After hearing Louie's words, Bella felt like she had just ridden a roller coaster, soaring from a peak to a valley. The admiration that had surged just moments ago instantly turned into contempt, and a strong sense of disappointment spread through her heart.
Bella didn't like hearing such words. Compared to the more open-minded girls in sales, Bella was noticeably more innocent. Her success so far was attributed to diligent work, a strong sense of responsibility, and the extra sweat she poured in compared to others.
Just a moment ago, Bella still held a sense of admiration mixed with a hint of awe for Louie. But now, what she felt more strongly was shame. She stood up abruptly, her face flushed with anger, and said, "Shameless." With that, she turned to leave. Just as she turned away, Louie's laughter reached her ears. "Haven't you heard of private rooms in restaurants? This is what it means to book a room. To make clients happy, of course, you have to cater to their mood, sing some songs, have some drinks. I don't see any issue with that."
Bella stared for a moment, unmoving. She trembled slightly, then turned slowly. Though Bella wasn't as furious as a moment ago, she still glared at Louie and said slowly, "I despise you, I despise you with my nostrils."
Louie appeared indifferent, placing his hands on the back of the chair and resting his head on them. He chuckled, "I don't care if you despise me with your feet. I really don't care about these things. However, after you're done despising me, could you please call Marcus? And tell him that I will personally go."
"You're going too?" Bella blurted out, feeling surprised that Louie would go. How could their manager seem like someone who enjoyed getting directly involved in projects?
"What's wrong? Don't want me to go?" Louie laughed. "If I don't go, I think you'll mess up this deal." Louie's words held a hidden meaning, not specifying the exact situation.
This simple statement stirred a thousand waves in Bella's heart. Marcus was known for his lecherous behavior, and after having a meal together, he had become overly touchy-feely, boasting about his wealth and implying he could support Bella. However, Bella was not the kind of woman to be kept by a man. She had principles and would rather be a bit poor than be a man's plaything. Another reason this deal hadn't been closed was the issue of pricing, as Louie had hinted earlier, but Bella hadn't understood that yet. Unlike Bella, Louie had experience, having been in the arms trade for many years without encountering problems.
Bella was completely puzzled by Louie now, feeling that he had many facets, and she couldn't see through this man easily. She had no idea about Louie's past, and if she knew a bit about it, she would understand that the cold, unquestionable character she saw was Louie's true nature. For a arms dealer with blood on his hands, Louie had a notorious alias in the terrifying arms organization: Satan. Killing ten people made you a hero, a hundred made you a legend, and a thousand made you a warlord. How many people did one have to kill to deserve the nickname "Satan"?
A white Chevrolet parked in front of Lasha Restaurant. Louie looked toward the restaurant entrance, seeing many gorgeously dressed, attractive women entering amidst the dazzling neon lights. "Hmm, is this your chosen place?" Louie asked Bella, seated in the passenger seat, his tone suggesting uncertainty about whether this was Bella's pick.
"What's wrong? Is there a problem here?" Bella didn't understand Louie's question. Lasha Restaurant was a well-known chain, so there shouldn't be any issues with choosing this place.
"Why does it look like a bar to me? Look at those sexy ladies; it doesn't seem like they're here to sing but to lure in rich men," Louie remarked.
As soon as Louie said this, he earned another roll of Bella's eyes. She couldn't help but wonder why Louie spoke like such a rogue, and so naturally. Unconsciously comparing him to the previous mature and stable manager, Bella sighed at the vast difference between people.
Louie and Bella got out of the car and headed straight to the private room at Lasha. Bella had reserved a medium-sized private room in the afternoon since Lasha was always busy, and without an early reservation, it was hard to secure a private room.
Guided by the waiter, the two entered the private room. It was a medium-sized room, suitable for more than ten people to sing. Shortly after Louie and Bella sat down, Bella's phone rang.
"It's Marcus," Bella said to Louie before answering the call. She then picked up the phone and smiled, saying, "Marcus, you're here? Where are you, at the entrance? Oh, okay, wait for me there." With that, she hung up. Just before leaving, Bella blinked and said, "Manager, Marcus is quite a drinker. Tonight, you'll be the main force."
