Chapter 295

“Hehe!” Xie Wendong laughed. “Don’t be polite—I’m treating. I won’t harm you.” He poured two glasses of red wine, placed them on the table, and sat down slowly across from the girl.

He took a sip and asked, “Well, have you made up your mind?” The girl didn’t answer. Instead, she asked, “Are you really the leader of the North Hongmen?” Xie Wendong shrugged. “What does that matter?” “If you are, I have no choice. If you’re not, I still have a chance to resist,” she said slowly, word by word. Xie Wendong shook his head with a smile. “It seems I can only disappoint you.” With his own confirmation, the girl’s hopes plummeted. She asked, “I really can’t tell. You’re so young, yet…”

Xie Wendong waved his finger, his tone calm but his eyes still sharp. He said slowly, “A person’s position isn’t determined by their age. Those who do nothing, no matter how old they are, will achieve nothing.” The girl stared at him, at his narrow, gleaming eyes. After a while, she suddenly said, “My name is Jiang Lin.” Xie Wendong wasn’t interested in her name and stayed silent, waiting for her to continue. Seeing no reaction from Xie Wendong, Jiang Lin felt slightly disappointed. With a wise smile, she said, “Mr. Xie, could you tell me why you bought the flowers? Flowers may be profitable, but I don’t think they’re valuable enough to make the head of the North Hongmen go to such lengths.” Xie Wendong nodded inwardly—Jiang Lin was indeed a smart woman. He leaned back and said, “I just arrived in Shanghai with no connections, but I have many subordinates. I had to find a place for them to settle down.” Jiang Lin was stunned. “So, did you spend six million just to buy a ‘hotel’?”

Xie Wendong nodded seriously. “You could say that.” “Then why me?” “Because I like you.” That was the simple answer. Xie Wendong narrowed his eyes. Jiang Lin’s mind raced, and suddenly she said, “How about we cooperate?” “How?” “I can lend you the flowers unconditionally. You can use them as long as you want, however you want.” Xie Wendong smiled upon hearing this. There are no free lunches—he understood that. He took a sip of wine and asked, “So what do you want?”

“You!” Jiang Lin’s eyes gleamed as she said, “I need your support, full support if necessary.” Seeing Xie Wendong’s indifferent expression, she added, “Of course, if you disagree, I can easily sell the flowers to someone else at a much higher price.” Xie Wendong sneered and said, “I’m afraid by then you’ll have the money but not the luck to enjoy it.” “At least it’s better than swallowing my anger!” Jiang Lin’s gaze was firm, and she showed no fear. She wanted Xie Wendong to know she wasn’t joking.
What a stubborn woman! Xie Wendong shook his head secretly, pondered for a while, then asked, “What kind of support do you want from me?” Seeing signs of hesitation in him, Jiang Lin was pleased but kept a straight face. She said, “I’m smart. If it were just about strength, the scale of Fresh Flowers could be much larger than it is now. I want to expand, but I’m restricted by local gangs. Although I know many people in the underworld, most of them are unreliable. If I can cooperate with you, we can overcome this limitation. That way, you get what you want, and I get what I want—it’s beneficial for everyone.” Xie Wendong was stunned. Now, he had to take this woman seriously. She was by no means as simple as he had imagined—she was intelligent and ambitious. The reason Xie Wendong had reached his current position was precisely because of these qualities, plus a bit of luck. He scratched his head and slowly said, “What you say sounds quite reasonable.”
“Actually,” Jiang Lin said, winking, “if we cooperate, my success will be your success. Think about it—when Fresh Flowers has branches everywhere in Shanghai, won’t your Hongmen’s influence also extend throughout the city? And I’m smart. With your hidden support, I believe I can achieve this quickly.”

