I started by watching videos, and I chose 10,000 combat power.

When Luo Fei walked out of the hotel, it was already getting dark.

The streetlights in Jiangcheng lit up one after another, their orange glow spreading across the streets, and the traffic flowed slowly forward like a luminous river.

Instead of taking a taxi, he chose to walk to the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds.

The hotel is not far from there, just a few minutes' walk away. Taking a taxi would mean getting stuck in traffic, so walking would be faster.

As he approached the entrance to the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds, he slowed his pace.

The building appeared even more elegant in the night, with warm yellow lights shining through the glass curtain wall, making the whole building look like a piece of luminous jade, soft and not dazzling, and extremely attractive.

The stone lions at the entrance cast long shadows under the lamplight, like two silent gatekeepers.

The same two security guards from the afternoon stood tall and straight, like two stakes driven into the ground.

Luo Fei stepped forward, and the security guard on the left recognized him—it was the same one who had stopped him that afternoon.

The security guard's eyes flickered slightly, but he didn't show any impatience or disdain; he just wore a professional expression.

He reached out and stopped Luo Fei.

"Sir, please show your membership card."

His tone was as polite as it was in the afternoon, but his attitude remained firm.

Luo Fei reached into his pocket and took out the black card from his ring.

The dark gold five-clawed dragon gleamed under the light, its scales clearly visible, as if it were alive and could take flight from the card at any moment.

He handed the card over.

The security guard took the black card and examined it carefully, turning it over and over.

He frowned—this wasn't a membership card. He'd seen countless membership cards in silver, gold, and rose gold, but never one this pure black.

He was about to say, "Sir, this isn't a membership card here," when another security guard next to him suddenly tugged at him, pulling so hard that he almost ripped off his headset.

"What's wrong?" the security guard on the left asked, puzzled.

The security guard on the right didn't answer, but instead leaned closer to examine the black card closely.

His pupils suddenly contracted.

He remembered.

This afternoon, the team leader posted a photo in the work group.

It was a pure black matte card photo, with no design on the back and a dark gold five-clawed dragon on the front.

The team leader added a message below the photo: "Attention everyone, if anyone shows this card, contact the manager immediately. Be extremely respectful and do not offend them."

He was using the toilet at the time, squatting on the toilet scrolling through his phone. He glanced at it and thought to himself, "This card is really pretty."

I didn't expect to see the actual product so soon.

His hands trembled slightly as he took the black card from his colleague, held it in both hands, and examined it carefully once more.

Yes, that's the card.

The dragon is dark gold with a pure black background, perfectly matched.

He took a deep breath, returned the card to Luo Fei with both hands, and bent down slightly at the same time.

"Sir, please wait a moment."

His voice was a whole tone lower than before, and he was so respectful that it was as if he were a completely different person.

The security guard next to him was stunned.

He had worked here for three years, but he had never seen a colleague with such an expression and tone.

Luo Fei took the card.

The security guard was speaking into his headset, his voice low but urgent.

"Manager, there's a guest at the door... yes, the one with the card in the group chat... black, with a gold dragon... okay, okay."

After he finished speaking, he raised his head, his expression changing from respect to awe.

"Sir, the manager will be here shortly. Please wait a moment."

Luo Fei nodded, stood at the door, and looked at the traffic on the street.

Less than a minute later, a man in a dark suit strode out from inside.

He was around fifty years old, his leather shoes were polished to a shine, and he walked with a steady gait but at a fast pace, as if afraid of keeping someone waiting.

He is the manager.

The manager of Yunding Tiangong has never changed since it opened. He is the boss's confidant and is responsible for managing all affairs of the club.

Even VIP members would nod politely when they saw him and address him as "Manager Zhou".

Because everyone knew that the person standing behind him was extremely important.

But at this moment, Manager Zhou was walking briskly toward a young man wearing an ordinary T-shirt.

He stopped in front of Luo Fei and bowed slightly.

"Hello, sir. I'm the manager here, my surname is Zhou. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Luo Fei said, "It's nothing."

Manager Zhou's gaze lingered on Luo Fei's face for a second before landing on the black card in his hand.

His eyes underwent a subtle change, which, though imperceptible, was caught by Luo Fei.

It was a look of relief in the eyes after confirming something.

"Sir, please follow me."

He turned to the side and gestured "please," then stepped forward to lead the way.

Luo Fei followed him through the gate.

The first floor is the lobby, which features a high ceiling. Crystal chandeliers hang from the third-floor ceiling, resembling a sparkling waterfall.

The floor is made of dark gray marble, which has a glossy sheen and gives a sense of solidity when you step on it.

There weren't many people in the lobby; small groups of people sat on sofas or booths, drinking tea, chatting, or looking at their phones.

Someone heard footsteps, looked up, and saw Manager Zhou. Just as they were about to nod and greet him as usual, they noticed the young man behind Manager Zhou.

Their gazes immediately froze.

Manager Zhou always walks with a straight back, at a moderate pace, and with a smile that is neither arrogant nor humble. He is polite but not obsequious to VIP members, and courteous but not distant to ordinary members.

