Chapter 556: All Expenses Paid by Brother Long!
After returning, the lackey immediately leaned in close to Zhao Ming—the nouveau riche second-generation kid with some pocket money—and whispered a few embellished details into his ear.
Zhao Ming’s face instantly darkened.
He’d originally just wanted his date back. He never expected that middle-aged blond would actually have the skills to steal her away.
This was a slap to his face.
So he personally gathered a few friends and marched over to Zhang Dalong, full of bravado.
“Hey, old man. What’re you doing mixing in a bar at your age? Don’t say I didn’t warn you—your body can’t handle this kind of stress anymore.”
“If you’re smart, you’ll scram back home to your kids. This isn’t the place for you.”
The friends behind him chimed in with their own mockery.
“Seriously, uncle. Look at you—coming out to party at your age? Is that appropriate?”
“You order a few beers with all those people around you, trying to pick up girls but being so stingy about it—how pathetic is that?!”
“Xiaoya, look at your taste. You’d rather squeeze in here drinking beer with this cheap old man than drink the Ace of Spades at our Young Master Ming’s table? How trashy!”
“Broke-ass loser! Get the hell out already!”
“……….”
Even an honest man like Zhang Dalong couldn’t stomach these insults.
Who the hell are these little brats calling out?
Setting everything else aside, he had a net worth of over ten million. When the company he’d founded got acquired by a major tech giant, he’d sold it for a solid ten million, not to mention his substantial salary since then. He’d ordered beer simply because he couldn’t handle hard liquor.
Now here he was, being cursed out by kids more than a decade younger. Even the most patient man has his limits.
He was about to fire back when the girl named Xiaoya sitting across from him stood up first.
“Zhao Ming, what are you so smug about? Having a little dirty money makes you special?! Uncle here is called being low-key and classy—understand?”
“Classy? Hahaha……..”
Zhao Ming turned and pointed at the big screen behind the DJ, which displayed tonight’s top three highest-spending customers. Zhao Ming’s name was right there—third place, but still a big deal.
“This is what you call real power! Understand? Only broke losers talk about ‘class’!”
“Old man, you like to act all high and mighty, right? Like you’re classy? Fine! If you’re really that tough, get your name on that leaderboard! Forget first place—if you can crack the top three tonight, I’ll write my name ‘Zhao Ming’ backwards!”
At his words, his lackeys immediately started jeering.
“Exactly! Young Master Ming is a real man—he lets his money do the talking!”
“Get on the leaderboard, old man! Show us how much your ‘class’ is worth!”
“Even if he pawned everything he’s wearing, he probably couldn’t match a fraction of what our Young Master Ming spends! Hahaha…”
“Young Master Ming is the boss!”
Basking in the praise, Zhao Ming crossed his arms and stared at Zhang Dalong.
“Well? If you can’t cut it, then beat it! This place isn’t for broke-ass losers like you.”
Zhang Dalong finally hit his breaking point and slammed his palm on the table as he shot to his feet.
He’d already been depressed about getting his hair dyed blond today, and now—without doing a damn thing—he was being humiliated like this. His anger completely erupted.
“Kid, don’t push your luck!”
Zhao Ming: “Me push my luck? You stole my girl and now you’re playing the tough guy. Old man, if you can’t back it up, then get lost early!”
Xiaoya: “Zhao Ming, watch your mouth. Who’s your girl? I have nothing to do with you!”
Zhao Ming: “Fine, fine, fine. Looks like you’re determined to oppose me.”
“Someone get the manager over here!”
“Zhao Ming, what are you trying to pull?”
“Naturally, to get you broke losers thrown out.”
“You…….”
Before Xiaoya could finish, the bar manager hurried over and asked respectfully, “Young Master Ming, what can I do for you?”
Zhao Ming pointed at Zhang Dalong and his group: “If I spend another eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight on a Dragon Package, can you throw these broke losers out?”
The manager’s face brightened at the first half of the sentence, but stiffened at the second half.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but it would be bad for business.
“Young Master Ming, you know what they say—the customer is always right. How could we possibly throw guests out? How about I send you a complimentary fruit platter to cool down?”
Zhao Ming shoved the manager aside and pointed a finger at Zhang Dalong’s nose: “I’ll add another Dragon Package! Either they leave tonight, or I take everyone here and leave this dump! You choose!”
The music around them had somehow stopped, and everyone’s eyes were on the confrontation.
Looks like there’s drama!
The manager had no choice—he couldn’t afford to offend a big spender like Zhao Ming. He prepared to ask Zhang Dalong’s group to leave.
“I’m sorry, but could you please……”
At that moment, Zhang Tao—who’d been watching from the sidelines—stood up and interrupted.
“If you dare say another word about making us leave, you can close this place down for good.”
“…….”
Zhang Tao walked straight up to Zhao Ming and looked him up and down. “That’s the best you can do? I expected more.”
Zhao Ming didn’t back down. “What? A lackey like you wants to stick his neck out too?!”
