27. 10:30, Red Mill

They ate from six to eight thirty, and the atmosphere around the table was quite lively, as people of the same age quickly bonded.

"Shall we go sing next?"

After reaching a consensus in the girls' dormitory, Xu Ya took the initiative to speak up.

Eating a meal like this with eight people, which cost nearly four figures for the spicy crayfish alone, would burden Qiang Zhihao to pay for it all on his own, and everyone felt somewhat uneasy about it.

"Sure, I'll book a private room!"

As soon as Qiang Zhihao heard about the second leg of the evening, he lifted his phone in enthusiasm.

"No need, no need, it's the girls' turn to treat this time."

Xu Ya waved her hands, indicating that she had already booked a spot in advance.

"How can that be! It's not right for girls to pay when we're out having fun..."

The exuberant Qiang Zhihao was cut off halfway through his sentence when Lu Jincheng wrapped an arm around his shoulder and whispered in his ear.

"Stop, stop, stop, have you gotten used to kneeling? Does it make you uncomfortable letting them pay?"

It's all about give and take in social dynamics. The practice of men covering all expenses was already a thing of the past.

The era had discarded traditional male roles without as much as a backward glance.

Lu Jincheng vividly remembered that in his previous life, Hang City once hosted a dating event where admission was free for women and charged for men. Hundreds of women turned up, but not a single man did.

How could the scales of a relationship ever balance without a mutual investment of sunk costs?

Qiang Zhihao didn't insist, and Xu Ya casually picked a KTV nearby. The group made their way south along Xinzhu Road.

In front of the Red Mill KTV.

"The place you picked…it's not this one, is it?"

Lu Jincheng tried to control his emotions, striving not to laugh out loud.

"Yeah, this place is nearby and there are still rooms available. What about it?"

"Nothing, nothing, let's go."

Lu Jincheng shook his head and didn't elaborate any further.

Girls just entering college life could not possibly be aware of the difference between a warehouse-style KTV and a business KTV.

The Red Mill was well-known in Jiang City for its nightlife. An experienced patron had once summarized:

Brilliant stars light up the endless night, beauties like clouds grace the Red Mill; soaring mountains and flowing waters amaze the crowd, clouds and mists spiral around the beams.

It was not yet nine o'clock, too early for the post-drinking revelries and the arrival of VIPs selecting courtesans—having rooms available was certainly not odd.

The group passed through the splendid lobby and were directed to a private room by the staff, where Lu Jincheng immediately pulled a server aside to whisper a caution.

No beauties are to enter this room, just normal drinking and singing, they are all students so don't create a scene.

"It's so lively here, why are there so many sisters in black stockings?"

All the way, Zhang Gaoqiang's eyes gleamed like lightbulbs, never resting.

He and Liu Yisheng, bringing up the rear, suddenly noticed a peculiar scene.

"Damn, look at them—so many are entering room 202!"

Liu Yisheng had never witnessed such a scene before.

Uniform black stockings, sensually alluring high-heeled legs; he seemed to understand in a flash.

Could it be...a company team-building event?

"Let me double-check with you. If there's any issue, just let me know. I'll be on the second floor," the server said.

Lu Jincheng ordered a basic package and also got a complimentary fruit platter from the server, who left the room with a smile and a bow.

In fact, aside from the beauties, the consumption at a business K was rather ordinary.

The only diference between it and a warehouse-style KTV lay in the independent bathrooms available in business Ks or clubs.

"I'll pick the songs first then!"

As soon as the waitstaff left, Qiang Zhihao regained his socialite spirit, grabbed the microphone, and made his way toward the screen, skimming through the options.

"Can you all still drink?"

Zhang Gaoqiang sat next to Xu Ya and inquired proactively of the girls' dormitory.

"We can."

"Should be fine."

Every person had only had less than two bottles apiece. Nobody else seemed affected, but it was Qiu Xue's first time drinking and her cheeks were adorably flushed, her eyes brimming with excitement.

Zhong Ruixi sat at the far end of the sofa, with her arms crossed, not saying a word.

"You guys pick some songs too, I'm done!"

Qiang Zhihao called out and Liu Yisheng, along with Zhang Gaoqiang, joined him at the screen.

To the guys, KTV was a perfect place to showcase their singing and attract girls' attention.

