"Chen Yang, thank you for the birthday present!" Xu Qingya poured herself a glass of wine after sitting down and said to Chen Yang, holding the glass up.
With two beautiful women sitting beside him, Chen Yang had no leisure to enjoy their company. He felt a faint "killer aura" permeating the air, making his posture somewhat unnatural.
Chen Yang raised his glass and clinked it with Xu Qingya's, smiling as he said:
"Sister Qingya, didn't I tell you today? It was a birthday present prepared by heaven for you. If you want to thank someone, thank the god of fate!"
"And what about Master Baiyan?" Liu Xinyao chimed in from the side, "You even went to the master to ask for calligraphy for your cousin! Was that also arranged by the god of fate?"
There was a hint of sourness in her words. Liu Xinyao herself didn't realize it, but Liu Zhengyi and the others present immediately noticed it and looked at Chen Yang with mocking eyes.
Chen Yang scratched his head awkwardly and said,
"Ladies, the birthday thing is over, can we talk about something else? The weather's nice today! Sunny…"
"Please! It's evening, okay? There's no sunshine here! Don't change the subject! Tell me honestly, how did you know my cousin was looking for this Yabeah plushie? And you just happened to buy one? Is that even possible? Tell me! Did you plan this all along?" Liu Xinyao stared intently at Chen Yang. Because of his previous behavior, she was genuinely suspicious and had momentarily forgotten the reason she came with her cousin, focusing solely on the gift issue. Chen Yang shrugged, saying helplessly,
"Then how can I convince you? I really am a Yabeah enthusiast! If you don't believe me, come to my house when we get back to Rongcheng. I have a huge collection of Yabeah products, including..."
He then casually listed five or six early Yabeah products, mostly classic limited-edition toys.
Xu Qingya actually believed Chen Yang; unlike Liu Xinyao, she didn't have a preconceived notion. Besides, her mind wasn't on this, so she stopped Liu Xinyao with a look and asked,
"Chen Yang, what did you talk about with Master Baiyan and my grandfather in the backyard at noon?"
Chen Yang replied naturally,
"Nothing much, we just talked about calligraphy and traditional Chinese painting! Oh, and the teacher even wrote a piece of calligraphy for your father later."
"Didn't you talk about anything else?" Xu Qingya stared into Chen Yang's eyes, pressing him for an answer. "What else can we talk about? Surely the teacher wouldn't discuss national affairs with Old Xu, would he? That's not his forte!" Chen Yang asked jokingly, a harmless smile on his face.
"Oh..." Xu Qingya shut her mouth in disappointment.
"Come on, everyone! Don't just talk! Eat, eat!" Liu Zhengyi called out loudly, noticing the awkward atmosphere at the table.
Because a lady was present, everyone had to be careful with their conversation. Slightly risqué jokes and anecdotes were out of the question, so the conversation naturally drifted to business.
"Chen Yang, I'm planning to open a branch office in the Southeast soon," Chu Xiaobai asked, looking at Chen Yang. "Would you be interested in helping out at my company? Or maybe you could invest some money, and we could work together?"
Chen Yang, who was engrossed in drinking his soup, put down his spoon and looked up, saying, "Brother Xiaobai, I'm currently setting up my own company! So I probably can't come to yours, but we'll have many opportunities to collaborate in the future!"
"Oh? What kind of company are you planning to open?" Chu Xiaobai immediately became interested and asked.
"For now, I'd like to try out a radio channel! But we haven't even started negotiating yet! I don't know if I can get it." Chen Yang knew everyone present well, so he didn't bother with hiding anything and said directly, "In the long run, I'm interested in many things. I'm interested in anything related to the cultural industry, which is why I said we'll have plenty of opportunities to cooperate in the future!"
"A radio channel?" Chu Xiaobai exclaimed immediately, "Go find Luo Zi! His dad's the deputy director of the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, it'll only take a phone call! Right, Luo Zi... Hey Luo Zi, can you stop playing with that crappy phone? I'm talking to you!"
Luo Bin, as if waking from a dream, put down his phone and said with a smile:
"I'm listening! Chen Yang, Xiaobai is right, my dad does have some influence in the radio and television system. If you need help, just give me a call!"
"Okay! Luo Zi, thank you in advance!" Chen Yang didn't stand on ceremony with Luo Bin. If he really couldn't get this project in the future, he would definitely need to trouble him! At this moment, Chen Yang suddenly remembered a project he had always wanted to pursue but had been unable to due to limited funds. He looked up and said, "Hey guys! I have a profitable project. If you're interested, you can get a share! Let's make money together!"
"What project? Tell me about it!" Liu Zhengyi became interested at the prospect of making money.
