Chapter 987: Appetite and Desire Are Human Nature

In November, Shanghai was already cold, with occasional overcast skies and drizzling, chilling rain.

That evening, Wang Yan drove again to Yedongjing for dinner; as soon as he pushed open the door, he saw Lingzi sitting at the table, staring blankly.

“Feeling down?”

“If you know, why ask? Just back from Hong Kong? We’re all family—help yourself. I won’t entertain you.” Lingzi waved lazily, looking utterly drained.

Wang Yan paid no mind, went to the kitchen, found the young monk, and asked him to prepare a few dishes. He then made himself some peanuts and pickled vegetables, found a seat by the window, took a bottle of Maotai and a glass from the counter, picked up today’s newspaper, and sat there calmly reading.

Perhaps realizing her sulking was pointless, Lingzi picked up a beer and sat across from Wang Yan. She said nothing, propped her chin on her hand, spun the glass slowly, sipping intermittently.

“Something wrong?”

“I’m in a bad mood. Oh come on, Boss Wang, no wonder Teacher Ge always says you’re a heartless little Northeasterner—we’ve been good friends for nearly three years, and you never care about me?”

“If I care about you, will Boss Bao be okay with that?”

“That depends on how you care~” Lingzi smiled, raising an eyebrow at Wang Yan. At thirty-seven, she was no longer a shy girl of seventeen or eighteen—she could take a joke.

Wang Yan chuckled and shook his head: “You don’t look down at all right now.”

“I really am. Do you remember Fa Gen?”

“We had dinner together just a few months ago.”

“That’s him—he died yesterday. You probably didn’t know. Remember when we bought stock subscription certificates? After we sold ours, Boss Bao and the others got rich… Fa Gen lost everything, owed hundreds of thousands to relatives and friends, couldn’t take the blow, had a heart attack, and died right in his car after leaving the exchange. Then the Qilin Society… now Boss Bao’s caught between a rock and a hard place.”

“I still don’t get it—what does this have to do with your mood? Fa Gen wasn’t close to us. A little sympathy is natural, but why are you so down?”

“You don’t know. Last night, Boss Bao came here alone and drank a lot—I couldn’t stop him. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen him like this.”

“Now I get it—you’re worried about him.”

“No. I’m just thinking—life is unpredictable. You never know when disaster will strike.”

“That’s the worry of middle age. Go back and sulk. I can’t relieve your burdens.”

“Cao Cao said it himself: ‘How to dispel sorrow? Only with Du Kang.’ Have a drink. Come on, let’s toast.”

After clinking glasses and taking a big gulp of beer, Lingzi frowned: “Hey, Boss Wang, I remember when we last met at Yedongjing, Boss Bao asked—you said you bought ten million worth of stock subscription certificates too?”

“Yes.”

“Then I don’t understand—you bought a lot, made tens of millions, so why hasn’t the Qilin Society come after you?”

Wang Yan laughed: “They dare not.”

“Why not?”

“The name ‘Qilin Society’ sounds impressive, but it’s just talk. If they dared show up here, acting all high and mighty, tomorrow they’d be begging at the train station.”

“Aren’t the police going to arrest you?”

“Do you even understand what ‘hyperbole’ means?” Wang Yan chuckled. “Strictly speaking, their actions are insider trading and market manipulation for profit. But I have no proof, and right now we’re in the rule-making phase—regulation is lax, and these guys have real connections, so they can make money safely. If the police arrest anyone, it’ll be them—not me.”

“It’s so unfair—everyone works hard for their money to invest in stocks, yet the Qilin Society takes it all…”

“Do you think Boss Bao, General Cai, or Postage Stamp Li are any better?”

“I don’t care. If you don’t understand, why copy others into stocks? You lose money—you deserve it.”

Wang Yan smiled. Lingzi was still blunt, her double standards crystal clear.

“Oh, speaking of General Cai—it makes me angry. He’s the one who leaked the info, yet Boss Bao took the blame. Now everyone says Boss Bao’s untrustworthy, unreliable—it’s ridiculous.”

“At this point, you have to make choices. Boss Bao and General Cai are business associates. I heard General Cai brought Boss Bao into the exchange—that broken leg took over a month to swell down. He did him a favor. That’s a debt Boss Bao must repay. General Cai trusted the wrong woman—Jin Fenghuang ruined everything. He’s got a wife and kids—he has to keep living. So he let Boss Bao take the hit.”

