Chapter 972: Buying Stocks

Night Tokyo has opened, bustling and noisy.

"Seeing Lingzi, haven't I been generous? I even got you two flower baskets," Tao Tao said, wearing a leather jacket and clutching a leather satchel, shouting loudly to assert his presence before Seeing Lingzi.

"If you put it that way, haven't I been even more generous? I brought four."

The speaker was Ah Bao, who no longer looked like the plainly dressed man Wang Yan had seen here last time. Dressed in a well-fitted custom suit, wearing pointed leather shoes, and sporting a slicked-back hairstyle, he exuded the air of a successful person.

"It's only right that you're generous; it was you..."

"Alright, alright, let's go inside quickly." Ah Bao didn't need to think to know what Tao Tao was about to say; it would be quite embarrassing for him, so he hurriedly pushed Tao Tao into the shop.

At this moment, Seeing Lingzi smiled gently, watching Ah Bao's retreating figure. She had always wanted to open a shop named Night Tokyo. Now that Night Tokyo had opened, she was the proprietress, and the one who had opened it for her was Ah Bao, whom she had met only once two years ago. Thinking back now, that truly was an unforgettable encounter.

"Seeing Lingzi, congratulations on your grand opening."

"May you make a fortune, make a fortune."

Teacher Ge walked ahead, with Wang Yan following behind, carrying a flower basket in each hand along with a bag; he set the flower baskets up at the entrance.

"Seeing Lingzi, Night Tokyo has finally opened."

Seeing Lingzi laughed and said, "It's open, it's open; everyone must come every day from now on."

"You make it sound as if I've treated you poorly." Wang Yan shook a bag of barbecue seasoning at Seeing Lingzi. "This much barbecue seasoning is enough for you to use for a whole year."

"Very good, thank you, Wang Laoban. Go inside and give it to the little Monk in the kitchen; if you really can't stay idle, you can also grill some meat skewers yourself. I prepared quite a lot in advance, marinated and skewered just like you do."

"Did Teacher Ge reveal my meat-marinating method to you?"

Glanced at sidelong by Wang Yan, Teacher Ge avoided looking at him, waving his hands repeatedly: "I didn't, I didn't..."

"Oh my, you don't do barbecue anymore, so don't be so stingy. My focus is on local Benbang cuisine and some Japanese dishes; barbecue is just to enrich the flavors. Your barbecue tastes delicious; when I make it myself using your seasoning, it doesn't taste as good, so I had to ask: How does Wang Laoban make his barbecue? Teacher Ge is a good person, so he helped me. You must come eat here every day; we're all insiders."

Wang Yan shook his head: "Since you put it that way, I really can't eat for free. Fine, I'll lend a hand today. Let's go, you old rascal; your mouth has absolutely no gate."

"You don't do barbecue anymore, and you won't grill for me, so naturally I need somewhere to satisfy my craving."

"So it was for yourself all along. What did I tell you? In old age, one should guard against greed; not only do you not guard against it, you've intensified it. Sooner or later you'll suffer for it. Wait until you're lying in the hospital..."

"I'm very healthy; you're the one who'll end up in the hospital." Teacher Ge ignored Wang Ba's droning; his old legs moved faster, and he walked straight into the shop.

"Oh, Boss Bao has already arrived."

"I am a shareholder, after all, so of course I had to come early. Welcome, welcome, Teacher Ge."

"Hey, I'm here too; didn't you see me?" Tao Tao felt ignored.

"It's not your turn yet." Teacher Ge let out an "Aiyo." "Little Northeast, let me introduce you: this is the Boss Bao I told you about, a big boss with considerable strength."

"I pale in comparison to others; I just run some small businesses. Just call me Ah Bao."

"Wang Yan. Boss Bao, please look after us in the future." Raising the seasoning in his hand, Wang Yan said, "I'll go grill some lamb skewers first; everyone can taste my craftsmanship."

"Troubling you," Ah Bao said very politely.

"It's me troubling you; the proprietress told me to follow Teacher Ge and eat for free from now on."

"We're all insiders; eat and drink as you please."

"Boss Bao is generous."

Wang Yan gave a thumbs-up, then took the bag of barbecue seasoning and went to the kitchen to get busy.

"Hey, stunned?" Ah Bao waved his hand in front of the dazed Tao Tao.

