Chapter 245: College Student Tightening Screws, Hope My Son Doesn

Before the gate of Lucheng Prefecture, white walls and black-tiled roofs glowed under brilliant lights.

At the gate, luxury cars clustered like clouds—Benz, BMW, and Audi were commonplace; Bentley, Porsche, and Ferrari were no rarity.

It was hard to imagine that Lucheng in 2012 had already become this wealthy.

At that moment, a Ghost painted in panda colors slowly pulled up, drawing passersby to stop and crane their necks to look.

A Rolls-Royce worth seven or eight million wasn't much in Lucheng, but the license plate with four consecutive 8s still sparked wild speculation.

Who the hell is this?

What a flashy license plate!

When the car stopped, a pale, bare foot clad in sandals stepped out from inside.

Immediately after, a young woman in a white shirt and wide-leg blue jeans stepped out with a smile.

"Tao Jingwen said she'd bring a few friends; I thought about it—probably local brand owners wanting to join Pinbei or get more platform resources. Watch how you handle tonight—you can give Tao Jingwen face, but don't give her everything."

Chen Yansen stepped out after pushing open the door and instructed Song Yuncheng.

To be honest, he was barely more than a drinking buddy to Tao Jingwen, Xu Minggang, and the like—hardly better than an acquaintance who just nodded.

Once the mutual interests vanished, even if they bumped into each other face-to-face, they probably wouldn't bother saying hello.

So when Tao Jingwen said she'd bring friends, he readily agreed.

If she wanted to act as a middleman and connect people, that was fine.

After all, cooperation usually benefited both sides; Chen Yansen had no reason to refuse.

Song Yuncheng nodded slightly and followed behind Chen Yansen.

Gao Weilin sighed, turned to glance at Xiao Li—now the boss didn't need him to drive, but the social obligations couldn't be avoided.

He thought it over, compared the options, and decided he'd rather be the boss's driver.

The three passed around the screen wall, went through the front hall, and followed a servant deeper inside, crossing small bridges over clear water and passing pavilions in courtyards.

Even though he'd been here twice before, Chen Yansen still felt awed—decades ago, in the bustling heart of Lucheng, someone had claimed such a vast plot and spent hundreds of millions to build this classical Jiangnan garden.

Connections and capital—neither could be missing.

"Little Brother Chen, long time no see," Xu Minggang stood outside the private room, warmly approaching as soon as he spotted Chen Yansen.

"Director Xu, you're too kind—going out yourself to greet me? Next time you do that, I won't answer your calls."

Chen Yansen chuckled teasingly.

"Tsk! Look at you! Only a few months apart and you're already formal again! Call me Brother Xu!" Xu Minggang scolded.

"Who else is inside?" Chen Yansen smiled, steering the topic away.

"The CEOs of Changhong, Rongshida, and Jianghuai, plus the owner of Huazhang Winery. Tao Jingwen had no choice—debts of favor are hard to repay. If a deal can be made, make it; if not, don't give Old Tao any face."

Xu Minggang explained briefly.

Clearly, this message was passed on by Tao Jingwen.

"Don't worry, I know my limits," Chen Yansen replied and followed Xu Minggang inside.

Inside the private room were two round tables; Tao Jingwen sat with four middle-aged men at the eastern table, sipping tea and chatting.

The people at the other table, judging by their attire, were mostly assistants or secretaries—there to chauffeur or warm beds for their bosses later.

"Director Chen, let me introduce you to a few new friends."

Tao Jingwen stood up quickly, pulled Chen Yansen to sit, and pointed to the middle-aged man in a suit on the far left: "This is Zhang Renwu, General Manager of Changhong's Lucheng branch."

"Director Chen, I've long admired your reputation," Zhang Renwu bowed slightly and shook Chen Yansen's right hand.

"Manager Zhang, pleasure to meet you," Chen Yansen replied with a relaxed demeanor.

He didn't show any disrespect or neglect because the man was merely a branch manager.

"This is Jin Junhua, Chairman of Rongshida Electronics."

"Liang Zhirong, General Manager of Jianghuai Automobile."

"Xu Xiangdong of Huazhang Winery—he's also one of Anhui's biggest liquor tycoons; most online liquor sites source their inventory through his channels."

