CH 47

Pei You brushed past Liu Xin and sat down next to Zhou Qingbo.

“What did you say to him?” Pei You asked softly, “I noticed that his expression was a bit strange.”

“I gave him a bit of a hard time,” Zhou Qingbo smiled and took a sip of his drink. Then he picked and chose from the fruit platter, handing Pei You a small piece of cantaloupe.

“He was trying to test me, wanting to bring me on board,” Zhou Qingbo smiled and explained briefly, “I didn’t agree.”

“Bring you on board?” Pei You didn’t catch on immediately and asked, “What do you mean?”

Zhou Qingbo adjusted his posture slightly, lowered his voice, and summarized the situation in just a few words.

“Be careful of him,” Zhou Qingbo said. “I feel there’s something fishy about his ‘business.'”

Zhou Qingbo thought that Liu Xin’s so-called “good business deal” wouldn’t be a straightforward opportunity.He wouldn’t spread such an obvious lie because if Zhou Qingbo really turned out to be someone who was at odds with Zhou Cangshan and constantly scheming to set up a rival business, the chance of being exposed was quite high.

Whether through bribery or deception, Liu Xin ultimately wanted to bring Zhou Qingbo into his own camp. Therefore, he wouldn’t give an empty promise, leaving potential risks for their future “cooperation.”

“I believe he has some means of making money,” Zhou Qingbo whispered softly, “I just don’t know the specifics.”

Liu Xin was a cautious person, so he didn’t show any flaws during their conversation.

“I understand,” Pei You said, “I have an idea now, and I’ll pay attention.”

Zhou Qingbo wasn’t well-versed in investment matters, so he didn’t burden himself. He acted like a logistics support, providing as much help as he could to Pei You and then watching him move forward.

He trusted Pei You’s expertise and judgment.

After a few minutes, Liu Xin returned from his phone call outside. He seemed a bit more relaxed than when he left, as if he had returned to his normal state from that brief state of alertness.

Several vice-presidents were still drinking and singing karaoke, occasionally chatting with Zhou Qingbo. He listened to them attentively, but he didn’t bring up anything related to the school again.

Testing had its limits; a powerful dragon couldn’t oppress a local snake. Zhou Qingbo was also afraid of provoking Liu Xin, so he knew when to stop probing.

However, Liu Xin also didn’t mention the topic of business ideas and cooperation again. He seemed to have accepted the situation and didn’t hold any other hopes for Zhou Qingbo. He interacted with Zhou Qingbo and Pei You casually, occasionally instructing the two young girls he brought along to serve drinks.

He acted like a retreating turtle, vigilant and sensitive, not revealing any vulnerabilities. He simply kept toasting with Zhou Qingbo.

He became enthusiastic, and Zhou Qingbo found it hard to resist. He toasted with Liu Xin for two more drinks but felt a bit overwhelmed.

“Zhou Qingbo,” Pei You seemed to be observing him all along, and when he noticed Zhou Qingbo’s subtle frown, he reached out and held his wrist, calmly saying, “don’t drink anymore.”

“Mr. Pei doesn’t need to be so strict,” Liu Xin was quick to respond with a smile before Zhou Qingbo could say anything. “Zhou is an adult now, we’re just having fun, a few drinks won’t hurt.”

“I appreciate your kindness,” Pei You controlled the situation in his own way. He usually didn’t care about others’ sarcastic remarks, so these unproductive words of persuasion didn’t affect him much.

“But we have official business tomorrow,” Pei You said matter-of-factly, “Getting too drunk will ruin our plans.”

Zhou Qingbo didn’t speak, casually observing Liu Xin for a while to confirm that the man had given up, and he couldn’t help feeling bored. Taking the opportunity of Pei You’s interruption, he put down his glass and prepared to go out for some fresh air.

“Where are you going, Mr. Zhou?” Liu Xin seemed to be sensitive to his movements and asked with a smile, “Can I help with anything?”

“It’s fine,” Zhou Qingbo smiled and said, “I’ll just go to the restroom. You all enjoy yourselves.”

“The restroom is at the end of the corridor, turn left,” Liu Xin said, pressing the bell and calling a waiter to show Zhou Qingbo the way. “This club’s layout is a bit confusing, be careful not to get lost.”

Zhou Qingbo had been drinking too quickly, and he felt a bit dizzy as he stood up. Hearing Liu Xin’s words, he turned his head and glanced at him, nodding his thanks with a smile.

Unsure if Liu Xin did it on purpose, Zhou Qingbo had mixed beer, brandy and wine, making him slightly tipsy. As he walked, he felt a bit unsteady.

