Chapter Thirty-Four: Forced to Make a Bet

  All the way, Qu Wen was full of doubts in his mind. It seemed like a high school student gathering, but it was actually a luxurious dinner party. After listening to Zhao Haifeng's words, his curiosity was piqued.

  "What's with Xiaolin's school? Why are all her classmates from rich families?"

  Zhao Haifeng smiled again: "Although there is no concept of aristocratic schools in the country, some private schools only recruit children of rich families. In terms of teacher resources and tuition fees, they are unmatched by ordinary schools. Xiaolin attends the best private school in Beijing, what kind of people do you think his classmates are?"

  Qu Wen suddenly realized, no wonder Bao Guoqiang asked him to buy new clothes, it turned out that he had known all along that the people attending the gathering were all children of wealthy families, including his own daughter, Bao Xiaolin.

  "What's the point of having money, I have nothing to do with them, at worst I'll just ignore them." Qu Wen's temper had always been one that yielded to softness but not to force, and he waved his hand at Zhao Haifeng before walking into the villa.

  The villa was packed with young people, ranging from their teens to their twenties. In addition to Bao Xiaolin's classmates, there were many others like Qu Wen who had come together in groups of three or five, dressed in bright and beautiful clothes, chatting about topics that interested them.

  Although they are all from wealthy families, the gathering of young people is different from the wine party of adults. In the center of the spacious hall, a projector and stereo were placed, playing the most popular songs at the moment, deafening. The second floor railing was filled with colorful lights, giving off a disco and nightclub vibe. If you didn't know any better, it would be hard to imagine that this is a high school reunion.

  To put it simply, this is a collective party for young people (a 'Homeparty', a homophonic translation of the English phrase). Only rich people's private parties are much better than nightclubs. With fewer unsavory characters, safety is greatly increased.

  Several people walked into the hall and immediately caught everyone's attention, with surprise, admiration, and jealousy.

  Bao Xiaolin wore a pale purple dress tonight, perfectly setting off her fair skin and delicate features. A faint smile made her look sweet and lovely. Although she was young, her tall and slender figure had already subtly highlighted, making every male present take a second glance.

  However, the vast majority of boys were very aware and did not come forward. Not to mention Bao Xiaolin's superior family background, but also the two male classmates by her side, none of them were simple people, each with a very deep family background.

  The clothes followed the tail, wearing casual, just ordinary T-shirts and jeans, like a rooster in a flock of cranes, compared to the few people in front, it was simply heaven and earth, but unexpectedly eye-catching.

  "Who is that person? I've never seen him before. Since he's attending the party, why is he dressed so casually?"

  "Maybe he's someone's driver..."

  "It's hard to say, his attire is casual, but he exudes an air of nobility, probably not an ordinary person."

  "When did you learn to judge people? You can't even pass an exam, stop talking nonsense."

  "Hmph, failing a few subjects doesn't matter. In the future, I'll still take over my dad's factory and manage a group of people. He said that in business, understanding people is just as important. Don't underestimate someone you've just met, they might have a humble appearance but be worth a fortune. This person's clothes can be fake, but their aura can't be easily faked."

  Everyone bowed their heads and whispered to each other, among them a boy named Dong Shijie was right about seven or eight points. Qu Wen's writing may not have reached the level of gold and silver filling the house, but relying on his extraordinary skills, he will eventually make a name for himself.

  As he entered the hall, a tall and handsome young man walked out of the crowd, speaking to Bao Xiaolin in a warm tone: "Xiaolin, you're really late, everyone's been waiting for you." He then glanced at Qu Wen behind several people and asked in confusion: "Who is this?"

  "He's my brother, named Qu Wen, and also my dad's junior fellow apprentice." Bao Xiaolin said calmly, without any expression on her face, seemingly not having a good impression of the young master in front of her. She turned around and grasped Qu Wen's hand, almost startling the eyeballs out of their sockets for the classmates present.

  He brought Qu Wen over, no more than to use him as a shield, but didn't expect him to voluntarily become a turtle and hide behind. As he grasped his arm, he quietly glared at him.

  Bao Xiaolin's classmates all knew that her father was a famous connoisseur in the antique industry, with a golden mouth that could distinguish true from false. After more than 20 years in the industry, his family had accumulated wealth and was by no means inferior to those who started companies or built factories.

  Qu Wen is still young, only a few years older than everyone else, and yet he turns out to be Bao Xiaolin's father's junior fellow apprentice. Plus Bao Xiaolin's attitude towards him is really surprising. It seems that this person should not be judged by appearance, and it suits him perfectly.

  At that moment, venomous glances shot out from the eyes of the sports boy and the surfer dude, and when they looked at Qu Wen, their faces were filled with hostility.

  Feeling the atmosphere was not right, the handsome young man walked up and stretched out his hand to Qu Wen, saying respectfully: "Hello, Brother Qu Wen, my name is Zhang Chen, I'm the owner of this villa. Usually, my father and older brother also dabble in antiques, but because their eyes aren't good enough, they've bought a lot of fakes. Tonight's a rare opportunity, why don't you help us appraise them?"

  Zhang Chen is young in years, elegant and refined, with a faint smile always on his face, making people feel a sense of closeness.

  Qu Wen heard the habitual rubbing of his head: "I'm also new to the antique business, and I'm not good at appraisal. What if I make a mistake and let everyone see it?"

  Zhang Chen's face smiled slightly, he would never underestimate his opponent because of Qu Wen's words. Since childhood, following his father, what kind of person hasn't he seen? People like Qu Wen can be roughly divided into elegant scholars and the majority of profit-seeking businessmen, who are extremely particular about personal cultivation. In other words, it was just a humble remark.

  Just then, the sports boy and the flowery-haired guy chimed in from the side: "Great, we also want to see Brother Qu Wen's appraisal skills, let's make it tonight's after-dinner entertainment."

  Qu Wen listened with a face of displeasure, why should brothers perform for you young people, if you want to find extra fun activities, go back to your mother's womb. Everyone has their own social circle, unintentionally meeting together, and may not mix together in the future, so there is no need to give each other any good looks.

  "You two are also something, wanting to watch me perform is fine, but after I'm done performing, you'll have to put on some acts too." When it comes to enemies, one must be ruthless and show no mercy, this has always been Qu Wen's guiding principle. He then shouted loudly: "Everyone says, is that okay?!"

  Young people love to join in the fun, wherever there is excitement they will rush to it. When Qu Wen said this, everyone followed and jeered.

  "Great! It's rare for Ling Kai and Chen Jun to perform on stage, let's give them some energy!"

  "Come on Ling Kai! Come on Chen Jun!"

  A commotion at the scene made Qu Wen realize the names of these two people, the athletic boy was originally named Ling Kai, and the flowing hair was Chen Jun.

  The two of them did not expect Qu Wen to turn the tables on them. Usually arrogant and domineering, Chen Jun couldn't take this blow. Pointing at Qu Wen's nose, he said: "What's so great about acting? Why don't we make a bet instead? Whoever loses has to do a striptease in public!"

  Qu Wen didn't think this little kid was so capable, if he lost and had to do a striptease in front of so many people, it would be better to commit suicide on the spot. If word got out, there would be no face left to live with. However, admitting defeat before the competition even started was something Qu Wen couldn't do, nor would she ever do. With a stern expression, she said: "How do you want to gamble?"