Chapter 998: A Demonstration

Night Tokyo was bustling again after a long time.

"Come, come, let's congratulate President Fan. Three Sheep is now a true Shanghai brand name; you've made a fortune." A-Bao raised his glass, looking cheerful.

"Oh, without you, President Bao, there wouldn't be Three Sheep today. I knew about the high-quality imitations; Li Li from Zhezhen Garden told me long ago. Later, President Bao went to Zhuji single-handedly and solved that trouble. Otherwise, Three Sheep would have lost everything by now. So, it's all thanks to President Bao. Come, President Bao, I toast you."

President Fan chuckled, speaking quite sincerely. He drank as honestly as ever, tilting his head back to finish the glass in one go, his expression unchanged.

A-Bao was no slouch at drinking either. He smiled and said, "President Fan is too good at flattering people. I know exactly how much effort I put in. Without President Xu from Hulan distributing the goods, Three Sheep wouldn't have had such influence upon launch. Without Wang Laoban's logistics, those hundreds of thousands of garments couldn't have been transported here so quickly."

Wang Yan shook his head. "It has nothing to do with me; I don't manage logistics. If you want to thank someone, thank President Fan for favoring our business. I hear he pays promptly, too; the cooperation has been very pleasant."

"Oh, President Wang, your logistics company did a great job. Three Sheep sold too fast; every day earlier we sold meant another day of popularity. Your Cao Cao Logistics has such speed and transport capacity—dozens of large trucks arriving just like that. I still can't forget that scene; it was truly spectacular. Come, come, President Wang, I, old Fan, toast you a glass."

A group of people like this began to eat and drink merrily. Having made money, everyone was laughing and happy.

Today's theme was the great success of Three Sheep's launch. A-Bao was happy and invited President Fan over for a celebratory meal. Back in '87, when A-Bao was begging for export quotas at Number 27, he had told Miss Wang, "Celebrate often, and you will succeed." Later, when Miss Wang left Number 27 to start her own company, she adopted this slogan too. Of course, that was all in the original story...

After eating and drinking for a while, A-Bao asked, "Long time no see, Wang Laoban, what have you been busy with lately?"

"Opening a hotel, running a sports club, and overseeing construction sites."

A-Bao glanced at Miss Wang, who had suddenly become unhappy sitting beside Wang Yan, and wisely said nothing more.

Tao Tao had no sense of the situation at all. He laughed, "You guys don't know, right? The person managing the hotel Wang Laoban opened is a waitress from Jin Meilin. Oh, that was the talk of the town on Huanghe Road a while ago."

"Since you say it was the talk of the town, how could President Bao and President Fan not know? And stop talking about Wang Laoban; I think you've forgotten the pain once the wound healed. A few days ago, because of Little Xiao Xiao Asao, Fang Mei almost hacked you to death."

Lingzi scolded Tao Tao irritably, effectively helping Wang Yan out of the awkward spot.

She was actually very happy. After all, she wasn't a fool; there had indeed been an ambiguous relationship between Miss Wang and A-Bao, it just hadn't been made clear. Later, Wang Laoban appeared and hooked Miss Wang's heart. Everything happened unknowingly, and looking back, everyone was already good friends.

So now, seeing Miss Wang unhappy, she naturally wanted to reduce the trouble, so she directed the conversation straight back to Tao Tao.

Just like in the original story, Tao Tao and Little Xiao Xiao Asao had been flirting, and over time, feelings grew. Little Xiao Xiao Asao gave Tao Tao a key, which Tao Tao hid in a fish belly, only for Fang Mei to discover it. Then came a huge scene; Fang Mei went over and gave Little Xiao Xiao Asao a good beating, and Little Xiao Xiao Asao couldn't stay and moved away from Jinxian Road. After a few more days of chaos, Fang Mei's family came over and taught Tao Tao a good lesson. In the end, they didn't divorce and just kept muddling through.

Saying this hit Tao Tao's sore spot, and he couldn't help but start muttering again.

"Oh, that's all in the past, that..." He was rambling on about his logic, and unsurprisingly, Teacher Ge, Ling Hong, and others condemned him.

