Chapter 3, A Sense of Familiarity

Ruan Tingjian's face was as沉如水, ignoring the subtle praises and criticisms from his friends, he downed the wine in his cup in one go

Ruan Tingjian coldly curled his lips, "How amusing. However... I don't mind, they volunteer to contribute, I have not lost anything..."

Mei Shi shook her head repeatedly, no wonder Dai Chenchen always complained that her husband was not chosen well, it was indeed too attention-grabbing and hard to manage. Tang Lingtao's gaze swept over without warning, his eyes sparkling; she had no time to conceal her lament, and was horrified to feel that Tang Lingtao must have seen through her thoughts.

Mei Shiyue became increasingly angry, saying, "Your bar has poor security, allowing a thief to steal my brother's wallet. We are not asking for compensation from you, yet you still bully my brother!" As she spoke, she stepped forward and forcefully pushed the manager, sending him crashing to the ground, which knocked over the vase on the empty table. The sound of the vase breaking further emphasized the tremendous force behind Mei Shi's actions.

A commotion interrupted his words; in a corner of the bar stood a few people, among them a girl in sportswear who was loudly cursing at someone. Xi Chenghao glanced over a few times; although the girl was quite attractive, she was simply too fierce, so he lost interest and withdrew his gaze. "It's getting late, let's go," he said. As he stood up, he noticed that Ruan Tingjian was staring intently at the noisy corner, as if carefully listening to the argument.

Tang Lingtao smiled faintly and gave a slight acknowledgment

Mei Shi always felt an indescribable fear towards him, as if he could smile while devouring people without leaving a trace. Today, she had no choice but to seek him out; usually, whenever Dai Chenchen mentioned that Tang Lingtao was coming, everyone would flee at the first opportunity. "Oh, oh." Mei Shi mechanically nodded her head, appearing somewhat submissive. Tang Lingtao graciously held the door open for her, and she instinctively shrugged her shoulders as she walked in.

Tang Lingtao smiled and shook his head, Chenchen's friend... He could not afford to neglect him

Ruan Tingjian squinted his eyes, took a sip of the freshly poured wine, and lazily hummed a sound, "It's a bit, but it's alright. At worst, I can just relearn the rules of this business circle."

Xi Chenghao laughed unabashedly again, yet still exuded a strong aristocratic aura, "Aruan, during your time back in the country, your vocabulary has remarkably increased; I have high hopes for you"

Ruan Tingjian cast a cold glance at him and said, "What exactly do you want to say?"

Xi Chenghao nodded with a smile, then sighed, "Perhaps... it cannot all be according to your thoughts."

A young man walked out of the office area in the bar, smiling as he looked at Mei Shi, who was making a scene. He exaggeratedly posed as if to avoid trouble by sticking to the wall as he passed her, and approached Tang Lingtao, respectfully calling out, "Brother Tao." He offered a cigarette and lit it for him with both hands. "Why did you have to get involved in this little matter? A phone call would have sufficed."

Mei Yi could no longer bear to watch and stepped forward to embrace her sister, putting an end to her violent actions

"Wait a moment." Ruan Tingjian squinted his eyes with certainty; he recognized that voice. Although she was dressed in sportswear and appeared like a high school girl, there was no doubt about it—she was the crazy woman who had splashed him with milk tea at the airport

Aruan? Xi Chenghao found it strange. Having known Ruan Tingjian for several years, he had a profound understanding of his lack of humanity. Why was he suddenly interested in the small dispute at the bar today?

Tang Lingtao merely smiled, while Mei Shi was still there loudly reprimanding the manager who was filled with pent-up anger. He Lin shook his head, pretending to be horrified: "If your sister-in-law's friend is like this, then what about your sister-in-law..." He glanced at Tang Lingtao and nervously asked, "Does your sister-in-law also hit you and scold you like this?"

Mei Shi had almost finished scolding, pulled out a wad of cash from the pocket of his sportswear, slapped it on the table, and said loudly: "Let's be clear, what needs to be compensated should be compensated!" After saying this with a certain bravado, he couldn't help but add a sarcastic remark, "Unlike you all, your words are like farting!" The manager's face turned ashen, and he glared at He Lin in anger. He Lin nodded, and only then did the manager pick up the money and walk into the bar without looking back. "Unlike you all, your words are like farting!" The manager's face turned ashen, and he glared at He Lin in anger. He Lin nodded, and only then did the manager pick up the money and walk into the bar without looking back. He Lin found it quite amusing, watching Mei Shi lead his younger brother by the hand, as if comforting a child, pulling along his brother who was a head taller than him. Just as they reached the door, he suddenly remembered something, turned back and timidly glanced at Tang Lingtao, the earlier imposing demeanor completely gone, and awkwardly smiled, saying: "Thank you."

