Chapter 156: Unexpected Conflict

Following the voice, Jiang Hai turned toward the door and saw that what had been an empty entrance was now surrounded by a group of girls holding bottles of wine. These girls wore simple attire, similar to the woman who had led them in earlier, revealing a fair amount of skin. Among them were white girls, blondes, some Latinas, blacks, and even Asians. They stood outside the door, speaking in a soft, seductive tone to the two men inside.

"Welcome, dear ladies," they greeted.

Before Jiang Hai could respond, Moses Adams stood up and walked toward the door, acting naturally. He extended his arms and hugged the two girls who were standing outside, leading them into the room.

Jiang Hai, still wondering why they needed such a large room for just the two of them, glanced around. The room was indeed spacious, and judging by the standards of karaoke rooms in China, it was a super-sized box. The room featured a large bathroom, a row of oversized sofas, and a giant TV screen.

The TV could be set to karaoke mode or used for watching TV. Of course, the real reason they were here wasn't to sing or watch TV. The third function of the screen was to broadcast live performances.

The girls were clearly used to this environment. After following Moses Adams in, they immediately settled on the sofas. Many of them were adept at pouring foreign wine or opening beers. Jiang Hai and Moses Adams had initially occupied a large sofa, but with so many people now filling the space, it felt much more crowded. Even the two girls next to Jiang Hai were pressed up closely against him.

It was an uncomfortable situation for Jiang Hai, one that was entirely new to him. A quick glance revealed the girls' exposed skin, their revealing tops showing off ample curves. The air was thick with the scent of perfumes and body sprays, and his eyes couldn't help but wander over their thighs and torsos. A sudden rush of physical tension overcame him—his body stiffened, though it wasn't exactly in a way he welcomed. His neck felt sore, as if he might get cervical spondylosis. While he hadn't been diagnosed with the condition since obtaining the dragon ball, the discomfort remained.

"Bang, bang, bang!" At that moment, a girl turned on the TV, and the deafening sound of a live concert broadcast blasted into the room. The noise broke the awkwardness, offering a brief respite for Jiang Hai.

"Hey, miss, could you change the channel or lower the volume? My boss doesn't like this kind of music." Moses Adams, perhaps remembering that Jiang Hai wasn't fond of this genre, spoke up. He skillfully made his point, telling the girls that Jiang Hai wasn't a fan of this music and that Jiang Hai was actually the true wealthy figure in the room, not him.

Looking around, it was clear that many of the girls were interested in Moses Adams, especially the white ones who had gravitated toward him. The girls near Jiang Hai, aside from the Latino ones, included only one Asian girl. It was uncharacteristic of Moses Adams to ignore his boss like this.

Upon hearing Moses Adams' request, the girls shifted their attention to Jiang Hai.

They looked at him with varying expressions: surprise, admiration, and a hint of confusion. After all, nothing about Jiang Hai's appearance screamed wealth. Jiang Hai chuckled inwardly, realizing that despite his best efforts, his plain appearance gave off no hints of affluence.

"Hello, sir. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Maggie." The Asian girl sitting next to Jiang Hai was quick to react. She picked up a bottle of beer, smiled, and introduced herself. Jiang Hai noted her petite frame—just about 1.5 meters tall, and with heels, she barely exceeded 1.6 meters. She appeared delicate beside the taller girls.

This girl didn't fit the stereotypical image of the Asian woman that Europeans and Americans admired, like Mulan from the cartoons. Instead, she matched the typical Asian beauty standard. She had curly golden hair, large doll-like eyes, a pointed chin, a high nose bridge, delicate skin, and small, slightly plump lips. Jiang Hai wasn't sure if she had undergone surgery, but she certainly looked stunning.

"Hello, you can call me Jiang." Jiang Hai wasn't shy when meeting a beautiful woman. He raised his beer and clinked it with hers. As he did so, his new watch caught the light, revealing a shiny, expensive piece on his left wrist.

