Chapter 11: Shi Li!

The guests around were briefly surprised before bursting into cheers and applause. Scenes like this, where wealthy patrons casually display their extravagance, were always their favorite to witness.

A trace of smugness appeared on Liu Qianqian’s face as she gave the chubby man a grateful nod, adopting the charming demeanor of a delicate woman. The spectacle left the crowd of men below utterly mesmerized.

Galen could do nothing but relinquish the first spot to Liu Qianqian, but something unexpected happened.

Just as Liu Qianqian, head held high with pride, made her way to the singer’s chair, a man in the audience suddenly shouted, “Wait! I’ll pay ten thousand for ‘Just Once’!”

Galen looked over and saw it was the young man who came every night to hear him sing and always tipped him. The man’s tips had always been a steady one thousand each time, but tonight he’d offered ten thousand. Galen nodded his thanks.

Wen Tao, ever quick to act, grabbed a bottle of beer and saluted the young man. “Brother, what a show of spirit! On behalf of all the singers on stage, thank you for your support!”

With that, he downed the whole bottle in one go, lifted the empty bottle to the crowd, and immediately drew a round of cheers.

The chubby man from before was not pleased. “I’ll add another ten thousand—I want to hear ‘Lover’!”

“Hey, are you trying to go head-to-head with me?” The young man looked at the chubby man with a half-smile, and with a wave of his hand, a black-suited bodyguard behind him handed over a wad of cash. “Another ten thousand! Galen sings first!”

“Hah! There aren’t many in all of Beijing who dare challenge me like this!” The chubby man undid his jacket, revealing his bulk with an air of dominance. “I’ll add another ten thousand!”

“I’ll match it!” The young man replied with a faint smile, producing an American Express Centurion Black Card.

Just like that, the tip for ‘Just Once’ soared to nearly forty thousand yuan in an instant, setting a new record for the highest tip ever at Wenzi Bar. Even the chubby man was a bit shaken, not by the money, but by that black card.

It was one of the world’s most exclusive credit cards, held only by a select few, and was seen as a symbol of the global elite.

The Centurion Black Card offered the highest level of service; wherever the cardholder was in the world, any request would be answered and fulfilled instantly. There was once a cardholder whose daughter was hospitalized and unable to attend her idol’s concert. To fulfill her wish, the card’s personal lifestyle advisor managed to contact the band’s management and arranged for the lead singer to visit the little fan before the show.

When Wen Tao saw the black card, he knew things were getting serious. This man was clearly someone of significant standing—if things kept escalating, trouble was bound to follow. He quickly forced a smile and tried to ease the tension. “Gentlemen, please, don’t get worked up! Both songs will be sung anyway. No need to compete—by the time you finish arguing, both songs could have been performed!”

“Mr. Wen, that won’t do!” The young man shook his head and looked at the chubby man. “Here’s my offer: I’ll add fifty thousand more. Do you dare to match it?”

“If I match it, will you concede?” the chubby man asked through gritted teeth.

“Yes,” the young man replied calmly. “If you match it, I’ll let you have the first spot.”

“Fine! I’ll match it!” The chubby man steeled himself, biting his lip, and threw down another card—an ordinary credit card this time.

But the young man only chuckled. “Even with fifty thousand more, you’re still behind. You haven’t surpassed me yet!”

The flesh on the chubby man’s face quivered. He glanced at the big screen; ‘Lover’ was already trailing ‘Just Once’, and every raise he made was immediately outdone. Even with the extra fifty thousand, he was still short.

Should he keep going?

At that moment, a man who looked like one of his underlings leaned in and whispered, “Boss, that’s Young Master Liu from Yida Group. This isn’t about money anymore. It’s not worth pushing further. If you want to get in touch with Liu Qianqian, wait until after the songs are done and I’ll help you approach her privately. Sound good?”

The chubby man mulled it over. His underling’s advice was sound, and he realized he had drunk too much and was not thinking clearly. Flushed with embarrassment, he huffed, “Fine! I concede! I won’t add another fifty thousand!”

The young man gave a cold laugh. “That’s up to the bar owner now.”

Wen Tao wouldn’t dare accept the money under these circumstances and waved his hands. “It’s all good, as long as you both enjoy the music and the drinks without any hard feelings!”

The young man smiled. “No problem, don’t worry. With me here, nothing will go wrong. Let him sing.”

Galen felt his scalp tingle at this turn of events. The moment the chubby man conceded, he noticed Liu Qianqian’s face turn pale with anger. Fortunately, Wen Tao had resolved the conflict and Galen could finally breathe easier. In a bar, who knew what could happen if things went wrong?

