Chapter 325: Tan Ge, the Young Master of Hua, and Guo Ling

A luxurious Audi pulled up in front of the South River Nightclub. Two young men got out of the car. One of them, speaking with a Beijing accent, asked the other if this was the place. The other, showing great respect, confirmed that it was.

This scene attracted a lot of attention. Although South River is a pioneer city of reform and opening up, population mobility at that time was low. Many people doing business there were locals from Lingnan. Beijing residents hadn't reached the point of being ubiquitous, and Audi was a newly introduced luxury car, a model often associated with the stock market tycoon Zhou Ming. To most people, owning such a car signified either great wealth or nobility.

Seeing these two young men step out of the car immediately drew inquiries from the locals. "Are you here to enjoy the nightlife? We have many pretty girls here. Do you need one to keep you company?"

Nightclubs have always been money-spending havens, so transactions involving money and questionable activities are inevitable. Zhou Ming had instructed General Manager Kong Xiaolin to strictly guard against such issues, but it was impossible to control what happened outside the nightclub. After all, the name South River Nightclub attracted many wealthy patrons.

The two young men ignored the pimp and walked into the nightclub. Hearing the loud music from the bar, the lead young man frowned. The other leaned in and whispered a few words, and the two began to stroll around the bar, eventually finding a spot at the bar counter.

"What can I get for you gentlemen?" the bartender asked politely. The two young men shook their heads and approached someone who was drinking. The lead young man took the drink from this person and said, "I didn't expect General Tao's eldest son, who once dominated Lingnan, to now be reduced to mingling in such chaotic places and drowning his sorrows in alcohol. It's truly pitiful."

The man they addressed was Tao Guoling, the son of Tao Niansheng, the Chief of Staff of the Lingnan Military Region. After failing in his dealings with the Cao family, he had lost his former status and now frequented the South River Nightclub every day.

Tao Guoling turned to look at the young man, then, after a moment of thought, pointed at him and said, "Tan Ge, I didn't expect the head of the New Company to come here just to watch me make a fool of myself."

The two young men were none other than Tan Qianjun, the prominent young master from Beijing, often referred to as Tan Ge, and Hua Shao, who had once troubled Zhou Ming and Du Peng in Lingnan. Upon recognition, Tan Ge smiled slightly and sat down next to Tao Guoling, shaking his head gently, "Why would I come here just to see you make a fool of yourself, Tao Gongzi? On the contrary, as someone from the imperial capital, I feel quite sympathetic towards your situation."

Tan Ge spoke with heartfelt sincerity, but Tao Guoling ignored him. At this moment, Hua Shao spoke up, "Tao Gongzi, what Tan Ge says is true. He really does come with sympathy and concern for you."

Hearing this, Tao Guoling turned to look at Hua Shao, "Oh! I didn't expect Hua Shao to be here as well. It seems I am in such a bad state now that even Hua Shao, the head of Lingnan, has come to visit. I'm honored by the attention from both Beijing's young masters."

Hua Shao was the troublesome Jiang Chunhua from earlier. Although Tao Guoling addressed him with words of courtesy, his tone was tinged with sarcasm.

Tan Qianjun frowned and said, "Guoling, do you remember how spirited you were when you were in Beijing? How did you end up as a drunken mess, wasting your time in such a place? What would your father say if he knew how you've turned out? He might even beat you."

Tao Guoling was momentarily taken aback by this comment, then burst into laughter, "Tan Ge, your joke isn't funny at all. My father is already gone; he can't beat me anymore. And..."

Tao Guoling looked around the bar and continued, "I see nothing wrong here. There's food and drink, and there are pretty girls dressed so scantily. If you're interested, you can easily have a carefree night with a girl. This place is simply paradise! No wonder there's a trend nationwide to mimic such establishments."

As the first nightclub in the country, the South River Nightclub had become a landmark in South River City and had inspired a nationwide craze for nightclubs. Cities like Beijing and other provincial capitals soon followed suit with their own versions.

"Guoling, both of us came from the same Beijing courtyard. There's no need for you to say such things in front of me," said Tan Qianjun.

"I don't know what you're talking about. What do you mean by making such remarks? I genuinely think this place is great. At least I can find my youth here!" Tao Guoling replied.

"You think you're finding your youth? I believe you're wasting your life! I came all the way from Beijing to see you, and this is your attitude?" Tan Qianjun said angrily.

However, Tao Guoling remained indifferent, "Tan Ge, why are you so worked up? What does it matter to you if I have no ambition or appear to be wasting away? Your father is still the city's mayor, and you are still the big young master from Beijing. Why should you care about a small fry like me? Besides, wasn't it partly your idea that I clashed with Zhou Ming?"

"What are you saying, Guoling?" Tan Qianjun raised his voice in question.

"I'm saying, aren't you aware of it, Tan Ge? Are you pretending not to know? Or are you one of those who dare to act but not acknowledge their actions?" Tao Guoling countered.

Tao Guoling wasn't naive; he knew that Hua Shao was largely responsible for the conflict between him and Zhou Ming. Hua Shao was connected to Tan Qianjun, and the New Company and Zhou Ming were at odds. 

Despite his father's downfall, Tao Guoling had to endure his diminishing status and the distant Tan Qianjun's influence, which meant he could only silently suffer. However, over time, his resentment grew, and when he saw Tan Qianjun, it all surfaced.

"I'm so disappointed, Guoling. I traveled all this way from Beijing to find you, and this is the attitude you give me? It's simply unacceptable!" Tan Qianjun said.

"Well, I should thank you, Tan Ge. If you find this insufficient, I can thank your whole family," Tao Guoling replied.

"Don't..."

Tan Qianjun was about to lose his temper but was stopped by Hua Shao, who said, "Guoling, I know there's been a misunderstanding..."

Before Hua Shao could finish, Tao Guoling interrupted, "Hua Shao, you're mistaken. This isn't a misunderstanding. It's just that you all have acted too unkindly."

Hua Shao gestured for Tao Guoling to calm down, "Guoling, don't get too worked up. I think you've got the wrong target. Are you suggesting that Tan Ge's actions are the cause of your current situation? That doesn't make sense."

Tao Guoling's gaze shifted as he remembered Zhou Ming's name and eventually calmed down. He sat back down.

Seeing that Tao Guoling was calm, Hua Shao pressed on, "Whatever happened in the past is past. Let's not dwell on it. Don't you want to take revenge on Zhou Ming? Don't you want to know why Tan Ge came here?"

"Purpose?" Tao Guoling realized something, "You're here to take revenge on Zhou Ming?"

"Of course," Hua Shao nodded, "Tan Ge traveled all the way to Lingnan not for a vacation, but to deal with Zhou Ming."

Tao Guoling turned to Tan Qianjun, who said, "Guoling, have you heard about the situation in Jingchu? Recently, Zhou Ming mobilized Lingnan's troops and labeled the Deputy Secretary of the Jin Ning Municipal Committee, Gao Jianhui, as a counter-revolutionary, along with the Provincial Secretary Dai Jinshan."

Although Tao Guoling's influence had waned, he still understood the political landscape well. He quickly realized the implication: "So, someone at a higher level can't tolerate Zhou Ming anymore?"

Tan Qianjun finally smiled, though his tone remained cold, "In any case, Zhou Ming must be eliminated!"

Tao Guoling took a swig from his drink, then asked, "So what do you want me to do?"

"Of course, we'll use your connections to help us with Zhou Ming," Tan Qianjun said.

Tao Guoling considered it, took a large gulp of his drink, and finally agreed, "I'll do it!"