Chapter 14

But with that one phone call from Qin Heng, the Shen Family would only think the Jiang Family did not know its place. After all, Boss Xu, who could beat up a wealthy heir in Yangcheng, carried far more weight than Jiang Shijie.

If President Shen still wanted to stay on good terms with Xu Jiahao, he would definitely come personally to apologize and pay out of pocket to clean up this mess. The cooperation the Jiang Family and Shen Family had been about to finalize could also be forgotten.

Without Chongning and Jiuzhi to rely on, the Jiang Family could forget about gaining a foothold in Yangcheng again.

Although Qin Heng had not subjectively been doing the Chi family's bidding, Chongning had benefited as the third party and directly eliminated the possibility of the Shen and Jiang families joining forces to cause trouble.

All in all, the Chi family had gotten a free advantage.

It was ridiculously satisfying.

"Qin Heng." Chi Ning pointed at the drinks and snacks beside the refreshment counter. "Does this count toward your commission?"

"It does." Qin Heng hesitated for a moment.

Had beating someone up in front of Chi Ning just now scared him?

Probably not.

He had been very restrained today. Jiang Shijie's mouth was completely intact; not even the skin had broken.

But Chi Ning seemed rather timid. Would he be afraid? What if he got scared and stopped renewing his membership?

Should he maintain Brother Xu's customer relationship?

But coaxing someone cost money, didn't it?

Qin Heng glanced at Chi Ning's eyes. In the dim lighting, the young man's eyes looked moist, and he had no idea whether he had cried.

Forget it. Money could be spent.

"What do you want?"

Sitting in his seat, Chi Ning pointed. "Barbecue-flavored chips, the biggest bag. And a bottle of orange juice, the one with 'freshly squeezed' written on it."

Qin Heng glanced at the prices. The chips were fine, but the orange juice cost thirty Hong Kong dollars. Together, it would be almost fifty.

So expensive. He would have to sell ten bottles of bayberry juice to earn it back. He suddenly did not feel like coaxing him anymore.

Chi Ning always booked the table closest to the counter, where he could see the price tags.

He took out fifty dollars and handed it to Qin Heng, who brought over the snacks. "Here. Keep the change."

One thing was one thing. He measured his conduct more precisely than a laboratory scale.

Though he did not like Qin Heng the liar, Qin Heng had helped the Chi family resolve a problem. He still had to thank him when thanks were due.

Qin Heng looked at the money, clenched his molars, and with difficulty looked away. He pushed the money back. "No need. It's on me."

He drew a deep breath and quickly said, "You had an unpleasant experience. This is compensation from the club."

Zhang Qiuwen: "Huh?"

Was that a thing?

You gave Jiang Shijie psychological trauma. Did you compensate him?

You even called President Shen and told him to pay for the carpet.

Chi Ning did not suspect a thing. He took the chips in one hand and the orange juice in the other, considering how else he could thank Qin Heng.

With a rip, he tore open the chips, leaned back in the lounge area, and looked at the television mounted on the wall in the hall. It was broadcasting the 1999 Y-Country Snooker Grand Prix final.

One of the contestants was Mo Yuanzhou.

Teacher Mo truly deserved to be called an artist. His posture and bearing were far better than his opponent's, and even his clothes were more appropriate.

Combined with his skill at snooker, he utterly crushed his opponent in every respect.

Chi Ning crunched away at the chips, the sound of his eating so faint beneath the clacking balls that it could be ignored.

Qin Heng curled his lips.

Young Master Chi was quite easy to coax. As long as he had something tasty to distract him, he would not be afraid.

"Tsk, tsk." Zhang Qiuwen thought, What the hell is this?

He moved closer to Qin Heng and asked, "There's no such rule at the club, right?"

Qin Heng gave him a sidelong glance. "What if Chi Ning gets scared and never tops up Brother Xu's account again? This is customer retention."

Zhang Qiuwen understood and gave him a thumbs-up. "I get it. Small investment, big returns."

-

By the time Xu Jiahao arrived, Chi Ning was so stuffed from the value-size bag of chips that he was burping, sipping from the large bottle of freshly squeezed orange juice.

After hearing the whole story, he immediately took a spirit level to measure the pool table. "Fuck, that immoral bastard Jiang Shijie sat on my table with his ass and knocked it crooked."

Licking the seasoning powder from his lips, Chi Ning said, "It's fine. Qin Heng called President Shen and said Jiang Shijie had caused trouble, told President Shen to deal with it as he saw fit. President Shen will definitely come over soon to apologize to you."

Qin Heng: ...

He had spoken so politely when he called President Shen. How had it turned into sounding like he had provoked someone after passing through Chi Ning's mouth?

Qin Heng said to Xu Jiahao, "I put it a little more tactfully. I recorded the call."

Good thing he had prepared for this.

Though it had not been to guard against Chi Ning...

After listening to the recording, Xu Jiahao looked at Chi Ning with much more affection.

The son Chi Baichuan raised was strangely innocent of worldly matters.

The same meaning sounded one way when Qin Heng said it and entirely different when Chi Ning said it.

Chi Ning: "..."

What was wrong?

"Nothing." Xu Jiahao wiped his face. "Take whatever you want from the counter. Brother Xu is treating you."

