"Show some respect. This is Chen Fei, Brother Fei," Dong Jianhui said, his eyelids twitching as he heard his childhood friend's tone.

Although he had become less reserved in Brother Fei's presence, this did not mean that his respect for him had diminished. After all, Brother Fei was a prominent figure who even Dong Jianhui's grandfather would treat with great courtesy. How could he, a junior, dare to be disrespectful? Thus, he felt he needed to remind his friend to watch his words. With that in mind, he introduced him with a smile, "Brother Fei, this is Guo Kun, my childhood friend. His nickname is Kun Zi, so you can just call him that."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fei smiled, extended his hand, and said, "Young Master Guo, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Chen Fei. I hope we can learn from each other in the future."

"Not at all, not at all! It is I who will need your guidance in the future," Guo Kun said, far from acting arrogant. He quickly shook Chen Fei's hand with both of his and laughed loudly. "Brother Fei, you seem unfamiliar. You must not be from our Tongzhou City, right?"

"Hm, I'm from Northern Mountain," Chen Fei replied.

"Northern Mountain? You mean Northern Mountain City in Jiangnan Province?" Guo Kun was stunned. He hadn't expected Chen Fei to be from Northern Mountain. But the problem is, I know all the prominent young masters from Northern Mountain City. I don't recall a Brother Fei by the name of Chen Fei.

SLAP!

Just then, Dong Jianhui slapped Guo Kun on the head and whispered, "Put away those frivolous thoughts and stop imagining things. Do you realize that even if my dad were here, he'd have to politely address Brother Fei as Mr. Chen? Understand?" Clearly, if they weren't such close childhood friends, he would never have said such a thing in front of Chen Fei.

"Ah!"

"Even Uncle Dong... No way!"

Hearing Dong Jianhui's shocking words, Guo Kun shivered, his face filled with astonishment. He knew exactly who Dong Jianhui's 'father' was and understood the enormity of his position. That man was the party secretary of Tongzhou City, the capital of Jiangnan Province, as well as a standing committee member of the provincial party committee and head of the provincial propaganda department. He wielded enormous power and was ranked among the province's absolute elite.

But... but... but now Dong Jianhui is claiming that his father, Secretary Dong Wencheng, a man of such stature, would have to politely address this Brother Fei as Mr. Chen?!

"Damn it... I... this isn't..." The mere thought of it made Guo Kun tremble and stutter, even though he himself had a considerable background—his father was the executive deputy director of the provincial public security department, and his uncle was the secretary of the Tongzhou disciplinary committee.

"It's not that, Brother Fei. I didn't know your status just now..." he stammered carefully, worried that his previous thoughts might have caused offense.

"Why are you intimidating Young Master Guo like that?" Chen Fei could only smile helplessly. "Besides, am I really that frightening?"

At that moment, Xiao Hao confidently approached. "Young Master Dong, are you ready? Shall we begin?" he asked, looking at Dong Jianhui with a superior air. His eyes were full of a winner's assurance, his lips curled in a proud smile, as if he already had the match in hand and controlled the entire situation.

It couldn't be helped. Xiao Hao had once placed in the top three of the California Intercontinental Championship in America. That was professional level. What chance did a mere amateur like Dong Jianhui stand against him? He'd be crushed in minutes, right?

"Hmph! As if I'm scared of you. Let's start," Dong Jianhui snorted. Though he felt tremendous pressure, he strode forward, refusing to show weakness.

In their circle, losing wasn't what was terrifying; losing face was. That's when you'd truly be mocked and gossiped about. That was the worst possible outcome. So, lose the game, but not your dignity! It's just a million yuan, no big deal!

"Hmph. Young Master Dong, you'd better hope you don't lose too badly. Otherwise, you'll lose all face, hahaha," Xiao Hao sneered, then turned and walked away with a boisterous laugh.

The match began.

"Watch this." Xiao Hao was the first to tee off. His movements were a textbook golf swing, sending the ball gracefully soaring toward the hillside course. The golf course they were playing on had a standard eighteen holes with tees, fairways, greens, rough, sand traps, and water hazards. However, since it was a straightforward bet made in high spirits, the rules were simple: the first to get the ball into the hole wins.

"Nice! That was a great shot from Xiao Hao."

"As expected from someone who made it to the top three in the California Intercontinental Championship. What a beautiful swing."

...

Anyone with the credentials to enter the Dongyun International Private Club was no fool. They were all knowledgeable players, so it was immediately obvious that Xiao Hao's shot was truly impressive. He might even sink it in another one or two strokes, making their praise well-deserved.

