Chapter 986

Ye Dongjing was bustling with activity again after a long time. A-Bao, who had been running around outside and still flipping treasury bonds, had returned. He had arranged in advance for Wang Yan to cook at Ye Dongjing so everyone could gather together.

The gatherings here were truly getting livelier each time, and this time many new people had come. Bao Zong was prosperous, so there were many people following him to eat, many friends, and some new friends had also arrived.

"Wang Laoban, this is Commander Cai, from the big investor room; he's very capable. This is Fa Gen, who is also with our fleet. They've heard of your reputation for a long time and have been wanting to meet you."

Wang Yan shook hands with them with a smile, considering it an introduction.

Commander Cai said: "Bao Zong is exaggerating; in front of Wang Laoban, I'm just a small fish in a big pond. People are still talking about Wang Laoban setting up a stall to grill lamb skewers on Huanghe Road back in the day."

Fa Gen also chimed in from the side: "That's right. I don't know how many people admire Wang Laoban for his dominance; in less than three short years, you've created such a great career. When I came today, I even saw the news in the paper—Wang Laoban is wealthy and powerful, it's truly overwhelming."

"We are all friends, don't say these polite things. Bao Zong knows what my situation is like. You see a grand and flourishing momentum, but in reality, it's like cooking in a raging fire—I'm about to lose everything."

Wang Yan waved his hand, "I'm the chef today, you all chat first, we'll talk more when we eat."

Nodding politely to everyone, Wang Yan returned to the kitchen, washed his hands, and got busy with the little monk.

Everyone was happily eating fruit, drinking tea, and chatting. They were generally divided into three groups: one from Ye Dongjing, one following A-Bao to make money, and the third was Uncle himself, sitting there smiling, quietly drinking tea and listening to the noise.

Seeing Seeing Lingzi was the proprietress and had to take care of everyone, busy adding tea, serving fruit, and some small pastries. Tao Tao was restless, sitting here and wandering there, laughing and joking with Commander Cai and the others, quite happy. Teacher Ge and Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong were quiet; usually, when others came, the Ye Dongjing squad didn't argue.

After all, the outsiders who came all had some strength. They were all Bao Zong's friends; it was one thing that they didn't have money, but they couldn't be too embarrassing. So they just sat there quietly listening, laughing if it was interesting, and drinking tea if it wasn't.

Except for the little monk, Xiao Wen, and Xiao Qin, who had no presence, as well as Teacher Ge, who was older and lacked confidence, and Uncle, who lacked it even more, the people here actually had quite loud voices.

Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong, the least wealthy, had a net worth of tens of thousands thanks to Seeing Seeing Lingzi's care for her business and some of her own bluffs toward others. After all, just like in the original drama, that pair of earrings that caused Miss Wang to be disciplined—a two-hundred-yuan item—was sold to Seeing Seeing Lingzi for ten times the price. This certainly wasn't an isolated case; she also made quite a bit of money.

The rest of the people naturally didn't need to be mentioned; they were richer than the next, and their backbones were stiffer than the next.

As for who was the most stubborn and had the loudest voice, it was naturally Miss Wang. She really wasn't rich, but she had status.

"Bao Zong, how has your business been lately?" Miss Wang asked.

"So-so, running around, earning some hard-earned money," Bao Zong replied with a smile, then turned to ask, "I heard you went to eat on Huanghe Road with Wang Laoban a few times?"

"Oh, don't even mention it, I get annoyed just thinking about it," Miss Wang said. "I only went with Wang Laoban twice, and now the whole Huanghe Road is spreading rumors that Miss Wang and Bao Zong are no longer on good terms and have switched to Wang Laoban. It's like they're calling me a socialite; it's truly awful to hear."

"It's Huanghe Road, it's very normal. As soon as there's any news, they make it sound so vivid, as if it were true. People even say the boss of Jin Fenghuang has a relationship with me; I'm so wronged."

Commander Cai said from the side: "Miss Wang doesn't need to care. People on Huanghe Road say everything; where is there a word of truth? But speaking of Wang Laoban going to Huanghe Road, it really is quite interesting."

"What's interesting about it?" Stamp Li chimed in.

"Back when Wang Laoban was selling lamb skewers on Huanghe Road, the proprietress of Jin Meilin wanted to rob him by force. Later... now that Wang Laoban has gone to Huanghe Road again, the events of that year have been dug up, and Lu Meilin is now notorious again."

Tao Tao was sitting there smiling. Hearing this, he seemed to remember something and couldn't help but silently get up, come to the kitchen, and lean over to Wang Yan's side with a grin.

"If you have something to say, say it; if not, get lost. Don't you see I'm busy here?"

Tao Tao leaned in and whispered: "There's one thing I forgot to tell you, Wang Laoban."

"Get straight to the point."

