Chapter 1780: I Love Telling the Truth

The next day at noon, Wang Yan rode his motorcycle with Shen Ranran on the back, putt-putting their way to Jingcheng Hotel.

"This is my first time here." Wang Yan parked the motorcycle, looked up at the hotel building, and said, "Boss Chu is this wealthy? Just for a meal, he comes here?"

Shen Ranran said, "I'm not sure. I've eaten with him a few times, and twice it was here."

"A big boss is really different, huh. Once I earn a bit more, I'll treat everyone to come enjoy it."

"Brother Yan, you'll definitely be even more impressive than Chu Caiyuan in the future."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Let's go in. Just looking at this place makes me hungry. I really need to eat a lot today."

So the two went into the hotel, headed to the private room, and saw Chu Caiyuan already waiting there.

"You're here."

Seeing the two come in, he stood up and extended his hand.

Wang Yan stepped forward and shook his hand: "Hello, Boss Chu. I'm really sorry—too many things going on, I'm a bit late and kept Boss Chu waiting."

Chu Caiyuan patted Wang Yan's arm: "You came at just the right time. I arrived a bit early. I'm the one treating you to a meal, I can't have you, the guest, waiting for me. If word got out, how would people see me?"

Chu Caiyuan spoke with a smile, his manner very warm, giving one the feeling that he valued you highly.

There were only three people for the meal. Wang Yan sat next to Chu Caiyuan, and Shen Ranran sat on Wang Yan's other side. Chu Caiyuan glanced at Shen Ranran without showing it, then drank two glasses of wine and started chatting with Wang Yan.

"Brother Wang, when Ranran first told me about you, I couldn't believe it—that there was actually someone like you in this world. In just over two months, from running a stall selling lamb skewers to opening a factory, and now you've gone to direct a film, and even got investment from the Capital Film Studio. No wonder my friends have all been loving barbecue and grilled meat lately—the root of it all is with you."

"It's all thanks to what my family left behind. I just got lucky." Wang Yan then said, "Boss Chu is the truly impressive one. I hear you do engineering projects, have mining interests, and still have the leisure to follow the arts—a real winner in life. When I heard about it, I was truly jealous. Now seeing Boss Chu in person, looking so dashing, I'm even more jealous."

"What you said earlier, I might have taken as sincere, but if you say I'm dashing, that's pure flattery. I know perfectly well what I'm really like."

Seeing that Wang Yan wasn't embarrassed by his blunt remark, but just kept taking big bites of food, he said with a smile, "Actually, I'm the one who's jealous of you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Look at you—still young, only thirty, tall and big-built, and you can eat so heartily. I'm already forty, can't take more than a few bites of anything good, my sleep isn't great, and I have stomach problems. Most importantly—what?"

"What?" Wang Yan played along.

"Most importantly, you truly started from scratch. I heard from Ranran that you used to farm back home in the Northeast, with no relatives or friends to help you, and you came alone to this unfamiliar Jingcheng, built everything you have now with your bare hands. Unlike me…"

Chu Caiyuan took a sip of wine, then let out a long sigh. "Brother Wang, to be honest, I come from a cadre family. At the start of the reform and opening-up in the eighties, I used my family's connections to get into business and worked my way up step by step to where I am today. When people mention you, they all give a thumbs-up. But when they mention me, they all say I had good parents."

"I often think to myself—everything I have today, is it really thanks to my family's help, or is it my own ability as Chu Caiyuan? Brother Wang, what do you think?"

"Being born into the right family is also a skill, and Boss Chu's skill is top-notch. Someone like me, who digs food out of the dirt, can only be jealous. You can't choose your birth, and your ability is layered on top of your birth in a way that can't be measured—no matter how you put it, it can't be explained clearly. If you ask me, Boss Chu, it's just that you've eaten too well, that's why you think about this useless stuff."

Hearing Wang Yan say he had eaten too well, Chu Caiyuan was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"You're right. No matter what others say or think, my situation is what it is, and it can't be changed. I…"

Wang Yan waved his hand: "Boss Chu, I'm telling the truth—don't take it the wrong way."

"Go ahead."

"This matter can't be said so absolutely. The main thing is that your parents conducted themselves properly. If they had violated Party discipline or the law, everything you have now probably wouldn't have been kept. When that time comes, Boss Chu, that's when you'd see just how much ability you really have."

Chu Caiyuan was even more stunned. Looking at Wang Yan's serious expression, it didn't seem like he was looking for trouble—just a hot-headed young man who couldn't keep his mouth shut. Perhaps there really was some jealousy mixed in. With that thought, although Chu Caiyuan was still a bit displeased, he didn't hold it against Wang Yan.

