"Who is this?"
Mulan's voice came through the phone.
"It's me. Ethan Chen, from The Summit Resort."
The sound of high heels clicking against a hard surface echoed over the line. When the sound stopped, the woman's voice returned. "I'm very busy lately. Fang Si said she would visit your establishment."
Ethan knew Fang Si was the flirty woman in the red dress.
"You really think of me as a male escort?" Ethan couldn't help but retort. "This is about something else. Cao Yuan lost some money at our place. He wants to use the real estate under his name to cover the debt."
"How much did he lose?"
"One hundred and twenty million."
"That's not 'some money'," Mulan replied. "Let's discuss this in person."
"Shall I arrange a car for you?"
"Unnecessary."
Click. Bzzzz...
Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. From Mulan's tone, he could temporarily rest assured that she seemed to have an attitude of wanting to resolve the issue.
An hour later, Ethan met Mulan at the casino, though not in an office, but in a VIP lounge she booked on the spot. Clearly, even coming to discuss a debt, Mulan didn't want to sit in an office like a debtor.
The large VIP lounge held only Ethan and Mulan. Mulan had even opened a bottle of red wine.
Today, Mulan wore a form-fitting black dress that accentuated her figure, looking particularly alluring.
"Where is Cao Yuan?"
"Still playing," Ethan gestured. "The lounge next door."
"He owes you 120 million, and you still let him play?"
"What can we do?" Ethan said helplessly. "A guest is a guest. If he wants to play, we can't stop him."
Mulan's slender fingers tapped lightly on the gaming table. "One hundred and twenty million. If you take the assets directly to cover the debt, what's the valuation?"
Ethan took out a list and slid it across the table to Mulan.
Mulan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Eighty percent? Your establishment's terms are quite... harsh."
"I'm just an employee," Ethan sighed.
"This money... I can't come up with it immediately," Mulan said, pushing the list back toward Ethan. "It's not a small sum. I can repay it, but it has to be in installments. Also, Cao Yuan's money has all flowed into your casino. He can continue playing here, but you cannot extend him any further credit. Just have a few people play along with him daily, keep him happy. And the interest stops here. Not a single cent more on top of the current amount. If you accept my terms, I'll go gather the funds."
"If you can't accept it, then follow your casino's usual procedures. Lock him up, beat him, do what you must. Once Cao Yuan can't take it anymore, he'll naturally ask his family for the money. You were there last time, you heard him with another woman in the next room. To be honest, what he's like doesn't matter to me."
The aura Mulan projected now was completely different from her last visit.
Last time, she had come as a guest, with the awkwardness of a first-timer.
This time, approaching it as a business negotiation, Mulan radiated the demeanor of a strong, capable businesswoman.
Clear, logical, and firm!
Ethan thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. But how long until the full amount is paid? You need to give me a timeline."
"Two weeks," Mulan stated.
Ethan agreed. Just then, the VIP lounge door was shoved open.
Cao Yuan stood in the doorway, his face contorted with anger, his two bodyguards flanking him.
"So this is where you are, Mulan! I heard you came here! Getting a private room to have a date with your pretty boy, huh?"
Cao Yuan shouted, glaring at Ethan before waving his hand. "Get him!"
The two bodyguards rushed forward without a word. One threw a punch, landing heavily on Ethan's face. The other delivered a sharp kick to Ethan's stomach, the force knocking him clean off his chair.
Ethan didn't fight back at all.
As the bodyguards moved to continue—
"Enough!" Mulan slammed her hand on the table, her voice sharp.
The bodyguards looked at Mulan, then at Cao Yuan, and hesitated.
Mulan strode over, helping Ethan to his feet. She looked at the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and the bruise forming on his face, then turned her glare on Cao Yuan. "What is the meaning of this nonsense?"
"Nonsense? You have the nerve to say that to me!" Cao Yuan pointed a shaking finger at Ethan. "What, I catch you cheating with your boy toy, and I'm the one causing trouble? Is that how the Mu Family operates? So tyrannical?"
Mulan walked right up to him, meeting his gaze directly. "Trying to throw mud at me to cover your own guilt? Change the subject? Cao Yuan, I'm not some naive little girl. Save your pathetic tricks. And next time you want to put on a show, check yourself properly first. Remember to wipe the lipstick off your neck before you come pretending to be the wronged party in front of me!"
Cao Yuan's eyes darted away guiltily.
Serena and others, hearing the commotion, hurried over. They saw the bruise on Ethan's face and the blood on his lip.
"Ethan, many departments are closed over the weekend. I'll get you the money on Monday."
Mulan left these words behind and strode out, not even glancing at Cao Yuan.
Cao Yuan's face flushed with humiliation. Seeing the crowd of onlookers, he yelled, "What are you all looking at! I'll gouge your eyes out! Get lost!"
With that, he and his entourage also left.
Serena waved a hand, dispersing the onlookers, and entered the lounge. She pulled out a tissue and gently wiped the blood from Ethan's mouth.
"Those two bodyguards are skilled, but they couldn't have completely prevented you from defending yourself, could they?"
"Was I supposed to?" Ethan winced, touching his bruised cheek. "Cao Yuan isn't an idiot. He knows exactly why Mulan came. He started trouble with me to provoke a reaction. Right now, we're treating him like a king. He has no legitimate reason to cause a scene for the casino. If I had fought back, he'd have a dozen excuses to welch on the debt. He's the son of a multi-billion dollar family. The Boss might be able to afford to offend him, but I can't. They'd just throw me to the wolves as a scapegoat, and I'd have nowhere to plead my case."
Serena used her walkie-talkie to have someone bring an ice pack.
"Fine, you couldn't fight back. But you could have dodged, right?"
"No," Ethan shook his head. "Mulan originally said two weeks. That's too long, and things could change. Now? Perfect. We get the money on Monday. All it cost was a couple of hits. Never thought I, Ethan Chen, would be worth so much per punch."
Looking at the bruise on Ethan's face, Serena sighed. "True. If not for those hits making Mulan feel guilty and indebted to you, getting that money would have been much harder. A hundred or two hundred thousand might be pocket change she makes in a day, but 120 million? That hurts. It's a serious blow."
"You had a rough time today. Come on, I'll treat you to a proper meal. But let's eat here at the hotel. Better not go outside for now. I still can't figure out who sent that guy last time."