The smile on An Jingsheng's face froze for a moment, then as if he had figured something out, he let out a realized "oh."
To be honest, since Jiang Cheng entered, he hadn't mentioned any conditions at all. An Jingsheng really thought this was a gesture of goodwill released after their cooperation—a young man's way of showing favor.
After all, at last night's gala, the An Group was indeed the biggest beneficiary.
An Jingsheng shook his head with a smile; there wasn't a hint of disappointment in it, but rather a bit of self-mockery.
He had been a firm believer in the exchange of interests his whole life.
He didn't expect that after only a few interactions with Jiang Cheng, he would actually let his guard down and think the other party was "simply helping."
"What are your requirements?" He cut straight to the chase, his tone frank.
In business dealings, a clear price tag was actually more reassuring.
Seeing how straightforward he was, Jiang Cheng didn't beat around the bush either.
He pulled out his phone, unlocked the screen, clicked on a pre-prepared screenshot, and handed it to An Jingsheng.
The light from the screen reflected in his eyes, making his originally smiling gaze instantly sharp.
"I'd like to ask for a favor. This person is currently in the Middle East; can your side help me find her?"
An Jingsheng took the phone and glanced at it.
"This image is a bit blurry." An Jingsheng squinted as he took the phone, his thumb swiping twice on the screen to try and zoom in.
The surveillance screenshot looked like it was behind a layer of frosted glass; one could only identify the back of an Asian woman wearing camouflage.
Well, he didn't say no, which meant he could do it.
Jiang Cheng nodded: "Come on, I don't have your wechat yet. Let's add each other, and I'll send it to you."
Seeing Jiang Cheng unceremoniously opening his wechat QR code and handing it over,
An Jingsheng was almost amused to the point of laughter for a moment.
No, young man, you're not following the rules of engagement.
You're not playing by the book.
Shouldn't he have asked at this point: "Too blurry? Does that mean there's no way??"
If Jiang Cheng had said that, An Jingsheng would have definitely followed up with: "It's a bit blurry, but..."
Using that kind of talk to show off.
But Jiang Cheng didn't take the bait.
Faced with a young man who didn't like beating around the bush, An Jingsheng could only take out his phone and open the scanner.
"Knowing you were coming, An Xin specifically had someone prepare a Nine-grid hotpot and even invited a master chef from Chongqing to fry the base," An Jingsheng said while scanning the code.
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng's eyebrows twitched: "Sister Xin actually remembers my taste."
Seeing him call her "Sister Xin" repeatedly, An Jingsheng pressed the call bell at his side.
He replied with a smile: "Yes, my daughter is quite devoted to you; she's never been this thoughtful toward me."
As he spoke, he motioned for Jiang Cheng to head toward the dining room.
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng just smiled and didn't say anything.
Tell me, how am I supposed to respond to that??
Some things aren't fun anymore if you spell them out too clearly~
Just as Jiang Cheng finished speaking, An Xin walked in from outside.
Seeing this, An Jingsheng asked with a puzzled look: "Why are you back?"
Her eyes flickered toward Jiang Cheng for half a second before she hurriedly looked away, the tips of her ears tinged with an unnatural red. "The interview was postponed until evening. I thought you might be starting dinner, so I came back first."
How could An Jingsheng not see through his daughter's thoughts? Yet he deliberately played dumb: "Just in time. Have the kitchen bring out the hotpot. It's all heavy spice; don't let An Ni come down, so she doesn't cry from the heat."
The meaning in these words couldn't be clearer.
What's coming next isn't for children's ears.
An Xin nodded in agreement and turned to arrange for the servants to take An Ni upstairs to play.
When she returned, she had a bottle of chilled plum juice in her hand, which she placed gently by Jiang Cheng's side: "Drink some later to cool the spice."
Just as they entered the dining room, four servers in moon-white qipaos entered in single file, carrying the copper pot, soup base, and neatly arranged ingredients.
As soon as the copper pot was placed on the table, the red oil over the honeycomb coal stove was already bubbling, and the spicy aroma mixed with the scent of beef tallow instantly filled the room.
"This look is authentic enough." Jiang Cheng looked at the rolling chili peppers in the pot, his Adam's apple bobbing.
After sitting down, An Xin used serving chopsticks to swish some snowflake beef, rolling it into a beautiful meat roll and placing it in Jiang Cheng's bowl: "Try this. This beef was just flown in from Kobe yesterday; it's the rib section, the most tender."
Seeing her father looking at her,
with a look that said his daughter had grown up and was now "useless" to him,
An Xin immediately picked up a piece and placed it in his bowl as well.
An Jingsheng didn't eat it but instead blanched a piece of tripe and gave it to Jiang Cheng: "It's been a long time since we had hotpot at home. I used to love this when I was young. Try it."
"Then I won't be polite." Jiang Cheng picked up the tripe and stuffed it into his mouth; the spicy broth mixed with the crisp, tender texture exploded on the tip of his tongue, making him smack his lips in delight.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for tasting a memorable delicacy. Rewarding the Host with a special gift pack."
Suddenly receiving the system prompt, Jiang Cheng clicked to open it with a bewildered look.
"Ding! Special gift pack opening... Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the 'Boundless Feeding Skill.'"
When he saw this skill, Jiang Cheng's brow furrowed.
No way, no way.
Based on his understanding of the system,
this skill sounded a bit suggestive.
Please no, this is An Jingsheng we're talking about.
Jiang Cheng suddenly regretted not eating the piece An Xin had given him first.
He immediately had a reasonable suspicion that the system was deliberately causing trouble.
Why would he get this kind of card from him?
This was even more ridiculous than getting a small umbrella from Fang Yuan last time, okay??
Jiang Cheng suddenly felt that the beef in his bowl wasn't as tasty anymore.
But even so, he couldn't help but open the card description to take a look.
"Boundless Feeding Skill: Whether you are serving food to a girl you just met or handing something to eat to a member of the opposite sex you aren't very familiar with, the other party will reflexively accept it and even say 'thank you' with a smile, feeling no resistance in their heart. Even if you serve them coriander, which they usually don't eat, they will only be stunned for a moment before silently eating it, and afterward, they won't even remember why they accepted that 'minefield' ingredient~"
[Special Note: This skill also has some effect during intimate exercise feeding, reducing the other party's discomfort and resistance.]
Jiang Cheng read the first half of the description with a frown, but when he saw the special note at the end, his eyes widened instantly.
Finally, he gave a wicked smile.
As expected, whatever the system produces is bound to be a "masterpiece."