When heading to the bar to settle the bill, Qin Chuan was astonished to discover that the evening's expenses totaled a staggering twelve thousand US dollars, which converted to over eighty thousand Chinese Yuan.
"Damn it, these guys really live extravagantly," he muttered, but Qin Chuan quickly regained his composure. Karl and his companions were undoubtedly figures at the pinnacle of society. While not the absolute wealthiest, they certainly belonged to the ranks of the affluent. Spending one to two thousand US dollars in a single night was entirely within reason.
After paying the bill, Qin Chuan exchanged a brief greeting with Yao Dong and his three companions nearby and then hurried upstairs. The moment he pushed open the private room door, his eyes fell upon Fang Rumei, seated on the sofa, surrounded by several foreigners. Each held a glass of wine, and some were making unwelcome advances, touching Fang Rumei's body. One man even held his wine glass to Fang Rumei's lips, and despite her persistent headshakes of refusal, he forcibly poured the wine down her throat, his face displaying an unmistakable lechery.
Qin Chuan strode over and shoved the man who was forcing Fang Rumei to drink. He saw that Fang Rumei was indeed very drunk, her face flushed red and her eyes hazy with intoxication, though fortunately, she still retained some consciousness.
"Qin... Qin Chuan, get me out of here quickly!"
Fang Rumei, relying on her last vestiges of awareness, recognized Qin Chuan and immediately leaned into him, tightly gripping his arm and speaking with urgency.
Qin Chuan grunted an assent and looked around. He noticed Karl sitting on the other side, bothering Alisha with a subservient, fawning demeanor. Alisha, however, remained impassive, sitting with her arms crossed like a goddess, her face radiating arrogance.
"Mr. Karl!" Qin Chuan called out.
Karl, who had been bothering Alisha, turned his head upon hearing his name. Seeing that it was Qin Chuan, he frowned and irritably asked, "Why are you calling me?" Whether it was due to being rejected by his goddess or because this was his true nature, his attitude was incredibly cold, a stark contrast to his earlier warmth.
"Mr. Karl, my girlfriend is quite drunk. We'll be taking our leave now!" Qin Chuan stated.
Karl seemed to finally notice Fang Rumei leaning against Qin Chuan. As he observed Fang Rumei's alluring and charming appearance in her drunken state, a glint of greed flickered in the depths of his eyes. This woman from China was truly exceptional, stirring his desires. Since he couldn't have the goddess he admired for now, why not shift his target tonight and have a taste of this beautiful woman from China? Truthfully, he had been with many women, but never one from China...
"Karl, it's getting late, and I should be going too!" Just as Karl's lecherous thoughts were surfacing, Alisha stood up and said.
Seeing his goddess about to leave, Karl's already sour mood worsened. He strode towards Qin Chuan, his voice rising. "Mr. Qin, what's the rush!" "She's merely drunk, who hasn't gotten drunk while out having fun!" "There are plenty of places to stay here. Just relax and drink; I'll arrange a place for you to sleep tonight!" As he spoke, Karl covertly signaled to the people around him while Qin Chuan wasn't paying attention. They were a pack of wolves in sheep's clothing, accustomed to such gatherings, and Karl's signal was quickly understood.
The men around them began to condemn Qin Chuan's actions as impolite and condescending. It was still early, and everyone else hadn't had their fill of fun, so why was he proposing to leave? Some even escalated the matter, questioning Qin Chuan if he looked down on them. The attitude of these individuals had plummeted from their initial warmth at the start of the birthday party, replaced by nothing but mockery and teasing.
Qin Chuan sensed the underlying danger, but he suppressed his anger and continued to humble himself. "Everyone, it's not that I want to leave, but my girlfriend is truly too drunk. I'm worried she'll make a fool of herself and then hinder everyone later." "Rest assured, I've already paid for all the expenses tonight!" "Please, feel free to enjoy yourselves here."
Upon hearing that Qin Chuan had settled all the bills, the group paused. They had a rough idea of how much had been spent that evening, and it was certainly no small sum. This man from China seemed quite adept at handling things. For a moment, some instinctively looked at Karl, considering whether to let it go. Karl himself was slightly taken aback, but compared to the tempting Fang Rumei, he truly didn't care about that amount of money.
"Mr. Qin, if you leave now, you're truly looking down on me, Karl, and not considering me a friend." Karl feigned a serious expression. "You're quite capable of handling things, and I admire that!" "Since you've gone to such lengths, I, Karl, am not a stingy person. I must ensure you are well taken care of!" "Put your girlfriend down first, and let's have a good drink, the two of us!" "From now on, we'll be friends!"
Hearing Karl's words, Qin Chuan's brow furrowed. His keen intuition told him that Karl was not as amiable as he appeared and had ulterior motives. However, Karl's words were so beautifully spoken that Qin Chuan found it difficult to find any fault, leaving him momentarily hesitant.
"What, Mr. Qin, you don't want to be friends with me?" Karl frowned, seeing Qin Chuan standing there motionlessly.
Considering this was indeed a good opportunity to strengthen his relationship with Karl, Qin Chuan gritted his teeth and nodded. "Alright, since Mr. Karl has put it this way, I'll risk my life to accompany a gentleman!" As he spoke, Qin Chuan reached into his pocket for his phone, intending to call Yao Dong downstairs and ask Guo Zixian to come up and look after the drunk Fang Rumei.
Unexpectedly, the moment he took out his phone, Karl grabbed his arm. "Mr. Qin, what are you doing?"
"I'm calling my friend to come up and take care of my girlfriend," Qin Chuan replied.
"Mr. Qin, how little do you trust us? With so many of us here, can't we even look after your girlfriend!" Karl exclaimed, clearly displeased. Then, as if struck by an idea, he picked up a half-empty bottle of XO from the table and offered it to Qin Chuan. "Mr. Qin, since you're so wary of us, how about this: if you finish all the alcohol in this bottle in one go, you can take your girlfriend and leave!"
Qin Chuan's brow furrowed deeply. The bottle still contained more than half its contents. Downing it all in one gulp would truly make him drunk as a dog. Moreover, XO was a high-proof liquor, and drinking it this way would be a severe strain on his body.
"Karl, that's enough. Qin Chuan has already behaved commendably tonight. You don't need to treat him like this." Alisha, who had been watching everything with a cold detachment, finally couldn't stand it and stepped forward, saying icily.
Karl turned his head, his eyes burning with jealousy beneath his thick glasses. The goddess he admired had ignored him all evening, yet she had been warm and engaging with this lowly yellow-skinned monkey. This made him feel deeply resentful, and with Alisha now speaking up for Qin Chuan, he had reached his limit, consumed by frenzied jealousy...