Chapter 998: Show Off

Nighttime Tokyo was bustling again, after a long absence of such liveliness.

“Come on, come on, let’s toast to Brother Fan—San Yang is now a true Shanghai brand, making pots and pans full of money!” Bao raised his glass, grinning broadly.

“Oh my, without Brother Bao, where would San Yang be today? I know all about the counterfeits—Li Li from Zhizhen Garden told me long ago. Then Brother Bao went alone to Zhuji and solved the problem. Otherwise, San Yang would’ve been ruined by now. So it’s all thanks to Brother Bao. Come on, Brother Bao, I drink to you.”

Brother Fan chuckled awkwardly, speaking plainly. He drank just as straightforwardly—tilted his head back, downed a full cup, face unchanged.

Bao was no slouch with liquor either. He smiled: “Brother Fan always knows how to flatter. I know exactly how much effort I put in. Without Xu Zong from Hulian distributing the goods, San Yang’s launch wouldn’t have had any impact. Without Wang’s logistics, hundreds of thousands of garments couldn’t have arrived so fast.”

Wang Yan shook his head: “Don’t credit me—I don’t handle logistics. You should thank Brother Fan for looking out for our business. I heard he pays promptly; the cooperation’s been smooth.”

“Oh my, Brother Wang, your logistics company did the heavy lifting! San Yang sold out so fast—selling a day earlier meant maintaining the hype a day longer. Your Cao Logistics moved fast and had massive capacity—dozens of big trucks arriving on demand. I still can’t forget that scene—it was magnificent! Come on, Brother Wang, I, Old Fan, toast you.”

With that, the group fell into lively eating and drinking—everyone happy, laughing, thrilled by their profits.

Today’s theme: San Yang’s successful listing. Bao was delighted and invited Brother Fan to celebrate. Back in ’87, when Bao was begging for export quotas at No. 27, he told Miss Wang: “Frequent celebrations lead to success.” Later, when Miss Wang left No. 27 to start her own company, she adopted the same slogan. Of course, all this happened in the original plot…

After eating and drinking a while, Bao asked: “Long time no see—what’s been keeping you busy, Brother Wang?”

“Running a hotel, managing a team, overseeing construction sites.”

Bao glanced at Miss Wang, sitting beside Wang Yan, visibly displeased, and wisely said no more.

Tao Tao had zero social awareness. He grinned: “You don’t know? Brother Wang’s hotel is managed by a server from Jin Meilin. Oh my, word’s been buzzing all over Huanghe Road lately.”

“You say it’s buzzing—how could Brother Bao and Brother Fan not know? You’re talking about Brother Wang? I think you’ve forgotten your own scars. Just days ago, because of Little Ah-Sao, Fangmei nearly killed you.”

Lingzi scolded Tao Tao with irritation, helping Wang Yan out of the awkward spot.

She was actually delighted—she wasn’t stupid. Miss Wang and Bao had once been ambiguous, but never clarified things. Then Brother Wang appeared and stole Miss Wang’s heart. Everything happened quietly, and when they looked back, they were all good friends.

So now, seeing Miss Wang upset, she naturally wanted to reduce trouble—she redirected the conversation straight back to Tao Tao.

As in the original plot, Tao Tao and Little Ah-Sao had exchanged glances for so long that feelings grew. Little Ah-Sao gave Tao Tao a key, which he hid in a fish’s belly—found by Fangmei—then came a huge scene: Fangmei beat Little Ah-Sao badly, forcing her to move out of Jinxian Road. After a few more days of chaos, Fangmei’s family came and gave Tao Tao a proper beating. They never divorced—just kept getting by.

This struck Tao Tao’s weak spot. He began muttering again.

“Oh my, that’s all in the past….” He droned on about his reasoning, and as expected, Ge Laoshi, Linghong, and others scolded him.

Watching Wang Yan and Miss Wang exchange glances, Lingzi was satisfied—she’d only needed to nudge slightly to resolve Brother Wang’s trouble.

But in truth, Wang Yan didn’t care. As he often said: Do it, then don’t fear being talked about.

Miss Wang was inevitably upset—it was a thorn in her heart. But now, she neither wanted to advance nor was willing to retreat, locked in internal struggle. Yet even in struggle, she’d already been kissed by Wang Yan, drawn closer, less willing to leave—this was the root of her sorrow.

After all, Wang Yan hadn’t lied to her. She knew everything. Over time, she’d simply become unwilling to let go. So she glared at Wang Yan, irritable, one hand pinching the soft flesh of his waist under the table.

Wang Yan, of course, wouldn’t be outdone—he slid his hand under the table, stroking her leg. Soon, her hand softened, her face flushed, she strained to pry his hand away—but it was useless…

These small gestures didn’t escape Bao’s eyes. Perhaps he felt a twinge of discomfort—he spoke up.