“Oh come on, Boss Wang, which side are you on? If General Cai gets to keep going, why can’t Boss Bao? Now they say the Qilin Society won’t let Boss Bao trade stocks anymore—or they’ll make him pay up. Is the exchange theirs? How arrogant. You said they won’t dare come after you, but Boss Bao is your friend! Those old bastards in the Qilin Society don’t care about your face at all!”

“Don’t stir up trouble. If you talk like that, am I not allowed to walk on the road unless they give me face? Walking is disrespect?”

Wang Yan took a sip of wine, picked up a peanut, and crunched it loudly. “Don’t mix business with other things. I’m friends with Boss Bao, and I have no grudge against the Qilin Society. They avoid me by eight hundred li—I don’t even know who this ‘Wu Doctor’ is. You’re loyal to Boss Bao—I understand. But if he needs help, he’ll come to me himself. You get it?”

“So you’re saying I’m meddling?”

“I didn’t say that. You did.”

Lingzi glared, then slapped Wang Yan’s arm: “That’s exactly what you mean!”

Wang Yan explained: “You’re worried, so you’re overreacting. Boss Bao knows what he’s doing. Even if he quits stocks, he can do foreign trade. He has plenty of capital—he could open any factory and make money. He’s sentimental. If he’d gone to the Qilin Society first to explain, now it’d be General Cai suffering. In the end, it’s Boss Bao’s own choice. If he truly didn’t want to, he could’ve come to me for a loan to challenge the Qilin Society—I’d have helped.”

“So I’m still meddling.”

“Worrying makes you irrational—that’s a compliment. I said I know you care about Boss Bao. You twist it and blame me. If you want to accuse someone, you’ll always find an excuse.”

“Dinner’s up!” The young monk rushed out with dishes, looking eagerly at Wang Yan. “I’ve been practicing Wenshi Tofu—what do you think?”

Wang Yan smiled, picked up his chopsticks, picked out the tofu threads, examined them, tasted: “Good heat control, but your knife skills are weak—still room to improve… you should raise the young monk’s salary.”

“Oh come on, you make it sound like I’m stingy. Little Monk, tell him yourself.”

“I earn no less than the master chefs on Huanghe Road, Boss Wang,” the young monk grinned. “Enjoy, Boss Wang—I’m off to cook.”

“You heard that? I treat him well. This is a tiny shop, not even busy every day. He gets my guidance on his cooking—he should be paying me, not the other way around. I pay him a master chef’s salary, yet he still doesn’t listen to me… really…”

Lingzi muttered a few more complaints, then sighed: “Boss Wang, you don’t know yet—Jin Fenghuang vanished. Her shop stood empty for two days before someone bought it—it’s being renovated now. Word is it’s a northerner. Maybe even your hometown guy.”

“No one compares to you, Lingzi. He wouldn’t let me eat for free every day.”

“You know it. Oh, by the way—no more Maotai left. You’ve got to bring more. Oh come on, don’t look at me like that. Plenty of people like me—you can wait in line.”

Seeing Wang Yan just smile without moving, Lingzi waved her hand: “Fine, fine—I sold a few bottles. Look, the bottles are right on the counter. When customers want Maotai, I can’t refuse. But I told them: these are friends’ bottles, not for sale. So they offered more—no loss to you, right?”

“No loss to me? Did the money come to my hands?”

“It went into your belly. Honestly, letting Ge Teacher and Tao Tao drink this wine is a waste—they don’t even know how to drink. I sell a few bottles, everyone gets an extra bite to eat.”

“Lingzi, do you know you look sharp but are actually foolish?”

“What do you mean?” Lingzi’s eyes turned dangerous—clearly warning: explain or suffer.

“You know Maotai’s price has risen these past two years, right?”

“It used to be forty or fifty, now it’s two or three hundred—I heard it from Ge Teacher and Nian.”

“Then why don’t you think—what will it be worth in two more years?” Wang Yan chuckled. “Instead of adding a few dozen yuan to sell to customers, store some. You’ll make far more than by raising prices.”

“Oh! Why didn’t I think of that?” Lingzi clapped her hands, fully convinced of Wang Yan’s vision. “No wonder Boss Wang’s business reaches overseas—your vision is… wait, Boss Wang, you haven’t started storing some already, have you?”

“You’re smart all of a sudden.” Wang Yan smiled and nodded. “I’ve kept some—just for my own drinking. I’m very bullish on Maotai—it’ll only get more expensive. Store today’s bottles for ten years, hundreds will become thousands. Store for over a decade, maybe one bottle will be ten thousand. If you store aged liquor, even better—value rises higher. You could get rich just by hoarding.”

“Good. I’ll follow you. Tomorrow I’ll go buy and store more. Don’t forget to send me more.”

