Blue Night Charm Bar

At Jinling University, on the way back to Dormitory Room 520 after the medical lecture.

Three figures stared fixedly at a fourth, as though admiring an exquisite sculpture.

"Fourth, I never knew you were hiding so much talent! I still can't get over how effortlessly you performed up there. Who knows how many girls fell for your brilliance? Even campus beauty Mo Duoduo took a liking to you. You're freaking awesome!"

"That's not even the half of it. If Professor He hadn't been in the classroom, I bet some girl would've rushed up and given Fourth a passionate kiss right there—a kiss for the history books!"

"Man, what a shame. If we had skills like Fourth's, would we even need to chase girls? We could just wave a hand and have a whole crowd to choose from!"

The three took turns chiming in, still unable to shake their amazement.

Back in the classroom, Jun Wangchen had answered every question about the Treatise on Cold Damage and Miscellaneous Diseases fluently. It was as if he had Baidu installed in his head.

Even an experienced professor like He Ming had repeatedly been won over by Jun Wangchen's unique insights. He had all but started calling Jun Wangchen his teacher.

Seeing the admiration in his three roommates' eyes, Jun Wangchen sighed, looked up at the sky, and said wistfully, "You've got it wrong. It's not that I was hiding anything, or that I'm talented. I'm simply handsome. With good looks like mine, all that talent and ability naturally follow.

"Still, being handsome was never my intention. God just insisted on seeing how beautiful the world would be with me in it.

"So please, don't compliment me. Whenever you do, I feel your compliments aren't good enough!"

The three replied, "..."

If you'd stop showing off, we could still be friends!

"I'm going to Sister Yun's bar later to pick up my phone. Want to come along for a drink, chat with some pretty girls about life, and maybe see where things lead?" Third seemed to remember something. He waggled his eyebrows at Jun Wangchen and the others with a wicked grin.

"Well... since you've invited us so sincerely, we'll be generous enough to accept." First and Second exchanged a glance, identical sleazy smiles spreading across their faces.

Jun Wangchen's face darkened. "Clean water becomes dirty when it meets filth, but dirty water doesn't become clean just by meeting pure water. Third, I'm a pure soul. Even if you force me to go to a bar, even if those pretty girls stand stark naked in front of me, purity will be the only thing on my mind!"

"Speak human!"

"Let's go!"

The three replied, "..."

The way you act so shameless with a perfectly straight face leaves us speechless.

Having unanimously decided to visit Sister Yun's bar, the four wasted no time. With devilishly swaggering strides, they headed toward the street behind Jinling University.

The street behind Jinling University was a popular student hangout, with bars, karaoke lounges, restaurants, hotels, and every other kind of entertainment and shopping venue. It also housed a thriving student startup incubator.

Sister Yun's bar was called Blue Night Charm—blue tenderness, quiet by day and alluring by night. The name had an international flair while also suggesting refinement and elegance. It was the most popular bar on the street behind Jinling University.

After about ten minutes of walking and several turns behind Third, Jun Wangchen and the others finally arrived at Blue Night Charm.

The moment they stepped inside, a powerful drumbeat thundered in their ears.

Before them was a clamorous crowd of sultry, sexy women and wild young men. Even the corners of the bar rang with clinking glasses and unrestrained laughter.

The music was pounding, yet as refreshing as a cascading waterfall. The red wine was bewitching, yet irresistibly enticing.

Friendly waitresses and handsome bartenders provided Blue Night Charm's loveliest finishing touches.

Third was clearly a regular. The instant he entered, a group of smiling waitresses came over to greet him, leaving Jun Wangchen and the others green with envy.

Third naturally gave a smug grin, then asked a waitress to arrange a good table for his friends.

"Well? Sister Yun's bar is pretty nice, isn't it?"

Jun Wangchen and the others surveyed the spacious bar and nodded. "The atmosphere's great, and there are plenty of beautiful girls. No wonder you come here every day, even at the risk of getting expelled."

"Oh, get lost. All you ever think about is women. I'm a partner in this bar, so of course I have to come here often. Besides, Brother Kai has been renting out storefronts on this street lately, and Sister Yun and I are thinking about expanding." Third tried to cover his guilt.

Jun Wangchen paused. "Who's Brother Kai?"

"Brother Kai manages all the storefronts on the street behind Jinling University. He has a lot of power around here. Anyone who wants to start a business near the university needs his permission first." Third lit a cigarette and explained between drags.

"He's that powerful?" Jun Wangchen and the others were startled.

All those storefronts near Jinling University were controlled by Brother Kai alone? That was an absurd amount of power.

Third blew a smoke ring and nodded. "Of course he is. Brother Kai works under Master Zi, after all. Even at his worst, he's no small fry."

"And who's Master Zi?" Jun Wangchen looked bewildered.