The moment the girls noticed his watch, their eyes lit up. They were keenly perceptive when it came to jewelry and fashion, and they immediately recognized the authenticity of the watch. It seemed Moses Adams hadn't been exaggerating—Jiang Hai was indeed a wealthy man. Realizing this, two girls smiled and moved closer to Jiang Hai. The others, however, stayed where they were. For them, it seemed the best move was to continue focusing their attention on Moses Adams.

The seating arrangement quickly found balance: seven girls now sat around Jiang Hai, while six were with Moses Adams, a comfortable ratio.

Jiang Hai, though feeling somewhat passive in this situation and unsure how to steer the conversation, realized the best thing he could do was showcase his financial status. Fortunately, the girls knew how to guide the conversation. Maggie, the girl who had shared a drink with him earlier, smiled and asked, "You look like you're from Asia. Which country are you from?"

"Oh, I'm from China. What about you?" Jiang Hai replied, curious.

"Ah, China! I'm from Japan. You won't hate me, will you? Please don't fall in love with me, sir!" Maggie said with a mischievous grin after hearing Jiang Hai's response. Her words were lighthearted, but Jiang Hai felt a bit awkward. As a man from Northeast China, he knew that many Chinese, especially men, harbored negative feelings toward the Japanese. However, the delicate beauty in front of him made it hard to feel any anger.

"Hehe… By the way, are cherry blossoms and Mount Fuji in your country really as beautiful as they say?" Jiang Hai, unsure how to respond to her question, decided to change the subject, steering away from the uncomfortable territory of political and ethnic matters.

"Of course! Those are landmarks of our country. Are you interested in Japan? What do you know about our country?" Maggie asked with a proud smile, clearly excited to talk about her homeland.

"Well, to be honest, I know a lot about your country through movies," Jiang Hai admitted sheepishly.

Maggie pouted slightly, then looked at him with mild disdain. "Ai Wei is Ai Wei... I love my country, but I know that our film industry isn't very advanced. Apart from horror films, everything else is pretty mediocre. You, a grown man, don't like ghost movies, do you? Tell me, which stars do you like?"

Jiang Hai felt a bit embarrassed but was also impressed that Maggie could discuss such topics so freely. It made him realize how much he had underestimated this world. "I prefer Teacher Cang, the great Bo-Duo, and Tian Haiyi."

"Oh, Teacher Aoi is amazing! Many of her films are in the top 100 worldwide. As for Hatano Yui, she's more famous in China because she resembles a Chinese star, Amami Tsubasa. Hatano didn't have a great figure initially, but after surgery, she made a name for herself. As for Riho, I like her too. She has a delicate sexiness. I still have 'Newly Married' and 'Campus Beauty Pageant' on my computer. But she's retiring this year." Maggie chatted with Jiang Hai, unfazed, making Jiang Hai feel slightly Spartan in comparison.

"Uh, Maggie, I've always been curious—don't mind me asking, but are women in your country very open-minded?" Jiang Hai asked, genuinely curious about her perspective. Maggie, with her openness and unflinching candor, was easy to talk to.

Maggie didn't hesitate at all. "There are two extremes. Some women are very open-minded, while others are quite conservative. But the men are very open. Even married men with conservative wives often go out and have affairs, and their wives don't mind, as long as they don't bring the woman home or divorce. For instance, many of my Chinese friends put 'insurance' in their husbands' briefcases. If a man doesn't have affairs, he'll be looked down upon. If the wife needs to go back to her parents' house, she'll even arrange for her husband to get help. This is very common in China."

"Wow, men in your country are really lucky!" Jiang Hai couldn't help but grin at the outrageousness of it all. It seemed like Japan was truly a place of its own rules.

Maggie shrugged nonchalantly. "That's why I came to America."

"Bang!" Just as Jiang Hai and Maggie were deep in conversation, the door suddenly burst open. A short, blond boy rushed in, holding a massive bottle of champagne. He shook it and shouted, "Wow, I'll buy you a drink!"

As he spoke, he popped the bottle, spraying champagne across Jiang Hai, Moses Adams, and the girls in the room.

(To be continued.)