The waiter guided him to the restroom and then returned. Zhou Qingbo frowned and rubbed his forehead, feeling disgusted when he saw a layer of filth on the dark marble floor, which seemed to be vomit from someone else. He almost felt like vomiting himself.

He stepped back in disdain and decided to find another restroom on a different floor.

Liu Xin had chosen a typical entertainment venue for networking. The first and second floors were a KTV and nightclub, while the third floor was the lounge area and meeting rooms. Rooms for guests were on the fourth floor and above.

The upper floors were decorated in a retro and European style, with thick carpets covering the floors. The whole corridor was quiet, like a different world compared to the bustling first and second floors.

Zhou Qingbo followed the signs and found the restroom. After relieving himself, he heard faint metallic friction coming from the hallway, getting closer to his location.

The third floor was a lounge area, and Zhou Qingbo initially thought it might be room service for the guest rooms, so he didn’t pay much attention and continued washing his hands.

However, the trolley outside didn’t move in further but stopped at a not-so-close location.

Soon, Zhou Qingbo heard a very young male voice from outside.

“Um, are you sure you got the right person?” the young voice said, hesitating and worried, “Maybe you should double-check. What if it’s the wrong person?”

His voice sounded young, even with a hint of an unbroken voice, and his tone was hesitant and worried, making him sound uneasy.

The hand washing area in the restroom was semi-open, with no door. Zhou Qingbo stood by the corner wall, and he could vaguely hear the conversation between the two outside.

Zhou Qingbo wasn’t one to eavesdrop on others’ conversations. He straightened up slightly, intending to move away, but then he heard the other person speak again.

“Oh, come on! Don’t worry,” a slightly older male voice sounded impatient, complaining, “You’ve asked several times already. Mr. Liu said there’s only one person drinking orange juice in that private room. Just serve the drinks separately, and it’ll be fine.”

Zhou Qingbo keenly caught a key term, and his movements paused for a moment. He remembered that Pei You had ordered orange juice earlier.

Without the sound of running water, the outside voices became a bit clearer than before. The young boy seemed to have been scolded, and his voice sounded a bit aggrieved as he lowered his volume, hesitatingly dragging his words.

“I understand,” he said, “I’m just worried… Is it okay to do this? There are two of them.”

“What are you worried about?” The man sounded annoyed. “”That young master knows nothing. As long as you handle the other one, he can be easily fooled with any excuse. Alright, hurry up, I’ll be waiting downstairs.”

Young master, Zhou Qingbai thought, they should be talking about me.

Zhou Qingbo was used to the nightlife in bars, and in just a few words, he could already sense the ill intentions here.

The footsteps near the restroom door came closer and then moved away. Zhou Qingbo lowered his head in contemplation for a moment, then took off his wristwatch, carefully walked to the restroom door, and threw the watch in the opposite direction of the corridor.

The metallic watch collided with the wooden wall, making a noticeable sound. The person next door instinctively called out, and the footsteps hesitated as they went in that direction.

Once the person had moved away, Zhou Qingbo came out of the restroom and walked in the direction where he had heard the voices.

He realized that there was an extremely narrow passage behind the restroom, perhaps used as a storage area. There was a small cart for delivering orders with several open bottles of drinks on it.

A glass of orange juice was placed in a corner of the cart. Zhou Qingbo picked up the glass, touched the rim with his lips, and took a sip.

It was bitter and had a slightly acidic taste, mixed with something else. After years of hanging out in bars, Zhou Qingbo knew the taste of various beverages, and he could easily detect any additives.

The two people who drugged the drink probably weren’t experienced at this. They didn’t hide their tracks well. Zhou Qingbo raised the glass and noticed a little undissolved white powder at the bottom.

The footsteps on the other side returned and turned back. Zhou Qingbo gently placed the glass back on the tray and then hurriedly retreated back into the restroom.

Things were clear at this point. It seemed that Liu Xin thought he couldn’t suppress the matter any longer, so he decided to take action against Pei You, who seemed difficult to deal with.

Upon standing in front of the washbasin again, Zhou Qingbo felt a slow surge of anger, like an old computer rebooting after a glitch.

He couldn’t believe Liu Xin had the audacity to use such despicable tactics.

Zhou Qingbo didn’t know exactly what Liu Xin planned to do, but just hearing those few words outside had ignited his anger. He took a deep breath, feeling the fiery emotions burning inside him.

The effect of alcohol was still flowing in his veins. He took another deep breath, then turned on the water tap.

The sound of the cart outside returned, and Zhou Qingbo gently splashed some water on his face. Then he took a deep breath, took out his phone from his pocket, and sent a WeChat message to Pei You.

“Are you in the private room?”

Since their last “lesson,” Pei You always responded quickly to Zhou Qingbo’s messages. This time was no exception. In less than two seconds, Pei You’s reply appeared on the screen.

