Love's Wild Card

Outside the office building, Alex went to a secluded spot and took out his phone, dialing a number.

"Hello? Is that Grant?" Alex asked after the call connected.

"Yes, boss!" a voice answered from the other end.

"Have you notified the people I asked you to contact?" Alex asked while looking at the passing beautiful women.

"They've all been notified. They wouldn't dare to ignore your call, boss!" The voice on the other end chuckled.

"I'm on my way. It's been a while," Alex said with a smile.

"Hurry up, boss. There are some new high-quality..."

"Scram!" Alex hung up before the other person could finish, then hailed a cab and headed to his destination, Mix.

In Manhattan, anyone who's anyone knows about Mix. This famous name is familiar to every night owl in the city.

Legend has it that there's a five-story building near a certain area in Manhattan. To be precise, no one knows exactly how many floors there are in this place. With split-levels and mezzanines, it's hard to keep track. Type: Bar, nightclub!

The diverse Mix has the best of both East and West! Metal, glass, and cool gray materials create a sleek, minimalist design. Every night, live bands perform classic English songs, letting time and emotions flow in an exotic atmosphere. Just-right lighting and music, comfortable and convenient seating create a rare, relaxed vibe in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life. The Red Bar, the premium cigar area, dozens of champagnes, beers, and various Chinese and Western cuisines will definitely satisfy the preferences of those who enter, tempting your appetite. For many, a night of fun at Mix is a way to experience fashion.

After getting out of the cab, standing at the entrance of the nightclub, Alex did feel a sense of nostalgia.

"Greetings, Brother Alex!" A group of people rushed out when they saw Alex get out of the taxi, bowing before him. Alex was unfazed, but the cab driver was so startled that he sped off after taking the money Alex handed him, without giving change.

"You didn't even give me my change!" Alex shouted at the disappearing taxi, a cloud of exhaust affecting his voice.

"Boss, do you want me to send someone after him?" A middle-aged man, thin but with bright, intelligent eyes, walked over.

"Forget it, it's not worth the gas. Let's go in," Alex said. This man was the one Alex called "Qiangzi" who's real name was Gan Qiang, but Alex had decided to call him Grant, and he was currently in charge of this place.

"Is Leon here yet?" Alex asked Grant as they entered.

"Brother Leon hasn't been here in a while, just like you, boss!" Grant replied.

"Yeah, it's not good for people like him to come to these places," Alex said with a smile.

The Leon whom Alex was referring to was named Chen Mingliang. His family were all high-ranking government officials, and he was close friends with Alex, despite being five years older.

Mix was originally Chen Mingliang's. When Alex was in high school, he used to hang out here a lot. Alex never expected that his father, the vice president of the Beijing Chamber of Commerce, would know Chen Mingliang's father. As a result, Alex never had to pay to get into Mix. This confirmed the saying that officials and businessmen are often connected.

In this day and age, you need to be on either the right side or the wrong side of the law if you want to get ahead. Chen Mingliang, despite having high-ranking officials for parents, was out in society running a nightclub. Then, for some unknown reason, during the college entrance examination, he got into China University of Political Science and Law. How could just anyone get into that place? Those who graduated from there were all big shots, and with his parents' positions, his political future was bright.

A few years later, during the economic crisis, many nightclubs in Beijing started to decline, and Mix was no exception. Just as it was about to go downhill, Alex, like a comet, appeared out of nowhere. He hid it from his family, scraped together some money, and invested in the club, helping it weather the storm. At the time, Alex just thought it was a fun place with lots of beautiful women, and it would be a shame to see it close.

In fact, Alex's decision to invest turned out to be correct. After the economic crisis, everything started to recover. With Chen Mingliang's government connections and Alex's financial support, Mix's status and market value soared. Not only did Alex pay back his debts, but he also made tens of millions in profit. With the fifty-fifty split, this made Alex very happy for a while.

Soon after, Alex suffered a major blow from Jing and became withdrawn at school, often skipping classes. Even his parents didn't know what was going on.

In fact, during that time, Alex did a series of crazy things outside of school. It was then that Chen Mingliang graduated and entered the government. Knowing that he couldn't frequent this place anymore, he suggested they go big one last time. Alex, who had nowhere to vent at the time, readily agreed.

What kind of person was Alex? A lot of fun! The two teamed up and invested a lot of money into renovating the place. As a result, Mix became one of the most famous and best nightclubs in Beijing.