“Can you not store my wine?”

“Oh, eat more, Boss Wang—you’re getting thin. I’ve got to get back to work.”

“Aren’t you still feeling down?”

“I’m fine now. Who cares? Just eat.” Lingzi decided to end the conversation and got up to work.

Wang Yan smiled and ate quietly.

He didn’t care about those few bottles—daily deliveries of Maotai for her to store meant nothing to him, not even a single hair on a cow’s back. It was Lingzi’s messy little schemes that amused him.

Lingzi knew he didn’t care—she wasn’t so petty as to steal Wang Yan’s few bottles worth a hundred or so yuan. She didn’t mind at all. It was just a small game between friends—even though she did sell some, and still claimed giving the wine to Ge Teacher and Tao Tao was a waste…

The next day was clear—sky blue, dotted with big white clouds, a light breeze brushing past, not biting but still seeping through sleeves, chilling the skin.

In Pudong, near the coast, there was a simple, fenced-off soccer field with professional turf laid on tiles edged in gold. A group of young men in Hongyun soccer training gear and cleats were practicing passing.

Far off, barely visible as tiny figures, was another simple field—this one a basketball court. Same tiled edges, same plastic surface. A group of tall, muscular young men in Hongyun basketball gear and sneakers bounced balls loudly, doing specialized drills.

Miss Wang’s curly hair fluttered in the wind as she stared in amazement at the running youths: “I didn’t think you actually built a team.”

“You said it was feasible. Train them, maybe they’ll actually boost my clothing business.”

“What’s next? How do you plan to develop? I know you didn’t just register a basketball and soccer team randomly—you’ve got bigger plans, right?”

“You’re getting smarter. No more immediate criticism—good.”

“You always succeed at everything. You keep saying you’re losing money, yet you grow bigger every day. If I still believed you, I’d be a fool.”

Wang Yan smiled and nodded: “I bought all this land, negotiated with the government, and plan to build a high-standard sports stadium and arena as the home grounds for both teams, plus other training facilities, and a specialized sports medicine hospital. The stadium will open regularly to the public for recreation, host public training sessions, and allow fans to watch.”

“I’m also sending people to Germany, Spain, and Italy to contact teams whose owners want to sell. If possible, buy one; if not, take controlling stakes. Same in the U.S. with the NBA—but buying is impossible, I don’t have enough money. Maybe I can invest in one, just to create a channel to send players abroad. Even if they can’t make the NBA, playing in lower leagues is fine—they’ll still get better.”

“Do you have that much money?”

“Of course not. I’m just making connections—connections will come. Besides, building this complex won’t happen overnight—it’ll be done in phases. I’ll earn slowly, and eventually I’ll make enough.”

Wang Yan wasn’t short on money—he truly inherited his elder brother’s fortune. Though he’d brought back the best items, he still traded globally. Things abundant in China were desperately scarce elsewhere; Third World countries struggled. He used part of the profits to increase foreign exchange for the state and expand his domestic business; the rest remained overseas.

He knew well that the RMB and USD would eventually peg, and exchange rates would shift—just two years. He had no reason to knowingly break rules by bringing money back. Keeping it overseas was often more convenient.

As for basketball and the even worse soccer—he knew plenty, but it didn’t matter. To him, not every leader was a leader. That was simple. He could play ball just fine.

He even wondered if he should create a Longteng soccer team in the real world—he truly had too much money. In the real world, he never lacked money—he lacked time, or more precisely, the time to convert his thousand-year accumulated scientific knowledge into results…

“I’ll cheer for you! What’s that phrase again? ‘Conquer Asia, then the world!’”

“I’ll try.”

Wang Yan smiled and waved: “Let’s go. Nothing to see here yet—no official matches played. Come back when they’ve achieved something.”

“Pork chop with rice cake?”

“Promised.”

Miss Wang happily got in the car with Wang Yan, and they drove toward Yunannan Road.

After a quiet spell, she asked: “If I remember right, you’re thirty-two this year?”

“Yes.”

“I heard from Ge Teacher you were poor back home, couldn’t find a wife, so you came out to find one and have kids. Now you’re so rich—why haven’t you done anything yet?”

Wang Yan thought a moment: “When I had no money, my heart was small. Now that I have money, I’ve seen how other rich people live—my heart’s grown bigger.”

“I don’t understand.”

“A small heart can hold only one woman. A big heart can hold many.”

…

“That’s wrong. Ten years ago, you’d have been shot.”