Regarding this result, watching Wang Yan and Miss Wang flirting, Lingzi was very satisfied. With just a slight effort, she had solved Wang Laoban's trouble.

But in reality, Wang Yan didn't care. As he often said, if you do it, don't be afraid of people talking.

Miss Wang being unhappy was certain; this was a big thorn in her heart. But to this day, she didn't want to advance, and she couldn't bear to retreat, struggling against herself. But no matter how much she struggled, she had already been kissed by Wang Yan, and instead, she leaned closer, even less willing to leave. This was the root of Miss Wang's distress.

After all, Wang Yan hadn't lied to her; she knew the situation clearly. It was she who, after such a long time, was no longer willing to extricate herself. So she glared at Wang Yan irritably, while one hand pinched the soft flesh at Wang Yan's waist under the table.

Wang Yan certainly wouldn't take a loss, so his hand was stroking her leg under the table. Before long, Miss Wang's hand softened, her face turned red, and she tried hard to pry Wang Yan's hand away, but it was ultimately in vain...

The small movements fell into A-Bao's eyes, perhaps feeling a bit uncomfortable, he spoke up.

"Wang Laoban, you mentioned running a sports club just now?"

"Oh, A-Bao, you really haven't been paying attention to the situation for too long. Wang Laoban bought the news long ago. The Shanghai Hongyun Football Club and the Basketball Club both belong to Wang Laoban. He says he's building them up to use these two sports to advertise for Hongyun, and he wants to rush out of Asia and toward the world. Besides, Wang Laoban also bought a large piece of land in Pudong, saying he's going to build a stadium, a hospital..."

Tao Tao had been scolded for a long time and finally found an opportunity to quickly take over the conversation and escape.

President Fan took over: "I've been busy with Three Sheep lately and really haven't paid attention. President Wang, if the club is run well, the impact on the brand won't be that huge; it mainly depends on the star players. But if it's not run well, you'll lose miserably. Moreover, you're building a stadium and a hospital—oh, it's not worth it."

"I didn't think that much about it; it was all Miss Wang's suggestion."

Wang Yan patted her thigh, naturally moved his hand to the tabletop, and said while picking up food to eat, "I didn't think too much, it's just a sports brand, supporting the sports cause. If it's not run well, I'll definitely lose some, but it won't reach the point of losing miserably. At worst, I'll use the stadium for events, have big stars hold concerts, and I'll always be able to earn something."

"The hospital is even simpler; it's specifically for sports medicine. Tendon injuries, bone injuries, etc., are all relevant specialties. Once it develops slowly, it'll be hard to lose money. There's risk in everything, but one must do things, old Fan. Even if I lose everything and become a cook running a restaurant, I'll still be able to make a living."

"Oh, President Wang is still broad-minded and has a high realm." President Fan invited Wang Yan to drink, took a sip, and then sighed, "I can't do it; I've been walking on thin ice my whole life."

"What kind of realm is that? I just got lucky and became an upstart. Earning money is easy, so spending it must be easy too."

After the meal broke up, Wang Yan wanted to send Miss Wang back, but she refused and took a taxi away. He wasn't in a hurry to leave either and sat in Night Tokyo drinking tea.

"Little Northeast, are you and Miss Wang together?" Teacher Ge leaned over to gossip.

"Weren't we together long ago? You mean Miss Wang broke up with President Bao and then got together with me? It's been two years, right?"

"Oh, Wang Laoban, I'm asking you for the truth."

"There's nothing to it, we're all good friends. Hongyun's paperwork was all handled by her, and we've known each other for three years, so it's normal to be closer. Don't spend all day researching these things; it's too boring." Wang Yan laughed.

"You guys say we're all human, why is the gap so big?" Tao Tao, who was lying on the table staring at his wine glass, sighed, "Wang Laoban has Li Li, Little Jiangxi, and Miss Wang, and nothing happens. Me, I just play mahjong and chat with Little Xiao Xiao Asao, and Fang Mei cries, makes a scene, and hits people, almost costing me half my life..."

A-Bao laughed: "Isn't that just you looking for trouble yourself? Back then you were so good with Fang Mei, you were even willing to marry into her family. After these few years, you start to dislike Fang Mei. Fang Mei treats you so well; I'm jealous just looking at it."

