Jiang Cheng wasn't the least bit worried that Han Anning would say anything to Qiao Yinyin and the others—if she'd wanted to spill, she would have done it long ago.
The fact that she still hadn't spoke meant she probably didn't dare.
Just as Jiang Cheng expected, his calmness made Han Anning panic inside.
In a flash, she wisely chose to show weakness.
She lightly bit her lip and muttered something under her breath, looking as if she'd been wronged.
Blinking her big eyes, she coyly whined at Jiang Cheng, "This isn't fun at all. Fine, fine—I'll add you on wechat. Thanks for the ride today; next meal's on me."
After saying that, she tugged the hem of Jiang Cheng's shirt, as if to ease the tension.
Jiang Cheng didn't refuse; he went straight for the kill and pulled out his phone.
Han Anning took the cue and produced hers; the two scanned codes and added each other on wechat.
Qi Yuan, sitting in the back, caught the whole scene and clicked his tongue in envy.
He nudged Qin Fen and whispered, "Bro Cheng's a master of playing hard-to-get. If it were me, I'd have let her add me the first time she asked—no way I could've held out this long."
Qin Fen patted his shoulder. "Forget it. We can't compare to Jiang Cheng. Haven't you noticed? Every new Girl he brings around is different, but all the old ones still keep in touch..."
"So jealous—he's solved the quantity problem, and the quality's top-notch too..."
They chatted idly for a while, then Jiang Cheng stood up, preparing to be the first to leave.
Just before stepping out, he turned and waved Zhao Cheng over.
Being singled out sent a jolt of nerves through Zhao Cheng; he instantly stiffened.
He hurried up and asked cautiously, "Bro Cheng, what can I do for you?"
Jiang Cheng sighed inwardly at Zhao Cheng's awkwardness and teased, "Look at you—family's in the system, all right; even your mannerisms are textbook."
Zhao Cheng flushed and nodded quickly. "You're right, Bro Cheng."
Jiang Cheng cut the small talk. "Word is your family handles the information division, right?"
"That's correct, Bro Cheng."
"Good. I need detailed data on Conglomerate's vehicle imports into China—quantities, specs on every unit, and which engine model each carries. Can your side pull that together?"
The request stunned Zhao Cheng; he stood frozen, mind racing.
A moment later he grasped Jiang Cheng's intent and was secretly shocked.
Still, it gave him a rough idea of where this investment was headed.
What he hadn't expected was Jiang Cheng setting his sights on the tough nut that was Conglomerate.
After the brief pause Zhao Cheng nodded firmly. "Not a big issue—everything's archived. I can arrange it right away."
"Once it's sorted, send it straight to me—categorized and tallied."
"Got it."
About to leave, Jiang Cheng suddenly turned back, expression serious. "Oh, right—keep this quiet. Understood?"
"Understood, Bro Cheng..."
Watching Jiang Cheng pull Zhao Cheng aside for a hush-hush talk, Qi Yuan felt a pang of jealousy.
He muttered to Qin Fen, "Looks like Wu Quan and company are joining the club?"
In truth, ever since Jiang Cheng invited the trio, Qi Yuan had been souring.
They were all in the same system.
While Wu Quan's crew ranked a notch below him, their business overlapped.
From now on Jiang Cheng might bypass him and go straight to them—
one less chance to shine.
Qin Fen, older and steadier, kept his cool.
He glanced at the three and whispered, "Not necessarily. Jiang Cheng's just giving them a shot. Notice he never imposed those conditions on us—Old Jiang treats us differently."
Those words lit Qi Yuan's face with delight.
He bobbed his head eagerly. "You're right! The last two payouts—Bro Cheng didn't take a cut from us. Now that I think about it, our ten million slice was way too small."
Qin Fen nodded. "Exactly. We're along for the ride, got a free lunch. Maybe we pony up for something bigger this round?"
"Sounds good—let's talk to Brother Wang."
After seeing Jiang Cheng off, the group broke up.
But Wu Quan quickly grabbed Zhao Cheng before he could leave. "What did Bro Cheng want just now?"
Zhao Cheng shook his head mysteriously. "He told me not to breathe a word."
The two nodded in perfect understanding.
Sun Zhisheng, who'd been silent, suddenly asked, "How much cash can you two scrape together right now?"
Wu Quan answered first, "Not much—barely two hundred thousand."
Zhao Cheng shrugged. "About the same, maybe a hundred and fifty."
Sun Zhisheng did a quick mental tally, then frowned. "At the promised thirty percent return, you'll each clear a few tens of thousands profit. Me? I'm toast—I've only got fifty grand!"
Wu Quan's eyes bulged. "That broke?"
Sun Zhisheng gave a wry smile. "You know how it is—my family just bought a new house and this car. Mom and Dad are pinching every penny."