Chapter 21: Giving Face, but Not Accepting ItQingshan City is the capital of Dong Province, with a long history and numerous cultural relics. It has always been known as a place where outstanding people emerge in large numbers. Over thousands of years, many influential figures have appeared here, some of whom have left a good name for posterity, while others have become infamous. When Li Nanfang came down from Qianfo Mountain, it was almost dusk. The golden-red rays of the setting sun slanted down, casting a golden glow over the mountains and buildings. Birds were chirping and returning to their nests. Li Nanfang's stomach was also a bit hungry. Seeing a bar not far ahead, he decided to go in for a couple of drinks before heading to the supermarket to buy the necessary daily supplies. Like teahouses that provide food and drink, bars also offer such services. Li Nanfang found a corner seat, ordered a dozen bottles of black beer, and then asked for a set meal. He enjoyed the view of the beautiful women walking by outside the window while slowly sipping his drinks alone.After having his fill, it was already completely dark. Satisfied, he lit a cigarette and snapped his fingers, calling out, "Waiter, check, please." Soon, the sound of high heels clicking on the floor could be heard. A waitress in a red uniform walked up behind him, slightly bending her waist and speaking softly, "Sir, your total consumption is one hundred and eighty yuan." "Shall I pay by card here?" Li Nanfang said as he turned around and was taken aback for a moment before laughing"Oh, it's you!" This waitress was none other than the receptionist from the Kaifeng Group headquarters, Sister Su Yueyue. Li Nanfang had teased her in the morning, and Su Yueyue had mentioned that she had to go home to see her child after work. It was clear that the bar was not her child's place—Su Yueyue didn't expect to run into Li Nanfang here either. Her face changed slightly, but she quickly regained her composure and replied, "Vice President Li, hello." In fact, she knew that Li Nanfang's claim to be a vice president was a bit of a boast, and addressing him like this also had a hint of sarcasm.Li Nanfang didn't mind, just chuckled and casually asked, "Su Yueyue, instead of going home to see your child after work, why are you working as a waitress in a bar?" "To earn some extra money for milk powder during my spare time from work," Su Yueyue said indifferently, "Vice President Li, your total consumption is one hundred and eighty yuan." Clearly, she wasn't interested in getting close to Li Nanfang. If they were too familiar, it would be awkward to ask for money. One hundred and eighty yuan was more than her nightly wage."Alright, let's pay by card," Li Nanfang said, realizing Su Yueyue's intention. He took out his bank card and handed it to her. Su Yueyue had a portable card reader with her. After taking the gold card, she pressed a few buttons and asked Li Nanfang to enter his password. To avoid any awkwardness, she deliberately turned her head away and only looked back after Li Nanfang said it was okay. She glanced at the screen and frowned slightly, "Vice President Li, your card balance shows zero.""What?" Li Nanfang was stunned. "Zero balance?" "You can check for yourself," Su Yueyue said, handing him the card reader. Li Nanfang looked carefully and saw that it clearly showed a zero balance. He remembered clearly that when he returned to Qingshan City, the old man had given him thirty thousand yuan. He had only spent a few thousand on the hotel and clothes yesterday. How could it be zero now? After a moment of confusion, Li Nanfang began to understand something.At that moment, another customer called for the bill, and Su Yueyue urged him, "Vice President Li, you can also pay in cash." "Ahem, well, I don't have enough cash with me. I have less than thirty yuan," Li Nanfang coughed awkwardly and said. "No cash? Then I'll call the boss over. You can talk to him yourself," Su Yueyue frowned again, not waiting for Li Nanfang to say anything, and turned to wave at someone: "Brother Hu, could you come over here?"Damn it, this girl is really not giving me any face. Even if I don't have money, considering we're somewhat acquainted, she should have covered for me. I could have paid her back tomorrow. Why call someone over and make it seem like I'm skipping the bill? Su