At the entrance of Linglong Club, more than a dozen leaders from the North District shook hands with Chen Zhe one after another. Their enthusiastic attitude made it seem as if they had known Chen Zhe for a long time and had a good relationship.
Yang Yun and the other managers were stunned. They had prepared for no one to come, but they didn't expect that not only would someone come, but that the person who came would be a high-ranking leader from the North District.
These leaders, headed by the district chief, all appeared amiable and approachable.
The district chief stepped forward and firmly grasped Chen Zhe's hand.
"Manager Chen, congratulations! It's truly an honor for our North District that Linglong Club has been able to reopen."
"District Chief Guan, your arrival is a great honor for our Linglong Club. Tea and entertainment have been prepared inside. Please come in and have a seat."
"Okay, okay!"
The district chief and his men were just about to go inside.
Shen Xingang's voice sounded from behind.
"District Chief Guan! What a coincidence! Are you here for inspection today?"
Shen Xingang and Ninth Master walked out from the crowd. When they saw Shen Xingang coming, the expressions of District Chief Guan and the other leaders were a little strange. They knew that this was definitely not a coincidence.
They were aware that Shen Xingang had informed the entrepreneurs not to come.
"Oh, Mr. Shen, are you here for the opening ceremony of Linglong Club?"
The district chief stopped and smiled.
Shen Xingang squinted at District Chief Guan.
He tried to see a hint of coercion on the district chief's face, but he couldn't quite make it out. People who could rise to that level were all cunning old foxes; they weren't so easily seen through.
"I just happened to be nearby. By the way, District Chief Guan, I heard that the development project of Lijing Park has recently restarted. They must be very busy there. You still managed to take the time out of your busy schedule to attend the opening ceremony of Linglong Club. You are truly a very responsible leader."
Shen Xingang's words were somewhat sarcastic, implying that instead of doing their proper work, they were attending the opening of an entertainment club and weren't afraid of being photographed and publicized by the media.
The district chief clearly understood what he meant.
When he first received Chen Zhe's call, he didn't want to come, but later he had reasons to come.
"President Shen, serving everyone is our mission and our primary principle. Linglong Club is a very influential enterprise in our northern region. Of course, we want to come and support them as they reopen."
Shen Xingang didn't believe this nonsense.
If the other party were a legitimate business, that would be acceptable, and such a high-sounding reason would be acceptable. But this is an entertainment club, and the impact here is not good.
"District Chief Guan, the Paradise Club across the street is also an important enterprise in the North District. I would like to invite you to come and give us some guidance."
The district chief's expression changed slightly.
"Well... maybe next time. I'll definitely go next time I have time."
This statement was clearly a rejection. If there were fewer people present, Shen Xingang wouldn't have pursued the matter, but with so many people here, it wouldn't be unreasonable to accuse District Chief Guan of unfair treatment, would it?
“District Chief Guan, these businesses in the North District are all operating under your wise leadership. You can’t show favoritism. You only care about Linglong Club and don’t care about other people’s feelings. Wouldn’t that make others feel a little disheartened?”
As Shen Xingang spoke, more and more people gathered around. There weren't that many people at first, but once everyone saw so many government vehicles driving over, everyone became curious.
Officials endorse the opening of entertainment clubs.
This was the first time for them.
Therefore, everyone is paying close attention.
District Chief Guan felt somewhat embarrassed by Shen Xingang's words. If it were an ordinary entrepreneur, he wouldn't have taken it to heart and would have simply sent someone to warn him. But the Shen family was different; he couldn't afford to offend the people behind them.
Just when the district chief and his colleagues were feeling somewhat troubled.
Chen Zhe, who had been silent all along, stepped forward.
"President Shen, today is the reopening of our Linglong Club. I hope you can do me the honor."
Shen Xingang glanced at Chen Zhe sideways.
Even now, he still doesn't take Chen Zhe seriously.
"Who do you think you are? Do you have the right to speak like this? I remember the person in charge of your Linglong Club is named Hu Ling. Where did Hu Ling go?"
Where did Hu Ling go?
It's like cutting open a wound on the employees of Linglong Club and then rubbing salt into it.
All the employees of Linglong Club present felt somewhat indignant.
The reason they are in this state today is all because of Sister Hu's disappearance. Sister Hu's disappearance has had a great impact on them, making them feel like orphans without anyone to protect them.
Chen Zhe smiled.
"President Shen, I will temporarily take charge of the Linglong Club."
Shen Xingang reacted as if he had heard a joke.
"You're in charge? Hahaha, do you even have the qualifications? Who do you think you are? What hill did you come from?"
Chen Zhe was not angered by his words and smiled gently, saying, "Naturally, it was Sister Hu who personally assigned me."
Upon hearing this...
Shen Xingang gave a cold laugh.
"Hu Ling personally assigned you? A dead man? Did she appear in your dream? Hahaha!"
After saying this, Shen Xingang looked at Ninth Master next to him and laughed.
Yang Yun was a little angry and stepped forward to speak, but Chen Zhe stopped her.
"President Shen, how can you be so sure that Sister Hu is dead?"
"How can you be sure? Can a person survive falling into the sea? They'd probably be fish food by now!"
Ninth Master, who was standing nearby, chimed in.
