One, two, three, four, five, six. Lin Chu did a quick count. Including Li Kai and himself, that made seven in total.

A strange little tune popped into his head—*Calabash Brothers, Calabash Brothers, seven gourds on a single vine.*

He shook his head and chuckled.

As the seven "brothers" walked into the gym, Lin Chu suddenly felt that the empty space was finally filled with life.

"Let me introduce you guys again. This is Lin Chu, Brother Chu. He’s an expert when it comes to having a good time. I won’t say more—you’ll see for yourselves. When it comes to carrying himself, I’ve got nothing but respect for Brother Chu."

Li Kai made the introduction with a smile, careful not to mention things like ’he spent a million at the club last night.’ That would have been tacky.

There were employees around, after all.

Besides, he’d already told his buddies all about it on the way over.

For a guy, if another man is willing to spend that kind of money on you, you know it’s true "love."

What more needed to be said?

"Have a seat, everyone. My place just opened, so thanks for coming out to support me. Since you’re here, we’re all friends. Let’s hang out more in the future."

Lin Chu smiled and led them to the lounge area.

Tangtang casually strolled out from the workout area, took one look, and ducked back inside.

’So many people?’

After they sat down, Li Kai introduced the guys he’d brought. They were all buddies he messed around with every day, the kind of friends who had been through thick and thin together.

He was the core figure in their circle of wild outdoor enthusiasts.

Of course, they partied just as hard in the city.

Lin Chu passed around a round of cigarettes. He suddenly realized he was missing a tea table; he didn’t even have any tea prepared. Mainly because it didn’t fit the gym’s style.

’He glanced at the time. It was almost eleven, thankfully. We can chat for a bit, then head straight to lunch.’

"First, let me start a group chat. Add me. I was getting bored anyway. Let’s have a blast today, as a way to break the ice."

Lin Chu said with a smile. After adding everyone, he quickly created a new group chat and pulled them all in.

Group Name: Lin Chu and His Friends.

In the past, with Lu Ming, Liu Junfeng, and even Li Kai, Lin Chu and they had all called each other "brother."

But now, after the transformation of the past few days, Lin Chu didn’t call any of the guys Li Kai brought "brother." His form of address was much more casual.

’He felt as if he naturally carried a bit more of an imposing aura.’

He wouldn’t just casually call anyone "brother" anymore.

Unless it was a much closer friend, and even then, it would be out of courtesy.

Li Kai glanced at it and said with a laugh, "An inner circle group chat, huh? Heh, looks like I made the cut."

Compared to Lin Chu wanting to join his circle, Li Kai was even more eager to join Lin Chu’s.

"This place is really nice, Brother Chu. How do we sign up for a membership?"

A bald, tattooed man in a tank top sitting to Li Kai’s left immediately played the part of the hype man and asked.

Lin Chu glanced at him and waved a hand dismissively. "Let’s not talk about that today. First, we eat. Tonight, we drink. Tomorrow, if you’re free and feel like working out, then come on by."

Huh?

Hearing this, Li Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly. He was quite surprised.

The other guys were surprised too.

’They all mulled it over. This boss really had class.’

Li Kai chuckled. "Damn, are you seriously turning away business? What do you think we came here for? Look at the muscles on these guys—we’re all heavy gym users. It’s a necessity. Just get it done."

"Where did you guys work out before?"

Lin Chu asked casually.

Li Kai shot him a look. "Don’t worry about that! From now on, this is our spot."

Lin Chu shook his head with a smile and called out to the front desk, "Xiaodan, come on over! We’ve got customers. Time to get to work."

Cui Xiaodan had been waiting and immediately hurried over.

Li Kai was the first to get up. "One at a time. You guys sit and chat."

He then followed her to the front desk.

’Their relationship probably wasn’t as ironclad as his with Lu Ming and Liu Junfeng. They were all paying for themselves.’

Lin Chu noticed this as well. He smiled faintly and passed around another round of cigarettes.

"It’s about lunchtime. How about we head to Peng Bay No. 1 for a few drinks?" 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

He was a bit tired of Ensué. Besides, Tangtang was here. He’d definitely have to bring her to lunch, and among the seven "Calabash Brothers," she’d be the only girl. She would surely sit next to him, so it was best not to go and provoke Chen Jinyu.

