Chapter 669: The Best Friend's

After a few seconds of silence.

Lin Mu suppressed the ecstatic joy nearly bursting from her heart, maintaining her composure while acting pleasantly surprised: "Ms. Lady Ouyang, this is too sudden; how could I bear to accept such a huge favor from you?"

"There's no need to feel that way." Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue's voice remained gentle yet carried an unquestionable authority, "We are already insiders; looking out for one another is only natural. As Tang Song's personal assistant, you and I will inevitably have frequent contact in the future."

Lin Mu's cheeks instantly flushed crimson, her voice trembling with excitement: "Y-you are absolutely right!"

Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue had acknowledged her as an insider and promised to look out for her!

This was nothing short of a blessing from heaven!

Although Lin Mu now held the prestigious title of Tang Song's "personal assistant," within the true core circle of power, she remained a marginal figure.

Every time she tried to step forward, she was either suppressed by Su Yu's overwhelming aura or intimidated into retreat by Director Jin's imposing dignity.

Now, to receive verbal recognition directly from Ms. Lady Ouyang.

This was equivalent to receiving a letter of introduction into the true inner circle.

It was quite similar to when the beautician Zhao Zhao Yaqian gained Director Jin's favor and was gifted membership to the TC Private Club!

Moreover, [Tang Jin Family Office] was nominally co-founded by Ms. Lady Ouyang and Director Jin.

If she truly wished to advance further within the family office in the future, Ms. Lady Ouyang's patronage would be crucial.

Recently, under Shen Shen Shen Yuyan's pressure, the highly ambitious Xiao Xue simply lacked the strength to refuse.

"Then it's settled; I'll have Chen Jing send you the detailed property information shortly, and you two can handle the rest directly."

"Mm-hmm! Thank you, Ms. Lady Ouyang! I am truly honored to purchase a property you once lived in, and I look forward to having more opportunities to learn from you in the future!"

"Hehe, you will." Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue paused slightly, then suddenly added, "By the way, Assistant Lin, if I recall correctly, your hometown is in Chang'an City, Shaanxi Province, isn't it?"

Lin Mu immediately replied: "Yes, it's in a place called Zhou County below the city."

She knew that for a figure of Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue's stature.

Her resume and family background were undoubtedly completely transparent, leaving no need for any concealment.

"Mm." Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue responded lightly, "I have a relative who was just transferred to work in Chang'an as the Vice Mayor; I'll introduce you two later."

Boom!!!

These words instantly exploded within Lin Mu's mind.

The Vice Mayor of Chang'an City?!

Introduce him to me?!

Holy crap! Holy crap! Holy freaking crap!

Her mind went blank, and she almost subconsciously stammered: "Th-thank... thank you, Ms. Lady Ouyang..."

"Alright, I won't keep you from your work."

The call ended just like that, amidst a calm and breezy atmosphere.

Lin Mu clutched her warm phone, sitting there in a daze.

Her expression was even more exaggerated than Gao Gao Gao Mengting's when she saw the "Property Purchase Contract."

Only after a long while did she snap out of her reverie.

Suddenly feeling a sharp contraction in her bladder, she hastily stood up, swaying her slender waist and perky buttocks, and hurried with a "clip-clop-clip-clop" toward the restroom.

No good, I drank too much water earlier; this time it's really coming out!

"—"

"Click—"

"Whirrr—"

Sitting on the smart toilet with flushed cheeks, Lin Mu's long legs, wrapped in black silk stockings, trembled incessantly from excitement.

She naturally knew Lady Ouyang Lady Ouyang Xianyue's background, so she had no doubt about the authenticity of the statement just made.

This was definitely not mere politeness; she truly intended to introduce connections to her.

If she could really establish a line with a Vice Mayor from her hometown.

Then when she returns home in glory—

The scene was too unimaginable to even dare think about!

This Auntie Lady Ouyang is truly a wonderful person!

I, Xiao Xue, have always been tricked and schemed against; finally, I've met a good person!

"Ding-dong—"

The WeChat notification sound interrupted her fantasies.

It was a file sent by Secretary Chen.

[Shanghai IFC Residence (IFC Residence) - Property Information Overview]

With a racing heart and trembling hands, she opened the PDF file.

Her fingertip slid slowly across the screen, and the light in her eyes grew brighter with each scroll.

This was a 98-square-meter suite.

Located in the core area of Lujiazui, Pudong, it offered seamless connectivity to the IFC Mall and office towers.

As a top-tier serviced apartment, it provided full five-star hotel services by the Four Seasons Hotel.