"Thinking about a Miss?" Teacher Ge sat there, being completely improper.

"Go away, go away; I have a wife. Who's like you, thinking about other young girls every day?" Tao Tao wouldn't yield an inch; after speaking, without waiting for Teacher Ge to retort, he turned and said, "He said his name is Wang Yan, right? I feel like I've heard that name somewhere before."

Teacher Ge snorted: "Of course it was on Huanghe Road."

"Huanghe Road? Yes, yes, yes, yes..." Tao Tao suddenly stood up. "So, is he the Wang Yan who set up a stall selling lamb skewers on Huanghe Road, whom the proprietress of Jin Jin Meilin coveted the recipe from, hired triads to overturn his stall, only for him to defeat over a dozen men single-handedly like scattering flowers and flowing water, and then extorted ten thousand yuan in settlement fees from Jin Jin Meilin?"

"That's him," Ah Bao nodded with a smile.

Tao Tao expressed strong dissatisfaction: "Oh my, you knew all along? How could you not tell me? Ah Bao, you're not loyal enough."

Ah Bao waved his hand dismissively: "What is there to say about this matter?"

"What's there to say? He knows so many restaurant owners; introduce me to them, and won't I make a fortune?"

"Hey, haven't I introduced you? Honglu, Golden Phoenix, and more than twenty other large and small restaurants; isn't that enough for you to earn?"

"Boss Bao is right; greed makes a snake try to swallow an elephant. Be careful of bad luck. Not everyone's advantage can be taken." Teacher Ge leaned closer and whispered, "Don't you know he has offended people? He himself can fight. If you let him introduce business to you, and later someone causes trouble but can't find him, they'll come after you instead."

"Who doesn't know that I, Tao Tao, am the most loyal?"

"I'm not so clear about that."

"I can't talk to you." Tao Tao glared fiercely at Teacher Ge, then instantly switched to a smiling face, stood up, ran outside, and found Wang Yan, who was already grilling lamb skewers.

"Wang Laoban, let me introduce myself: I am Tao Tao, the one selling seafood on Guling Road. Ah Bao and I grew up together since we were Brother Brother Guangpi. Here, this is my business card."

Wang Yan cheerfully accepted the business card, glanced at the letterhead, and then tucked it into his pocket.

"Hello. I don't have a business card, but my shop is at that intersection over there; Long Teng Seasoning belongs to me."

"Ah Bao just said we're all insiders. I, Tao Tao, am the most loyal; if there's ever anything you need from me in the future, just speak up, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

"Good, thank you, Tao Tao."

Earlier, he had only said halfway that Long Teng Seasoning was his, without continuing to say that one should seek him out for matters. Now that Tao Tao had expressed his attitude, Wang Yan simply refused to say anything similar, which was truly putting people in a difficult spot.

However, Tao Tao was not troubled; if Wang Yan wouldn't say it, he would bring it up proactively.

He said, "I heard you are now supplying barbecue seasoning to Huanghe Road, Zhapu Road, and Yunnan South Road?"

"Yes, what I brought is exactly that. For barbecue, for roasted meat, it can all be used. Coincidentally, this skewer is just done; taste the flavor."

"Mmm, delicious, delicious; Wang Laoban's craftsmanship is truly high. No wonder it caused such a sensation; nowadays everyone wants to eat barbecue." Unafraid of the heat, Tao Tao took a huge bite directly, nodding repeatedly, highly praising the wonderful taste of the lamb skewers, and also commending the barbecue craze that Wang Yan had stirred up.

He continued, "Wang Laoban, you supply barbecue seasoning to so many restaurants and have gained a reputation; you must be able to talk to those owners, right?"

"You want me to introduce you to supply seafood?"

Seeing him nod repeatedly, Wang Yan instead shook his head and laughed, eating a meat skewer as he spoke: "Then you overestimate me. Do you know how much I sell one packet of this seasoning for?"

"I heard it's ten yuan per packet?"

"It's just ten yuan. That means my connection with those bosses is worth only ten yuan; at most, we can do business worth thirty or fifty yuan. But you want me to introduce you to them for daily deals worth hundreds or even thousands of yuan—do you think that's possible?"

"Then shouldn't your reputation on Huanghe Road be worth an extra fifty yuan?"

"Thirty or fifty yuan is already the inflated price; do you take me for a hooligan or a triad member? If people refuse to do business with me, am I supposed to shove a gun against their foreheads? What are you thinking?"

