Chapter 3: The Venomous Beauty

After just a brief moment of daze, Brother Long returned to his normal state, though Ye Feng faintly noticed the abnormal expression on his face for that instant. Pearl, on the other hand, continued to smile, with a hint of triumph in her eyes.
“Pearl is indeed a nice name!” Brother Long said with a smile as he took Pearl’s hand. If it weren’t for his unusual reaction earlier, anyone would think he had never heard the name before.
“Xiao Feng, it’s your turn. Go get ready!” At that moment, the bar owner, President Liu, suddenly appeared out of nowhere, grabbed Ye Feng’s arm, and led him quickly toward the stage.
Unprepared, Ye Feng was dragged away by President Liu. Just as he was about to say something, he heard President Liu whisper in his ear, “Don’t speak yet. Follow me!” So he obediently kept quiet.
Once among the crowd, President Liu’s voice came again, “That woman’s name is Pearl. Actually, she has a nickname—Venomous Beauty. An angelic face, a devilish figure, and a heart as venomous as snakes and scorpions. It’s said that at the age of twelve, she learned poison skills from somewhere, and started mixing in the underworld at sixteen. Ten years later, she has already taken nearly a hundred lives—truly a Venomous Beauty. If you don’t want to die, stay away from her and try not to draw her attention.”
“That rumor can’t be true.” Ye Feng was highly skeptical of President Liu’s words, who wasn’t known for being reliable.
“Believe it or not, if she had no background, why would Brother Long react so abnormally upon hearing her name? Because Brother Long has only heard of her name and never met her in person.” President Liu’s explanation finally convinced Ye Feng to a large extent.
“Alright, I won’t tell you too much. Just try not to get involved with her. Go on stage and sing!” By then, the previous performance had just ended. President Liu patted Ye Feng’s back, urging him to go on stage.
“So he’s the resident singer here. A friend introduced me here to listen to music, saying there was a handsome guy who sang very well. I never had the chance to come before, but since I was passing by today, I decided to give it a try. Guess I’m lucky.” Pearl seemed to be talking to herself as she chatted with Brother Long, picking up the cocktail that had just been prepared and taking a sip.
“You, such a busy person, also have free time?” Brother Long asked, picking up his glass as well with a smile.
“I’m at work now…” Pearl turned her head and smiled mysteriously.

“Oh…” Brother Long wasn’t fooled either and simply responded indifferently.
At that moment, President Liu’s voice rang out again, drawing their attention.
“Now, it’s time for our weekly song-request session. As usual, the highest bidder gets the final say. The session begins now…”
As soon as President Liu finished speaking, chaotic bidding began:
“Five hundred…”
“One thousand…”
“One thousand two…”
“One thousand eight…”
……
……
“Ten thousand!” A not-so-loud female voice silenced everyone, and everyone turned to look at Brother Long and Pearl.
“Ten thousand already—someone offered ten thousand. Is there anyone who’ll bid more?” President Liu’s annoying voice rang out again, but this time there was only silence.
Brother Long turned to look at the woman beside him, then called out in a somewhat lazy tone, “Twenty thousand!”
Pearl was slightly surprised by Brother Long’s bid. She glanced at Ye Feng on stage, who frowned slightly at Brother Long, then turned back to look at Brother Long staring at his glass, a smile appearing on her lips. “Fifty thousand!”
“One hundred thousand!” Without hesitation, Brother Long called out as soon as Pearl finished speaking.
“Twenty…” Before Pearl could finish speaking, Brother Long interrupted her.
“I meant in dollars!” Brother Long smiled at Pearl. “If you’re willing to bid more, I’ll back out.”
“I can’t compare to Brother Long’s wealth. I’m just a humble worker—there’s no way I can compete with you as a boss!” Pearl said with a natural smile.
“You’ve come from afar as a guest, so I should treat you well. Let this song be a gift from me to you!” Brother Long said, wearing a strange smile.
“Well, what song are you going to give me?” Pearl was curious about the answer.
“‘Fox Spirit’—I think the title suits you well!” Brother Long stood up smiling and walked toward the song-request desk.
Pearl smiled indifferently, watching Brother Long walk away. As if talking to herself, she said, “‘Scorpio Butterfly’ might suit me better…”
……
After requesting the song, Brother Long didn’t return to the bar. Instead, as usual, he sat alone in a central spot near the stage.
Pearl kept watching Brother Long from afar. After the song ended, her smile grew even brighter.

“Handsome guy, I was wondering if you have time this evening. I really like your songs. Let’s have dinner together, and I can introduce you to some friends in the entertainment industry.” After Ye Feng left the stage, Zhenzhu stepped forward on her own initiative.