“Sigh!” Xie Wendong let out a sigh and muttered to himself, “It’s indeed tempting. It seems I have no reason to be decisive.” With that, he drained the wine in his cup in one gulp. Sanyan, who had stood silently behind him, suddenly pulled out a gleaming machete, his expression fierce and his tone chilling as he said coldly, “My knife won’t kill a woman so easily either.” Jiang Lin’s expression changed slightly; she could even sense the murderous aura emanating from him, but she had to endure it. Her face quickly regained its composure as she forced herself not to look at Sanyan or the knife in his hand, keeping her gaze fixed on Xie Wendong’s face. With regret, she said, “I believe Mr. Xie could kill me without any effort, but doing so won’t benefit you at all. Instead, it will cost you one of the best partners in Shanghai.” “Hehe!” Xie Wendong smiled broadly but said nothing. He simply poured himself another drink and turned to head upstairs. Sanyan didn’t hesitate; he rushed to Jiang Lin’s side, raising the blade, ready to strike at any moment. Jiang Lin’s heart was in her throat, her underwear soaked with sweat, yet not a trace of panic appeared on her face. She called out to Xie Wendong as he prepared to go upstairs, “It seems I really misjudged people.” Xie Wendong slowly turned around and looked at Sanyan, asking with a smile, “How about her?” “Not bad!” Sanyan’s expression changed instantly, from gloomy to bright. He sighed, “She’s brave, clever, and ambitious—she’s suitable for cooperation.” “Mm!” Xie Wendong nodded and looked at Jiang Lin, raising his cup. “Let’s do as you suggested!” After saying that, he took a sip, nodded, and, regardless of what Jiang Lin wanted to say, slowly went upstairs. Jiang Lin glanced at Xie Wendong, then at Sanyan, who had already put away his knife. It took her a while to realize what had happened—she had just been on the verge of death and returned. Only then did she feel fear. She slumped in her chair, her legs trembling uncontrollably, as if all her strength had been drained. Sanyan modestly stretched out his hand and said, “From now on, we’re friends.” Jiang Lin looked at his large hand and weakly shook it, murmuring, “You guys really have a unique way of treating friends.”

That night, Huaxian closed early. Yet inside, it was bustling with activity—crowds filled the hall; upon closer inspection, there were no fewer than three hundred people. This was a dinner specially prepared by Jiang Lin for the Beihongmen. Xie Wendong sat on the second floor and could faintly hear the sounds of drinking games from below. Feeling relieved that he had finally taken care of those hundreds of brothers, he no longer had any worries. In a good mood, he drank without getting drunk easily. Jiang Lin kept toasting him repeatedly. After a bottle of red wine and five bottles of beer, she still wasn’t tipsy, speaking clearly and joking cheerfully. Xie Wendong thought to himself that this woman wasn’t only sharp-tongued but also had a strong tolerance for alcohol. Noticing Xie Wendong staring at her, Jiang Lin smiled and said, “Brother, why are you staring at me? Could it be you’ve fallen for me?” A meal like this could bring strangers closer, and with the influence of alcohol, people might say things they wouldn’t normally dare. Jiang Lin was clever, but she couldn’t overcome the power of alcohol—she even started calling Xie Wendong “brother.”

Xie Wendong was from the Northeast and already had the straightforwardness of a northerner. He didn’t mind and shook his head with a smile, saying, “It’s not that I’m in love. I’m just curious—how did you manage to open such a large hotel?” Jiang Lin’s eyes sparkled. Though her appearance wasn’t particularly beautiful, her innate noble aura cleverly made up for it, exuding a dazzling charm in every gesture. She smiled and said, “I have capital.” “Oh? What kind of capital?” Xie Wendong asked. “My body!”

Indeed! This was the only area where women could have an advantage over men. Xie Wendong laughed heartily and said, “That’s why women can start businesses smoothly, while men face challenges and injuries along the way.” Jiang Lin smiled proudly, took a sip of wine, and said, “Only smart women know how to use their bodies—something men can see but not touch.” Li Shuang, who was listening, burst into laughter and raised his glass, saying, “To cunning women!” He didn’t care how Jiang Lin had gotten close to Xie Wendong; as long as Brother Dong did something, he considered it right. If there was food to be had, he could even forget everything else.

They drank from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m. Every table was in disarray, and it was even more lively under the tables, with occasional sounds of people sleeping soundly.

