Chapter 5: Taking the Beauty to the Hotel

Lin Fan was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting his sister to understand him so well. It was, in fact, his own slip two years ago: he had arranged a bodyguard for her, one of his brothers from Dragon Soul. With the seamless expansion of Shocking Sky Group’s overseas business, left behind by their father, Lin Yan had already deduced with her intelligence that Lin Fan was secretly driving the company’s growth.

“Be careful. T City is quite close to the capital; if you make too much noise, those upstairs will definitely know you’ve returned,” Lin Yan reminded him as she left the house.

Hearing this, Lin Fan realized his sister had probably guessed what he was up to—though that was just as well. Sooner or later, she would learn about his affairs.

After dinner, Lin Fan took a bath and lay down for a restful sleep. Around nine in the evening, he changed into casual clothes and drove out in a Toyota—not an expensive car, barely costing a couple hundred thousand, prepared for him by his sister for convenience.

He first stopped by the hospital to check on Feifei and her mother, then headed to the “Never Set” bar, the very one Lin Yan had mentioned at noon.

Business was booming; the place was nearly packed. Deafening music thundered through the bar, men and women twisting wildly under the dazzling lights. Lin Fan made his way to the bar, ordered a beer, and surveyed the crowd. He wasn’t expecting to spot Hong Tianxiong, the leader of the Soul Reaping Gang; he was here purely on a whim, hoping for a stroke of luck.

As it turned out, luck favored him. Not long after, several well-dressed middle-aged men entered and headed straight upstairs. Lin Fan immediately recognized one as Japanese.

“Handsome, first time here?” As Lin Fan was about to find a chance to go upstairs, a beautiful bartender flirted with him, offering him a drink and leaning forward suggestively, her ample chest trembling slightly.

Bartenders in such places knew all sorts of people. With that in mind, Lin Fan gave her a crooked, mischievous smile. “Who just went upstairs?” he asked.

“You don’t know Brother Xiong? He’s the big boss here. No one on this street doesn’t know him, though he rarely comes by. Seems he’s entertaining some guests these days,” she replied, clearly unafraid to mention Hong Tianxiong—the Soul Reaping Gang leader.

Confirming that the man upstairs was indeed the gang boss, Lin Fan’s smile deepened. He slipped five hundred-yuan bills into the bartender’s cleavage and said, “That’s for the drinks.”

The bartender hadn’t expected such a generous tip from a brief exchange. The man before her was at least a rich young heir; if she could win him over, her future might take a turn for the better.

Lin Fan, unaware of her thoughts, was considering the connection between the Japanese man and Hong Tianxiong. Glancing at the time, he was about to leave when a woman, stumbling and unsteady, sat beside him and leaned against him.

Lin Fan quickly steadied her, squinting under the lights to see her face more clearly.

She was beautiful, wearing light makeup, around twenty-three or twenty-four. Though drunk, her gaze remained cold and even sharp, so chill that few dared approach. Yet there was a faint sadness in her eyes—if not for that, men would surely have flocked to her side.

She wore casual clothes and white leather boots, everything quite ordinary, yet on her, it exuded an unparalleled freshness. Such women were rare now, Lin Fan mused to himself.

Most striking was her full, prominent chest, threatening to burst from her clothes—a devilish figure, perfectly proportioned, with the subtle sorrow and resentment in her expression enhancing her allure. Such a woman easily stirred a man’s desire; Lin Fan felt his heart quicken.

She held a glass of vodka—judging by her state, she’d had quite a bit.

Drunken women were common in bars, but few dared drink such strong spirits—over seventy percent alcohol, even most men wouldn’t touch it.

Her eyes swept over Lin Fan, a hint of flirtation flickering in them. “Handsome, dare to drink with me?” she asked.

Before Lin Fan could respond, a fairly attractive man approached, smiling at her. “Miss, may I buy you a drink?”

Knowing his chance was slipping away, the man tried to seize the moment, unwilling to let Lin Fan win her over.

“Get lost. I’m not interested. You just want to get a room with me, sleep with me. Men are all the same,” she snapped, her sudden shift startling Lin Fan and sending the other man away in disgrace.

The man’s face darkened. He shrugged, shook his head, and left with his drink, not lingering.

“Another bottle!” Lin Fan, about to leave, smiled and waved at the bartender. But the woman shook her head, preparing to finish the rest of her drink in one go. Lin Fan snatched it away first, downing it himself.

“Two bottles!” The woman, surprised by his action, burst out laughing and shouted for more.

Lin Fan smiled helplessly, handing the bartender more bills. The bartender, seeing her chances with Lin Fan vanish, wasn’t disappointed—after all, the woman beside him was breathtaking.

Lin Fan poured half a glass for her, but she blushed and demanded it filled to the brim. With no choice, he complied. They clinked glasses, and she threw back the drink in one motion, leaving Lin Fan amazed. “Women these days are something else,” he thought.

“Miss, that’s not how you drink—no wonder you get drunk,” Lin Fan commented, resigning himself to finishing his own glass.

“I want to be drunk. Only when I’m drunk can I escape. Why is it men can cheat, but women can’t…” she said, her seductive lips exhaling a boozy scent, gradually slumping into Lin Fan’s arms as she spoke.

“Well, looks like nothing will get done tonight,” Lin Fan thought, smiling wryly as he helped her out of the bar, drawing envious glances.

It was late; the night wind blew, revealing the scar on Lin Fan’s forehead now and then. The woman seemed cold and hugged him tightly, breathing in his masculine scent with evident pleasure. But Lin Fan felt troubled—taking such a beauty home would certainly provoke his sister’s suspicions. After weighing his options, he finally helped her into an Audi and drove her to a nearby hotel, booking a suite for the night.