By the time Li Xian got up to use the restroom, Wang Meng had already paid the bill. It came to a little over 1,370 yuan, with the drinks making up a good chunk of it.
They'd polished off four cases of Qingdao Pure Draft, but none of them had reached their limit yet. As long as they didn't mix beer with liquor, beer was practically water to them. At most, they'd just have to make a few more trips to the restroom.
Li Xian's chubby face was flushed, and he swayed as he walked. His eyes looked a little unfocused, making him seem completely wasted, but he was actually doing fine and still clearheaded. He could easily have downed another five or six bottles.
They'd originally planned to tough it out with the [Strong Hangover Relief Tablet] if things got bad, but from the look of it, they'd saved themselves the trouble.
None of the guys had come prepared to drink themselves into the ground tonight. Everyone had held something back. If one or two more troublemakers had joined them, things wouldn't have stayed so harmonious.
You could imagine what would've happened if they'd ordered a few more bottles of liquor. Li Xian would probably have been the only one able to walk out of there.
"Mengzi, you're quick. I said I was treating everyone." Li Xian put a hand on his shoulder.
"Uh..." Wang Meng burped, then said, "What's the difference? It's your money either way."
The guy was so earnest. He was still thinking about the ten thousand yuan Li Xian had given him, and trying to find ways to spend it on Li Xian.
But Li Xian didn't care about that money at all. There was still more than 34.3 million yuan sitting in his bank account, waiting to be spent. That was the real big money.
"You little..." Li Xian didn't know what to say to him, so he just told him, "Stick with me from now on. I'm short on people at the moment, so I'll have to trouble you to run around and help me out."
"Sure thing, Brother Xian. You don't have to be polite with me. Just tell me what you need, anytime. We're close—no need to stand on ceremony!" Wang Meng thumped his chest, grinning from ear to ear.
He looked fine when he wasn't smiling, but the grin pulled at the thick muscles in his face, making him look pretty intimidating.
He might look fierce, but he was actually pretty easygoing in private. Of course, having a good temper didn't mean he never got angry. If you really crossed him, you'd better think carefully about whether your body could withstand him roughing you up.
Li Xian valued his character. He was the kind of friend who'd do anything for his buddies, ready to take a knife for them without hesitation. Like that time with Lu Yang: if Li Xian had given the word, Wang Meng would've charged in right away, without a second thought.
Li Xian would never take advantage of a friend like that. If something good came along, Wang Meng would be one of the first people he thought of.
Li Xian didn't have many friends to begin with, and the number he could really open up to was even smaller. Everyone here had stood the test of time.
If he hadn't trusted them, he wouldn't have called them over to discuss something important.
"Guys, it's still early. What should we do next?" His gaze swept over Sui Jiji and Sun Wei. He'd just checked the time, and it wasn't even nine yet. Going home now would be too early.
"Go get a bath?"
Sui Jiji and Sun Wei answered in unison. They glanced at each other, a mischievous smile curling at their lips. No more needed to be said.
Li Xian knew exactly what the two of them were thinking. He turned to Wang Meng and asked, "You want to go too?"
"Sure... why not?" Wang Meng's words were a little slurred, but he looked eager enough.
Li Xian smiled to himself. These guys had no ambition. All they could think of was a bath.
If he wanted to have some fun, he'd at least go to a club with pretty girls—top-tier escorts and a lavish party by the sea.
Well, even though he had money now, he still hadn't had a chance to let loose. He'd been too busy spending money and doing tasks to think about anything else. More importantly, he was still missing a high-level guide.
Sui Jiji was a decent driver, but his level was a little low.
Li Xian was aiming to be on Principal Wang's level. Whether it came down to money or family connections, he wasn't afraid of anyone.
"Look at you guys... Fine, fine. Let's hit Shangshui?" Li Xian teased.
"Hold on, Shangshui isn't any good." Sui Jiji winked. "A buddy recommended a place to me. It just opened near Digital Plaza. It's called Water Pavilion. I was planning to check it out sometime, so we might as well go now."
"Okay, you lead the way. Don't drive, though. I'll call us a car." As he spoke, Li Xian called Lin Yuan and asked her to send one over.
They'd all had quite a bit to drink. Better not tempt fate by breaking the law.
They waited at the entrance for about ten minutes before a black Sprinter President pulled up in front of them.
Lin Yuan got out of the passenger seat and respectfully opened the door for Li Xian and the others.
"Mr. Li, should I drive your car back for you?" Lin Yuan asked.
