chapter 23 clown

"Do I know him?" Andrew Qi asked Viola Su, not recognizing the clownish figure before him. Of course, calling this person a "clown" might not be entirely appropriate. After all, he was tall and handsome, well-dressed, and had the look of a male model that young girls would fancy. "You certainly don't know me! But I know you. I heard from Belle Tang and Rachel Ni that you, kid, like to play mysterious and pretend to be all supernatural! You might deceive Viola, but don't think you can fool me! What now, you don't even have a membership card for the club and you still want to freeload?" "You're talking nonsense—" Viola Su tried to explain for Andrew Qi but was stopped by him. Viola Su did recognize this person. He was Conner Ou, a senior in the art department, who had a crush on her and had tried to court her several times. However, she only took him as a friend. Unexpectedly, today he decided to confront Andrew Qi. Andrew Qi knew that an argument with someone like Viola Su, a great beauty, would tarnish her image regardless of the outcome. That's why he stopped her. "Viola Su—" At this moment, Belle Tang and Rachel Ni approached, each with a male companion. The guy with Belle Tang looked even taller than Andrew Qi and exuded a certain heroism. Belle Tang greeted Viola Su, then turned her gaze to Andrew Qi, "Andrew Qi, you're here too?" "It was my mom who invited Andrew Qi to check out this auction." Viola Su quickly explained, "Belle, could you explain to the waiter, how could Andrew Qi be here to freeload?" Belle Tang was about to say something but was interrupted by Conner Ou. Knowing from Belle Tang and Rachel Ni that Viola Su seemed to have a soft spot for Andrew Qi, he hated Andrew Qi and wouldn't miss any chance to strike at him. "Miss Su, this is a private club. It’s a fact that he doesn't have a VIP card. The waiter is just going by the rules. Did he do something wrong?" The manager of the club, who was Conner Ou's distant cousin, knew Conner Ou wanted to mess with Andrew Qi and was ready to cooperate. After all, private clubs sometimes play on the edge with certain activities, and Conner Ou's father was the deputy chief of the Jin Cheng City police, often needing favours. "Yes, Belle, the waiter did nothing wrong. This is a high-end private club, not any tom dick and harry can come and go," said Theodore Liao, Rachel Ni's companion, ostensibly speaking reasonably but actually taking the opportunity to make him look bad. "Sir, since you don't have a VIP card, I must ask you to leave," the waiter, following the manager's instructions, was eager to drive Andrew Qi away. "Master Andrew is my guest, invited by me, Moira Chen. Are you planning to drive out a guest of mine without asking Mr Chen?" At this moment, Moira Chen appeared next to Viola Su, displaying the authority of a queen from the Su Group. Her address for Andrew Qi had changed from "Little Master Andrew" to "Master Andrew." The waiter didn't know Andrew Qi's background but knew Moira Chen and the Su Group. Offending Moira Chen could mean losing his job. Feeling conflicted, the waiter was relieved when the manager appeared, patting his shoulder, "Tommy, there’s nothing wrong with sticking to principles! Even if Mr Chen knows about it, he won’t blame you." "Manager—" The waiter saw the manager, Mr. Wang, and breathed a sigh of relief. Mr. Wang didn't want to offend Moira Chen but was pressured by Conner Ou, so he had to bite the bullet, "Ms. Chen, although you are a friend of our boss, please abide by our rules." "Fine!" Moira Chen's expression changed, and she threw her and Viola Su's VIP cards into the nearby trash can. "Hope your boss rewards you well!" Mr. Wang's face darkened, but he believed with Conner Ou's backing, his boss would understand. "Andrew Qi—since this lousy place doesn't welcome you, let's hold another auction somewhere else." A girl with a ponytail, wearing a light grey casual shirt, appeared at the entrance and walked straight towards Andrew Qi, her voice cold and disdainful. "Another auction? You're full of your nonsense!" Mr. Wang immediately retorted. Without sufficient funds and connections, who can just hold any auction they like? "Whatever Miss Lin says, I, Nolan Chu, will back it up!" Another bold voice rang out at the entrance. "I, Nolan Chu, will immediately host an auction at the Skyline Club. Those who wish to grace the event are welcome to join us." "He... He is Nolan Chu!" Even the waiter knew of Nolan Chu, trembling with fear now. As for Mr. Wang, it was like being hit over the head with a club, almost stunned. If his boss knew he had offended Nolan Chu too, he'd surely be in big trouble! Nolan Chu's action was akin to crashing a party, but in Jin Cheng City, did he need to explain? Most people present might not know Alisa Lin, but most recognized Nolan Chu. Even those who didn't know him had heard of the name ‘Nolan Chu’. So naturally, they were ready to show support for Nolan Chu, with some even throwing their VIP cards on the ground. The owner of the club, Adrian Chen, just got the news of Nolan Chu's arrival and was preparing to welcome him personally. However, he was shocked by this turn of events. Being smart, he immediately fired Mr. Wang and the waiter, then chased after Andrew Qi and Nolan Chu to apologize profusely, knowing that offending Nolan Chu meant being unable to carry on business in Jin Cheng City. "What's the use of apologizing? Do you think Master Andrew is interested in your lousy club? He just wanted to see if there were any magical instruments. Your fools didn’t recognize how important Andrew was! ― Take your collections to the Skyline Club and let Master Andrew take a look!" Nolan Chu was fully implementing the will of Mr. Chu, which was to treat Andrew Qi as a master, knowing he would sooner or later become a master of internal energy, or even achieve higher. Adrian Chen felt relieved, knowing although today's auction was ruined, he had salvaged his relationship with Nolan Chu, which meant he could continue doing business in the future. As for Conner Ou, the instigator, he was completely dumbfounded. He complained to Theodore Liao, "Andrew Qi knew Nolan Chu? Why didn't you tell me, Conner Ou!" "How would I know Nolan Chu would respect him so much!" Conner Ou was frustrated. Now, it was useless to say anything. Conner Ou's father could cover for him offending a businesswoman like Moira Chen, but offending Nolan Chu was beyond his police deputy chief father's capabilities. Nolan Chu was more than just a Jin Cheng City underworld figure. Realizing this, Conner Ou was ashen-faced. "Viola, Belle, Rachel, do you want to change venues?" Viola Su, not wanting her friends to feel awkward, extended an invitation. "Of course, we must see Nolan Chu's auction!" Theodore Liao promptly agreed, not wanting to be associated with Conner Ou in Nolan Chu's eyes. And the guy with Belle Tang, though silent, watched Andrew Qi with a guarded yet curious look.