Chapter 14

"Qin."

Chen and the row of men in black suits behind him greeted him solemnly.

Qin Mu gave a slight nod and said blandly, "Let's go."

Cheng Lang's ears twitched as he turned to look. So this was scumbag Lu Chengxuan's white moonlight!

With a face like that, no wonder he was unforgettable.

Cheng Lang couldn't help but marvel. Lu Chengxuan might have plenty of flaws, but his taste really was—exceptionally good!

But then again, Cheng Lang finally understood why, in a deeply angsty substitute romance novel, the original story had barely described the male lead's white moonlight, instead devoting so much writing and plot to the endless stream of substitutes. Cheng Lang had thought the author had simply forgotten to write about him. Looking at it now, the author probably just hadn't wanted him to overshadow the male lead's presence.

After all, with Qin Mu's entourage and wealth, even going to the restroom required a whole line of underlings to stand guard outside. That was clearly the setup for the number-one male lead in a domineering CEO novel! It wasn't as if Cheng Lang had never seen Lu Chengxuan before. Putting the two of them side by side, it was hard to imagine Qin Mu playing second fiddle. Could it be that Lu Chengxuan actually...

In a flash, a gleam flickered through Cheng Lang's eyes. He felt like he had just stumbled onto some major gossip.

Sensing Cheng Lang's overly fervent gaze, everyone present turned to look at Qin Mu in unison.

Qin Mu's expression remained utterly placid.

Chen coughed lightly. "If there's nothing else, hurry downstairs. Don't you still have work?"

Cheng Lang sighed regretfully and turned to head downstairs.

The moment he returned to the first floor, the shift supervisor dragged him into a corner and whispered, "Meng Tianye quit!"

Thinking of Little Wild Horse's temper, Cheng Lang wasn't all that surprised.

The shift supervisor clicked his tongue and shook his head. "That kid's got way too much pride. Wang went to a lot of trouble to invite Lü from Qin Dynasty Records over, and Meng Tianye chose this moment to throw a tantrum and quit. Wasn't that just tearing Wang down?"

"Young people just don't know how to cherish opportunities. He'll definitely regret it," the shift supervisor declared with certainty.

Cheng Lang sighed. "I still need to make more money!"

The shift supervisor looked at Cheng Lang.

Cheng Lang lamented miserably, "Without money, I wouldn't even have the nerve to pursue someone who made my heart skip a beat."

The shift supervisor looked utterly baffled.

Cheng Lang continued, "Someone like me—if I ran over and told him I liked him right now, he'd only think I liked his money, wouldn't he?"

Cheng Lang sighed. He really was nothing more than an ordinary, unremarkable villainous cannon fodder. Those plots where domineering CEOs fell in love at first sight before forcibly taking and claiming someone would never happen to him.

System: [...That wasn't what you were saying just now!]

Cheng Lang turned a deaf ear to the system's nagging and went off to work full of fighting spirit. When his shift ended, the supervisor cornered him in the changing room. "Did you know?"

The shift supervisor looked at Cheng Lang with a complicated expression. "You made nearly five hundred thousand today!"

Cheng Lang: "???"

The shift supervisor nodded heavily. There was even a hint of envy, jealousy, and resentment in his expression as he looked at Cheng Lang. "That includes your wages for tonight, your commission on drinks, and the tips from the customers."

The shift supervisor paused, then said in a subtle tone, "Those customers said the money was a reward for listening to crosstalk, not tips for drinking or requesting songs. The bar had no right to refuse it on your behalf. They even specifically instructed the bar to make sure the money was given to you."

Cheng Lang: "!!!"

The shift supervisor looked emotional. "And Lü's two hundred thousand has been added to your account too. Since the total amount is so large, it'll be transferred to your card tomorrow after everything is tallied up."

Happiness had come too suddenly. Cheng Lang felt as though he had just woken from a dream. It seemed he wasn't too far from achieving the first small goal of his life.

"Keep it up!" The shift supervisor patted Cheng Lang on the shoulder. "Keep working hard. I think you've got a shot at becoming the first billionaire to come out of White Jade Capital."

Cheng Lang clasped his hands in salute, then left work with Shen Huaiyu, his steps light as air.

While waiting for a ride by the roadside, Cheng Lang casually bought three roasted sweet potatoes and gave one to Shen Huaiyu.

"Don't be jealous of me, bro!" Cheng Lang said as he gnawed on his sweet potato. "This weekend, I'll go collect that debt with you. Then you'll have money too!"

Chapter 14

Over the next few days, Cheng Lang was especially busy. On one hand, he gathered information about Shen Huaiyu's uncle; on the other, he searched online for the procedures and prices for playing LED advertisements in commercial buildings and shopping plazas. He even asked some roadside convenience stores and small restaurants whether they would be willing to play paid recordings. Shen Huaiyu assumed Cheng Lang was making advertisements for the milk tea shop, so he didn't ask much.

Before long, Saturday arrived. Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu made their preparations and went to attend Shen Huaiyu's uncle's calligraphy and painting exhibition.

Shen Huaiyu's uncle was named Shen Chengan. He was the president of the city's Calligraphy and Painting Association, as well as a renowned calligrapher, painter, and collector. These days, anyone even remotely connected to collecting was bound to be rich. So the venue Shen Chengan had chosen for his exhibition was a highly prestigious private art gallery in the city. Everyone had to present an invitation to enter.

The exhibition was scheduled to open at ten in the morning. Cheng Lang and Shen Huaiyu arrived at the gallery at around nine fifty. Naturally, neither of them had an invitation. Looking at the tightly guarded security staff at the entrance, Shen Huaiyu frowned and asked, "What do we do?"

"Just go in directly!" Cheng Lang said with complete confidence. "You're Shen Chengan's biological nephew. How could you be treated the same as outsiders?"

But this biological nephew of his was probably worth less than an outsider! Shen Huaiyu looked at Cheng Lang in confusion, unable to figure out what he was planning.

Cheng Lang didn't explain. He grabbed Shen Huaiyu and walked straight to the gallery entrance, where security stopped them.

In front of the guests passing by, Cheng Lang said in a booming voice, "We're Uncle Shen's family. This is Uncle Shen's biological nephew. Does a nephew visiting his uncle's calligraphy and painting exhibition really need some formal invitation?"

Perhaps Cheng Lang had spoken loudly enough, or perhaps the sight of two handsome men together was simply eye-catching. The guests still outside all turned to look.

The security guard maintained a perfectly polite smile and said gently, "I'm very sorry. Without an invitation, I can't let you in."

"Hey! Why are you being so rigid about this?" Cheng Lang said again. "We're Shen Chengan's family. Uncle Shen wouldn't be so impartial that he'd turn even his own biological nephew away at the door, would he?"