Chi Ning waved his hands repeatedly and pointed at the empty chip bag. "No need. Brother Qin already treated me."

Xu Jiahao let out an oh-ho and looked at Qin Heng with curiosity. The iron rooster had plucked its feathers?

Qin Heng had handled this matter well. He had maneuvered among three forces, struck ruthlessly, and wrapped things up smoothly.

Xu Jiahao patted Qin Heng's shoulder, then squeezed it hard. "Not bad, kid. I heard you're an

orphan

. Want to acknowledge me as your godfather? I happen to want to retire, and no one is running my businesses. If you work for me, I'll teach you the rest."

Chi Ning secretly went wow.

Xu Jiahao was definitely no simple man. Beating up Jiang Shijie could net him an advantage like this?

As long as it was not illegal, Qin Heng would only profit from this.

"Boss Xu, you have businesses too?"

Chi Ning reclined against the sofa like a puddle of melted cat. "What does your family do? Do you want to work with my family?"

Xu Jiahao paused.

After all these years in Yangcheng, he had never received such an unserious business proposal. But coming from Chi Ning, it was understandable. After all, he was capable of saying President Shen should "deal with it as he saw fit."

Xu Jiahao laughed. "I'm currently in real estate development and gambling. Most of the business is overseas. What, does the upright Chi family want to get into gambling too?"

Gambling?

What gambling?

Chi Ning guessed, "Selling lottery tickets? That's not impossible. Lotteries make a lot of money."

Xu Jiahao closed his eyes.

How could there be a wealthy young master who thought gambling meant lotteries? Although lotteries were included... generally, hearing a boss say that would make people think of casinos, right?

Just how had Chi Baichuan raised his son?

So sweet.

For the first time, Xu Jiahao did not dare say what exactly he did. He vaguely replied, "Horse racing, football betting, and regular lotteries. I also run magic shows."

Whatever magicians played, they played too. Nothing wrong with that.

"Then we could perhaps work together in real estate in the future." Chi Ning's hair had been rubbed into a mess, and his eyelashes drooped dejectedly. He sighed with convincing realism. "My older brother is a little disappointing. My dad worries so much that he cannot sleep well every day. I don't understand these things, so I can't help."

Xu Jiahao's thoughts stalled as he looked at the second young master of the Chi family's face under the dim lighting.

The club pursued a tranquil atmosphere. Though it was a flat hall, the pool tables were spaced far apart to give customers privacy. As long as the overhead light above each table was on, everywhere else was dim, so customers would not feel uncomfortable.

The lounge area was against the wall and even darker; if one did not pay attention, one would not even notice someone was there. Yet Chi Ning seemed to be shrouded in a faint halo, reflecting a little light. He reclined on the sofa, wilted like an eggplant beaten by frost.

Poor thing.

Xu Jiahao felt that even the godson he had yet to coax into his hands was no longer so appealing. Raising a little sweet thing who knew nothing about finance would not be bad either. That pitiful look had softened his middle-aged fatherly heart into mush.

Chi Ning's expression stiffened slightly.

It was his first time telling such a blatant lie, so he was a little unpracticed. If the lounge area had not been so dark, he definitely would not have dared say it.

Why was Xu Jiahao not speaking? If he did not respond soon, Chi Ning would not be able to keep acting.

Chi Ning rubbed his fingers together and lowered his head even further. Only after hiding his face did he say, "It's fine if we don't cooperate. What I say doesn't carry much weight anyway. It doesn't count."

Xu Jiahao had weathered storms and dangers, wielded blades and guns in his youth, and could keep a cool head even on the verge of death. Yet his brain suddenly short-circuited. "I'll call Mr. Chi another day and discuss it with him."

"Really?" Chi Ning had not expected his first attempt at fooling someone to go so smoothly.

"Really."

Xu Jiahao released Qin Heng's shoulder and said dazedly, "Let me know once you've thought it over. You have one week."

He thought, Fuck, if Chi Baichuan and I fight over being his dad, Chi Baichuan won't be unhappy, will he?

The ever-refined Chi Baichuan would not curse him out, would he?

Chi Ning sighed in relief.

He got up to wash his greasy hands from eating chips. Afterward, he pulled a paper towel from the wall dispenser and hummed as he wiped his hands.

The moment he tossed the paper towel away and turned around, Qin Heng standing behind him startled him. "You... why are you standing behind me?"

Qin Heng did not answer.

Chi Ning felt excellent after helping his father and brother. Then he remembered that Qin Heng had helped the Chi family get rid of Jiang Shijie, and his mood improved even more.

Looking at him, he suddenly knew how to rent a house.

He was underage, but Qin Heng was an adult!

"Qin Heng, do you want to move somewhere bigger? I need to rent a place outside, but the property developers won't rent to me because I'm underage."

Qin Heng thought that he had merely hit Jiang Shijie once and bought him a little food, yet the young master had softened again?

He did not agree. Smiling, he sized Chi Ning up and said softly, "Was that your first time lying just now? You weren't very practiced at it. I don't know how Brother Xu let you fool him."

His act had not even been half as convincing as Qin Heng's.

Chapter 14

Chi Ning's heart jolted heavily.

Qin Heng pressed his fist against his lips, lowered his head to look at Chi Ning, and spoke with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Why are you nervous? Afraid I'll expose you?"