Chapter 275: Poaching People

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Chao, let’s open a bottle of fine wine to celebrate!” Si Cong, seeing the successful collaboration between Zhou Chao and Hou Ting, stood up excitedly and exclaimed.

“This calls for a celebration indeed. Wait a moment.” Zhou Chao walked over to the liquor cabinet.

Si Cong and Hou Ting watched as Zhou Chao retrieved a small wooden box from underneath the liquor cabinet, grabbed a decanter and three glass wine glasses along the way, and returned.

“F*ck, you still have this wine? I should have come here earlier to enjoy it!” Si Cong looked at the familiar wooden box and instantly felt a pang of regret. Zhou Chao chuckled at his reaction.

This wine was part of the wine gift package Zhou Chao had received yesterday. There were three packages in total, distributed to his current residence, the riverside courtyard in Jingdu, and the Huazhou Junting. They contained various types of red and white wines, all of top quality and a wide variety. The wine cellar at Huazhou Junting had the most, and just the red wine alone had five cases. One could imagine how extensive this gift package was!

On the other hand, Hou Ting was left perplexed by the conversation between the two of them, wearing a puzzled expression as he watched them.

“What’s the big deal with this wine? Why are you so surprised? It’s just a bottle of Romanee-Conti,” Hou Ting couldn’t help but remark, somewhat puzzled by their reactions.

“A bottle of Romanee-Conti? Hey, Lao Hou, what’s the priciest wine you’ve ever tasted?” Si Cong heard Hou Ting’s comment and couldn’t help but feel a bit irritated. However, he was curious to see if Hou Ting would be caught off guard.

Hou Ting thought for a moment and said, “The most expensive bottle of wine I’ve ever had was around a million, and it was a collector’s item. It really tasted amazing!”

He even licked his lips with his tongue, as if savoring the taste of the wine from that moment.

“A million-dollar wine is like a little brother compared to this one, and this bottle is from the Romanee-Conti special vineyard in 1945, worth 3.8 million. Today, we are in for a treat!”

“What?!” Even as a rich second-generation individual, Hou Ting was genuinely surprised. After all, this wine was really expensive, and he had just seen Zhou Chao take it out from a box under the liquor cabinet, indicating there was more than one bottle.

“Calm down, calm down! Why are you so excited? Luckily, there are no outsiders here; otherwise, Master Hou would have embarrassed himself!” Si Cong looked at Hou Ting, who was surprised, feeling secretly pleased inside but maintaining a calm expression.

“Hou Ting, don’t mind Si Cong. He just wants to see you embarrassed. This wine is not worth much. When you guys leave later, each of you can take a bottle with you!” Zhou Chao walked over to the sofa with the red wine and wine glasses that had already been poured, smiling as he spoke.

“Si Cong, you troublemaker! You’ve made me worried for no reason!” Hou Ting finally realized that Si Cong was just trying to make fun of him.

“I didn’t! He’s lying. Trust me!” Si Cong quickly defended himself, but Hou Ting ignored his rebuttal.

Zhou Chao watched the two of them playing around and couldn’t help but shake his head. He got up again and headed to the kitchen to grab some snacks and appetizers to go with the wine.

When Zhou Chao returned with a few plates of snacks, he saw that the two of them had already gone to the balcony, lying on their chairs, holding wine glasses, and enjoying the beautiful view of the Huangpu River.

“You two have become real lords, and I still have to serve you both. Move over and save me a seat!” Zhou Chao looked at them unkindly.

The two who were enjoying the view quickly got up, moved their chairs a bit to the side, and Zhou Chao placed the snacks on the front table. He poured himself a glass of wine and lay back on the recliner.

“All, this wine is so smooth. The more 1 drink, the more comfortable 1 feel!” Hou Ting took a sip and couldn’t help but exclaim.

“Enjoy it. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future!”

“When the time comes, remember to call me!” Si Cong also wanted to be included. After all, who doesn’t love good wine?

“Sure, I’ll invite you both next time we drink. Is that okay?” Zhou Chao reluctantly agreed.

Hou Ting seemed to have thought of something and immediately asked, “Young Master Zhou, after signing the contract tomorrow, when are you going to visit your club in Chengdu?”

“I’m not sure about that yet. I might move the club to Modu. I’ve already found a location. How about you accompany me tomorrow to take a look and give your input?”

Hou Ting was a bit surprised by Zhou Chao’s answer. “Setting up such a big venue in Modu must cost a lot for a year, right?”

“No need. It’s my own place, over 1000 square meters, and the environment is pretty good. We can go in right now. When the time comes, I’ll bring over one team and some outstanding players, while the rest will stay in Chengdu.”

“Alright, I’ll accompany you to take a look tomorrow. Where are you planning to set up the club?”

“It’ll be at Dongjiao No. 1 in Pudong, and the environment is quite nice.” Zhou Chao’s casual words were like a bombshell, instantly grabbing the attention of Si Cong and Hou Ting.

“Dongjiao No. 1? A villa with over 1000 square meters for a club? That’s worth several billion, isn’t it? Moreover, it’s not something you can buy even if you have the money. You’re really extravagant!” Si Cong, who had been in Modu for a long time, had heard of the fame of Dongjiao No. 1.

“Why are you so excited? An empty place will remain empty if we don’t use it. Providing the players with a good environment can help them achieve better results, right?”

Zhou Chao’s words made Si Cong and the others pause for a moment. It seemed like Zhou Chao had a point, especially considering Si Cong’s IG team, which had often faced complaints, and even had the police involved at one point.

“You have the money, you’re entitled! Take me with you tomorrow!”

“Sure, no problem. By the way, Si Cong, I want to discuss something with you!” Zhou Chao wanted to seize the opportunity to make his plans a reality.

“What is it? Go ahead!” Si Cong was intrigued when Zhou Chao mentioned having something to discuss.

“I want you to trade All Shui, ROOKIE, and theshy to me. You can name your price!” Zhou Chao looked at Si Cong seriously.

Si Cong was taken aback by the request. After all, these three players were his key assets, the foundation of his team. If he agreed to the trade, it would raise several issues for his team. However, since Zhou Chao had brought it up directly, it was clear that he was serious about it, and Si Cong found himself in a dilemma.

The entire balcony fell silent for a while, except for the sound of passing ship horns, leaving only the sounds of their breathing.

Si Cong remained silent for a while before saying, “Alright, 1’11 think about it and give you an answer tomorrow. How does that sound?”

“No problem. Let’s toast to that!” Zhou Chao accepted Si Cong’s response without pressing further. After all, it wouldn’t be easy to force the issue. If he didn’t know the person, Zhou Chao could directly poach players, but dealing with acquaintances was trickier.

The group continued to drink until around 10 o’clock, and then Si Cong and Hou Ting left Zhou Chao’s home, carrying a large bag of items. Throughout the evening, Zhou Chao had a look of helplessness on his face.

As soon as he knew the two had entered the elevator, Zhou Chao muttered two words under his breath, “Robbers!”