They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Jiang Han did not rush to answer Wang Jing's suggestion.

He placed the whiskey glass on the coffee table.

I took the opportunity to go to the restroom.

The corridor was quiet.

The floor was covered with a dark gray long-haired carpet, which made no sound when you stepped on it.

Wall lamps are embedded in the wall every few steps.

At the end of the corridor stood a bronze incense burner about half a person's height, burning precious agarwood.

Smoke curled up from the openwork patterns on the stove lid.

Jiang Han stood in front of the sink, turned on the tap, and rinsed his hands with cold water.

A young girl in a cheongsam stood next to me, holding a neatly folded hot towel in her hands.

She bowed slightly and handed over the towel with both hands.

"Sir, please have some!"

Jiang Han took the towel and wiped his hands, and the girl handed him a tissue.

She looked to be in her early twenties.

Her smile was perfect, just like the female celebrities in the private room.

To be honest, Jiang Han was still a little shocked at this moment.

In both his past and present lives, he was a scumbag.

At least he treats women like couples.

At least they address each other as boyfriend and girlfriend.

However, the girl I met tonight was clearly different.

They are not the type of people who simply earn money through their bodies.

What we need is not money, but resources and opportunities.

And the bargaining chips that allow one to stand firm in the industry.

If you're not willing, plenty of girls will be vying for you.

There's a line of people who are more talented than you, younger, and more willing to go all out.

Jiang Han leaned against the sink and took out a cigarette case from his pocket.

Isn't this just another form of competition between women?

In ordinary workplace competition, academic qualifications and abilities are the most important factors.

In the entertainment industry, it's all about who can let loose the most.

Who would rather dance on a tightrope while maintaining an innocent image on television?

Jiang Han, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, took out a lighter and lit it.

Take a deep breath, and the smoke dissipates in the aroma of agarwood.

He took out his phone and dialed Fang Chongwen's number.

"Teacher Fang, it's me."

Fang Chongwen's voice came through the receiver, with distant, fading music playing in the background.

"Chairman Jiang, where are you? I'm still at the banquet. I just saw Mao Buyi into his car."

"I'm sitting outside with Wang Jing and the others. Professor Fang, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Jiang Han briefly recounted what happened tonight, from the banquet to the private room.

After I finished speaking, there was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

Fang Chongwen spoke.

"Chairman Jiang, when I first came to Xingyue, the former chairman organized a gathering on a yacht."

"It should be similar to what you saw tonight."

"There were female celebrities and performances... I felt extremely uncomfortable sitting in the corner."

"How did you do that?"

"I didn't toast anyone, nor did I say a single word to those female celebrities."

"Later, some colleagues told me that some bosses in the industry thought I was aloof and gradually distanced themselves from me."

"Several collaborative projects that were originally agreed upon have fallen through."

Fang Chongwen's tone was calm.

"Chairman Jiang, now that you're the boss of Xingyue, to get the business to this level, it's not enough to just rely on your work; you also need connections."

"Networking is more than just about mutual benefits."

"The only ways men can trust each other, besides sharing interests, are by fighting side by side and going through thick and thin together."

"If you keep a cold face tonight, tomorrow the industry will be saying that CEO Jiang of Xingyue looks down on his peers."

"Teacher Fang, what do you think I should do?"

"No need to do anything special, just drink a few glasses of wine and chat a bit."

"Whether you take the person out or not is up to you."

"The key is not to let those old guys feel like you're giving them a hard time."

Jiang Han stubbed out his cigarette on the sink and replied, "Okay."

I hung up the phone and was just about to throw my cigarette butt away next to the trash can.

The girl who had handed me the towel earlier reappeared at some point.

He was holding a crystal ashtray in his hands.

She bent down and held the ashtray in front of her with both hands.

"Sir, please have some."

Jiang Han shoved the cigarette butt in and watched her take two steps back.

He suddenly remembered the calligraphy he had seen in the lobby before entering the private room.

It hangs on the wall directly opposite the spiral staircase, and is framed exquisitely.

He wrote four characters: "宾至如归" (guests feel at home).

At the time, Jiang Han felt that using those four words in such a context was somewhat ironic.

Now, watching that girl holding the ashtray and walking backwards...

He felt that those four words were not only hanging on the wall, but also engraved in the minds of every waiter.

Ha! Money makes the world go round.

Only today did he truly understand the weight of those words.

It's not that money can buy things, it's that money can make everyone revolve around you.

They've already prepared everything you've thought of.

They had already prepared things you hadn't even thought of.

Even more impressively, you can't imagine how well they can prepare.

Although I have money, I still need to learn more about how to spend money on services.

Jiang Han straightened up and adjusted his collar.

The music was still playing from the private room at the end of the corridor, and the girl group was still dancing.

He glanced at himself in the mirror, then turned and walked back.

Jiang Han sat back down on the sofa.

The three bosses were clearly talking about business, but their posture and tone of voice were completely different from when they were in the office.

Some things that can't be agreed upon in a meeting room can be settled with a few words after a few drinks here.

Chen Zeshan turned to look at Jiang Han.

"President Jiang, I heard that Xingyue is going to start two new dramas next year? Have the actors been cast yet?"

"It's not decided yet. We'll talk about casting once the script is finalized."

"Let me know in advance. I have a few young actresses here whose acting skills are decent, and their fees are negotiable."

Chen Zeshan flicked the ash from his cigar, speaking casually.

"No audition needed, just look at the photos and choose."

The female singer who had been leaning on Song Ke's shoulder stood up at some point, walked to the coffee table, picked up a wine bottle, and poured wine for everyone.

Then he obediently sat back down next to Song Ke.

She was patted on the pert bottom, and just smiled shyly.

"You're good at handling things. I'll talk to Lao Zhou for you later and reserve a spot for you on the variety show."

The female singer's eyes lit up, and she raised her glass to toast the singer with both hands.

"Thank you, Mr. Song, I toast you!"

Jiang Han shook his head helplessly as he watched this scene.

Some artists may never know that many opportunities never arise in the audition room or recording studio.

The competition wasn't in the place they thought it was.

When Chen Zeshan saw him return, he raised his glass to him.

"President Jiang is back so quickly. Is it because you think it's not lively enough here?"

"The restroom is at the end of the corridor, just a few steps away."

Jiang Han walked to the sofa, sat down, and picked up the glass of whiskey he hadn't finished earlier.

Wang Jing raised his glass to him across the coffee table.

"Mr. Jiang, you haven't clinked glasses with me yet."

Jiang Han raised his glass and clinked it against his, then tilted his head back and drank most of it.

Chen Zeshan clapped his hands with a smile on his face.

"Great! Mr. Jiang, you're so generous! Come, let me toast you too."

Jiang Han clinked glasses with Chen Zeshan again, and after finishing his drink, he put his cup on the coffee table.

Song Ke watched from the side, a slight smile appearing on his lips.

"President Jiang, you just said that Xingyue only focuses on music and film. Young people shouldn't narrow their horizons!"

"If you like any of these new girl group members tonight, feel free to pick one."

"It's pointless to act all high and mighty once you're here."

Jiang Han leaned back on the sofa, his gaze sweeping over each member of the girl group one by one.

The little fish, standing in the back row, was already sweating profusely from jumping.

The smile on her face was still the standard curve.

She saw Jiang Han looking at her, her smile froze for half a second, and then straightened up again.

Jiang Han raised his finger and pointed at Xiaoyu, then at the girl next to Xiaoyu.

"Let's go with the two of them."