Chapter 94: Don't worry, your dad's asleep—he won't bother us

"President Chen, we and SIG Asia Venture Capital Fund can offer an 1.8 billion valuation."

Zhang Jiancheng got straight to the point.

"President Zhang, don't rush. I suggest Siwei and SIG take another look at Fox Taox's profit model, user growth, and conversion rate. Let's talk about financing and valuation slowly."

Chen Yansen leaned against the wire fence outside the volleyball court and said unhurriedly.

Don't rush?

Zhang Jiancheng laughed.

He had heard that Lotte was collecting data on Fox Taox to build a valuation model, and had even commissioned the country's largest commercial data intermediary to conduct a comprehensive assessment on issues such as the sustainability of the business model and compliance risks.

If they delayed any longer, Siwei might not even get a sip of the soup.

So he pulled SIG in for a joint investment, sharing profits and risks, to increase bargaining chips.

From previous contact, Zhang Jiancheng could tell Chen Yansen was a calm and rational entrepreneur—if the valuation didn't meet expectations, he absolutely wouldn't budge.

Hearing the deflection in Chen Yansen's words, Zhang Jiancheng said with a smile: "Is President Chen dissatisfied with the resources behind Siwei and SIG, or with the valuation? I know Lotte's offer is high, but Lotte's e-commerce resources domestically are basically zero. President Chen can't just look at the numbers on paper."

"IDG Venture Capital Fund is also a good choice." Chen Yansen mentioned it casually with a smile.

IDG had always invested heavily in the domestic internet sector; compared to SIG and Siwei, its capital and network better fit Fox Taox's future development.

"Alright, I understand what President Chen means. Looks like we can only compete with IDG on valuation."

Zhang Jiancheng said helplessly.

He felt Chen Yansen was too shrewd—mistakes young people commonly made, he didn't touch a single one. To win him over, it seemed one could only rely on real money to move this little fox.

"Then please President Zhang, based on Fox Taox's business model and profit projections, give a more reasonable valuation." Chen Yansen said with a faint smile.

Zhang Jiancheng understood the call was wasted, chatted no more, exchanged a few pleasantries, and hung up.

Chen Yansen stood at the sports field, dialed Meng Jie's cell number, and asked her to have lunch together.

"My dad is here." Meng Jie spoke very softly.

Meng Zhenguo?

Chen Yansen was stunned for a moment, complaining inwardly: Chen Guobin, look at how someone else acts as a dad—didn't come home for New Year's, and took the initiative to come to the school to see his daughter.

I haven't been home for three months, and only made one phone call, not even sixty seconds long.

Sigh, this father-son bond, better off without it.

"Alright, bring Uncle Meng along, let's go into the city to eat. I'll wait for you at the school gate."

Chen Yansen said briefly, got in the car and drove to the school gate, rolled down the window, and waited quietly.

In a short while, a black Santana slowly drove out along Xuelin Road.

"Chen Yansen!" Meng Jie poked her head out and greeted him somewhat reservedly.

"Uncle Meng, long time no see, you look even more handsome." Chen Yansen rested his hand on the steering wheel and greeted him with a smile.

This rascal!

Meng Zhenguo's mouth twitched; he had no intention of responding, but Meng Jie sat in the passenger seat, nudging him with her elbow the whole time.

"Xiao Chen, Uncle Meng is treating you to lunch today, thanks for taking care of Meng Jie at school."

Meng Zhenguo glanced at Chen Yansen's car and said through gritted teeth.

He hadn't misjudged—this kid really had ability. The first semester of freshman year wasn't even over, and he was already making waves in the business world.

When Meng Jie told him Chen Yansen's company was valued at over a billion, he didn't believe it at all, so he searched online and was immediately left speechless.

"I must arrange it. For that matter in Hu City, it was all thanks to Uncle Meng helping me mediate."

Chen Yansen said politely. He had long gotten the phone number of the Sky Garden reservation clerk from Xu Xingxing and booked a private room.

Seeing Chen Yansen insist, Meng Zhenguo stopped declining, asked for the address, had Meng Jie set the navigation, and drove toward the destination.

Chen Yansen floored it, quickly overtaking Meng Zhenguo. He worried the other wasn't familiar with Xucheng's roads, so he wanted to lead the way ahead.

Who knew Meng Zhenguo would misunderstand, thinking the kid was provoking him. He immediately sped up and overtook him at the next intersection.

"Can't catch up to your broken Santana, and my two million would have been spent for nothing?"

