Half an hour later Jiang Cheng walked into the private room Qin Fen had booked.
Once inside he discovered Wang Congcong and Qi Yuan were actually there too.
The group was lounging on the sofa chatting while watching the stock trends on the big screen.
Seeing Jiang Cheng come in they all stood and greeted him.
"Old Jiang, you're finally here—come look, it's tanking hard," Qin Fen said excitedly, slapping Jiang Cheng's shoulder.
"Yeah, Brother Jiang, only half an hour after opening and my heart can't take it," Wang Zheng added, glowing with restrained excitement.
"If only I'd begged Dad a bit longer for more funds," Chen Hao said with a regretful shake of his head.
"When we heard you were coming we decided to join the fun," Wang Congcong chimed in.
Qi Yuan raised an eyebrow, gossip written on his face. "Brother Jiang, I heard you came here for a beauty—true or false? Can you really meet true love in a place like this?"
Everyone took turns warmly greeting Jiang Cheng.
After all, he was the one leading them to fortune right now.
"Isn't everyone here to relax? If it's not for love, why come?" Jiang Cheng replied meaningfully.
"Not me—I only showed up because you were here. First time in a place like this," Qi Yuan said honestly.
He rarely patronized such spots; his status was too sensitive.
Qin Fen, Wang Zheng, and Chen Hao exchanged covert glances of surprise.
They still didn't know about the incident between Jiang Cheng and Wang Hao.
They sensed Jiang Cheng was no ordinary rich kid, but the details of his background eluded them.
Today was their first contact with Qi Yuan as well.
They moved in different circles; without an introduction their paths would never cross.
Without a go-between, Intersection was nearly impossible.
Tonight Qi Yuan had come because Wang Congcong heard Jiang Cheng would be present.
Qi Yuan happened to be with me, so the two came together.
Yet even without personal ties, they knew the Qi family's influence.
Seeing Qi Yuan treat Jiang Cheng with casual deference left them puzzled.
The Qi family ranked top-three in Shanghai; there was no need to curry favor with a mere Second-generation rich kid.
In this world power outranked money.
Even toward Wang Congcong, Qi Yuan's manner was relaxed.
Yet the moment Jiang Cheng entered, Qi Yuan jumped up to greet him.
The contrast left the others baffled.
Before Jiang Cheng arrived Qi Yuan had been the center of attention.
Now it was clear Qi Yuan considered Jiang Cheng the main host.
Jiang Cheng waved it off. "Don't say things that could be misunderstood."
"Tch, you wouldn't come when I asked—turns out there's a woman on your mind here."
"Get real, I'm a straight arrow. I was going to stay at the office, but something came up and killed my mood, so I left."
"What happened?" Qi Yuan asked.
"Nothing big. By the way, do you know what Wang Hao's been up to lately?" Jiang Cheng said.
At the mention of Wang Hao, Qi Yuan couldn't hide his schadenfreude.
"Him? His dad's been suspended. To keep him from crossing your path in Shanghai, the family shipped him overseas."
"Brother Jiang, you don't know—after you messed with that idiot Wang Hao, his dad was immediately put under investigation. The verdict's still pending, but their Shanghai power base has already been cut in half. My dad says they're finished here."
"Actually Wang Gang's political record wasn't bad; he and my dad were rivals. Wang Gang was always cautious, but our family isn't pushovers either—neither side could bring the other down. That's why that moron Wang Hao kept provoking me, hoping to catch us in a mistake. Word is his dad beat him half to death when he got home, then sent him abroad so he wouldn't stir up more trouble with you and drag the family down." Qi Yuan grew more animated, spittle flying.
Qin Fen, Wang Zheng, and Chen Hao—previously out of the loop—listened with feigned calm.
Inside, waves were crashing.
They'd naturally heard of Wang Hao; there were only a few prominent official-second-generation kids in Shanghai.
Wealthy clans wanting roots in the city first had to map out the local power structure.
Any prominent family—how many members, what they were doing—
had to be investigated down to the last detail.
Maybe not known inside-out, but the broad strokes had to be clear.
You couldn't afford to offend someone by accident at a social event.
A tycoon on Wang Congcong's level visits Disneyland and staff get word, rolling out the red carpet.
Much less for official-second-generation stars like Qi Yuan and Wang Hao.
People with that background can't board a flight without someone catching wind, arranging seats, pickups, gifts—
all to inch a little closer.
Every circle has its own rules.
Don't imagine the rich spend their days idly indulging.
Their social calendar is far more complicated than ordinary people's.
Society's resources are finite.
If they're not in your hands, they're in someone else's.
If you don't fight, you don't advance—you get eliminated.
All three were stunned that Jiang Cheng had toppled Wang Hao.
When Wang Hao's family imploded, Qin Fen and the others heard the news at once.
It was no secret; word spread the instant it happened.
Anyone linked to them panicked.
The unconnected scrambled to find out who would fill the vacancy,
courting new patrons and preparing gifts.
Who exactly was Jiang Cheng?
How could he possess the clout to pull down someone so high?
The question left them reeling.
Jiang Cheng looked unruffled, but inwardly he had already set a plan in motion.
He'd passed the word to a security firm: if Wang Hao had the slightest involvement, he'd uproot the problem entirely.
After all, wildfires may burn out, yet spring winds can revive them.
Wang Hao just happened to be abroad.
And Jiang Cheng liked it best abroad—things were more convenient there.
Actions left fewer traces.
Jiang Cheng gave a slight nod. "Abroad is good—safe."
The moment he said it, the room's temperature seemed to drop.
The words sounded ordinary, yet carried a subtle chill.
They couldn't quite put their finger on what.
Or perhaps no one dared to think in that direction.