Zhang Tao ignored him and turned to ask Zhang Dalong: “Old bro, want to make this interesting?”
Zhang Dalong had actually been ready to leave. He’d long outgrown his impulsive years—naturally, he wasn’t going to get into a pissing contest with a kid barely out of his teens.
It would be completely pointless.
But Zhang Tao clearly had no intention of leaving. And for some reason, hearing those words gave Zhang Dalong a bad premonition.
“What… what are you trying to do?”
Zhang Tao turned back to the bar manager and asked: “Do me a favor and tally up tonight’s total tab for the entire venue.”
The manager was stunned: “Sir, what are you…”
He was perceptive enough to sense this man was extraordinary. Otherwise, he would’ve called security the moment Zhang Tao threatened to shut down the bar.
Zhang Tao smiled faintly, his gaze sweeping across the whole venue before finally landing on Zhang Dalong. He shouted at the top of his lungs:
“Everyone! Tonight’s entire bill is on me—Brother Long!!!”
For three seconds, the bar fell completely silent.
Then, the entire place exploded!
“Holy shit! He’s covering the whole venue?!”
“Brother Long is a fucking legend!!!”
“Thank you, Brother Long!!!”
“Brother Long, you’re my daddy!!!”
“Brother Long, I love you!!!”
“………”
Zhang Dalong: ???
What the? What the hell?!
Who said anything about paying?!
Seeing Zhang Dalong so worked up he couldn’t speak, Zhang Tao grinned and asked: “Well, old bro? Pretty exciting? Feeling good?!”
Zhang Dalong’s mind was screaming: Exciting my ass! Damn it! You’re a fucking animal!
Though his net worth was substantial, that was on paper. He only had about two million in cash on hand. This would probably wipe out most of it. His heart was hemorrhaging.
Zhang Tao saw Zhang Dalong’s red face and thought he was exhilarated, feeling quite pleased himself. The task the Young Mistress assigned should be completed now, right?
“Old bro, stop spacing out—let’s drink!”
Seeing there was no way out of this, and especially after seeing the admiring looks from everyone around him, Zhang Dalong figured: the money was already spent—being coy about it now would just make the loss even worse.
With that thought, he steeled himself, shot to his feet, raised his beer bottle high, and roared to the cheering crowd: “Tonight, we drink till we drop!”
Even he was startled by his own shout.
A response came quickly.
The DJ on stage, seeing Brother Long speak up, snatched the microphone and bellowed:
“BarCelO——n!!! Listen up!”
“Let’s give the loudest screams and the most thunderous applause to tonight’s most generous and handsome Brother Long!!!”
“Everyone on your feet!”
“Let me hear your voices! One! Two! Three! Thank you, Brother Long!!!”
“Thank you, Brother Long!!!”
Hundreds of voices shouting in unison rolled like a tsunami, making Zhang Dalong’s head spin while setting his blood on fire.
In nearly forty years of life, he’d never experienced anything like this.
The DJ fired up the music again and launched into an impromptu hype rap.
“YOyOyO! Check that VIP booth, who’s spreading the joy!
The once low-key and mellow, tonight let’s get thorough!
Brother Long drops the winning hand, the whole venue’s tab is on his grand!
This! Is power! This! Is dominance!
Throw your hands up, to the beat, scream for Brother Long! Brother Long—let’s go!!!“
“Brother Long—let’s go!!!”
“Brother Long—let’s go!!!”
Fueled by the DJ, the crowd’s frenzy rose wave after wave.
People kept rushing over to toast Zhang Dalong, shouting: “Brother Long is mighty! Brother Long is generous!”
Xiaoya and her friends had become his little fangirls, crowding around him and shouting excitedly:
“Uncle! You’re so cool!”
“Uncle! From today on, you’re my idol!”
“I’ve never seen such an epic scene in a club!”
“………”
They’d completely misjudged him.
Who would’ve thought this cute-looking uncle would have such power.
Zhang Dalong had gone from uncomfortable and awkward at first to completely letting loose. Amid the crowd, he started waving his arms vigorously like the young people around him.
Watching the frenzied crowd below, hearing the deafening cheers, a thrill he’d never felt before surged through him.
Finally, he couldn’t hold back and shouted again.
“Fuck yeah! Fuck yeah! FUCK YEAH!!!”
That roar released years of pent-up frustration, officially announcing that tonight, Zhang Dalong was the undisputed king of this place!
Elsewhere.
Zhao Ming and his crew had long since vanished.
He had some money, but spending over a million to treat the whole venue was beyond his means. He could only slink away with his tail between his legs.
The party didn’t finally wind down until past one in the morning.
Just as Zhang Dalong was preparing to grit his teeth and pay with his card, the manager informed him someone had already settled the bill.
He instinctively looked at Zhang Tao.
“This money…”
Zhang Tao waved his hand: “What does a little money like this matter? The Young Mistress reimbursed it. Let’s go, old bro—on to the next stop!”
“The next round will be even more exciting!”
Zhang Dalong: “……”