Chapter 23: The Gilded Den

Su Baili waved her hand. “No need, I’ll just go in with Assistant Chen. You go ahead with your work.”

“Alright, alright, take care.” The manager nodded repeatedly, eager to please.

As Su Baili walked, she casually inquired, “Is my brother still in a meeting?”

“Yes, he just went in not long ago. Miss, are you hungry? Would you like to go to Sir’s private room to eat something first? By the time you finish, he might be done with his meeting.”

“No, I’ll wait for him to eat together.” Su Baili shook her head, then flashed a sly smile. “But I could go for some ice cream first. Lanting’s ice cream is quite good. But you’re not allowed to tell my brother.”

“Got it, I won’t say a word. I’ll go ahead and arrange for some ice cream to be sent to your room.” Assistant Chen smiled and gave her a small nod.

Only after they had walked away did the manager dare to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. He then turned and gave a fierce glare at the doormen standing at the entrance.

“All of you, listen up. Remember Miss Su’s face. If she ever comes again, treat her with the utmost respect and let her in immediately. Got it?”

“Understood,” the doormen replied, still shaken. One of them hesitantly asked, “Manager, who exactly is Miss Su?”

The manager shot him a look and said in a low voice, “Mind your own business. Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t know. You were lucky this time. If you’d run into someone less patient, you wouldn’t even know how you died.”

The doorman shivered at the warning but couldn’t help feeling grateful toward Su Baili.

He knew that if it weren’t for her words, he would’ve already been packing his things and getting kicked out. And it probably wouldn’t have been as simple as just losing his job.

After all, Lanting was a place of indulgence and entertainment—it wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed on the surface.

Not that he, a mere low-level worker, could ever truly understand the depths of what went on here.

But one thing he did know: working at Lanting wasn’t something just anyone could do. First, you had to be lucky enough to get in. The pay was great, and the status it gave you was even better. If he lost this job, he knew there was no way he’d find anything close to this again.

Thank goodness…

Beautiful people really did have kind hearts.

If that incident had happened to him, he would’ve lost his temper on the spot.

Unable to hold back, the doorman whispered, “Miss Su is really kind…”

Grateful.

His words didn’t escape the sharp ears of the manager, who turned to look at him. The doorman shrank back instinctively, but instead of scolding him, the manager simply sighed and muttered, “Yeah… If not for her, Lanting might not have survived this time…”

That sentence carried a deeper meaning, and the doormen’s eyes widened in shock.

Good lord. Just who was this Miss Su…?

Fear. And a whole lot of trembling.

Meanwhile, inside Lanting…

Qi Shenzhi had a private room at Lanting reserved exclusively for him all year round. Even if he didn’t show up, no one dared to use it.

Tonight, the only reason he was here was because the son of one of the old master’s friends had sought him out. Out of respect for the old master, Qi Shenzhi had agreed to meet.

Since it was someone else hosting, he didn’t use his personal room. Instead, he was seated in a standard private room—which, compared to his usual accommodations, felt a bit… shabby.

From the moment he stepped inside, his brows furrowed.

And of course, since he had arrived at Lanting, his childhood friend Qin Zihe—who also happened to be the owner of Lanting—naturally came along as well.

Qin Zihe took one look at the lavishly decorated room, filled with women vying for attention, and couldn’t help but smirk.

Clearly, whoever arranged this meeting had no idea about Shenzhi’s preferences.

Are they insane?

He just hoped this so-called host would have some common sense…

Qi Shenzhi had an aversion to filth. Even though he was already wearing black gloves, he still couldn’t be bothered to shake hands with the man who had stood up with a beaming smile to greet him.

Luckily, he had the power to do so. The other party awkwardly withdrew his hand, but instead of getting angry, he carefully invited him to sit down.

Qi Shenzhi ignored the group of women present and walked straight to the innermost, unoccupied sofa, where he sat down.

Seeing this, Qin Zihe chuckled and greeted the host, “Boss Jin, it’s been a while since I’ve seen Shenzhi, so I shamelessly tagged along for a chat. I hope we’re not disrupting your gathering?”

“Not at all, not at all! Your presence is an honor,” Jin Qiong replied with a smile so wide it resembled a blooming chrysanthemum.

As the owner of Lanting, Qin Zihe might not have Qi Shenzhi’s terrifying influence, but he was still someone Jin Qiong couldn’t afford to offend.

To have someone like him at the table was an incredible stroke of luck.

After all, the only reason he had managed to secure a meeting with Qi Shenzhi at Lanting was by pulling every possible string and begging for an invitation.

And now, the owner of Lanting himself had joined in. If he could take advantage of this opportunity to establish a good relationship, he might even be able to obtain a membership card—just the thought of it filled him with excitement.

“That’s good to hear.” Qin Zihe had already sat down, ready to enjoy the show that was about to unfold.

Jin Qiong noticed that Qi Shenzhi hadn’t even spared a glance at the young women he had brought along. It was clear that he had no interest in them whatsoever.

Well, that made sense. They were a bit plain, but at least they were clean.

Still, Jin Qiong had a trump card up his sleeve.

That damn Tang Manni—what kind of day did she think this was? She should’ve watched the time properly. How dare she be late?

Once this was over, he would definitely make her regret it.

But for now, he had to keep Qi Shenzhi engaged.

Jin Qiong stepped forward and respectfully offered a cigarette with both hands. Qi Shenzhi accepted it, but when Jin Qiong moved to light it for him, he simply waved a hand dismissively, holding the cigarette between his fingers without lighting it.

“I’ll give you ten minutes. Get to the point.”

The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.

Qi Shenzhi didn’t even care to humor Jin Qiong with a simple courtesy—he wouldn’t even let him light his cigarette.

The group of trainees exchanged nervous glances.

Just who was this man that their boss was trying so hard to please?

Jin Qiong was a giant in the entertainment industry. He rarely had to humble himself in front of anyone, and yet, here he was, acting utterly subservient.

Afraid of making any mistakes, the trainees sat quietly, heads lowered like quails, not daring to speak or draw attention to themselves.

Jin Qiong forced a smile. “Mr. Qi, here’s the situation. As you know, I run an entertainment company. Recently, due to changes in policy, several of our major productions have been put on hold. These are big-budget projects that took an immense amount of effort and investment. I’ve exhausted all options, which is why I’ve come to you for help.”

If those productions couldn’t be aired soon, the breach-of-contract penalties from advertisers alone would be enough to sink his company.

He had no choice but to use his father’s connections to get this meeting, hoping that Qi Shenzhi would help for the sake of their elders’ relationship.

Qi Shenzhi’s sharp gaze swept over him like an eagle sizing up its prey. A cold glint flashed through his eyes.

“Oh? Do you think I run a charity?” His voice was calm but carried an unmistakable edge. “Why should I help you?”

Jin Qiong knew that just invoking their fathers’ past friendship wasn’t enough to sway Qi Shenzhi.

He had to offer something valuable in return.

“Mr. Qi, if you help me this time, I will forever be indebted to you. If you ever need anything from me in the future, just say the word.”

It was an offer of a favor—a debt of gratitude.

Qi Shenzhi let out a soft, mocking laugh.

“A favor?” His tone was laced with disdain. “The last thing I need is a favor. Or do you actually think you have something I’d find useful?”

He wasn’t wrong.

People always sought out Qi Shenzhi for help, but he had never once needed to ask anyone for a favor.

If there was something he couldn’t solve on his own, then no one in this world could solve it.

With a single sentence, he effortlessly stripped away the illusion of negotiation and exposed the humiliating reality beneath.