Chapter 77: Nightlife

Chapter 77: Chapter 77: Nightlife

There was a saying: "Friendship in adulthood is a very fragile thing."

As Su Yunzhou grew up, he deeply resonated with this sentiment. The older he got, the fewer true friends he had. Some of his former close friends had drifted apart along the journey of life due to family, life experiences, divergent mentalities, and various other reasons. When adults tried to make new friends, they lacked the purity of youth and always approached others with ulterior motives to some degree. How long could that kind of "friendship" last?

A person would meet many friends in their lifetime, but having two or three confidants was more than enough.

Su Yunzhou still remembered a time he accompanied a client to dinner. The client was a highly successful author. While it was inconvenient to mention his name, he was a kind, unpretentious man whose demeanor and actions exuded a sense of peace. He didn’t have many hobbies besides enjoying a few drinks. After he finished his business at the company one day, the boss brought out some fine liquor to entertain him, and a great time was had by all.

Someone had brought up the topic of "friends." The author’s response was so fascinating that it remained fresh in Su Yunzhou’s memory even now. He said that lending money was the ultimate litmus test for friendship. More often than not, many so-called friends ceased to be friends after borrowing money. But there would always be one or two who would pay it back, leaving one feeling at ease.

At this point, the author boldly downed a gulp of liquor, smacked his lips, and added that the act of repaying money was even more complex and truly tested a person’s character. Such situations generally fell into two categories. The first was returning the money immediately after getting through a tough transition period and having the funds. The second was being temporarily unable to repay it, yet communicating constantly—neither hiding nor avoiding the issue—and paying back whatever small amounts they could first. That kind of person was far rarer and much more worthy of true friendship.

That bastard Lin Shouqing happened to be one of the rare old friends Su Yunzhou still kept in touch with. The two had maintained a great relationship since childhood, forging a profound bond over watching bootleg DVDs together. Even though they didn’t contact each other often in their daily lives, whenever something came up, a single phone call was all it took. If Lin Shouqing could help, he absolutely would; if he couldn’t, he would say so straightforwardly. Spending time with someone like that wasn’t exhausting; instead, it offered a rare sense of carefree comfort.

On their way to dinner, the two laughed and joked, chatting about their daily lives and the embarrassing things they had done in the past. It was incredibly pleasant.

Before long, the two arrived at "Next-Door Old Wang’s Hotpot."

Old Wang had picked the dinner spot, though he didn’t own the place. Because Su Yunzhou wanted to take his childhood friend out to have some fun, he had called Old Wang—who was well-versed in such matters—an hour earlier to ask for a few venue recommendations.

When Old Wang heard that he was hosting someone, he immediately patted his chest, eager to build connections. "President Su’s friend is my friend. I’ll make the arrangements for tonight."

Unable to decline, Su Yunzhou agreed. However, he made it clear upfront that while Old Wang could handle dinner, he would be paying for the second and third rounds later that night. Shrewd as he was, Old Wang gladly agreed. After all, a meal didn’t cost much, but the nighttime entertainment was where the real money would be spent.

Consequently, Old Wang had arrived at the hotpot restaurant early to secure a table, specifically bringing a bottle of National Cellar 1573 for them to enjoy. Bringing only one bottle wasn’t him being stingy; rather, it was because they had plans for the evening. Divided among three people, each would get a modest amount—just enough to get pleasantly tipsy and hit the right mood. Only then could they truly let loose when they went out to play.

Holding his phone, Su Yunzhou spoke to the young waitress who came over to assist them. "The Ju Xian Manor private room."

"Right this way!" The waitress nodded and gestured invitingly. "Please follow me to the second floor."

Old Wang was seated right by the door of the private room. Seeing the two approach, he immediately greeted them enthusiastically. "President Su, over here!"

"Old Wang," Su Yunzhou said, smiling faintly as he walked over.

Seeing the buddy behind Su Yunzhou, Old Wang took a few steps forward and proactively extended his hand. "Bro, welcome to Rongcheng. I guarantee you’ll be set up nicely tonight."

Lin Shouqing chuckled and reached out to shake his hand. "Thanks for the trouble, brother."