’Time for a change of scenery.’

Peng Bay No. 1 was also a top-tier private kitchen restaurant, so the cost wouldn’t be much different.

Peng Bay No. 1?

The guys exchanged glances. Some were speechless, others just laughed.

They sensed his sheer magnanimity.

"Drinking at noon? Isn’t that a little too indulgent?"

"If we’re gonna drink, let’s drink. We’re already here."

"Didn’t you guys have a round last night?"

Lin Chu grinned. He glanced inside and saw that Tangtang was some distance away, so he lowered his voice. "You know it. We were at Sky City last night. It was a decent experience. We’re continuing tonight, all of us together."

The guys: ...

The speechlessness vanished instantly, replaced by wide smiles on all their faces.

’The boss is really something else.’

’What kind of divine life is this?’

’No wonder Brother Kai insisted on dragging them over to support the boss’s business.’

’But was this really about supporting his business?’

’This was clearly an admission ticket!’

’The boss couldn’t care less about their twenty thousand yuan; that wasn’t even enough for one of his meals.’

’The boss was just having fun.’

When Li Kai came back after getting his membership, the others all lined up to get theirs one by one.

Hearing the laughter from the workout area, Tangtang once again casually approached. She peeked over and saw no one she recognized, and presumably, no one who recognized her, so she walked over with a bright smile.

There were no seats left, so she placed a hand on Lin Chu’s back and greeted everyone with a smile. "Hi, everyone."

’Getting along with the boss’s friends was, of course, an essential skill for the "First Lady."’

’Even an unofficial one.’

"Hey, go back to your workout. Are you trying to be annoying? Did you have to come out here just to make your presence known?"

Lin Chu said irritably.

She froze for a second, not expecting Lin Chu to turn on her so suddenly.

Her lips immediately formed a pout, and her eyes looked a little hurt. "But I’m tired from my workout."

Lin Chu didn’t turn around, but his tone softened a little. "Be good. Go rest for a bit. We’ll have lunch together later."

"Oh. Okay, you guys talk then."

She then walked back toward the workout area.

The guys were all smiling as they watched this scene unfold, sensing a certain aura from him.

They hadn’t noticed it while they were chatting earlier.

But when he was scolding the woman, they suddenly felt it.

’The boss is really something else.’

’A girl that beautiful, and he had her trained to be so obedient.’

Once all six of them had their memberships, Lin Chu got up. "Let’s go. Peng Bay No. 1, for a few drinks. Feel free to call your girlfriends. Otherwise, you won’t have anyone to drive you home if you drink too much."

After sorting that out, he went to give Wang Lei instructions. "If your friend comes, just have him stay. The pay is definitely not an issue. Even if there are no customers, I’ll keep you guys on the payroll."

Wang Lei nodded with a smile.

He had truly seen the man’s power this morning.

With one casual move, the boss had landed him a commission of over twenty thousand yuan.

What more was there to say?

’He couldn’t get stuck in the traditional gym mindset. This place was more like a private fitness club.’

"Okay, I understand. Don’t worry, sir."

...

Calling Tangtang, they went down to the underground garage together. Lin Chu walked to his Lamborghini and got in.

Tangtang hesitated for a moment before hurrying to the passenger side. Any trace of her earlier hurt instantly vanished, replaced by a radiant, flower-like smile.

’He...’

’He’s so low-key!’

’A limited-edition Lamborghini, and he hasn’t even posted a single thing about it online!’

When Li Kai and his friends saw the car, they exchanged envious glances. That car was gorgeous—a man’s dream ride. They didn’t say much, however, and just got into their own cars.

Lin Chu sent the location in the group chat, and the grand procession headed for Peng Bay No. 1.

Inside the car.

Tangtang buckled her seatbelt, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Lin Chu’s side profile.

"Are you going to be drinking later?"

Lin Chu nodded. "Yeah. But you’re not allowed to."

She gave him a smile like she was being doted on. "So after you drink, will you need to take a nap?"

Hmm?

Lin Chu glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

She smiled slyly. "Should I book a room nearby, then?"

...

...