When Qian Duoduo mentioned Ma Dong, a flicker of fear passed through his eyes. He continued, “The Ma Group is mainly in real estate, with total assets in the hundreds of billions. For the past decade, Ma Dong’s father has firmly held the title of Suzhou-Hangzhou’s richest man.”
“Not only that, Ma Dong’s father is a regular on the Forbes list, with a personal net worth of tens of billions.”
“Ma Dong, though, is just a spoiled brat, doing whatever he wants because of his family’s money.”
“A couple of years ago, his father gave him 500 million to start a jewelry company. He made a decent chunk of cash—rumor has it his net worth is now over a billion.”
“That’s why the rich kids in Suzhou-Hangzhou all hail Ma Dong as a young business leader.”
Qian Duoduo got worked up at this point, “Damn it, he even stole my parking spot. If he weren’t richer than me, I’d have beaten him up.”
“Oh, by the way, cousin, watch out for this Ma Dong.”
Qian Duoduo suddenly warned Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu brushed it off, “Just a rich kid—what’s there to watch out for?”
Qian Duoduo explained, “You don’t know—Ma Dong’s got ties in both the legal and shady worlds. He’s petty as hell and holds grudges. Try not to cross him.”
“Alright, let’s find a spot to park already.”
Ye Qiu didn’t take Ma Dong seriously at all. Forget the son of Suzhou-Hangzhou’s richest— even the national richest’s kid wouldn’t faze him.
Could this Ma Dong outshine Bai Yujing’s Xiao Qingdi?
After Qian Duoduo parked, he led Ye Qiu and Lin Jingzhi into the bar.
At the entrance, Ye Qiu frowned slightly.
Flashing lights.
The noisy air reeked of smoke and booze.
The music blared loud enough to deafen, with young men and women twisting their hips and waists to the beat in a frenzy.
Scantily clad women mingled with the guys, teasing them with suggestive moves.
“So loud—want to switch spots?” Ye Qiu wasn’t a fan of the bar vibe.
“We’re here already, no point switching,” Lin Jingzhi said, pulling him inside.
As the trio stepped in, they drew eyes.
Mostly on Lin Jingzhi, though.
Few girls rocked a qipao in a bar. Lin Jingzhi’s stood out, hugging her perfect figure. Paired with her stunning face and sultry charm, she instantly caught the attention of plenty of eager onlookers.
“Damn, that chick’s hot.”
“No kidding—jealous of the guy next to her.”
“Did that dude save the galaxy in his last life to score a woman that gorgeous?”
“She’s too fine—I’d trade ten years of my life for one night with her.”
“As if anyone wouldn’t.”
“Hahaha…”
A group of guys laughed crudely.
Lin Jingzhi didn’t spare them a glance.
Seeing Ye Qiu’s distaste for the noise, Qian Duoduo found a quiet booth, and the three settled in.
“Cousin, what’ll you drink?” Qian Duoduo said, “They’ve got everything here.”
“Whatever’s fine.”
At that, Qian Duoduo snapped his fingers, and a waiter hurried over.
“Sir, what can I do for you?” the waiter asked.
“Two bottles of ’82 Lafite,” Qian Duoduo ordered.
“Right away.” The waiter’s tone grew respectful—two ’82 Lafites meant a nice commission.
“Wait,” Ye Qiu stopped him, turning to Qian Duoduo, “I don’t drink Lafite.”
“Huh?” Qian Duoduo blinked, surprised, “What do you like then, cousin?”
“Two bottles of regular Penfolds red,” Ye Qiu said.
Qian Duoduo hesitated, “Cousin, isn’t Penfolds a bit low-end?”
“It’s just us—why care about status?” Ye Qiu told the waiter, “Go get it.”
“Yes, sir.”
The waiter walked off, muttering inwardly, “Bunch of broke losers, coming to a bar with no money.”
Ye Qiu didn’t avoid Lafite for no reason—most ’82 Lafite sold in domestic bars was fake.
The ’82 vintage from the winery was limited—how could it be everywhere?
Even if real, two bottles in a place like this would run 200,000 to 300,000 yuan.
Another big reason he passed? To save Qian Duoduo cash.
He didn’t want this lapdog splurging.
Regular Penfolds? A couple hundred for two bottles.
The three sipped and chatted.
“Got a date set for your match with the Korean medical sage Li Zhengxi?” Lin Jingzhi asked.
“Not yet,” Ye Qiu replied, “Waiting on Elder Zhang’s word. Per Li Zhengxi’s challenge, it’s within a month.”
“Cousin, you confident about this?” Qian Duoduo asked.
Ye Qiu smiled faintly, “Ask your sister-in-law.”
Qian Duoduo turned to Lin Jingzhi.
She grinned, “Ye Qiu never bets without a sure win.”
Qian Duoduo said enviously, “Cousin, if you win, you’ll be the first medical sage in Chinese medicine in 300 years. You’ll be famous—bigger than the Four Heavenly Kings. TV stations will beg you for variety shows, maybe even directors for movies. How about I be your agent?”
“Don’t need one,” Ye Qiu shot back, “And if I ever do, I won’t drag a lapdog along.”
Qian Duoduo felt like he’d taken a 10,000-point crit.
Just then, a waiter approached Lin Jingzhi with a tray, “Ma’am, this is from Young Master Ma.”
Lin Jingzhi spotted it—a Royal Salute, one glass worth half a year’s pay for most.
She glanced over.
Not far off, Ma Dong nodded at her with a smile, flanked by a few sharply dressed young folks—rich kids, no doubt.
“Take it back,” Lin Jingzhi refused flat-out.
The waiter frowned.
A first for him.
When Ma Dong sent drinks to other girls, they’d act like they’d hit the jackpot—none ever turned it down like this.
Ungrateful.
He snorted inwardly, pressing her, “Ma’am, Young Master Ma doesn’t send drinks lightly. I suggest you take it— if he gets mad, the consequences…”
Ye Qiu cut in, “Get lost!”