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

Zhou Qingbo wasn’t sure how to phrase it. He just instinctively wanted to get Pei You away from the potentially dangerous situation, but the circumstances were urgent, and he hadn’t thought of a good excuse yet.

“I…,” Zhou Qingbo hesitated, tapping on the screen with his fingertips. He gave a somewhat inexplicable excuse, “I suddenly want to drink grape ice. Can you buy one for me?”

Zhou Qingbo paused for a moment, then added, “Right now, it’s urgent.”

There was a 24-hour convenience store downstairs in the club. Zhou Qingbo had passed by it earlier, so he decided to send Pei You there.

He knew his request might be a bit unreasonable, sounding vague and untimely. He nervously held the phone, thinking about what to say if Pei You refused.

Fortunately, Pei You didn’t think much about it. He almost immediately stood up and prepared to leave. He frowned slightly, looking at the two messages that appeared one after the other in the chat box, and replied with some concern, “Are you feeling okay?Is it the alcohol?”

Zhou Qingbo was stunned for a moment but quickly realized it was a good excuse. He replied with a simple “yes.”

“I’m feeling terrible,” he wrote in the chat box, “Hurry there and back.”

As he typed these words, a storm of anger churned inside him. However, when he sent the WeChat message to Pei You, he added a cute cat rolling around emoji.

Pei You quickly replied with a “Got it.” Zhou Qingbo placed his phone on the sink, then leaned against the cool marble counter and took a deep breath.

Logic told him that he should report the situation to the police. After all, the glass of orange juice would soon be on the table in the private room, leaving behind evidence that Liu Xin couldn’t deny.

However, emotionally, Zhou Qingbo felt like he was being consumed by an unpredictable rage. Subconsciously, he had an irrational protective instinct towards Pei You. He despised anyone who directed their complicated and dark emotions and methods towards Pei You. Just hearing Liu Xin’s plan made him furious.

He could hardly imagine what might have happened if he hadn’t accidentally come upstairs.

The lowest standard for an adult is to control their emotions, but that day, Zhou Qingbo’s self-control had clearly failed. He took another deep breath, trying to use this method to suppress the anger in his heart.

Straightening his back, he gave a fierce kick to the washbasin, then turned around without a word, loosening his tie.

Inside the private room, Liu Xin felt uneasy about Pei You’s sudden departure. He was about to ask his secretary to check the situation when the door was pulled open from the outside, and Zhou Qingbo walked in hurriedly.

The room was filled with a strong smell of smoke and alcohol. Zhou Qingbo looked around and noticed the already prepared glass of orange juice on a table near him.

When Liu Xin saw Zhou Qingbo return, he pretended to be relieved and put on a smile on his face. He was about to speak when, suddenly, without any warning, Zhou Qingbo erupted in anger. He pushed the secretary in front of him aside and kicked Liu Xin in the chest.

Zhou Qingbo had received a strict and upright education from childhood. Even during his rebellious phase, he would only be a bit defiant but never resorted to physical violence against anyone.

But today, he was so furious that he couldn’t even remember his own principles and upbringing.

Liu Xin was caught off guard and was thrown onto the table, instinctively curling up his fragile body as he started to cough violently.

The table shook intensely, and the wine bottles were on the verge of falling off to the ground.

The two young hostesses who were with the guests in the room screamed loudly, mixing with the ear-piercing electric sounds from the audio system, and chaos ensued. With a stern expression on his face, Zhou Qingbo reached for a beer bottle from the table and fiercely smashed it on Liu Xin’s shoulder.

Several of Liu Xin’s subordinates quickly stepped forward to break up the fight. Wine bottles scattered on the floor, and the fruit platter ended up in a mess. The place was in complete disarray.

Soon, the service staff and security personnel rushed in from outside to stop the fight. However, Zhou Qingbo was already consumed by his rage, not listening to anyone and continuously attacking Liu Xin.

After a while—perhaps a few minutes, or maybe just a few seconds—the chaotic crowd suddenly saw a hand reaching out, grabbing Zhou Qingbo’s wrist, and pulling him out of the crowd.

The hand felt icy cold and familiar, and with an irresistible force, it forcefully pulled Zhou Qingbo away from the fight.

Caught off guard, Zhou Qingbo stumbled backward a few steps. When he turned around, he met Pei You’s anxious gaze.

“Enough, Qingbo,” Pei You had just returned and didn’t know what had happened. He only knew that Zhou Qingbo was in danger and held onto him urgently. “Didn’t you say not to get involved with this kind of person?”

“I don’t care?” Zhou Qingbo was genuinely furious, and he didn’t hold back his words, “Damn it, this bastard has targeted you!”