Chapter 98: The Shelter Bar

At that very moment, a mechanical voice suddenly rang in Qin Ze's mind.

【Ding!】

【Congratulations to the Host for fulfilling Lin Xiaoxi's core wish: "Get rid of ex-boyfriend."】

【Successfully triggered Special Cashback: Reward the Host with 100% ownership of the private bar "The Shelter"!】

【Ownership documents and related materials will be changed through legal channels within one hour; the Host can take over at any time.】

Qin Ze was stunned.

He picked up his phone and pretended to browse casually.

He searched for information about The Shelter.

It was on the top floor of the Jinmao Tower on Nanshan Pedestrian Street.

A membership-only private bar that required advance reservations to enter.

It was a T0-level existence in Jiangcheng.

Qin Ze felt a surge of joy.

He had been worried about his tight cash flow these past few days, and now this had been delivered to his doorstep.

He put down his phone, his face remaining calm.

After Lin Xiaoxi threw the pile of things into the trash can, she clapped the dust off her hands and turned around.

"Brother Qin, how is Wu Hao doing now?"

Her tone was calm, but there was still a hint of complexity hidden in her eyes.

Qin Ze leaned against the desk and said casually:

"A pile of external debts, living like a year for every day."

"I'll see him in person tomorrow."

He paused, his voice deepening.

"Let him know the price of harassing you again."

"Then, he will be completely out of your life."

Lin Xiaoxi looked at him, silent for a full five seconds.

Then she let out a long breath.

It was as if she had exhaled everything that had been weighing on her heart for years.

Her whole being felt clear.

"Brother Qin…"

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something to thank him, but the words were swallowed back.

Because she knew that just saying thank you was no longer enough.

Qin Ze waved his hand and changed to a relaxed tone:

"Alright, stop thinking about those unpleasant things."

"You've been busy for so many days, dealing with the apartment matters, and haven't had a good rest."

"Now that these things have been retrieved, you have no more worries."

He looked at her.

"Since I'm free tonight, how about I take you out to have some fun?"

Lin Xiaoxi was stunned for a moment.

"Where to?"

Qin Ze didn't answer directly; instead, he asked:

"Can you drink something cold?"

Lin Xiaoxi was startled, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Can she drink something cold?

Could it be that President Qin… meant that?

After hesitating for two seconds, Lin Xiaoxi finally nodded:

"Yes!"

Qin Ze smiled.

"Then let's go."

Lin Xiaoxi tidied up the desk, grabbed her bag, and followed Qin Ze out of the office.

The two of them walked into the elevator one after the other.

The elevator reached the first floor.

The two walked through the lobby toward the entrance.

However, just as they stepped out of the hotel entrance.

Qin Ze's footsteps stopped abruptly.

Lin Xiaoxi also stopped and followed Qin Ze's gaze.

There, below the steps of the hotel entrance.

A woman was kneeling.

It was his ex-girlfriend, Zhou Ying.

As soon as Zhou Ying saw Qin Ze appear at the entrance, she acted as if she had been injected with adrenaline, scrambled up from the ground, and stumbled over in her high heels.

Then she knelt directly at Qin Ze's feet.

She grabbed his pant legs tightly with both hands, looked up, and tears streamed down her face.

"Qin Ze! I was wrong! I was really wrong!"

Her voice was hoarse, filled with sobbing, attracting the attention of passing pedestrians.

"Everything before was my fault! When I was dating you, I still went to participate in that matchmaking livestream, and I was with other men… I'm not a human being."

"I'm sorry for what I did to you!"

As she spoke, she slapped herself in the face.

"But I really know I was wrong now! I regret it, Qin Ze! I really regret it!"

"Can you forgive me just once?"

"I don't want anything in the future! I don't ask for status! I'll be your beast of burden if I have to!"

"As long as you want me! I'll do anything you ask!"

Zhou Ying cried her heart out, her whole body trembling.

Quite a few people around had stopped and taken out their phones to film.

Lin Xiaoxi stood beside Qin Ze, watching this scene, her brows furrowing slightly.

Qin Ze looked down at Zhou Ying, who was kneeling at his feet.

There was no expression on his face.

"Get up."

His voice was very cold.

Zhou Ying was stunned, thinking Qin Ze had softened, and hurriedly looked up, hope in her eyes:

"Qin Ze, have you forgiven me?"

"I told you to get up."

Qin Ze's tone remained cold.

Zhou Ying bit her lip and slowly stood up.

She stood in front of Qin Ze, head lowered, like a dog waiting for judgment.

Qin Ze looked at her and said word by word:

"Zhou Ying, things between us ended a long time ago."

"From the moment you held hands with someone else on that livestream, you were already a dead person to me."

Zhou Ying's tears fell again.

"But Qin Ze… I really know I was wrong…"

"You know you were wrong?"

Qin Ze sneered.

"Do you know you were wrong, or do you know I bought a BMW?"

Zhou Ying's face turned pale instantly.

Qin Ze didn't look at her again.

He turned around and reached out to put his arm around Lin Xiaoxi's waist.

Lin Xiaoxi's body stiffened slightly, but she didn't pull away.

Qin Ze held her, walked around Zhou Ying, and headed straight for the parking lot.

