It wasn't a violent kick to the door, but a smooth, polite push. The force was perfectly controlled, and the door panel hit the magnetic stopper on the wall with a dull thud.
This sudden movement caused the tense atmosphere in the private room to freeze instantly.
Zhu Dahai instinctively turned back, the curses already on the tip of his tongue.
"Which blind idiot..."
Before he could finish, his voice cut off abruptly as he saw two people standing at the door.
The one in front wore a casual shirt and gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined with a gentle smile on his face.
The one behind was a burly man like a black bear spirit, with a fleshy face and fierce eyes, wiping lipstick stains from the corner of his mouth with a tissue.
"Oh, Boss Zhu, quite the display of power you've got here."
Fang Ming walked in slowly with one hand in his pocket. His steps weren't large, but each one seemed to step right on Zhu Dahai's heart.
His gaze swept over the fat hand clutching Gu Qinghe's wrist. There was no anger in Fang Ming's eyes, only the scrutiny of a superior looking at a subordinate.
"I could hear you shouting and screaming from two corridors away. What? Do you think the Qin Family's business is too easy to handle and you want to switch careers to become a mountain bandit king?"
The moment Zhu Dahai saw Fang Ming, his greasy face instantly changed color.
The change in expression—from anger to terror, then to extreme sycophancy—took less than 0.5 seconds.
This was the favorite of Young Master Qin, Special Assistant Fang, Fang Ming!
The Qin Corporation was currently at its peak, and Zhu Dahai's Tiansheng Building Materials relied on the scraps of sand and stone business leaked from the Qin Family's fingers to survive.
If he offended Fang Ming, he'd be left out in the cold by tomorrow.
"Oh, Master Fang!"
Zhu Dahai let go of Gu Qinghe's hand as if he'd been electrocuted. A nauseating smile instantly plastered his face, and his already small eyes crinkled into slits as he trotted over obsequiously.
"What wind blew you here? This is... this truly brings light to my humble abode!"
"Come, come, Master Fang, please sit, take the seat of honor. Waiter, open the best wine!"
"No need!"
Fang Ming waved his hand and didn't sit down.
He just stood there quietly, his gaze passing over Zhu Dahai and landing on Gu Qinghe behind him.
Tsk, what a mess.
Her hair was a bit disheveled, red marks were squeezed onto her wrists, her face was flushed, and her body was still swaying slightly.
"I heard you were up here. I just happened to be passing by, so I came to take a look."
Fang Ming's tone was flat. He withdrew his gaze, looked back at Zhu Dahai, and reached out to adjust his slightly crooked tie.
The movement was light, but it scared Zhu Dahai so much that his whole body stiffened, not even daring to breathe.
"Old Zhu, business has been good lately, hasn't it? You even have the leisure to bully a girl here?"
"Master Fang, you're joking. It's a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding!"
Cold sweat dripped down Zhu Dahai's oily cheeks. He quickly explained, "This is just a normal business negotiation. We're just... exchanging some sentiment. No bullying, absolutely no bullying!"
"Is that so?"
Fang Ming pushed up his glasses. "But why does it look to me like this lady is a bit unwilling?"
"This..." Zhu Dahai was speechless.
Fang Ming stopped teasing him and pointed at Gu Qinghe. "I know this girl. Give me some face and don't make things difficult for her, alright?"
As soon as he said this, the room fell dead silent. Zhu Dahai's eyes nearly popped out.
An... acquaintance? Master Fang's acquaintance?
He looked at Gu Qinghe, then at Fang Ming, cursing the ancestors of the middleman who introduced this business to him eighteen times over.
Damn it, if this woman had such a powerful backer, why didn't you say so earlier?!
If you'd said she was Master Fang's person, I wouldn't have dared to make her drink even if I had ten times the courage!
"Yes, yes, yes! Of course!"
While wiping his sweat, Zhu Dahai nodded frantically, his waist almost bent to the ground.
"Master Fang, you're being too kind, you're killing me. Since she's Master Fang's friend, she's my friend. No, she's my Great-Aunt!"