"What do you mean? President Bao, where have you been wronged?" Lingzi walked over, stood still with her hands on A-Bao's shoulders, her tone eerie.

A-Bao laughed, stood up with his wine glass, and moved away: "I was talking about Tao Tao, not myself."

"President Tao is actually not bad; where else can you find such a good wife? You're just never satisfied."

"Oh, Wang Laoban, you still have the nerve to talk about Tao Tao." Ling Hong looked disdainful.

"Exactly, Tao Tao at least only has one Little Xiao Xiao Asao..."

"What do you mean only one Little Xiao Xiao Asao? I never had one, okay? I didn't do anything, I'm innocent." Tao Tao said with teary eyes, clearing his name.

"Yes, yes, you're innocent, but as for Wang Laoban, we don't know~" Lingzi brushed off Tao Tao and rolled her eyes at Wang Yan.

"Exactly, I went to Zhezhen Garden to deliver goods two days ago, and Li Li was even asking me about you. It's a waste that I previously thought you and Li Li had no fate..." Tao Tao was indignant, not because of anything else, but because Wang Laoban could play so wildly and be fine, while he was almost hacked to death by Fang Mei, and his heart couldn't be calm.

"I'm also innocent."

"Sooner or later you won't be."

Watching Tao Tao, who had drunk too much and was full of grievances, Wang Yan shook his head with a smile but didn't argue further; after all, what they said wasn't wrong.

A-Bao asked: "Is Wang Laoban very familiar with the proprietress of Zhezhen Garden?"

Wang Yan smiled and said: "It's alright, I just went a few more times, and went out for a walk with her before, so everyone says Li Li and I have something going on."

"Do you know anything about her?"

"Haven't forgotten that group of people around Mr. A from before, right?"

"How could I forget when we bottom-fished them and made their money? Is Li Li one of them?"

"She didn't admit it, but I think there's a connection."

Wang Yan said, "Once when I went to eat, I ran into a group of people from Shenzhen. Li Li should have some cooperation with them, or maybe she came to scout ahead and collect some information. The money made back then, it looks like someone has come to collect it now. You have to be careful, President Bao."

"Wang Laoban wouldn't just stand by and watch someone die, right?" A-Bao said as if it were a casual joke.

"That goes without saying; I made money too. If someone comes to cause trouble, it wouldn't be right to do nothing. If it's in the stock market, I'll provide the funds, and we'll fight them to the end."

"What if they don't play by the rules?" Lingzi asked with some worry.

Wang Yan asked back with a smile: "Is my martial virtue not abundant enough?"

This statement received unanimous approval from everyone, with at most a few reminders to be careful and not capsize in the gutter. No one took it seriously, not even A-Bao, the party who might be in trouble, had any extra thoughts.

This was also Wang Yan's fault; he developed too fast and was too rich, so the scene where A-Bao failed in his battle with Qiang Mujie and had to wait for a turnaround while guarding his land was probably gone.

But it didn't matter; the law of conservation of energy dictates that if A-Bao is smooth here, he will be unsmooth elsewhere. Perhaps that is definitely not what he wants to see, and for him, it would be even greater pain...

Time had reached May, and the weather had warmed up, but the people on Huanghe Road hadn't changed; they were still as loud and spirited as ever, even hotter than the weather.

Jingxiu was still the same, leaning boredly against the kiosk window, watching the people coming and going.

"Oh, Brother Wang, feels like you haven't been to Huanghe Road for a long time. Smoke, drink some herbal tea." Jingxiu smiled and handed Wang Yan a Zhonghua cigarette, then turned to take out a can of herbal tea and placed it on the window.

"It's only been a month or so." Letting Jingxiu light it, Wang Yan opened the herbal tea, took a sip, and said, "How have things been lately?"

"Same as usual, neither hot nor cold."

"Any fresh news?"

Jingxiu shook his head and smiled: "Where would there be fresh news on Huanghe Road? What's getting the most attention now is actually Zhezhen Garden. Since it opened, business has been incredibly good, packed every day. I hear the proprietress Li Li has facilitated many deals; she's quite formidable. Is Brother Wang going to Zhezhen Garden today?"