"Lu Meilin asked me to pass a message to you, inviting you to eat at Jin Meilin again. I really forgot; the staff was busy that day, and I was driving the van to deliver seafood to Jin Meilin. Later I went to play mahjong—oh, I won thirty yuan that day! I was so happy I forgot. Just now, hearing A-Bao and the others say Lu Meilin is notorious, I remembered. I've been delivering seafood to Jin Meilin for two years, it's not good to not get things done."

"Useless. Did you beg them to let you deliver? It was them begging you to deliver to them."

"That's how it's said, but it's not good to burn bridges. You, Wang Laoban, are fearless, but I, Tao Tao, am afraid. Every time I deliver seafood to Jin Meilin, I'm under a lot of pressure."

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh: "One has to eat, after all. If someone is offering a free meal, then eat it. Call Seeing Seeing Lingzi and the others, let's go together tomorrow night and eat her out of house and home."

"Wang Laoban, that might not be good. Maybe she wants to talk to you about something."

"What could I possibly have to talk about with them? Whose side are you on?"

"I'm naturally on your side, Wang Laoban. It's just... the situation at the time was indeed quite special. Oh, I sometimes have nightmares about it now."

Wang Yan was impatient to hear him chant: "Is that all? Go, go, go, there are so many people waiting to eat, don't get in the way here."

"Then it's settled, Wang Laoban. Going tomorrow, should I make the call now?"

"Get lost."

Tao Tao chuckled, quickly turned and left, going outside the shop to use his brick phone to call Lu Meilin.

When he returned, A-Bao wondered: "Just now I saw you whispering with Wang Laoban for a long time, then going out to make a phone call while nodding and bowing. What's going on?"

"Where did I nod and bow? That's called being polite, understand?" Tao Tao argued with his neck stiff, then explained, "Didn't I just hear you all saying Lu Meilin is notorious again? It just so happens that yesterday when I delivered seafood to her, she asked me to pass a message to Wang Laoban, inviting him to eat at Jin Meilin. Wang Laoban said everyone is going tomorrow to eat her out of house and home."

"I'm not going, Wang Laoban." Seeing Seeing Lingzi turned and shouted toward the kitchen, "I still have to take care of the business. Bao Zong is back, so I'll definitely be busy these next few days."

Wang Yan appeared at the kitchen door with a smile: "I'll pack some for you to bring back."

"I don't want it, it's not like I'm lacking that one bite."

"Is Miss Wang going?"

"No. I just said it earlier, there are rumors on Huanghe Road now, I have to be careful about my reputation."

"The more careful you are, the more of a reputation it creates. If you don't go, people will say you're afraid of what's being said; if there's really nothing going on, why be afraid? If you go, there will also be talk. In any case, you can't escape it. Anyway, you have nothing to do after work, and it's lively to eat together."

"Stop talking, if I'm not going, I'm not going. It's not as delicious as my pork chop rice cakes."

Wang Yan didn't care; he looked toward Uncle's side: "Uncle, are you going?"

"I'm old, and I can't eat much, so forget it."

A-Bao said: "I'm not going either. We were just saying that there are rumors on Huanghe Road that I have a relationship with Jin Fenghuang. I think it's Lu Meilin and her group of proprietresses spreading it, jealous of Jin Fenghuang's good business, so they make up lies."

Since A-Bao wasn't going, Commander Cai and the others who weren't familiar with Wang Yan naturally wouldn't go either. Including Stamp Li, he wouldn't join in the fun.

The remaining Teacher Ge and Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong wouldn't refuse. If Wang Yan said eat, they would eat. If he said eat heavily, Teacher Ge couldn't, but Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong could.

Wang Yan didn't force it; asking was enough, whether they went or not didn't matter...

After a bout of frying, stir-frying, and cooking, the long table was set up again in the small Ye Dongjing shop. A group of people, familiar or not, were together, lively, chatting, and talking loudly.

This was a magnificent era of making money. Most of the people at this table had enjoyed the dividends. Just like their loud voices, the content of their conversation was also very exciting.

As they chatted, they eventually talked about stock subscription certificates.

"The current stock subscription certificates are too hot; hundreds of thousands of people from all over have come to snap them up." A-Bao sighed and asked, "Wang Laoban, this business is very profitable. Didn't you get involved?"

"If you buy it, you make money. Of course I did. You all know that I lost so much money on brand clothing that I almost lost my pants. Now that there's an opportunity, I certainly can't miss it."

Fa Gen tentatively asked from the side: "How much money did Wang Laoban invest?"

"Less than ten million."

This thing was like picking up money—a sure profit without loss. Wang Yan had many places to use money, so there was no reason not to do it.

Commander Cai gave a thumbs up from the side: "Wang Laoban is truly capable, ten million just like that."

"High investment, high return. Even if I'm capable, I haven't reached the point where money isn't money. To me, this money is almost life-saving money. Bao Zong knows, I still have a semiconductor factory, spending a lot of money to find some experts and college students.

