You went on a blind date and presented an A-level wanted criminal as a meeting gift?

The next day at 7 PM.

Ye Qingcheng's "Cloud Top" private club is located on the 78th floor of the tallest skyscraper in Jiangcheng City.

The entire floor has only one private room, with windows on three sides, offering a panoramic view of the city lights of Jiangcheng.

When Lin Chen arrived, all four women in the private room were already in place.

The scene unfolded exactly as he had anticipated—a smile masking a knife, politeness concealing a dagger.

Ye Qingcheng sat on the sofa to the right of the main seat, wearing a sharply tailored black deep-V evening gown.

The large expanse of skin below the collarbone shimmered with a cool, white glow under the light.

She twirled a glass of red wine in her hand, her posture languid, but the possessiveness in her eyes was undisguised.

Su Qingge sat opposite her. For the first time today, she wasn't wearing her uniform. Instead, she wore a neat gray suit and her long hair was tied in a high ponytail.

She sat upright with her chin slightly raised.

Jiang Tingxue sat close to Su Qingge, having changed her white coat into a light blue long dress.

She quietly drank her water, appearing harmless, but her occasional glances at the other three were icy cold.

Su Ke'er arrived last, hopping and skipping as she pushed open the door. She was wearing a pink tutu and had her hair in pigtails, looking like a little white rabbit who had wandered into a pack of wolves.

But Lin Chen knew that this little white rabbit's fighting power was in no way inferior to any of the wolves present.

"Brother Lin Chen!"

As soon as Su Ke'er entered the room, she went straight to Lin Chen, grabbed his left arm without hesitation, and hung on him like a koala.

Ye Qingcheng's eye twitched.

Su Qingge tapped her chopsticks on the table.

Jiang Tingxue paused for a second while drinking water.

it is good.

The battle has officially begun.

Ye Qingcheng put down her wine glass, her voice neither hurried nor slow.

"My husband helped me fend off Sky Dome Group's offensive on the financial front this time. As a token of my gratitude, I transferred 10% of the Ye Group's shares to his name."

When she said "husband," she emphasized it and glanced at the other three people.

This move is called revealing your hand.

Ten percent of Yip's shares, based on the current market value, are worth over five billion.

This level of bond goes far beyond ordinary ambiguity.

Su Qingge snorted coldly.

"Shares?"

She picked up the teacup in front of her and took a sip.

"Lin Chen is our city's special criminal investigation consultant. Without him, the meteorological serial murder case wouldn't have been solved, and the Jiangcheng branch of the Sky Dome Group wouldn't have been taken down."

"He saved the lives of millions of people in Jiangcheng City; such merit cannot be measured in money."

This tactic is called occupying the moral high ground.

Ye Qingcheng's lips curled up slightly.

Their gazes clashed in mid-air, sparks flying.

Jiang Tingxue spoke up at this moment.

Her voice was cool and clear, and she spoke slowly, but every word was as precise as a scalpel.

"Lin Chen saved my life in the forensic lab."

She paused for a moment.

"That night, he shielded me from the killer with his own body."

"Between us, there's a bond forged in life and death."

Upon hearing the words "a friendship that transcends life and death," Su Ke'er stopped jumping around and looked up at Jiang Tingxue.

Goodness, this guy is usually quiet, but when he does make a move, it's a game-changer.

Su Ke'er blinked and rubbed her head against Lin Chen's arm.

"What you all said is really amazing."

Su Ke'er's voice was soft and gentle, sounding completely harmless.

"But Lin Chen's mother likes me the most. Last time I went to the tea house, the auntie held my hand and said, 'From now on, I'll entrust Xiao Chen to you.'"

Dead silence.

The temperature in the private room dropped by five degrees.

What Su Ke'er said is true.

Shen Manyun did indeed favor her greatly; Lin Chen still vividly remembers that "perfect mother-in-law and daughter-in-law situation" at the teahouse.

This tactic is called "drawing the firewood from under the cauldron".

I'm not going to compete with you in terms of money, power, or life-or-death friendships; I'm going straight for the mother-in-law route.