"Li Li is beautiful, and the chefs here have good skills; they're at the top level among all the major restaurants."

"Oh, looks like rumors aren't always just rumors. Brother Wang, are you really together with Li Li?"

"What together or not, we're all friends."

Wang Yan laughed, but his gaze turned toward the entrance of Zhezhen Garden.

There, Li Li, in a dark-colored long dress and a light white shirt, was seeing someone out. The person was wearing a loose suit characteristic of this era, with a slicked-back hairstyle and a somewhat gloomy face; it was Qiang Mujie, who acted as the villain in the story.

"I guess that's a Shenzhen person."

"How did you guess?"

"There have been quite a few Shenzhen people coming and going to Zhezhen Garden lately. Proprietress Li Li might have some connection with people from Shenzhen; this is no longer a secret on Huanghe Road. After all, whenever they come, it's a whole bunch of people. It's very rare for someone like that today, but that person looks extraordinary at a glance. Li Li doesn't see people off personally often; Manager Pan usually handles it, so I think that's an important person from Shenzhen."

"That makes a lot of sense." Wang Yan nodded.

Li Li saw Qiang Mujie off, and her gaze subconsciously swept over the phone booth, seeing Wang Yan leaning against the kiosk smoking and drinking herbal tea. After seeing Qiang Mujie off, Li Li stood there with her arms crossed, a faint smile on her face, her expressive eyes landing on Wang Yan.

Jingxiu smoked, looked at Li Li across the street, and nodded in approval: "Li Li is indeed very beautiful and a perfect match for Brother Wang."

"I'll take your word for it."

Wang Yan extinguished the cigarette butt, tilted his head to finish the refreshing herbal tea, placed the can on the small window, and headed straight toward Zhezhen Garden across the street...

"Wang Laoban hasn't been to Zhezhen Garden for a long time. Where have you been making a fortune lately?" Li Li turned around with a smile, her long dress unfolding into a beautiful curve.

"What fortune, I've been spending money. You should know that Little Jiangxi is opening an 'Xinghua Hotel' over there. She doesn't understand anything, so I have to ask about it occasionally. Besides, I started a football club and a basketball club, trained for a while, and recently started playing friendly matches, so I have to pay attention. The land in Pudong is also fully under construction; there are inevitably many problems in the early stages, so there's no free time."

"Wang Laoban doesn't need to explain so clearly to me, right?" Li Li, who was walking up the stairs, paused and looked down at Wang Yan, who was two steps behind.

Wang Yan went up two steps and smiled at her: "I know you missed me."

Li Li raised an eyebrow: "Wang Laoban is very confident."

"Your eyes tell me you're very happy right now."

Li Li smiled, turned around, and continued up the stairs, as if she had just remembered, and said: "By the way, President Fan is here too. Want to have a couple of drinks?"

"I just drank with him last night. Who did he come with?"

"Some distributors. President Fan intends to distribute on his own; it looks like he doesn't want President Bao to earn the price difference anymore."

"A normal choice, but he's still not bad; he won't do it too absolutely, President Bao should still have money to earn."

"Who knows." Li Li brought Wang Yan to the top-floor private room, pushed open the door, and smiled, "Business is good today, this is the only one left. Let's eat here tonight."

Wang Yan had no objections, walked in with his hands behind his back, looked around the room, and said to Li Li, who was holding the sofa and looking at him: "Is this the stronghold of the Shenzhen people?"

Li Li shook her head with a smile: "It's not a spy den, where would there be a stronghold? Just coming here to eat, drink, and talk about things."

"Jingxiu said the person you just sent off is from Shenzhen."

"His position is good; he sees everyone coming in and out of Zhezhen Garden, so his judgment of people is indeed accurate. Speaking of which, this person has some connection with you guys."

"President Bao?" Wang Yan asked knowingly, "Is this one here to cause trouble?"

"You could say that." Li Li smiled, "But there's no trouble for you; the trouble for President Bao is huge."

Watching Wang Yan already lighting a cigarette and drinking tea, Li Li sat down beside him and continued, "His name is Qiang Mujie, he went to Japan to study back then..."