Wang Yan fetched a plate, placed the freshly grilled lamb skewers onto it, lifted it up, and put it into Tao Tao's hands, who seemed somewhat stunned. "What are you standing there dazed for? Take it inside."

"Then you must keep me in mind in the future."

"I will, hurry up, hurry up."

Only then did Tao Tao turn around with some disappointment, carrying the plate inside to serve the dishes.

The current Boss Bao is not yet what he will be three years later; his net worth is not thirty million. But similarly, the current Shanghai is not the Shanghai of three years later, and the current wealthy are not the wealthy of three years later.

With a net worth of several hundred thousand, Boss Bao already lives up to his name; at a time when working oneself to death for a month yields only about two hundred yuan, amidst reforms beginning and layoffs starting, Boss Bao carries significant weight, truly among the first to grow rich.

Therefore, when Ye Ye Dongjing opened, the number of guests was neither too many nor too few, mainly limited by the restaurant's size. Apart from Wang Yan and Teacher Ge, most were Ah Bao's friends, such as Stamp Li, Little Ningbo, and others, all of whom Wang Yan met.

Ah Bao opening a restaurant carried somewhat of a Godfather vibe. Those seeking his help could find him if they were meant to; those who couldn't would naturally find their way to Ye Ye Dongjing. Seeing Lingzi served as an intermediate buffer here, allowing room for deliberation on whether to meet or not, without offending anyone.

Wang Yan grilled a large batch of skewers, earning unanimous praise, and finally sat down in the corner alongside Teacher Ge to taste the dishes served there.

To be honest, it was just average, merely the standard level of a normal restaurant. The little Monk handling the wok possessed culinary skills roughly at level three.

Everyone present had now been properly introduced; although Wang Yan had been grilling lamb skewers outside and hadn't interacted with them initially, thanks to the effusive praise from both Tao Tao and Teacher Ge, Ah Bao's circle of friends now understood that Wang Yan was not merely a lamb-skewer griller.

Instead, he had made a name for himself on Huanghe Road, forcing Jin Jin Meilin's proprietress to pay for a settlement, silencing the notorious hooligan Du Du Honggen, and achieving a daily income of three thousand, a monthly income of one hundred thousand, and an annual income of one million solely by selling barbecue seasoning. All of this occurred within a mere half-month. For a single person to come alone from the Northeast to Shanghai, with no support or reliance, and achieve such heights, was something no one dared to underestimate.

"Wang Laoban, I am Stamp Li; the very first stock Boss Bao ever bought was Electric Vacuum, which I sold to him."

"Honored, honored." Wang Yan nodded with a smile, clinked glasses with him and drank, then asked, "So what are you doing now?"

"Nowadays, I work alongside Boss Bao, occasionally trading stocks and occasionally flipping treasury bonds. Are you interested, Wang Laoban?"

"I've heard there are many people flipping treasury bonds nowadays; I don't know about other things, but I do know that in any business, when too many people participate, it becomes difficult to operate."

"There's no help for it; everyone needs to eat, so we just keep flipping back and forth. You don't realize how complicated things are out there; carrying several hundred thousand on your person back and forth, oh my, every day is heart-pounding and life-shortening. But it suits you perfectly, since you can take on a dozen men alone and fear nothing out there."

"Is that doing business, or risking your life?"

"Money is business, money is life. How does that song go again?"

"Love bia cai ei ya." Wang Yan prompted with a smile.

"Yes, yes, yes, 'Only by striving can one win.' If you want to make money, you must gamble; if you want to make big money, you must risk your life." Stamp Li spoke with great boldness.

Wang Yan chuckled and asked, "How is the stock market doing now?"

"Lukewarm; the market manipulators take everything. In our area, the Heavenly Heavenly Qilin Society is the boss; whether anyone makes money or not is up to them to decide."

"What does 'Heavenly Heavenly Qilin Society' mean?" Wang Yan pretended not to understand.

"It refers to a few capable individuals pooling their funds to advance and retreat together; we call it a fleet. Like Boss Bao and us, we are also a fleet, though our capital is not as substantial as that of the Heavenly Heavenly Qilin Society."

"What do you think if I buy some stocks as well?"