"What you said is the absolute truth, but I don't want that time to come, and it won't come. We're all old revolutionaries—how could we not tell right from wrong, not know what's important?"

He laughed it off with some polite small talk, then changed the subject. "Brother Wang, what made you think of making a film? Ranran told me it was her influence?"

"Some of it, I suppose…"

Wang Yan gave a rough account of the artistic atmosphere of the passing winter and coming spring, as well as the various roles needed to actually put together a crew, and mentioned that he himself loved watching movies and so on.

"Of course, getting the project greenlit so fast and starting filming next month—that's Ranran's influence. Boss Chu, actors are hard to find, and small-time actors are even harder…"

Shen Ranran sat to the side listening to Wang Yan talk about her difficulties, her efforts, how hard things were for her, and she ended up feeling sorry for herself. She gazed foolishly at Wang Yan's profile, lost in a jumble of thoughts.

"Ranran, you've found yourself a good brother." Chu Caiyuan said, "To meet by chance and still do this much for someone isn't easy. Ranran, you're lucky."

Shen Ranran came back to herself: "Brother Yan has always taken good care of me."

Chu Caiyuan quickly followed up: "What, has this old Chu not taken care of you?"

"Boss Chu has taken care of me too. Otherwise, how would we have this meal today? Boss Chu, I toast you." Shen Ranran raised her glass and tipped her head back to drain it.

"Bold and straightforward." Chu Caiyuan also took a big swig, pointed at Shen Ranran, but spoke to Wang Yan: "I just like her straightforwardness."

Wang Yan smiled and nodded: "Ranran has a streak of resilience—soft on the outside, tough on the inside."

"You see, that's the difference with artists—concise summary."

"I wouldn't dare say that. I barely know a few characters and have read a few books. Boss Chu, you're really overpraising me. If artists were like me, art wouldn't be worth much."

Chu Caiyuan, however, said with a smile: "Does Brother Wang really expect art to be worth much? Before liberation, no matter what kind of art it was, it was all about serving people. Now, you think those singers, actors, opera performers aren't serving people? No matter how popular they are on screen, off-screen they still have to behave!"

Seeing Wang Yan say nothing and Shen Ranran's expression turn uneasy, Chu Caiyuan paid no heed. He asked again, "Your film—really can't squeeze out another share? Brother Wang, to be honest with you, I've taken a liking to you as a person. I just want to help you, want to be friends with you."

"A small-budget film, sixty thousand is already the ceiling. How could I possibly take more of Boss Chu's money? Making friends doesn't have to be about money. You and I hit it off right away, had a great chat—isn't that good enough?

Not to mention anything else, just look at this spread today—Tan family cuisine. I heard the old gentlemen of the past all ate this. Even if I make it big later, I'll never forget the first meal of Tan family cuisine I had at this Jingcheng Hotel, arranged by Boss Chu."

"That's well said." Chu Caiyuan laughed happily, "But then again, since we're already on good terms, wouldn't it be even better to add something extra on top of that foundation?"

"Then the next film—once I have a script, Boss Chu will be the first I come to."

"You haven't even shot this film yet, and the next one—who knows when that will be." Chu Caiyuan smiled and shook his head. "You say you're short on funds now, and the most you can pull out for the film is two hundred thousand. Then the development of your seasoning company will be affected.

Brother Wang, to be honest with you, after Ranran mentioned your situation to me, I took it to heart. I'll just say it straight: your decision to make a film right now is simply muddled!"

Chu Caiyuan analyzed the different prospects of film and seasoning for Wang Yan, saying that the urgent task was to first run the seasoning company well, ramp up promotion, and capture more market share. Only this way could one succeed and remain undefeated.

The current boom was all just surface appearance. Once competitors appeared, they could easily smash their good situation, the company would go bankrupt, and the hard-won position would collapse overnight.

"Most importantly—what? Your seasoning formula! I heard you hired seven or eight people for production, paying each of them several thousand to over ten thousand in salary. Useful? Not useful! Even if you don't leak it yourself, all those talented people out there can crack it for you. How long can you keep it secret?

What time is it now? Everyone's rushing to stake out territory, every industry is in fierce competition. And you? Instead of seizing the time to expand, you pulled out funds to make a film—what a waste of such a great opportunity. A choice like this at this moment could very well leave you with nothing. But if you grab hold of it, building a company worth hundreds of millions or even billions isn't impossible.

