Chapter 17

The Jin Zun Club is a high-end private club, one of the best in all of Seoul. Those who can afford to come here are either rich or powerful, and without a referral, they can't even get in.

Tonight, however, the entire Jin Zun Club was booked by Hei Gou, reportedly to entertain a close friend of his. He even sent a few of his men to the entrance to welcome the guest. It's said that Hei Gou used a lot of connections and spent a considerable amount of money to secure the booking.

Hei Gou's grand gesture to entertain just one person made many of the big bosses in the underworld think deeply. Who could this person be, to deserve such a grand reception? Both rivals and allies wanted to find out who Hei Gou was entertaining, so they sent their men to stake out the entrance of the Jin Zun Club, trying to get a clear look at the person and, if possible, take a photo.

None of them could have imagined that Hei Gou's grand gesture and the money he spent were just to play a prank on Xia Hou Zhong Ying, to vent his frustration.

A taxi pulled up to the entrance of the Jin Zun Club, and a pair of students in school uniforms got out. The men staking out the place didn't pay much attention, automatically filtering out the students and dismissing the possibility that they could be Hei Gou's guests.

However, when they saw Hei Gou's men welcoming the students and escorting them into the club, they were stunned, frozen in place, forgetting to take photos and unable to see the faces of the two people clearly.

The group of underlings were in a frenzy, but they didn't dare to storm the Jin Zun Club. In the end, they had to report back to their bosses with dejected faces.

"What? No photos? What are you eating? I told you to keep a close eye on things, and you forgot to take photos?" The bosses were naturally furious.

"Boss, who would have thought it would be two students?"

"Did you get a clear look at them?"

"By the time we realized, they were already surrounded and protected by Hei Gou's men, so we couldn't see them."

"Idiots, all of you are idiots. What about the license plate number? Did you remember that?"

"They came in a taxi."

"..."

The bosses were all angrily scolding their men, with similar content. Whether anyone was beaten or injured by a temperamental boss, no one knew.

The men Hei Gou sent to the entrance to welcome Xia Hou Zhong Ying were the same ones who went with him yesterday. When they saw Zheng Xiu Yan get out of the car behind Xia Hou Zhong Ying, they couldn't help but twitch their mouths, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

As Hei Gou's men escorted Xia Hou Zhong Ying and Zheng Xiu Yan into the Jin Zun Club, a series of "thuds" sounded, and confetti rained down from the ceiling, startling the two of them.

Then, in the hall, ten girls, all around fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in revealing outfits, lined up to form a path, bowing to Xia Hou Zhong Ying and sweetly saying, "Hello, Brother Zhong Ying, welcome to the Jin Zun Club."

This scene made Xia Hou Zhong Ying's legs go weak, almost causing him to fall.

"Cool." Zheng Xiu Yan was also stunned by the grand reception and couldn't help but exclaim. Then she became furious, angrily demanding from Xia Hou Zhong Ying, "Is this why you didn't want to bring me? You said the club was full of filth, but where is the filth? If you don't give me an explanation, you'll be in trouble."

"Brother, I hope you're satisfied with my arrangements, ha ha... cough, cough..." Hei Gou laughed as he walked out, having set up this scene just to see Xia Hou Zhong Ying's reaction. Seeing Xia Hou Zhong Ying's innocent look, he thought he wouldn't be able to handle such a grand reception, and if possible, he would help him become a man.

However, when he saw Zheng Xiu Yan glaring at him, he was so shocked that he bent over and started coughing, almost choking. After he caught his breath, he was both amused and frustrated. This kid brought his sister along, what was he thinking?

Given this situation, they couldn't keep all ten girls, so only four were left to serve. After explaining that it was just a joke to Zheng Xiu Yan, her anger subsided, much to Hei Gou's frustration. What a mess, a powerful figure in Seoul, who usually acted with authority, had to explain himself to a little girl, making him feel very humiliated.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying and Zheng Xiu Yan arrived a bit early, before mealtime. Since Zheng Xiu Yan had never been to such a high-end place before, she was curious about everything and wanted to tour the club before dinner.

They picked two of the girls to show Zheng Xiu Yan around, satisfying her curiosity, while Xia Hou Zhong Ying and Hei Gou sat on the sofa and chatted.

"Hey, Cui Boss, it's just a drink, any place would do. What's with all this?" The grand scene had indeed shocked him, especially with Zheng Xiu Yan there, who might misunderstand that he was there to play with young girls. Xia Hou Zhong Ying, being familiar with Hei Gou, didn't hold back and complained as soon as he sat down.