“A hundred years ago, I could’ve openly married a wife and taken several concubines.” Wang Yan chuckled—he clearly sensed Miss Wang’s mood had soured, her voice now quieter.

“So you’re not planning to get married?”

“Marriage isn’t a constraint—infidelity happens all the time among men and women. Or consider it this way, Miss Wang: if we got married, my business keeps me busy and I’m often away for long stretches. Could you trust me? Could you trust me for a day, two days—what about a year or two?”

“Everyone wants to get rich, so some inevitably take shortcuts. There are plenty of beautiful women in this world, and just as many who want to rise up—they’re willing to trade themselves for what they want. True love, pure love because of love—that too has an expiration date.”

“Take Tao Tao—you know him. He got together with Fang Mei back then because of love, and it’s been nearly six years now. Everything he says about her is how bad she is, how beautiful the women he sees elsewhere are. Once a person is full, they can’t help but crave more—endless desires fill their mind. But when hungry, all they think about is eating.”

Miss Wang fell silent again, then asked: “So you’re not alone? Where? Who is she?”

“In Hong Kong—I’ve handed all my there assets over to her to manage.”

“How did you meet?”

“It’s quite a coincidence. When I landed at Hong Kong Airport, I asked the taxi driver: ‘What’s the best hotel in Hong Kong?’ He told me it was the Peninsula Hotel. She was a server in the hotel’s dining department. You know I’m a good eater… Later, we chatted and found out she was also from Shanghai.”

“I didn’t know Hong Kong well, so I asked her to be my guide. We arranged to go out after her shift, to walk around and eat snacks. Maybe because I was from Shanghai, and she hadn’t returned there in years, she agreed to my invitation.”

“Along the way, we talked a lot. She said she married a Hong Kong man because she wanted a better life, but she’d never loved him. Later, her marriage fell apart and they divorced—he became her ex-husband. She has no children, lives alone…”

“As we talked, I realized she was cultured, had insight. She said she loved music, collected stamps, and could dance. I thought she must be a talented woman… At the time, she only asked me three words.”

“What?”

“Want to sleep with me?”

Wang Yan smiled at the slightly bewildered Miss Wang. “Don’t doubt it—you heard right. That’s exactly what she said.”

“And what did you say?”

“I said yes—I did want to sleep with you… Then I handed over the company to her. If there’s a problem, call me; if I can’t fix it, I’ll come over. She’s done an excellent job—it’s quite profitable, far more than selling clothes ever was. I even rely on her to subsidize me.”

“Is she beautiful?”

“Compared to you? Each has her own merits.”

“Does she know your thoughts?”

“We’re business partners first, romantic partners second,” Wang Yan smiled. “But I’m not the type to play with people’s feelings. If someone’s with me, I’ll see it through to the end.”

“Is it because she holds shares? Because every person in the Hong Kong company is hers?”

“Everything she has, I only need to say one word to take away.”

Wang Yan laughed. “It seems my words have given you a wrong impression. Honestly, when you have no money, you want it; once you have it, you care less. Like when I formed a basketball team, a soccer team, built stadiums and sports halls—those funds could’ve generated far greater returns, earned me even more money.”

“You know about Boss Bao’s situation. That Qilin Society looks impressive, but if I poured money into it, they’d be begging at train stations. If I thought like you, why would I even bother forming basketball and soccer teams?”

After a long silence, she said: “I don’t want pork rib cake anymore. Take me home.”

“Alright.”

Miss Wang fell silent, rolled down the window, and let the cold wind hit her face…

After a long while, she turned and asked: “Will you eat pork rib cake today too?”

Wang Yan turned to her and smiled. “Of course.”

“Will you eat it again?”

“Of course.”

“Then don’t call anymore. I want to see if we’ll meet again.”

Wang Yan raised an eyebrow and nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

Appetite and desire are human nature—inevitable.

He had always been straightforward, especially in romantic matters—he believed in clarity and honesty. If she was willing, he was happy. If not, he didn’t care. People aren’t machines that obey orders; he didn’t truly need anyone. Let things unfold naturally.

That day, Wang Yan ate pork rib cake alone…

After that, although Wang Yan never met Miss Wang again, he sometimes called to chat, since his overseas clothing business was opening new stores and needed paperwork handled. He’d casually ask if she wanted to have dinner together—Miss Wang declined every time.

Still, Wang Yan never lost track of Miss Wang’s news.

In Night Tokyo, a slightly overweight man with black-and-white hair, wearing a leather jacket, exchanged drinks with others.

