Chapter 103: The Hundred Affairs Club

Under the guise of needing to recuperate from his severe injuries, Li Xin found himself with nothing to do for the time being. With no new orders from his superiors and the "King of Games" entering a cooldown period, he logged out of the game.

He checked on Wang Xiaoqian, but seeing her still wearing her VR headset, he didn't disturb her and returned to the courtyard.

It was late autumn, and the onset of early winter brought a biting chill. A cold wind whistled past, stinging his cheeks like a blade, making his jaw ache after only a few moments.

It was 5:00 PM, and since Wang Huiyan was also away, Li Xin stood up and headed toward the pharmacy. Before he even reached the door, he could hear the girls’ chatter, punctuated by their melodic, bell-like laughter.

"What are you all laughing about? So happy?" he asked, waving his arm as he stepped inside.

Today was Wednesday, and with few patients seeking medicine, Li Yao, Wang Huiyan, and their visitor Jiang Ke'er had been huddled together, gossiping. The atmosphere, initially warm, turned icy the moment he entered.

Dr. Chu and Zhang Gui, along with the others, pretended to be busy on the other side of the room while secretly observing the scene like spectators at a play.

"Uh..." Li Xin rubbed his nose awkwardly. "I’m not the Big Bad Wolf, you know. Is all this necessary?"

"Of course it is!" Li Yao stamped her foot indignantly and turned her head away.

"Oh, it's time—I need to prepare dinner, so I'm off to buy groceries," Wang Huiyan said with a playful flick of her tongue, quickly making her exit.

Jiang Ke'er just giggled but didn't say anything immediately.

Standing there in awkward silence, Li Xin wiped the sweat from his brow, ready to turn and leave.

"Brother Li!" Jiang Ke'er suddenly darted forward and grabbed his arm.

Coincidentally, his thick arm became wedged right between her soft breasts. Even though it was early winter, Jiang Ke'er, like many fashion-conscious girls, was dressed quite lightly. Li Xin felt the soft, supple sensation against him.

It was truly exquisite.

"Hmm... not very old, but quite well-endowed," Li Xin muttered to himself, subtly comparing her to Wang Xiaoqian in his mind.

In the end, Jiang Ke'er won.

Noticing everyone watching him, Li Xin cleared his throat and pulled his arm away.

"If you have something to say, let’s go to the backyard."

"Okay."

The two moved to the backyard, leaving Dr. Chu and the others beaming. Their boss’s personality had changed drastically lately; he was much more cheerful, his physical condition seemed to have improved, and his overall spirits were higher.

"Laugh, go ahead, keep laughing!" Li Yao snapped, feeling sullen.

On the other side, the three doctors looked at Zhang Gui and goaded him: "Go on, what are you waiting for? This is your chance."

After hesitating, Zhang Gui picked up a cup of herbal tea and walked over.

...

"What? An invitation to go to HZ for a club event?"

In the backyard, Li Xin stared at Jiang Ke'er, stunned. Having been forced to agree to things by Wang Xiaoqian just that afternoon, he found it remarkable that they were already inviting him to an event; they certainly didn't waste time.

He had no intention of going. He rarely attended such events even in the past, let alone now that he was retired.

"Ke'er, tell your cousin that I’ll show up for the competition, but as for the event, forget it. I don't like noisy environments."

Jiang Ke'er just kept giggling, as if she had expected this.

"Brother Li, the life-or-death elimination tournament is the day after tomorrow. If you go today, we can get you settled in, and you won't have to rush back and forth for the match."

"Uh..." Li Xin was speechless.

"You guys really know how to plan," he said, feeling like he’d been played.

Thinking that there was nothing going on in the game for the moment, Li Xin agreed. He didn't dare refuse a task assigned by Wang Xiaoqian; that woman was a ruthless character. Besides, Jiang Ke'er's cousin had been very sincere, and it would be impolite to keep refusing.

After a quick pack of two sets of clothes and grabbing his helmet, Li Xin prepared to drive.

"Brother Li, ride with me," Jiang Ke'er offered, pulling up in a small Volkswagen Polo.

The car was just like her—young and full of energy. Fortunately, there was no Hello Kitty decor, or Li Xin might have lost his mind. Despite her youth, Jiang Ke'er’s driving skills were unconventional, weaving through traffic with rapid, fluid movements.

Several times, Li Xin felt they were on the verge of a collision.

Before long, they were out of the city and onto the highway. It was 6:00 PM, and with the traffic thinning out, Li Xin finally relaxed.

"Ke'er, are you flying this car?"

"Hee hee, how did you know?" Jiang Ke'er’s eyes curved into crescents.

"If you keep driving like this, something bad will happen," Li Xin warned out of kindness.

"Don't worry, nothing will happen," Jiang Ke'er said with total confidence.

Li Xin was speechless. He did the math: Wujiang was 160 kilometers away from HZ, taking at least an hour and a half, so he leaned back in his seat and drifted into a nap.

While playing the game wasn't physically exhausting, it was mentally draining. He had long since developed the habit of taking a short nap after gaming.

Meanwhile, at the West Lake Park pedestrian street in HZ, the area was bustling with life and popularity.

This was the start of the nightlife, a paradise for those who lived for the dark hours. The nearly kilometer-long street was home to nearly a hundred bars of all sizes—calling it a "bar street" would be more accurate.

Despite the early winter, the weeping willows along the riverbanks remained lush, seemingly untouched by the cold. The lake reflected the brilliant lights, making the entire West Lake look enchanting.

Locals and tourists alike flocked to the area. With hundreds of diverse bars standing side by side, newcomers were often left in a daze. Antique, vibrant, fresh, or elegant—the decorations varied, and the atmosphere inside could only be truly felt once you stepped inside.

TNT Bar, one of the largest on the street, had a theme: "Beyond Excitement, Party is King."

Simply put, it was a place for people to let loose and liberate themselves.

Jiang Chuxue had chosen this place so her team members, who were always under high pressure, could relax and leave everything behind. Often, this approach yielded unexpected results.

The four-story building housed the bar on the first floor, KTV rooms on the second and third, and offices on the fourth, along with a few luxury suites for top-tier VIPs.

The Pepsi Club had about 70 members in total; excluding those who were busy, over 60 had arrived. A dozen SUVs were parked in a neat row, and as the crowd marched into the bar, they drew envious gazes and whispers from onlookers.

"The Pepsi Club is really something. With so many people, between the venue rental and the drinks, that’s got to be at least a hundred thousand for the night, right?"

"A hundred thousand? You’re thinking too small. Is Pepsi just a gaming club? They’re backed by several major financial consortiums. Just the annual salaries for the various squad members run into the tens of millions. Could an ordinary group support that?" someone in the know remarked.

Curiosity piqued, the crowd gathered around to hear the insider share stories about Pepsi’s background. Before long, everyone was looking on in shock, whispering in awe.

The Polo exited the highway, and Jiang Ke'er navigated the city streets with ease, searching for the fastest route.