Chapter 164: Chapter 163: I Should Be Under the Table

I had to admit, the private dining in Yang City was definitely a cut above Peng City’s.

After all, he’d eaten at plenty of other high-end restaurants, so he had a good basis for comparison. This place was considered top-tier in Yang City, with a standard price of three thousand per person, drinks not included.

Yang City was the place to eat, after all.

The wine was a house-made lychee wine. They said it was infused with Maotai, and indeed, it had the distinct character of Maotai, but with a much fresher taste.

There were six people at the table: himself, Fang Yichun, Zhao Rong, Hou Chengjin, and two female streamers from Zhao Rong’s company.

Zhao Rong’s younger boyfriend was, unsurprisingly, once again out of the picture.

Lin Chu almost felt sorry for the guy. Living off a sugar mama was no easy meal. Of course, he did get to enjoy a late-night ’abalone’ snack when he got home.

"Brother Chu, let me introduce you. This is the number one streamer in our company, even bigger than I am. She’s also my protégé. Her nickname is Young Master Zhou, but her real name is Zhou He. She’s already up to twelve million followers."

Zhao Rong only began the introductions midway through the meal, after several rounds of drinks.

Introducing them at the start would have established a formal business tone. Doing it now felt more casual, more like an introduction between friends.

"Young Master Lin, let me toast you. Welcome to Yang City. I hope we can count on your support in the future."

Zhou He was a beauty with a chic short haircut, earning her the nickname "Young Master Zhou." Her makeup style was deliberately reminiscent of a young Zhou Xun—artistic and aloof. That wasn’t her vibe at the moment, however. Her eyes were crinkled with a smile, and she was dressed in a tube top and shorts, a combination that highlighted her slender frame and generous curves.

Lin Chu clinked glasses with her, smiling. "A big-name streamer, I see. What’s your niche? Huh. You’re a rare one that’s not already on my follow list."

She couldn’t help but laugh at his words. "I’m in outdoor travel and food. And, uh, I don’t normally dress like this; my style is usually more androgynous. What kind of streamers *are* on Brother Chu’s follow list, then?" Her question was clearly a playful jab.

After all, a top influencer like her was used to handling all kinds of situations and wouldn’t be too reserved.

Lin Chu gave a slight sniff and grinned. "Don’t tease me. That’s private. If I ever get in a car crash, the first thing I’m doing is crawling out, covered in blood, to clear my follow list."

"Please, have a seat," he said. "We should hang out sometime."

She nodded with a smile and took her seat again.

Zhao Rong then introduced the other one. She was also a major streamer with over nine million followers in the beauty niche, considered the epitome of the "pure desire" aesthetic. Her nickname was Ono Ryoko, and her real name was Wang Xiaoye.

She had a quintessential Y2K fashion sense—an evolved form of the "spicy girl" look. She wore a small pink jacket, a rainbow-colored hip-hugging skirt, and had long pink hair and Western-style makeup. Surprisingly, it all looked quite good on her, not at all trampy or garish. Instead, it perfectly expressed a youthful, vibrant, and playful energy.

Lin Chu clinked glasses with her as well, smiling. "Ah, you *are* on my follow list. You’ve really mastered the look. Very nice, very nice. A real bad girl."

And it was true.

After all, when it came to this aesthetic, she was one of those who struck a perfect balance. She had even released a few original Y2K-style singles that were actually quite popular.

Lin Chu just hadn’t realized she was signed with Zhao Rong’s company. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

"Oh, stop," she purred. "You’re terrible. I’m a good girl. At most... maybe just a tiny bit naughty."

She said this with a radiant smile, swaying her body slightly like a thorny rose in the wind. Clearly, she was not the reserved type.

"Fine, fine. ’A tiny bit naughty.’ I’ll send you a Big Rocket later."

Hearing this, Fang Yichun, who was sitting beside him, couldn’t help but pout. ’You’re going to send *her* a Big Rocket? That’s my money! One thousand yuan!’ The young woman was feeling aggrieved and unhappy.

Lin Chu caught her expression out of the corner of his eye but didn’t offer any words of comfort. Instead, he casually placed a piece of food on her plate with his chopsticks, then moved his foot closer to her left one and gently stepped on the top of her shoe.

She gave a slight start, realizing Lin Chu was playing games under the table, and gently nudged his foot back in return.

Acting nonchalant, Lin Chu slipped his foot out of his shoe and brushed it against her leg.