Chen Yansen chuckled, easily overtook him, and kept the lead the whole way, leaving Meng Zhenguo fuming.

"Dad, what are you doing? Can't you just drive properly? Think you're in Fast and Furious?"

Seeing her father still wanting to chase, Meng Jie pouted and acted coquettishly.

"???"

Meng Zhenguo opened his mouth, wanting very much to say, it was that kid who started being stubborn with me, why should I yield to him?

"Safety first." Meng Jie tugged at his sleeve.

"Sigh, had I known it would be like this, your mother and I would definitely have tried for a second child. Having a daughter is obedient, sure, but her elbow only turns outward."

Meng Zhenguo sighed, both helpless and powerless.

"No way! Dad, you're just talking nonsense!" Meng Jie hurriedly retorted.

Half an hour later, they arrived at Sky Garden, and under the waiter's guidance, made their way all the way to the top floor.

Coincidentally, the private room the restaurant arranged was the very one Liu Muyan's "ex"-fiancé had sat in last time. Chen Yansen didn't mind and pushed Meng Zhenguo into the host seat.

Chen Yansen and Meng Jie sat down next to each other.

Meng Zhenguo looked on, wanting to speak but holding back; in the end, he glanced at his daughter's expression and swallowed his words again.

Chen Yansen signaled to serve the dishes. Soon, the table was filled with ten exquisite dishes, plus two bottles of Feitian Maotai.

"Xiao Chen, this is too extravagant." Meng Zhenguo frowned.

"Treating Uncle Meng to a meal, of course it has to be a bit grand. Usually Meng Jie and I just eat at the cafeteria at school."

Chen Yansen's words left Meng Zhenguo unable to find a single fault.

"You can drink too?" Meng Zhenguo asked again.

"Never touch it, but I can keep Uncle Meng company." Chen Yansen said it right off the cuff, leaving Meng Zhenguo chuckling helplessly.

With Chen Yansen's shrewdness, if he kept eight or ten women on the outside in the future, Meng Jie would have a hard time noticing. His own daughter was so single-minded — how could she ever outplay someone slicker than a wolverine?

"Then let's have a drink." Meng Zhenguo said lightly.

. He hadn't wanted to drink, but suddenly recalled twenty years ago, the first time he went to his father-in-law's house, he got plowed under on the very first meal; only later did he learn his father-in-law wanted to test his character both with liquor and as a man.

Back then he had scoffed at the idea, but today, for some reason, as if possessed, he proposed a drink himself.

Chen Yansen skillfully stripped the outer wrapping and pried off the cap of the Feitian Maotai.

Never drink?

Meng Zhenguo sneered inwardly — he'd been drinking for decades and still wasn't as deft as Chen Yansen.

"Uncle Meng, a toast to you. Thank you for your trouble with last time's matter. I'll down mine; do as you like."

Chen Yansen raised a two-qian cup, his tone sincere. Although Tang Qingshan had pulled the most strings behind the scenes, Meng Zhenguo had also called in favors.

That kindness, he had to acknowledge.

"Xiao Chen, Meng Jie's personality is straightforward, like a boy's, and this is her first romance. I don't support it, but I don't oppose it either. Take good care of her for me," Meng Zhenguo said with a solemn face, earnestly urging.

He just took a dislike to Chen Yansen!

But his daughter liked him, so he couldn't bring himself to object.

"Uncle Meng, this is also my first time in a relationship."

Chen Yansen drained the wine in his cup in one gulp, saying truthfully.

Meng Zhenguo was amused by him — they were both men; how could he possibly believe Chen Yansen's nonsense?

He was bent on getting Chen Yansen drunk, so he said outright that drinking from small cups wasn't satisfying — let's switch to a carafe.

Chen Yansen wasn't about to back down. With his 2.63 constitution, nearly three times that of an ordinary person, his ability to break down alcohol naturally couldn't be that bad.

The two went back and forth, cup after cup.

Meng Jie watched anxiously and cut in: "Can you two eat something? Just drinking!"

She felt for her father and worried about Chen Yansen.

The two exchanged a glance, silently took a bite of food, then默契ly raised their cups again.

Meng Zhenguo couldn't remember how many cups he'd had, but his chopsticks had dropped three times — that much he could still barely recall.

He started talking nonsense: "Xiao Chen, young people in love get impulsive easily — safety measures must be done properly."

"……" Meng Jie, hearing this, was so embarrassed she buried her head and plugged her ears. She regretted letting Chen Yansen and her father eat together.

