episode 43
8 PM, Veridian Club.
The faint sounds of a man's panting and moaning could be heard from the top-floor private room.
The air conditioning in the private room was on full blast, and sticky sweat dripped from the fair skin, only to quickly dry and disappear.
Two handsome young men stood in a lake in the center of the private room, their bodies and hair wet with water, their fair cheeks flushed with a suspicious red. They were panting heavily as they lay on the edge of the marble, like alluring siren emerging from the deep sea.
This club, which opened less than six months ago, boasts a novel and unconventional style with the theme of "Natural Palace," attracting many high-end individuals and members of the upper class.
The walls of the clubhouse are all made of Veridian greenstone panels, which are a mineral green tone between emerald and malachite. The greenstone panels have a Mohs hardness of 6-7, which is close to that of diamonds. They are wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant, and have a natural matte texture like natural minerals. The dome is supported by bronze grids to create visual tension.
The private room was lit with a gradient of blue light, while the sofa area used low-intensity candlelight. Sound-absorbing cotton was embedded in the walls, and cool incense burned on the marble table to refresh the mind, making one feel as if they were truly in the depths of a lush forest.
To fit the concept of a natural sanctuary, the designers also created a circular "lake" filled with water in the center of each VIP room for guests to enjoy.
As for what is being appreciated, that's a matter of opinion.
The club's theme is grand, sophisticated, and minimalist, but in reality, it still relies heavily on the presence of human figures.
After all, having sex in a place like this has a unique flavor.
Huo Liang and Chen Guangling walked out of the lake with their upper bodies bare and sat on the sofa.
They rang the bell, and soon a waiter came in with a smile to dry them off, while also bringing over a bottle of red wine that had already been opened. It was a Mouton Rothschild from Pauillac, Bordeaux, with a rich aroma, fruity notes, and a hint of cedar.
After the waiter and the two boys left, Huo Liang lit a cigarette, put it in his mouth, draped his arms over the back of the sofa, and sighed, as if savoring the moment: "It's been a long time since I've felt this good. Men are just so cautious."
Chen Guangling picked up the red wine, took a sip, and smiled ambiguously: "Men have their advantages, and women have theirs too."
The two men exchanged a few more lewd remarks before Huo Liang finally said, "Alright, we're done playing around. It's time to get down to business. What's this about the financial difficulties you mentioned yesterday?"
Chen Guangling's smile froze, and his face suddenly darkened: "What else could it be? The only pillar under my command has collapsed."
Chen Guangling, 36 years old, is the CEO of Shangxing Entertainment.
The company is of medium size and mainly works in the film and television industry, focusing on urban romance dramas. Over the years, it has also produced many second- and third-tier male and female actors. Currently, its most popular actor is a male star with an androgynous appearance who unexpectedly became popular for playing a crazy second male lead in an ancient costume web drama. After that, he naturally rose to the top tier with the support of his popularity and fans.
Logically speaking, the story of a minor actor becoming an overnight sensation is quite inspiring, and his type is rare in the industry. If he had worked diligently and avoided causing trouble, he would definitely have had a much larger market. It's just a pity—
He's a good-for-nothing; his house collapsed just a few days ago.
It's still because of that little thing in my pants/crotch.
Huo Liang had also seen the news, and glanced at Chen Guangling, sarcastically asking, "Just because of prostitution?"
"What do you mean 'just because of prostitution'?" Chen Guangling said. "You know how serious the crackdown has been these past few years, damn it! As soon as the Public Security Bureau issued the blue-background notice, his endorsement speed dropped like a wild horse that had broken free."
Huo Liang chuckled, tapped his cigarette ash, and said in a tone as light as a feather, "What's the big deal? Let him pay for it himself. Didn't your company contract mention it?"