Li Li smilingly told the story of Qiang Mujie and Lingzi, and then spoke of Boss Abao's previous trip to Shenzhen to buy at the bottom.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "Blocking wealth and stealing a wife—put that way, he certainly has a grudge against Bao Zong. Didn't you try to persuade him? After all, it's impossible for me not to help Bao Zong."

"I tried. But he doesn't seem to think that you and Bao Zong are his opponents; the capital market is the true battlefield. You can't see the smoke, but every minute and every second, there are massive amounts of capital. He is a person who has been abroad and is very proficient in the stock market. He is currently a manager at Nanguo Investment and is about to take office as the general manager of Nanguo Investment's Shanghai branch. Backed by Nanguo Investment, his capital is equally powerful, and he has the advantage of technology."

"How come it sounds to me like you're fanning the flames?"

"When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman catches them both. You know I'm very short on money; if you two fight, I can earn some on the side."

"You are very honest."

"I learned it from you." Li Li raised her eyebrows and suddenly laughed, "I know you've always looked down on those who harvest retail investors like crops. If I said it out loud, you'd definitely turn up your nose at it, but I still want to tell you."

"Do you know what kind of people they are in Qiang Mujie's words? He has always held Mr. A in high regard. Describing themselves, he said they are the first batch of young people with ideals and ambitions who returned from studying abroad to participate in the country's economic construction."

Wang Yan also laughed: "I do indeed turn up my nose at that."

"Are you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"You should have an understanding of the stock market. No matter how much money there is, there comes a time when it's all lost. In that place, money is truly just a string of numbers."

"I don't understand it very well, but I know that if I earn money, I bear the consequences. If I earned five million back then, it's only right that I pay fifty million now. It makes no sense that only I am allowed to earn money and others aren't. Facing off in the stock market is Bao Zong's business; I'm only responsible for providing the money when he comes to find me."

"You have so many industries; your cash flow isn't exactly loose, is it? If the capital chain breaks, you'll lose everything."

"Then I'll come and be a chef for you."

Li Li smiled gently: "You're welcome anytime; I'll definitely give you the highest salary."

Amidst the laughter and chatter, the dishes were served one by one, and the two began to eat and drink.

Wang Yan asked: "Haven't you been out for a walk and a look around lately?"

"I don't know where to go."

"Actually, you don't have to have a clear destination. I like to take my camera and walk through the streets and alleys; it's just the pure pleasure of feeling this city. Occasionally, there's a small shop with good craftsmanship, and that's a surprise."

"You are someone who lacks nothing; I am someone who has to try every way possible to pay back money. It's different."

"That was something you took on yourself; it belongs to self-inflicted suffering."

"There's no other way; there has to be an account to settle." Li Li drank a mouthful of wine to herself and let out a long breath.

Wang Yan turned the topic and said: "Let's go out to eat tomorrow night. There's a mutton hot pot place called Xinlanju that's not bad; the mutton is all fresh."

He was also acting on a whim; thinking of Qiang Mujie reminded him that Boss Abao always went there with Li Li to discuss business, so he decided to go there and have a taste.

"You seem to never ask for others' opinions."

"Are you going or not?"

Li Li looked at Wang Yan, and her beautiful big eyes crinkled with a smile: "Going."

"That's right." Wang Yan laughed, "I'll come to pick you up tomorrow afternoon. We'll walk around a bit first, then go eat."

"How are things over at Xiao Jiangxi's?"

"Still renovating, currently training the staff."

"I heard you bought a foreign-style house on the Bund. Truly grand."

"In that location, with that kind of architecture, it will definitely appreciate more in the future. That one building is enough for me to live on for a lifetime."

"What about Miss Wang? How did you soothe her?"

Women always want to bring up some unhappy things when they are happy here. Perhaps, just as Li Li said herself, her heart is also very small.

"Really want to know?"

"Inconvenient to say?" Li Li turned her head to look at Wang Yan.

"Come, I'll give you a direct demonstration."

Wang Yan smiled, put down his chopsticks, reached out both hands to cup Li Li's face, and under the gaze of her flickering eyes, he leaned in and kissed her mouth...