It's been over a year since it was established, and I haven't earned a penny. A few days ago, they called me again saying they wanted to buy a set of Korean equipment, which would cost a lot of money. Just thinking about it gives me a headache. You see me relaxed and comfortable now, but in reality, I'm the most miserable one."

Uncle smiled: "Wang Laoban is just being modest. You just said it yourself, high investment, high return. You are in the real industry; what you need is investment. When there are results, I'm afraid you'll be earning pots of gold."

"Uncle is right. I'll try to hold on a bit longer, striving to make it to the day I'm filled with pots of gold." Wang Yan smiled and raised his glass, "Come, Uncle, have a drink."

The lively atmosphere continued. Wang Yan turned to talk to Miss Wang beside him: "Did you remember this time?"

"Delicious. Even if I go bankrupt in the future, I can make a comeback by opening a restaurant. By then, I won't eat pork chop rice cakes anymore; I'll patronize your business every day."

"Then I thank you."

"Oh, understand the spirit, you know."

"I just knew you were waiting for me to go bankrupt."

Miss Wang pouted and put a piece of meat in Wang Yan's bowl: "Eat, eat, it won't be delicious if it gets cold."

A-Bao was laughing and joking with Commander Cai, Seeing Seeing Lingzi, and the others, but he was watching Wang Yan and Miss Wang whispering there. Uncle was also watching, but he was watching A-Bao...

Night fell, but Lu Meilin had been waiting at the entrance of the restaurant early. Until a black car stopped at the entrance, and seeing the person who got out of the driver's seat, her fat face smiled like a chrysanthemum.

"Wang Laoban is here, please, please."

Her voice was very loud and eye-catching.

Wang Yan nodded to her with a smile: "Two years no see, proprietress, your style remains the same."

"What style do I have? It's you, Wang Laoban. Two years no see, and you've soared like a dragon in the sky. Everything is ready, just waiting for Wang Laoban's grand arrival. Please."

Without further ado, Wang Yan led Teacher Ge, Tao Tao, and Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong straight into the restaurant and up to the private room on the second floor.

Lu Meilin didn't show the slightest displeasure, maintaining a chrysanthemum-like brilliant smile. With Wang Yan's current level, being able to come over to eat to help her eliminate some unnecessary misunderstandings and save her notorious reputation was truly giving her a lot of face. Even if she were unhappy, she had to hold it in and smile brilliantly.

Now was not the time when ten thousand yuan could reconcile things, or when one car and two brick phones could resolve misunderstandings. Even if Jin Meilin were sold off entirely, it wouldn't be enough.

She just wanted to invite Wang Yan to a meal...

Wang Yan really just came to eat a meal, it was that simple.

He was a reasonable person. Regarding the past, he had received the money, the car, and the brick phones, so that was in the past. Now that someone was offering a free big meal and he had nothing to do, he would come to eat.

Soon, the large table in the private room was filled with delicacies, and the wine was vintage Moutai. Overall, it was quite good.

"Oh, Wang Laoban, do you have something on them? Even opening a restaurant wouldn't be this extravagant, right? Treating us to such good food and not asking for money?" Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong widened her eyes.

Before Wang Yan could speak, Tao Tao had already explained: "Because Lu Meilin bullied Wang Laoban back then, now that Wang Laoban is successful, whenever people mention Wang Laoban, they have to scold Lu Meilin. No matter how thick her skin is, she's bound to be uncomfortable.

Inviting Wang Laoban to eat is looking for Wang Laoban to stand for her, proving once again that it was all a misunderstanding back then. Besides, Wang Laoban is incredible now; who can just invite Wang Laoban to eat? Of course, she has to treat him with good food and drink. Use your brain when you speak, don't just focus on eating."

Seeing Seeing Lingzi Hong rolled her eyes and focused on the big crab in front of her, having no time to deal with Tao Tao's sharp tongue.

Teacher Ge didn't eat as efficiently, but he wasn't in a hurry either, eating and drinking comfortably. Turning the table back and forth, tasting new dishes he hadn't eaten before, he sighed: "Big restaurants are different; there are many styles of cooking, and the taste isn't worse than what Xiao Dongbei makes."

"You're talking nonsense. Otherwise, why would Jin Meilin's business be so good on Huanghe Road?" Tao Tao mumbled with his mouth full of food, "If you ask me, it's better to eat like we do. Yesterday there were so many people, and some weren't familiar. Although it looked lively, it was uncomfortable."

"I think you were quite familiar, sitting here and wandering there, chatting very happily with them."

"Oh, Teacher Ge, those are all A-Bao's friends. A-Bao and I are brothers who grew up together, we grew up wearing nothing. I have to take care of his friends. Can't let people think our Ye Dongjing squad isn't friendly."

