Chapter 987: Food and Sex are Human Nature

November in Shanghai was already quite cold and chilly, with overcast skies and occasional cold, gloomy rain.

That evening, Wang Yan drove to Night Tokyo for dinner again. Just as he pushed the door open, he saw Lingzi sitting at a table, lost in thought.

"In a bad mood?"

"You know, yet you still ask. Just got back from Hong Kong, right? We're all our own people, make yourself at home; I'm not going to entertain you." Lingzi waved her hand listlessly, looking completely drained.

Wang Yan didn't mind. He went to the kitchen, found the little monk, and had him prepare a few dishes. He helped himself to some peanuts, pickled vegetables, and the like, found a spot by the window, grabbed a bottle of Moutai and a glass from the counter, took the newspaper delivered today, and sat there comfortably to read.

Perhaps finding it meaningless to be unhappy by herself, Lingzi took a beer and sat opposite Wang Yan. She didn't speak, just rested her chin on her hand, turning her glass, drinking a sip here and there.

"Something on your mind?"

"I'm in a bad mood. Oh my, Wang Laoban, no wonder Teacher Ge always says you little Northeasterners are heartless. We're good friends, we've known each other for nearly three years, and you don't even care about me?"

"If I care about you, would Boss Bao be happy?"

"That depends on how you care~" Lingzi smiled and raised an eyebrow at Wang Yan. She was a woman of thirty-seven, not a girl of seventeen or eighteen prone to shyness; she could take a joke well.

Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh: "Do you look like you're in a bad mood right now?"

"I really am in a bad mood. You remember Fagen, right?"

"We just ate together a few months ago."

"That's him. He died yesterday. You surely don't know, let me tell you. Before, when we were buying stock subscription certificates, after selling them, Boss Bao and the others made a fortune... Fagen didn't just lose everything he had, he also owed relatives and friends millions. He couldn't handle the blow; his heart gave out, and he died in the car right after leaving the exchange. And then, that Heavenly Qilin Society... now Boss Bao is caught in the middle, pleasing no one."

"I still don't understand what your bad mood has to do with this. We weren't close to Fagen; feeling a bit sighful is inevitable, but why are you in a bad mood?"

"You don't know, Boss Bao drank a lot of alcohol by himself here last night. No matter how I tried to persuade him, he wouldn't stop. Since I've known him, I've never seen him like this."

"Now I understand. Heartbroken, are you?"

"What are you talking about." Lingzi waved her hand, "I'm just thinking, people living in this world, you never know when some accident might happen."

"That's worrying about your age. Go back to being in a bad mood; I can't help you share that burden."

"Even Cao Cao said, 'How to relieve worry? Only with Du Kang.' Drinking a bit of alcohol will make it better. Come, let's have a drink."

Clinking glasses with Wang Yan and taking a large gulp of beer, Lingzi asked curiously, "Hey, Wang Laoban, I remember last time we had a gathering at Night Tokyo, Boss Bao asked, and you said you also bought ten million in stock subscription certificates?"

"That's right."

"Then I can't figure it out. You bought quite a lot and made tens of millions, why didn't the Heavenly Qilin Society come looking for you?"

Wang Yan laughed: "They don't dare."

"Why?"

"The name Heavenly Qilin Society sounds impressive, but that's all it is—a sound. If they dared to come looking for me, acting all high and mighty, pointing fingers at the world, they'd be begging at the train station tomorrow."

"The police wouldn't arrest you?"

"Do you understand what hyperbole is?" Wang Yan said with a laugh, "Strictly speaking, their behavior is insider trading and malicious manipulation of the stock market for profit. It's just that I don't have evidence, and right now is the period for establishing rules; supervision is lax. Plus, this group of people really does have some connections, which is why they can make money so securely. If the police were to arrest anyone, they'd arrest them; they wouldn't be able to find me."

"It's truly lawless. Everyone is using their hard-earned money to invest in stocks, only for it to be taken by this group from the Heavenly Qilin Society..."

"Do you think Boss Bao, Commander Cai, Stamp Li, and the others are much better than the Heavenly Qilin Society?"

"That's none of my business. If you don't understand it yourself and follow others into stocks, losing money is to be expected."