Ye Qingcheng's smile froze.

Su Qingge's hand, holding the teacup, froze in mid-air.

Jiang Tingxue's plain water suddenly didn't taste good anymore.

Lin Chen sat in the center of a circle of four women, feeling the crossfire of gazes from all directions, with only one thought in his mind.

It's time to go on stage.

If we don't bring water soon, this table is going to be overturned.

[God-level micro-expression control] activated.

[God-level Culinary Skills] Unlocked.

[God-level Magic Hand Speed] Activated.

"Stop arguing."

Lin Chen stood up with a smile. He gently lifted Su Ke'er off his arm and pressed her down onto the sofa.

"Tonight is a victory celebration, not a debate. I'll personally mix your drinks."

Lin Chen walked to the bar in the corner of the private room.

His hands moved swiftly among various bottles and bartending tools, so fast that the others couldn't see the specific actions clearly, only a series of fluid and blurry afterimages.

Three minutes later, four cocktails of completely different colors were placed on the bar.

The first glass was deep red, intense and rich, with a thin layer of edible gold leaf floating on the surface.

Lin Chen picked it up and placed it in front of Ye Qingcheng.

"A whisky base with a touch of 30-year-old port, resulting in a strong, full-bodied flavor that lingers on the palate."

He looked into Ye Qingcheng's eyes.

"Like you."

The moment Ye Qingcheng's fingers touched the wine glass, the tips of her ears turned red.

The second cup was amber in color, clear and transparent, with a layer of fine bubbles clinging to the sides.

It was placed in front of Su Qingge.

"A base of cognac, served with ginger ale and a drop of lemon; spicy on the palate, with a refreshing aftertaste."

Lin Chen's tone softened, carrying a hint of camaraderie between comrades.

"You deserve a tough drink."

Su Qingge didn't speak, but picked up her cup, took a sip, and her brows relaxed slightly.

The third cup was pale blue, transparent like ice, with a miniature orchid carved from ice resting at the bottom.

It was placed in front of Jiang Tingxue.

"Vodka base, with blue curaçao and elderflower syrup, looks cold, but tastes sweet."

Lin Chen lowered his voice by half an octave.

"You know who I'm talking about."

Jiang Tingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and as she took the wine glass, her fingertips inadvertently brushed against the back of Lin Chen's hand.

The fourth cup was pink, with a heart-shaped strawberry inserted into the rim and a curved, colorful straw.

It was placed in front of Su Ke'er.

"Peach smoothie with sparkling water, alcohol-free."

Lin Chen flicked Su Ke'er's forehead.

Children shouldn't drink alcohol.

"I'm not a child!"

Su Ke'er puffed out her cheeks in protest, but still couldn't resist taking a big sip through the straw, and then her eyes lit up.

"It tastes so good."

Four glasses of wine, four colors, four personalities, four attitudes.

There were no empty phrases like "you are all important," but each glass of wine itself was the answer.

Ye Qingcheng looked down at the gold foil in the cup, and the smile on her lips finally softened.

Su Qingge put down her wine glass, glanced at Lin Chen with a complicated look, and didn't say anything more to argue.

Jiang Tingxue quietly held her blue glass of wine, her thumb repeatedly stroking the ice-carved orchid at the bottom of the glass.

Su Ke'er happily sipped her peach smoothie, completely forgetting the battlefield that had just occurred.

Li Mingyu was curled up on the sofa in the corner of the private room.

He was temporarily pulled in by Su Qingge to act as her driver, originally hoping to get a free meal.

But seeing Lin Chen surrounded by four stunningly beautiful women, the steak in his mouth suddenly lost its appeal.

"This world is unfair."

Li Mingyu muttered to himself.

"Why does he get four of them all, while I don't even get one?"

Although his voice was soft, all five people present heard it.

The four women simultaneously gave him a cold glance.

Li Mingyu immediately lowered his head and focused on cutting the steak, never daring to look up again.

Lin Chen took his wine glass and walked back to the sofa to sit down.

The chaotic scene tonight has temporarily subsided.