“Hello, hello! I’m Fan Xinhua, factory manager of Hangzhou Huxi Knitting Factory, here to meet Boss Bao about business. We’re all Boss Bao’s friends, so we’re all friends—let me buy everyone a drink. If you ever need anything, just come to me.”

This man was, of course, Fan Zong from the drama—the “Three Sheep” boss. He spoke loudly, full of flattery, slightly bent over, handing out business cards endlessly.

Tao Tao exclaimed: “Who’s this guy? He’s thriving here.”

Ling Hong picked up the thread: “I just heard—he’s Fan Xinhua, factory manager of Hangzhou Huxi Knitting Factory.”

“So what’s he doing here?”

Seeing both of them staring at him, Teacher Ge frowned. “Why are you looking at me?”

“A knitting factory manager—what do you think he’s doing here?” Wang Yan lightly patted his shoulder from behind. “Teacher Ge, you’re in danger. You should go to the hospital for a checkup—you might already be in early-stage dementia.”

“Get lost, I’m fine.”

Just then, Fan Zong, having finished toasting at another table, noticed Wang Yan and the others entering. He came over warmly: “Oh! You’re also friends of Boss Bao? Hello, hello! I’m Fan Xinhua, factory manager of Hangzhou Huxi Knitting Factory—here’s my card. We’re all Boss Bao’s friends—if you ever need cooperation, come find me.”

He’d drunk some alcohol; his face was flushed. He smiled warmly, innocently, and pulled out his cards, shoving one into each person’s hand without asking.

Teacher Ge accepted the card and said sincerely: “We don’t do business—he does. Talk to him, talk to him. Tao Tao, Ling Hong, let’s sit over there.”

He couldn’t handle Fan Zong’s enthusiasm and pushed Wang Yan forward.

Wang Yan smiled and shook his hand. “Hello, Manager Fan, I’m Wang Yan.”

Hearing no mention of Wang Yan’s business, Fan Zong didn’t care. He gripped Wang Yan’s hand tightly. “Manager Wang looks like a man of great talent—your business must be huge. Please give us a chance—we’re a small factory, struggling terribly. Oh! I just noticed—Manager Wang, you’re wearing Hongyun?

Oh! Let me tell you, Manager Wang, Hongyun is no ordinary brand—it’s huge, even exported overseas. In our clothing industry, it’s the undisputed top. Manager Wang, you’ve got taste.”

Lingzi walked over, covering her mouth with laughter, and slapped Fan Zong on the shoulder. “Do you know he’s the owner of Hongyun?”

“What? He’s the owner of Hongyun?” Seeing Lingzi wasn’t joking, Fan Zong’s face turned serious. He grabbed Wang Yan’s hands and shook them vigorously. “Oh! I had no idea—I’m truly blind to greatness! I never imagined the boss of Hongyun would stand right before me—what an honor, a true honor! Manager Wang, your business is outstanding—you’ve brought pride to Chinese clothing!”

“Manager Fan, I’m just here to eat—I’m not going anywhere. Let go of my hand, let’s sit and talk.”

“Yes, yes! Look at me—I’m so sorry, Manager Wang, I’m just too excited! You’re my idol! I want to make our Three Sheep as great as Hongyun, become a world-renowned brand. Come on, Manager Wang, I must toast you—no, one glass isn’t enough, three!”

Lingzi laughed. “Manager Fan, Manager Wang is a regular here—don’t drink all the wine at once. You come often, and Manager Wang will always be here.”

“Oh! Madam, you speak so well. But I’m truly moved—Manager Wang is a legendary figure. You don’t know how high he stands in my heart—he’s the sun, the moon, the guiding light on our path forward!”

“Enough, enough, Manager Fan, you’re exaggerating. If you keep talking like that, I won’t drink with you.” Wang Yan chuckled, patting his arm. “Sit down and talk.”

“I’m telling the truth,” Fan Zong told Lingzi. “Madam, the meal for Manager Wang and his friends is on me—bring two bottles of Maotai.”

Seeing Wang Yan smile at her, Lingzi rolled her eyes and said to Fan Zong: “Manager Fan, their meals here are free, and that Maotai belongs to Manager Wang. Today’s meal is on me—but drink less. Boss Bao might be late—if you get drunk, you’ll miss your chance.”

“Oh! That’s too much trouble—I can’t let Madam pay!”

“Manager Fan, why argue over a meal? Can’t I afford it? If you support my business more in the future, that’s worth more than any meal. You drink with Manager Wang—I’ll go get the dishes.”

Lingzi brought three bottles of Maotai—one to Teacher Ge’s table, two to Wang Yan’s table—she was utterly generous…