When the oversized pink bottle of Armand de Brignac, claimed to cost over two million per bottle, was opened, the rich aroma unique to champagne spread throughout the private room, officially announcing the start of this evening party.
Zhou Wang wasn’t really into karaoke, at least not before drinking too much, and probably neither were Qiu Zeyu and the others, so no one started singing the first song right away.
But the scene wasn’t awkward.
Because if they didn’t sing, there were professionals to fill that slight gap in the atmosphere.
Among the young women who entered the private room, at least three or four were from professional music academies, and one even claimed to be in the top twenty of a national women’s singing competition... Anyway, Zhou Wang didn’t know her.
Though he didn’t know her, her singing and skills were indeed impeccable. At Qiu Zeyu’s request, she opened with a rendition of "Mortal Song," winning applause all around.
Qiu Zeyu directly called over a cheongsam girl to present her with a flower.
The singing girl immediately bowed in thanks to Qiu Zeyu, looking very excited, which left Zhou Wang and the others puzzled. After asking, Qiu Zeyu couldn’t help but pat his head:
"Sorry, guys, I forgot to tell you, here, ’sending a flower’ means tipping. These girls don’t have a basic tip, and a flower costs five thousand bucks, while a star is ten thousand..."
After Qiu Zeyu’s explanation, Zhou Wang finally understood.
This was different from normal business KTVs, where the girls entering the private room didn’t require them to pay extra. They could be seen as the "atmosphere team" in the KTV, or in other words, their fees were already included in the expensive room service charge (10%).
The way they earned extra income was through these gifts cashed in by the guests, ranging from five thousand to a maximum of one hundred thousand.
Really damn expensive!
Zhou Wang smacked his lips. The last time he took Yang Hao to a business KTV in Ming City, five thousand bucks could cover three or four girls, yet here it was only the lowest tip amount.
Though the quality of these girls was extraordinarily good, not just in appearance but also in their qualities and talents.
Zhou Wang found this place more reminiscent of an old-time "brothel," where the girls entertaining the guests had a distinct air of being talented and beautiful.
Sitting beside Zhou Wang was a girl named Lin Yue from the Foreign Language Institute. Since Ji Xiaoxi was busy texting all along, Lin Yue accompanied Zhou Wang in chatting and drinking for the first half. From her, Zhou Wang learned that someone had earned several hundred thousand in tips in a single night here.
"...But the one who tipped was a lady. Generally, women are more generous in this aspect."
Listening to Lin Yue’s words with a smile, Zhou Wang finally understood.
The customers here certainly weren’t just men. When they entered the private room, most of the waiters standing at the door were quite handsome... That explains it.
He recalled a news story he read online earlier about a man on a business trip discovering upon returning home that his always frugal wife had squandered the two million savings he entrusted to her on "male models" at a KTV...
And there was a similar story in Magic City, where a wealthy woman spent millions on a male model’s birthday in a private room, showering him with piles of luxury gifts.
Just as Lin Yue mentioned, women indeed tend to be more impulsive buyers in this regard.
With the first singing girl leading the charge, plus Qiu Zeyu’s generous gestures, the girls in the private room became more enthusiastic, showcasing their talents in succession — classical dance, big swings, pole dance — all surprisingly high in standard, delighting everyone present.
Young Master Zhang, Shao Xiaoqi, Tang Yiming, and the others all sent flowers. Amidst the clinking of glasses, the room’s atmosphere grew increasingly lively.
Although Ji Xiaoxi was ignoring him now, Zhou Wang was having a great time. This form of entertainment, devoid of "lowbrow touches and sings," had a unique charm... Although, even if Zhou Wang reached out, he figured these girls wouldn’t refuse.
What surprised Zhou Wang the most was a joint instrumental performance by Lin Yue and several girls.
They changed into Hanfu, wore sunglasses, and combined Huaxia’s classical instruments with modern electronic music, playing a DJ version of "Cloud Palace Rapid Sound" — yes, the opening theme of the 1986 version of "Journey to the West."
"Dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun..."
"Bosses, we Huaxia people~ don’t club to foreign techno!"
When that familiar yet strange prelude sounded, accompanied by Lin Yue’s rather provocative scream at the forefront, the entire private room’s atmosphere was entirely lit, and Zhou Wang and the others swayed along with the girls around them, turning the room into a large dance scene.
High, too high!
Zhou Wang, shaking his head, lifted a glass of champagne towards Qiu Zeyu, indicating his utmost satisfaction with this experience, which brought a knowing smile to Qiu Zeyu’s face.
No one else was the focus here; he was willing to spend big bucks just to make Zhou Wang smile. In essence, wasn’t it to solidify his friendship with Zhou Wang?
This transcended mere friendship; after Zhou Wang created the name "Wangyuan Association," his own patriarch issued the "ZZ task."
A few million was insignificant. How to maintain a long-standing and deeper relationship with Zhou Wang was Qiu Zeyu’s primary concern.