Chapter 9

Sun Kecheng was driving, with Pei Shu in the passenger seat and Lin Koukou in the back.  

The conversation along the way wasn’t about anything serious—just Sun Kecheng introducing the restaurant they were about to visit. It specialized in Cantonese cuisine with some Southeast Asian influences, making it an innovative establishment with many signature dishes.  

It was clear he had a deep knowledge of food.  

When they arrived, Lin Koukou stepped out of the car and saw the restaurant nestled by the street. Its retro-style sign, partially obscured by the leaves of plane trees, had a unique charm.  

Sun Kecheng had reserved a large private room.  

Once led inside by the waiter, they could see the spacious area furnished with sofas and a tea table—easily accommodating three tables.  

Those who booked private rooms were considered VIPs, so aside from dedicated service staff, the restaurant manager personally came in to greet them.  

Pei Shu, as usual, didn’t bother with pleasantries and simply took a seat wherever he pleased.  

Noticing this, Lin Koukou naturally sat one seat apart from him, leaving an empty chair between them.  

The manager, with his slicked-back hair, was extremely enthusiastic. “You’ve been here a few times before, so of course I made sure to reserve this private room for you. Another headhunting firm wanted it today, but I told them it wasn’t available.”  

Sun Kecheng smiled. “I really appreciate the trouble you went through.”  

The two exchanged pleasantries.  

Lin Koukou hadn’t been paying much attention at first, but when she glanced up, she noticed that everyone—whether at her table or the next—seemed to be subtly eyeing the manager.  

Was there something special about him?  

Curious, she took a closer look.  

The manager discussed the menu with Sun Kecheng, stepped out to relay the order, then returned once more. After finalizing the dishes, he wished them a pleasant meal before leaving.  

The service throughout was impeccable.  

Lin Koukou still couldn’t spot anything unusual and remained puzzled as to why everyone had been watching him.  

But the Crossroads headhunters were clearly familiar with this routine.  

The moment the manager left, they exchanged glances, excitement bubbling up.  

“Alright, who’s going first this time?”  

“Everyone’s in—no one gets to skip! Loser drinks three glasses!”  

“Is Brother Pei joining?”  

“No way, if he plays, it’s game over for the rest of us.”  

“Haven’t we learned our lesson from last time?”  

…  

The headhunting consultant who suggested inviting Pei Shu nearly got mobbed by the others. The group unanimously agreed to exclude him.  

Sun Kecheng returned and took the seat between Lin Koukou and Pei Shu. Seeing Lin Koukou’s expression, he seemed to understand her confusion and whispered, “It’s a little game we often play at the company—loser drinks.”  

Lin Koukou was about to ask what the game had to do with the manager when Meng Zhixing suddenly spoke up. “Consultant Lin, would you like to join?”  

Most of the consultants in Crossroads’ headhunting team were quite young.  

Meng Zhixing appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six, wearing glasses that gave him a scholarly yet meticulous air. His gaze lifted to meet hers.  

Lin Koukou could easily sense a faint hostility in his eyes.  

Pei Shu sat beside her, watching silently.  

Sun Kecheng frowned slightly, his expression turning serious, as if he wanted to say something. But after a glance at Lin Koukou, he held back.  

The private room suddenly grew quiet.

Lin Koukou quickly recalled the organizational structure and personnel list of Crossroads that Sun Kecheng had provided her earlier, easily matching the face to the name: “Meng Zhixing?”

Meng Zhixing froze, seemingly surprised that she had called him by name.

Lin Koukou smiled faintly. “I’ve heard of you before—team leader of Crossroads Headhunting Group One. I remember the case for Huisheng Investment Bank in May two years ago was secured by you. He Chuang came back that day and told me you were impressive.”

Meng Zhixing’s expression shifted slightly.

If merely calling out his name was still within reason—even if somewhat unexpected—her pinpointing a deal he had closed two years ago was another matter entirely.

The Huisheng Investment Bank deal had been massive, worth a full 8.2 million.

For Meng Zhixing, it had been a flawless victory, almost making him believe he was finally breaking free from the shadow of his long-standing losses to He Chuang, reaching a critical turning point where he could turn the tables.

But reality was far crueler than dreams.

In fact, from that deal until the end of the year, he hadn’t managed to win a single competition against He Chuang.

And now, standing before him was the very woman who had brought He Chuang into the industry—Lin Koukou.

Though she hadn’t said a single harsh word and had even complimented him twice, Meng Zhixing had never felt such an overwhelming sense of pressure from a superior.

He replied slowly, “I wouldn’t dare take credit. That year, that was the only time I won.”

Pei Shu fiddled with the chopsticks in front of him.

Lin Koukou glanced at him before turning back to Meng Zhixing with a smile. “Winning and losing are common in this line of work—no need to dwell on it. So, what game are we playing now, and what are the rules?”

Meng Zhixing opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Ye Xiang eagerly raised her hand. “Let me explain, let me explain!”

Having been thoroughly outmaneuvered by Lin Koukou, Meng Zhixing had little interest in speaking further.

Ye Xiang successfully seized the opportunity to explain the game rules.

In short, it was a “Headhunter Game.”

Headhunters earned their fees by sourcing the right talent for their clients, so “reading people” was an essential skill.

This game was about who could read people better.

A stranger would come in, and everyone would observe simultaneously before making their own judgments.

The game was set in a rapid-fire format—whoever called out a piece of information first claimed it. In the end, whoever gathered the most accurate and useful information would win. Everyone else would be losers and have to drink.

Lin Koukou nodded. “I see.”

