_1Zhou Jicang's secretary was very shrewd. As soon as he saw Xiao Ming, he apologized, saying he had to report to the boss, and then he quickened his pace, leaving space for the father and son-in-law.
Jiang Yonghan walked along, eyeing the carved beams and painted rafters around him with trepidation.
"I've heard from the leaders about this place, where a single person dining can cost a thousand yuan, and a casual banquet can easily run into tens of thousands.
Xiao Ming, tell your dad the truth, what price do you have to pay when such a big boss spends so much money to treat you to a meal?"
Jiang Yonghan had lived most of his life without much luxury, firmly believing that there are no free lunches, and that what you sow is what you reap—everything comes at a price.
When a powerful person suddenly shows kindness to a small fry, it's definitely because they want something in return.
And the things that big shots cannot do but small fries can are usually not good things.
So Jiang Yonghan was very worried, he didn't want Xiao Ming to sacrifice anything just for a little money or vanity.
Xiao Ming could naturally tell what was on his father's mind, thought for a moment, and then said, "Dad, about this, I have to first apologize to you."
Jiang Yonghan became even more nervous in an instant, grabbing his hand, "What happened? What do they want you to do? You haven't agreed to it already, have you?"
"Dad, don't be nervous; it's not what you think," Xiao Ming replied.
Xiao Ming chuckled, took out a cigarette to offer one to Jiang Yonghan, and stood by the lotus pond to say, "You know, I was such a jerkin the past couple of years, and I nearly burned through all the trust Xue'er had in me.
So much so that even after I made money, I didn't dare tell her the truth, afraid she might suspect that I took an evil path, or that I'd gone back to gambling.
Even now, she thinks I've just turned over a new leaf and found a good job with a decent salary, and that's all she knows.
But in reality, I didn't find that job. Instead, I started a company, and I am the boss; I've made quite a bit of money, too."
"You started another business? How much is 'quite a bit'?" Jiang Yonghan asked.
Xiao Ming gestured around, "Not too much, just consider it like ten thousand for a meal, three meals a day, enough for our family of three to eat here for a lifetime."
Jiang Yonghan stumbled, almost plummeting into the lotus pond, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Ten thousand a meal, thirty thousand a day, three hundred thousand in ten days, three million in a hundred days. Even if a family of three could only live for another two hundred thousand days, that's still a staggering six hundred million!
The old man was so shocked he couldn't utter a word, just breathlessly panting.
"Please calm down." Xiao Ming said as he steadied him, "I exaggerated a bit just now; based solely on the funds I have at hand, it certainly wouldn't last a lifetime."
Jiang Yonghan immediately let out a sigh of relief, "You little brat, blowing such smoke, you almost scared me to death. How much money do you actually have? Give me a real number."
"I really can't say for sure!" Xiao Ming scratched his head, "Speaking of bank deposits, it's just tens of millions; but if you count the company's assets, as soon as I sell the land I have, it's at least several billion. But that doesn't all belong to just me.
So, when I said we could eat here for a lifetime, what I meant was that I'll keep making money non-stop, and it will certainly be more than what we can consume in a lifetime."
With the rise and fall he had just experienced, Jiang Yonghan's ability to accept the news had significantly increased. Although he was still somewhat incredulous, he could at least stand firmly now.
As to whether it was true or false, it was just a dinner with a big boss, and he felt that Xiao Ming had no need to tell such an outrageous lie.
"So tonight is..."
"It's business, you know. Dinner is definitely about discussing a deal," Xiao Ming explained.
Jiang Yonghan immediately felt more at ease and also had a lot more confidence.
Since it was a business discussion, his son-in-law and Zhou Jicang were on equal footing, so what was there for him to worry about? He just needed to avoid saying anything that could impact his son-in-law's opportunity to make money.
"When do you plan on telling Xue about all this?" Heading up Curved Bridge, Jiang Yonghan asked again.
Xiao Ming started scratching his head again, "I'm also worrying about this.
In the early stages of pregnancy, a woman's emotions shouldn't fluctuate too much. I'm afraid that showing her so much money at once might scare her.
Some time ago, I bought a house and had her boss give her the decorating design work.
Thinking that she'd see the house every day, and that it's being decorated according to her own preferences, she should psychologically find it easier to accept.
When it's time to hand over the house, I'll tell her everything, and there shouldn't be any problems."
Jiang Yonghan thought it over and realized it was indeed a prudent approach, feeling reassured about his son-in-law.
Carefully handling even good news indicated that his son-in-law truly placed his daughter at the very top of his heart.
As long as the couple was harmonious and his daughter was happy, the money didn't seem all that important.
Patting Xiao Ming on the shoulder, he said with a smile, "Great! I'll also be careful at home to avoid slipping up and spoiling things."
While they were talking, the father and son-in-law arrived at the waterside pavilion where Duan Zhengde and Zhou Qingyuan were waiting to greet them.
As soon as he heard that these two were the young masters of Qingyuan Group and the daughter of Zhou Jicang, Jiang Yonghan instinctively grew nervous, looking as if he was about to hand out red envelopes at any moment.
Xiao Ming, grinning, led him in and introduced Duan Hongqing and Zhou Jicang.
Zhou Jicang, true to his reputation as a man with friends everywhere, didn't put on any bossy airs and immediately grabbed Jiang Yonghan's arm, calling him 'younger brother'. After just a couple of drinks, he started talking about the days when he worked as a laborer.
Jiang Yonghan also came from a laborer background, so the two immediately found common ground.
They cursed the despicable foremen of the past together, and when they talked about someone's wife coming to see her husband, they whispered and snickered like a couple of old rascals, leaving Duan Hongqing out in the cold.
However, since he wasn't the main guest to be entertained tonight, he wasn't particularly bothered.
Worth mentioning is that, tableside, Duan Zhengde unreservedly downed three glasses in succession to apologize to Xiao Ming. A few words later, the distance between them was gone.
When Wan Xingping came up in conversation, Xiao Ming briefly recounted the feud from the past years, then raised his glass and said, "Sir Duan, I was a bit harsh tonight in order to stir up trouble, don't take it to heart, okay?"
Duan Zhengde, of course, quickly said it was nothing, and they clinked glasses and drank together.
"I don't mind if my son doesn't, but I take it very seriously,"
Duan Hongqing snorted and interjected, "Kid, you made me and my son look bad tonight. If you don't explain yourself properly, this won't be the end of it."
"Uncle Duan, are you trying to use your age to get your way?" Zhou Qingyuan immediately objected. "My brother Ming even helped you catch a swindler, how do you explain that?"
Xiao Ming tapped her head with the back of his chopsticks, "Call him 'uncle'!"
This crazy girl, calling me so intimately in front of my father-in-law, is 1000% intentional; I must correct it seriously.
"I'm helping you!" Zhou Qingyuan, rubbing her head and looking wronged, with tears starting to well up in her eyes.
But Xiao Ming was unmoved, "Don't act weak in front of Uncle. Respecting one's superiors is important, even if you're helping me, you mustn't be disrespectful; got it?"
"Hmph! A dog nipped Lu Dongbin! I'm not helping you ever again."
Strangely, although the tears were just about to fall, Zhou Qingyuan blinked, and they vanished without a trace.
When it comes to acting skills, she could outclass Wan Xingping by miles.
Xiao Ming shook his head and flashed Duan Hongqing a toothy smile before asking, "Shengyuan, Fenghe, Daxing, Sir Duan, how far along are you with the acquisitions negotiations with these three shipping companies?"
Duan Zhengde's hand trembled, and a chunk of 'supreme tofu' he had just picked up crumbled on the table.