SZAR Chapter 55

Chu Xiu took a deep breath and lifted a practiced, service-style smile.

He never liked dealing with top-tier big shots, people whose power was so extreme that crushing Chu Xiu would be like crushing an ant. In Cointreau’s previous life, colleagues who tried to curry favor with Kyoto’s elite thought they were climbing smoothly, only to anger a big shot and end up sidelined for years. Their bartender positions gone, they had to slink off to other cities.

Chu Xiu hated that feeling of being controlled by others.

His clientele were carefully selected, not too humble to leave a tip, not too grand to be unreachable.

Yi Xi obviously fell into the latter category.

Yet Yi Xi had already noticed him. The seemingly gentle businessman inclined his head toward Chu Xiu: “Hello. I have an important gathering I’d like to hold in your bar’s private room. Could you show me around?”

An important gathering, a high-end bar, a private room, the man’s elegant, bookish tone didn’t match the red-light, nightlife vibe at all.

Chu Xiu stepped aside. “Of course.” He introduced himself: “I’m Cointreau, the bar’s new bartender. I’m happy to serve you.”

Yi Xi nodded.

Chu Xiu pushed the drink in his hand forward. “Would you like to try it? A special from the head bartender.”

He was referring to Kevin.

Yi Xi shook his head. “Sorry…”

Before the words finished, Chu Xiu’s face changed. A sudden force hit his lower back, several drunken young masters collided with him. He stumbled, and the champagne spilled completely onto Yi Xi’s expensive suit.

“Sir, I didn’t mean to—” He hurriedly pulled out a napkin. The silver-gray suit looked incredibly pricey; just glancing at the fabric and cut, Chu Xiu guessed it cost over a hundred thousand. He bent down to wipe Yi Xi’s suit. “Would you like me to get you another suit? I can accompany you…”

The words compensate got stuck in his throat. In his previous life, Cointreau’s clients were all wealthy; if there was a mishap, the bartender could step in as a mediator and pay a bit out of pocket, knowing the client’s business would more than make it back hundreds or thousands of times over. But in this life, Chu Xiu’s financial situation didn’t allow him to say that.

The rowdy young men were held back by the other staff. Kevin glanced at them and realized they were regulars not to be trifled with, so he didn’t stop them further. Instead, he stepped between Yi Xi and Chu Xiu, smiling: “Sorry, sir. This is our new bartender, still a student, a bit unsteady with his hands. Please don’t mind him.”

Chu Xiu was pushed to the side, obediently lowering his lashes. He let his arms hang, head down, perfectly playing the innocent student, looking slightly lost.

“No problem.” Yi Xi dabbed the spilled drink with a napkin. “I’ll go change in the back.”

High-end bars always have changing rooms and spare clothes ready for situations like this. Kevin pulled Chu Xiu aside: “Alright, I’ll show you the way.”

“No need.” Yi Xi smiled, both refined and approachable. “Let him come with me. I’m not angry.”

Spilling a client’s expensive clothes would normally result in a salary deduction, but if the guest forgives, the situation changes entirely.

Kevin quickly pulled Chu Xiu back: “Alright, alright. Cointreau, make sure to serve the boss properly.”

Chu Xiu nodded and led the way. “Right this way, please.”

He walked slightly ahead, about half a step in front of Yi Xi, aware of Yi Xi’s gaze scanning him, as if contemplating something.

Chu Xiu hadn’t gone through his second awakening yet; he was only 1.7 meters tall, half a head shorter than Yi Xi. From Yi Xi’s perspective, all he could see was the top of the young man’s fluffy chestnut hair.

Yi Xi asked, “Cointreau, you’re still a student?”

“Uh, yes.” Chu Xiu improvised. “Just started university.”

Yi Xi studied him. “Working part-time at the bar?”

People used to the finer things can always spot what’s subpar. Someone used to wearing suits worth 100,000 star coins could immediately tell Chu Xiu’s predicament, his suit didn’t fit, with raised creases along the back.

