"Mr. Feng, I believe in rewarding merit and punishing faults. I heard that Ma Shuai invited you to Chen City recently?"
I initially thought Mr. Hua was going to talk about Li Li, but unexpectedly, he mentioned Ma Shuai.
It seems like during this period, my entire family history has been thoroughly investigated.
"Yes, our families have been friends for generations. Uncle Ma had some health issues, so I helped him with some treatments," I said.
"Generational friendship or not, Little Feng, as long as I'm here, you can refuse him in the future. Others might fear the person behind him, but I don't!" Mr. Hua said calmly.
Even the way he addressed me had subtly changed.
"Mr. Hua, it's fine. I earned a hundred thousand in those two weeks!" I replied.
"Isn't that a hundred thousand in exchange for losing your freedom for half a month?"
Mr. Hua shook his head and said, "Here's the deal. You can take on the title of health consultant at Jinyu's club, and I'll pay you a million a year. Plus, Jinyu will introduce you to some clients in the entertainment industry. Those celebrities, they all play hard, and few of them are in good health!"
"Alright, thank you, Mr. Hua!" I said.
I didn't refuse, nor could I. I had already turned down Mr. Hua's face regarding Ma Shuai, and refusing again would seem ungrateful.
The key is, Mr. Hua didn't even give me a chance to refuse; he spoke in a commanding tone.
I've also learned a bit about Xiao Jinyu during this time.
Regarding her, my opinion is the same as Mr. Li's. I can't quite understand why Mr. Hua is interested in her.
The club Mr. Hua mentioned isn't a small one; it's one of the four top clubs, on par with the Meizhou Club I had visited before, called the Chang'an Club.
After leaving the study, I exhaled deeply. In the eyes of people like Mr. Hua, who were born with a silver spoon, people like us are just cattle and horses.
In this regard, Mr. Hua is just like the big shot behind Ma Shuai.
That's why they can't easily accept rejection from others.
However, compared to Ma Shuai, Mr. Hua doesn't intend to do anything to me. He sees me as someone like Old Liu, someone to spend money on when there's nothing else to do, and to call upon when there's a health issue.
The next afternoon, I was picked up by a car and taken to the Chang'an Club.
This time, it wasn't Mr. Hua who sought me out, but Mrs. Xiao.
Compared to Mr. Hua's domineering indifference, Mrs. Xiao treated me like her son's savior.
For the health consultant position Mr. Hua mentioned, she personally accompanied me to handle the paperwork. I thought that would be the end of it, and I would return to the clinic and receive my monthly payment while she continued her life as a socialite.
What I didn't expect was that after the paperwork was done, she said to me, "Thirteen, what Third Master gives you is his business. Now, let's see what I have for you!"
"Huh?"
I was a bit confused.
"What's with the 'huh'? You call me sister, and as your sister, I can't treat you poorly. Besides, we're both from the Northeast, open and straightforward. Stick with me, and you'll have plenty of benefits!"
Mrs. Xiao patted my shoulder and led me outside.
Calling her sister was something that happened a few days ago.
While giving acupuncture to her child, we chatted, and she found out I was only twenty-five and also from the Northeast. She asked me to call her Sister Yu, saying it felt more intimate. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
I had no choice but to call her Sister Yu.
After leaving the club, in less than twenty minutes, we stopped outside a storefront very close to her home on the East Third Ring.
After getting out of the car, I looked at the sign hanging above the storefront and felt a bit dazed. The sign clearly read: Fengsheng Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinic.
"Thirteen, how about it? Better than your little clinic, right?"
Mrs. Xiao smiled and said, "The clinic has three floors and over two hundred square meters, plus a basement. You don't have to worry about being too busy. I've asked Old Liu to help find doctors and nurses to staff it!"
"For regular patients, let the resident doctors handle them. Your future task is simple: focus on high-end clients!"
"Oh, and don't worry about the rent. I've paid for ten years!"
"Sister Yu, where do I have high-end clients?"
I said with a wry smile.
This gift was quite substantial. This place is in the heart of the capital, and the rent for ten years must be in the tens of millions.
And paying for ten years upfront probably involved some maneuvering or was due to Mr. Hua's influence.
"How can you say that? Isn't my son Xiao Bao your high-end client?" Mrs. Xiao said.
"Yes, Xiao Bao is!"
I nodded with a wry smile.
I now somewhat understand Mrs. Xiao's intentions.
Those who rely on their looks will find that as beauty fades, so does affection, and when affection fades, so does favor.
She's not young anymore, nearing forty, and in terms of beauty, she can't compete with the young girls. Mr. Hua could find another mistress at any time.
The reason Mr. Hua listens to her now is that among all his women, she's the only one who bore him a son.
And her generosity towards me is also because of this son.
It seems she's been frightened by this recent illness.
If something were to happen to her son, her fate would be predictable.
From here to her villa, it would take only ten minutes if we hurry.
So, everything she's doing is for her son.
Mr. Li said Mrs. Xiao lacks great wisdom but has some cleverness.
Now it seems, a little cleverness isn't bad.
Accompanied by Mrs. Xiao, I toured the store. Three floors, with a back entrance for important clients, who can enter through the back door, ensuring complete security.
Especially the third floor, which is very private. Get faster updates on g.com.
"Are you satisfied?"
After the tour, Mrs. Xiao asked proudly.
"Satisfied!"
I pretended to be happy and nodded.
To be honest, I'm not satisfied.
It might sound pretentious, but accepting this clinic means being tied to Mrs. Xiao.
Even if I'm not satisfied, I have to smile. As the saying goes, it's better to offend a villain than a woman, especially a woman like Mrs. Xiao, who has resources and a small mind.
What can I do? I'll just take it one step at a time!
"Let's go!"
After leaving the store, Mrs. Xiao pointed to the car.
"Where to?" I asked.
"Aren't you complaining about the lack of high-end clients? Sister will introduce you to some resources!"
Mrs. Xiao said with a smile.
"What resources?" I asked.
"You'll know when you get there!" Mrs. Xiao replied.
Half an hour later, Mrs. Xiao led me into a small banquet hall in the Chang'an Club. As soon as we entered, several women who had been waiting there quickly stood up.
Two of these women looked a bit surprised when they saw me, but they quickly regained their composure.
These two were none other than the superstar Ye Yingzi and Xia Wen.
Besides them, among the remaining three women, there was one I recognized, named Liu Mochou, from Hong Kong.
Liu Mochou's kidnapping case back in the day caused quite a stir.
After my college entrance examination, I hung out with Fatty Lin for a while. He had a tabloid from Hong Kong that reported the kidnapping case in great detail, with photos.
Let's put it this way, Liu Mochou is considered the first celebrity kidnapping case.
It's not that other celebrities haven't been kidnapped, but her case was the most sensational.
The other two, I didn't recognize, but it was clear that the one who looked less attractive had a more commanding presence and a bigger attitude.
Through introductions, I learned that the less attractive one was named Deng Wenwen, whose husband is an international tycoon holding several news groups.
The other one is also a well-known figure in the industry, known as the fashion godmother, currently serving as the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, named Qiu Mang.
These women are Mrs. Xiao's biggest resources in the entertainment industry right now.