Free Web NovelChapter 274: Chapter 210: Who is the Clown?
Zhou Luan: ...?
’That bastard!’
’It’s another one of his tricks, isn’t it!’
After she’d turned him down once, then twice, it was getting really hard to say no again.
She felt a vague sense of resistance, and even a pang of guilt toward Zhang Zishu and An Yunzhi. She thought her boss, Lin Chu, was such a dog—relentless and pervasive. But just then, she saw Zhang Zishu had already taken out her phone, smiling as she scanned the code. "Alright. I hope President Lin will look after us in the future."
Li Ke’er scanned it too. "Added you."
An Yunzhi looked a bit helpless, but she still went along with it.
Lin Chu added the three of them, then immediately forwarded a promotional link for the LC Golf Course’s official account and asked them to share it on their Moments.
At that moment, the attitudes of the three women became instantly clear.
Li Ke’er and Zhang Zishu were both very willing.
An Yunzhi, on the other hand, showed a bit of resistance. Apologetically, she gently refused, "I’m sorry, Lin Chu, but I don’t usually post on my Moments. My family keeps an eye on it, and they’re quite strict."
"Hm?"
"Your family... Oh, I understand. I understand."
Lin Chu said with a magnanimous smile.
Listening to their conversation, Zhou Luan felt a little guilty.
’She knew that An Yunzhi was very sensitive about her family background being mentioned to outsiders. She had already hinted at it to Lin Chu, both directly and indirectly. If he "leaked" it now, she would be in an awkward position with her best friend. Thankfully... Lin Chu had high emotional intelligence and was a great actor.’
"Alright, then from now on, let’s not think of this as a relationship between a businessman and a potential client. We’ll just be regular friends, so I don’t cause you any trouble. You’re still okay with having dinner together later, right?"
Lin Chu continued to smile, his tone slightly teasing.
An Yunzhi broke into a charming smile. "It’s not *that* strict!"
She suddenly felt that this man was full of intricate, interlocking schemes. It was as if he had everything under control, yet his words were always perfectly measured, stopping just at the edge of making someone uncomfortable without actually crossing the line.
’How should I put it?’
’It wasn’t exactly slimy.’
’You could only say that he was highly socialized and mature—far more mature than his age would suggest.’
"It’s about time. Let’s get ready to head out."
"Let’s go."
"Xiaoluan, take them ahead. I’m going to the restroom. Ke’er, you go with them. I’ll have my secretary handle things over there."
With all his objectives achieved, Lin Chu decisively stood up, smiled nonchalantly, and was the first to walk out of the lounge.
...
"He’s pretty impressive. No wonder he has you wrapped around his little finger."
On the way to the restaurant, An Yunzhi and Zhou Luan walked closely together, whispering in each other’s ears.
Zhou Luan glanced at her, her eyes filled with a sense of helplessness. "So what can I do? Right now, I’m biding my time, enduring hardship, and preparing for the future. I’ll familiarize myself with every aspect of the club’s operations, wait for the right opportunity, bring in some outside capital, and strive to buy it back within five years!"
"Oh?"
"Is that so?"
"Actually, you could also..."
An Yunzhi wanted to joke with her, to say that there was a shortcut, but the words died on her lips. She felt the comment was inappropriate and swallowed it back, not wanting to genuinely tease her about it.
But Zhou Luan understood anyway and couldn’t help but pat her arm lightly. "You’re terrible! What are you talking about? You know I only like you. How could I ever like a stinky man!"
This, of course, was a joke.
An Yunzhi was used to it and rolled her eyes at her. "Your love is too fiery, too twisted. I can’t handle it."
Zhou Luan continued to tease her. "How do you know if you don’t try? Hm? Little An’an?"
An Yunzhi: ...
’Get away from me!’
’Stop being weird!’
...
"President Lin, Ms. Li is getting a Crystal Membership Card and is paying for it now. I’ve already arranged the restaurant; it’s booked for Room 1."
Lin Chu received Liang Jieyu’s message and casually replied, "Okay, take her to the restaurant. You entertain her. Something urgent came up, so I won’t be going over. Have a couple of drinks with her on my behalf."
’A Crystal Membership Card?’
’As expected of a celebrity. She’s loaded.’
The revamped membership cards were divided into three tiers: Crystal, Diamond, and Gold, priced at 2.8 million, 1.8 million, and 880,000 yuan respectively.
’Li Fangfei really went for it, getting the Crystal right off the bat.’
Hm?
When Liang Jieyu saw Lin Chu’s reply, she was a bit stunned.
’What is he up to now?’
She hadn’t expected Lin Chu to suddenly back out at a time like this.
"After dinner, take Sister Li to pick out a set of Xiangyun Sha. Tell her it’s a personal gift from me, not part of the membership benefits. No one else gets one."
Lin Chu sent another message.
Liang Jieyu immediately replied, "Understood."
...
「Not long after.」
In Room 1 of the restaurant, everyone had arrived. The Romanée-Conti that Lin Chu had ordered had also finished decanting.
The dishes were brought out one after another, creating a lavish spread.
Everyone was waiting for Lin Chu, so naturally, no one had touched their chopsticks.
Liang Jieyu took a deep breath and glanced at her phone. "I’m so sorry, everyone. President Lin just received an urgent call and has to deal with some work. Shall we start eating first?"
"Allow me to propose a toast to everyone, as a token of his apology."
This development took everyone by surprise.
Zhou Luan once again had the vague feeling that this was another one of Lin Chu’s schemes.
’But what kind of scheme is it?’
But at a time like this, as a member of the club, she had no choice but to stand up and say with a smile, "Well now, he’s the one who set this all up, and he’s the one who’s not coming. In that case, let’s not worry about him and start eating."
"Perfect! It’s more peaceful without him anyway!"
The women couldn’t help but laugh.
And so... the atmosphere became one of perfect harmony between hosts and guests, cheerful and congenial.
With only women present, everyone seemed a bit more relaxed than before.
Liang Jieyu and Zhou Luan, representing the club, entertained the guests. The wine was already open, and Liang Jieyu proactively proposed another toast. Li Fangfei, of course, had no issue with this; she always traveled in a large van with a private driver.