“Yes.” Chu Xiu calmly played the pitiful card. “My family is poor, and I have debts. I need this job.”

Chu Xiu only had 200 credits left on him, with debts exceeding two million, wasn’t that enough to count as a poor background?

At the entrance to the changing room, Yi Xi went in to change into a suede coat. Chu Xiu guided him to the private quiet room in the back: “Hello, this is the VIP back room of Whistle. How does it feel?”

These private rooms were reserved for top-tier clients, extremely secluded. Thoughtful soundproofing strips were installed along the bottom of the door frame, and with the thick solid wood door, no noise inside, even if a party broke out, could be heard outside.

Yi Xi nodded. “Very nice.”

With this setup, no matter how unruly a guest inside got, not a sound would leak out.

Chu Xiu attentively opened the door for him: “Would you like something to drink?”

“Tea, please. Any kind will do.” Yi Xi sat down, inspecting slightly. The soft panels of the room were fine, the corners of the table rounded, no sharp edges. Even with sudden movements, it was hard to get hurt. Yi Xi had health issues; his self-healing was far weaker than ordinary females. Light injuries that would be nothing to others could be life-threatening for him, so caution was necessary.

Chu Xiu brought over a pot of green tea. The flavor was mild, unremarkable, but safe. He skillfully poured the pale golden liquid into the cup, then held the tray at his side, looking every bit the obedient waiter.

Yi Xi’s gaze swept the room, finally resting on Chu Xiu.

Compared to other bartenders, this young man seemed overly fresh-faced and slightly stiff. His chestnut hair was soft, a little messy, looking as if it had never been properly styled. Yi Xi sipped the tea and spoke softly: “How much debt do you have?”

Chu Xiu’s heart skipped a beat.

By experience, this was the usual prelude to a kept man offer. The next sentence would typically be: “How much? I’ll pay. You come with me.”

Beneath his mask, Chu Xiu’s brows knitted slightly, a trace of disgust creeping in. “As expected,” he thought. “No matter their appearance, people like this are all the same.”

Chu Xiu had dropped out in his first year of university and hadn’t experienced campus life. People in the ivory tower were automatically filtered in his mind, especially the refined, glasses-wearing, seemingly ascetic professors, his personal lens softened them automatically.

Having worked in this field, Chu Xiu had seen plenty of drunk guests lose control, going wild in ways that were utterly grotesque when stripped of the glitter and glam, just puddles of disgusting desire. That made him especially drawn to those who were gentle and restrained. Yi Xi had naturally won his favor with just one photo, looking calm, elegant, and refined.

But that favor shattered in an instant.

It turned out that someone with such a peaceful, dignified appearance could still want to “sponsor” a bartender he’d just met, a bartender who looked like a student.

Chu Xiu, however, had learned to hide his true emotions behind a mask. His tone remained normal, showing no displeasure. He even crossed his arms slightly, carrying a faint hint of naive grievance from just having stepped into society: “…Two million.”

Yi Xi rubbed his brow. “You’re still a student. How could you owe so much?”

Chu Xiu lowered his head and said softly, “Father gambled.”

He felt like smiling. Two million was astronomical, yet in his previous life, when he was still a student, his father owed far more than that.

Yi Xi nodded. “The father, male or female?”

Chu Xiu blinked, puzzled. “Huh?”

What the, fathers in this world even had genders?

Yi Xi already had the answer. If the family couldn’t pay the child’s tuition and needed a young one who hadn’t yet undergone a second awakening to work in a bar, and if someone this absurd still hadn’t been kicked out of the house, it could only be the child’s male parent.

After all, male zerg were always this ridiculous.

Yi Xi’s long fingers rested over the tea cup. The tea was at a perfect temperature, the kettle handled and placed carefully, obviously made by a meticulous, patient child. Children were supposed to be carefree and spoiled; who knew how many hardships it had taken to train such skill at serving others?