Yueyue's behavior made Li Nanfang very unhappy, but he couldn't say anything. After all, she wasn't obligated to lend him money. Brother Hu was around thirty years old, bald, with a thick gold chain around his neck, dragon and tiger tattoos on his arms, and a face full of tough muscles. He clearly wasn't an easy person to deal with. "What's up, Yueyue?" "This gentleman forgot to bring money, one hundred and eighty yuan. I'll go check on someone else who's paying," Su Yueyue said quietly, then glanced at Li Nanfang expressionlessly and quickly walked away. "Hey, buddy, you come to a bar and forget to bring money?" Brother Hu folded his arms and looked down at Li Nanfang with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I really did forget. Could you do me a favor and let me owe it? I'll bring it to you tomorrow, double the amount," Li Nanfang scratched the back of his head and asked in a negotiating tone."Ha, you think that's a good idea? I don't know you from Adam, so why should I let you owe it?" Brother Hu's fake smile immediately turned into a sneer. "Watch your mouth," Li Nanfang admitted that he did seem to be skipping out on the bill, but Brother Hu's attitude was just too rude. If it weren't for the fact that he was somewhat in the wrong, Li Nanfang would have kicked him out already."Damn it, kid, I'll say whatever I want. What are you gonna do about it?" Brother Hu didn't expect Li Nanfang to still talk back. He was so angry that he laughed and reached out to grab Li Nanfang's collar, "You little brat, I've seen your kind before!""Ah!" Just as he was about to grab him, a girl's scream came from behind. At the same time, a slap was heard: crack! Instinctively, both Brother Hu and Li Nanfang looked over and saw Su Yueyue being pushed to the side of a table: "You little bitch, how dare you slap me!""What's going on?" Seeing someone causing trouble in his bar, Brother Hu shouted and rushed over. A young and pretty girl working in a bar, a place full of all sorts of people, is easily targeted. Not all customers are gentlemen like Li Nanfang. The guy who had called Su Yueyue over to pay the bill earlier had clearly drunk too much. Seeing how pretty she was, he couldn't resist and pinched her thigh. Su Yueyue screamed in surprise and instinctively slapped him. The man she hit clearly wasn't someone to be trifled with. He pushed her away and then stood up, grabbing a bottle of alcohol and smashing it down on her head. Fortunately, Su Yueyue was quick-witted and rolled out of the way in time. The bottle smashed into the table with a loud bang.Brother Hu rushed over just in time and shouted, "Hey, stop it, you—"He stopped halfway through his sentence. That person was someone he couldn't afford to offend, so he quickly put on a smiling face and said, "Oh, isn't this Young Master Jin? What wind brought you to my humble establishment? I really should have my eyes checked; I didn't recognize you at all."Brother Hu may seem tough to ordinary people, but in front of someone with connections, he's even more polite than a grandson. The young man was thin and wore glasses, looking rather weak, but he pointed at Brother Hu's nose and shouted, "Damn it, Zhang Hu, do you still want to keep your bar open?"Seeing this, Li Nanfang lost interest. He could easily guess what would happen next. Brother Hu would apologize, make Su Yueyue apologize to Young Master Jin, and might even fire her on the spot. Technically, Li Nanfang should have stepped in to help Su Yueyue since they were somewhat acquainted. But when he said he had no money earlier, she didn't offer any help and even called over the tough Brother Hu. Li Nanfang wasn't a petty man, but there were times when he needed to be.He sighed, "It seems the old man has taken all the money from my card. He must have been worried that I'd get distracted and cut off my financial wings to force me to rely on Yue Zitong. Well played, old man."Li Nanfang took out his phone and found Yue Zitong's number, then made a call. He didn't want to bother her at first. If Su Yueyue had covered for him or if Brother Hu had been reasonable, he wouldn't have had to. When he left the president's office, she had asked if he had money, and he had acted all cool, saying something like "Money is just a trivial matter, no need to worry." Now he had to call for help, which was a bit embarrassing.