In the coolness of the early morning, once again heading to the bustling and vibrant place of the bar, Mei Shi deliberately put on a snug-fitting sweatshirt and loosely tied her hair into a ponytail. There were few vehicles on the road, and the time taken to speed to the bar street was only one-fifth of the usual. Under the flickering neon lights, Mei Shi searched for the bar that had detained Mei Yi, and the sign was very conspicuous, making it quite easy to find. She thought she was quick enough, but unexpectedly, Tang Lingtao, Dai Chencheng's husband, appeared to have been there for a long time, lazily smoking at the entrance, showing no signs of fatigue from being woken up in the middle of the night. Drunken girls stumbled out of the bar, and none could resist stealing a few glances at him. As Mei Shi walked the short distance towards him, she saw no less than three girls leaning against his arm, flirtatiously saying, "Come on, handsome, let's go have some fun." Drunken girls stumbled out of the bar, and none could resist stealing a few glances at him. As Mei Shi walked the short distance towards him, she saw no less than three girls leaning against his arm, flirtatiously saying, "Come on, handsome, let's go have some fun."

He Lin smacked his lips and asked Tang Lingtao, "Is this really a friend of your sister-in-law?"

The bar manager glanced at Tang Lingtao behind her, remaining silent. The fierce demeanor she had when calling Mei Shi completely vanished, and she could only grit her teeth and endure Mei Shi's scolding.

Whose girl is this? Quite interesting, isn't she?" He Lin asked with a smile

Ruan Tingjian scoffed, "I have never been someone who shies away from difficulties, nor am I what is referred to as a 'discontented youth.' I am merely a businessman"

Ruan Tingjian looked at him, clearly unconvinced

Sitting next to him, Xi Chenghao turned his face to glance at him, the corners of his mouth curling into a teasing arc, "Feeling quite impacted?"

Mei Shi's acts of violence have escalated to another level, as he kicked the manager, who had a face full of determination, a few more times, angrily saying: "I told you to hit Xiao Yi, I told you to hit Xiao Yi! If you want money, I can give you money; if you want face, I have found a person of status for you. What more do you want? Why are you still resorting to violence?"

He Lin chuckled softly, seeing Mei Shi unwilling to be pulled away by her brother, still planning to rush forward to continue the fight. "Is that enough?" This question was directed at Tang Lingtao. If it weren't for this young lady persuading this great deity, would it have been her turn to stretch her arms and kick her legs today? She and her brother would have been taught a lesson to the point that their parents wouldn't recognize them.

Xi Chenghao's smile deepened, and he finally couldn't help but chuckle, "Doing business with you is truly delightful"

Xi Chenghao was quite surprised that he would ask this, but after thinking seriously for a moment, he said: "It seems so"

Tang Lingtao glanced at him, and He Lin truly felt a chill run down his spine, timidly falling silent

In the bar, Ruan Tingjian set down his empty glass and signaled the bartender for another drink

On the way to the parking lot, Ruan Tingjian suddenly asked Xi Chenghao: "Is 'Old Oil Mei' a nickname for the former General Manager Mei Guohua?"

Mei Shi was furious at this moment, for she saw the bruises on her precious younger brother's face. "Did I not tell you, name a price no matter how much it is, you absolutely cannot hit my brother?!"

The manager was suffering greatly from being kicked by Mei, filled with anger, and he shouted at He Lin, "Brother Lin!" It was clear he was about to lose his temper.

I thought you would at least say a bunch of cynical remarks, or even stubbornly declare that you would throw your hands up and return to the United States

Xi Chenghao swirled his wine glass, his expression becoming somewhat serious. "You have indeed spent too long abroad, and you are not sufficiently familiar with the thoughts and actions of many compatriots. They... especially those influential and seasoned figures in the business world you have chosen, still firmly believe in the concept of 'marriage alliances.' Even if you offer very generous conditions, these declining old merchants, who are already struggling to survive, still hope that you will become their son-in-law or nephew-in-law, as that would enable them to genuinely exert effort on your behalf.

Tang Lingtao also smiled and waved at her

Tang Lingtao stood at the door with a smile, indifferent to the harassment of the drunken girl and Mei Shi's sighs of disapproval. He calmly discarded his cigarette butt and politely greeted Mei Shi, saying: "Come on, let's go"

"From the Mei family of Laoyou." Tang Lingtao casually remarked as Ruan Tingjian brushed past him