As the doors of the private room swung open, a decor as opulent as a royal palace unfolded before everyone's eyes.
"Is this the '82 Lafite that's all over the internet?!"
"This... This is..."
The liquor on the table, with bottles of '82 Lafite, was only an accompaniment.
At the center of the table, a gilded box adorned with a vividly carved golden dragon conveyed a regal and imperial aura.
"Is that the Han Emperor Maotai?!!!"
Even Zhao Jiahao, at that moment, couldn't believe his eyes and exclaimed in astonishment.
He had mentioned to his uncle earlier that he wanted to win over Sun Anqi today and hoped his uncle could lend some support; he never imagined his uncle would actually bring out this bottle of Han Emperor Maotai, treasured for over a decade.
"Han Emperor Maotai? What's that?"
Someone asked, having only heard of the widely mentioned '82 Lafite but never the term Han Emperor Maotai.
"A single bottle of this could sell for a hundred bottles of '82 Lafite."
Someone else replied, voice trembling.
To say the Han Emperor Maotai could be valued by the drop was no exaggeration!
A single drop of this liquor was equivalent to the daily, and sometimes even weekly, living expenses of these people!
"Heh, it's just a bottle of liquor, what's the fuss?"
Zhao Jiahao chuckled, seemingly having forgotten his earlier stiff-faced and short-breathed appearance, as he sauntered into the room.
Seeing his lead, the others followed into the room.
Initially, since most had never witnessed such luxury, there was a sense of awkwardness, but after a few drinks, they let loose completely.
Under Wang Qian's instigation, Zhou Yun also took a sip of Lafite and choked so hard she was coughing.
At that time, Zhao Jiahao, who had slipped out earlier, came back.
When the door opened, three burly, bald men with dragons, leopards, and tiger tattoos on their muscular shoulders followed him in, all dressed in black vests.
"Brother Dragon, as soon as I saw this bottle, I thought of calling you first," Zhao Jiahao said with a smile, walking up to the table and presenting the box of Han Emperor Maotai to Brother Dragon.
"Brother Dragon?"
Hearing Zhao Jiahao's address for the bald strongman, the young people in the room who hadn't drunk too much sobered up in an instant, their tipsiness vanishing.
"I hear this Emperor Bar is looked after by these three brothers. Usually, no one dares to make trouble here at Emperor Bar," one of them mentioned.
"Isn't that obvious? Brother Dragon has several lives on his back! He's notorious in Jiangzhou City for his ruthlessness. Even Second Master Sun has met with him a few times!"
The words reached Zhao Jiahao's ears, and his smile grew even wider.
"Come on, let me introduce you, these are Brother Dragon, Tiger Brother, and Leopard Brother. They're the ones in charge of Emperor Bar. I'm not bragging, but there are hardly a few in Jiangzhou City who wouldn't fear them when they hear their names," he said.
Originally, he had just invited a few thugs over as a precaution, but when he saw the Han Emperor Maotai, it instantly reminded him to contact Brother Dragon and others whom he had met once before.
At the sight of the liquor box in Zhao Jiahao's hands, Brother Dragon's eyes lit up.
He didn't have many fancy pleasures usually, just a taste for this particular thing. He had heard of the Han Emperor Maotai before but, let alone tasting it, he had never even set eyes on it.
"You're getting the hang of it, kid, making a fortune and still remembering us three brothers," Brother Dragon commented approvingly, patting Zhao Jiahao's shoulder while Tiger Brother and Leopard Brother stepped forward to take the box and opened it.
As the lid was lifted, a rich and intoxicating aroma of liquor swiftly permeated the private room.
At that moment, the scent of '82 Lafite seemed far less fragrant, almost insignificant compared to the commanding aroma of Han Emperor Maotai.
However, Brother Dragon's gaze was not on the mellow liquor but instead on Zhou Yun, who was sitting beside Ye Xiao.
In Emperor Bar, he had indeed seen many fine items, but a young girl like Zhou Yun was a first for him, especially since she was clearly still a fledgling.
"What's up? Got any ideas, Dragon Brother?"
Though Zhao Jiahao felt pained, his true objective today was Sun Anqi. If handing over Zhou Yun could fulfill his wishes, he was willing to accept that.
"This little girl, she's quite pretty."
Dragon Brother chuckled, his one sentence already giving the answer.
Wang Qian and Zhou Yun also noticed Dragon Brother's gaze at this moment, and they instinctively shrank back.
They were both high school students and had never been in such a situation before.
"Don't be shy, little sister. I'm a really nice guy," Dragon Brother said, beaming with joy at the sight of Zhou Yun, knowing from her demeanor that she had no powerful backing—otherwise she wouldn't appear so timid.
As soon as Dragon Brother spoke, some of the boys sitting around the two girls understood the situation and immediately got up to change their seats.
Playing the hero to save the damsel in distress was something they might fancy, but if they actually tried, they wouldn't leave this place alive.
"Big Bro, let's drink first; we have plenty of time today," said Tiger Brother.
Tiger Brother and Leopard Brother had also noticed the stunning Zhou Yun. They poured the drinks into the glasses and came over.
"You..."
Tears were already swirling in Wang Qian's eyes. She could see that no one in this private room would speak up for Zhou Yun.
If she did nothing today, she knew without thinking what would happen to Zhou Yun.
"Don't be scared, little sister. The brothers will make sure you feel very comfortable later," Leopard Brother and Tiger Brother said with sneers. Although Wang Qian wasn't as beautiful as Zhou Yun, she still looked quite appealing and was also a young girl.
"So this is the Emperor Bar you say makes five hundred million a day?" Ye Xiao said, glancing at Liu Feihong who had been standing aside from the start.
Dragon Brother also noticed this ordinary-dressed young man and followed Ye Xiao's gaze, a smile appearing on his lips.
He had thought that Ye Xiao was going to speak to someone important, yet the first thing out of his mouth was the daily income of the Emperor Bar.
However, all he saw was a man in his forties, trembling with cold sweat on his forehead.
"Kid, this is your bodyguard? Didn't you see he's scared out of his wits? Who gave you the courage to play hero here?" Dragon Brother and the other two could not help but smile.
"How foolish can this guy be, talking to an old man who's so scared he can't even speak?" Tiger Brother laughed heartily.
Ye Xiao ignored the mockery, picked up a stemmed glass from the table, and swirled it. "It seems the rumors are true—he really is planning to revolt."
"Boss..."
Liu Feihong's body jolted in disbelief as he looked toward Ye Xiao.
Someone behind the Emperor Bar is planning a revolt?!
"No matter, a large tree always has dead branches; I've expected something like this for years." Ye Xiao shook his head slightly. "Let him come over."
"Yes..."
Liu Feihong, without further words, responded, took out his phone, and dialed a series of numbers.
But before the call could connect, the door of the private room was pushed open from outside.
"There's no need. I'm here."
As the voice sounded, Dragon Brother and his two companions turned to look. Their bodies trembled, and they instinctively stepped back several paces.
"Chairman... Chairman! What brings you here?!"