A 25-meter indoor heated pool, a fully equipped 24-hour gym, a massage pool, a sauna and steam room, and housekeeping services; Lin Mu had heard of this apartment before.

Generally, they were only available for long-term lease to outsiders and rarely sold.

According to market rates, the monthly rent for such a unit would be at least thirty or forty thousand Zhao Yuan.

As for the actual property price, since there was hardly any listing information on the market, she wasn't sure.

But a conservative estimate would exceed ten million.

However, according to the materials sent by Secretary Chen, the transfer price Ms. Lady Ouyang offered her was only five million.

It was practically a fifty percent discount.

Lin Mu walked out of the restroom with unsteady steps.

Upon returning to the office, she happened to meet Gao Gao Gao Mengting coming out of the break room.

The expression on her face had already returned to calmness and gentleness.

Their eyes met.

Lin Mu immediately broke into a brilliant smile: "President Gao, how did it go? Did you settle things with our boss?"

Gao Gao Gao Mengting exhaled softly and nodded: "Mm, I'll sign the contract now."

The two sat facing each other again in the sofa area.

Gao Gao Gao Mengting picked up her pen and carefully signed her name stroke by stroke.

She then stood up to pour a cup of tea for Lin Mu.

The atmosphere unconsciously became harmonious.

Gao Gao Gao Mengting asked casually: "Speaking of which, Assistant Lin, how long have you been Tang Song's assistant?"

Lin Mu thought for a moment and replied softly: "About half a year, I suppose."

Gao Gao Gao Mengting's eyes flickered slightly before she continued asking: "Then... do you know Wen Wen Ruan, Chairman Wen, from Star Cloud International Group?"

Lin Mu's hand holding the teacup paused, but her face remained expressionless as she said: "I have indeed met Chairman Wen a few times, though we aren't particularly close; she is a very outstanding woman."

Good heavens, are you trying to trick me, Emperor Lin Mu?!

Gao Gao Gao Mengting lightly hummed an "Mm" and did not pursue the topic further.

A few days ago, Tang Song had already pushed Wen Wen Ruan's contact information to her.

He said he wanted to facilitate deep cooperation between [Song Mei Apparel] and [Smart Chain Future].

She had added the other party as a friend and viewed her Moments.

A woman's intuition told her that this stunningly curvaceous and captivating beauty definitely had a complicated relationship with Tang Song.

Looking at the weighty property purchase contract before her and recalling Tang Song's gentle and considerate tone on the phone.

She couldn't help but sigh softly in her heart.

My dear partner, just how many secrets are you hiding that I don't know about?

At 5:00 PM.

YinTai Center, Gleam Coffee Flagship Store.

"Here's to a pleasant cooperation!"

"A pleasant cooperation!"

The meeting drew to a close in a friendly and efficient atmosphere.

Both parties had officially reached a preliminary cooperation framework.

Next, [Ling Chain Technology] would be responsible for the cold-chain logistics transportation and warehousing operations for [Gleam Coffee] throughout the entire Southwest region.

After exchanging some pleasantries.

As they were parting, Fang Fang Zhiyuan tactfully asked: "By the way, President Xie, regarding our company's BP, may I ask what your investor said?"

Xie Sister Shu Yu's gaze shifted slightly: "I apologize, President Fang; I haven't had the chance to mention this matter yet."

The amount of capital [Ling Chain Technology] required was too large.

Furthermore, Tang Song had just arrived in Rongcheng, and she hadn't even met him yet; how could she have the audacity to bring up such a matter immediately?

Fang Fang Zhiyuan seemed to see through her concerns and proactively changed the subject: "Speaking of which, I heard that President Xie will be attending the Brand Private Reception hosted by 'First Financial' at the Jinjiang Hotel the day after tomorrow? And as a specially invited guest speaker."

Xie Sister Shu Yu nodded: "Yes."

Fang Fang Zhiyuan asked tentatively: "Then your investor should be attending together as well, right?"

Xie Sister Shu Yu instantly understood his meaning.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded. "He should accompany me, but he won't go on stage to share."

"Understood! Then I'll see you then. I hope President Xie can help make some introductions. Rest assured, we know our limits and will absolutely not put you in a difficult position."

The smile on Fang Fang Zhiyuan's face grew warmer. Without saying more, he stood up to take his leave.

For an asset-heavy company like Lianlian Technology, which urgently needed expansion, time was life.

They had to seize every possible opportunity to connect with the highest quality capital.

An investor capable of investing such a large sum in Glimmer Coffee all at once, under their own name, must have significant backing and clearly valued the consumer goods sector.

