After I Was Gone, Mr. Song Said He Loved Me - Chapter 4 - Want to Make 100,000 yuan in a Day?

Manager Wang led me towards the ‘Crown’ area at the back of the Royal Dynasty. This was the place for entertaining VIPs or where some rich second-generation kids threw their parties. Each transaction here started at least in the seven figures.

I had only heard of it but never been there. None of the people I knew were guests of the ‘Crown’ area.

“Manager, can you tell me the name of the guest?” I asked with a smile.

Manager Wang glanced at me, his expression suggesting I was a reincarnation of a humblebrag: “How would I know? The boss just told me to find you, said a big boss was waiting for you and even stored some wine for you. You’ll find out once you get there.”

I figured he was right; I’d know soon enough anyway.

As we talked, we arrived at the ‘Crown’ area. There were fewer guests here, and the corridor was very quiet, with only one private room faintly echoing a song.

Listening closely, it was “A Thousand Farewell Songs¹,” suggesting the guest might be on the older side.

Just then, Manager Wang’s walkie-talkie went off. There was a small dispute with a guest over a drink discount in the front building, and he was needed there.

Manager Wang frowned after listening, then hung up the walkie-talkie and said to me, “Mr. Bai, I have to go. The guest is in room 2205, you head over there yourself.”

“Alright, Manager, you go ahead.”

Manager Wang patted my shoulder with a meaningful smile, “Mr. Bai, once you finish this deal, you won’t have to worry about your performance this month.”

I chuckled awkwardly, not knowing how to respond.

“Alright then, I’ll head over. Just be yourself,” Manager Wang advised.

I nodded perfunctorily, then hurried towards 2205. At the door of the private room, I took a few deep breaths, plastered on a professional smile, and pushed the door open.

I expected the room to be full of people, but to my surprise, the large room had only one man sitting in the middle of the sofa, not even a server in sight.

The man looked over at me, and my heart skipped a beat. Even though the lighting in the room was dim, I recognized that face.

Wasn’t this the man I had just run into in the restroom?

The man smiled and waved me over, “Come here.”

Royal Dynasty had a rule: if a guest stored wine under a salesperson’s name, it counted as an order. Unless there was a major issue, no one could cancel the order and offend the guest. This was professional ethics.

I guessed this man knew the rule, so he stored wine in advance.

Since it was an order, it was much easier-just drink.

I breathed a sigh of relief and walked over with a smile, “Welcome to Royal Dynasty, I’m Bai Yu, pleased to meet you.”

This was my most common opening line with unfamiliar guests.

The man frowned slightly and patted the sofa beside him. I took the hint and sat down.

“Do you say this to everyone?” he asked.

I was taken aback, wondering if there was something wrong with him, but I still replied obediently, “It’s my job.”

“That’s good,” the man smiled, leaning over to pick up a teacup from the table.

Only then did I notice that the two crystal tables in front of us had no bottles of alcohol, just a purple clay teapot and two egg-sized teacups.

This was the first time in my career that I encountered someone coming to a bar not to drink but to enjoy tea.

“I don’t drink,” the man said, noticing my confusion.

“If you want to drink, just have someone bring the wine in,” he added.

Having just downed a bunch of Louis XIII with the fat belly, I had no desire for alcohol at the moment. Besides, since this man had already stored the wine, I didn’t need to push any sales. Hearing that I didn’t have to drink was a relief.

“No, no, I’ll join you for tea,” I quickly poured myself a cup from the teapot.

The man took out a business card holder from his pocket and handed me a black card. I immediately took it with both hands and read the words aloud: “HuanYa Group Asia-Pacific Executive President-Song Yu.”

Although I didn’t know what kind of company HuanYa was, the impressive title was enough to prove that this man, Song Yu, was no ordinary person, certainly more formidable than any of the bosses I had met before.

“President Song, you… you…” I wanted to ask why he was looking for me but felt it might be inappropriate, so I stammered without saying anything meaningful.

“Want to know why I’m looking for you?” Song Yu picked up the conversation.

I nodded hesitantly.

Song Yu adjusted the gold-rimmed glasses on his nose and looked at me intently. His eyes were so deep that it felt like all my thoughts were laid bare before him.

I cleared my throat, awkwardly avoiding his gaze.

“Probably a feeling,” Song Yu said.

What kind of reason was that?

“Feels like you’re the person I’m looking for,” Song Yu continued, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. I quickly took out the lighter I always carried and leaned in.

“Want one?” he asked.

“I don’t smoke,” I politely declined.

Song Yu glanced at me, then nodded, “Not smoking is good.”

I awkwardly tugged at the corner of my mouth.

“How old are you? Are you of legal age?” he asked just as “A Thousand Farewell Songs” started playing again on loop.

“I just turned 20,” I answered truthfully.

“How much can you make here in a day?”

“Huh?” It was the first time I’d encountered such a direct guest.

Song Yu chuckled, with a hint of disdain in his tone, “Isn’t everyone here to make money?”

The conversation was so awkward it could have sailed across the Pacific, but since he asked, I had to answer.

“Well… on a good day, a few hundred to a thousand yuan, on a bad day, maybe nothing at all.”

Being a liquor salesperson was essentially a job for the young. With good luck, you could easily make tens of thousands to a hundred thousand a year. With bad luck, not only would you not make money, but you might also end up with stomach or liver problems, which was not uncommon.

I was fairly lucky, at least able to rent a small apartment in Hai City without having to share a cramped space with others.

After listening, Song Yu was silent for a moment before asking, “Would you like to make a hundred thousand in a day?”

I admit, after hearing Song Yu’s words, I was stunned…

Footnote:

1. 1. A Thousand Farewell Songs(千千阙歌):“A Thousand Farewell Songs” is a classic Cantonese pop song performed by Hong Kong singer Priscilla Chan, widely recognized for its nostalgic and emotional appeal.