"Not a good idea." Stamp Li shook his head. "I heard you've only been in Shanghai for half a month; even if you earn three thousand a day now, you don't have much cash on hand. If you throw tens of thousands in, you might not even earn as much as you do in a single day, and if you lose, the amount is unpredictable. In my opinion, you should continue expanding. Your seasoning sells well, so scale up a bit, open a factory, and supply Beijing, Shenzhen, and other places; there are plenty of wealthy people there, and you will surely make a fortune."

He spoke very sincerely, with no intention of deceiving Wang Yan. All those words were merely boasting and chatting with Wang Yan; the one boasting was Ah Bao, not him, Stamp Li. Calculated by net worth, Stamp Li was truly not as wealthy as Wang Yan, after all, Wang Yan was now an earner of one million annually, he had simply risen to prominence only a few days ago and thus lacked liquid cash.

Wang Yan nodded, clinked glasses with him and drank, acknowledging Stamp Li's good intentions, then said, "Before meeting Boss Bao, both Teacher Ge and Seeing Seeing Lingzi had spoken to me about stocks, making my heart itch with curiosity, so I also want to take a look. Wasn't Boss Bao's first stock Electric Vacuum?"

"Although I heard he seemingly lost three thousand yuan on it, there must have been some luck involved. Let me share in Boss Bao's luck; please buy one hundred thousand yuan worth of Electric Vacuum for me. If I lose, I won't blame you; if I profit, I'll treat you all to drinks."

"Boss Bao, you don't mind, do you?"

"Wang Laoban jokes; what do I have to mind? It's only that you don't despise my bad luck." Ah Bao and the others had been listening to Wang Yan speak; he smiled and said, "However, I am quite optimistic about the recent market trends; the Jing'an Index is rising. Additionally, there are rumors that the state plans to implement reforms, moving beyond trial phases to truly establishing a stock financial system. Overall, taking a long-term view should yield profits."

"Stamp Li, later on, help Wang Laoban purchase some. We'll wait for Wang Laoban to treat us to drinks. But Wang Laoban, let me say this first: the wine must be Moutai."

"Let me say something first too: it must be drunk at my place," Seeing Seeing Lingzi added immediately.

"Then it's settled; I'll watch the market for half a year. Come, come, let's drink, let's get rich," Wang Yan said with a smile, raising his glass to invite everyone.

Ah Bao's judgment was mostly correct, but also partially wrong. It wasn't that taking a long-term view should yield profits; rather, it was certain to yield substantial profits. This year, Shanghai would experience a bull market. From May to September, the Jing'an Index would soar from one hundred points all the way to three hundred points. As for Electric Vacuum, which Wang Yan intended to buy, its price would climb from ninety yuan all the way to five hundred yuan.

It is currently late March, meaning that in just half a year, Wang Yan's one hundred thousand yuan will become five hundred thousand; this is incremental wealth, not money he earned by mixing ingredients himself.

As for where the one hundred thousand yuan in his possession came from, those restaurants did not truly buy one bag per day. Recently, he had been looking at machinery, planning to use machines to grind powder...

For a time, all the guests enjoyed themselves thoroughly; after dispersing, Wang Yan and Teacher Ge returned, taking Stamp Li along to withdraw the money. Wang Yan acted very decisively, pulling one hundred thousand yuan out from his home.

"This is one hundred thousand yuan; it would take thirty years of hard labor to earn this. Aren't you afraid I'll take your money and run?" Stamp Li hugged the cash, joking with Wang Yan.

"That would mean everyone in that room who just ate dinner was completely blind."

"Haha. Leave it to me, rest assured; within these few days, I will gather Electric Vacuum for you, and then you can treat us to drinks."

"After you acquire them, keep the certificates at your place; it saves the trouble of running back and forth. By September, you can simply sell them off for me directly."

Stamp Li nodded: "I'm off then, Wang Laoban."

Wang Yan escorted him all the way downstairs before returning to the room upstairs.

"Are you really buying? That's one hundred thousand." Teacher Ge had not left; seeing Wang Yan return, he hurriedly said, "If you regret it, hurry and chase him down to get the money back; there's still time."

"I can earn that much in a single month; so what if I lose it all? Teacher Ge, broaden your perspective. You always talk about 'coffin money,' but coffin money is meant to be spent. Being so stingy like this is no fun at all."

"Isn't that eating meat every meal and drinking two taels of Moutai daily?"