He stared at the cup of jade-green tea in silence. After a while, he looked up at Chu Xiu: “Alright, I’ll pay it for you.”

He had enormous wealth. Yet the male zerg had already awakened, making all these material things irrelevant. Sooner or later, they would belong to the male zerg anyway; nothing could be taken in or out of life. Since he had met a pitiable kid he found at least tolerable at the bar, he might as well help him, better to give a hand than let the male zerg inherit it all and squander it.

Chu Xiu was not surprised. A cold sneer formed in his mind: “Just as expected.”

No matter how fine the exterior, it couldn’t hide a dirty heart. Compared to this, the spoiled rich kids he’d dealt with in his past life at least had some limits, they wouldn’t take advantage of a student.

But on the surface, he held a polite smile, then acted surprised, delighted, and incredulous in sequence, making him seem as harmless as a true student. Chu Xiu’s voice rose with mock astonishment: “Really? Th-this isn’t allowed, is it?”

Yi Xi shook his head, smiling faintly: “It’s alright.”

Normally, he wouldn’t help a stranger like this. The Stellar Group had a substantial charity fund he could have recommended the youth to apply for. But now, utterly exhausted from consecutive sleepless days of work, drained physically, mentally burdened by the uncertain future and the male zerg in the hospital, Yi Xi didn’t have the energy to carefully screen the situation. Since compassion had stirred in him, and at this particular moment, it didn’t matter whether the youth was telling the truth or not.

He gestured: “Bring your light-brain over.”

Chu Xiu obediently walked over and bent down, handing it to him.

A soft “beep” sounded with a tap, and the transfer completed. Chu Xiu opened the terminal: his balance had changed to 2,000,217.

The pitiful 217 at the end was his own money.

Chu Xiu froze.

He’d seen wealth plenty in his past life. Usually, rich patrons chose whom to “sponsor” carefully, often using debts as leverage, pets had to behave, perform tricks, serve properly. But this person didn’t ask for a single reward and directly transferred two million?

Wasn’t he worried Chu Xiu might run off with the money?

Chu Xiu’s smile stiffened. He never spent nights with patrons, nor did he intend to break that rule here. Debts could be repaid slowly through bartending, and Whistle’s wages weren’t low. But Yi Xi’s move, giving such a huge sum, clearly carried the implication of overnight expectation.

His face betrayed the awkwardness, but he couldn’t shatter the “innocent student” image. Gritting his teeth, he forced out: “Th-this, sir… the amount is too large. I… what can I do to repay you?”

Chu Xiu was just waiting for Yi Xi to suggest some kind of “play” so he could put on a terrified, pitiful act, repeating “No, no, not possible.” If Yi Xi turned out to be a pervert who got more excited the more he resisted, and tried to force things, Chu Xiu would call Kevin to handle it, then switch to another bar far away from trouble.

Yi Xi asked in return, “Repay me?”

He paused thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Chu Xiu’s body tensed up even more, bracing for an unreasonable request he could refuse outright.

But Yi Xi looked at Chu Xiu’s flustered stance and suddenly smiled.

His beautiful eyes squinted behind his glasses, still gentle, with a hint of amused disbelief, like an elder hearing a young one’s wild ambitions: a father shaking a palm fan while his child promises to make big money to buy sports cars and villas for the family, indulgent yet helpless.

He raised his hand and lightly covered the top of Chu Xiu’s head, gently ruffling it, leaving the soft chestnut hair slightly tousled, even causing a single strand to awkwardly stick up.

Yi Xi said, “So mature at such a young age. If you insist on repaying me, just study hard.”

After speaking, he shook his head and pushed the door of the private room open, walking out.

“…”

Chu Xiu froze, dumbfounded for a long while. He incredulously raised a hand and touched the top of his head.

The stray tuft still stood there, swaying lightly under the owner’s touch, the tip bending slightly like a little upright question mark.

…What does this mean?

