Chapter 2169: You Are My Only Color 04

Gu Xi knelt on the Carpet of the private room, his expensive suit trousers creased at the knees, his forehead pressed against the cold marble coffee table, cold sweat sliding down his neck into his collar.

His left arm was bent back behind him by Wen Jin's assistant, the joint sending a near-dislocation pain.

Wen Jin sat on the Sofa opposite him, playing with a silver dagger in his hand, the blade flashing a cold light in the dim lamp.

"Brother Jin……no…Master Jin!"

Gu Xi's voice hoarse from fear, yet he forced out a fawning smile, "We've known each other for so many years, we're friends, you know me……this time I was muddle-headed, there will be no next time! I swear!"

He lifted his head, deliberately letting Wen Jin see his trembling fear.

Wen Jin's gaze swept over his face, then he gave a soft laugh.

The dagger's tip lightly lifted Gu Xi's chin, the cold metal gliding over his skin until it rested on his Adam's apple.

"Gu Xi, you're always stupidly unable to hide your lies." The blade pressed slightly, a bead of blood seeping out, "Like now."

Gu Xi's whole body stiffened; as his Adam's apple moved, it scraped the blade, the sharp pain making his pupils contract.

He knew Wen Jin's methods too well; this person never bluffs, saying he'll slit a throat and he actually will.

"Yes! I was wrong! I shouldn't have dealt with Boss Wang behind your back, nor given Wu You a backdoor!"

He spoke hurriedly, yet kept his voice extremely low, "But you know, Wu You……he's been with me for two years, I have to pave a path for him……"

"Pave a path?" Wen Jin suddenly cut him off, the dagger tip sliding from his neck to his shoulder, "Using my money, my connections, my business secrets to pave a path?"

The fabric tore, the blade tracing a line of blood across his chest.

Gu Xi let out a muffled groan, cold sweat soaking his back, yet he dared not struggle.

Wen Jin looked down at him from above.

"Gu Xi, haven't you forgotten? Ten years ago, when loan sharks were chasing you, who pulled you out of the sewage ditch?"

Gu Xi's nails dug deep into his palms.

He certainly remembered that stormy night, Wen Jin standing at the alley entrance under a black umbrella, three thugs with severed hands and feet lying at his feet.

Back then, Wen Jin was not yet the "Master Jin" who struck terror into the underground industry; he was merely a madman who had just taken over the family business, playing the pig to eat the tiger thoroughly and completely, and to this day he has been deceiving all the Wen family members.

"Not forgotten……how could I dare forget!" Gu Xi squeezed out a trembling, choked voice, "Brother Jin! Trust me once more, I'll immediately cut ties with Boss Wang, I'll clean up those matters, I'll never dirty your hands……I can even sign a guarantee!"

Wen Jin suddenly withdrew the dagger.

Gu Xi hadn't even finished exhaling when he heard a hiss.

The blade stabbed into his right palm, which was braced on the ground, piercing straight through flesh and into the floor.

Gu Xi trembled all over, his anguished scream clenched between his teeth, staring at his hand gushing blood.

From beside him came the sound of Wen Jin slowly wiping the dagger.

"Your hand's dirty, how can you sign a guarantee?" Wen Jin tossed the blood-stained handkerchief, flung the dagger onto the Carpet, "Go to the hospital; if you keep bleeding, the Carpet will be ruined."

Gu Xi stumbled to his feet, left hand gripping his bleeding right hand tightly, his suit cuff soaked dark red.

The moment the private room door closed, the pain and humility on Gu Xi's face vanished.

He stared at the light leaking from the door crack, grinding his teeth in a voice only he could hear: "Madman……one of these days……"

Inside the private room.

The club manager came in again, doing his best to ignore the blood smell filling the room, and said softly, "Sir, someone's causing trouble on the third floor."

Wen Jin said nothing, raising his eyes to signal him to continue.

"Young Boss Song got into a fight with another guest, that person compensating for the shattered alcohol……used your black card, looks like a college student."

Upon hearing this, the club manager dared not delay, rushing up to report.

Wen Jin's usually calm eyes rippled, his tone rising.

"……Hmm."

——

Twenty minutes earlier.

On the third floor of Meiye Club, the hallway lights were dim yellow, the Carpet absorbed footsteps, the air floating with a luxurious mix of cigar and alcohol.

Jin Chen stood at the hallway corner, rubbing the black card in his pocket, lowering his gaze to listen to the conversation in the next private room.

Inside the private room, Young Boss Song's voice carried a hint of malice: "Huo Chu, that Liu surnamed guy beside Wen Jin must be eliminated. He holds too many core secrets; if we don't pull out this nail, we'll never get a share."

Huo Chu snorted coldly, his voice hoarse like a rusted blade: "What's the rush? Liu Dang is just a pawn; Wen Jin is the real trouble."

【Matched up! This is the place~】

In the original plot, Liu Dang, a capable lieutenant of Wen Jin in the underground industry, was framed by his peers Song Lin and Huo Chu, who were of equal rank but not valued, making Wen Jin mistakenly believe Liu Dang had leaked secrets and betrayed him, giving him a stern lesson and also eliminating all of Liu Dang's associates.

Even later in the story, after Wen Jin's investigation cleared Liu Dang's name, but under the influence of the world's consciousness, Liu Dang had already become an aid to the protagonist's love interest, Gu Xi.

More bluntly, Liu Dang is the strongest helper sent by the world's consciousness to Gu Xi.

To change this, we must destroy this framing plot at its root.

Jin Chen stepped back two steps, deliberately knocking the metal ornament on the table to the floor with a clatter.

The private room door was flung open, two black-clad guards rushing out to seize Jin Chen's arm: "Who are you?!"

Jin Chen was dragged into the private room, staggering to regain his footing.

Song Lin sat on the leather Sofa, squinting to size him up: "Where'd this rat come from? Eavesdropping?"

Huo Chu leaned against the bar, swirling a glass of whiskey, his gaze coiling around Jin Chen's face like a venomous snake: "Not bad looking."

Even the simplest standard shirt and trousers couldn't hide the youth's tall, slender figure; instead, they gave off an air of pure, clean clarity that made everyone else seem dim.

"He looks young, still a college student? How did he get in here?" Huo Chu's tone was syrupy, yet he couldn't hide the interest in his eyes.

Jin Chen quickly scanned the private room, having formed a plan in his mind; as he looked up, his face showed just the right amount of panic.

"I was just passing by; what right do you have to arrest me?"

Jin Chen struggled backward, seemingly accidentally bumping into the liquor cabinet, a six-figure Macallan 25-year crashing to the floor, glass shards mixing with amber liquid spraying out.

"Damn!" Song Lin cursed.

"Tsk, what a pity." Huo Chu set down his wine glass and walked over to Jin Chen. "Little buddy, can you afford to pay for this bottle of wine? If you can't… how about you compensate me with a night?"

Jin Chen: "……"

You're waiting.

Jin Chen lowered his eyelashes, pulled out the black card that Wen Jin had given him from his pocket, his fingertips trembling slightly: "I'll pay."

Huo Chu's gaze froze the moment his eyes touched the black card.

The lower right corner of the card is engraved with the abbreviation "W. J" of Wen Jin's name; this is the highest-level private account of the Wen Clan Group, with no more than three holders in the entire Cloud City.

"How could you have this card?!" Song Lin jumped to his feet, his voice trembling.

Before they could wait for Jin Chen's answer, they saw he had already swiped the black card through the card reader on the table.

As he turned around again, Jin Chen lightly curled his lips, speaking vaguely: "You guess."