"Pay? Ha! He might have the money to pay, but do you think everyone's like you, an old fox who's been around for so many years and has the experience to save money and invest? He got cocky the other day because he's famous now, and he offended his big spender. They're only not blacklisting him because of the little favor they owe him for what happened in bed. Where would he get the money? Pay him a damn thing! What's more, he's been gambling in private! His manager and assistant are like dead men, they didn't know anything." Chen Guangling gripped his wine glass tightly, his face darker than the bottom of a pot. "Do you know how much money I lent him? Eight hundred million! Damn it!"
Huo Liang asked curiously, "It's not just because of that, is it? I heard that the game your company was making also failed? Is that true?"
"Don't even mention it." Chen Guangling waved his hand weakly, slumped on the sofa, and looked pained. "As expected, it's just that games made by companies other than internet companies don't work. The game was released, but at the same time, YunTu launched an even more powerful one. I ran into a huge fog, and the sales were far below expectations, plummeting by a full 48%."
"Ah, there's really nothing we can do about running into Yuntu."
Although there are four recognized internet giants in the industry, everyone knows that Mo Shilin is currently firmly in the top position.
Huo Liang clicked his tongue twice, stared at the red wine in his glass, weighed the pros and cons for a long time, and finally said seriously, "How about this, I still have some spare money on hand, I'll invest some for you first, and then bribe the various media outlets."
"The key point is—" Huo Liang paused subtly, a half-smile playing on his lips, "Don't let it affect the manor."
"Don't worry about that, they've been taking care of things over there." Having received the benefits, Chen Guangling's tone softened noticeably.
Rather than a company CEO and a celebrity, their relationship is more like a mutually beneficial collaboration.
That is indeed the case.
As for the affairs of the manor, we are all in the same boat, whether we prosper or suffer.
The two exchanged a knowing smile, each harboring their own secrets.
The funding for satellite launch is temporarily covered by our partner Huo Liang, so there's no rush. But who would complain about having too much money?
Chen Guangling pondered for a moment, then said, "If you ask me, we should recruit a few more people to join us."
"What did I say last time? You were still being picky and told me not to act impulsively."
Huo Liang made a sarcastic remark, and then casually recalled the young master he had met briefly at the charity auction.
Just thinking about that cold and beautiful face made his body, which had just vented, feel a slight urge to rise again.
He cleared his throat, stubbed out his cigarette, and tried to cover up his misunderstanding: "I still think that young master I mentioned before is quite good. What do you think? I've been observing him for a long time, and he's really quite wealthy."
"he--"
Before Chen Guangling could finish speaking, a loud crash suddenly came from outside the private room, as if someone had been violently thrown against the wall.
The loud noise was accompanied by the sounds of several people arguing, and even the faint sobs of a woman.
Both of them were stunned, and their faces darkened in an instant.
Chen Guangling gave Huo Liang a wink, and Huo Liang understood. He got dressed, stood up, straightened his collar, and frowned as he opened the door to the private room.
The moment he opened the door, he froze on the spot, raising his voice incredulously, "Soren?"
"Someone you know?"
Chen Guangling raised an eyebrow and asked, and seeing that Huo Liang remained silent, he followed him out.
There were three people in the corridor, but each of them had a strange expression.
Two men and one woman, one standing and two kneeling.
The woman was young, wearing a white dress, her hair was messy, and her long, narrow eyes were red and swollen. She knelt on the ground with tears in her eyes, her eyes revealing a deep pleading.
The young man kneeling beside him was wearing a dark purple silk shirt with a wide-open collar, from which his nipples were almost visible.
His face was filled with grief and indignation, and he bit his lower lip tightly, as if he had been humiliated.
His attire makes his profession easy to guess; he's clearly a money boy hired exclusively by the club. However, his appearance is quite ordinary, and his skin is too dark.
Moreover, as a money boy, he even had a buzz cut!
Chen Guangling had been with countless men and women, so these two were naturally not worth his attention. He glanced at them indifferently and then looked away without much interest.
Finally, he focused his gaze on the only person standing there.