Boys who could sing always had charm!

```

Seeing those upperclassmen with guitars at the freshmen party, you could tell by the number of freshman girls blushing and adding them on WeChat.

"You guys go ahead and sing, we'll listen for a bit~"

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Ni Jiayun waved her hand. Like most girls new to KTV, she was reluctant to sing in front of classmates she just met. It would take a while before she could loosen up and feel comfortable enough.

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"Right, let them sing first, why don't we play a game?"

```

Lu Jincheng had somehow produced a deck of playing cards and, with a smile, got up and sat among the girls.

This was, without a doubt, Mr. Lu's home field.

Whether it was the colorful lights in the private room, the uniformed girls tiptoeing down the hallway, or the small bottled cases of Budweiser on the table, the ubiquitous hazy atmosphere of the night scene made the girls there feel a bit uneasy.

Singing was a solo act; using games to break the ice was the best way to engage everyone in the group.

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"Sounds good, what game, how do we play?"

```

Xu Ya, who had initially stood up to pick a song, also sat back down, seemingly intrigued.

Zhong Ruixi turned her body and leaned in closer.

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"This game is called Half Past Ten, and the rules are simple."

```

Lu Jincheng unwrapped the playing cards and performed an extremely cool aerial tail-flip shuffle that made the girls' eyes sparkle.

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"Cards 1-10 are worth their points, and JQK are each half a point. To sum up, whoever reaches ten and a half points first wins."

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"But you can't go over. Anyone who does must drink a bottle."

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He removed the jokers, leaving only 52 cards, making the game even more thrilling.

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"Let's play a round, and as we play, you'll catch on."

```

Mr. Lu reshuffled the cards and dealt them face up to the four girls and himself one by one.

The hole card, one for each player.

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"I'll randomly cut the deck to draw a community card. Players call drinks in turn to claim the community card. The starting drink is half a cup, and whoever claims it has to drink the number of cups they called. Understand?"

```

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"For example, if I have the 10 of hearts, and I draw a K, then I win the round with ten and a half points, and the winner adds a bottle to the base drink. The rest continue to compete."

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Lu Jincheng pulled out a bottle of Budweiser to demonstrate.

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"Until the community cards are drawn out, everyone reveals their cards to compare. The person with the smallest hand drinks the base drink."

```

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"That's the rules. Simple, right?"

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Half Past Ten is perfect for playing with many people at a party, and it's a game that can easily get you drunk.

Especially when you're targeting someone at the drinking table.

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"Mm-hmm, let's get started!"

```

Xu Ya opened a bottle, eager to try.

Qiang Zhihao's singing inadvertently became the background music for the drinking game. As everyone was playing Half Past Ten for the first time, under the host Mr. Lu's guidance, they had a blast.

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"Half a cup!"

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The host flipped a community card, a Q, which happened to pair with Ni Jiayun's hole card, the 8 of spades. She decisively started to claim it.

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"No way, a full cup!"

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Qiu Xue, having grasped the rules, also revealed a bit of fierceness despite her usual shyness.

She already had the weakest alcohol tolerance. She had to fight to stay afloat; otherwise, she'd have to drink even more after revealing her hand.

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"A cup and a half."

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Zhong Ruixi's hole card was a 9. Her strategy was straightforward: claim nine and a half to avoid losing and dodge the final onslaught of base drinks.

A cup and a half was obviously more worthwhile than a full bottle.

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"What about you?"

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Lu Jincheng looked at Xu Ya.

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"Pass."

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Xu Ya shook her head. Her hole card was too small to make claiming the half-point worthwhile.

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"Two cups."

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It was then Lu Jincheng's turn. His hole card wasn't significant either, a diamond 5, but he still opted to bid.

That's what made Half Past Ten intriguing.

He could easily avoid winning himself, using the rules to make a designated person drink as much as possible.

If Zhong Ruixi wanted to stay in the game this round, a cup and a half would mean she'd have to play, and there was no way she could pass Mr. Lu's move.

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"Fine, two and a half cups!"

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There, Zhong Ruixi bit her lip, thought briefly for a few seconds, and weighed her current chips in hand. The risk was just acceptable.

She glared fiercely at Lu Jincheng, grabbed her cup, and downed it in one gulp.

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"Isn't... isn't this drinking too quickly?"

```

Watching Zhong Ruixi down two and a half cups of Budweiser, Qiu Xue started to panic.

The game really was intoxicating—she couldn't afford to lose!