"Oh, Ninth Master, do you know so much about this? You wouldn't have done this, would you?"
As soon as Chen Zhe said this, all the employees of Linglong Club present, including District Chief Guan, turned their attention to Ninth Master.
The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat awkward.
Ninth Master felt a little uncomfortable under their gazes and coughed.
“How could I have done it? I just heard that they were hit by a truck and thrown into the sea.”
Chen Zhe turned around and looked at the employees of Linglong Club.
Have you heard?
The employees shook their heads in confusion. The news of Hu Ling's accident had been strictly covered up, and they had no idea about it.
Chen Zhe shrugged and then looked at Ninth Master and the others.
"None of us at Linglong Club knew about this. I wonder where Ninth Master heard it from?"
"you!!!"
Ninth Master was speechless for a moment. Speaking of this, they were the ones who kept Hu Ling's accident a secret. Now that the other party is denying it, there's nothing he can do.
At this moment, Shen Xingang finally began to look Chen Zhe directly in the eye.
"So you mean Hu Ling isn't dead?"
Chen Zhe smiled.
"Sister Hu is not dead, but she is indeed feeling unwell and it is not convenient for her to appear in front of everyone."
Upon hearing this, Shen Xingang frowned. He had always suspected that Hu Ling was not dead, and Chen Zhe's words made him uneasy.
Yang Yun, standing beside him, looked at Chen Zhe with a surprised expression.
[Could it be that Sister Hu really isn't dead? Is she just hiding? And only contacting Chen Zhe? It's very possible, otherwise Chen Zhe wouldn't have been so arrogant lately. Sister Hu might be backing him up. But why isn't Sister Hu contacting me? Does she not trust me?]
At this point, the district chief interjected.
"President Shen, we came here today because of President Hu's invitation. You and President Hu have a long-standing relationship. Let's come in and talk about it, okay?"
They heard that District Chief Guan and his group had come because they had been invited by Hu Ling.
Shen Xingang was stunned.
Ninth Master's expression also became tense.
"District Chief Guan, Hu Ling hasn't shown up for a long time. You haven't been fooled by this kid, have you?"
Shen Xingang wanted to confirm again.
"Mr. Hu called me personally, how could that be wrong?"
"What??? Hu Ling called you?"
These words were like a bombshell dropped into calm waters, stirring up ripples in everyone's hearts.
Shen Xingang and Ninth Master had strange expressions.
Yang Yun also gripped Chen Zhe's arm tightly. She really wanted to ask Chen Zhe now if this was true.
Chen Zhe patted Yang Yun's hand and gave her a reassuring look.
Then he looked at Shen Xingang and Ninth Master.
"President Shen, Ninth Master, although Sister Hu can't come out to see everyone due to health reasons, she's still in the company and can say a few words to everyone through her voice. We're all old friends, would you like to come in?"
Shen Xingang and Ninth Master exchanged a glance.
That's exactly what they were thinking.
The two followed District Chief Guan and his entourage into the Linglong Club. Upon entering, they noticed that the layout had changed significantly from before.
This first floor used to be a dark and sunless bar, but now it has been transformed into a distinguished and elegant hall. The layout of the hall is somewhat like that of an old-fashioned restaurant, and the placement and style of every piece of furniture are extremely particular.
Shen Xingang was a worldly man, and he could tell at a glance that the furniture was quite expensive.
Although he knew that Linglong Club had spent a lot of money to buy furniture, he was still stunned when he actually saw the furniture.
They're really willing to spend money; the renovations here alone probably cost at least 100 million yuan.
This is just one of the stores.
So willing to spend money? Could it be that Hu Ling is really not dead? Was she the one who orchestrated all of this?
The more Shen Xingang thought about it, the more likely it seemed; only Hu Ling had the money and the guts.
He became even more convinced that Hu Ling was still alive.
District Chief Guan and his colleagues are discerning people; when they saw the newly renovated Linglong Clubhouse, their eyes lit up.
"Manager Chen, your Linglong Club is really extravagant! This must have cost a lot of money, right?"
"Hehe, it did cost a lot of money, but Sister Hu said it was all necessary. In order to promote the traditional culture of our building, Sister Hu said that even if it means going bankrupt, we must do it to the best of our ability."
Shen Xingang gave a cold laugh.
"That sounds nice, promoting traditional culture, but what kind of culture can a massage parlor have?"
Chen Zhe smiled.
"Mr. Shen, that's not how it works. Massage is just one of our services. Our real core business is actually this."
Chen Zhe clapped his hands.
On the stage in front of the hall, the red curtain slowly opened, and warm, non-glaring lights came on. Twelve beautiful young women dressed in ancient-style long dresses and thin gauze appeared before the audience, ready to dance.
Everyone's eyes couldn't help but turn to look.
From a corner next to the stage, the melodious sound of a guzheng rang out.
The 12 dancers on the stage slowly began to dance to the accompaniment of music.
At the railing of the second-floor platform, a large group of young men and women dressed in ancient costumes had gathered. They leaned against the railing and talked to each other in broken classical Chinese. One by one, waiters dressed in ancient costumes came out from the corner.
They came before the crowd, offering tea and water.
Their clothing and language were so perfectly executed that District Chief Guan and Shen Xingang felt as if they had truly traveled back to ancient times.
...
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