Chapter 135: Oh No, Something Has Happened!

As Chu Yan marveled at how valuable these cuttlebone fragments could be, Tu Shanlin was already eagerly clutching the two pieces in his hands, unable to contain his excitement as he turned to Chu Lin and asked, “Mr. Chu, may I try them?”

Chu Lin smiled and replied, “Sure, it’s only natural for Young Master Tu to verify their effects.”

Without hesitation, Tu Shanlin asked Huang Bin for a glass of water. He then scraped a small amount of powder from one of the cuttlebone pieces and swallowed it with the water.

Before long, the miraculous sensation he had experienced earlier returned—a warm, soothing flow radiated from the prostate area, bringing an indescribable comfort.

Feeling this sensation again left him utterly amazed. However, this time, since he had only taken a small amount, the effect didn’t last long. He then scraped a bit from the other piece, swallowed it with water as well, and soon felt the wondrous effect once more.

Without any hesitation now, he turned to Chu Lin and said, “Mr. Chu, shall we proceed with the transaction?”

Having confirmed the efficacy of these two cuttlebone fragments, he was eager to complete the purchase and secure them.

As he spoke, he handed over the documentation and transfer contract for the Starry Night Bar to Chu Lin.

“Big sister, could you please take a look?” Chu Lin passed the documents directly to his elder sister, entrusting the professional to handle the details.

This scene left Chu Yan utterly dumbfounded, as if the world had gone mad. Two pieces of cuttlebone, and someone was willing to pay such an exorbitant price?

Especially when she saw the contract Huang Bin handed over—this Starry Night Bar was valued at over twenty million. She was rendered speechless and could only focus intently on the contract.

Chu Lin also shared his bank account details with Tu Shanlin, who immediately transferred the funds.

After receiving five million, Chu Lin’s account balance approached nineteen million.

Chu Yan quickly finished reviewing the files and contracts, then looked at Chu Lin and said, “The documents and contract are in order. You may sign.”

“Good,” Chu Lin nodded and signed the contract with Tu Shanlin.

With the transaction completed, Tu Shanlin’s face was alight with excitement. “Mr. Chu, I’ll take the items now and won’t bother you any further.”

Chu Lin smiled and nodded, reminding him, “Young Master Tu, please be moderate with the dosage. After all, this is cuttlebone, and there’s a risk of kidney stones.”

“Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Chu,” Tu Shanlin responded with a nod, then hurriedly left.

Now, all Chu Lin needed to do was register the Starry Night Bar under his name with the local business bureau.

This bar was much larger and more upscale than the Extreme Bar, where he and Huang Bin had often gone—not because Extreme was better, but because it was more affordable.

Bars often impose minimum spending requirements on certain seats. If you don’t meet those, you’re stuck at a small, secluded table in a corner, which makes picking up women difficult.

Many women would pass on you immediately if they saw you booked such a table. Forget about anything else; you might not even get a second date.

The minimum spend at Extreme Bar was much lower than at Starry Night.

Later, Chu Lin paid the Eight Directions Club a three percent commission, totaling 750,000—a trivial sum for him.

He noticed Huang Bin’s eyes fixed intently on the bar contract in his hand.

Having known him for so many years, Chu Lin didn’t need to guess his thoughts and asked, “You’re interested in the Night Star Bar?”

Huang Bin said eagerly, “I’m interested, but I can’t afford to buy it outright. If you want me to take some shares, I’d be glad. Don’t worry, I won’t join without contributing. I’ll try to convince Chairman Wang to bring some Eight Directions clients to the bar.”

“That’s fine. You can take as many shares as you want,” Chu Lin laughed.

Many of Eight Directions’ clients were potential nightlife patrons. After all, many were middle to lower-tier clients without the status or wealth of someone like Mr. Wu, barely qualified for ordinary salespeople to entertain.

Yet, they were quite willing to be entertained in nightlife venues, especially since having female company provided a perfect excuse if their wives or girlfriends caught them: “It’s just business socializing; surely you understand.”

Chu Lin understood Huang Bin’s eagerness.

Many people who frequented bars ended up buying shares and becoming bar owners. He recalled a matchmaking show where a bar enthusiast took the stage. Many viewers initially called him a player no woman would want, but when the VCR revealed he owned 35% of a renowned bar in the metropolis, he effortlessly won the girl, even sparking competition among several women.

“Playing at a bar until you become a shareholder” became a popular joke.

Naturally, the wealthy sometimes opened their own bars. Profit was secondary; the key was to have fun.