"You don't even know Master Zi?" First and Second gave Jun Wangchen surprised looks before explaining, "Jinling City is divided into four districts: east, south, west, and north. Each has an underworld boss with incredibly powerful connections. Master Zi is the boss of our East District.

"He alone controls more than half the bars, karaoke lounges, restaurants, and similar businesses in the East District. He makes over two billion a year. He's filthy rich."

Jun Wangchen couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath.

An ordinary person might work their entire life and still never earn a hundred million.

Over two billion a year—that was comparable to the annual profits of China's top hundred companies!

"There's no need to be surprised. The East District is the most developed of Jinling City's four districts, and Master Zi controls its main money-making industries. Two billion a year isn't unusual." Seeing Jun Wangchen's stunned expression, Third blew another smoke ring and smiled faintly.

"His income is secondary. What really makes Master Zi terrifying isn't his wealth, but his influence in the East District.

"As far as I know, Master Zi has ties to plenty of senior officials in Jinling City. He has serious status, and his men are fiercely loyal. With one order from him, every smaller faction in the East District will immediately gather to do his bidding.

"I once saw an underworld boss from another district get into a clash with Master Zi. Master Zi made one phone call, and a dark sea of people came pouring in. There were people everywhere within five hundred meters.

"It was like a zombie siege. That other boss was scared out of his mind and scurried back where he came from. It was freaking badass!"

Jun Wangchen was shaken beyond words. If what Third said was true, Master Zi was practically the king of the East District's entire underworld!

"It's precisely because of Master Zi's clout that Brother Kai, as one of his men, has so much authority. Otherwise, with the way Brother Kai has handled things over the years, who knows how many people would want him dead?" Third stubbed out his cigarette with a sigh.

"Oh, right. Brother Kai's woman has been coming to Blue Night Charm a lot lately to drink and have fun. Be careful not to offend her. It'll be a real headache if you do."

Jun Wangchen and the other two nodded. Third was clearly worried they might accidentally offend Brother Kai's woman while approaching the pretty girls.

Third was about to say more when a cute waitress approached slowly, carrying a tray and wearing a shy smile.

"JiusI, here are the drinks and desserts you ordered!"

"Great, thanks for the hard work!" Third's real name was Ke JiusI. Once the smiling waitress had set down the drinks and desserts, he pointed to her and introduced her to his friends. "This is Kang Lele, our bar's resident cutie. You can call her Lele. Here's some good news for you—she's still single."

Jun Wangchen and the others turned to Kang Lele in surprise.

With her baby face and soft voice, Kang Lele should have had plenty of suitors. How did she still not have a boyfriend?

"JiusI, you... you're doing it again." Under their gazes, Kang Lele's whole face flushed red. She looked terribly shy.

"Haha, I'm just helping you find a boyfriend. My three roommates are all pretty good-looking. You could give them some thought."

Kang Lele blushed again and pressed her lips together, too shy to look at Jun Wangchen and the others.

"Lele, I'm going to get my phone from Sister Yun. Sorry for the trouble, but could you look after my buddies?" Ke JiusI gave her a meaningful smile, then headed up to the bar's second floor while she stood there blushing.

Once Ke JiusI left, the atmosphere at Jun Wangchen's table immediately grew awkward.

They didn't know Kang Lele very well, and she wasn't particularly good at making conversation either. None of them knew what to say.

Perhaps unable to bear the atmosphere, First and Second exchanged a glance, then stood up with dry coughs and smiles. "Well, Fourth, we're going to hit the dance floor. You and Lele have a nice chat."

With that, they hurried toward the dance floor, paying no attention whatsoever to Jun Wangchen's darkening expression.

Those two bastards! Jun Wangchen cursed inwardly as he watched them leave.

You promised us guys would never split up, and now you've gone and chosen girls over me!

After the two left, the atmosphere became even more awkward. As a seasoned shut-in, Jun Wangchen's mind went completely blank when faced with a cute girl like Kang Lele. Holding a conversation was probably something he could only manage in his dreams.

After struggling for a long while, Jun Wangchen finally spoke. "Um, Miss Lele, could you bring me a glass of juice? I suddenly feel like having some."

"Huh? Oh, of course!" Kang Lele paused, then hurriedly stood and headed toward the bar's service area.

"Phew!" Watching Kang Lele leave, Jun Wangchen let out a deep sigh of relief.

This was the first time he had felt that spending time with a girl could be so difficult. The main problem was that Kang Lele was reserved. If he didn't speak, she certainly wouldn't either, leaving their conversation at a complete standstill.

He looked up at First and Second going wild on the dance floor and considered joining them. But the thought of his own awkward dancing immediately killed the idea before it could take root.

"I'll take a look at the other manual Zhang Zhongjing gave me, Hundred-Year Acupuncture." With nothing else to do, Jun Wangchen took out his Groundhog Phone, went into his WeChat Wallet, and opened Hundred-Year Acupuncture.

Manual: Hundred-Year Acupuncture. Learn it?

"Learn it!"