The three entered the private room. After a round of polite refusals, Lin Shouqing helplessly took the seat of honor. Su Yunzhou sat on his left, while Old Wang took the seat closest to the door.

Once they ordered, the food was served quickly. The waitress opened the bottle of 1573 and poured it into three liquor decanters. After asking if they needed anything else, she left the room.

The hotpot steamed, its rich aroma filling the air.

Su Yunzhou raised the first glass of liquor to introduce the two. "This is Lin Shouqing, my childhood friend. And this is Wang Kun, my good buddy."

Hearing the name, Lin Shouqing froze.

Uh!

That name was quite aggressive when you broke down the characters!

Then, he realized his expression might have seemed a bit inappropriate. Seeing Lin Shouqing’s apologetic look, Old Wang knew exactly what he was thinking.

But he was used to being mocked for his name since childhood. Ever since he was old enough to understand, he had complained about why his parents gave him this name. During his school days, he was the laughingstock of his entire class. When he entered society, being casually called "Wang"—which inevitably sounded exactly like the word for "bastard" when people added a conversational particle at the end—bothered him endlessly. Now that he was slightly older, being called "Old Wang" was a bit better. However, a few years ago, "Old Wang" suddenly morphed into an internet slang term for the neighbor who sleeps with your wife. At this point, he could only throw his hands up and accept his fate.

"Bro, no offense taken. Just call me Old Wang."

"Brother Wang," Lin Shouqing replied, offering a friendly smile.

Su Yunzhou raised his glass. "We’re all brothers here, so let’s skip the empty pleasantries. Tonight is all about eating, drinking, playing, and... well, you know. Come on, bottoms up and let’s get down to business."

Old Wang smiled and nodded. "President Su, you’re quite smooth with your double entendres!"

Lin Shouqing’s eyes brimmed with amusement as he followed suit, changing his form of address. "President Su, your literary talent is truly growing more striking by the day!"

During the ensuing meal, Old Wang displayed the classic traits of a seasoned workplace veteran, proving exceptionally skilled at livening up the atmosphere. Lin Shouqing was already a secretly wild guy deep down, and with Su Yunzhou fanning the flames from the sidelines, a few cups of liquor were all it took for them to start talking about anything and everything.

When three grown men shared a meal, they had to talk about romance and women to do justice to the vibe. Hearing Old Wang’s graphic and tantalizing descriptions of how fun and thrilling the local entertainment venues could be left the other two itching with anticipation.

After a few rounds of drinks, Lin Shouqing raised his glass. "Brother Wang, thank you for your generous hospitality today."

Old Wang hurriedly lifted his cup. "No need for formalities. We should be thanking President Su for organizing this."

Su Yunzhou looked at the two of them. "Come on, once we finish this decanter, we’re immediately changing venues."

A few minutes later, Old Wang ran off to settle the bill. By paying for this meal, he had given Su Yunzhou plenty of face. Naturally, Su Yunzhou had to return the favor. He grabbed Old Wang by the shoulder and said, "Like we agreed earlier, I’m picking up the tab tonight. Find us a premium venue."

"President Su, how long have we known each other? You’re so rich now! I definitely won’t hold back on you." Old Wang chuckled, perfectly understanding the other man’s intentions. He continued, "Let’s go, let’s go. I’ve already called a designated driver. It’s about a twenty-minute drive over."

A moment later, the designated driver carefully started the Panamera, ferrying the three bosses toward Imperial Diamond Karaoke, a venue highly renowned within certain circles.

After parking the car, the driver breathed a sigh of relief. Driving a million-yuan luxury car came with a lot of psychological pressure. Fortunately, that boss was quite generous and tipped him a hundred yuan.

Not far away, Imperial Diamond Karaoke looked resplendent and magnificent. Just by looking at the high-end decor of the storefront, it was obvious that it wouldn’t be cheap.

Following that, Old Wang led the two of them through a series of left and right turns until they reached the other side of the karaoke venue. Three burly security guards were stationed there.

Watching Old Wang verify the reservation number and secret code with the guards, Lin Shouqing thought to himself, "The big cities really know how to play. The front door leads to the regular karaoke rooms, but the back door leads to the exclusive business club. I’m definitely going to broaden my horizons and learn a few new tricks tonight."