“Brother Wang, you just mentioned managing a team?”

“Oh my, Brother Bao, you’ve been out of touch too long! Brother Wang’s already made headlines. Shanghai Hongyun Football Club and Basketball Club both belong to him. He says he’s building them to promote Hongyun, aiming to break into Asia and reach the world. Plus, he bought a huge plot in Pudong—he plans to build stadiums, hospitals…”

Tao Tao, scolded for so long, finally found his opening and jumped in to escape.

Brother Fan picked up: “I’ve been too busy with San Yang to pay attention. Brother Wang, even if the teams succeed, their brand impact won’t be huge—it’s all about the stars. But if they fail, you’ll lose badly. And you’re building stadiums and hospitals? Oh my, not worth it.”

“I didn’t think that far—it was Miss Wang’s suggestion.”

Wang Yan patted her thigh, naturally withdrew his hand to the table, picked up chopsticks, and ate while speaking: “I didn’t overthink it. It’s a sportswear brand—supporting sports. Of course there’s risk of loss, but not catastrophic. Worst case, I turn the stadium into an event space—big stars hold concerts, I’ll still make money.”

“The hospital’s simpler—it’s specialized in sports medicine. Tendon injuries, bone damage—all targeted specialties. Grow slowly, hard to lose money. Everything carries risk—you’ve got to act, Old Fan. Even if I go bankrupt, I can still cook and run a restaurant and eat well.”

“Oh my, Brother Wang is so open-minded, so lofty.” Brother Fan raised his glass to Wang Yan, drank, then sighed: “I can’t be like that. My whole life’s been walking on thin ice.”

“No lofty realm—I just got lucky, became a nouveau riche. Made money easily, so I spend easily too.”

The meal ended. Wang Yan wanted to escort Miss Wang home, but she refused, hailing a taxi and leaving. He didn’t rush away—sat in Night Tokyo, sipping tea.

“Little Northeast, you and Miss Wang are together?” Ge Laoshi leaned over, gossiping.

“Didn’t that happen long ago? You mean Miss Wang broke up with Bao and got together with me? That’s been two years, right?”

“Oh my, Brother Wang, I’m asking you seriously.”

“Not really—we’re just good friends. Miss Wang handled all Hongyun’s paperwork, we’ve known each other three years—it’s natural we’re close. Don’t spend all day speculating about this—it’s boring.” Wang Yan grinned.

“You know, same humans, why such huge differences?” Tao Tao, slumped over the table, staring into his wineglass, sighed: “Brother Wang has Li Li, Little Jiangxi, Miss Wang—all without trouble. Me? I play mahjong and chat with Little Ah-Sao—and Fangmei cries, rages, beats me—nearly took half my life…”

Bao laughed: “That’s your own fault. You were head over heels for Fangmei back then—even willing to be a son-in-law. Now, after a few years, you start complaining. Look how good she is to you—I’d be jealous.”

Lingzi walked over, leaned on Bao’s shoulder, voice icy: “What do you mean? Brother Bao, where are you being mistreated?”

Bao grinned, stood up with his glass: “I was talking about Tao Tao—not myself.”

“Tao Zong’s not bad at all—such a good wife, where else would you find one? Just never satisfied.”

“Oh my, Brother Wang, how can you talk about Tao Tao?” Linghong sneered.

“Yeah, Tao Tao only had one Little Ah-Sao…”

“What do you mean ‘only one’? I didn’t do anything! I’m clean and pure!” Tao Tao’s eyes welled up, defending his honor.

“Yes, yes, you’re pure. As for Brother Wang—we don’t know.” Lingzi brushed off Tao Tao, then rolled her eyes at Wang Yan.

“Yeah, the other day I delivered goods to Zhizhen Garden—Li Li asked me about you. I used to think you two were never meant to be…” Tao Tao was indignant—not because of anything else, but because Brother Wang got away with so much while he nearly got killed by Fangmei—he couldn’t calm down.

“I’m clean and pure too.”

“You won’t stay clean forever.”

Watching drunk, aggrieved Tao Tao, Wang Yan chuckled, shook his head, and didn’t argue—he knew the words held truth.

But Bao asked: “Are you close to the owner of Zhizhen Garden?”

Wang Yan smiled: “Not particularly—just visited a few times, went out with her once. Now everyone says Li Li and I are involved.”

“Do you know her well?”

“You still remember that A-Mister gang?”

“We raided their base, stole their money—how could we forget? Is Li Li part of that group?”

“She never admitted it, but I think there’s a connection.”

Wang Yan said: “Once, while dining, I ran into a group from Shenzhen. Li Li likely has ties with them—maybe they’re scouting, gathering intel. The money they made back then? Now someone’s come to collect. Watch yourself, Brother Bao.”