Wang Yan smiled faintly. Lingzi was still very direct; her double standards were clear and obvious.

"Oh, right, speaking of Commander Cai, I get angry. It was clearly him who let the news slip, but in the end, Boss Bao took the fall, making people outside say Boss Bao has no credibility and isn't reliable. It's truly infuriating."

"When it comes to this point, there must be trade-offs. Boss Bao and Commander Cai are business friends, and I heard that before, Commander Cai pulled Boss Bao into the exchange, and that broken leg took over a month to stop swelling, so that counts as being decent enough. This is a favor; Boss Bao has to repay it. Commander Cai trusted the wrong woman, letting that Jin Fenghuang ruin things. He still has a wife and children at home and has to keep making a living, so he just let Boss Bao help out."

"Oh my, Wang Laoban, whose side are you on anyway? The one surnamed Cai has to keep making a living, so Boss Bao doesn't? Now it's great, I heard the Heavenly Qilin Society won't allow Boss Bao to trade stocks anymore, otherwise, they'll make him lose money. Is it possible the exchange is run by them? How can they be so overbearing? You still say they don't dare look for you, but Boss Bao is your friend. Wang Laoban, those old things from the Heavenly Qilin Society don't care about your face at all."

"Don't go looking for trouble. If you talk like that, does it mean if I walk on a road, others aren't allowed to? If they walk on it, they aren't giving me face?"

Wang Yan took a sip of alcohol, picked up some peanuts, and ate them with a crunch, "Don't drag other things into business matters. Boss Bao and I are friends, and I have no grudges with the Heavenly Qilin Society. They avoid me by eight hundred miles; I don't even know who that Doctor Wu is. You and Boss Bao are of one heart, I can understand that, but if help is needed, Boss Bao will come and tell me himself, understand?"

"You mean I'm meddling?"

"I didn't say that, you said it yourself."

Lingzi glared unhappily and even reached out to pat Wang Yan: "Isn't that exactly what you meant?"

Wang Yan explained: "You are worried because you care; Boss Bao knows what he's doing. Even if he doesn't trade stocks, he can still do foreign trade. He has plenty of capital; he can make money just by opening any factory. It's just that he values friendship too much. If he had gone to the Heavenly Qilin Society to explain first, wouldn't it be Commander Cai suffering the disaster now? When it comes down to it, it's all Boss Bao's own willingness. If he really didn't want to, and came to borrow money from me to challenge the Heavenly Qilin Society, I would certainly help."

"So it still means I'm meddling."

"Being worried because you care is a good thing. I said you care about and are concerned for Boss Bao, but you insist on interpreting it yourself and putting it on me. If you want to condemn someone, you can always find a reason."

"Food is served~" At this moment, the little monk ran out to serve the dishes and looked at Wang Yan with anticipation, "I've been practicing Wensi tofu recently, Wang Laoban, take a look and see how it is?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, picked up his chopsticks, lifted some tofu shreds, looked at them, and tasted them: "The heat is right, but the knife work is a bit weak; there's still room for improvement... You have to give the little monk a raise."

"Oh my, you make it sound like I'm stingy. Little monk, you say it yourself."

"I don't earn less than the master chefs on Huanghe Road, Wang Laoban." The little monk laughed, "Eat up, Wang Laoban, I'm going back to cook."

"Hear that? I don't treat him poorly. You say Night Tokyo is such a small shop, and business isn't that busy every day. He has you here to guide his skills, logically speaking, it wouldn't be wrong even if he didn't pay me. I'm still paying him a master chef's salary, and he still doesn't listen to me, it's really..."

Lingzi muttered a few words, then turned and said, "Wang Laoban, you don't know yet, right? That Jin Fenghuang disappeared, and the shop wasn't empty for two days before it was taken over by someone else. It's being renovated right now. I heard it's a Northerner; maybe they're your fellow townsman."

"A fellow townsman isn't as good as you, Lingzi. They wouldn't let me eat for free every day, right?"

"Good to know. Oh, right, there's no more Moutai, you need to send some more over. Oh my, don't look at me like that. There are many people who like me, Lingzi; you can barely rank in the front."