"Damn it," Dong Jianhui muttered in frustration. His opponent's opening shot was perfect. How am I supposed to compete?

"How about it, Young Master Dong? My skills aren't too shabby, right? Now it's your turn," Xiao Hao said, his face beaming with smugness as he soaked in the surrounding praise.

"Hmph!" Dong Jianhui had no desire to argue back. His hands sweating, he walked to the tee. After a long silence, he slowly took the shot. However, his first shot was far from ideal. It strayed far off course, its quality paling in comparison to Xiao Hao's.

"Damn it, Brother Hui made a mistake," Guo Kun muttered in frustration. In golf, the gap between players often appears from the very first shot. A bad start could easily lead to a complete breakdown, and Dong Jianhui was clearly in that situation.

"A mistake? You mean he's going to lose?" Chen Fei asked softly. He had never played golf, so he wasn't familiar with its strategies. But it's only the first shot. Why does it already seem like he's about to lose?

"It's like this, Brother Fei," Guo Kun explained patiently, though he was puzzled by Chen Fei's question. "Brother Hui and that guy Xiao Hao are competing to see who sinks the ball first. Xiao Hao had a great first shot, but Brother Hui made a mistake, and his ball landed in a terrible spot. If this continues, the gap will only get wider and wider."

Meanwhile, on the course, it was Xiao Hao's turn for his second shot.

"Beautiful! Great shot!"

"As expected of Young Master Xiao, his skills are so impressive."

Whether it was a fluke or a display of his true skill was unclear, but with just his second shot, Xiao Hao landed the golf ball very close to the hole. In other words, if he didn't miss his next shot, he would very likely win. Dong Jianhui, on the other hand, was still a world away.

The difference in skill was obvious.

"It seems my form is really good today. Young Master Dong, thanks for making it easy," Xiao Hao boasted, swaggering over to Dong Jianhui with a proud smile, clearly convinced victory was his.

"Hmph!" Dong Jianhui snorted in anger but found himself unable to retort.

After all, though the match wasn't over, his own confidence was nearly gone. The facts were right in front of him. Xiao Hao's two shots had been too good. Even if his next shot was a mistake, it would be a minor blemish at most. Sinking the ball in four shots would be more than enough to defeat him.

"Heh, it seems you really don't want to admit defeat, Young Master Dong. Can't bear to part with that million?" Xiao Hao suddenly leaned in and whispered into Dong Jianhui's ear. "How about this: whisper 'I yield' to me right now, and I'll immediately throw the match and let you win. No one else will ever know. What do you say, Young Master Dong?"

He was utterly smug, daring to say such things. Was it to humiliate him? Or did he, Xiao Hao, truly think he was that incredible? To dare speak like that!?

"Don't get cocky just because you're about to win a game. It's only a million. I, Dong Jianhui, can afford to lose," Dong Jianhui said darkly, preparing to concede.

But just then, a faint laugh came from nearby. "It's quite lively over here. Do you mind if I chime in?"

"Brother Fei?" The person was, of course, Chen Fei. Seeing him arrive, Dong Jianhui felt a pang of embarrassment. Losing face and losing the game in front of Brother Fei... it was mortifying.

"Who are you? Is this any place for you to butt in?" Xiao Hao, too excited and smug to register the significance of Dong Jianhui's "Brother Fei," stared at Chen Fei with a scornful, dismissive look.

Seriously? Who am I, Xiao Hao? What's my status? Could any random, unqualified stranger talk to me? He clearly thought Chen Fei had no right. Hearing this, Dong Jianhui's expression changed instantly.

"Xiao Hao, what are you..."

Just as Dong Jianhui was about to confront Xiao Hao, Chen Fei smiled and held out a hand to stop him. A sharp glint flashed in his clear, lucid eyes. "The match is still going on, isn't it? How about this, Young Master Dong? I'll take the next shot for you. What do you think, Xiao Hao?"

"Brother Fei." Dong Jianhui's expression changed, and he quickly tried to intervene. The situation is already terrible. If this continues, it's just bullying.

"You?" Xiao Hao paused, then a mocking smile spread across his face. He looked at Chen Fei as if he were an idiot and said condescendingly, "Sure, I don't mind. But if you're swapping players, the price can't stay the same. After all, with my status, not just anyone can play a round with me. You agree, right?"

He slanted his eyes at Chen Fei with utter contempt, as if Chen Fei was exactly the "just anyone" he was referring to. In front of him, Young Master Xiao, this man simply didn't qualify.

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