She felt the soft, warm touch and suddenly realized what was happening. With a tiny gasp, she lowered her head, her entire body going rigid as if she’d been petrified.

Lin Chu was playing footsie with the young woman.

Just then, Zhao Rong turned to Hou Chengjin, raising her glass with a smile. "Xiaocheng, here’s to you. For your short-form drama project, if you need any help from me, don’t hesitate to ask."

"Of course, if you could find a spot for these protégés of mine, I couldn’t ask for more. I’ll thank you on their behalf in advance. If it’s not a good fit, no worries, there’s always the future. Let’s all get rich together."

She hadn’t said this to Lin Chu; after all, they had just met. The priority had been making introductions.

When it came to the actual business, her relationship with Hou Chengjin was closer, making him the easier person to approach.

Hou Chengjin chuckled. "Of course. As it happens, I have a role that I think Xiaoye would be perfect for. She’s much better than the streamers at my own company. Hey girl, ever consider jumping ship? I’m poaching you right here in front of everyone!"

He was a veteran of these dinner negotiations, a boss with a sharp edge. He hadn’t agreed or refused, just deflected with a joke.

—Sure, you can have a role, but be prepared for the casting couch. Favors are one thing, but that’s just the rule of the game.

’This morning, he’d asked Sister Rong to invest, and she’d refused. Now she was asking for a favor? Fine, but there would definitely be a price to pay.’

Zhao Rong feigned a pout and slapped his arm playfully. "Go on then, poach her if you can. I’d be thrilled. I can’t afford to keep her anyway. Xiaoye, it’s time for you to get married off."

The two bosses were joking back and forth, and Xiaoye was just about to say something when...

"Ah!"

Fang Yichun suddenly let out a suppressed noise from her throat. She couldn’t take it anymore; Lin Chu’s teasing was about to make her cry. ’Just where does he think he’s putting that foot!’

After letting out the sound, she was on the verge of tears. She slumped onto the table and buried her face in her arms, wishing a hole would open up in the floor and swallow her. Her mind went completely blank.

’I’m done for. This is social suicide!’

"Oh, sorry, I stepped on your foot," Lin Chu said with a nonchalant smile, then added to the rest of the table, "Oops, our apologies. It’s nothing. Please, continue your conversation."

Fang Yichun, of course, heard him. Her embarrassment instantly lessened. At least he had given her an out so she wouldn’t be laughed at.

After composing herself for a dozen seconds, she reemerged from her arms, face bright red. "I-it’s fine."

She quickly glanced at the others out of the corner of her eye and saw that they were all deliberately looking away. She couldn’t help but look at Lin Chu again.

’Hmm, what a strange feeling.’

’It’s like I’m suddenly the second most important person at this table.’

At this moment, Lin Chu spoke up with a casual smile. "I’ll stick to what I said this morning, Ah Rong. Let’s get in on this project together. Vice President Hou here is so confident; you shouldn’t pour cold water on him. How about this: whatever you invest, I’ll invest double. If there’s money to be made, let’s all make it together."

Lin Chu had put her on the spot, bringing up the morning’s topic once again.

’If she agrees, that’s perfect. We’ll rope her in first and then take our time.’

’If she disagrees, that’s fine too. We’ll just see if her two star streamers have any ideas of their own.’

"That’s right, Sister Rong, come on! Have some faith in me, this is a guaranteed money-maker! If the ROI isn’t at least 50%, I’ll personally come to you on bended knee to apologize!"

With Lin Chu’s assist, Hou Chengjin pressed his case with an encouraging smile.

Zhao Rong’s smile never faltered, though a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. She took a deep breath. "The most I could squeeze out right now is about six million. What’s a sum like that going to accomplish? If I really invest it, I’ll have to start mooching off President Lin for meals."

In situations like this, playing poor was a woman’s prerogative.

Not caring whether she was advancing or retreating, Lin Chu went straight for the checkmate. He grinned, "Sounds good! You’re welcome anytime. So it’s settled. Forget mooching for meals, you can come over and mooch a place to sleep, too."

At his words, several people at the table let out polite laughs.

Fang Yichun’s eyes suddenly went wide.

She didn’t know if Lin Chu was just being a flirt, making a joke, or... if he was serious. ’Does he even want to hit on Sister Rong?’

’How could he be so shameless?’

’Is this what the world of adults is like?’

’Ah!’

’At a dinner party like this, maybe I belong under the table. What am I even doing sitting up here?’

’I really need to start using my brain!’

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