I am not just a tycoon

Walking into the nightclub, a blast of 16-degree air hit me in the face, causing goosebumps to rise involuntarily on my bare arms.

The deafening electronic music pounded in my ears, the "thump thump" of the heavy metal drum as if striking at the heart.

Colorful lights filled my vision, and the dance floor was already crowded with scantily clad men and women, their heads bobbing to the beat of the music.

Such an atmosphere really could spike your dopamine levels, especially with many ladies in tank tops and revealing cleavages hanging around the standing tables and booths.

At first glance, they all seemed of high quality, each donning tank tops and short skirts, generous and bold, with every move exuding flirtation.

Shen Yuan had frequented nightclubs before, and he knew that the vibe of a bar could be gauged by the quality of the women—Playhouse was indeed fighting above its weight on that front.

However, upon closer inspection, they were all heavily made up, and with the flattering bar lighting, who knew what they looked like in broad daylight without makeup.

Shen Yuan advanced with his arm around Dong Ya's slender waist, flanked by Xie Chengbo and Xiao Lin in the front, and followed by two bouncers arranged by Xiao Lin.

The procession made Shen Yuan chuckle to himself. He thought, I'm neither a celebrity nor an internet sensation, nor do I have a swarm of fans throwing themselves at me.

This spectacle was bound to attract attention from others as well, quite difficult not to be noticed.

Generally, those escorted in this way held significant clout, so all eyes inevitably drifted towards them.

The guys, having glimpsed the couple in the center, lost interest upon realizing they didn't recognize either one. Some even mocked internally, Who the hell is that? Never seen them before; what's the point of such a grand entrance?

But the women felt their eyes light up because the guy in the middle was not only tall and well-built with good looks and charm, but his smile was roguish as well, and his gaze casually assessed them as if it was almost there and yet not.

That strong douchebag vibe, because even as he was arm in arm with a pretty girl, he still blatantly ogled other women.

That was their first impression of Shen Yuan.

"Chairman Shen, you must frequent places like this, you seem right at home," Dong Ya said with a laugh, having noticed Shen Yuan had sent flirtatious looks to no less than five women just moments before.

"No, actually I rarely come to these kinds of places."

Shen Yuan's gaze continued to roam over the beauties, never one to play the hypocrite—a man who loves to look should look openly. Anyway, the girls were all dressed so coolly.

"I don't believe you."

Dong Ya smiled and pursed her lips. Shen Yuan didn't look like a nightclub newbie at all.

"Don't believe me? What if I spank you to make you believe?," Shen Yuan teased, flicking Dong Ya's nose as he spoke.

"Okay, okay, I believe you," Dong Ya conceded.

Scanning the room, Shen Yuan surprisingly spotted an acquaintance in the standing area. It was a little internet celebrity who had come for Li Yuhang's birthday, called Xiaoman.

Shen Yuan had some recollection of her since she kept sticking close to him last time they were at KTV and kept calling him "brother." Zhou Peiwei had even become jealous because of her.

She was a useful pawn, setting up a nice assist for Shen Yuan.

Now, she excitedly waved at Shen Yuan. As their eyes met, she puckered her lips and pointed at her phone.

Shen Yuan chuckled. She was complaining that he hadn't accepted her friend request last time, but he was picky. Xiaoman's face was all technology and hard work; adding her would be a waste of space on his list.

"Is she another girl you've flirted with?" Dong Ya asked, noticing Xiaoman too.

"No, she tried to flirt with me."

Shen Yuan didn't explain further. The group pushed through the crowd until they reached the side of the DJ booth, climbing several steps to their final destination.

There, only four booths were set up, each much wider than the ones below, but crucially located at a higher elevation, granting an excellent view.

"Chairman Shen, I thought we were going to Playhouse's ordinary booths. I didn't expect it to be a VIP area," Dong Ya commented while clinging to Shen Yuan's arm.

"Is there something special about it?"
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"It's hard enough to book a regular booth at Playhouse. VIP booths require reservations half a month in advance, and even then, it's not guaranteed," Dong Ya explained.

"Oh, got it," Shen Yuan acknowledged.

Xiao Lin led them to VIP booth V02 and explained, "Chairman Shen, this was booked by Mr. Xie. It has the best view in the house. But if you prefer one of the other booths, that wouldn't be a problem, even if they're marked 'Reserved,' we could negotiate for you."

"No need, this one is fine."

Shen Yuan then turned to Xie Chengbo: "Old Xie, you have that much clout? You can swap booths even if they've been reserved by someone else?"

Xie Chengbo scratched his head: "My dad has some shares here, so they let me use the title of Deputy General Manager, which allows me to move things around a bit."

"I had no idea this was part of Old Xie's enterprise."

Shen Yuan, sitting with Dong Ya, wielding power and prestige, noticed that Old Xie's reach was extensive. Aside from his own medical industry, he'd invested in the nightclub business as well.

Xiao Lin picked up the drinks menu and respectfully offered it to Shen Yuan: "Chairman Shen, what would you like to drink?"

Shen Yuan casually flipped through the menu, saw nothing novel, and then said, "Let's start with two sets of Platinum Ace of Spades, and we'll see what my friends want to drink when they arrive."

"Understood."

Xiao Lin conversed briefly with a waiter, who promptly began to take the order with a handheld device.

Playhouse sold Platinum Ace of Spades for 12,800 a bottle, but Xiao Lin showed no surprise. Anyone who could book a VIP booth was clearly not short on funds, especially when treated as a VIP by Mr. Xie.