1 Into the Lion's Den

The college-themed party at the nightclub was in full swing, with young women in various school-inspired outfits adding to the lively atmosphere. The club's manager, Madam Song, led a group of striking hostesses, all slender and elegantly dressed, towards the exclusive VIP area on the third floor. Scarlett trailed closely behind them.

As the door, guarded by bouncers and waiters, swung open, Scarlett stepped in and was immediately met with a taunting voice: "How uncouth! You didn't even bother to change?"

All eyes turned to Scarlett, who was dressed in a simple white shirt and jeans. She looked towards the center of the room, where a man's suit-clad leg was visible. She replied, "I apologize. I had a meeting with Mr. Zhou, and he asked me to meet him here."

"Which Mr. Zhou?" someone asked.

Before Scarlett could answer, the man in the center of the room teased, "Did I arrange that? I don't remember..."

Another person chimed in, half-jokingly, "You forgot right after making the plan, you smooth operator."

The man laughed, "Can't be helped; it happens more than seven times a week."

"Three minutes each time?"

"More like seven times three minutes."

Amidst the laughter, Scarlett remained composed, her expression hidden in the dim light. As the laughter subsided, she calmly stated, "I'm looking for Lucius Zhou."

The room fell silent. After a moment, the man on the sofa looked at her with a probing gaze and asked, "What's your relationship with him?"

It wasn't Scarlett who answered, but a deep male voice from within the room: "Do you want to know what we do in bed together?"

Despite the indifferent tone, the room's atmosphere seemed to thicken, and no one dared to laugh. Everyone held their breath, waiting for what would happen next.

The man on the sofa leaned forward and, with an awkward smile, said to the person in the shadows, "My apologies, Mr. Zhou. It was just a joke." He then picked up a glass of alcohol and downed it in one go.

The room remained eerily quiet, a stark contrast to its previous lively atmosphere. Scarlett followed the man's gaze to the corner of the room, where she could barely make out a figure concealed in darkness. Only the glowing tip of his cigarette revealed his presence.

The tension in the room was palpable. No one dared to speak until Zhou broke the silence. Scarlett's eyes shifted slightly before settling on him, and she smiled, "I'm sorry, Mr. Zhou. My mistake; it's too dark to see clearly. I'll drink as an apology to everyone."

She walked forward, but after taking just a few steps, the indifferent male voice from the shadows said, "Leave."

Scarlett froze in place, not out of fear, but frustration that she couldn't enter the room smoothly. As she racked her brain for a way to stay, Zhou spoke again, his voice neutral: "Look at how the others are dressed. Change your attire and then come back in."

Scarlett glanced at the other hostesses in their various school-inspired outfits before standing still. As everyone waited for her response, she surprised them all with her answer. Looking in Zhou's direction, she asked with a neutral expression, "What style do you prefer, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou didn't reply immediately. The red glow of his cigarette flickered in the darkness for a few seconds before he said, neither eagerly nor disinterestedly, "Surprise me."

Scarlett looked at the tense Madam Song beside her, who didn't even dare to breathe, and said, "Could you please bring me some clothes to change into?" Madam Song, eager to escape the tense atmosphere, nodded repeatedly and agreed.

Before leaving the room, Scarlett didn't forget to politely nod at Zhou, "Please excuse me for a moment, Mr. Zhou."

Once outside the private room, Madam Song breathed a sigh of relief. Her heart was filled with admiration and curiosity towards Scarlett. She wanted to say something, but seeing Scarlett's icy expression, there was no trace of her previous friendly demeanor.

If it weren't for the pressing situation, Scarlett wouldn't have tolerated it all and humbled herself.

After changing into a classic white and blue-edged schoolgirl dress, Scarlett returned to the private room. She didn't know what had transpired during her absence, but the atmosphere seemed to have returned to normal. Men and women were lounging on the long sofa, chatting and playing.

However, this lively atmosphere had nothing to do with the man in the corner.

Ignoring the various looks from the crowd, Scarlett walked directly to Zhou. They were quite close, separated only by a marble table. She could see that Zhou had short hair, a high-bridged nose, and deep-set eyes. Even without seeing his face clearly, she could sense his commanding presence from his masculine features.

Of course, the well-known "Black Wuchang" of Deep City, a nickname alluding to a mythological figure associated with the underworld, was not to be trifled with.

Scarlett smiled, "Mr. Zhou..."

"You're late," Zhou interrupted her.

Scarlett's smile didn't fade; she didn't even try to defend herself. Instead, she said cheerfully, "I'll drink a penalty shot."

"One shot per minute." Zhou replied.

His deep voice was half cold, half sarcastic. Scarlett's smile stiffened imperceptibly, and after hesitating for two seconds, she took out her phone, checked the screen, and said, "Twelve minutes."

Zhou didn't say anything. Scarlett glanced at the various liquor bottles on the marble table and the rows of glasses filled with colorful liquids. They looked like carefully concocted cocktails or perfectly proportioned poison.

Slowly squatting down, she picked up the nearest glass, smiled at Zhou, and said, "Mr. Zhou, this is for you."

As expected, the man on the sofa didn't move or respond, as if silently mocking her. Scarlett didn't mind and brought the glass to her lips, downing it in one gulp.

The man in the shadows watched as the woman in front of him calmly and methodically drank. When she reached the seventh shot, she paused for a few seconds longer but eventually finished all twelve shots.

Scarlett got up slowly, partly because her skirt was short and she didn't want to expose herself, and partly because her heart was racing after downing twelve shots in a row. Waves of heat surged up her face, but she forced herself to remain composed. After a while, she finally heard Zhou say two short words, "Sit down."

Scarlett walked around the table and sat beside Zhou, maintaining a distance of a person and a half between them. Wearing a schoolgirl dress that looked no different from the nightclub hostesses, she spoke calmly, "Mr. Zhou, it's our first meeting, so let me formally introduce myself. My name is Scarlett Li, a double master's degree holder in Mathematics and Physics from Night University, currently a B-level tutor at Hart. I'm delighted to serve you."