a business card, saying, "This is my card. Let's stay in touch." With that, he got up to leave. Murong Feng saw him out, glancing at the card. It read, "Guo Guodong, Chairman of Dihao Entertainment Co., Ltd." with a phone number below. Smiling, he placed the card on the entrance table.
He then headed out to play golf, aiming for a birdie today!