As long as the other party had ideas, he had absolute confidence in his own enterprise.

After seeing Fang Fang Zhiyuan and his group off, Xie Sister Shu Yu was just about to turn around when she spotted the figure of her friend, Meng Ran.

"How did it go?" Meng Ran hurried over and asked directly.

Xie Sister Shu Yu led her to the back-office area and briefly described the situation from the meeting.

"Lianlian Technology's proposal is very professional and sincere. I've made my decision; we'll choose them."

After listening, Meng Ran's eyebrows knitted slightly. "Their proposal is indeed suitable for Glimmer's current stage. However, this means you've completely fallen out with Shuxian Supply Chain. Being this confrontational will likely invite quite a bit of trouble."

"There's no other way; this isn't something I can decide," Xie Sister Shu Yu said calmly. "At worst, we'll transfer materials from other regions and switch to a few other suppliers. It'll just be slightly more costly and troublesome, that's all."

Meng Ran opened her mouth, wanting to say, "Things are probably not that simple."

But seeing the stubborn expression on her friend's face, she ultimately swallowed her words.

Actually, according to her opinion, Xie Sister Shu Yu could have adopted a much smoother strategy.

For instance, they could have kept the cold-chain business in the Sichuan region with Shuxian while also letting Zhongshu Group participate in Glimmer's Series B financing.

This way, they wouldn't offend the local power players, would secure a substantial amount of funding, and would gain an endorsement for the brand.

However, she also understood her friend's concerns.

After all, Chen Hao clearly had ulterior motives. Considering her boyfriend's perspective as a major shareholder, Xie Sister Shu Yu's actions were reasonable.

Meng Ran sighed inwardly and switched to a lighter topic. "By the way, when is that little boyfriend of yours arriving?"

"Can you not use 'little' to refer to him?"

"Is he very big then? How big?" Meng Ran winked at Xie Sister Shu Yu, her face full of mischievous smiles. "I specially arranged some Gillardeau oysters from our Hema warehouse for you. Tonight, we'll give your man a good tonic to ensure your 'sexual happiness'."

Xie Sister Shu Yu's cheeks instantly flushed slightly red, and she awkwardly adjusted the hem of her clothes.

"Can you stop being so improper? He should be here soon; he messaged me half an hour ago saying he was on his way."

"Oh my god! I'm finally going to meet the real person! You've been so mysterious about it, you've nearly hooked me until my beak turned up."

Xie Sister Shu Yu was just about to say something.

When her phone rang at an inopportune moment.

[Shuxian Supply Chain - Chen Hao].

Both women instantly dropped all jokes and exchanged a glance.

In each other's eyes, they saw solemnity.

Xie Sister Shu Yu pressed her red lips together and pressed the answer button. "Hello? President Chen, is there something you need?"

2

On the other end of the line, Chen Hao's voice came through with a hint of eagerness: "President Xie, here's the situation. Tomorrow afternoon, led by our Shuxian Supply Chain, we will hold a 'Southwest Region New Consumer Brand Supply Chain Coordination Meeting' at our group headquarters."

I have specially invited Vice President Zhang from New Hope Dairy, Chairman Li from the largest semi-finished baking factory in Sichuan Province, and several top fruit and vegetable suppliers will all be present.

Oh, and the person in charge of our group's subsidiary, Coffee Time, will also attend.

At that time, we will announce the most favorable cooperation prices for the next year on-site and open up some exclusive supply chain resources."

He paused, his tone becoming meaningful. "I believe that if you, President Xie, can come in person, you will definitely secure a price you cannot refuse. Moreover, regarding the matter of investing in Glimmer Coffee, we can discuss it further."

Xie Sister Shu Yu pressed her lips together. "Thank you very much for the invitation, President Chen. Unfortunately, I have a meeting tomorrow with our independent investor to discuss some important matters."

"Oh? An investor?" Chen Hao chuckled lightly. "That's perfect; you can invite him to come along. In fact, I've long wanted to meet this powerful investment 'big shot' you speak of."

Xie Sister Shu Yu fell silent for a moment, then said softly, "I need to ask for his opinion on this, but he is very busy, so I'm afraid—"

"It doesn't matter," Chen Hao said dismissively. "I will send you the detailed meeting information via WeChat shortly. I hope President Xie will consider it carefully. I believe this will be a good thing for both of us."

With that, he hung up the phone directly.

Meng Ran whispered, "He's issuing you an ultimatum. Gathering all key suppliers together and offering you discounts in front of everyone—if you go, it equals tacit acceptance of his appeasement; if you don't, it's a public slap in his face, and then you'll really have to switch suppliers immediately."

