"Didn't you say he was happy when you gave him the tie clip yesterday and brought him coffee today?"
"He probably doesn't care much about money. Look how freely he spends it on you — no hesitation, no complaints."
"But I think he pays more attention to thoughtfulness and detail."
"Giving him a gift worth millions is beyond you, so you'd be better off putting in the effort and figuring out what he's into."
Sis Zhang's advice was experienced and practical. It was useful for Xu Lu — and absolutely perfect for Chen Qi.
If Chen Qi knew Sis Zhang had said this, he'd have grabbed her in a bear hug and called her his guardian angel.
"But I haven't really talked to him much. We spent the whole day shopping today. How am I supposed to know what he's into?"
Xu Lu was a little frustrated. She had gotten too caught up in the fun today, and even during dinner, the conversation had barely circled back to Chen Qi himself.
"Lulu, didn't he just buy a car this afternoon? He hasn't picked it up yet — why don't you get him a car air freshener?"
"New cars always have that plastic smell. When he picks it up, you can give it to him to put inside."
Xiao Jing's idea hit Xu Lu like a lightning bolt.
"That's right — air fresheners! We carry those at the store."
"Sis Zhang, grab me one and ring it up with the employee discount."
There it was again. The employee discount.
And this one had an even bigger markdown than yesterday's tie clip. Employees got thirty percent off.
Original price: ¥4,050. After discount: ¥2,835. The gap to Chen Qi's side? A cool ¥12.15 million.
If Chen Qi knew Sis Zhang and Xiao Jing were helping him like this, he'd have sent them a few extra bags on the spot.
Back at the hotel, Butler Li had already drawn a bath. The clothes Chen Qi had changed out of were whisked away to be laundered.
"You lazy freeloader — your meal ticket's about to get snatched and you're taking a bath. Have you got any drive at all?"
"Two goddesses bound, and you're already soaking in a tub."
After getting roasted by the System, Chen Qi's original plan — a relaxing bath followed by a movie in bed — quietly dissolved.
He finished his bath, walked out of the hotel, and headed to the nearest bar: Black Rose.
Chen Qi had never been to a bar before. He'd heard that even ordering a few drinks at a regular table could run you hundreds of yuan — enough to keep him in instant noodles for a month.
It was midnight now, the peak hour, and the entrance was packed with clusters of well-dressed men and women milling about.
Chen Qi was good-looking — that was his natural edge. Even before spending a single yuan, a girl had already walked up to him.
"Hey, handsome. Want to hang out?"
"Get lost. Your charm score is 78. If I spent the night with you, the System would tear me apart."
"Hey cutie, I'll buy you a drink. Come on!"
Another one, 80 points. With his looks, Chen Qi could attract lower-scoring girls willing to spend on him — but for anyone scoring 90 or above, looks alone wouldn't cut it. That's where money came in.
Chen Qi stepped inside. The energy was electric — the DJ was spinning Wild Wolf Disco, the lights strobed in every color, and the hype squad was working the crowd into a frenzy. It was the kind of atmosphere that grabbed you by the chest.
Chen Qi scanned the room. Too many people, plenty of pretty faces, and checking them one by one would take all night.
That's when a sharp-eyed promoter named Xiao Shao clocked the head-to-toe LV outfit and made a beeline.
"Hey man, which section's your table?"
"Haven't booked one yet. Anything available?"
Payday, Xiao Shao thought, keeping the grin professional.
"Absolutely. Which section are you thinking?"
"First time here — give me the rundown."
Xiao Shao launched into his pitch, all smiles.
"Sure thing, bro. Section D starts at an ¥8,000 minimum. Section C is ¥12,000. Section B is ¥20,000. Section A is ¥33,000."
"Is Section A still open?" Chen Qi asked.
Xiao Shao's face lit up. "Yes sir, right this way."
They made their way to booth A06. Section A was spacious — easily fifteen people could move around without bumping elbows.
A fruit platter appeared immediately. Xiao Shao leaned in with a practiced smile.
"First time at Black Rose, bro? Want me to walk you through the drink menu?"
"Skip the cheap stuff."
It wasn't that Chen Qi actually knew his whisky from his vodka. He just knew: order low, attract nobody. He was here to scout, and first he needed to show the promoter what he was working with — then let him scramble to line up the girls.
Section A's minimum was ¥33,000, so Xiao Shao rattled off the packages priced at ¥30,000 and above.
"So our Xiao Shenlong package is—"
Chen Qi cut him off.
"Be specific. First time at a bar."
Xiao Shao blinked. This guy's wearing six figures of LV and this is his first bar? His attitude cooled a fraction — probably fake.
"Xiao Shenlong is three bottles of Ace of Spades champagne. Da Shenlong is five bottles of Ace of Spades plus one Gold Ace of Spades. The Bingfeng Zhizun Shenlong package is—"
"One Bingfeng Zhizun Shenlong."
Xiao Shao hadn't even finished his sentence.
"Bro, our packages require upfront payment."
"Scan the code."
Xiao Shao didn't expect him to move that fast — straight to the top package, no hesitation.
The moment ¥128,000 hit his app, Xiao Shao's attitude did a complete 180.
"You drinking alone tonight, bro? Want me to bring some girls over?"
Obviously — that's literally why he was here. Not that he had high hopes; bar crowds were what they were. Still.
"Quality has to be high. If I'm impressed, I'll order another Bingfeng Zhizun."
Xiao Shao briefly considered calling Chen Qi Daddy. This one commission alone was worth ¥12,800. Black Rose's cut was 10% for ¥30K–¥100K orders; 10% for ¥100K–¥200K; and 15% for anything above ¥200K.
If Chen Qi ordered again, Xiao Shao would clear 15 points. He could take the rest of the month off.
On stage, the DJ grabbed the mic.
"Big shoutout to booth A06, who just ordered the Bingfeng Zhizun Shenlong package! Wishing our boss nothing but success and smooth sailing!"
Two suited men appeared carrying a smoke-billowing bottle rack. Behind them, a parade of bunny girls filed into A06.
The Bingfeng package itself was nothing special compared to the Da Shenlong — same five-color Ace of Spades plus one Gold Ace. The only difference was the box it came in and the dry ice smoke curling off it, manufactured to make you feel like a king on an ice throne.
The bar erupted. This was the first Bingfeng Zhizun order of the month.
Nobody else was drinking, but the whole room was lit up. Everyone craned their necks toward A06.
The bunny girls pulled confetti cannons and scattered gold foil streamers. The whole scene dripped of glamour and excess.
Chen Qi looked over the bunny girls. None of them were worth a second glance — the System agreed.
The two suited bodyguards stayed. The bunny girls were sent away.
"Bro, give me a sec — I'll go pull some girls for you."
Xiao Shao hustled back out and combed through the hype squad for the best-looking ones.
[System Notice] Xu Lu's Affection: 32 → 32 (no change this chapter — new goddess incoming!) New target detected: Jiang Zhenzhen, Charm Score 90 Stay tuned...