For someone like Huang Bin, who loved the nightlife scene and didn’t want to be taken advantage of, getting a chance to hold shares would be a welcome opportunity.

He had some of these thoughts himself, having spent plenty of time at bars in the past.

“I’ll gather some money first,” Huang Bin said without hesitation, immediately dialing his phone in front of Chu Lin.

His first call: “Dad, something urgent came up. It’s an investment that won’t lose money. I need your support.”

After hanging up, he made a second call: “Yan Jie, I miss you so much. I’ll come over tonight… well, there’s something I need your help with. Can I borrow some money?”

Soon after, Huang Bin told Chu Lin, “I’ve gathered about two million.”

“Good. Just for the two hundred million asset, I’ll give you 10% shares. But you’ll need to be listed on the bar’s books and keep an eye on it for me,” Chu Lin said generously.

He didn’t know much about running a bar and had no intention of spending late nights there. After all, nightlife was for fun; managing it was a different matter.

So, having someone trustworthy watch over the operation was necessary.

Huang Bin wanting to buy in made him the perfect candidate. This guy could party at the bar until the wee hours and still show up for work the next day. Plus, his job at Eight Directions was relatively flexible.

Hearing Chu Lin’s words, Huang Bin’s interest was piqued. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”

People are always passionate about things they care about.

Later, Chu Lin had his elder sister draft an investment contract for Huang Bin, which they signed.

Huang Bin transferred two million to him, pushing Chu Lin’s bank balance past twenty million.

“Let’s go register the business with the bureau. Then you can represent me to take over the bar,” Chu Lin said as they left Eight Directions together.

Huang Bin drove a BMW X7 bought for him by Yan Jie, while Chu Lin and his sister rode in the Cullinan.

Once in the car, Chu Yan couldn’t help but probe, “Xiao Lin, about those cuttlebone pieces earlier—selling them at that price, isn’t there some risk? Are you involved in anything illegal?”

Chu Lin paused, understanding her concern, then smiled and spun a story, “Big sister, why would you think that? Those cuttlebones were retrieved by divers who risked their lives to explore the deep sea, seeking a rare species of squid. There are only a handful of such cuttlebones in the world.”

“Besides, these cuttlebones have special effects. Young Master Tu’s family is very wealthy, but he suffers from premature ejaculation. Surrounded by beauties he can’t enjoy, he’s been mocked. These cuttlebones can cure his condition. Don’t you think the price is justified?”

Chu Yan was dumbfounded. If that were true, it made perfect sense. For the wealthy, such ailments were a source of shame, and they’d pay whatever it took to be cured.

Just like some illnesses where ordinary people would spend two hundred thousand for treatment, to the rich, twenty million versus two hundred thousand is no difference at all.

She felt enlightened—who would have thought a single cuttlebone piece could have such an effect?

...

Time passed—three days flew by.

During these three days, Huang Bin practically lived at the bar. With the change of ownership, two of the hostess managers planned to leave.

These hostess managers were responsible for bringing women into the nightlife scene. They controlled certain female resources and even coaxed girls out from schools by deceiving their classmates and friends.

Some used means to corrupt these girls—showing them how easily they could earn tens of thousands a month.

With friends and classmates egging them on—saying things like, “Create a secondary WeChat account to add clients, keep it private, no one will know. Work for two years, then return home to open a shop, become a shining female boss with many admirers.”

Most would fall into this trap.

Typically, their targets were lesser-known female students in specialized art schools, especially dance majors, as they learned moves quickly.

These hostess managers usually negotiated terms with nightlife venues to secure placements for these girls.

Now, with a new owner, two managers tried to hike prices, but Huang Bin, having spent so much time at the bar, quickly poached two other hostess managers from outside, forcing those two to leave.

Importantly, Huang Bin’s reported business data showed no decline.

So, entrusting the bar to Huang Bin had been the right choice.

Meanwhile, Liu Fa had purchased a variety of seafood over the past days, but only one specimen met the collection criteria—a clam that had already been collected before, so it couldn’t be counted again.

He called Liu Fa over and carefully explained, “Chef Liu, please don’t buy these specific seafood items anymore.”

“Understood, Mr. Chu,” Liu Fa noted them down.

No sooner had Liu Fa left than Chu Lin received an urgent call from Huang Bin.

As soon as it connected, Huang Bin’s anxious voice blurted out, “Chu Lin, Young Master Tu, that rich second-generation, is in big trouble. It might even affect you.”

(End of chapter)