Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Without My Permission, I’d Like to See Who Dares to Leave?
"Tell me about it. Disgusting!"
"They act so high and mighty in public, but I can’t believe they’re all like this in private," Xiang Yiren said indignantly.
"Brother Sun, we need to hurry. If we’re late, who knows what might happen..."
Seeing the worry on her face, he nodded. "Let’s go to the company first. We’ll drive from there."
"But we’ve both been drinking," Xiang Yiren said with concern.
"The company has drivers, you know," Sun Dasheng said with amusement.
Oh, right! Xiang Yiren slapped her forehead. She was so anxious she couldn’t think straight.
"By the way, which bank does he work for?" Sun Dasheng asked.
After a moment’s thought, Xiang Yiren replied, "Universe Bank!"
Sun Dasheng smiled. That made things even easier.
All of his money was deposited in that very bank. While he might not be a major player at the branch level, he still had some clout with the district sub-branch. The sub-branch manager had even called him a few times.
What was his name again? He scrolled through his phone and found the number for Wang Jianshe, the manager of the Universe Bank Pudong Sub-branch.
Back at the company, he called for a driver and they set off for their destination.
「Holiday International Hotel.」
The driver pulled up, and the two of them got out and walked toward the hotel. A quick-witted doorman spotted the approaching luxury car and hurried over to greet them.
"Sir, Ma’am, are you checking in or dining with us?"
Before Sun Dasheng could speak, Xiang Yiren answered for him, "Dining!"
"For dining, please proceed to the sixty-eighth floor. Our hotel’s most luxurious revolving restaurant is located there," the doorman said, immediately suggesting the most expensive option.
Seeing his guests nod, the doorman politely led the way, pressing the elevator button for them to go straight to the sixty-eighth floor. Before the doors closed, Xiang Yiren pulled several red bills from her purse and handed them to him as a tip.
"Thank you, esteemed guests. Enjoy your meal!"
Surveying the so-called revolving restaurant, Sun Dasheng nodded. "The atmosphere isn’t bad. Are they here?"
"They are," Xiang Yiren confirmed. "This is the address Zi Yan sent me."
With that said, she was ready to start searching for her friend immediately.
Sun Dasheng stopped her with an arm around her waist. "Let’s find a place to sit first, then we can search properly."
Xiang Yiren realized she was being too hasty. Rushing around aimlessly like a headless fly in such a large place wasn’t a good idea.
They were seated and ordered some food. Slipping the waiter a tip, Sun Dasheng quietly made some inquiries and soon got the information he wanted.
"See that row of partitions over there?" Sun Dasheng gestured.
Xiang Yiren looked over and nodded.
"They’re in a private room behind them."
"What do we do now?" Xiang Yiren asked, all out of ideas.
"Don’t rush." He reassured her and then called the waiter over.
"Hello, sir, how may I assist you?"
"Excuse me, are there any private rooms available over there?" Sun Dasheng asked, pointing casually.
"Yes, sir. Would you like me to move you?"
"Yes, please. Thank you."
The private rooms here offered excellent privacy, and the decor was quite upscale. The only odd thing was the table in the center of the room; it was far too large, likely meant for a party of twenty or more. The two of them seemed dwarfed by the space, but that didn’t bother Sun Dasheng.
He ordered a full table of dishes.
Soon, there was a knock on the door. The waiter led in a man in his forties or fifties. Dressed in a sharp suit, the man had thick eyebrows on a square face and a stern expression, exuding an air of authority. Following him was a young woman who looked like a secretary, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that gave her a prim and proper appearance.
Upon entering and seeing Sun Dasheng, the man’s face immediately broke into a smile. He extended both his hands and grasped Sun Dasheng’s firmly. "You must be our bank’s major client, Mr. Sun Dasheng, correct?"
"Hello, Manager Wang," Sun Dasheng responded with equal enthusiasm.
"I apologize for inviting you on such short notice. It was quite abrupt of me, so I’ll drink three glasses as an apology." With that, he invited his guests to sit and promptly downed three glasses of alcohol.
"Nonsense! I’m thrilled to be able to share a meal with the God of Wealth!" Wang Jianshe exclaimed.
Despite his words, he simply watched with a smile as Sun Dasheng drank all three glasses, making no move to stop him. Only after Sun Dasheng had finished did Wang Jianshe laugh.
He had Xiang Yiren entertain the manager’s secretary while he and Wang Jianshe drank and chatted cheerfully.
"A God of Wealth like yourself doesn’t show up for no reason," Wang Jianshe said. "What brings you here today? Rest assured, if it’s something I can do, just say the word and I’ll make it happen."
Wang Jianshe assumed he was here to apply for a loan.
Sun Dasheng smiled and raised his glass. "Manager Wang, you’ve misunderstood. I invited you here today for no other reason than to get to know you, the real God of Wealth, and hopefully, make a friend."
"Oh?" Wang Jianshe stared at him suspiciously.
Seeing that his expression seemed genuine, the manager’s smile became more sincere. This was the first time a major client had invited him out for drinks just to make friends, not to ask for a loan. Reassured, he began to drink more freely.
Sun Dasheng discreetly shot Xiang Yiren a look, signaling that it was time to put the plan they had discussed earlier into action.
Xiang Yiren caught the signal immediately. "Please, excuse me, everyone. I need to use the restroom," she said apologetically, before leaving the room.
「The adjacent private room.」
Jiang Ziyan was frantic with anxiety.
Why hadn’t her best friend come to rescue her yet? If she didn’t show up soon, she wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.
She thought she had already assumed the worst of her so-called ’fiancé’, but she had still underestimated just how wicked he was. During the short time she’d stepped out to the restroom to call for help, he had actually drugged her wine. She had reluctantly drunk a few glasses of the low-alcohol red wine, but she was already feeling dizzy.
To make matters worse, the predatory wolf nearby—her ’fiancé’s’ boss, a balding credit manager from the bank—was smirking at her. "Miss Jiang, are you feeling unwell? Shall I help you to a hotel room to rest?"
He had just brazenly offered to take his subordinate’s ’fiancée’ to a room, yet the ’fiancé’ in question, sitting right beside her, acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
"There’s no need! My best friend will be here any moment," Jiang Ziyan said fiercely.
The manager’s first attempt having failed, he tried a different tactic, turning to her ’fiancé’. "Chen Chao, you don’t want to be stuck behind a counter for the rest of your life, do you?"
Chen Chao was the name of Jiang Ziyan’s worthless ’fiancé’. He had kept his head down, focused on eating, but now he looked up, a broad smile on his face as he tried to persuade her, "Zi Yan, who knows when your friend will get here? The manager is just being kind. Don’t misunderstand his intentions."
Misunderstand? Misunderstand my ass!
She’d never been fond of his looks, but she had at least thought he was an honest, decent man. Who knew that beneath that honest exterior was the face of a demon? Selling his fiancée for personal gain... was that something a human being was even capable of?
He was worse than a beast!
Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open.
"Zi Yan, there you are! I was looking all over for you."
Her rescuing angel had appeared. Jiang Ziyan collapsed into her arms, urging weakly, "Yi Ren, hurry, take me away from here!"
"Leave? Without my word, I’d like to see who dares to leave!" the manager’s vicious voice echoed through the room.