Chapter 2 A Night of Rainbow Robes, Boss Wei, is he going to eat me alive...?

Beijing, Pétain bar district

Amidst the bustling crowds and dazzling neon lights, the sign for "Neon Night" is inconspicuous. A plain white background with the shop name written in somber dark blue lettering, it appears quite understated.

Fang Huan pushed open the heavy, antique wooden door, and the sound and heat instantly engulfed him.

The air was thick with the mingled scents of alcohol, perfume, and hormones, as figures tangled on the dance floor. Behind the bar, the bartender's shaker traced clean arcs, the clinking of ice cubes breaking crisply amidst the clamor.

Normally, he would have at least a couple of drinks, but he was in a bad mood at the moment. Just as he was about to frown, a waiter, who seemed to have been waiting nearby, silently stepped forward and gestured for him to enter.

Leading him through the bustling main hall, the waiter pushed open a soundproof door hidden behind a heavy down curtain.

This is an extremely tranquil space.

The lighting was slightly dim, with only a few spotlights precisely illuminating the central water feature, where several koi swam slowly in the deep blue water. The air was filled with the refreshing scent of sandalwood, completely washing away the smells of smoke and alcohol from outside.

Behind the water feature, behind a large ebony tea tray, sat a person.

The man wore a well-tailored dark gray suit, which accentuated his broad shoulders and upright, graceful posture. Even just sitting there casually, he exuded an invisible, commanding aura.

The silver mask on his face covered the upper half of his face, revealing only his well-defined jawline and thin lips.

At this moment, he was leaning slightly forward to brew tea, his slender fingers steadily holding a purple clay teapot. With a slight turn of his wrist, a stream of amber water fell precisely into the white porcelain cup, steam rising gently. His movements were elegant and fluid.

Only after the pot had been placed firmly in the ground did he slowly raise his eyes. His gaze, through the deep holes in the mask, settled on Fang Huan.

Without asking or showing any surprise, he slightly raised his hand and pointed to the empty seat opposite him.

"sit."

Fang Huan seemed to be startled awake by the sound, and suddenly came to his senses. He suppressed the surging anxiety in his heart and almost rushed over to sit down. "Boss Wei!"

He leaned forward, his voice urgent and forceful, "Where's what you promised me?! It's been five days, and I haven't even seen a trace of it!"

"Young Master Fang, haste makes waste." The man called Boss Wei spoke through his mask, his voice gentle and pleasant, without a trace of emotion.

He pushed the freshly brewed tea in front of Fang Huan, saying, "This is top-quality Wuyi rock tea; calm your mind."

"My brother's life is hanging by a thread, how can I have the leisure to drink tea?" Fang Huan suddenly waved his hand, almost knocking over the teacup, his voice rising with urgency, "Give me a straight answer! Can you get your hands on that 'Blood Orchid of the Breath of Life'? If not, I..."

“Three days.” Boss Wei interrupted him, his tone still gentle but not dismissive. “Three days from now, someone will deliver the goods to your residence. Please go back and wait patiently.”

"Three more days?!" Fang Huan almost slammed his fist on the table, but when his gaze fell on the other person's cold silver mask, his anger was forcibly suppressed.

He forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions and said in a deep voice, "It is said that the Night Trader of the Rainbow Clothes knows all the secrets of the world and is omnipotent. As long as you can afford the price, you can get what you want... Boss Wei, I have paid a high price."

Stepping out of the heavy door of Neon Night, Fang Huan slowly exhaled a breath of pent-up frustration.

The anxious butler, who had been waiting by the car, immediately went to greet him, quickly scanning him up and down in a low voice, "Thank goodness! You're finally out... Are you alright?"

"What could possibly happen? Is that Wei guy going to eat me alive?" Fang Huan said irritably, his tone tinged with lingering annoyance and a hint of barely perceptible fear, as he walked straight toward his car.

The butler was greatly alarmed and followed him closely, almost step by step, until he opened the car door for him and saw him get into the back seat before hurriedly getting into the driver's seat.

He turned his head and said earnestly, "My dear young master, you must be careful what you say! That Mr. Wei is no ordinary person! In this capital city, no matter who you are, everyone has to show him respect and address him as 'Mr. Wei' or 'Mr. Wei.' Although our Fang family is large and powerful, if we offend him, our future days will be..."

Fang Huan leaned back against the leather headrest and closed his eyes. Of course he knew.

Mr. Wei is a legend in Beijing's high society.

No one knows his exact origins, only that he suddenly appeared about ten years ago, taking over the then-unpromising Pétain Road project with astonishingly large capital, and transforming "Neon Night" into the top-tier money-spending den it is today.

It is said that his background is unfathomable. Once, a nouveau riche with no sense of propriety caused trouble at "Neon Night" and threatened to teach him a lesson. As a result, within three days, that person was bankrupt and disappeared without a trace.

I recall Boss Wei's calm yet resolute final words: "Of course, Ni Changye never breaks her promises."

Fang Huan's restless mind calmed down a little.

He kept his eyes closed, waved his hand, and said in a weary voice, but also with a resigned calmness, "Alright, let's go back. He said to wait, so let's wait."

"Okay, okay." The butler visibly relaxed and slowly started the car.

The black sedan smoothly glided into the traffic of the night, quietly leaving the building hidden above the hustle and bustle, along with all the secrets and oppressive power it carried, in the deepest part of the night.

...

On the other side, Neon Night

A very light knock sounded on the door.

"Go in." Wei Ji's voice was gentle and calm, quite pleasant.

The door slid open silently inward.

A man dressed in black, exuding a sharp and capable aura, strode in and stopped respectfully five steps away from the tea tray, bowing his head slightly.

"Boss," the man said, his voice low and tinged with barely concealed tension, "there's been some unexpected situation in Qigu Village."

Wei Ji held the purple clay teapot, pouring water without pausing, not even lifting his eyelids, only letting out a soft "Hmm?" to signal him to continue.

“A civilian exploration team suddenly went in tonight, with a clear purpose, probably also after that thing.” The man spoke faster. “Not just them. In the past few days, a lot of random people have inexplicably appeared, claiming to be ‘exploration bloggers,’ going in and out of the village and causing quite a commotion… I wonder if someone is stirring things up behind the scenes, deliberately causing trouble.”

The sound of flowing water suddenly stopped.

Wei Ji's hand hovered steadily above the cup. Although it was only a slight pause, it seemed somewhat abrupt in the extreme silence.

"An adventure blogger?" he repeated, a thoughtful look flashing across his eyes behind the mask.

"Yes. They all look like they came for the sake of novelty."

Wei Ji was silent for a moment, then gently placed the teapot back on the stand. "Ignore it." His voice returned to its previous calm. "Have our people avoid irrelevant personnel and proceed according to plan. Do not cause any unforeseen complications."

He leaned forward slightly, and although he didn't speak harshly, an invisible sense of oppression instantly spread out.

"I must gather all resources and find out the exact location of that thing within a day."

"Yes, boss!" The man felt as if he had been granted a pardon, immediately bowed and accepted the order, then quickly and silently retreated.

The door closed again, shutting out all the noise.

Wei Ji slowly leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling on the half-eaten teacup in front of him.

The wisps of white steam have dissipated, leaving the tea soup with a serene color.

Wei Ji was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled, as if talking to himself, or as if he had made a decision, "I should go, lest things get complicated."

A note from the author:

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