"Can you blame me? Since it's the first time I'm entertaining you, I can't make it too shabby, right? I have to do it right to match your status and not let you down." Hei Gou was also frustrated, continuing after a puff of smoke, "Who knew you'd bring your sister along?"

"Do you think I wanted to? She found out and insisted on coming." Xia Hou Zhong Ying sighed, feeling helpless.

"Hehe..." Seeing Xia Hou Zhong Ying's gloomy face, Hei Gou burst into a strange laugh, patting his shoulder and saying, "What a pity. I was planning to arrange a few girls to spend the night with you, but it looks like there's no chance now. Next time, are you still a virgin?"

The two girls serving them blushed when they heard Hei Gou's words, sneaking a glance at Xia Hou Zhong Ying, feeling a bit regretful.

These girls were high school students Hei Gou had paid to come from various schools. They would eventually have to give their bodies to someone. Rather than giving their first time to some creepy middle-aged or old men, it would be better to give it to this handsome young man. Moreover, seeing his good relationship with Hei Gou, he seemed to be a powerful person. If he liked her, she might even become his official girlfriend, or at least be kept in luxury. After all, Xia Hou Zhong Ying was quite attractive.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying, embarrassed by Hei Gou's comment about being a virgin, felt a slight flush on his face but said stubbornly, "I'm still young, no rush. Besides, my master said I'm in the growth stage and it's best not to get involved in such things too early."

"Is it the master who teaches you martial arts?" Hei Gou asked, "By the way, what kind of martial arts do you practice? Your leg techniques are very fast and hard to defend against if you're not quick enough."

"I practice Shaolin Tan Tui. Tan Tui emphasizes simplicity, symmetry, and continuous momentum, with varied leg techniques and smooth transitions." Xia Hou Zhong Ying sighed, pausing for a moment before continuing, "My master always said I was stupid and couldn't learn, so he was very strict with me. I was young and didn't understand, so I often slacked off. After my master passed away, I tried to improve, but it was too late. Now I can only practice on my own."

Hei Gou couldn't help but laugh bitterly. At such a young age, he could almost match him in a fight, and this was the result of slacking off. If he was considered stupid, what did that make him? It was too much. His master must have been very strict.

After chatting for a while, Zheng Xiu Yan returned after touring the entire club, sitting next to Xia Hou Zhong Ying and still marveling at everything.

Hei Gou looked at the excited Zheng Xiu Yan and the calm Xia Hou Zhong Ying, feeling puzzled. How could these two be siblings, with such different reactions? One was like a curious child, interested in everything, while the other seemed very composed, as if he had been to such places before.

This wasn't Hei Gou's fault; he had only met Xia Hou Zhong Ying twice, and only knew his name from the student who asked him for help yesterday. He didn't know Zheng Xiu Yan's name and didn't want to ask a girl directly, assuming they were siblings.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying had indeed been to such places before, having gone to domestic clubs with his father. After coming to Korea, he had also attended two business gatherings with his father. The Jin Zun Club, while nice, didn't impress him as much as the private clubs in China, so he wasn't surprised.

After Zheng Xiu Yan returned, Hei Gou couldn't continue the more taboo topics with Xia Hou Zhong Ying. They chatted about general topics like the weather and fashion until it was time for dinner.

Hei Gou, already impressed by Xia Hou Zhong Ying, saw how well he adapted to the private club setting and became even more impressed. Such a person was either rich or powerful, and even if they couldn't become friends, it was best not to become enemies. He called up his four closest friends and comrades, known as the Four Great Diamonds in the underworld: Wu Rongqi, Quan Juyuan, Jin Dongfu, and Jin Shengzai, to join them for drinks.

The girls were originally there to serve drinks, but with Zheng Xiu Yan present, they couldn't do that. They were only there to serve, and Hei Gou personally joined them for drinks.

The four comrades, though they didn't go with Hei Gou yesterday, had heard about Xia Hou Zhong Ying's skills. Seeing that he could match Hei Gou and considering his young age, they were even more impressed. Being from the military, they respected strength, so they didn't look down on Xia Hou Zhong Ying because of his age. They took turns drinking with him.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying accepted every challenge, drinking until the glass was empty.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying's generosity made Hei Gou and his comrades even happier, and their relationship became increasingly close. They soon started calling each other brothers, putting their arms around each other and promising to help each other in Seoul if needed.

Xia Hou Zhong Ying, though inexperienced in such situations, had seen many Hong Kong and Taiwan movies and had learned some social skills from attending gatherings with his father. He tried to act like a cool and confident gangster from the movies, which, though a bit awkward, made Hei Gou and his men feel very close. Zheng Xiu Yan, watching from the side, was secretly furious but couldn't interrupt, so she could only roll her eyes.