He looked back at the young man, who was now smiling and nodding at him. Galen returned the smile in gratitude, still puzzled by the man’s generosity and curious about his true identity.

After Galen finished his song and stepped offstage, Wen Tao hurried over. “Galen, go have a drink with our guest. He spent quite a lot on you tonight!”

“Of course!” Galen didn’t drink, but how could he refuse under these circumstances?

So he followed Wen Tao to the young man’s table. Wen Tao spoke first, “Brother, you spent a lot tonight. I brought Galen over to meet you. From now on, whenever you come here, your entrance is on the house!”

The young man chuckled. “No worries. I enjoy listening to you sing. Come, have a seat.”

Galen smiled and took the beer Wen Tao handed him.

But the young man immediately waved his hand. “Have a drink with me instead. Put the beer down.”

There was an unmistakable note of command in his voice—one that brooked no refusal.

Everything about him made it clear he was a man from the very top of society—naturally authoritative, generous, direct, and never wasting words.

“Alright,” Galen returned the beer to Wen Tao, who gave an awkward laugh. “Enjoy your drink, then. I’ll go check on the other tables!”

As soon as Wen Tao left, the young man smiled. “You must be curious why I’d spend so much just to hear you sing this song.”

“I am a bit curious, especially since this isn’t the first time,” Galen replied with an embarrassed smile.

“Oh? It seems you’re quite observant,” the man said with a calm smile. “To be honest, I really like your singing—especially tonight’s ‘Just Once’. Since I like it, I have to make it number one. Besides, I recently invested in a film, and I think it would make a great theme song.”

He handed Galen a business card. “Tomorrow at ten thirty in the morning, come to the address on the card and call me when you arrive. We’ll have a good talk.”

The bar was dimly lit, so Galen couldn’t make out what was written on the card, but he readily agreed. “Alright, no problem!”

“Great! Cheers!”

They clinked glasses. The young man stood up. “I’ve got something to attend to. See you tomorrow!”

Galen rose to see him off and realized the man was not alone. As he stood, several bodyguards in black suits at the neighboring table stood as well.

Galen escorted the young man to the door, watching as he was surrounded and ushered into a luxury car before returning to the bar himself.

As he neared the stage, Wu Yusheng threw an arm around his shoulder. “Galen, you’re getting a superstar’s treatment! Someone just battled over you with their wealth! We’re envious!”

Galen smiled awkwardly. “It’s nothing.”

He glanced around but didn’t see Liu Qianqian. “Where’s Liu Qianqian?”

“She left with a man just now,” Wu Yusheng replied, pursing his lips and snickering. “The one who kept raising his bid but ended up conceding—the chubby guy’s underling, I think.”

“Oh,” Galen nodded in understanding. None of it concerned him.

The evening’s show ended, and Wen Tao invited everyone to hotpot in the lounge—the first time he’d ever treated the staff since the bar opened.

Everyone took their seats, except for the absent Liu Qianqian. As they ate, Wen Tao chatted with them. Galen had always thought Wen Tao was an artistic soul, but tonight realized he was quite a chatterbox.

Through the conversation, he learned that Wen Tao’s ambition wasn’t to become a superstar, but to create a large-scale performing arts theater, combining music, comedy, traditional arts, acrobatics, and magic, with performances running day and night throughout the country and even abroad. This tea-and-wine bar was just the beginning.

The meal lasted barely half an hour before everyone started yawning. Previously, Wu Yusheng and the others earned more than Galen, but tonight’s windfall from the wealthy guest brought Galen nearly a hundred thousand yuan—enough to make even Wen Tao envious.

Given the amount, cash wasn’t an option, and it was too late for a transfer, so Wen Tao suggested paying Galen in full the next day, which he accepted.

With their earnings secured, everyone’s spirits soared. Wu Yusheng teased Galen about treating them, and Galen agreed to buy dinner for everyone the next evening.

As they joked, the lounge door opened.

A short-haired woman, looking quite young but with a cold, aloof air, entered. She greeted them with a faint smile and nod, then shoved Wen Tao. “Come with me.”

“Who’s that?” Galen asked Wu Yusheng after they left.

Wu Yusheng shook his head, indicating he didn’t know. Zhao Liang laughed. “Don’t you know? That’s Wen’s girlfriend, Shi Li!”

“Girlfriend? She looks more like his sister!” Aya couldn’t help saying.

It wasn’t just her looks—her demeanor was much more mature than Wen Tao’s.

Zhao Liang grinned. “She’s already thirty-two, six years older than Wen! And she’s quite wealthy. Ever heard of Oasis Real Estate? She’s the chairman’s daughter!”