Chapter 325: The Clubhouse

When the two returned to the hot pot restaurant, Zhang Yiyi looked over, puzzled.

"Sister Xiaoqing, where did you two go?"

Before Bai Xiaoqing could speak, Chen Erbao jumped in.

"We went out to see if we could find any good snacks. We wandered all over but didn't find anything."

"..."

Bai Xiaoqing fell silent, watching the lie spill so effortlessly from Chen Erbao's lips.

Zhang Yiyi didn't suspect a thing. She smiled and waved at Bai Xiaoqing.

"Sister Xiaoqing, how about we go for karaoke tonight?"

"Yiyi, I have to go see Zhao Hai tonight, so we probably can't make it!" Chen Erbao chimed in again.

Hearing this, a hint of disappointment flickered across Zhang Yiyi's face, but she was always understanding and didn't pester Chen Erbao. "Alright then, we'll go another time."

Bai Xiaoqing shot Chen Erbao a glare, adjusted her clothes, and sat back down next to Zhang Yiyi.

But the sticky feeling below made her a little uncomfortable.

'It's strange,' she thought. 'I've always been independent and strong-willed, but after Chen Erbao's advances, my heart has suddenly softened. I'm not going to expose his true colors in front of Zhang Yiyi.'

This change in herself left her feeling unnerved.

And so, the rest of the meal was even more awkward. Only Zhang Yiyi chattered on, with Chen Erbao occasionally chiming in. Bai Xiaoqing remained completely silent until the three of them left the restaurant.

"Sister Xiaoqing, are you not feeling well today? You don't look so good."

Zhang Yiyi had finally noticed something was off and asked with concern as they were parting ways.

Bai Xiaoqing tucked her hair back, revealing her coolly beautiful face. "I'm fine… I've probably just been too tired from work lately… I'm heading back now."

Chen Erbao stood beside Zhang Yiyi, watching Bai Xiaoqing's departing figure in silence.

After Bai Xiaoqing left, Zhang Yiyi hugged Chen Erbao's arm and skipped toward the Land Rover.

"Er Bao, Sister Xiaoqing is a really nice person… By the way, you were acting weird tonight, too. Do you know Sister Xiaoqing?"

The girl had sensed something was amiss. Her bright eyes held a smile as she looked at Chen Erbao.

Chen Erbao met Zhang Yiyi's gaze and smiled calmly. "No, I don't… Are you coming with me to see Zhao Hai later?"

Zhang Yiyi stared at Chen Erbao for a moment, then finally relaxed. She yawned and rested her head on his shoulder. "No way. I'm so sleepy today, I just want to go home and sleep!"

"Then I'll take you home."

"Mhm!"

「 ... 」

After getting a designated driver to take Zhang Yiyi home, Chen Erbao went alone to the place where he was meeting Zhao Hai.

It was a high-end club.

Chen Erbao had never been to a place like this. Before, he had no money; now, he had no time.

Of course, he wasn't very interested anyway.

'After all, the men who come here looking for thrills are mostly men who lack women. And while he might lack a lot of things, women aren't one of them!'

'I'm already spread too thin as it is. Where would I find the time to carouse?'

In the opulent lobby, women in revealing outfits stood in two rows, bowing respectfully to Chen Erbao.

Chen Erbao's gaze swept over their deep cleavages, but his heart was perfectly calm.

'I'm frighteningly calm right now.'

'Although I didn't get to fully vent with Bai Xiaoqing, the satisfaction of personally watching that gorgeous, delicate face furrow and moan in pleasure was far greater than anything these working girls could offer.'

Zhao Hai had been waiting at the top of the stairs for some time. Seeing Chen Erbao, he laughed and came forward to greet him.

"Er Bao, what do you think? Not a bad place, huh!"

Chen Erbao looked at the suggestive way Zhao Hai was waggling his eyebrows and chuckled. "I'm not really interested in this stuff right now."

Zhao Hai tutted. "Right, right. You're guarding a campus belle, so of course you'd look down on the common girls here… Come on, let's head in."

They entered a private room. In the dim light, three demure women stood to the side, holding boxes.

Chen Erbao glanced at them. Their looks and figures were decent, but they did nothing to move him.

Zhao Hai, however, was right in his element. He went up, put his arm around a hot-bodied woman, and said to the other two, "Hurry up and take good care of President Chen! And bring in the drinks and everything!"

The two women walked over to Chen Erbao with smiles, one on each side. They clung to his arms, their voices sickly sweet.

"President Chen~"

Chen Erbao just nodded, casually sat on the sofa, and looked at Zhao Hai. "Let's not rush to drink. How are the arrangements on your end?"

When it came to business, Zhao Hai was actually quite reliable. He sat up straight and pulled his hand from the woman's embrace.

"Er Bao, things are going smoothly on my end. Most of the veterans can't find jobs and were worrying about it. The moment I contacted them, they all agreed to come. I'm initially estimating over three hundred people!"

Chen Erbao raised an eyebrow. "Not bad, kid. You know quite a few people!"

Zhao Hai chuckled, handed Chen Erbao a Huazi cigarette, and lit one for himself. "My physical training in the army was just average, but my network is top-notch! With my dad's connections, I know a lot of the leaders. When I told them my plan, they were thrilled. They couldn't wait for me to take on more people to help with the unemployment problem."

Chen Erbao nodded. "That's great. Zhang Yiyi's father has also contacted a few hundred people. With your group, we should have enough for now. We can recruit and train people from the general public later."

"Have you picked a location?"

"I have a contact at Medicine King Hall who helped me secure a piece of land. It's quite suitable."

Hearing Chen Erbao's words, Zhao Hai froze for a second, then said in surprise:

"Damn, Er Bao, you're a real badass now. You even have connections at Medicine King Hall!"

Chen Erbao smiled smugly.

'The reason Lin Cheng helped me wasn't entirely because of Lin Zhiqing,' he thought. 'It was mainly because I could bring profits to Medicine King Hall. They saw it as a kind of investment.'

'Mutual benefit is the eternal truth of the business world.'

'As for potential conflicts with Medicine King Hall in the future… well, that's a problem for the future!'

"I'm already arranging for the company's office staff; they'll be in place in two or three days. Tomorrow, I'll take you and Yiyi to see the site. You two can discuss what other renovations are needed. I'll cover the costs. From now on, the security company is in your hands!"

Chen Erbao finalized the plan.

Zhao Hai nodded. "Don't worry. I also contacted an experienced manager in the last couple of days. I'll have him come along. There definitely won't be any screw-ups."

"The security company's primary mission is for my own use. For any extra personnel, you guys can figure out how to find your own clients. The lion's share of the money you make will be yours."

Chen Erbao was only taking a stake; he didn't really care about that small amount of money.

Zhao Hai gave a sheepish laugh. "How could I accept that…"

Chen Erbao waved his hand dismissively. "Any money Yiyi makes is my money. If I take another cut on top of that, there won't be much left for you… Besides, I definitely won't have time to manage things in the future. You'll have to handle most of it."

"Understood!"

Zhao Hai knew Chen Erbao wasn't short on cash, so he stopped being coy and readily agreed!