A group of beautiful women greeted warmly, their faces glowing with smiles as they called out, “Welcome!”

Most men, faced with such a scene, would probably feel their legs go weak on the spot.

However, Xu Xiuwen, who was used to seeing beautiful women, remained calm and composed.

On the other hand, Xu Qian, standing beside him, had been wearing a cold expression ever since they entered the nightclub. Seeing these scantily dressed women now, her face twisted with disdain.

As soon as Xu Xiuwen stepped through the door, a woman who seemed to be a supervisor approached him and politely asked if he was “Mr. Xu.”

Xu Xiuwen nodded.

The woman’s eyes lit up, and her smile grew even brighter.

“Mr. Qian has already arranged a private room for you. You can head straight there.”

“Alright. Lead the way.”

The supervisor began leading them forward. She walked ahead, her curvy figure swaying provocatively, with her shapely hips moving like leaves in the breeze.

The sight was undeniably eye-catching.

Seeing this, Xu Qian let out a displeased snort.

Hearing the sound, Xu Xiuwen glanced at her briefly but said nothing.

At the entrance to the private room, the supervisor graciously opened the door for Xu Xiuwen.

Once the door swung open, Xu Xiuwen took in the scene inside.

A sofa stretched an impressive 20 meters in length, with a coffee table just as long sitting in front of it.

At the far end of the room, there were two additional rooms.

At the center of the private room was a stage.

At this moment, Qian Jian was already seated on the sofa.

Xu Xiuwen walked over and took a seat beside him, while Xu Qian sat down on the other side of him.

As soon as they settled in, the door to the private room opened again.

In came over a dozen women, each with an excellent figure and strikingly beautiful features.

They lined up in a neat row and bent slightly in greeting, their voices sweet and melodic as they said in unison, “Good evening, Mr. Qian.”

Qian Jian grinned and gestured toward Xu Xiuwen.

“This gentleman here, Mr. Xu, is the most important guest tonight.”

The women turned their gaze to Xu Xiuwen and were taken aback by his good looks.

Their eyes sparkled, and they quickly said in harmonious unison, “Good evening, Mr. Xu.”

Their voices were soft and sweet.

Xu Xiuwen remained indifferent.

Although he didn’t frequent places like this, he wasn’t naïve. These women were clearly arranged by Qian Jian to accompany the guests.

In some places, they were referred to as “hostesses” or even “princesses.”

While the term “princess” had a refined ring to it, these women were anything but.

Their outfits were provocative, their demeanor bold.

A dozen pairs of long, fair legs stood out starkly even in the dimly lit private room, gleaming under the overhead lights.

“Brother Xu, enjoy yourself tonight. Don’t hold back. Let me know if you need anything.”

“Alright, thank you, Brother Qian.”

Xu Xiuwen assumed Qian Jian would leave a few women to accompany them.

Instead, Qian Jian left all of them.

He himself had already claimed six women—two in his arms, two by his side, and two more singing on the stage.

That left seven or eight women, who all gravitated toward Xu Xiuwen.

The group of women crowded around him, leaving Xu Qian squeezed into a corner with no choice but to sit there quietly.

Do you think Xu Xiuwen was enjoying himself at this moment? That would be underestimating him.

Xu Xiuwen had no interest in these women. He was only tolerating the situation out of respect for Qian Jian.

Surrounded by beautiful women, his demeanor remained calm and indifferent.

The women, accustomed to dealing with average-looking clients, had never encountered someone as handsome as Xu Xiuwen.

Normally, whether their modesty was genuine or feigned, they would maintain a certain distance.

But now, that modesty completely evaporated.

They surrounded Xu Xiuwen, speaking softly and gently, their hands growing increasingly daring.

Usually, it was the male guests whose hands wandered, but now the roles were reversed.

The scene was almost comical.

At the same time, Xu Qian, who had been pushed to a corner, initially kept quiet, knowing she had no say in this environment.

But as she watched, she could no longer tolerate what was happening.

These women were practically clinging to Xu Xiuwen, fawning over him shamelessly.

Her anger boiled.

Xu Qian’s eyes darted around before she suddenly spoke up:

“Mr. Xu, didn’t you say earlier that you wanted to sing? What song do you have in mind? I’ll pick it for you.”

Her words provided Xu Xiuwen with an excuse to escape the situation.

“Sure, go ahead and choose one for me.”

Seizing the opportunity, he stood up from the sofa, breaking free from the women’s clutches, and walked over to the stage.

He stood before a standing microphone, preparing to sing.

The song was selected by Xu Qian.

When the intro played, Xu Xiuwen realized it was a popular love song.

Qian Jian, who had been partying with the women, noticed Xu Xiuwen on stage.

Cheering him on, he clapped enthusiastically.