Zhou Ying stood blankly in place.

She turned her head, looking at Qin Ze's back and the beautiful woman beside him.

Lin Xiaoxi was wearing a black T-shirt, her hair in a low ponytail; she was tall, and her aura was clean.

That face was much more refined than hers.

Zhou Ying regretted it so much her guts turned green.

She watched Qin Ze open the door of the BMW 740, let Lin Xiaoxi sit in the passenger seat, and then walked around to the driver's seat himself.

The engine roared.

The car slowly drove out of the parking lot and disappeared into the night.

Zhou Ying stood at the hotel entrance, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.

She knew.

She would never have another chance in this lifetime.

In the car.

Qin Ze held the steering wheel with one hand, and the car drove steadily onto the main road.

Lin Xiaoxi sat in the passenger seat, silent for a while, before asking softly:

"Brother Qin… aren't you upset?"

Qin Ze glanced at her.

"Upset about what?"

"Just… that… your ex-girlfriend just now…"

Qin Ze smiled.

"What's there to be upset about?"

"She regrets it; shouldn't I feel good?"

Lin Xiaoxi nodded and didn't say anything else.

She knew clearly in her heart.

What Qin Ze meant by putting his arm around her waist at the hotel entrance just now.

He was doing it for Zhou Ying to see.

But she didn't mind.

In fact, she felt a little sweet inside.

The car drove all the way to Nanshan Pedestrian Street.

Qin Ze parked the car and took Lin Xiaoxi into the Jinmao Tower.

The elevator went straight to the top floor.

As the door opened, a low-key yet stylish entrance appeared before them.

At the entrance was a black metal door, with the following written in dark gold font:

The Shelter

A waiter in a black vest stood at the entrance; seeing someone arrive, he smiled and nodded slightly:

"Good evening, sir, miss. Do you have a reservation?"

Qin Ze nodded.

"I have a reservation, under the name Qin."

The waiter checked the system and nodded:

"Very well, Mr. Qin. Would you like to apply for a membership? We are a membership-only club, and first-time visitors need to apply for a membership card."

"Do it."

Qin Ze said it very decisively.

The waiter led him to the front desk, and they processed a membership card.

The annual fee was ten thousand.

Qin Ze didn't even blink when he swiped the card.

Lin Xiaoxi stood to the side, looking at the price, secretly clicking her tongue.

A twenty-thousand membership fee.

Just to get into a bar.

What kind of level was this place exactly?

After the membership was processed, the waiter led them inside.

Pushing open the black metal door, the space inside suddenly opened up.

The bar was very large; the lighting was dim but not oppressive, and there was a warm yellow spotlight above each table.

The decor style was industrial, with abstract paintings hanging on exposed concrete walls, and the bar counter was a single piece of solid wood, polished very smooth.

The liquor cabinet behind the bar was three stories high, densely packed with various bottles.

The lights hit them, creating a shimmering effect.

There weren't many guests, but every table was full.

Mostly young people; the women were dressed exquisitely and beautifully, and the men were all wearing big brands.

The atmosphere of the entire bar was great, with subwoofers playing soothing jazz, and the air was filled with the scent of alcohol and a faint perfume.

This was Lin Xiaoxi's first time in a place like this.

She stood beside Qin Ze, looking around somewhat awkwardly.

"Brother Qin… this place is so high-end."

Qin Ze smiled.

"This is considered a T0-level existence among private bars in Jiangcheng."

The waiter led them to a booth.

The location was on the side of the bar, with the best view of the entire bar, allowing them to see the whole hall and the stage.

Qin Ze sat down, picked up the wine list on the table, and flipped through it casually.

"We came at a good time today; there happens to be a small auction tonight, let's take a look while we're at it."

Lin Xiaoxi was stunned:

"Auction? Here?"

Qin Ze put down the wine list and smiled:

"This is the bad taste of the rich, marketing purely aimed at the wealthy."

"This shop can reach T0 level in Jiangcheng because of this."

"The auction takes some vintage or high-quality, rare-edition brand liquors to auction off."

"First, auctions can make huge profits; things worth a few thousand can be packaged and sold for tens of thousands."

"Second, it attracts customers; some people bid on this liquor just to show off on their social media."

"Think about it, a bar with a private attribute is essentially to make some people who want to show off feel superior and have a sense of spiritual belonging!"

Lin Xiaoxi listened, completely stunned.

She had always been an ordinary worker, earning a few thousand yuan a month; she had never heard of this kind of game.

At this moment, the lights on the stage brightened.

A host in a suit walked onto the stage, holding a bottle of whiskey in a custom wooden box.

The wooden box was dark brown with exquisite patterns carved on the surface, and the bottle inside shimmered brilliantly under the spotlights.

The host smiled and introduced:

"Distinguished guests, welcome to tonight's auction segment!"

"This bottle of whiskey is a single malt from the Scottish Highlands, distilled in 1988, aged for 35 years, with a global limit of only 600 bottles."

"The starting bid for tonight is five thousand yuan!"

A wave of discussion broke out in the audience.

Lin Xiaoxi looked at the bottle of liquor and casually complimented:

"This bottle actually looks quite pretty."