He had prepared a whole stack of refusal lines. This man had given him two million but asked for nothing, only that he study well?

What kind of international-level joke was this?

Chu Xiu had been precocious. From the first day he put on the suit and started bartending, he knew that pies never fall from the sky. Gifts from fate always came with a hidden price. Wealthy young masters threw money around to extract something in return. But this man… what did he truly mean?

What did he truly mean?

Chu Xiu felt his heart pounding violently in his chest—thump, thump—as adrenaline flooded through his veins, something breaking through from within.

He didn’t know why he suddenly felt so agitated, so lost, but driven by the rush, he yanked open the door and darted out sideways, moving at an incredible speed, as if even a second’s delay would make him miss something precious.

Yi Xi was already outside the bar, about to unlock his vehicle.

“Wait!”

The glass door of Whistle slammed open. The young man with chestnut hair rushed out, slightly out of breath, a little impatient, and skidded to a stop right in front of Yi Xi.

Yi Xi always wore a gentle smile, looking at Chu Xiu as if he were a cherished junior. He showed no hint of annoyance at being interrupted, tilting his head slightly from inside the vehicle: “Is there something else?”

“…”

It was Chu Xiu who had called him back, yet now he couldn’t even speak. The confident, in-control words of Cointreau seemed to vanish all at once. He was just a raw, inexperienced boy again, his ears mysteriously reddening under the mask.

“Uh, um…” Chu Xiu fumbled slightly, then looked up: “Can I… get your contact info?”

He explained quickly: “I don’t mean anything else. I just really appreciate what you did. If there’s ever anything I can help with, maybe I could reach out.”

Yi Xi smiled again.

The boy, with chestnut hair tilted up, looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, so unguarded and fresh that it reminded Yi Xi of his own carefree youth. The little tuft of hair on his head fluttered in the breeze, pitiful yet adorable.

“Of course.” Yi Xi lifted his light-brain and lightly touched it to Chu Xiu’s: “Now you have my contact info.”

“Oh.” Chu Xiu nodded, then immediately felt a little embarrassed. What was that “oh” for? Oreo? When had the ever-fluent Cointreau become so tongue-tied?

He lifted the light-brain again: “Maybe I could send you a message?”

Yi Xi was a top-tier figure in the world. Someone like him, constantly managing countless affairs, probably had a dozen accounts, one of which might be used to accept contacts from someone as inconsequential as Chu Xiu. Afterward, it would likely be set aside, hardly checked for days at a time.

But Yi Xi said, “Sure.”

He continued, “I’m very willing to help young people who are lost along the way. If you have questions about choosing a career or other matters, you can ask me. Of course…”

Yi Xi paused for a moment: “If there’s anything, it’s best to come to me quickly. As for later…”

The “later” part, he might not even be alive then.

There was no need to tell a chance-acquainted young person that, so Yi Xi left the last sentence vague. Chu Xiu assumed he would be busy afterward and nodded: “Alright.”

Yi Xi closed the door, ignited the craft, and sped away. He looked back from the window, the boy was still standing at the Whistle’s entrance, his little tuft of hair bouncing with delight.

He smiled quietly to himself again.

Secretary Lin, who was driving, glanced over: “Boss? What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I met a rather interesting young person at the bar,” Yi Xi said.

Secretary Lin nodded, not pressing the topic further: “Have you seen the VIP room at the Whistle Bar? How is it?”

“Not bad. Can book it.” As he said this, Yi Xi’s expression grew cold. His eyes, hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, revealed nothing.

“Understood,” Secretary Lin replied. “I’ll send a message to Chu Xiu to confirm.”

He quickly drafted the message and sent it.

At the same time, a new unread message popped up on Chu Xiu’s light-brain:

⟦ Greetings, Chu Xiu. I’m Yi Xi. I’m honored to receive your invitation. Perhaps we can meet tomorrow evening in the VIP room at Whistle. What do you think? ⟧