Nan Zhizhi's name was renowned throughout the world, but in truth, he was still quite young, barely in his early forties.
He was tall and lean, wearing a pair of rimless glasses. As the host finished his introduction, Nan Zhizhi stepped onto the stage amidst thunderous applause.
Reaching the center of the podium, he swept a calm gaze across the audience, and the hall fell silent instantly.
He spoke slowly. "I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers for their kind invitation..."
After a few brief pleasantries, he provided a concise summary and validation of the exhibits featured in the convention before answering questions from various corporate representatives.
There were many who wished to speak, but time was limited. After half an hour, Nan Zhizhi descended from the stage.
The event had other segments, so Nan Zhizhi made his way toward the center of the front row, where the organizers had reserved a seat for him.
As he walked past, the business tycoons in the front row all stood up to shake his hand and offer their greetings. Those in the back rows, especially the technical staff, watched with intense envy.
One of the people sitting next to Nan Zhizhi's seat was Feng Tingshen.
As Nan Zhizhi approached, Feng Tingshen stood up.
Beside him, Lin Wu saw this and followed suit.
Feng Tingshen took the initiative to extend his hand. "Mr. Nan, it has been a long time."
Indeed, Feng Tingshen and Nan Zhizhi had met before.
Many years ago.
Nan Zhizhi reached out with a cold expression. "It has indeed been a long time."
If one were to count carefully, it had been over a decade.
Nan Zhizhi's coldness wasn't directed specifically at Feng Tingshen; he maintained this distant attitude toward everyone in public, including his own students.
Lin Wu also extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Nan. I am Lin Wu. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Nan Zhizhi glanced at her, gave a brief grunt of acknowledgement, and shook her hand. After shaking hands with a few others who crowded forward, he took his seat.
Feng Tingshen sat to Nan Zhizhi's right. The person to Nan Zhizhi's left began conversing with him immediately after he sat down.
Nan Zhizhi engaged the man in a casual, sporadic conversation.
Feng Tingshen simply sat there, listening to the speakers on stage.
Lin Wu wanted to speak with Nan Zhizhi, but with Feng Tingshen sitting between them, it was inconvenient.
Seeing that Feng Tingshen wasn't taking the initiative to talk to Nan Zhizhi, she felt somewhat surprised. She leaned in and whispered, "Did you and Mr. Nan have some sort of falling out in the past?"
Feng Tingshen smiled. "No."
"Then why..."
Opportunities to meet Nan Zhizhi were rare; who wouldn't want to squeeze in a few extra words with him?
Now that Nan Zhizhi was sitting right next to him, yet he chose to...
She had considered asking Feng Tingshen to switch seats with her.
However, Nan Zhizhi was currently having a pleasant conversation with the corporate tycoon on his other side.
That tycoon was no ordinary individual. Lin Wu, as a junior with little reputation, feared that interrupting their conversation would be seen as an intrusion and might offend the man.
With that thought, she abandoned the idea and didn't ask Feng Tingshen to switch.
"He thinks little of me."
"What?"
Lin Wu was stunned, wondering if she had misheard him.
Looking at the smile on Feng Tingshen's face, she knew her ears hadn't deceived her.
But...
If that was truly the case, wouldn't that count as a "falling out"?
Yet Feng Tingshen looked as though he didn't care in the slightest.
Since Feng Tingshen didn't seem inclined to elaborate, Lin Wu stopped asking.
After a long while, the convention finally came to an end.
A rumor spread through the crowd that Nan Zhizhi would not be leaving immediately.
Upon hearing the news, many people rushed toward the front row.
However, by the time those from the back arrived, Nan Zhizhi was already surrounded by the elite who had been sitting in the front.
Lin Wu was also in the front row, but she hadn't joined the circle around Nan Zhizhi. Lin Lilan saw this and grew anxious, beckoning Lin Wu over.
Lin Wu noticed and walked toward her. "Aunt."
She knew what Lin Lilan was thinking, so before her aunt could speak, Lin Wu said, "Mr. Nan is surrounded by heavy hitters right now. Even if I squeezed in, I wouldn't be able to say much. Tingshen said we can find another opportunity to chat with him privately later."
"I suppose that's true..."
Lin Lilan realized she had been too impatient.
The people around Feng Tingshen were all powerful figures they usually had no access to. Hoping Lin Wu would network more, Lin Lilan gave her a gentle nudge, urging her to return to that side.
Lin Wu's expression remained neutral as she said, "I've already met those people."
Because of Feng Tingshen, those tycoons were very polite to her.
Lin Lilan knew that Feng Tingshen was very devoted to Lin Wu. Hearing this, she felt relieved and smiled. "That's good then."
Despite her words, after chatting with Lin Lilan for a moment, Lin Wu returned to Feng Tingshen's side.
The area was crowded, and it wasn't easy for an average person to get through.
However, by now everyone knew she was Feng Tingshen's companion, and they stepped aside to let her in.
Some of the tycoons who had finished their chats with Nan Zhizhi didn't linger around him. Instead, they gathered in small groups to discuss business.
Seeing Lin Wu return to Feng Tingshen's side, someone spoke up with an easy smile. "Miss Lin is truly both talented and beautiful. Tingshen, you really have a good eye. You are a lucky man."
Though these tycoons held extraordinary social status, they didn't judge people solely based on family background.
Lin Wu's resume was indeed impressive. She was beautiful, poised, and had a calm, steady personality.
Taken together, she was truly an outstanding young woman.
Thus, their praise for her was genuine.
Feng Tingshen smiled, and Lin Wu responded graciously, "President Yuan, you flatter me."
Their conversation was quite pleasant, but Nan Zhizhi's time was short. After a few moments, he informed the group that he had matters to attend to and needed to leave.
No one dared to stop him.
After all, Nan Zhizhi was backed by the government. No one dared to imagine how important his business might be.
Nan Zhizhi departed.
At the same time, Rong Ci and her group were deeply engaged in conversation with technical staff from other companies.
She and Yu Moxun hadn't tried to squeeze forward to talk to Nan Zhizhi like the others.
After all, they didn't need to.
If they wanted to see him...
Well, while it wasn't exactly easy, it wasn't difficult either.
Sure enough, shortly after Nan Zhizhi left, Yu Moxun received a message.
Yu Moxun grabbed Rong Ci and led her out.
They left the exhibition hall and went to the parking lot to meet Nan Zhizhi.
Nan Zhizhi was holding his phone, seemingly replying to a message.
Hearing them approach, he looked up.
Rong Ci stopped in her tracks. "Teacher..."
Nan Zhizhi grunted a reply.
"I saw your exhibits. They were passable..." Nan Zhizhi said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them with indifference. "It has been three years. Is this the only level you have achieved?"
🚨 Note: Consider supporting this story on Patreon.com/kleinmoretti to access 100+ advance chapters and 2 new chapters daily! (Full story bundles also available without a subscription).