"Liang, how could you start with a Black Spade A without waiting for me?"
Zhang Qian, upon receiving the message, had rushed over, her smile blooming like flowers, her demeanor oozing charm. Behind her, seven or eight girls followed, each with their own style but all equally beautiful.
The high-end nature of Wanli Palace was on full display at this moment, as none of them seemed to bear tattoos.
Anyone who frequents these places knows that a pretty face and a good figure don't reflect the quality of a nightclub.
To gauge the quality of a nightclub, whether the girls have large tattoos is an important criterion.
If they're all sporting full-sleeve tattoos or immense artwork covering their backs, then the nightclub's quality can't be all that high, no matter what they claim.
Because those "psychedelic girls" only attract "psychedelic guys," who are often quite poor.
Even men with a bit of money prefer clean girls, even if it's just a cleanliness that's only skin-deep; it's more pleasant to the eye.
"Order a bottle of Black Spade A and get a special performance with it?"
Lu Liang glanced over the group of girls, picking two with average looks but better personalities.
Both around twenty years old, they flashed sweet smiles upon seeing him, clearly hardworking good girls.
Men come out to have fun, but there's always those who, relying on their beauty, carry a permanent scowl.
Those, Lu Liang wouldn't glance at twice, not even if they were angels.
"Liang, so what kind of special performance would you like?" Zhang Qian said cheerfully, clinging to Lu Liang's arm, her chest squeezed to deformation.
Modu is a city for the young, the wealthy, and she was no longer young; staying meant having to give more.
If Lu Liang was willing to order another bottle of Black Spade A, helping her meet her target for the night, she didn't mind giving a little extra.
"I bet you'd look great dancing."
Without a second thought, Lu Liang ordered another bottle.
"Then Qianqian will dance for you, Liang. Please don't be upset if it's not perfect."
Zhang Qian's smile grew wider as she waved the unchosen girls away.
"Qingqing, could you play a song for me?" She took off her bulky jacket to reveal a strap top underneath.
Moving to the rhythm of the music, she rotated her entire body and suddenly pulled Lu Liang to his feet from his chair.
The two danced closely, their bodies pressing together...
As the song ended,
Zhang Qian noticed the change in Lu Liang, laughed seductively, and pulled him back to his seat, crossing her legs to cover for him.
She wrapped his arm, leaning her face against his, her red lips tempting, a breath as sweet as orchid: "Liang, was the dance alright?"
"The dance was really good." Lu Liang's hand brushed over her silky stockings, enjoying the soft texture and smooth feel.
"Well, of course, I've practiced," Zhang Qian hummed lightly, trembling slightly, and reacting in turn.
The two chosen girls also helped pour drinks and fed them snacks, leaving Lu Liang surrounded by joy.
Suddenly the door to the private room opened, and Liu Mingxuan was already hooking up with two girls outside.
He had a way with words and a sweet tongue, having been a ladies' man since his school days.
"Liangzi, Xuanxuan and the others want to come in and take a picture."
Liu Mingxuan swaggered, his arms straightened out with a slight twist in his hips, like the childhood game of playing train.
The games played in nightclubs often seem juvenile, but under the influence of alcohol and music, it's easy for strangers to become quickly acquainted.
Following Liu Mingxuan were two girls, one with her arm draped over the other's shoulder—him the engine, and the three of them entered the private room.
"The more, the merrier," Lu Liang said as he gently pushed away Zhang Qian's legs, because he saw a familiar face behind Liu Mingxuan.
It wasn't the two girls he had just picked up but the one called 'Miss Heitao,' pushing a champagne tower into the room behind them.
Li Manli pushed the trolley of champagne tower to the private room, but then she froze, her smile gradually stiffening on her face.
She did not expect the "waste" she thought of would come to Wanli Palace to spend money, opening two bottles of eight thousand eight hundred-dollar Black Spade A.
She couldn't help but look toward Liu Mingxuan, then glanced at Zhang Qian; Zhang Qian was the marketing manager, so whoever she was accompanying had to be the main guest.
Distracted for a moment, Li Manli accidentally knocked over the champagne tower, and the sound of over a dozen glasses shattering filled the room.
All eyes suddenly turned to her, and Li Manli almost cried in her rush to bow and apologize repeatedly, "I'm sorry..."
Zhang Qian, Liu Mingxuan, and others all looked at Lu Liang since he was the boss, and no one there had the right to forgive her on his behalf.
Even if Zhang Qian had the intention to plead for Li Manli, she had to first gauge Lu Liang's reaction.
If she wasn't of help and instead annoyed Lu Liang, the repercussions could be her own downfall.
"It's fine, broken glasses mean 'safety'," he said, preventing her from cleaning up to avoid cutting her hands.
Lu Liang pulled Li Manli back, stopping her apologies and kicked the shattered glasses aside.
Li Manli was wearing a deep blue and white sailor outfit with a white beret and white stockings over her knees.
Especially with her eyes brimming with tears from her mistake, she looked so pitiful that one couldn't help but feel protective of her.
Liu Mingxuan raised his eyebrows, suddenly shouting angrily, "What kind of service is this? Call your manager here, a bottle of Black Spade A just shattered like that? Do you think money grows on trees for us?"
He had been close friends with Lu Liang for over a decade, shared a desk, a bed, and even a cigarette, knowing his personality well.
Lu Liang was easygoing, but he wasn't completely without temper, and him being so magnanimous now certainly had an ulterior motive.
Li Manli was particularly beautiful, seemingly Lu Liang's type, and as an old friend, it was naturally Liu Mingxuan's role to give things a nudge.
Even if we take a step back, a champagne tower costing eight thousand eight hundred dollars couldn't just end with a crash.
"Calm down, we're out for fun, everyone makes mistakes now and then."
Lu Liang glanced at Liu Mingxuan, and their eyes met, the corners of their mouths lifted, and they immediately understood each other's intentions.
Of course, he was not opposed.
Ever since he seemed to hear about his divorce that day and subsequently encountered Li Manli several times in the hallway or elevator,
her aloof demeanor and the way she kept others at arm's length seemed to indicate she was afraid of being entangled by Lu Liang.
Although Lu Liang didn't mind, it still irked him.
As if he were some fresh turnip skin.
If there were no chance to meet, naturally it would have ended there.
But now that they had met, and he had become her patron, it wouldn't be so easy to let this slide.
"Don't be angry, Xuan," Zhang Qian quickly apologized, filling his cup with drink. She then filled another cup for Li Manli, "Give your thanks to Mr. Liang, it's only because of Mr. Liang that you are not asked to compensate."
"Thank you, Mr. Liang," Li Manli said, her eyes full of gratitude. If Lu Liang held her accountable, she could kiss her month's bonus goodbye.
Similar incidents had occurred before, with the boss unrelenting, resulting in the general manager having to step in to apologize and comp the charges.
After all, those who open bottles of Black Spade A aren't usually short of money; they come out for fun and enjoyment.
As a part of the nightclub staff, making a mistake wasn't something that could be settled by equivalent compensation.
"We ordered two bottles; just open the other one, no need for this one."
Lu Liang glanced at Li Manli but didn't pay her any more attention, turning instead to the girls to drink and sing, treating the incident as a minor interference, insignificant and not worth fussing over.
Li Manli breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt a pang of loss.
After all, they were neighbors, and although they hadn't interacted much recently, they didn't have to be this indifferent, did they?
At the same time, she was curious how Lu Liang, who had reportedly been unemployed for months since his divorce, could afford to spend at Wanli Palace.
And his spending wasn't small: opening two bottles of Black Spade A in the middle-sized private room meant the evening's expenses would start at at least thirty thousand bucks.