"Saving your own money while spending mine? Oh my, Teacher Ge, your abacus clicks very loudly. Speaking like this now, you're planning to eat at Seeing Seeing Lingzi's place in the future, aren't you? Fine, you truly have no conscience."

"I have no conscience? Little Northeasterner, let's be clear: I've already reduced your rent significantly; as for meals, I've been working myself to death every day, and now my back and waist ache; not charging you medical fees is already very generous of me, okay?"

"You old rascal, calculating accounts with me every day; tonight, don't drink my Moutai."

"Aren't you going to Seeing Seeing Lingzi's place for dinner?"

"Even if you go, you won't get to drink it; if you want to drink, buy it yourself."

"Stingy; you're such a big boss, yet you haggle over two taels of wine with me?"

Wang Yan shook his head amusedly, exchanged a few bantering words with the old rascal, then dragged him off to do hard labor.

Teacher Ge's character was actually quite good; it was just that he had a big mouth...

In the small Long Teng Seasoning shop on Jinxian Road, as the power connected, a machine placed in the center began humming loudly. Wang Yan took out a bag of raw materials, poured them into the feed inlet, and before long, the powdered materials emerged from the discharge outlet, sliding back into the bag.

Pressing the button to halt the machine's operation, the noise subsided significantly. Wang Yan took a handful of material from the bag, feeling the grain size between his fingers, then shook his head and said, "Still not fine enough, but it'll do for now. Did you see how I used it? I don't need to elaborate on electrical safety. This machine shows no mercy; it's razor-sharp inside. Stick your hand in, and it's gone in an instant. No matter how urgent the matter, you must cut the power to this machine first."

Little Jinbao's mother nodded: "We all know that."

"Especially you," Wang Yan emphasized, singling out Little Jinbao's mother, "keep a close eye on your little chubby one. Don't let him poke around everywhere. If his hand gets chewed off, you'll be the one crying, not me."

The little chubby one was indeed somewhat introverted, but once familiar, he was a lively child, just as mischievous as any other.

Little Jinbao's mother nodded again: "If he doesn't listen, I'll beat him."

"You must watch closely whenever using the machine; don't get careless," Wang Yan reiterated, unable to resist adding one more warning.

First, there was the quality of the machine itself; second, the building's wiring was aging. Both were uncontrollable factors.

Teacher Ge pounded his lower back: "Oh my, Little Northeast, now that you've added a machine, I suppose you won't need me to work anymore, right?"

"What did I tell you? You need to exercise more."

"Stop pulling my leg, Little Northeast. Exercise means working out your arms and legs, not sitting there pushing a medicine grinder back and forth all day long. Oh my, my poor back. Meeting you really is my bad luck."

"Oh my, is Teacher Ge trying to coax Wang Laoban into buying him a drink again?"

Teacher Ge turned to look at Seeing Seeing Lingzi, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway, and waved his hands repeatedly: "I'm not coaxing him for a drink; that's my wages."

"But now that Wang Laoban has a machine, he won't need you to work anymore. Can you afford to buy Moutai on your own? Isn't that just coaxing for a drink? Wang Laoban, if you ask me, you should just tease him and teach this old rascal a lesson about his mouth."

Seeing Seeing Lingzi also called Teacher Ge "old rascal," and in fact, so did Tao Tao. Since Seeing Seeing Lingzi opened her shop a week ago, Tao Tao had come over every evening to sit, chat, and have a drink. After finishing his meals, Teacher Ge would also stay there for a while. Over the course of this week, everyone had quickly become familiar with one another.

"You're talking about me, but your mouth isn't much better," Teacher Ge retorted, then swiftly changed the subject: "Who is this? Oh, I remember now, she's your friend from Japan, right?"

"I am Seeing Seeing Lingzi's best friend. Hello, Teacher Ge, hello, Wang Laoban. My name is Ling Hong; please look after me in the future." Ling Hong stood behind Seeing Seeing Lingzi, smiling brightly.

"No problem, no problem. Have you seen the house yet?"

"We've dropped off our things. We came to find you to go check out that shop across from Night Tokyo."

"Then you'll have to wait a moment; the keys are at my home."

"Alright, no rush. Let's head to Night Tokyo first; you can just meet us there. Wang Laoban, tonight at Night Tokyo, we're hosting a welcome dinner for Ling Hong," Seeing Seeing Lingzi said, tilting her head to signal Wang Yan.

