Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Well, Well, Well, So Everyone Has a Side Hustle, Huh?

Lin Chu called Liu Junfeng and got straight to the point: "Sky City tonight."

Liu Junfeng was surprised to hear this. "Huh? You’re here too? Did you see me? I’m here for someone else’s get-together tonight, just tagging along."

Lin Chu had been about to tease him, but after hearing the explanation, he decided against it.

It was an unwritten rule: you don’t bring your own guests when you’re invited out.

Since someone else had invited him, of course he wouldn’t bring anyone along.

"I’m heading over now. Feel free to swing by for a drink later if you want."

Just before hanging up, Lin Chu asked, "Is Li Kai with you?"

He wasn’t sure if they were all at the same party.

Liu Junfeng laughed. "Nope, I’m with a different circle of friends tonight."

Lin Chu replied, "Alright, talk to you later then. Hanging up."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait a second. Since when did you and Li Kai get so chummy?"

Liu Junfeng added, his tone teasing.

Lin Chu laughed. "So you’re allowed to hang out with other groups, but I’m not allowed to get friendly with Li Kai? He’s the one who added me. We just met."

"Heh, you sound a little jealous. It’s giving off some serious gay vibes, you’re awful! Hanging up, hanging up, see you in a bit."

Liu Junfeng hung up, laughing playfully.

Lin Chu couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.

’Knowing who to hang out with and who to avoid seems to be an essential skill for navigating social circles,’ he mused.

It’s a thing among men, too.

’A friend of a friend is, at best, a third of a friend to me.’

But once you talked it out, everything was fine.

Lin Chu then sent a message to Li Kai: "Sky City tonight. My treat. Come have a drink if you’re free."

He wasn’t sure what Li Kai was up to, so sending a message was the safest option.

’What if he was at home having dinner with his wife?’

Li Kai replied instantly: "Hell yeah! That’s Brother Chu for you. I’m on my way, I was getting bored anyway. What room number?"

Lin Chu: "We’re still on the way. I’ll text you when we get there."

After ending the chat, a strange phrase suddenly popped into Lin Chu’s head—a pack of scoundrels.

’All these friends I’m making are just for eating, drinking, and having fun. Bars, nightclubs... it seems like not a single one of them is a respectable person.’

’This is ridiculous.’

Still...

’It’s not like there’s anything else to do.’

’Whatever, no point in overthinking it. For me, this isn’t spending money, it’s making money anyway.’

’Even Lord Mengchang’s retainers, who could only crow like roosters and sneak like dogs, proved useful in a pinch.’

Besides, this was Peng City.

A city where you couldn’t make friends if you didn’t drink.

...

This was truly Lin Chu’s first time at Sky City.

He had been here before, but only as a driver. After dropping off his manager and a client, he’d waited in the car in the parking lot, smoking for hours.

As insignificant as a lowly goon.

Not "as insignificant as."

He just was one.

Back then, he had wondered: ’How beautiful are the girls inside? How wild are their parties? How much money do they spend on drinks in one night? What kind of huge deal could they possibly close?’

Of course, those were just idle thoughts.

Now, thinking back on it, a smile touched Lin Chu’s lips.

"Welcome, honored guest."

The pleasant greeting pulled Lin Chu back to reality. A kaleidoscope of brilliant colors filled his vision. This Business KTV wasn’t decorated in the typical gaudy, gilded style; instead, it had a strong science-fiction aesthetic.

This was the club’s signature style.

Sky City.

Lin Chu nudged Zhang Peng’s arm, and Zhang Peng immediately stepped forward. "A private room, for about five people."

"Of course, sir. Please follow me."

A waitress in a silver cheongsam led the three of them to an elevator. When they arrived at their floor, the decor made it look like the inside of a space capsule, with numerous cyberpunk elements scattered about.

Tsk.

’This kind of atmosphere probably encourages people to spend more,’ he thought.

The women coming and going wore a wide variety of outfits: silver, black, classical, modern, cosplay, cheerleader... every style imaginable.

"Good evening, honored guest!"

"Hello, sir!"

"Hello, boss!"

"Good evening, President!"

Amidst the chorus of sweet greetings, Lin Chu started to feel his ego inflate a little.

A large part of the pleasure men get from coming to places like this is psychological. You can’t really do much in the private rooms; at most, you get some company for drinks and maybe a hand on a thigh.

But that feeling of being doted on, of having a stunningly beautiful woman hang on your every word and cater to your every need—that truly hits the spot. It’s a pleasure fit for an emperor.

Lin Chu and his two companions were led to private room 666.

Each of them was handed a tablet.

They had custom-built an interface that resembled a short-video app. You could make your selections directly on the screen, and they had even assigned each girl her own background music and costume style.

For example, one that Lin Chu swiped to was dressed in Gold armor—a revealing version of Athena’s, to be precise.

He swiped down. The next one was in a historical costume. ’Is this... the Queen of the Kingdom of Women?’

Before he knew it...

Lin Chu was swiping through them one by one.

’Truly... what a genius idea.’

’So creative.’

The interface was designed to look just like TikTok; if you wanted to select a girl, you just had to tap the little red heart.

’This is truly... a perfect fusion of online and offline experiences.’

"This is pretty interesting..."

Zhang Peng said with a smile. It was his first time here too, and he was getting a thrill out of it.

Lin Chu nodded. Just as he was about to say something, he swiped to the next profile, and his eyes suddenly widened.

Huh?

Fan Wanjun?

Lin Chu’s eyes lit up, a look of disbelief on his face.

’I can’t believe I’m seeing someone I know!’

She was wearing exquisite makeup, and her outfit was a world away from her usual work attire. At the office, she was as conservative as they come, but right now, she was in a black leather getup reminiscent of an anime investigator, her long hair flowing down her back, looking wild and sexy.

She was a salesperson at his company and had even been the top seller once.

At the office, she maintained a very prim and proper persona—the type to get upset if a coworker even made a slightly off-color joke.

Of course, it went without saying that she was beautiful.

With only a vocational college degree, she had been hired at least eighty percent on her looks.

Lin Chu never expected that she had this kind of side hustle, working a part-time job here after her day shift.

’She’s a real hustler,’ he thought.

He immediately tapped the little red heart for her.

Each person could only pick five girls. After they made their selections, more than a dozen young women soon filed into the room.

Lin Chu scanned the lineup and, sure enough, he spotted Fan Wanjun among them.

Her outfit and makeup were identical to her profile video.

Lin Chu looked at her with a knowing smirk.

She froze, stunned. She instinctively covered her face and turned to leave, but after a moment’s hesitation, she thought of the club’s rules and forced herself to stop.

She straightened up again, a slightly stiff smile appearing on her face.

Inside, however, she was thinking, ’Tonight is going to be a disaster.’

But then she remembered the recent office rumors about Lin Chu striking it rich. Gritting her teeth, she pushed her chest out even further, making its peaks seem all the more majestic.

’Bring it on!’ she thought.

’You just want to play some thrilling games, don’t you?’

Lin Chu beckoned to her.

She took a deep breath and, teetering on her high heels over her black stockings, swayed over to him. "Good evening, boss."

"Sit."

Lin Chu patted the sofa next to him.

...

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