Jiang Lin had drunk quite a bit; she couldn’t even remember exactly how much. Seeing that it was getting late and everyone else was nearly done drinking, Xie Wendong asked them to leave and rest. Glancing at Jiang Lin, who was slumped over the table in a daze, he shook his head with a wry smile, shook her gently, and said, “I’ll take you home.” Fortunately, Jiang Lin wasn’t unconscious. With her drunken eyes, she looked at Xie Wendong and asked, “What time is it?” “Two in the morning,” Xie Wendong replied, turning his head aside. Though he didn’t want to, he was even more afraid of losing control. Jiang Lin’s face was pink, her bright eyes misty, making her even more enchanting. Her red lips were slightly parted, exuding a delicate fragrance that made one want to bite them fiercely. Her collar buttons were undone, revealing a rounded shape beneath. Thankfully, Xie Wendong had strong self-control and traditional values; despite the effects of alcohol, he managed to stay in control.

“No… I don’t want to go home!” Jiang Lin stood up unsteadily, then stumbled and fell into Xie Wendong’s arms. Xie Wendong sighed. She was beautiful, but unfortunately, he wasn’t meant to enjoy her. He snapped his fingers to call a waiter and asked, “Which room does your boss usually stay in? Take me there.”

The waiter was a girl in her twenties. She glanced at Xie Wendong, then at her boss lying in his arms, her face turning red as she timidly said, “Please follow me.”

The waiter led him to the end of a corridor lined with private rooms. Xie Wendong glanced around and noticed stairs leading to the third floor. Unfamiliar with the layout, he asked, “Is the third floor also yours?” “No, not entirely,” the girl replied. “Only a small part belongs to us.” With that, she led him up to the third floor. There was just one corridor on the third floor, with seven or eight rooms on either side. The girl stopped at one of the rooms and said, “When the boss isn’t at home, he usually stays in this room.”

Xie Wendong nodded, waving his hand to show he understood. But the waitress misinterpreted his gesture and hurriedly ran downstairs. Xie Wendong sighed amusedly, pushed the door open, and helped Jiang Lin inside. From the outside, the house seemed small, but inside, it was actually quite spacious—comprising a living room and a bedroom, with a kitchen and bathroom as well. Xie Wendong found the switch, turned on the light, and looked around. He nodded in approval—the decor was as simple and practical as Jiang Lin herself, with few fancy items. After finally getting her onto the bed, Xie Wendong was drenched in sweat. Just as he was about to leave, he felt his sleeve being grabbed. Turning around, he saw Jiang Lin looking at him with big, pleading eyes. Confused, he asked, “What’s wrong?” After hesitating for a while, Jiang Lin slowly said, “I… I need to use the bathroom…”

Xie Wendong widened his eyes, waiting for her to continue, but after a long silence, she said nothing more. He had to ask, “And then?” “But I also feel really dizzy, so…” “So!” “Ugh, really, just help me!” Jiang Lin rolled her eyes at him. Sigh! Women! Xie Wendong tilted his head and stared at her for a while before reluctantly helping her up. Once in the bathroom, just as he was about to leave, Jiang Lin asked, “Where are you going?” “Sorry!” Xie Wendong said slowly, “I’m not used to watching people use the bathroom.” “But if you leave, how am I supposed to take off my pants!?” “Pfft!” Xie Wendong almost spat blood and asked, “Miss, weren’t you the one who asked me to help you take off your pants?”

“I can’t stand up!” Jiang Lin said coquettishly. Xie Wendong opened his mouth, looking at her serious face, unsure whether she was truly drunk or pretending to be. “Do you know you’re pushing me to the limit?” Xie Wendong gave his final warning. After all, he was a man, and a man with normal physical instincts—he feared he wouldn’t be able to withstand such stimulation.

It wasn’t until nearly 3 a.m. that Xie Wendong finally left Jiang Lin’s room. He was secretly relieved that Jiang Lin didn’t have the habit of taking a bath before bed; otherwise… he felt he might have collapsed. After Xie Wendong left, Jiang Lin’s previously drunken eyes suddenly became clear and bright, devoid of any cloudiness. Watching him disappear outside, a strange emotion arose in her heart. She believed no man in the world could resist her temptation. Although she had never given her body to anyone before, this made her even more confident. But Xie Wendong was an exception—a seemingly unreasonable one.