Volume One, Chapter Thirty-Six: The Gift

"Hey," Jiang Wan replied.

Her outstanding appearance, coupled with the brightness in her eyes, made the man raise his eyebrows in satisfaction.

"Looks like you're a smart one," he said, curling his lips into a smile. "You're in luck tonight. There's a banquet with some big shots. I'll have someone take you there—make sure you behave and dress up nicely."

Having spoken, the man beckoned Jiang Wan toward the club. With the security staff watching from the floors above, Jiang Wan offered him a shy smile, leveraging his status to successfully enter the club.

She kept her head down the entire time, following closely behind him. She appeared obedient, but in reality, she was surreptitiously observing everything around her—eyes darting in all directions, ears attuned to every sound, missing no useful information.

Eventually, the man brought her to an internal lounge. He gave instructions to the lead female attendant, then signaled Jiang Wan to go inside and prepare.

Jiang Wan acted obediently, tactfully avoiding the conversation and pushing open the door to enter.

A strong scent of cosmetics hit her, and the dazzling array of outfits inside was overwhelming. The spacious lounge was filled with dozens of young women. They barely glanced at her arrival before returning to their own affairs. Some, already dressed, sat on sofas playing games on their phones; others were at dressing tables carefully working on their makeup; and some stood before rows of racks, changing clothes as if no one else existed.

There was no small talk, no interaction. No one was surprised—everyone was just passing through.

Jiang Wan sensibly blended in, silently heading to an unoccupied dressing table.

She had successfully infiltrated the inner circle and needed to conceal her identity. The most direct way was through her appearance.

Picking up the cosmetics on the table, she began to work on her makeup in the mirror—thick eyeliner, deep eyeshadow, and exaggerated false lashes.

By the time the attendant returned from her conversation, Jiang Wan had transformed completely—a bold look with heavy makeup, bright red lips, and tight leather clothes.

The attendant frowned, "I was just thinking of having you go for the innocent look..."

Before Jiang Wan could apologize, the attendant reconsidered after a careful look. "You really are made for this line of work. At first glance, it's garish, but look closer and it's quite alluring."

With that, the attendant explained the rules. Confidentiality was essential. Unless one's personal safety was threatened, contradicting the guests was forbidden.

After listing a slew of regulations, she emphasized the most important point: "You’ll undergo security checks whenever you enter or leave a private room. No electronic devices allowed on your person."

Jiang Wan’s heart skipped a beat.

She nodded, scanning the room once more. Noticing the distinctive styles of the other girls, inspiration struck. "Can I wear a wig?"

"As you wish," the attendant replied, then left to attend to other matters, leaving the girls to wait.

The next stretch of time was spent with Jiang Wan focusing on her "disguise." As dusk deepened, the club grew busy. Girls waiting in the lounge came and went in waves.

Finally, it was Jiang Wan’s turn.

Nervously, she followed her companions, hoping desperately that the "big shot" they mentioned would be the one she wanted to meet.

They walked in a line, Jiang Wan at the end. As the attendant had said, before entering the private room, a staff member came by with a detector.

They lined up, arms outstretched, scanned from head to toe, front and back. Jiang Wan forced herself to remain calm; her heart only settled once the device was withdrawn.

At last, she and her companions entered the private room, Jiang Wan trailing behind.

Before she could even see the guests clearly, she recognized a familiar voice.

"Director Zhao, let me offer you a toast!"

It was her sworn enemy, the rival she longed to defeat—Wang Dexing.

Using her companions as cover, Jiang Wan half-shielded, half-peered, her gaze locking onto the source of the voice.

Besides Wang Dexing, several other familiar faces were present—all prominent figures in Rong City.

Confident that the club’s rules were strict and that nothing here would ever leak outside, the men shed their false facades, revealing the ugliest sides of their nature—indulgent, arms wrapped around women.

Wang Dexing sat in the center with two important officials, and the attending girls were all savvy, knowing whom to please for profit.

As the newcomer, Jiang Wan was naturally relegated to the outermost seat.

She was content with this arrangement, but the man beside her was not idle. His greasy palm roved along her curves, outlining her figure until—

His fingers pressed teasingly against her trousers, but instead of softness, he encountered something solid and foreign.

Unhappy, he frowned.

Jiang Wan, voice strained, apologized softly, "Sorry, boss. It’s my first day at work, and I happen to have my period..."

At her words, the man recoiled as if shocked, his eyes clouded with displeasure.

Businessmen abhorred anything bloody.

Jiang Wan had anticipated this, so she’d padded herself in advance—just in case any man tried to lay hands on her.

Thanks to her "special circumstance," Jiang Wan was left out, forced to watch the other girls and the old men play their games.

After several rounds of drinks, beauty intoxicated the senses. The mood in the room grew lively, tongues loosened.

"Director Zhao, I’ve got the third payment ready. In a few days, I’ll have someone deliver it to the usual place," Wang Dexing announced.

Jiang Wan, ever watchful, immediately cozied up to the man beside her, eager to get closer to Wang Dexing.

"I really didn’t expect the King of Land would end up in the hands of the Lin family. Everyone thought it would go to the princeling from the capital circle," he said.

Director Zhao, idly chewing a snack passed mouth-to-mouth by a woman, leaned back on the sofa, relaxed. "I thought you, President Wang, always had your ear to the ground. Seems even you can fall behind the news."

"What do you mean?" Wang Dexing asked.

"The two families are essentially one. That Lu fellow was never interested in the land itself; from the start, he was paving the way for the Lins."

"Ah?" Wang Dexing was stunned.

Director Zhao smiled meaningfully, eyes narrowed. "But the relationship may not be solid yet, otherwise the Lin heiress wouldn’t have come looking for me."

"Well, that’s double-dipping, isn’t it? No wonder you’re Director Zhao," Wang Dexing poured him a drink, sighing. "Women, huh. As long as they're pretty, they can take shortcuts. Not like us men—without a good family background, every step up is as hard as climbing to the heavens..."

His words elicited agreement from the others. The conversation sprawled, the information grew explosive.

Jiang Wan pressed herself against the man, her body burning hot but her spine chilling.

When she realized it was dangerous to stay longer, she excused herself, pretending to need the restroom.

She had just reached the door when Wang Dexing suddenly called out, "Wait!"

His displeased tone made Jiang Wan’s heart leap instantly.