Tao Jingwen introduced them one by one.

Chen Yansen shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with each, giving Tao Jingwen full face.

Changhong and Rongshida had already joined Pinbei Mall last December; their cooperation was already established.

Jianghuai's Liang Zhirong showing up to join the party surprised Chen Yansen.

Although Pinbei had previously partnered with Chery to sell cars online, daily sales were low—only a few thousand units sold when brands boosted advertising and subsidies.

But the promotional value far outweighed the actual sales value!

Could Liang Zhirong have similar intentions?

Chen Yansen pondered silently.

"Director Chen, Huazhang Winery joined Pinbei Mall this February—hope you'll give us more support."

Xu Xiangdong, around fifty, sported a full beard and was the only one wearing a casual jacket with beads hanging from his neck and wrists—not like a businessman, more like a vendor from an antique street.

"Thank you, Director Xu, for supporting Pinbei—we'll support each other. Please sit," Chen Yansen replied with a faint smile.

Soon after, servers brought out plate after plate of refined cold dishes and hot courses, filling the rosewood table to the brim.

Xu Xiangdong pulled several bottles from behind him and placed them on the table—Mao Tai vintage, Macallan 1990, Yamazaki 18—each bottle costing at least twenty to thirty thousand yuan.

When Tao Jingwen introduced him, she called him a liquor tycoon of Anhui—no exaggeration.

In fact, industry insiders regarded him as the "Godfather of Liquor"; only behind the owners of Gujing and Yingjia, his net worth ranked third in the province.

He owned overseas vineyards and domestic baijiu brands and beer factories, with annual sales in the billion-yuan range.

But these achievements meant nothing to Chen Yansen.

"Director Chen, I heard Chery's sales on Pinbei are doing well?" Jianghuai's Liang Zhirong, after two drinks with Chen Yansen, couldn't wait to get straight to the point.

"Director Liang, it depends on your expectations—if Jianghuai aims for 2, 00 units per month, Pinbei can deliver."

Chen Yansen looked at him, speaking calmly.

In 2012, Jianghuai's factory mainly produced bus chassis, light trucks, and light vans; Yunsu had purchased over a thousand light trucks from Jianghuai for freight.

Two thousand units per month?

Liang Zhirong's eyes lit up—he was in charge of passenger cars, and last year's sales barely exceeded 100, 00 units.

If Pinbei could really sell 2, 00 per month, that's 24, 00 annually—a 25% boost to his performance.

"Director Chen, to be honest, Jianghuai is considering joining Pinbei. You just said 2, 00 per month—is that real?" Liang Zhirong declared his interest, then anxiously confirmed.

"Director Liang, Pinbei is a flash-sale platform—sales depend on Jianghuai offering sufficient discounts and streamlined pickup procedures," Chen Yansen reminded with a smile.

"No problem, Director Chen! If you're free these next few days, please come to Jianghuai—we can discuss details slowly."

Liang Zhirong looked at Chen Yansen with eager anticipation.

Chen Yansen had little interest in such low-margin business, so he called over Song Yuncheng.

"No need for all this trouble—Pinbei already has mature branding and promotional plans for car sales. This is Song Yuncheng, Director of Pinbei's Major Client Acquisition Department. Director Liang, feel free to discuss your needs directly with Director Song."

Chen Yansen pushed Song Yuncheng forward.

Song Yuncheng smiled slightly, handed out a business card, briefly outlined Chery's success story, and in a few sentences, earned Liang Zhirong's trust.

In work, Song Yuncheng was no slouch—otherwise he wouldn't have become Director of the Major Client Department.

Chen Yansen always kept public and private matters separate—Zhang Wenbo, Xiang Pengfei, Chen Xu, and others who didn't meet standards could only hold the title of team leader.

Meng Jie remained a lowly intern in Orange Tech's Finance Department, earning only three thousand yuan a month.

Three minutes later, Song Yuncheng returned to the other table and sat down again.

"Sister, are you an employee of Orange Tech?"

A girl with chestnut-long hair beside her turned her head to ask.

"Uh, sort of," Song Yuncheng replied lazily, not bothering to explain.

"Is Chen Yansen nice to his employees in private? Does he yell at them?" the girl pressed.