Watching Wang Yan not move, just smile, Lingzi waved her hand, "Fine, fine, I did sell a few bottles. Look, the wine is just sitting on the cabinet. When guests come and want to drink Moutai, I can't refuse them, right? But I also said, this is stored here by a friend, it's not for sale. Then they added money; anyway, you aren't losing anything."

"I'm not losing anything? Did the money reach my hands?"

"It went into your stomach. If you ask me, it's a waste for Teacher Ge and Tao Tao to drink this wine. How would they know how to drink? I sell a few bottles, and everyone gets to eat a bit more."

"Lingzi, do you know that you look shrewd, but are actually really stupid?"

"How so?" Lingzi's eyes were dangerous, looking like if he couldn't come up with one, two, three, he'd be in trouble.

"You know Moutai has gone up in price these past two years, right?"

"It used to be forty or fifty, now it's two or three hundred. I've heard Teacher Ge and others mention it."

"Then why don't you think about how much it will be in another two years?" Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh, "Instead of adding a few dozen yuan to sell it to guests, you'd be better off finding a place to store some. It would definitely be more profitable than adding the price."

"That's right, why didn't I think of that?" Lingzi clapped her hands, very sure of Wang Yan's vision, "No wonder they say Wang Laoban has taken his business abroad; his vision is... wait, Wang Laoban, you haven't already started storing it, have you?"

"Smart all of a sudden." Wang Yan nodded with a smile, "I did keep some, but it's all intended for my own drinking. I am very optimistic about Moutai; it should get more and more expensive in the future. For the wine now, if you store it for ten years, it shouldn't be a problem for a few hundred to turn into a few thousand. If you store it for more than ten years, maybe a bottle will be worth ten thousand. If you store vintage wine, that's even better, the value is higher. You could get rich just by hoarding wine."

"Good, I'll listen to you. I'll go buy wine to store tomorrow. Don't forget to have people send wine."

"Can you not store my wine?"

"Oh my, eat more, Wang Laoban. Look, you've made me thin. I'm going to get busy."

"Weren't you in a bad mood?"

"I'm fine now. Is that any of your business? Hurry up and eat." Lingzi decided not to continue the conversation with Wang Yan and got up to get busy.

Wang Yan smiled and ate by himself.

Of course, he didn't care about those few bottles of wine. Even if he moved Moutai here every day for Lingzi to store, to him, it wouldn't even count as a hair on an ox. Lingzi's messy little thoughts were the interesting part.

Of course, Lingzi also knew he didn't care. After all, Lingzi wasn't shallow enough to scam Wang Yan out of those few bottles of wine; it was only a hundred yuan or so, Lingzi didn't care at all. It counted as creating some little things as small entertainment between friends, even though Lingzi really did sell them for money on the side, and still said it was a waste for Teacher Ge and Tao Tao to drink the wine...

The next day was a nice day, the sky was deep blue, dotted with large white clouds, and a breeze blew. Although it wasn't biting, it still inevitably slipped into the body through the cuffs, feeling quite chilly.

In Pudong, near the seaside, there was a simple, fenced-in soccer field, but it had professional turf set with gold-rimmed floor tiles. A group of young people wearing Hongyun soccer training uniforms and cleats were conducting passing training.

And in the distance, where one could only see some small figures, there was another equally simple field, but that was a basketball court. It was also paved with gold-rimmed floor tiles and had a specialized plastic surface. There was also a group of tall and sturdy young people wearing Hongyun basketball training uniforms and basketball shoes, dribbling the ball with a *thump, thump, thump*, conducting various specialized training.

Miss Wang's curly long hair danced in the wind, and she looked in amazement at the young people running on the field: "I didn't expect you to really build a team."

"What you said has great feasibility. If I cultivate them, maybe they really can feed back into my clothing business."

"What about later? How do you plan to develop? I don't think you registered and built a basketball team and a soccer team just for no reason; there must be follow-up development, right?"

"Getting smart, aren't you? Not attacking me right away, that's good."

"Isn't it because everything you do turns out successful? You shout about losing money every day, but the more you lose, the bigger you do it. If I believe your words again, wouldn't I be too stupid?"

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "I bought this whole piece of land, and communicated with the government. I want to build a high-standard stadium and gymnasium as the home field for the basketball and soccer teams, and there will also be corresponding other training grounds, etc., and a specialized hospital related to sports medicine. The sports venues will be open to the public regularly, allowing entertainment and play, and organizing public training regularly, allowing fans to visit.