He spoke with great passion, but Wang Yan over there was eating with his mouth full of oil. Seeing this, Chu Caiyuan couldn't help but click his tongue. "I say, Brother Wang, I've been talking all this time—are you listening or not?"

"Listening, listening." Wang Yan took another big bite of food, helped himself to a sip of wine, then said, "Boss Chu, I understand what you mean. You want to invest in my seasoning factory, right?"

Chu Caiyuan smiled and nodded, pouring wine for Wang Yan: "No wonder you can make money—smart, catches on right away."

"This isn't catching on right away—this is you've been hinting the whole time."

"Then was my assessment correct?"

Wang Yan said, "Everything you said makes sense, but currently I have no intention of seeking financing."

"You're rejecting me outright without even hearing how much I'm willing to invest?"

"Boss Chu, the maximum you can invest is at most eight or nine hundred thousand; considering you'll haggle the valuation down by half, you probably only intend to invest four or five hundred thousand. Then, leveraging your connections, you'd demand twenty percent of my shares."

Wang Yan glanced at him and smiled. "Your expression tells me I'm about right. Boss Chu, this isn't making friends; this is robbery. My seasoning factory is doing quite well; the seasonings are in short supply. Meanwhile, we are also investing in other products like soy sauce, vinegar, chicken essence, and oyster sauce, which will hit the market one after another before long. To solve transportation and storage issues, we even established a logistics company..."

"I know, but quality matters more than quantity. All those other messy ventures are losing money; only your barbecue seasoning is profitable, and that formula will be cracked before long. What will you do then? I am genuinely trying to help you, absolutely not robbing you or taking advantage of you."

"It takes me only two or three months to earn four or five hundred thousand in cash. In reality, we are taking out loans to expand, making money even faster. Those losing-money ventures are simply because they have just started. When the products are manufactured and sold, the outcome remains uncertain; what if they turn out to be profitable..."

Shen Ranran noticed Chu Caiyuan's displeased expression; under the table, she tugged at Wang Yan's clothes. Seeing Wang Yan continue talking incessantly, she couldn't help but reach out to pinch him. But the moment her hand landed on Wang Yan's waist, he caught it and pressed it down onto her thigh.

Feeling the warmth of Wang Yan's hand, Shen Ranran grabbed his hand with both of hers, yet she failed to pry it open; instead, she suddenly went limp, unable to exert any strength...

Wang Yan silently withdrew his hand and said, "There is one more point, Boss Chu: your money is not easy to take. You haven't even invested yet, and you are already criticizing me, the founder. If you do invest, who will the company listen to? Never mind the contract; if you interfere with the company's development, the contract won't restrain you. Won't you kick me out once the business takes off?"

"My apologies, Boss Chu. I am a crude man who loves speaking blunt truths. After a couple of drinks, my mouth has no gatekeeper, and I say whatever comes to mind."

Chu Caiyuan was truly unhappy; why did Wang Yan always speak such blunt truths? But since Wang Yan had now said this himself, he found it difficult to retort.

Still, he suppressed his displeasure and said, "Although you harbor some misunderstandings about me, your concerns are not unfounded; these problems do indeed exist in reality."

"Ranran, look, Boss Chu is so magnanimous; he doesn't hold our petty behavior against us. Come, Boss Chu, I propose a toast to you!"

Chu Caiyuan pinched his nose and drank with Wang Yan, after which they shifted topics to make small talk. Naturally, he felt even more strongly Wang Yan's cultural depth, and realized even more clearly that Wang Yan's earlier blunt truths had been intentional.

Thus, they chatted quite happily for a while until Chu Caiyuan's brick phone rang; seizing the opportunity, he claimed he had urgent matters and took his leave first. He left only Wang Yan and Shen Ranran to continue their meal, and quite generously ordered several more dishes, urging the pair to eat and drink well.

Shen Ranran, who had barely spoken until now, finally broke her silence: "Brother Yan, isn't his investment a good thing? Why did you deliberately offend him?"

Earlier, while Wang Yan was mocking Chu Caiyuan, Shen Ranran had been frantically tugging at him under the table, not wanting Wang Yan to anger Chu Caiyuan and ruin their relationship. She had many things she wanted to say, but the moment Wang Yan caught her hand under the table and pressed it onto his thigh, she didn't know what to say; her mind went blank.

"This man's scheming runs too deep."

"Deep? How deep?" Shen Ranran didn't understand.

"From the very beginning, what he wanted to invest in was my seasoning factory..."

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