Li Xian nodded. "Yeah. There's also an Audi Q5. Find a designated driver for that one, too."
After giving her the instructions, the group got into the car. Li Xian took out two packs of Nine-Five Supreme cigarettes and handed them to Wang Meng and Sui Jiji.
Sun Wei didn't smoke. He busied himself with the mini-fridge, taking out a bottle of red wine. "We've got a G-Wagon and a Sprinter, and we're taking cars like these to a bathhouse. Isn't that kind of a waste?"
As he spoke, he looked at Sui Jiji. The other man slapped his thigh, full of regret. "Yeah. Brother Xian's getting off easy. We should've picked somewhere better."
"Then why don't you find somewhere better instead of just saying useless stuff?" Li Xian shot back with a laugh. You were the one leading the way. If you couldn't lead us somewhere good, why complain to me, the guy paying?
"Next time... I'll ask around." Sui Jiji lit a cigarette and took a drag.
Li Xian chuckled, pulled some Deodorant Gum from his pocket, and handed it around. Then he lit a cigarette for himself, lowered the window, and enjoyed the night breeze and the view.
Bin City was ablaze with lights at night, and the scenery was breathtaking. As he gazed out the window, his thoughts gradually drifted. Looking back on the past few days, everything felt unreal, yet it was all real.
He had a car and a house. Once he had a business on top of that, he'd be firmly established here.
And after that? He could set his sights on the whole country, maybe even the whole world. It was a little far off, but not out of reach. With the Money Spending Game, he felt confident.
Li Xian slowly turned his gaze away. He figured the alcohol had gone to his head a little; he was thinking too much.
Damn system... No, Daddy System, you handle the paychecks, and I'll handle spending like there's no tomorrow. We've got a clear division of labor. Here's to a happy partnership.
The corner of Li Xian's mouth lifted. Now this was the right way to live.
"Welcome!"
The greeter at the entrance smiled sweetly. They were all at least a 75 out of 100 in looks. For girls like that to work as greeters, the bathhouse was clearly no ordinary place.
The decor leaned heavily into Huaxia-style design. The moment they entered the lobby, they were surrounded by traditional touches: a stream winding beneath a little bridge, ornamental rocks, and many scrolls painted with green bamboo.
Of course, they hadn't come here to admire the decor. After changing their shoes and picking up their locker-number tags, Li Xian and the others headed straight to the changing room.
Before long, four naked men were lined up in the 42-degree bath.
Li Xian and Wang Meng were the two heavyweight contenders, taking up so much room that they squeezed Sun Wei and Sui Jiji into a corner.
Sun Wei was under 1.8 meters tall and on the thin side, weighing around 70 kilos. He'd put on a little weight since coming to Binhai. Sui Jiji was a human skeleton, standing 1.8 meters tall but weighing only 65 kilos.
In terms of looks, Sui Jiji was currently in the lead. He scored a 75, and with his glasses, he looked scholarly and refined—deceptively so.
Sun Wei had originally scored around a 70, but he was a little dark, which cost him a few points. He'd also put on a bit of weight, so now he couldn't compare with Li Xian at all.
As for Wang Meng... Looks weren't what he was about. His strength made up for everything.
After soaking for about ten minutes, they were more or less sober. Then Sui Jiji suddenly let out a cry. "Holy crap, Brother Xian! I didn't notice at dinner, but how'd you get yourself looking so sharp? Your skin's so fair, and your face—if you lost a bit more weight, you'd be perfect."
"What, I wasn't handsome enough before? You had to take a bath to wash your eyes clean?" Li Xian shot him a sidelong glance.
"No, no. I really didn't notice earlier. Now you're definitely..." Sui Jiji gave him a thumbs-up.
"Don't try that on me. It's not like I won't pay the bill." Li Xian scoffed to himself. Just wait until I get my looks up to eighty. Damn system, making me lose weight.
"Wow, your skin feels softer than my wife's." Sun Wei was a bit late to notice, but he was even more over the top.
"Damn it, keep your hands to yourself!" Li Xian shot up from the bath and kicked Sun Wei in disgust.
"Mengzi, let's go get scrubbed first."
"Sure!"
The two big men left the bath. Jiji and Wei Shao quietly followed behind, discussing their options. Sun Wei asked, "Which one should we pick: 598, 899, or 1,288?"
Jiji said, "Obviously the most expensive one."
"Heh. That's what I was thinking, too."
Just then, the phone hanging around Li Xian's neck rang. He glanced at it, then turned to Sun Wei. "Your wife's checking up on you. What should I tell her?"
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