Starting around 11 p.m., the bar reached its peak.
Hourly stage performances kept the energy alive, and the entire club buzzed with excitement.
Lina, Suzie, and the others knew how to keep the party going. While the crowd's eyes were on the main stage, the girls created their own kind of show right there in the booth.
Zach, who had been a bit reserved earlier, began to relax. He stood up and started laughing and joking with the girls, fully immersing himself in the moment.
They were drinking, playing around, and genuinely having a great time.
It was then that Zach finally understood why so many rulers throughout history had let themselves be distracted by pleasure and beauty.
Being surrounded by attractive, lively women all day? It was intoxicating.
After a while, he felt a bit winded and sank back onto the sofa to rest.
Glancing at the table, he noticed the remains of their earlier indulgence—six bottles of Ace of Spades, two of which were still unopened.
That wouldn't do. He was here to enjoy himself—and make money.
Just then, Bonnie approached with two glasses of champagne in hand. She raised one with a smile and said loudly,
"Zach, let's have a drink together. We haven't had one-on-one time yet!"
"I've had enough for now. You all keep drinking," Zach replied, waving her off.
Truthfully, he hadn't even drunk much from the two open bottles—most of it had gone to the girls.
Still, as the saying goes: it's not the wine that gets you drunk—it's everything else. The whirlwind of the night had left Zach a little dazed. It all felt like a dream.
"Come on, Zach. You're the main event tonight. If you're not drinking, the rest of us can't keep the vibe going."
Bonnie set her glass down, brushed past Suzie, and leaned close to whisper into Zach's ear:
"How about I treat you to a late-night snack after this? There's this barbecue spot nearby—amazing grilled oysters and lamb kidneys~"
Zach glanced at her, taking in the cool, elegant aura she usually carried.
Oysters and kidneys? That was a bold suggestion. Both were infamous for their... benefits. And when a woman offered to treat you to those, her intentions were pretty clear.
She was hinting loud and clear.
But Zach didn't bite. He smiled faintly and brushed it off with a noncommittal,
"We'll see later."
When she realized he wasn't interested—either in the drink or the suggestion—Bonnie offered a tight, polite smile, then quietly made her way back to her seat, a trace of disappointment in her eyes.
Tonight, there was no question—Zach was the star.
And now that he wasn't drinking, the energy at the table dipped a bit.
Noticing the shift, Zach signaled the server to open the last two bottles of champagne and then turned to the girls with a grin:
"Don't worry about me. You all do your thing. Drink as much as you want. If it's not enough, just order more."
"Zach, we've already had such a great time tonight," Suzie said with a soft smile. "Thanks to you, we got to experience the legendary Imperial Luxe Set. It's already more than enough—you don't need to spend any more."
Oh?
Zach looked at her, slightly surprised. That didn't sound like something Suzie would usually say.
Still, he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he pointed at the table and said,
"It's still early. The bottles are open—we're not letting them go to waste."
"How about this: the four of you play a game. Loser takes a drink, winner gets a reward."
Suzie's eyes sparkled the moment she heard the word reward.
During the earlier dance competition, Suzie had been envious of the reward Lina received, and she knew she'd made a mistake by asking for hers too directly. That forwardness hadn't sat well with Zach, and she regretted it.
Her comment earlier had been an attempt to rebuild his impression of her.
But now, hearing Zach announce a new game, Suzie couldn't help but start imagining: If I win this round, will he clear my cart too?
Across the table, Bonnie, who had been quietly sulking after her failed attempt to flirt, suddenly perked up.
She had already realized that Zach wasn't particularly interested in her—and that her chances of taking things further were slim—but she wasn't ready to give up entirely.
If romance was out of the question, then it was time to focus on the prize. If she could win, she'd at least walk away with something concrete.
As for Lina, ever since Zach had emptied her shopping cart, she'd been sweet and obedient, clinging to him like a kitten. Naturally, she wouldn't do anything to dampen his mood now.
Seeing that none of them objected, Zach told them to decide among themselves what game they wanted to play.
But once the discussion began, disagreements emerged.
The four girls couldn't settle on a single game.
Lina and Anya immediately shot down the suggestion of the classic dice game—they knew they didn't stand a chance against seasoned nightclub pros like Suzie and Bonnie.
Suzie and Bonnie, in turn, weren't fans of games based purely on luck. That would take away their edge and level the playing field in a way they didn't want.
Anya would be at the greatest disadvantage in any drinking-heavy game. She had no real experience with alcohol, let alone drinking games.
They tossed around different suggestions—some based on luck, some on skill—but each side kept vetoing the other's ideas.
Zach watched their mini power struggle with amusement. Before the game even began, the spirit of both competition and cooperation had already come to the surface.
Lina and Anya, the two best friends, clearly had each other's backs. Meanwhile, Suzie and Bingbing looked ready to team up as well, hoping to steer the game toward something that favored them.
Neither side could sway the other, so in the end, they all turned to Zach for a final decision.
Honestly, Zach didn't have much experience with these kinds of bar games. He usually drank casually with his college buddies—no games, just conversation and shots.
But then a memory surfaced—something he'd seen in a movie once—and a simple idea came to mind.
"All right," Zach said. "Let's keep it simple—Truth or Dare."
"Two people per round, roll the dice to decide who wins. The loser picks Truth or Dare. If they refuse to answer or fail the dare, they drink a full glass."
It was the perfect setup.
Zach knew full well that you couldn't get to know someone just by a few hours of casual chatting. Even though Lina had impressed him, she could still be putting on a show.