After saying that, he turned and rushed back to the coffee table, grabbed a pen, and without even looking at the contract terms, scribbled his name and stamped it with his personal seal.
"Manager Gu, a misunderstanding, it was all a misunderstanding just now!"
Zhu Dahai held the contract with both hands, presenting it to Gu Qinghe like an imperial decree, his attitude humble to the extreme.
"I've signed the contract. The price will be as you said, no need to lower it! If there's any more business in the future, just say the word, and I, Old Zhu, will have no objections!"
Gu Qinghe was completely dazed, holding the contract stained with Zhu Dahai's hand sweat, feeling like she was in a dream.
What... what was going on?
Just a minute ago, she was facing humiliation, or even worse. Her hand had almost reached for a beer bottle.
Unexpectedly, this man suddenly appeared, and with just a few words, the arrogant Zhu Dahai had turned into this groveling grandson?
She looked up at Fang Ming.
The man stood in the shadows of the lights, a faint, nonchalant smile on his face, as if he had just casually swatted a fly.
"Master Fang???" Gu Qinghe's lips moved, wanting to say thank you, but she realized she didn't even know him!
Fang Ming didn't give her a chance to speak.
"Alright, Old Zhu, as long as the contract is signed."
Fang Ming patted Zhu Dahai's shoulder with moderate force. "Keep your eyes open in the future. Don't go touching just anyone."
"I understand, I understand. Master Fang is right to lecture me!"
"We're leaving. You guys carry on."
Fang Ming put his hands in his pockets and turned to leave, decisive and crisp, without even giving Gu Qinghe another look.
Behind him, Wang Meng glared at Zhu Dahai, snorted coldly, and followed.
It wasn't until their figures disappeared that Zhu Dahai slumped onto the sofa, his legs feeling like jelly.
"Damn it... scared the hell out of me..."
Gu Qinghe looked at Zhu Dahai, then at the signed contract in her hand. After a moment's hesitation, she quickly followed... Third floor, Room 308.
When Fang Ming pushed the door open, the atmosphere in the room was lively.
Chen Liang was hugging half a watermelon, his face covered in juice, while on the other side of the sofa, three girls in skimpy camisole dresses were huddled together shaking dice, their giggles filling the room.
"Ming-ge, how was it? Did the hero-saving-the-beauty act succeed?"
Seeing Fang Ming return, Chen Liang wiped his mouth and leaned in with a gossipy look.
In his mind, Fang Ming having him look into Zhu Dahai and monitor the girl's movements certainly wasn't without purpose.
Saving the beauty was the most logical explanation.
"Just eat your watermelon."
Fang Ming rolled his eyes at him, sat back on the corner sofa, and took a sip of his unfinished whiskey.
"Tsk, this drink is a bit weak."
Wang Meng plopped down beside him and casually pulled a long-haired girl playing with her phone into his arms. His large hand restlessly squeezed her waist, drawing a coy pout from her.
"Ming-ge, that woman just now was really something!"
Wang Meng smacked his lips, reminiscing. "That waist, that temperament, especially that stubborn streak... she's completely different from the girls here. Tsk tsk, if I could..."
"Oh, Brother Meng~"
The girl in his arms wasn't happy, twisting her body and acting spoiled. "What? Are we sisters not enough to serve you? You're still thinking about wild flowers outside?"
"Exactly, exactly, Brother Meng, you're so bad!" The other two girls joined in the teasing, and the room was suddenly filled with the sounds of feminine chatter and laughter.
"Go on, what are you getting jealous for?"
Wang Meng chuckled, pulled out a few hundred-yuan bills from his pocket, and stuffed them into the girl's neckline. "I was just saying."
Fang Ming glanced at the scene with a cold gaze, then turned to glare at Wang Meng.
"Shut your mouth. She's a decent girl. Don't use the same mindset you have for these hostesses on her. Be careful not to let your tongue get you into trouble."
Wang Meng shrunk his neck and immediately shut up, focusing on drinking a cross-cupped wine with the girl in his arms.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just then, there was a light knock on the door.