Gao Weilin, who had been Ditouwanshouji across the table, lifted his head to look at her.

She was under twenty, youthful and beautiful, with faint dimples on her cheeks.

When he sat down earlier, he'd assumed she was some boss's secretary; now, upon closer look, he saw her youth and naivety.

Combined with her clueless questioning style, Gao Weilin was certain—she was either some boss's daughter or his mistress.

Song Yuncheng frowned slightly: "Why are you asking these things?"

"I—I want to work at Orange Tech someday," the girl blurted out a flimsy excuse.

"I can't comment on the boss's private affairs. Wait until you pass the interview and join—you'll find out then," Song Yuncheng refused firmly.

Shuowan, she turned away and ignored her.

Xu Jiujiu, seeing this, sighed helplessly—she'd wanted to ask more: whether Chen Yansen had a girlfriend, how he treated her, when they broke up—odd, personal questions.

But Song Yuncheng clearly didn't want to talk, so she turned her gaze to Gao Weilin.

"Uncle, you're so cute—you must be a kind person. Can I ask you a few gossip questions?" Xu Jiujiu cooed.

Gao Weilin waved his hands: "I'm just the driver—I know nothing."

"..." Xu Jiujiu opened her mouth but made no sound.

Chen Yansen, sitting nearby, overheard the exchange and fixed his gaze on Xu Xiangdong—just from their similar eyes and eyebrows, he guessed their relationship.

But he didn't care much—he was chatting warmly with Zhang Renwu of Changhong and Jin Junhua of Rongshida, and soon the conversation turned to the upcoming 418 Home Appliance Festival.

Six platforms—JD, Suning, Gome, Dangdang, Yixun, and Pinbei—were all entering a full-category brawl; though it would disrupt Changhong and Rongshida's nationwide pricing systems, it was also their best chance to boost sales.

After all, the bulk of the price differences came from the platforms.

Chen Yansen naturally wouldn't miss the chance—he quickly negotiated the second-half-year traffic plan with Zhang Renwu and Jin Junhua.

In short: 418 supports Pinbei; Pinbei fully backs Changhong and Rongshida for the rest of the year.

Zhang Renwu and Jin Junhua felt curious, yet they agreed without hesitation.

Even Tao Jingwen and Xu Minggang couldn't help exchanging a glance, both filled with doubt: Had these two changed their ways? They'd just offered discounts rivaling Double Eleven.

"Thank you, Boss Zhang and Boss Jin, for your support," Chen Yansen said with a slight smile, his eyes half-lidded.

After three rounds of wine, their faces flushed red, their expressions slightly drunk.

Since Chen Yansen had to attend the inauguration ceremony for the Orange Factory tomorrow morning, he suggested ending the drinking session.

Tao Jingwen was already thinking the same and immediately agreed.

The group slowly walked out of Lucheng Mansion, each getting into their cars and waving goodbye.

On the other side.

In the dormitory of Factory No. 4 in Luyang District, Sun Haiyang tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

"Haiyang, are you suffering from a sore butt? Stop rolling around—this bedframe's creaking so loud I can't sleep!" Yao Xin protested from the lower bunk.

"Xinzi, I just feel bad—my parents spent over a hundred thousand to get me through university, and now I'm here screwing bolts in a factory. The pay's good, but it's still embarrassing," Sun Haiyang said, frowning.

"Our university? Everyone outside jokes it's one of Lucheng's Four Little Dragons. So what if we screw bolts? We make seven or eight thousand a month!" Yao Xin scoffed—he had none of Sun Haiyang's psychological burden.

Some in the same dorm worked in office buildings—as telesales or online customer service—but when asked about their income, they only made three thousand.

Yao Xin had no hesitation—he accepted the offer to be a production operator at the Orange Factory, commonly called a "screw-bolt worker."

"Are you all college students from Lucheng?" a middle-aged man in the next bunk, still awake, asked quietly.

"Yes, Uncle Li," Sun Haiyang replied.

"Sigh, college grads don't go for white-collar jobs and end up screwing bolts—I hope my son never ends up as miserable as you two," the man said bluntly.

"..." Sun Haiyang.

"..." Yao Xin.

(End of Chapter)