The post-modern decor of Mix made it feel both modern and tasteful. It was designed by renowned foreign designers, with comfortable and practical sofas and a spacious layout that could accommodate more than 300 people on two floors. Of course, not everyone could enter the upper floors.

The areas in Mix were well-divided, and you could choose your preferred environment and atmosphere or mingle with the crowd on the dance floor. On the second floor, you could enjoy Italian or French cuisine while overlooking the dancing crowd below.

To avoid any issues that might alert his family, Alex quickly pulled back during the year of the college entrance examination. He read many books then and understood a lot. After entering university, he rarely came here.

Chen Mingliang was busy in the officialdom, and Alex was busy with university. One wanted to climb the ladder, and the other wanted to live an ordinary life. Later, they handed over the business here to Grant. Chen Mingliang and Alex were happy to be hands-off. Apart from meeting once a year to split the profits and have a good drink and chat, they rarely came to Mix.

This time, Alex had gathered the managers participating in the auction here. Firstly, it was a safe place to talk, and secondly, he wanted to let them have some fun. He couldn't just take advantage of them without giving something in return, could he?

Entering the club, Alex saw that the place was different every year, and the profits were also increasing year by year. He still couldn't imagine that a nightclub like this was his creation.

"Reserve a good spot for me. I'll need it at eight!" Alex said to Grant beside him.

"Yes, boss!" Grant nodded in agreement.

"By the way, I heard two pieces of news recently, one good and one bad. Which one do you want to hear first?" Alex sat down in a spot and asked Grant, playing coy.

"The bad one!" Grant said after hearing Alex's words. Grant had great respect for this young boss. Only those who had been around knew these things. Although the boss was usually easygoing, when he got angry, he was definitely a ruthless character.

"The bad news is that I've heard many rumors that are not good for our nightclub, saying that the quality of our service staff is getting worse and worse. I don't know what's going on?" Alex narrowed his eyes and looked at the other man. After hearing his words, not only Grant but also the several branch managers standing behind him felt uncomfortable.

"I don't know where the boss heard this?" Grant asked.

"What? Do you want to go and silence them?" Alex sneered.

"No, boss, that's not what I meant!" Grant hurriedly explained.

"These people include many of our regular customers. Although they are not rich, I remember they still insisted on coming to support us during the economic crisis. I don't know how you all feel, but hearing this from them makes me uncomfortable," Alex said.

Grant remained silent, standing respectfully, but sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

"We are here for the public. Everyone who comes in is our customer. I don't care if they are poor or rich. I just know they are here to spend money. As long as they don't violate our rules, I don't allow any of my subordinates to be rude to my customers. I'd rather fire all of you bastards! I'm the one paying you, and those people are the ones paying me. Do you understand the stakes here? Huh?" Alex said fiercely to the group in front of him.

"Yes, boss, I understand. I will definitely deal with those people..."

"Discipline? There's no need for discipline. Isn't it popular to have competitive hiring these days? Whoever isn't up to par should just pack up and leave. It's not hard to find a three-legged chicken, but aren't people with two legs everywhere? Not to mention, I dare say that the wages we give to each employee at Mix are not the highest, but how many in Beijing can compare? Especially some of the waitresses, they really think too much of themselves!" Speaking of service, Alex suddenly remembered the unpleasant experience he had at the mall a few days ago, and his anger flared up again. "Do you know how many unemployed college graduates there are in Beijing every year? Do you know how many beautiful women want to work here? They all need to get their act together. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, boss!" Hearing Alex's lecture, Grant nodded vigorously to show his determination. Seeing that the boss's expression had softened, Grant asked, "Boss, what about the good news?"

Gan Qiang wanted to use the good news to ease the tense atmosphere and calm the boss's anger.

"The good news? I also heard from others that they praised our security guards for being very capable fighters, and that they fight every day. I don't know what's going on? Have we changed to a judo hall or turned into the underworld?" Alex asked.

Hearing Alex's words, Grant almost cried. How was this good news? It was worse than the previous bad news.

"I know you're more experienced than me when it comes to security, so I won't say much. I'm just reminding you!"

"Boss, I know what to do!" Grant nodded again, looking determined.

*Those little bastards, I told them not to make trouble, but they didn't listen. I'll skin them alive tonight!* Grant thought to himself.

"Okay, you can go now. I'll be here for half the night. I don't want to see anything I don't want to see. I'm going upstairs to rest for a while. Call me when everyone's here!"

"Yes, boss!"

Alex nodded and then headed upstairs. He hadn't slept well last night, thanks to the two Miss Carters, so he planned to take a nap while he had a few hours.