Ye Xiang grew excited. “Then let’s begin.”

Aside from Pei Shu, who had been unanimously voted out, and Sun Kecheng, who had to drive home later, everyone else joined in. The table immediately erupted into lively chatter.

“Early thirties, seems to care about his appearance—there are traces of skincare products on his face. You can tell he takes his current job seriously.”

“He was enthusiastic and attentive in his service the whole time, showing no slack. That suggests he still has room for advancement—at the very least, he believes he can climb higher in this restaurant.”

“He’s wearing a ring—probably married.”

“Wrong, he took the ring off. I just saw a ring mark on his right ring finger—he must be divorced.”

In just a few words, a debate had already broken out over whether the man was married or not.

Lin Koukou found it all quite amusing.

The next to speak was Meng Zhixing: “The suit he’s wearing is standard restaurant attire, so that doesn’t tell us much. But the shirt underneath, the belt around his waist, and the leather shoes can give us some indication of his financial status. The shirt fabric is ordinary, while the belt and shoes are slightly better—both designer brands, though not the highest-end items, priced around two to three thousand. In a restaurant of this caliber in Shanghai, the average salary for a manager is between 15,000 to 20,000. He slipped in a few Shanghainese dialect words earlier, so he’s likely a local with property. With that income and no mortgage to pay, his spending habits suggest he’s financially prudent and avoids excessive consumption. He probably had a tough life when he was younger.”

He spoke quickly and logically.

Lin Koukou noticed Pei Shu giving an almost imperceptible nod while listening, clearly satisfied with his capable subordinate’s assessment.

However, as soon as he finished, Ye Xiang jumped in indignantly: “Do you have no shame? Do you ever leave any room for others? You just blabbered everything—what am I supposed to say now?”

Meng Zhixing adjusted his glasses. “First come, first served.”

Ye Xiang gritted her teeth in frustration, then racked her brain to add one more detail: “I noticed a bit of a tattoo peeking out from the back of his neck—he probably has body art. Also, did any of you catch the scar on his right brow bone and another on his right pinky when he was holding the menu? I think this guy didn’t just have a tough youth—he might have been involved in some shady circles. His education level is probably high school at best.”

By this point, the restaurant manager’s age, appearance, education, circumstances, and spending habits had been thoroughly dissected.

No one else could think of anything to add.

The table fell into a brief silence.

Meng Zhixing, however, noticed that Lin Koukou hadn’t spoken at all. He asked, “What do you think, Consultant Lin?”

Lin Koukou swept her gaze across the table but ultimately settled on Yuan Zengxi.

The assistant consultant she had just selected today seemed to be listening attentively, but she noticed his eyes hadn’t moved for a while—clearly, his mind had wandered elsewhere.

So she lightly tapped the table with her finger and unexpectedly asked, “Yuan Zengxi, what’s your take?”

Everyone was taken aback.

The sound of her tapping jolted Yuan Zengxi back to reality, and he realized all eyes were now on him.

Flustered, he stammered, “What?”

Lin Koukou said, “That restaurant manager just now—did you notice anything about him?”

Yuan Zengxi scratched his head, visibly embarrassed, and reluctantly replied, “I can’t analyze much, but from a physiognomy perspective, his forehead is broad but his jawline is too narrow, and his heavy eyelids weigh down his eyes—he’s the calculating type. Anyway, I just don’t like him.”

Lin Koukou asked, “You don’t like him based on his face?”

Yuan Zengxi clarified, “Not exactly. It’s just that when he walked in, he kept glancing in this direction several times…”

He pointed, and the direction happened to be where Lin Koukou and the others were sitting.

Hearing this, everyone froze.

Then it dawned on them: if he was looking this way, who else would he be looking at besides Lin Koukou? Yuan Zengxi was implying the man might have a thing for women!

Someone disagreed and muttered under their breath, “Is glancing a few times really that unusual? If I see someone better-looking than me on the street, I’d look twice too. Besides…”

After all, what man isn’t drawn to beauty?

But he didn’t dare say it out loud.

Most people dismissed Yuan Zengxi’s assessment as irrelevant and meaningless.

Lin Koukou listened quietly without comment.

Pei Shu, however, had been watching her expression and suddenly asked, “Does Consultant Lin have a different perspective?”

Lin Koukou glanced at him and surprisingly said, “My view aligns with Yuan Zengxi’s.”

The group was stunned, even baffled—how could Lin Koukou’s judgment match that of this fortune-telling charlatan?

But Lin Koukou didn’t see Yuan Zengxi as a fraud.

She wasn’t superstitious, but most Chinese business owners strongly believed in “fate.” Having interacted with many, she had heard countless stories and encountered so-called “fortune-telling masters.” It wasn’t that these people were genuinely skilled in fortune telling; rather, they had a knack for reading people and mastering persuasive speech. With just a few casual remarks upon meeting, they could roughly guess one’s background. If they were somewhat knowledgeable themselves, they could even offer advice and guidance, naturally leaving people awestruck.

Yuan Zengxi claimed to sell houses by talking about Feng Shui, but he must have some observational skills.

Otherwise, trying to sell glasses to a blind man—no matter how smooth the pitch—wouldn’t move a single unit.

Lin Koukou smiled and continued, “But my take is even more extreme.”

Ye Xiang instinctively asked, “More extreme?”

Lin Koukou said coolly, “This man is married, lustful, habitually unfaithful, or has an affair.”

“Pfft!”

The entire table was shocked. Sun Kecheng, unable to hold back, spat out the water he had just sipped, staring at Lin Koukou in disbelief.

“How could you possibly tell that?”