The row of women seated on the sofa also shifted their attention to the stage.

Under the gaze of everyone, Xu Xiuwen began to sing the love song.

His voice was undeniably impressive.

Even without using advanced techniques, the raw quality of his voice was enough to captivate.

When the song ended, Qian Jian was the first to applaud, showering him with praise.

The women followed suit, clapping along enthusiastically.

Xu Xiuwen sang two more songs.

By the end of his performance, he looked down to see the women staring at him with shining eyes, as if he were a prized treasure.

This made him uneasy.

Women, when being overly affectionate, could be even more intimidating than men.

Using the excuse of needing the restroom, he left the private room to escape their attention temporarily.

In truth, the private room had its own restroom.

Xu Qian knew he was just using this as an excuse to avoid the women and couldn’t help but chuckle quietly.

This nightclub was incredibly large.

After wandering around for a while, Xu Xiuwen nearly got lost.

Eventually, he had to ask a staff member for directions to the restroom.

After using the restroom, he was about to return to the private room.

As he passed by Room 888, the door suddenly swung open, and a group of burly men rushed out.

They surrounded Xu Xiuwen in an instant.

Frowning, Xu Xiuwen sensed trouble.

But as far as he knew, he hadn’t offended anyone in Fei City.

At that moment, a man in a suit stepped out from the group and spoke:

“Mr. Xu, correct? Our boss has invited you.”

The man made an inviting gesture as he spoke.

Xu Xiuwen quickly assessed the situation. It was clear that if he refused, these people wouldn’t let him leave easily.

After a brief moment of thought, Xu Xiuwen agreed and stepped into Room 888.

The room was dimly lit, the atmosphere dark and oppressive.

On the sofa sat a man, his face obscured by the shadows.

As Xu Xiuwen entered, the man spoke, “Turn on the lights.”

The next second, the lights brightened, illuminating the room.

Now Xu Xiuwen could clearly see the man’s face—and he recognized him.

It was Li Xiangjun.

“Mr. Li?” Xu Xiuwen said in surprise.

“It’s me. Have a seat,” Li Xiangjun replied calmly.

After sitting down, Li Xiangjun scrutinized Xu Xiuwen, while Xu Xiuwen also took the opportunity to observe him.

Li Xiangjun’s gaze was deep and resolute, exuding an aura of dominance. His expression, devoid of excessive emotion, gave off the impression of someone shrewd and calculating. His presence carried a subtle but unmistakable pressure.

Li Xiangjun, too, was studying Xu Xiuwen with interest.

After a brief moment of mutual appraisal, Xu Xiuwen broke the silence.

“Mr. Li, what’s the reason you’re looking for me?”

Li Xiangjun shook his head. “I was just curious about the kind of person you are. Now that I’ve seen you, it seems there’s nothing particularly special.”

His tone carried a hint of disdain, and combined with his gaze, it was undeniably grating.

If Li Xiangjun had shown a more amicable attitude, Xu Xiuwen wouldn’t have minded chatting for a while, even though the way he’d been summoned was far from polite.

But the condescension in Li Xiangjun’s demeanor made Xu Xiuwen thoroughly uncomfortable.

Suppressing his irritation, Xu Xiuwen replied, “If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave.”

He stood up, intending to walk out.

“Who said you could leave?” Li Xiangjun’s cold voice rang out from behind.

Xu Xiuwen ignored him and headed for the door.

Li Xiangjun’s subordinates moved to block his path.

Xu Xiuwen had been keeping an eye on them and was ready to react if they made any move.

“You’re not afraid of offending me?” Li Xiangjun suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Xu Xiuwen stopped in his tracks. Turning slightly, he glanced back and replied coolly, “Why should I be afraid of you?”

Li Xiangjun chuckled at his response.

He gestured to his subordinates, who immediately withdrew from the room without a word.

In the blink of an eye, only Xu Xiuwen and Li Xiangjun were left in the private room.

At this point, Xu Xiuwen didn’t insist on leaving.

Instead, he stood still, waiting to hear what Li Xiangjun had to say. He was curious to know what this man was up to.

Li Xiangjun picked up a pack of cigarettes from the table, took one out, and lit it with a lighter.

Holding the cigarette between his index and middle fingers, he brought it to his lips and took a drag.

The tip of the cigarette glowed red as the tobacco burned quietly.

After a puff, Li Xiangjun exhaled a cloud of smoke and asked, “Want one?”

“No, thanks. I don’t smoke.”

Li Xiangjun smirked faintly and then stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray, extinguishing it after only one puff.

“You’ve probably guessed why I called you here,” he said.

“Why don’t you spell it out? Maybe I’ll know,” Xu Xiuwen replied calmly.