Wang Yan was eating and drinking quietly on the side. Today was quite rare; it seemed the table full of rich delicacies lowered their attack power. They were all eating and drinking, and surprisingly, they didn't start arguing...

Days continued one by one. Wang Yan's life was still as stable as ever, occasionally sitting at Ye Dongjing, occasionally going to Huanghe Road to eat at a new shop, spending much of his time wandering outside.

Of course, it wasn't that he had no serious business. He had spent a lot of money buying overwhelming news, and he always had to pay attention to the clothing business.

The Olympic Games held in Barcelona opened on July 29 and closed on August 9. The Chinese delegation achieved 16 gold, 22 silver, and 16 bronze medals, totaling 54 medals, ranking fourth among the 169 participating countries and regions, breaking the haze of the poor performance in the previous Olympic Games.

Among these champions, the most famous later was Deng Yaping, who played table tennis. This was her first time participating in the Olympic Games, and she achieved the excellent result of two gold medals in women's singles and doubles table tennis.

The people Wang Yan sent out tracked, recorded, and conducted exclusive interviews throughout the process, conducting overwhelming marketing in China. They urgently produced various related images and released a ten-episode documentary called "1992 Olympic Journey." The athletes, coaching staff, and other related personnel in it all wore Shanghai Hongyun shoes and clothing.

And because this documentary was produced at the expense of Wang Yan's company, and this performance was indeed quite ideal, coupled with the ongoing Olympic bid activities, it was broadcast during CCTV's prime time. The influence of CCTV in this era was unquestionable. Once the documentary was broadcast, Shanghai Hongyun, which was already very popular, exploded in popularity.

All the stores were almost in a state of being full, even though Wang Yan had arranged for excess production tasks in advance to strengthen inventory. Managers of various provinces also called to apply for goods. Also taking advantage of this trend, Wang Yan finally canceled the long-standing 30% discount and began to benchmark against Nike at full price. Even so, it couldn't stop consumers' pursuit of the Olympic champion's same-style clothing.

Taking advantage of this wave, it completely established Shanghai Hongyun's status in the country and made consumers recognize the brand...

Miss Wang seemed to be really avoiding suspicion. When he called to invite her to eat dinner elsewhere, Miss Wang would never go, but she would always call him, inviting him to eat pork chop rice cakes, which he would occasionally go to.

A-Bao and the others were busy making money, on one hand snapping up stock subscription certificates, on the other hand doing foreign trade, and on the other hand flipping treasury bonds. They were always busy, always wanting to earn more.

Wang Yan had met Fa Gen, but he had no intention of saving him. Because although Fa Gen died of heart disease, the inducement was his own greed. He threw all his family wealth, borrowed a lot of money, and invested it in the stock market hoping to double it, but he lost everything and couldn't bear it, leading to a surge of anger that induced his heart condition, leading to sudden death. It really couldn't be blamed on others.

Wang Yan couldn't save such a player. Because if he didn't die this time, he would die the same way next time. The seeds of greed had been planted, the gambling nature had risen, and the idea of making a comeback couldn't be stopped. Even if he survived, it wouldn't be long before he thought about winning back his losses, and if he lost another game, he still wouldn't be able to bear the stimulation, and he would still die.

As for A-Bao being hit by a car at the beginning of the drama due to Fa Gen's death, that was also fine. A-Bao looked like he was dying, but he could walk on the ground in a month, so it really didn't matter. It had nothing to do with Wang Yan; he just watched.

Time passed, and things were developing in a fixed way.

A-Bao and the others made a fortune on the stock subscription certificates, and their wealth increased sharply again. Because of this reason, they were sought out by the Heavenly Qilin Society.

The reason the Heavenly Qilin Society sought out A-Bao was because A-Bao's wealth growth meant he could also make money in the stock market. Joining the Heavenly Qilin Society to act as a banker together, everyone's capital was put together, pulling up and down, using the advantage of large funds to cut the leeks of retail investors. Under the existing circumstances, this was making money with eyes closed, very comfortable.

Just like in the original drama, Doctor Wu revealed the opening price and the highest price of 414, which was the so-called test. A-Bao revealed it to Uncle, and Uncle didn't tell anyone else. Commander Cai didn't intend to reveal it either, but Jin Fenghuang, the so-called "hero can't pass the beauty pass," trusted Jin Fenghuang and told her about meeting the leader of the Heavenly Qilin Society, Doctor Wu, and told her about 414. Later, Jin Fenghuang spread it so everyone knew.

Looking at it this way, Commander Cai was quite wronged. But he had no choice; Jin Fenghuang had already leaked it, so he could only sell out A-Bao, let A-Bao carry the pot, and join the Heavenly Qilin Society's team to lie down and make money comfortably.

It was also during this process that Fa Gen died.

Fa Gen's end was the beginning of the story...