In addition, I am sending people to Germany, Spain, and Italy to contact teams, to find teams whose owners want to sell. If possible, I will buy one; if not, I will also hold a controlling stake in one to cultivate player ability. It's the same in the NBA in the United States, but buying is impossible; I don't have enough money. I'll see if I can buy a stake in one, to have a channel to send people out. Even if they can't play in the NBA, playing in the secondary league is fine, they can always get training."

"You have that much money?"

"Of course not. I'll contact them first; won't I have it after contacting them? Besides, the construction of this venue won't be built in a day, but will be divided into several stages. I'll earn it slowly; I'll always be able to earn it."

Wang Yan actually wasn't short of money. He truly inherited the legacy of the old big brother. Although he brought back the good things, generally speaking, he was still reselling them on a global scale. China wasn't lacking, but other countries were lacking severely; Third World countries were all having a hard time. Part of the money earned increased foreign exchange for the country and expanded his business domestically, and the other part was all outside.

After all, he knew very clearly about the subsequent RMB and USD unification and exchange rate changes; it was only a matter of two years. He really didn't need to knowingly commit an offense and insist on transferring the money back. Keeping it outside was often more convenient for getting things done.

As for basketball, and the even worse soccer, of course, he had his own understanding, but it didn't matter. To him, not every leader is a leader; it's that simple. He plays with teams, and he can play them clearly.

He even thought, should he go back to the real world and build a Long Teng soccer team to play with? After all, he really had too much money to spend. What he lacked in the real world was never money, but time, or more accurately, the scientific research results from his thousand-year accumulation converted from time...

"I'll cheer for you. How did that saying go? Rush out of Asia and head toward the world!"

"I'll try my best."

Wang Yan nodded with a smile, waved his hand, and said, "Let's go, there's nothing to see here. They haven't officially played a match yet. Come back when there are results later."

"Rib pork and rice cakes?"

"It's a deal."

Miss Wang happily got into the car with Wang Yan and drove all the way to Yunnan South Road.

After being quiet for a while, she asked: "If I remember correctly, you're thirty-two this year, right?"

"Yes."

"I heard from Teacher Ge that you were quite poor back home and couldn't find a wife, so you wanted to come out and try your luck—to find a wife and have children. Now that you're so wealthy, why is there still no news?"

Wang Yan thought for a while and said: "When I had no money, my heart was small. Now that I have money and have seen the lives of other rich people, my heart has grown."

"I don't understand."

"A small heart can only hold one woman; a big heart can naturally hold many women."

"What you're doing is wrong. If this were ten years ago, you would have been executed."

"If this were a hundred years ago, I could have openly married a wife and brought along several concubines." Wang Yan shook his head with a laugh. He could clearly feel Miss Wang's unpleasant mood because her voice had become smaller.

"So you don't plan to get married?"

"Marriage is not a constraint. There are many cases of men and women cheating. Or, think about it from another angle, Miss Wang. If we two were married, my business is very busy, and I often have to go out for a period of time. Can you trust me? Can you trust me for a day or two? Can you trust me for a year or two?"

"People all want to get rich, and it's inevitable that some people will take shortcuts. There are many beautiful women in this world, and there are just as many beautiful women who want to get ahead. They are willing to trade themselves for what they want. People want true love, because love is pure, but that also has a shelf life."

"Take Tao Tao for example, you know him. Back then, he and Fang Mei were together because of love, and it's been nearly six years now. Everything I hear from Tao Tao's mouth is how bad Fang Mei is, and how beautiful the women he sees are. As long as people are full, they can't help but want to get more; endless desires fill their brains. But it's different when they are hungry; at that time, people only think about one thing: being full."

Miss Wang was silent for a long time again, then asked: "So you're actually not alone? Where is she? Who is she?"

"In Hong Kong, I've handed over all my businesses there to her to manage."

"How did you meet?"

"It was quite a coincidence. When I landed at the Hong Kong airport, I took a taxi and asked the driver, what is the best hotel in Hong Kong? The driver told me it was the Peninsula Hotel. She was a waitress in the catering department of the Peninsula Hotel. You know I'm quite a big eater... Later, while chatting, I found out that she was also from Shanghai."