“Brother Wang wouldn’t just stand by and let someone die, right?” Bao sounded like he was joking.

“Of course not—I made money too. If they come looking for trouble, I can’t just sit idle. If it’s the stock market, I’ll fund you—we’ll fight them to the end.”

“But what if they don’t play by the rules?” Lingzi asked, worried.

Wang Yan smiled back: “Don’t I have enough martial virtue?”

Everyone agreed—some just reminded him to be careful, not to get caught off guard. No one took it seriously—not even Bao, the one potentially targeted.

It was Wang Yan’s fault—he’d grown too fast, too rich. Bao’s defeat against Qiang Mujie and his retreat to wait for a comeback? That scene probably won’t happen anymore.

But it doesn’t matter—the law of conservation of energy says: if Bao’s smooth here, he’ll face hardship elsewhere. Perhaps not what he wants—perhaps even greater pain…

It was now May. The weather had turned hot, but people on Huanghe Road hadn’t changed—their voices still loud, their energy still high, hotter than the weather.

Jingxiu still sat the same way, propping her chin by the pavilion window, watching passersby.

“Oh my, Brother Wang, you haven’t been on Huanghe Road in ages. Smoke, drink iced tea.” Jingxiu smiled, offered Wang Yan a Zhonghua cigarette, then turned and pulled a can of iced tea from her pocket, placing it by the window.

“Just over a month.” Wang Yan let her light his cigarette, opened the tea, took a sip: “How’ve you been?”

“Same as always—neither hot nor cold.”

“Any new gossip?”

Jingxiu shook her head, smiling: “Where’s new gossip on Huanghe Road? Right now, everyone’s talking about Zhizhen Garden. Since opening, business has been insane—packed every day. They say Boss Li Li has sealed many deals—very impressive. Brother Wang, going to Zhizhen Garden today?”

“Li Li’s beautiful, and the chefs here are top-notch—among the best in all the restaurants.”

“Oh my, so rumors aren’t all false? Brother Wang really is with Li Li?”

“What ‘with’? We’re just friends.”

Wang Yan smiled, but his gaze drifted to the entrance of Zhizhen Garden.

There, Li Li, dressed in a dark long dress with a light white blouse, was seeing someone off. The man wore a loose Western suit of the era, slicked-back hair, a shadowed face—it was Qiang Mujie, the villain of the plot.

“I guess that’s a Shenzhen man.”

“How’d you guess?”

“Lately, many Shenzhen people have been coming to Zhizhen Garden. Boss Li Li probably has ties with them—this isn’t secret on Huanghe Road anymore. They always arrive in large groups. Today, one man alone is rare. And this guy? Clearly important. Li Li rarely sees guests off herself—Manager Pan usually does. So I think he’s a key figure from Shenzhen.”

“Makes sense.” Wang Yan nodded.

Li Li saw Qiang Mujie off, her gaze instinctively sweeping past the phone booth—and spotted Wang Yan leaning against it, smoking, sipping iced tea. After seeing Qiang off, she crossed her arms, a faint smile on her lips, her expressive eyes fixed on Wang Yan.

Jingxiu smoked, watching Li Li across the way, nodded approvingly: “Li Li’s beautiful—perfect match for Brother Wang.”

“Thanks for the good words.”

Wang Yan extinguished his cigarette, drained the iced tea, placed the can on the small window, and walked straight toward Zhizhen Garden…

“Brother Wang hasn’t been to Zhizhen Garden in a long time. Where’ve you been making money?” Li Li turned, her long dress swaying into a graceful curve.

“Making money? I’ve been spending it. You know—Little Jiangxi’s opening ‘Xinghua Hotel’—she knows nothing, so I occasionally check in. Plus, I’ve got football and basketball teams—trained for a while, now playing friendlies, need to keep tabs. The land in Pudong? Construction’s fully underway—lots of early-stage problems, no free time.”

“You don’t need to explain so clearly to me,” Li Li stopped on the stairs, looking down at Wang Yan, two steps behind.

Wang Yan climbed two steps, smiled at her: “I know you missed me.”

Li Li raised an eyebrow: “Brother Wang’s confident.”

“Your eyes tell me you’re happy right now.”

Li Li smiled, turned, and kept climbing, as if suddenly remembering: “Oh, Brother Fan’s here too—want to have a drink?”

“I drank with him last night. Who did he come with?”

“Some distributors. Brother Fan wants to handle distribution himself—he doesn’t want Bao to keep profiting from the middle.”

“Normal choice. But he’s still decent—he won’t cut Bao off completely. Bao should still make some profit.”

