At that realization, regret instantly flared in his heart.
He secretly wondered how his luck could have turned so rotten in just two days.
Because he now saw Jiang Cheng and Wang Congcong looking straight toward the second booth.
And today the table wasn't limited to those two—Zheng Zhigang and He Youjun were there as well.
He Youjun needed no introduction; all of Casino City belonged, without exaggeration, to the He family.
Zheng Zhigang's clan, meanwhile, was old money on Hong Kong Island.
Any one of the four had wealth and influence far beyond what he could afford to underestimate.
Xu Zhi's face turned ashen; he felt like a clown.
Only yesterday Jiang Cheng had driven him to storm out of the banquet.
Tonight the video Wang Congcong shot at that same dinner was still trending on Social Media Platform.
Worst of all, he could do nothing to Jiang Cheng—yet here they were again, crossing paths while he was out for fun.
In a flash of self-loathing he almost slapped himself.
Why had he been so bored that he had to look their way? Now they'd spotted him!
Had it been Wang Congcong alone he wouldn't have cared; he would simply have ignored him.
But the situation was completely different now.
The person locking eyes with him wasn't just Wang Congcong—it was Jiang Cheng.
To this day he knew nothing about Jiang Cheng's background.
Ever since the banquet ended he'd launched an overnight deep-dive into Xingchen Investment Company and Mingsheng Group.
At first he'd assumed Jiang Chenghong was merely a white-glove front-man like his own father.
Yet so far he hadn't found the slightest link between Xingchen and Mingsheng.
What baffled him more was that the profiles of both Jiang Cheng and Jiang Chenghong were a chaotic mess.
Had Jiang Cheng not personally admitted yesterday that he was Jiang Chenghong's grandson,
their own investigations would probably never have uncovered that crucial fact.
All of it left Xu Zhi increasingly agitated.
Watching the crowd around him still gossiping and judging Jiang Cheng, he finally lost control and roared:
'Enough! Shut up! What do any of you know? All of you—less talking!'
Startled by the sudden outburst, the other Second-generation rich kids' faces darkened.
'What do you mean, Young Master Xu?'
One of them snapped, 'We didn't say anything wrong!'
'Exactly, Young Master Xu, aren't you overreacting?' another chimed in.
'Do you even remember tonight's New Year's Eve?' Xu Zhi's expression was terrifying. 'I'm warning you—don't stir trouble or you'll regret it.'
At those words the whole group fell silent.
Xu Zhi's backing wasn't something they dared provoke; angering him could end disastrously.
Tonight was New Year's Eve, and most of them had brought dates—or were planning to snatch one on the spot.
With Jiang Churan's appearance, every one of these heirs was waiting for a chance to make her his.
This was prime time to show off.
Xu Zhi's shout had just stripped them of face for the entire evening.
Frustrated as they were, they swallowed their anger and kept quiet; no one dared talk back.
Xu Zhi knew this was a sensitive moment.
A bar was a place where trouble mixed freely.
If these idiots spouted off and pushed him into another clash with Jiang Cheng, he'd only be hurting himself.
With that realization, any desire to have fun evaporated.
He had never been the sort of pampered wastrel who lived only for food and drink.
The two lines he'd aimed at Jiang Cheng at last night's banquet hadn't really been excessive.
After all, entrepreneurs of their circle often bantered and made bets.
Even titans like Richest Man Wang and Jack Ma, along with his own father, publicly traded jabs.
All he had asked Jiang Cheng was, 'What does your family do?'
Honestly, Xu Zhi still didn't believe he had done anything wrong.
Face gloomy, he picked up his glass and walked toward Booth One.
Seeing this, the heirs exchanged curious looks, expecting a show.
In their eyes Xu Zhi was surely going to mock Wang Congcong as usual.
They all moved in the same circles and knew each other well.
Both Wang Congcong and Xu Zhi were sons of the richest men.
Yet Second-generation rich kids worshipped strength.
Wang Congcong, for instance, had struck out on his own.
Xu Zhi, however, had already joined Company as VP of real estate, overseeing property and landscaping.
By comparison, Xu Zhi clearly had more ability.
Jiang Churan glanced uncertainly at Shen Shuang beside her and whispered, 'Sister Shuang, this guy doesn't get along with Wang Congcong, right?'
Shen Shuang nodded first, then answered just as quietly.
'Yeah, both families are in real estate—you know that—but for some reason they start sniping the moment they meet, each thinking the other's beneath him.'
'Is the Handsome Guy in the middle an Internet Celebrity?'
Shen Shuang shook her head. 'No idea. Principal Wang loves promoting influencers, but he rarely takes photos with male ones. It's possible, but my gut says no. If he were just an Internet Celebrity, how could he be sitting next to He Youjun? Take what they said with a grain of salt—it was all to curry favor with Xu Zhi.'
After that explanation Jiang Churan gave a half-understanding nod.
Her gaze couldn't help drifting back to Jiang Cheng.
Within seconds Xu Zhi reached Booth One.
To keep other patrons from sneaking in for photos, Yuan Zong had ringed the booth with staff.
Seeing Xu Zhi approach, Yuan Zong didn't dare bar the way.
'Good evening, Young Master Xu. How may I serve you?'
'I'm going over to speak with them.'
Knowing exactly who Xu Zhi was, Yuan Zong immediately bowed. 'Of course, please go ahead.'