"I wasn't familiar with Hong Kong, so I asked her to be my guide, and made an appointment to go out and stroll around after she got off work, eat some snacks, etc. Maybe because I was from Shanghai, and she hadn't been back to Shanghai to visit for several years, she accepted my invitation."

"Along the way, we talked a lot. She said that because she wanted a better life, she married a Hong Kong man, and she said she never liked that man. Later, the marriage was unhappy, they divorced, and that man became her ex-husband. She has no children and lives alone..."

"While chatting, I found that she was cultured and had some insights. She said she liked music, liked collecting stamps, and could dance. I thought she must be a talent... At that time, she only asked me three words."

"What?"

"Want to sleep with me?"

Looking at the somewhat stunned Miss Wang, Wang Yan laughed, "Don't doubt it, you didn't hear wrong, that's exactly what she said."

"Then what did you say?"

"I said yes, I really want to sleep with you... Later, I handed the company over to her. If there's a problem, she calls me; if she can't solve it, I'll go over. She's doing very well, and it's quite profitable, much more profitable than me selling clothes; I have to rely on her to subsidize me."

"Is she beautiful?"

"Compared to you, I can only say each has its own merits."

"Then does she know your thoughts?"

"We are business partners first, and a man-woman relationship second." Wang Yan laughed, "However, I am not a person who discards someone after getting tired of them. Since she's with me, of course, I have to be responsible to the end."

"Isn't it because she has shares? Because the Hong Kong company is all her people from top to bottom?"

"I only need one word to deprive her of everything."

Wang Yan laughed, "It seems that after listening to me, you have some misunderstandings about me. Honestly, when I had no money, I wanted to have money; when I had money, I didn't care that much. Just like me building a basketball team and a soccer team, this money could have been used to play a greater role and earn more money."

"When money accumulates to a certain extent, making money becomes simple. You should be clear about Boss Bao's matter. That Heavenly Qilin Society looks very impressive, but if I specifically spent money to do it, they would only be able to go to the train station to beg. If I were like what you thought, then why would I build a basketball team and a soccer team?"

After being silent for a long time, she said: "I don't want to eat rib pork and rice cakes anymore, send me home."

"Okay."

Miss Wang stopped talking, opened the car window, and let the cold wind hit her face...

After a long time, she turned her head and asked: "Are you still eating rib pork and rice cakes today?"

Wang Yan turned his head and smiled at her: "Of course."

"Will you still eat them in the future?"

"Of course."

"Then don't call me in the future. I want to see if we can still meet."

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and nodded with a smile: "Okay."

Food and sex are human nature; it's inevitable, inevitable.

He had always been a practical person, especially in male-female relationships; it was better to be clear and explain things well. If she's willing, he's happy. If not, it doesn't matter. People are not machines; they don't listen to his orders, and he's not really unable to function without anyone. Just let things take their course.

That day, Wang Yan ended up eating the rib pork and rice cakes alone...

After that, although Wang Yan didn't see Miss Wang again, he sometimes had to call to say a few words, because the clothing business abroad was still opening new stores, and the procedures still had to be processed. By the way, he would ask if they could go out for a meal together, but Miss Wang refused everything.

Although this was the case, Wang Yan didn't lose track of Miss Wang's news.

Night Tokyo, a slightly chubby man wearing a leather jacket and black-and-white hair was clinking glasses with someone.

"Hello, hello, I am Fan Xinhua, the factory director of Hangzhou Huxi Knitting Factory, here to find Boss Bao to talk business. Everyone is Boss Bao's friend, so we are all friends. Come, come, come, I'll toast everyone a glass of wine. If there's cooperation in the future, and you can use me, don't hesitate to come and find me."

This person was, of course, the Fan Zong who made the Three Sheep in the drama. He spoke very loudly, with flattery, slightly bent over, and kept handing out business cards.

Tao Tao asked curiously: "Who is this? He's like a fish in water here."

"I heard it after I came in later, Fan Xinhua, the factory director of Hangzhou Huxi Knitting Factory." Ling Hong followed up.

"Then what is he here for?"

Seeing both of them looking at him, Teacher Ge asked suspiciously, "Why are you looking at me?"