"Don't worry, Uncle — I always buy the best." Chen Yansen, slightly tipsy but still fairly clear-headed, said half-jokingly.

Meng Jie covered her ears and didn't hear that.

"Good that you brought it." Meng Zhenguo mumbled drowsily in reply, instinctively raising his wine cup. Before he could lift it halfway, he crashed face-first onto the table.

"Your dad's asleep."

Chen Yansen nudged Meng Jie and said softly.

"Huh? Then what do we do?" Meng Jie looked up, her face full of awkwardness.

Old Comrade Meng's little tricks — even she could see through them, let alone Chen Yansen.

He'd meant to get Chen Yansen drunk, but ended up getting himself plastered first.

"Get a room, let Uncle Meng rest first."

Chen Yansen suggested.

"That's all we can do." Meng Jie nodded.

The two supported Meng Zhenguo to the guest room area, then dumped him onto the bed.

"How about you sober up here too?" In the room, Meng Jie pointed at the other bed.

"You sober up with me?" Chen Yansen grinned wickedly, stepped forward and embraced Meng Jie.

"My dad's here." Meng Jie, a little embarrassed, glanced at Meng Zhenguo snoring away and reminded him in a small voice.

"It's fine — your dad's asleep, he won't bother us." Chen Yansen held Meng Jie and the two of them tumbled together onto the soft big bed.

"Just kissing." Meng Jie warned, grabbing Chen Yansen's hand.

"I'll just hold you, I won't do anything." Chen Yansen said primly.

Ten-some minutes later, Meng Jie struggled up from the bed, frantically straightening her clothes, and shot Chen Yansen a fierce glare: "You don't keep your word."

"I'm a businessman — I don't even have morals. What credibility do you expect from me? Still, though it's small, it's also pretty cute."

Chen Yansen gestured with his hand, laughing as he gave his assessment.

"Chen Yansen, you're asking for death!" Meng Jie pounced back, straddling him and wrestling.

……

……

It wasn't until the sun set behind the hills that Meng Zhenguo slowly opened his eyes.

Meng Jie, seeing this, hurriedly handed over a bottle of water: "Dad, you really shouldn't drink next time."

"Xiao Jie, don't talk to Uncle Meng like that. Uncle Meng, the two of us will continue drinking tonight." Chen Yansen, sitting in a chair, said with a smile, teasing.

More drinking?

You kid trying to drink me to death?!

Meng Zhenguo shook his head repeatedly: "Drinking less is right. Xiao Chen, you too — you didn't even try to stop me at noon."

"Dad, Chen Yansen did try to stop you. You were the one insisting on opening another bottle." Meng Jie tilted her head, a bit weary.

"Oh, was I?" Meng Zhenguo only then realized he really must have drunk too much at noon, and laughed awkwardly.

"Alright, you two head back to school. Seeing you two get along so well, your mother and I can rest easy." Meng Zhenguo changed the subject.

The three chatted a while longer before Chen Yansen rose to take his leave: "Then we won't disturb your rest any longer."

Saying so, he took Meng Jie's hand and walked outside.

"I'll drive back," Meng Jie said, reaching into Chen Yansen's pocket, fumbling for a moment, and pulling out a car key.

"Fine." Chen Yansen didn't refuse; it had only been a few hours—the alcohol surely hadn't worn off yet.

Meng Jie had gotten her driver's license before Chen Yansen, though she had less road experience; luckily, it was the New Year's Day holiday, and since they were heading to the countryside, there were hardly any cars on the road.

When they got out of the car, Meng Jie's palms were covered in cold sweat; clearly, that stretch of road had been harder to drive than she had imagined.

Chen Yansen dropped Meng Jie off downstairs at the dormitory building, then turned and headed toward the Entrepreneurship Park; no sooner had he reached the second floor than a man in his forties, beaming with a smile, came forward to greet him.

"President Chen, I am Liao Wei from Yunsu Express; I apologize for the unannounced visit," Liao Wei said ingratiatingly, keeping his posture extremely low, acting nothing like a billionaire boss.

His eyes shone with shrewdness; he had a round, slightly chubby face, looking a bit like Deng Chao after gaining weight, with slicked-back hair gleaming with oil.

Chen Yansen squinted as he sized up Liao Wei; his mind spun, and suddenly he recalled those people from a few days ago—they were most likely this man's doing as well.

His expression darkened instantly, and his friendly demeanor vanished.

(End of this chapter)