The bar was chosen by Cao Mingliang for the undercover agent, and it had naturally been investigated beforehand.
This bar typically opened at 8 PM and stayed open until 2 AM.
As it was still early, after Qin Tian parked the car, the group found a street food stall nearby and ordered a stewed tripe and offal hotpot, along with some grilled skewers to eat.
Since Qin Tian still had to drive, he drank soda, while Chen Zhuang and the other two had ice-cold beer.
"Speaking of which, this is the first time I've ever been to a bar, Brother. I didn't expect to come here to fight instead of for fun. What a shame!"
Chen Zhuang glanced at the bar, which was still closed nearby, and shook his head with a look of regret.
"It's my first time too."
Zhuang Zhe chimed in.
"No way, neither of you have been to a bar? What about you, Brother?"
Cao Mingliang asked with some surprise, his gaze falling on Qin Tian.
"It's pretty much my first time too!"
Qin Tian casually replied as he ate a beef skewer.
In his previous life, when he was working in the corporate world, he had indeed been to bars, but mostly to entertain clients.
"If you've been, you've been. What do you mean 'pretty much'?"
Cao Mingliang looked unconvinced.
Qin Tian merely smiled, offering no further explanation.
"Zhuang Ge, Ah Zhe, what do you say? Shall I call some pretty young girls to join us later? I'll arrange two for each of you, and I'll cover all the expenses tonight. If you hit it off and want to take them out, I'll even pay for the hotel rooms – a deluxe suite is arranged!"
Cao Mingliang suggested with a grin.
"No, no, no, I don't need that!"
Zhuang Zhe's face turned red as he repeatedly waved his hands in refusal.
Chen Zhuang was stunned for a moment, and after finally regaining his senses, he sternly said with a straight face, "What are you doing? Are you testing a cadre, huh? Are we here to play today? We're here to get serious business done!"
"Hahaha... Brother Zhuang, you look so prim and proper, you're even speaking in dialect."
Cao Mingliang pointed at him and burst into laughter.
"Ahem... Get lost!"
Chen Zhuang cursed with embarrassment, picked up a nearby beer bottle, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.
"Cao Thief, judging by your demeanor, you're an old player, aren't you!"
Qin Tian teased him with a smile.
"Not really an old player."
Cao Mingliang waved his hand with a smile and said, "My dad was very strict when I was younger, and I didn't dare to fool around. I only went in a few times with some childhood friends, had a drink with a few girls, and didn't do anything else."
"You didn't do anything? Are you sure?"
Chen Zhuang looked at him disbelievingly.
"Get lost, really, I was still a boy like you just over half a month ago!"
Cao Mingliang rolled his eyes at him indignantly.
"If that's the case, then Lü Yanran was your first woman?"
Chen Zhuang asked with surprise.
After taking a mouthful of wine, Cao Mingliang chuckled and said, "Yes, that's right. So, although I wasn't that smitten, I was indeed planning to have a serious relationship with her. As for what happens later, we'll just let it happen naturally. I didn't expect..."
At this point, Cao Mingliang's smile vanished, and his expression turned somewhat gloomy.
Seeing this, Qin Tian and the other two didn't press the matter further.
"Come, come, let's drink!"
Chen Zhuang raised his glass and called out.
...
...
It was past 8 PM, and the bar nearby had opened. The prominent colored lights blended with the various neon lights around, as if heralding the beginning of Jiangcheng's nightlife.
Just then, Cao Mingliang's phone, placed on the table next to them, suddenly pinged.
He picked up his phone and looked at the screen.
"Is that a message from the undercover agent?"
Chen Zhuang asked.
"Yes, they've already set off."
Cao Mingliang nodded.
"We've also eaten enough. Shall we go in?"
Chen Zhuang's face showed some anticipation; he was eager to see what the interior was like.
Cao Mingliang agreed and called the owner of the street stall to pay the bill.
Then, the four of them got up and headed towards the bar.
The bar had just opened, so there weren't many customers at this hour, but the music and lights were already on, creating an atmosphere.
Chen Zhuang and Zhuang Zhe looked around curiously, while Cao Mingliang spoke with the arriving service staff.
Qin Tian also surveyed the surroundings with interest.
The bar was quite large, with two floors. The first floor had a bar counter and a dance floor, while the area behind it featured more upscale booths, each with a small round table and accompanying sofas.
The second floor was an even more exclusive area, accessible only to VIPs who had recharged a certain amount of credit at the bar.
"So, how much do you need to recharge to become a VIP here?"
After listening to the service staff's explanation, Cao Mingliang directly inquired.
"Sir, we have several tiers of VIP membership. The basic one requires ten thousand yuan!"
The service staff replied with a smile.
"Then I'll recharge ten thousand yuan and take us to find a good spot on the second floor."
Cao Mingliang pointed to the second floor.
"Certainly, please follow me, gentlemen."
The service staff's smile became even more enthusiastic as they led the four upstairs.
There were no customers on the second floor yet. The group chose a location with the best view.
Cao Mingliang followed the service staff to the cashier to recharge and get a membership card.
"Cao Thief, why are you recharging so much and getting a card? We could have just found a spot on the first floor to wait."
Chen Zhuang said with a hint of complaint as Cao Mingliang walked back.
"It's your first time at a bar, you can't just wait around for that guy, can you?"
Cao Mingliang said with a smile.
"Even so, you didn't have to recharge. We could have just ordered a few bottles of wine."
"It's fine, if we don't spend it all, we can come again later. This money won't go to waste."
"Spending ten thousand yuan at once, I really can't understand you rich people."
Chen Zhuang shook his head and said nothing more.
Shortly after Cao Mingliang sat down, the service staff brought over the complimentary drinks and some snacks that came with the recharge, and discreetly asked if they needed any escorts.
After seeing all three refuse, Cao Mingliang said to the service staff.
"It's their first time here, they're a bit reserved. It's fine, I'll call you if we need anything!"
"Alright!"
The service staff smiled and nodded, then turned and left.
With the snacks on the table, the group continued to drink and chat.
Soon, the bar became increasingly crowded, and the atmosphere girls for the dance floor arrived. Their long, fair legs were so conspicuous under the lights, making Chen Zhuang and Zhuang Zhe, who were experiencing this for the first time, blush and their drinking speed gradually increase.
"Slow down, you two. The others haven't arrived yet, and you're already going to pass out here."
Qin Tian reminded them with a smile.
The two who had just raised their cups froze upon hearing this and sheepishly put down their glasses.
Chen Zhuang unscrewed a bottle of mineral water, drank half of it, and scratched his head, saying, "That's strange, why do I feel so thirsty?"
"Nothing strange about it, you're just thirsty!"
Cao Mingliang grinned and said.
"Get lost!"
Chen Zhuang glared at him.
At the same time, in a luxurious booth not far from them, a group of young men and women, dressed immaculately and fashionably, were drinking and chatting animatedly.
Among them, a young, beautiful girl with heavy eye makeup was lightly sipping a blue cocktail. Her sparkling eyes were keenly observing Qin Tian.