6: Chapter 6: The Nouveau Riche's Bottom Line is Breached; Red Phoenix's Three Trump Cards

The heavy stack of ten thousand yuan in his hand felt like a cold branding iron, slamming hard against Wei Ziang's chest.

He instinctively reached out to catch it.

His mouth hung open uncontrollably, but his throat felt as if it were stuffed with a wad of rags; he couldn't utter a single word.

The deafening heavy metal music, the red bills flying everywhere, and the gasps of his classmates seemed to be shut out at this moment.

Wei Ziang just stood there, frozen in place.

He watched helplessly as Shen Du turned around and naturally walked over to the booth among the girls from their department, sat down, and picked up a wine glass.

One minute.

Two minutes.

A full three minutes passed, and Wei Ziang's feet seemed nailed to the bar floor, not moving an inch.

It wasn't that he hadn't seen grand scenes before.

As a second-generation upstart whose family owned mines, he had spent the last few years trying his best to squeeze into high-end social circles.

But in his understanding, the true second-generation elites of Shanghai valued the word "refined."

They played with luxury watches, wineries, golf, and secret resource exchanges.

An extreme display of flashiness like Shen Du's, unscrupulously bombarding the place with a hundred thousand in cash...

A dusty memory suddenly flashed through Wei Ziang's mind.

It was from two years ago, when he followed a childhood friend to Beijing to broaden his horizons.

In a top-tier private club where he couldn't even reach the threshold.

Only those lawless "Beijing Young Masters" with extremely solid backing could act in such a way, treating money like dirt!

"Phew—"

Wei Ziang took a sharp breath, finally breaking free from that near-suffocating pressure.

He looked down at the stack of bills in his hand and gripped it tightly, his knuckles turning pale from the excessive force.

He looked around at the girls who used to swarm around him like flies.

Now, they were all crowding around Shen Du's three roommates, currying favor like crazy; not a single person spared another glance for "Young Master Wei."

Wei Ziang gritted his teeth and did not return to his own booth.

He turned abruptly, strode through the dance floor bombarded by heavy metal music, and headed straight for a relatively quiet corner of the hallway outside the second-floor restroom.

He quickly took out his phone, found a number, and dialed it.

"Sister Hong!"

As soon as the call connected, Wei Ziang lowered his voice, his tone carrying a ruthlessness eager for a comeback:

"Send a few capable people over for me, immediately.

I want to feel out a kid's background and strip him bare."

The "Sister Hong" on the other end of the line, whose real name was Red Phoenix, was a powerful figure with extensive connections in Shanghai's second-generation wealthy circles.

She specialized in providing various high-end, private "special services" for these wealthy young masters who had no shortage of money.

Wei Ziang knew very well that as long as the money was right, the women under Sister Hong, who had been through a thousand trials,

Could even find out eighteen generations of a man's ancestors after just a few drinks.

On the other end of the phone, outside a private booth on the third floor of Lanting Mansion.

The woman known as "Sister Hong" was leaning against the end of the hallway, a slender lady's cigarette between her fingertips.

After listening to Wei Ziang's slightly impatient account, her alluring fox-like eyes narrowed slightly.

"Young Master Wei."

Sister Hong exhaled a ring of grayish-white smoke, her voice lazy yet filled with shrewdness:

"It seems you've run into a real tough nut tonight.

Coincidentally, I'm also at Lanting Mansion today.

But I must remind you, it's not easy to probe the background of a wealthy young master who scatters a hundred thousand in cash without even blinking.

This job is a bit difficult..."

Wei Ziang was in no mood for this kind of push-and-pull.

He directly and rudely interrupted her.

"Thirty thousand per person!

Plus another fifty thousand in service fees!"

Wei Ziang gritted his teeth and lowered his voice to throw out his bottom line:

"I don't have much money left on me, but I can first give you the registration for the new Land Rover I just got downstairs as collateral.

Once next month's allowance from home arrives, I'll settle the balance immediately."

Hearing this price, the smile in Sister Hong's eyes instantly deepened.

She had long ago figured out the family background of Wei Ziang's father, a coal boss from Shanxi.

She liked nothing more than these second-generation kids who got worked up over jealousy.

Naturally, she wasn't afraid of Wei Ziang defaulting on his debt.

"Young Master Wei, why talk like that? There's no need for the car as collateral. I'm still counting on you to bring me more business in the future."

Sister Hong casually stubbed out her cigarette in a nearby crystal ashtray, her voice becoming brisk:

"Wait a moment on the second floor. The three most capable ones will arrive in five minutes."

Looking through the bizarre and colorful dance floor, the atmosphere in the core semi-open booth on the second floor had completely reached a boiling point.

Shen Du leaned casually against the back of the wine-red velvet sofa, his dark gray cashmere coat neatly draped to the side.

He unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt with one hand.

His slender fingers gently swirled a glass of whiskey with ice.

He was playing a simple dice game with several female classmates from his department.

"Shen Du, you lost again! You have to take a penalty!"

A girl who was usually quite reserved in the department pushed a glass filled with liquor in front of him, her cheeks slightly flushed and her voice bold.

Shen Du chuckled dismissively, and without any refusal, he picked up the glass and drained it in one go.

This drew a burst of uncontrollable, excited cheers from the girls around him.

He seemed to be completely immersed in this extravagant and noisy atmosphere.

But his eyes, hidden in the dim light, were clear and showed no sign of drunkenness.

How could an old fox in his thirties be blinded by such a childish scene?

He knew better than anyone.

With Wei Ziang's spoiled upstart temper,

After being publicly humiliated with a hundred thousand yuan, there was no way he would just swallow his pride and slink away.

Shen Du sat firmly in his position.

While effortlessly controlling the rhythm in the booth, he waited unhurriedly for Wei Ziang's next counterattack.

"Ding—"

The elevator doors made a crisp sound and slowly slid open to both sides.

Three tall women stepped out of the cabin.

Their makeup was exquisite to the extreme.

Even just a casual flick of their long hair,

Every gesture exuded a maturity and charm refined by long experience in the world of fame and fortune.

They were completely different from the somewhat green female college students on the second-floor dance floor.

They instantly attracted the attention of many men around them.

Seeing that the "high-level players" under Sister Hong had finally arrived,

Wei Ziang's tense back suddenly straightened, and a feverish desire for a comeback reignited in his eyes.

He strode forward to meet them, his gaze sweeping past a waiter carrying a tray who happened to be passing by.

To forcefully reclaim the dignity that had just been crushed,

In a moment of heat, Wei Ziang directly mimicked Shen Du's previous actions.

He slammed the ten thousand yuan he had been gripping tightly onto the waiter's chest with a "thud."

"This young master is going for a drink."

Wei Ziang raised his chin, trying his best to put on an air of relaxation as if money were dirt.

But his slightly stiff movements and tense voice completely gave away his forced effort:

"Help me scatter this money!"

The waiter was stunned by the impact and quickly lowered his head in agreement.

Amidst the hundred red bills flying in the air, Wei Ziang finally felt the resentment in his chest subside a little.

He gave a cold laugh and glanced at the three "professionals" behind him.

Then, he pushed through the crowded crowd and led them aggressively toward the booth where Shen Du was.