These guys were used to living a carefree life; no matter how much money they had, it was never enough. That's why they used all sorts of methods to make money.
"It's a pyrite mine project in the Southeast Province. I've been looking at it for a long time. It's definitely a profitable business."
Chen Yang spoke with great confidence. Of course, this pyrite mine was currently operating at a very high loss, to the point of insolvency. However, what Chen Yang valued wasn't the pyrite mine itself, but a marble vein within the mining area that hadn't yet been discovered. In his previous life, this dilapidated pyrite mine had created a myth of several people becoming rich overnight. When the local government officials saw that the investors they had just cursed as idiots had mined large quantities of high-quality marble within the pyrite mine, they were filled with regret.
However, Chen Yang didn't elaborate; he didn't want to be seen as a genius. Actually, the pyrite mine itself, if managed properly, could be profitable. Chen Yang could come up with a good plan, and he wouldn't have to worry about these guys not investing.
"Okay! I'm going to the southeast in a while to prepare for the branch office. Take me to the site for a preliminary inspection first!" Chu Xiaobai readily agreed.
"Then Xiaobai, you'd better look carefully!" Liu Zhengyi instructed, "We can't miss out on profitable businesses!"
...
The group ate and chatted for a while. Chen Yang picked up his cigarette case and lighter from the table, stood up, and left the private room. His craving for a cigarette was kicking in, and there were ladies in the room, so Chen Yang simply smoked outside.
Outside the private room was a small lounge area furnished with soft, comfortable sofas. Chen Yang, sitting down, hadn't even lit a cigarette when he saw Xu Qingya emerge from the room and walk straight towards him.
Chen Yang inwardly groaned.
Xu Qingya sat down beside Chen Yang and asked directly,
"Chen Yang, did my father change his mind because of you?"
"Changed his mind about what? Sister Qingya, I don't understand!" Chen Yang looked at Xu Qingya with a confused expression.
"Stop playing dumb with me!" Xu Qingya feigned anger. "It's about my arranged marriage, don't tell me it has nothing to do with you!"
"Uh...this..." Chen Yang stammered for a while, then suddenly stood up and said, "Sister Qingya, my stomach suddenly hurts so much, I can't take it anymore, I need to go to the toilet!"
With that, he fled as if escaping without a care in the world, leaving Xu Qingya sitting helplessly on the sofa. Although Chen Yang didn't say anything, Xu Qingya was even more convinced that he was responsible; otherwise, he wouldn't have avoided the topic, even resorting to using the "toilet escape" as a cover.
Chen Yang arrived at the bathroom door around the corner. Just as he was about to light a cigarette, he felt a strong urge, so he put the cigarette back in the pack and went into the bathroom to relieve himself.
As soon as he entered, Chen Yang heard someone making a phone call in the stall. He didn't pay much attention at first, but one of the people's names caught his attention.
"Brother Fan! I'm drinking with Xiao Si and the others at Red Era..."
Fan Zihong? Chen Yang immediately became alert. He instinctively slowed his pace and listened intently.
"No problem! What's that kid's name... Su Jun, right? Alright! Just send me his photo to my phone in a bit... Don't worry! I'm good at this! The drama academy, right? I know Director Liao at the Changjie branch too, no problems... Okay! I'll wait for your instructions after it's done!"
After hanging up, Chen Yang heard the sound of flushing from the stall. He quickly and quietly left the restroom, then abruptly turned around at the corner, pretending to be nonchalant as he walked forward.
Chen Yang saw a burly man in a printed t-shirt and a large gold chain emerge from the restroom. As he brushed past Chen Yang, the man was completely unaware that his phone conversation had been overheard.
Chen Yang turned and gave him a deep look, memorizing his appearance, before entering the restroom.
The person on the phone was Fan Zihong, and the mention of "Su Jun" and "Drama Academy" immediately put Chen Yang on alert. He remembered that Su He's younger brother's name was Su Jun, and that he was currently in Beijing preparing for his college entrance exams at the Central Academy of Drama, meaning he likely lived near the school.
Such a large amount of information matched; it couldn't be a coincidence!
Chen Yang quickly concluded that Fan Zihong was stirring up trouble again. Chen Yang knew this guy all too well: narrow-minded, vindictive, and often ruthless. Moral constraints and even legal regulations had no effect on him; he was an arrogant, lawless, and disrespectful playboy.
A glint of light flashed in Chen Yang's eyes, and his anger began to rise—Fan Zihong had actually set his sights on Su He! This was intolerable! Su He is definitely Chen Yang's Achilles' heel. Anyone who dares to touch his Achilles' heel must be prepared to be met with a fierce counterattack from Chen Yang!