“Who knows?” Li Li led Wang Yan to the top-floor private room, pushed open the door, smiled: “Business is good today—this is the only room left. Let’s eat here tonight.”

Wang Yan had no objection. He strolled in, hands behind his back, glanced around, then said to Li Li, who leaned on the sofa watching him: “This is the Shenzhen gang’s base?”

Li Li chuckled: “We’re not spies—what base? We just come here to eat, drink, talk business.”

“Jingxiu said the person you just saw off is from Shenzhen.”

“His position is perfect—he sees everyone coming and going from Zhizhen Garden, and he’s sharp at judging people. By the way, this man has some connection with you.”

"Bao Zong?" Wang Yan asked, pretending not to know. "Is he here to cause trouble?"

“Sort of,” Li Li smiled. “But he’s got no trouble with you—only with Bao Zong.”

Watching Wang Yan light a cigarette and sip tea, Li Li sat beside him and continued, “His name is Qiang Mujie. He went to Japan for studies back then...”

Li Li cheerfully recounted Qiang Mujie’s story with Lingzi, then told of how Bao Zong had once gone to Shenzhen to buy low.

Wang Yan nodded with a smile: “He blocks wealth and steals a wife—so yes, he definitely holds a grudge against Bao Zong. Didn’t you try to talk him out of it? After all, I can’t not help Bao Zong.”

“I tried. But he doesn’t see you or Bao Zong as his real rivals. The capital market is the true battlefield—no smoke, no guns, just torrents of money flowing every second. He’s been abroad; he knows the stock market inside out. Now he’s the manager of Nanguo Investment and will soon become general manager of their Shanghai branch. Backed by Nanguo Investment, his capital is just as strong, and he has a technical edge.”

“Why does it sound like you’re stoking the fire?”

“When the heron and the clam fight, the fisherman wins. You know I’m short on cash—when you two clash, I can make some profit too.”

“You’re honest.”

“I learned it from you,” Li Li raised an eyebrow, then suddenly laughed. “I know you’ve always looked down on farmers harvesting retail investors—you’d sneer if I said it out loud, but I still want to tell you this.”

“Do you know what Qiang Mujie calls them? He greatly admires Mr. A. He describes himself and his kind as the first generation of overseas returnees who joined national economic development—idealistic, ambitious young men.”

Wang Yan also laughed: “I do sneer at that.”

“Are you afraid?”

“Afraid of what?”

“You should understand the stock market—no matter how much money you have, you can lose it all. There, money is just a string of numbers.”

“I don’t understand much, but I know that when you make money, you take on responsibility. Back then I made five million; now if I lose fifty million, that’s only fair. Why should I be allowed to profit while others aren’t? The stock battle is Bao Zong’s affair—I only chip in when he comes to me.”

“You have so many businesses—your cash flow must be tight. If your funding chain breaks, you’ll be ruined.”

“Then I’ll come work as your chef.”

Li Li smiled sweetly: “Always welcome. I’ll pay you the highest salary.”

As they chatted and laughed, dish after dish arrived, and they began eating and drinking.

Wang Yan asked: “Haven’t you gone out to walk around and see anything lately?”

“I don’t know where to go.”

“You don’t need a specific destination. I like taking my camera and wandering the streets, simply enjoying the city’s rhythm. Sometimes I stumble upon a small shop with great craftsmanship—that’s a surprise.”

“You have everything; I’m the one scrambling to pay off debts. We’re not the same.”

“That’s your own doing—self-inflicted suffering.”

“I have no choice—I owe someone an explanation,” Li Li drank a sip of wine and sighed deeply.

Wang Yan changed the subject: “Tomorrow night, let’s eat out. There’s a place called Xinlanju—the hotpot lamb is excellent, all fresh.”

He’d thought of it on the spot—after hearing about Qiang Mujie, he recalled Bao Zong had once met Li Li there, so he decided to try it himself.

“You never ask for anyone’s opinion.”

“Are you coming?”

Li Li met Wang Yan’s gaze, her beautiful eyes crinkling with a smile: “Yes.”

“That’s right,” Wang Yan smiled. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow afternoon. We’ll stroll first, then eat.”

“How’s things going in Little Jiangxi?”

“Still under renovation. Staff training is underway.”

“I heard you bought a villa on the Bund. How bold of you.”

“That location, that architecture—it’ll only rise further. One building is enough to support me for life.”

“What about Miss Wang? How did you calm her down?”

Women always bring up something unhappy when they’re happy. Perhaps, as Li Li herself said, her heart is small.

“Really want to know?”

"Is it inconvenient to talk about?" Li Li turned to look at Wang Yan.

“Come here—I’ll show you directly.”

Wang Yan smiled, put down his chopsticks, cupped Li Li’s face in both hands, and kissed her lips as she watched him with flickering eyes.