Xie Sister Shu Yu nodded, extending her slender fingers to rub her temples.

"Let's not talk about this anymore. I'm going to the restroom to touch up my makeup."

"Oh my~ A woman in love indeed knows to touch up her makeup. Haha, such a cute little Yu," Meng Ran said, giving her a slap on the buttocks.

"Get lost," Xie Sister Shu Yu rolled her eyes, a blush rising on her dignified face.

Watching her friend's obviously tense back as she left, Meng Ran sighed softly.

Just then.

"Ding—" The WeChat notification sound rang out.

The phone Xie Sister Shu Yu had placed on her desk lit up.

On the laptop beside her, a WeChat message also popped up.

[Little Song: "Sister Sister Shu Yu, I've arrived downstairs. I'm waiting for you in the booth at the southeast corner. Take your time with your work."]

Below it was a photo of the cafe's interior, taken from the perspective of the booth.

Looking at the nickname "Little Song" and the address "Sister Sister Shu Yu."

Meng Ran chuckled lightly, feeling very intrigued.

She never would have thought that her good sister, who always presented herself as a "workaholic" and "strong woman."

Would actually catch feelings and be in the currently most popular type of relationship—an older woman with a younger man.

This had the flavor of a TV drama heroine written all over it.

However, according to TV drama plots, things rarely go smoothly.

Between the two of them, there would surely be many twists and misunderstandings.

For example, a young, beautiful "green tea" girl who actively throws herself at him, or a "supporting female character" from a prominent family who meddles from the sidelines.

Then Meng Ran's eyes darted; she picked up her bag, told Assistant Xiao Min, who was still handling work, and walked straight out.

She was too curious, too eager to know what kind of man the other party was.

This was not only out of care and concern for her best friend but also because Xie Sister Shu Yu had invited her multiple times to serve as the COO of Glimmer Coffee.

And this Tang Song, as the company's major shareholder, his personality and character would be important factors in her final decision.

After all, it was only because of the relationship between the two that Tang Song had let Xie Sister Shu Yu take the lead.

The governance structure of this company was deeply bound to the founder's personal emotions, and Tang Song was so young.

If their relationship had problems in the future, this huge investment would become a key risk hindering the development of Glimmer Coffee.

The simplest solution was for her to personally "test" him in the guise of a best friend joking around.

Although she wasn't as strikingly beautiful as Xie Sister Shu Yu, her appearance, figure, and temperament were all quite excellent.

She could be considered a standard beauty.

Moreover, having reached this position, she naturally lacked neither ability nor insight.

With just a little contact with a man's temperament, she was confident she could figure out the general idea.

Walking out of the back-office area, Meng Ran subconsciously glanced at her reflection in the smooth metal wall beside her.

Her makeup was exquisite, her smile confident, and her eyes carried the capability and intellectuality unique to urban elites.

Satisfied, she curled the corners of her lips and adjusted the collar of her trench coat.

"Click, click, click—"

Amidst the crisp sound of high heels striking the floor, she walked with confident and graceful steps toward the southeast corner of the cafe.

At this time, there weren't many customers in the flagship store.

Soon, a back view entered her line of sight.

Due to the angle, she could only see his side and rear.

He wore a well-tailored dark cashmere suit that perfectly outlined broad shoulders and a lean waistline; his jet-black hair was groomed meticulously.

At this moment, he was lazily leaning against the back of a large sofa chair, his right hand casually resting on the armrest, his gaze directed out the window at the office building streetscape gradually being shrouded in twilight.

Even though he was doing nothing, he emanated a quiet yet powerful aura.

Just looking at this back view far exceeded her expectations.

Meng Ran's steps subconsciously slowed slightly, and a trace of unease inexplicably arose in her heart.

Before coming, she had mostly treated the other party as her best friend's mysterious boyfriend, intending to evaluate his quality in the posture of an "interviewer" without Xie Sister Shu Yu present.

But now, she suddenly remembered again: a man who could casually pull out forty million in cash to invest, how could he be a simple character?

Even if he was a second-generation rich kid, he was definitely not an ordinary one.

However, having already come this far, her curiosity had reached its peak.

Anyway, he was her best friend's boyfriend, so she wouldn't really offend him.

In the end, it was just a joke.

After giving herself a simple psychological buildup, Meng Ran lifted her head and chest again, put on a bright professional smile, and strode toward that direction.

The distance closed bit by bit.

She reached out and lightly tapped the man's shoulder.