"Even if you didn't invite me, I'd go anyway."

Seeing Seeing Lingzi laughed heartily, turned, and left with Ling Hong...

"Did you say that Wang Laoban earns three thousand a day? Such a tiny place, just a few people—how could they make that much?" Ling Hong found it hard to believe.

"Why would I lie to you? You'll understand once you try the lamb skewers tonight. Take this small packet here; it costs seventy-five cents to produce, yet he sells it for ten yuan a pack. It's like robbery. I hear he's making more than three thousand a day now. Some out-of-towners coming to Shanghai on business, after tasting the barbecue, tracked him down wanting to buy the seasoning mix to make it themselves, and he sold some to them too. It's a secret recipe; he's really raking in the money."

"But that's as far as it can go. After all, it's a secret recipe; it can't pass through too many hands. He doesn't feel safe handing it over to anyone. Production can't scale up, so he can't earn even more. Still, it's very good as it is. With just these few people, he can make a million a year. Working for someone else, you couldn't earn that in several lifetimes."

"Is money really that easy to make in China nowadays?"

"He has a secret recipe. Do you even know what a secret recipe means?" Seeing Seeing Lingzi rolled her eyes. "Besides, when he first started, he set up a stall on Huanghe Road, using delicious lamb skewers as a gimmick to attract people and make them covet his formula..."

Chattering away, she recounted Wang Yan's famous battle on Huanghe Road. Seeing Seeing Lingzi said, "Behind Mr. Bao stands an old mentor who guided him. That mentor once said that business relies on style, trend, and gimmick."

"As for Wang Laoban, he lacks a bit in style; his attire isn't particular. But Mr. Bao, whom you've met, dresses with plenty of style. As for trend, Wang Laoban certainly has it. If earning a million a year isn't having trend, then who does? Even Mr. Bao isn't as steady as him. As for gimmicks, he doesn't need them anymore. He's very famous in Shanghai; everyone knows there's a person who made a fortune selling barbecue seasoning."

"According to Teacher Ge, a TV station wanted to interview Wang Laoban, but he turned them down and refused the interview. But that's right; an interview would mean even more people knowing him. He'd be recognized wherever he went, and he'd be annoyed to death every single day."

"How old is Wang Laoban?"

"Thirty. What do you mean by that?"

Ling Hong leaned closer and said, "You're thirty-five; that's not much older. What do you think of him?"

"Get lost, get lost. You're randomly matching mandarin ducks."

"Oh, I understand. If it were me, I'd also be thinking of Mr. Bao. Who else would open a shop specifically for me after just one meeting? I'd be devoted to him for the rest of my life."

"You might as well just go back to Japan."

"Fine, fine, I won't say it anymore. Isn't that enough?"

"Welcome home, Ling Hong. Cheers!"

Inside Night Tokyo, Wang Yan, Boss Abao, Teacher Ge, Tao Tao, Seeing Seeing Lingzi, and Ling Hong sat around a round table. Wine glasses clinked with a crisp sound; spilled liquor dripped onto the dishes. The room was filled with the aroma of food and wine, and everyone wore smiling faces.

Boss Abao began to reminisce: "When I went to Japan before, it was Seeing Seeing Lingzi and Ling Hong who helped me. I still remember, Ling Hong was working as a waitress in a restaurant then. I was in a hurry to meet Mr. Yamamoto, so I ordered just a bowl of ramen. But Ling Hong truly takes care of her friends. Seeing that I came with Seeing Seeing Lingzi, well, she piled so many extra toppings on for me that she practically stuffed me until I couldn't move."

"Of course. Anyone Seeing Seeing Lingzi brings, I must take care of. How was it, Mr. Bao? Was that bowl of ramen delicious?"

"Fragrant. I can still recall the taste. Seeing Seeing Lingzi, you should add ramen to your menu here too, just to recapture the flavor of those days."

The protagonist of this gathering was Ling Hong. Teacher Ge and Tao Tao, both masters at making friends quickly, engaged in witty banter, each trying to outdo the other. Of course, Wang Yan was no slouch either, but the three of them were merely supporting actors; their role was simply to cheer from the sidelines.