"A knitting factory director, what do you think he's here for?" Wang Yan patted his shoulder lightly from behind him, "Teacher Ge, you're in quite a bit of danger. You'd better go to the hospital for a check-up; don't let it be the early stages of senile dementia."

"Go, go, go, I'm fine."

Just at this moment, Fan Zong, who had just finished toasting over there and was about to return to his own table to eat and drink, noticed Wang Yan and the others who had just entered. He came over enthusiastically again: "Oh my, are you all Boss Bao's friends too? Hello, hello, I am Fan Xinhua, the factory director of Hangzhou Huxi Knitting Factory. This is my business card. Everyone is Boss Bao's friend; if there's cooperation, you must find me."

He had drunk some alcohol, his face was already red, he smiled enthusiastically and honestly, took out business cards from his pocket, and stuffed one into everyone's hand without question.

Teacher Ge accepted the business card and said sincerely: "We don't do business. He does business; you talk to him, just talk to him. Tao Tao, Ling Hong, let's sit over there."

He couldn't handle Fan Zong's enthusiasm and pushed Wang Yan over.

Wang Yan shook hands with him with a smile: "Hello, Boss Fan, I am Wang Yan."

Not hearing Wang Yan say what business he did, Fan Zong didn't care at all. He shook hands forcefully: "Wang Laoban looks like a man of talent; his business must be very big. If there's a chance, please take care of us. We are a small factory, it's very difficult. Oh my, I just noticed, the clothes Wang Laoban is wearing are Hongyun, right?"

"Oh my, let me tell you, Wang Laoban, the Hongyun brand is incredible. The business is huge, and it's even gone abroad. In our clothing industry, it's truly the top chair. Wang Laoban has taste."

Lingzi, who walked over, covered her mouth and couldn't stop laughing, and patted Fan Zong on the shoulder: "Then do you know that he is the boss of Hongyun?"

"What? He is the boss of Hongyun?" Seeing that Lingzi didn't seem to be joking, Fan Zong looked serious, stretched out both hands to grab Wang Yan's hand, and shook it forcefully, "Oh my, I really didn't recognize Mount Tai. I didn't expect the boss of Hongyun to be standing in front of me today. It's an honor, truly a great honor. Wang Laoban, your business is truly done well; you've brought honor to our Chinese clothing."

"Boss Fan, I'm just here to eat, and I'm not going anywhere. You let go of my hand first, let's sit and talk."

"Yes, yes, yes, look at me, I'm sorry, Wang Laoban, I'm just too excited. You are my idol. I just want to bring our Three Sheep to the same height as Hongyun and become a world-famous brand. Come, come, come, Wang Laoban, I must toast you a glass, no, one glass isn't enough, three glasses."

Lingzi laughed: "Boss Fan, Wang Laoban is a regular at Night Tokyo; don't drink all the wine at once. You should come often to take care of Night Tokyo's business in the future; Wang Laoban is always here."

"Oh my, the landlady speaks so well. But I'm really excited. Wang Laoban is a legendary figure; you don't know Wang Laoban's status in my heart. He is the sun, he is the moon, he is the guiding light on our path forward."

"Alright, alright, Boss Fan, you're exaggerating too much. If you keep talking like this, I won't drink with you anymore." Wang Yan patted his arm with a smile, "Sit down and talk."

"I'm telling the truth." Fan Zong said to Lingzi, "Landlady, Wang Laoban and his friends' meal is on me, and bring two bottles of that Moutai."

Seeing Wang Yan smiling at her, Lingzi rolled her eyes and said to Fan Zong: "Boss Fan, they don't spend money when they eat here, and that Moutai is also wine stored here by Wang Laoban. This meal is on me today, but you should drink less. Boss Bao might come later; if you get drunk by then, won't you miss the important business?"

"Oh my, that would be too embarrassing, how can I let the landlady pay? No, no..."

"Boss Fan, what's the point of letting each other pay for a meal? Can't I afford to treat you? If you take care of my business in the future, that's better than anything. You drink with Wang Laoban, I'll urge them to serve the dishes."

Lingzi took three bottles of Moutai, put one on Teacher Ge's table, and two on Wang Yan's table, looking incredibly generous... ===== CHAPTER 988 =====