“Is Xiao Ran working at your company?” Li Xiangjun asked directly.

Hearing the name “Xiao Ran,” the first person Xu Xiuwen thought of was Liu Xinran.

In fact, the moment he saw Li Xiangjun, he had already guessed this might have something to do with her.

Xu Xiuwen initially considered denying it, but on second thought, since Li Xiangjun had already found him, it was clear he knew the truth.

So, Xu Xiuwen decided not to hide it.

“That’s right. She’s working at my company.”

“Where is Xiao Ran living?”

“The company dormitory.”

“The company dormitory?” Li Xiangjun seemed surprised.

“Yes.”

Li Xiangjun let out a bitter laugh. “That girl is really determined to avoid this marriage. She even moved into a dormitory.”

But the next second, his expression turned serious.

“I’ll give you two choices right now. First, you go back and fire Xiao Ran immediately. If you do, I’ll introduce you to distributors in Beijing, which will help you break into the northern liquor market.

Second, if you refuse to fire Xiao Ran, I can guarantee that no one in the entire Anhui Province will touch Guangming Distillery’s liquor. Now, make your choice.”

Li Xiangjun finally revealed his true colors, like a tiger baring its fangs.

When Xu Xiuwen agreed to let Liu Xinran stay, he had anticipated facing pressure.

But he thought the first challenge would come from her fiancé’s family, not her own.

Faced with the two options Li Xiangjun presented, Xu Xiuwen had no doubts about their credibility.

Even if Li Xiangjun couldn’t entirely block Guangming Distillery’s liquor, he could still severely damage the sales of their new product.

For the sake of a woman unrelated to him, was it worth taking such a big risk to go against Li Xiangjun?

Most people would probably choose to back down and quietly pick the first option.

After all, getting introduced to distributors in Beijing and expanding into the northern market would significantly boost the distillery’s sales.

The offer was undeniably tempting.

Xu Xiuwen was tempted, too.

But he valued his promises more than most people would expect.

Since he had already agreed to Liu Xinran’s request, going back on his word would be against his nature.

Moreover, Xu Xiuwen had a stubborn streak.

The more Li Xiangjun tried to threaten him, the less likely he was to yield.

Standing firm, Xu Xiuwen said, “Mr. Li, Liu Xinran has signed a contract with the company. If you want her to go home, you can try persuading her. Otherwise, unless she resigns on her own, I won’t fire her. As for whether or not you want to block sales of our liquor—do as you wish!”

As soon as Xu Xiuwen finished speaking, the room fell silent.

Li Xiangjun stared at him, and Xu Xiuwen met his gaze without flinching.

The two locked eyes for a long moment.

Finally, Li Xiangjun snorted, “You’ve got some backbone, kid. Fine, I’m not going to bother anymore.”

Xu Xiuwen was taken aback by his sudden change in attitude.

Still, he felt a sense of relief. He had no desire to completely fall out with Li Xiangjun—it wouldn’t do him any good.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Someone’s waiting for me.”

“Wait!”

Li Xiangjun stopped Xu Xiuwen again.

“Is there anything else?”

“You remember, Xiao Ran works at your company. If anything happens to her, I won’t let you off the hook!”

“Mm.”

“Take good care of her!”

“Mm.”

“Then you can go.”

“Alright.”

After leaving the 888 private room, Xu Xiuwen walked through the corridor, where a line of burly men stood. They didn’t stop him this time as he passed.

Returning to the private room that Qian Jian had reserved, the atmosphere inside was lively. Qian Jian, surrounded by a few women, was happily drinking and enjoying the company.

Meanwhile, Xu Qian was sitting alone in the corner, singing.

As Xu Xiuwen entered the room, everyone noticed him, except for Xu Qian who was still focused on her singing.

Several women immediately smiled and stood up from the sofa, rushing toward Xu Xiuwen. Before long, they had surrounded him.

Qian Jian paused his drinking and asked where Xu Xiuwen had gone.

Knowing that Qian Jian and Li Xiangjun were acquainted, Xu Xiuwen didn’t hide the fact that he had just met Li Xiangjun.

Hearing this, Qian Jian was startled. He quickly exchanged a few words with Xu Xiuwen before hurrying out of the room.

Once Xu Xiuwen was surrounded by the women, feeling somewhat annoyed, he said, “You can leave now. I don’t need any company.”

The women seemed reluctant, but upon noticing Xu Xiuwen’s cold and firm expression, they dared not oppose him. Reluctantly, they left.

At this moment, Xu Qian had just finished singing a song. She still didn’t realize Xu Xiuwen had returned, so she chose another song and began singing again.

Without the women bothering him, Xu Xiuwen relaxed and took the opportunity to enjoy Xu Qian’s singing.