Everyone at this table was extroverted, and the overall atmosphere was excellent. With much laughter and chatter, everyone became fully acquainted. Both Seeing Seeing Lingzi and Ling Hong had drunk too much, and so had this old rascal, Teacher Ge. He loved a lively scene, and amidst the liveliness, he inevitably indulged in too many cups. Fortunately, his 'too much' wasn't really that much; once he passed two taels, the old rascal was completely done for.

Wang Yan, Boss Abao, and Tao Tao each took charge of one person, safely escorting them back to their rooms. Only then did they arrive at Wang Yan's room to smoke a cigarette and catch their breath.

"Your place is very clean," Boss Abao remarked, seeing it for the first time as he surveyed the surroundings.

"You stay at the Peace Hotel, Tao Tao has Fang Mei, so I just have to be more diligent," Wang Yan said with a smile. "Actually, I'm busy outside all day long; I only come here to sleep."

"Wang Laoban, you could stay at the Peace Hotel now too. Finding a wife would be even simpler. With so much money, young ladies would fight tooth and nail to marry you."

"That would be no fun."

"What do you mean, no fun?" Tao Tao didn't understand.

"Maybe you'll understand later."

"So mysterious."

Wang Yan laughed heartily: "Actually, speaking of places to live, I prefer the Western-style houses on Julu Road. Spacious, great location, distinctive architecture, steeped in history, and full of cultural atmosphere. Back in old Shanghai, only important figures lived there."

"Important figures live there now too," Tao Tao said, curling his lip.

"Is Wang Laoban bullish on real estate?" Boss Abao seized upon the underlying issue.

"Of course. I've been reading quite a few books recently. What determines the market? Supply and demand. Shanghai is developing well, and the country is implementing various reforms. I've run all the way from the Northeast to make a fortune; won't there be even more people from other places? More people mean fewer houses. Fewer houses mean prices naturally go up."

"Can't they just build new ones?"

Wang Yan looked at Tao Tao, nodding with a smile: "You're quite right. When the current city capacity can no longer accommodate outsiders, expansion becomes inevitable. At that time, what will be valuable? Land. As land prices rise, the prices of newly built houses will naturally increase as well."

"And since Huangpu is the center of Shanghai, if house prices rise in the outer areas, prices here will naturally rise even more. So, President Tao, my advice is for you to honestly save up and buy a house. Look at Teacher Ge; he owns a building and several shops. He's set for life."

Ah Bao nodded; he actually held land in high regard too, but currently had no way to get involved.

Not dwelling further on that topic, he shifted gears: "The stock market has risen a bit recently; the Electric Vacuum shares you bought are already turning a profit."

"Speaking of Electric Vacuum, Boss Bao, buy another hundred thousand worth for me; I have a feeling this wave will make us rich." Wang Yan pulled another hundred thousand yuan from the cabinet and placed it on the table.

Looking at the pile of money before him, he said, "Two hundred thousand is no small sum; I wouldn't recommend such a heavy investment."

"Heavy?" Tao Tao voiced a differing opinion; gazing at the grinning Wang Yan and the heap of cash on the table, he asked, "Has it only been a week? How do you have another hundred thousand? I heard from Teacher Ge that outsiders are buying your barbecue seasoning to make grilled meat, but surely you're not making over ten thousand a day? Can you even keep up with that?"

"Didn't Teacher Ge tell you I'm using machines now? I bought a grinder before, and the next day I added a mixer; now it just needs electricity. Output has increased several times over. Orders in Shanghai have surged, and more outsiders are arriving; haven't you seen the queue outside my shop every day?"

"Seeing Seeing Lingzi is right; you really are a money-grabber."

Wang Yan shook his head: "It's basically peaked; even if there were more, I couldn't handle it."

"In that case, I won't say more; tomorrow I'll take the money to Stamp Li and have him operate." Ah Bao agreed to the matter, unable to help but sigh inwardly that Wang Yan had good ancestors.

He asked, "You say the barbecue seasoning business has peaked; what's next? Any plans?"

"Still considering it, but doing business ultimately revolves around clothing, food, shelter, and transport; I'm in no rush, I'll study it slowly."

Ah Bao extinguished his cigarette, holding the money in his hand: "It's getting late; get some rest early, Wang Laoban, no need to see me off. Until we meet again."

"Need to wash up? Let's go down together."

Carrying a basin, Wang Yan ultimately saw the two of them off...