The Great Wall Premium Club was the largest cigar supplier in Jiangnan City.
It stocked globally renowned cigar brands.
On regular days, many cigar enthusiasts gathered here.
Jiang Beicheng was one of them.
"Young Master Jiang" left an impression at the Great Wall Premium Club as being bold and generous.
Often, after a few drinks, he'd get carried away and cover the bill for everyone present.
Looking back now, it felt a bit absurd, but at the time, that feeling was genuinely exhilarating.
Over time, he became well-acquainted with the owner, Li Mao, and they could be considered half-friends in the local scene.
Today, Jiang Beicheng rode his Harley out, first stopping by Starlight Plaza to buy a set of Helena Rubinstein skincare products for Hai Lin's wife, Zhou Ya, costing four or five thousand yuan.
Then he headed to the Great Wall Premium Club to pick up a cigar box.
When he arrived, a few cigar enthusiasts were already gathered. Seeing Jiang Beicheng, they greeted him with smiles and enthusiastic waves.
"Young Master Jiang, perfect timing! Old Li is personally cooking today."
"It's been a while since we've seen you, Young Master Jiang. Wanna have a drink?"
"The guys love hearing your stories about those internet celebrity girls."
"Have a seat, Young Master Jiang."
"…"
Jiang Beicheng took off his helmet, smiled, and waved them off. "Got some business today, you guys carry on. Let's catch up another time."
He headed upstairs.
"You're here?" Li Mao took out a cedarwood cigar box from the display cabinet and opened it. "Guessing this is for a gift, so I added an extra box of Cuban Diplomáticos for you.
Twenty thousand yuan, not a penny of profit from you."
Jiang Beicheng accepted it and said, "Thanks, Old Li. Let's grab coffee another day."
"Sounds good. Call me anytime." Li Mao walked him out.
The group of cigar enthusiasts also stood up to see him off.
Jiang Beicheng went straight to Hai Lin's house, located in Jiangnan City's old wealthy district. Before Jiang Tao moved to the luxurious No. 1 Peninsula estate, their family lived here too, and the two families were neighbors.
Knowing Jiang Beicheng was coming over for dinner, Hai Lin had specially canceled a lunch meeting to return home.
"Darling, Beicheng is here."
Zhou Ya was embroidering in the villa's courtyard and stood up to greet him.
In Jiang Beicheng's memory, his "Aunt Zhou" had been beautiful her entire life.
In her youth, she had a distinct Hong Kong style, always at the forefront of fashion. Now in her fifties, she still exuded extraordinary elegance and charm.
Not only did she maintain an excellent figure, but her style had grown increasingly sophisticated.
She had an air of an Eastern grande dame.
In her free time, she enjoyed studying intangible cultural heritage techniques and tending to flowers.
Having spent her life with Hai Lin, she enjoyed a life of ease and never endured hardship.
"Aunt Zhou, that cheongsam you're wearing today makes me feel like I've traveled back to the Republic era," Jiang Beicheng complimented.
Zhou Ya, delighted by his praise of her refined elegance, warmly invited him, "Come in and sit."
"Auntie, I brought you a gift." Jiang Beicheng handed over the gift box. "When Dad passed away, you and Uncle Hai Lin were busy helping me out. I should've come to visit you both much earlier."
"It's been a while, and you've become so polite," Zhou Ya remarked, feeling that this younger generation was more courteous than before. She smiled, took the gift, and asked the housekeeper to pour water for Jiang Beicheng.
"You're here?" Hai Lin came out, sat on the sofa, and offered Jiang Beicheng a cigarette.
Jiang Beicheng smiled as he accepted it and placed the cigar box on the coffee table. "Uncle Hai Lin, thank you for taking care of Grandma during this time."
"When did you learn all this?" Hai Lin glanced at Zhou Ya with a smile.
Jiang Beicheng said humbly, "The burden of the Jiang family has fallen on me now. I've got to slowly learn what I need to."
Zhou Ya said, "What did I tell you? A kid like Beicheng, once he gets serious about business, he'll figure it out on his own.