Louie smiled, waved his hand, signaling Bella to go and fetch Marcus.
In no time, Bella led in a balding middle-aged man, probably no more than fifty – Marcus. Bella quickly introduced Marcus to Louie, and they shook hands, officially meeting.
As soon as they sat down, Bella sat next to Louie. The representative, who had initially thought he might have a chance to get close to the beautiful woman and perhaps have an unexpected encounter, was disappointed to see that she was far away from him. Louie noticed the representative's thoughts and patted Bella's thigh with his right hand, saying, "Bella, how can you be so neglectful? If you're not sitting with Marcus, at least don't leave him alone. How can he sing without someone accompanying him? Go, find the 'mama' of the restaurant."
"Mama?" Bella was taken aback, wondering how there could be such a role in a proper restaurant. However, Louie had already spoken, so she had no choice but to call a waiter.
"Do you have karaoke hosts here?" Louie asked.
The waiter nodded, and Louie continued, "Then bring one, remember, first, she has to be beautiful; second, no pants, only skirts."
Upon hearing this, Bella's face turned red. She whispered to Louie's ear, "I despise you, double despise you." Louie chuckled, completely indifferent to Bella's contempt. Marcus finally had a smile on his face, pleased to have a beautiful woman accompany him. "Manager Louie, don't be like this. We're all here to have fun; there's no need to find hosts. I think Bella is fine; let her lead us in singing."
"What are you saying? When you come out to play, how can there be no karaoke hosts and no drinking companions? Marcus, don't be polite; tonight, I'll cover all the expenses," Louie squinted his eyes, whispering, "If Marcus is interested, consider booking a room. In any case, I'll cover all the costs."
"Haha, Manager Louie is generous." Marcus laughed, seemingly unaware of Louie's ulterior motives.
Soon, four girls entered, and Marcus chose one who looked around twenty, wearing a short skirt.
"Pervert," Bella whispered to Louie's ear.
Louie chuckled, paying no attention to her comment. Instead, he turned to the waiter and asked, "What foreign liquors do you have?"
After the waiter listed several foreign liquors, he emphasized the restaurant's homemade red wine. Louie nodded, then turned to Marcus, asking in a questioning tone, "Shall we get some foreign liquor and some red wine?"
"I'll leave it to you," Marcus casually placed his right hand on the girl's shoulder.
After settling on the drinks, they also ordered some snacks, and soon everything arrived. Louie held a glass of mixed liquor, smiling, "Marcus, I'm not much of a drinker. Let's keep it casual." He took a small sip and put down the glass. Marcus laughed heartily, "Manager Louie, you're joking. In sales, who can't handle a bit of alcohol?" With that, he downed the entire glass of foreign liquor.
Louie smiled, lightly patting Bella's shoulder, indicating she should start singing. Bella reluctantly took the microphone and began to sing.
"Mmm, it sounds good. Manager Louie, Bella's singing is really nice, like a star," Marcus, with wandering hands, complimented Bella's singing while lecherously staring at her perky behind.
"Haha, Marcus, based on that comment, after she finishes singing, you should toast her," Louie lifted his glass toward Marcus, leaning closer, "Marcus, I know your company needs incentives. But I don't think the motivation Bella recommended to you is suitable. I can recommend a model for you that not only performs well but also has a satisfying price."
"Really?" Marcus asked in a low voice.
"Of course," Louie smiled, "The hd4215 is perfect for your company. According to market prices, it's at least 700,000 per unit. But if Marcus really wants to do business, I can sell it to you for 650,000." Louie extended four fingers, saying, "I can give you a rebate on this."
Marcus squinted his eyes, seemingly contemplating. Louie, seeing this expression, chuckled inwardly, "Damn, clearly a whoremonger but pretending to uphold virtue. You just want the money, huh? Well, I'll cut you a deal. But tonight, this money has to be taken by you."