He was a young man, no more than thirty years old, wearing a well-tailored dark blue casual suit, a snow-white V-neck shirt clinging to his porcelain-like collarbone, and a delicate "S"-shaped silver letter necklace hanging on his chest. He had a slender waist, and his long legs were encased in soft trousers, with a small section of his slender ankle peeking out from above his leather shoes.
Of course, what's most captivating is her face.
Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly upturned, her pupils were dark, her eyelashes were long and thin, her nose was perfectly upturned, and her lips were even and full, with her lower lip being slightly thicker than her upper lip, revealing a hint of alluring flesh pink. Her whole face was illuminated by the dim lights of the corridor, and the silver six-pointed star earrings on her earlobes emitted a dazzling light, making her look cold, aloof and gorgeous.
He stood looking down at the lovesick couple, his eyes still showing a hint of impatience, perhaps because something unpleasant had just happened.
Chen Guangling subconsciously held his breath, staring intently at the other person for a long while before shifting his gaze away with a slight bob in his Adam's apple. He looked at Huo Liang, feigning composure: "Your friend? Aren't you going to introduce him?"
“You forgot, this is Soren, whom I just mentioned to you.”
Huo Liang reacted quickly and was even better at disguising himself in front of outsiders. Once he realized what was happening, he quickly smiled and introduced the man to Chen Guangling, implying that this was the rich young master he had been mentioning.
After saying that, he looked at He Xun again: "What a coincidence, I just showed your picture to my friend and praised you for being handsome—this is my friend, the CEO of Shangxing, President Chen."
He Xun only told him his English name, saying that it was inconvenient to tell him his full name because he was afraid of causing trouble.
Huo Liang was quite adept at self-deception. He figured that since the other party was a scion of a wealthy family, it wasn't strange that he wanted to hide his identity from outsiders. Not only did he not doubt it, he became even more certain that the other party had a powerful background and was a fat sheep to be slaughtered.
"President Chen?" He Xun glanced over with his almond-shaped eyes. "Sorry, Brother Liang, I'm not very familiar with these entertainment companies in China."
As she spoke, she glanced casually at Chen Guangling beside her and gave a slight smile. "Hello, Mr. Chen."
Chen Guangling's heart skipped a beat, and his throat went dry: "Soren, you... are even more beautiful than in the photos."
These were his honest thoughts. In all his years running the company, he'd never seen anyone like her—aloof yet alluring, making him involuntarily fantasize about what a beautiful sight it would be to see those long legs spread wide on the bed, encircling a man's waist...
To be honest, the other person's temperament is not weak. When they don't speak, they exude an aura of looking down on the world and looking down on everyone. But it is precisely because of this that they are more likely to arouse the desire to conquer and abuse their kind.
It's a sense of conquest/pleasure arising from the innate animalistic nature within the human body.
Chen Guangling is not bad-looking either, with regular features and a height of over 1.8 meters. However, he is a bit thin, and perhaps because of his chaotic private life, he always has a gloomy and weak appearance.
Hearing Chen Guangling's involuntary words, He Xun chuckled inwardly, looked him up and down as if scrutinizing him, and after a long while, he smiled and said, "Is that so? President Chen is not bad either."
"Really? You..."
"Soren." Huo Liang, still retaining his composure, interrupted Chen Guangling, pointing to the man and woman kneeling on the carpet, and steered the conversation back to the main point, "What happened here?"
At the same time, he gave Chen Guangling a deep look, the warning in his eyes clearly conveyed, as if to say, "Don't you dare ruin our big plans."
The saying "lust is a knife above one's head" has never been a trivial statement throughout history.
Chen Guangling was startled, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water and suddenly sobered up. He abruptly stopped himself from moving closer to He Xun, cleared his throat as if to cover up his unease, and then asked Huo Liang, "Yes, what's going on?"
"Isn't it obvious?" He Xun leaned lazily against the wall, but his eyes narrowed dangerously. "The male escort I'm keeping is going to elope with a woman."
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