But at this moment, he walked in front of the young man, leaning slightly forward, and his pace was faster than usual, as if he were clearing a way for him.

This posture was something none of the people present had ever seen before.

Some people put down their teacups, some took off their glasses, and some exchanged glances with the people next to them.

"Who is that person?" a middle-aged man in a gray suit asked the person next to him in a low voice.

The person next to him shook his head: "I don't know. I've never seen it before."

"Manager Zhou's attitude... I've never seen him act like this, even as a VIP member."

"Could it be a friend of the boss?"

"The boss's friend? Manager Zhou didn't have this attitude when the boss came last time."

The group whispered among themselves for a few moments but couldn't come to a conclusion. They could only watch as the young man followed Manager Zhou through the lobby and disappeared down the corridor.

The corridor was long, with paintings hanging on both walls, not prints, but original works.

Luo Fei glanced at them; there were oil paintings and ink paintings. One of them looked like a master's shrimp painting, but he didn't look at it closely.

Manager Zhou walked ahead, introducing the rooms in a low voice as he went: "Sir, we have prepared the No. 1 private room for you. This is the highest-class private room in our club, and it is not usually open to the public."

Luo Fei grunted in response, but didn't say anything more.

At the end of the corridor was a dark wooden door with a gleaming brass doorknob.

Manager Zhou pushed open the door and stepped aside to let Luo Fei go in first.

The private room was very large, much larger than he had imagined.

Upon entering, there is a small living room furnished with a sofa, coffee table, and television. On the coffee table sits a pot of orchids, which are in full bloom.

Further inside is the restaurant, where a large round table can seat more than a dozen people. The table is covered with a snow-white tablecloth, and a bouquet of flowers is placed in the center, with water droplets still clinging to the petals.

Against the wall was a row of wine cabinets, displaying various kinds of wine, including red wine, white wine, whiskey, and some that Luo Fei couldn't name.

At the very back is a rest area, equipped with massage chairs, recliners, and a desk that looks very expensive.

Floor-to-ceiling windows occupy an entire wall, and with the curtains drawn, one can see the night view of Jiangcheng.

The buildings across the river are brightly lit, and the colorful lights are reflected in the water, like a flowing painting.

Luo Fei walked to the window, glanced out, and turned to ask Manager Zhou, "I'm having dinner with a friend tonight, just the two of us. Is this private room too big?"

Manager Zhou smiled and said politely, "Sir, it's an honor for our club to have you here. The size of the private room is not a problem; just make sure you're comfortable."

He paused, took out a business card from his pocket, and handed it over with both hands.

"This is my business card. Please feel free to call me anytime if you need anything. I will personally serve you and your friends tonight."

Luo Fei took the business card, glanced at it, and put it in his pocket.

"Manager Zhou, my friend will probably arrive around six o'clock. Could you please arrange for someone to bring him in?"

Manager Zhou nodded: "Don't worry, I'll have someone waiting at the door. What's your friend's surname?"

"His surname is Zhao, Zhao Zixuan."

Manager Zhou went through the name in his mind, but he had never heard of it before.

But he didn't show it; he just nodded and said, "I'll remember."

Then he walked to the wine cabinet, opened a bottle of red wine, and poured it into the decanter with gentle, steady movements, without making a sound.

"Sir, this bottle of Latour is one of our boss's treasured possessions. He specifically asked me to open it for you to enjoy."

Luo Fei wanted to say, "I don't know much about red wine," but he swallowed the words back. Refusing would only make things seem distant, given their kind offer.

"Thanks."

He sat down on the sofa, took out his phone, and sent a message to his fourth brother.

"Have we arrived yet?"

The fourth brother replied instantly: "On my way, stuck in traffic. Fei-ge, you go in first, I'll find you when I get there."

Luo Fei replied with an "okay" and placed his phone on the coffee table.

Manager Zhou poured a glass of warm water, brought it over, placed it in front of Luo Fei, then stepped aside and stood quietly, neither disturbing him nor leaving.

Luo Fei had been sitting in the private room for less than twenty minutes when there was a knock on the door.

The waiter opened the door and stepped aside, allowing Zhao Zixuan to enter.

He was wearing a dark blue suit today, without a tie, and the top button of his shirt was undone.

Her hair was shorter than when we last met, and she had lost weight. The muscles in her face were a bit loose, and her eye bags were particularly noticeable, making her look like she hadn't had a good night's sleep for several days.

He froze as soon as he entered the room, his gaze sweeping from the small living room to the dining room, then from the dining room to the rest area, and finally from the rest area to the night view of Jiangcheng outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Then, he turned to look at Luo Fei.

"Brother Fei!"

His voice unconsciously rose a few decibels as he strode quickly toward Luo Fei.

Luo Fei stood up and patted him on the shoulder.

"sit."

Zhao Zixuan sat down next to Luo Fei and placed his phone face down on the table.

This little action did not escape Luo Fei's eyes—the fourth brother had never used his phone in front of him before, and he never cared whether others could see the content on his phone screen.