"Hello, Mr. Tang." Her voice was deliberately softened, carrying the magnetism and initiative of a mature woman. "I didn't expect to meet you here. Do you remember me?"

Following her action, the man slowly turned around.

A handsome and radiant face abruptly burst into her line of sight.

It made Meng Ran's heart suddenly skip half a beat.

There was not a trace of surprise or delight in his eyes at being approached by a strange beauty; he merely surveyed her with a deep, calm gaze.

A powerful sense of oppression rushed toward her.

Meng Ran's perfect professional smile gradually stiffened on her face.

She felt that all her carefully prepared little schemes, intended to test the other party, had turned into childish, laughable, clumsy performances under his gaze, leaving nowhere to hide.

An emotion mixed with shame and palpitations surged up instantly.

Just as she was stunned.

Tang Song rose calmly, his tall figure enveloping her line of sight.

The corners of his mouth lifted in a faint arc, and the oppressive aura around him naturally vanished.

"Meng Ran? Hello, I am Tang Song."

His voice was extremely pleasant.

Yet the expression on Meng Ran's face completely collapsed; her head buzzed as she stammered, "H-hello."

—(AI)—

She had specifically asked Xie Sister Shu Yu and was very certain that Tang Song had never seen her photo.

How could he recognize her at a single glance?!

Being in this position, logically speaking, she had met many big shots and should not have lost her composure like this.

It was mainly because this first meeting with the Tang Song before her was simply too far beyond her imagination.

It was not just his impeccable appearance, but also that calm, unruffled, and perfectly controlled powerful aura.

It was simply not something a young person in their twenties should possess.

Just as she was embarrassed beyond measure, Tang Song seemed to see through her thoughts and smiled, saying, "I've heard Sister Sister Shu Yu mention you many times; you left a deep impression."

"Oh, is that so? Well, Xiao Yu went to the restroom, so I came over to say hello first, afraid you might be bored." Meng Ran forced a dry laugh and hurriedly found a way out of the situation.

"Mm." Tang Song nodded slightly with a calm demeanor, raised his hand in a gesture of invitation, and said, "Let's sit and chat. As it happens, our President Xie gave me a task: to trick you into coming to our Weiguang as COO. I was just worrying about not finding an opportunity, yet here you are, delivering yourself to my door."

This half-true, half-false joke instantly diluted the earlier awkwardness.

Meng Ran felt a weight lift from her heart, yet still somewhat reservedly smoothed the hem of her clothes, sat down opposite him, and silently adjusted her mindset.

"Sister Sister Shu Yu mentioned that you are currently working at [Hema Fresh]?"

"Mm, yes." Mentioning her professional field, Meng Ran finally regained a shred of confidence. "I am one of the operations heads for the Hema Southwest Region. It's the busiest time of year; these past few days, I've basically been living in the warehouses and stores."

"Double Eleven just passed, and now you have to prepare for Christmas and New Year's; your pressure must be quite high?"

"Don't mention it." Meng Ran shook her head with a smile. "Last year was about expansion; this year it's all 'cost reduction and efficiency enhancement.' We're chased by Finance every day to crunch numbers, yet we still have to find ways to maintain the user experience; it's quite exhausting. But it's not a bad thing. At least it forces us to pursue refinement and stop burning money recklessly."

"Mm." Tang Song nodded slightly, his tone carrying affirmation. "However, the Hema model is still very imaginative. Combining forward warehouses with community scenarios has brought quite a bit of inspiration to the industry in recent years."

"To put it plainly, it's constant trial and error. Users want cheap prices, fresh goods, and the fastest home delivery—this is almost an impossible equation. We in operations can only try to forcibly piece these elements together."

The conversation between the two unfolded just like that, unknowingly.

Tang Song leaned elegantly against the sofa, legs crossed, silently controlling the rhythm of the entire scene.

As the conversation deepened, Meng Ran finally realized.

Good heavens! You are actually "interviewing" me!

To think she had originally come with the mindset of testing the other party, yet now the dynamic between host and guest had completely reversed.

It actually made her feel the nervousness and thrill of being interviewed by a big shot.

Just then, a tall and striking figure appeared in her line of sight.

Meng Ran finally breathed a sigh of relief and stood up as if a heavy burden had been lifted. "Xiao Yu, you're here."

Tang Song turned and saw the female CEO walking toward them.

A camel-colored coat, a white silk shirt, a black hip-hugging skirt, and flesh-toned silk stockings.

A standard workplace OL outfit.

It made her radiate a charm that combined dignified maturity with sexy brilliance.