In the future, he might even surpass his father."
"I'll take that as a compliment from Aunt Zhou," Jiang Beicheng said with a smile.
Hai Lin picked up the Caribbean cedarwood humidor and admired it, a smile spreading across his face, visibly pleased.
For cigar enthusiasts and collectors, such an item was a rare find.
The price of ten or twenty thousand wasn't exorbitant, but the supply was limited, and even fewer came through official channels into the country.
Hai Lin immediately understood Jiang Beicheng's thoughtfulness.
He was very satisfied with the gift from his nephew.
"Let's eat, Beicheng. We'll talk while we eat," Zhou Ya said as the housekeeper brought out the dishes.
Jiang Beicheng stood up and followed. Hai Lin put an arm around his shoulder and said, "I have to meet two officials this afternoon, so no drinking today."
"I rode my bike here too, Uncle Hai Lin."
"Then let's just have a simple meal. Next time we're free, we'll go to your hometown for a drink," Hai Lin said. "That jar of yellow wine your grandma keeps is pretty good."
"Beicheng, don't follow your Uncle Hai Lin's example—smoking and drinking without restraint," Zhou Ya advised.
Jiang Beicheng joked, "Oh no, if even Aunt Zhou disapproves, then Sister definitely won't look at me."
Zhou Ya laughed at his teasing and reminisced, "Darling, do you still remember the arranged engagement you and Jiang Tao made for the kids?"
Hai Lin shook his head with a sigh. "Our daughter's nowhere to be found these days.
From childhood to now, she's never listened to us."
Jiang Beicheng said, "But Sister has always been outstanding."
"That's true. Whether at home or abroad, she's never given us any trouble with her studies or life," Hai Lin said while eating.
Zhou Ya added, "A girl who's too independent struggles to find a partner."
"She probably just has high standards," Jiang Beicheng joked.
Hai Lin and Zhou Ya laughed along.
"Beicheng, have you picked a location for that restaurant of yours?" Hai Lin asked with concern.
The Jiang and Hai families had always been open and honest with each other, ready to help when needed.
Jiang Beicheng didn't hide anything from Hai Lin and said truthfully, "Uncle Hai Lin, I've settled on a location and negotiated the price, but Chaoniu Hotpot suddenly swooped in.
You know how places like Halo prefer big brands moving in.
Compared to them, a newcomer like me in the restaurant business doesn't stand a chance."
"Wasn't Zeng Wei your dad's driver before?" Zhou Ya asked, puzzled. "Is he deliberately making things difficult for you?"
Jiang Beicheng replied, "Not exactly.
Chaoniu Hotpot just got funding and is expanding rapidly.
Zeng Wei wants to open a flagship black-gold store at Halo to boost their brand image.
It just so happens we're eyeing the same shop."
"Is there really such a coincidence?" Zhou Ya frowned. "Your mom's Liji restaurant was ruined under his hands. I don't have a good impression of that father and son."
Women tend to see things more simply, guided by intuition.
Zhou Ya felt that Zeng Wei and his son were deliberately making things hard for Jiang Beicheng, not wanting him to enter the restaurant industry, let alone succeed in it.
She looked at her husband, Hai Lin, wanting to hear his opinion.
Hai Lin put down his chopsticks and said, "Zeng Wei's funding project was facilitated by someone under me.
The investor is also a friend of mine in the financial world. Beicheng, if you really want that spot at Halo, I can call Zeng Wei. He'll give me face."
Jiang Beicheng said, "Uncle Hai Lin, I was actually hoping you could help me ask Halo's developer, Hongkong Land, if they're open to selling commercial property.
If they are, I'd like to talk price with them and buy the shop outright. It'd save a lot of hassle."
Using Hai Lin's connections on Zeng Wei would be like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken—completely unnecessary.
It'd be better to directly contact Hongkong Land's top management to discuss the sale price.
"You want to invest in commercial property?" Zhou Ya was a bit surprised. "Beicheng, have you thought this through?
Investing in real estate projects right now is very risky."