“Sorry, Xiao Feng has already agreed to have dinner with me. Even beautiful women have to wait in line!” Long Ge stepped between the two before Ye Feng could speak.

“I see. I don’t have anything planned for tonight either. Can I join you…” Zhenzhu persisted.

“No way. It’s a date between the two of us—no third parties needed!” Long Ge refused outright.

“Hehe…” Zhenzhu covered her mouth and laughed. “If that’s the case, then… I’ll leave you alone.”

“Handsome guy, if you need me in the future, call me.” Zhenzhu said as she took out a business card from her wallet and handed it to him.

Before Ye Feng could reach for it, Long Ge snatched it and didn’t give it to him.

“Long Ge, that business card isn’t for you…” Zhenzhu still smiled.

“Is it wrong if I’m jealous?” Long Ge turned away and said to Ye Feng, “From now on, don’t accept business cards from women, especially pretty ones! Only those approved by me can be kept; the rest should be thrown in the trash!”

Ye Feng wore an innocent expression, his eyes secretly glancing at the business card several times.

After learning that this woman might use poison, Ye Feng understood Long Ge’s intention—he was worried she might tamper with the business card, so he took it. Yet their conversation gave Ye Feng chills. He thought to himself, “Long Ge’s weird sense of humor remains the same…”

“Long Ge’s discipline is really strict. Alright, I’ll get in touch if I need anything.” Seeing that Long Ge had spoken so firmly, Zhenzhu knew the conversation couldn’t continue. She waved briefly at the man behind her and then turned to leave.

Not far from the entrance of Emperor Bar, at a corner, Zhenzhu put on sunglasses that covered half of her face. Amu bowed slightly in front of her.

“Long Tian is indeed not an easy guy. Send someone to investigate that Ye Feng thoroughly. Don’t alert him prematurely. You can assign Qing Lang to handle this. You have other tasks to attend to!” Zhenzhu’s gaze carried a warning tone. “Let me know right away if there’s any news from Qing Lang. But make sure that guy doesn’t act on his own—if things go wrong, he’ll be eliminated by the organization.”

“I got it, I’ll tell him!” Fine beads of sweat appeared on the man’s forehead.
Inside the bar, Lao Liu, Ye Feng, and Long Ge gathered together.
“What were you doing just now? If she offered ten thousand, let her pay it!” Ye Feng was frustrated by Long Ge’s behavior.
“This is my territory. How can I show weakness in front of a woman?” Long Ge said nonchalantly.
“Is that woman really known as the Viper Beauty?” Ye Feng stopped arguing about the previous topic, knowing that Long Ge’s machismo wouldn’t change easily.
With an indifferent expression, Long Ge asked, “Did Lao Liu tell you about her?”
“Yes, I’m the one who told him,” Lao Liu nodded, then turned to Long Ge. “Long Ge, what do you think of my bar?”
“It’s great. Making ten million in revenue a year shouldn’t be a problem!” Long Ge looked up at the intricately decorated dome.
“What if I give it to you?” Lao Liu’s words left both Long Ge and Ye Feng astonished.
“Have you gone crazy?” Long Ge stared at Lao Liu in shock.
“One question—do you want it or not?” Lao Liu wore a strange smile.
“President Liu, isn’t business going well? Why…” Ye Feng was confused.
“I want to live longer. Compared to money, life is more important. Since you’ve angered that woman, it’s better for me to stay away. I plan to leave tonight.”
“You’re not serious, are you? She’s clearly after me. If trouble comes, it will only be me. Don’t worry! If she dares to touch you, I, Long Tian, will be the first to object!” Long Ge patted Lao Liu’s shoulder.
“Long Ge, I know you’re loyal, but after living for so long and having enough money, it’s time for me to retire and enjoy life. I’ve actually been thinking about leaving for some time now; this is just an excuse.” Lao Liu shook his head. “Let’s transfer the bar to you. If you can’t find someone suitable to manage it right away, just close it for now and have it renovated so it doesn’t look like it’s shut down. In ten days or half a month, you should be able to find the right person. The employees here are good people. If you want, keep them—some of them have worked for me for years…”
“Then, Uncle Liu, where are you planning to go?” Ye Feng couldn’t help but ask.

“Don’t ask about this. If fate brings us together again, we’ll meet then.” Old Liu grinned, showing his yellow teeth. “By the way, Xiao Feng, next time we meet, don’t call me President Liu—just call me Uncle Liu. I have something here for you…”