It has to be said, Old Man Joe's place is excessively luxurious. This dinner was practically a replica of Arab royal cuisine!
Inside a domed building decorated in a distinctly Muslim style, exotic tapestries adorned the walls, and a central table was laden with various fresh fruits. A small, golden-brown roasted lamb sat nearby. Two large gold jugs were filled with vibrant red wine.
A golden scimitar gently sliced open a piece of the demon's leg, instantly releasing an irresistible aroma! The room was filled with the delicious scent of meat and fresh fruits. And of course, there was also a peculiar aroma of spices that I couldn't quite describe.
"The reason this stuff tastes so good is in these spices," Jojo's father laughed. "I spent a lot of money to get this recipe."
I didn't stand on ceremony with him. I took the golden curved knife beside me, cut off a piece of mutton, and put it in my mouth. After a couple of bites, it was indeed delicious. I couldn't help but exclaim, "Delicious! The crust is crispy and fragrant, while the inside is soft and flavorful! And the spices are truly exceptional!"
Actually, when I walked into this restaurant, I felt a little awkward. I didn't know if it was worry or anticipation, but I originally thought I would see Yang Wei again at this dinner.
But I was relieved when I got here. Old Man Qiao only invited me here.
Of course, while I felt relieved, a slight sense of disappointment also flickered in my heart.
"Chen Yang, do you know why I've called you here today?" Old Man Qiao sat opposite me, both of us sitting cross-legged on a Persian carpet. If we were dressed in Arab attire, and had two beautiful women with veils standing beside us, we would truly look like Arab royalty.
"I don't know." I shook my head and said frankly, "But Mr. Qiao, you must have something to tell me. Please feel free to give your instructions."
Qiaoqiao's father nodded, a satisfied look on his face, but he didn't say anything more. Instead, he clapped his hands. Soon, several girls in white dresses walked in. These girls had all undergone rigorous professional training. Dressed in white dresses and wearing white veils, although their faces weren't veiled like Arab girls, they came barefoot. Each of their snow-white ankles had a gold ring with a clear, tinkling bell. As they walked, the sound was melodious and carried a touch of alluring charm.
The girls came in, each holding a round plate, and placed them in front of my father and Qiaoqiao's father.
"Try it, this is the real delicacy." Qiaoqiao's father looked very proud: "Secret recipe lamb liver! This is the authentic royal method of making it. It is made with fresh lamb liver from newborn lambs. It is tender but not soft, smooth but not greasy! With the special blend of spices... I dare say, you can only find this in Shanghai."
I did as instructed and took a sip, immediately praising it repeatedly. Then I picked up the large silver glass on the table and took a sip of wine. I closed my eyes and savored it for a while before letting out a long sigh: "Excellent! Truly excellent!"
"Hehe, I don't even know how it's made. Only the chef I hired at a high price kept it. The only thing I know is that this lamb liver was steamed with honeydew melon juice to remove the fishy smell of the meat... Hehe, Chen Yang, do you know that just this one bite you ate is worth more than a normal person's monthly salary?"
"Hey!" Qiaoqiao's father seemed to chuckle, then suddenly asked, "How do you plan to repay me for what happened last time?"
Although the question came suddenly, I wasn't surprised.
Qiaoqiao's father is a cunning old fox! I've seen through him long ago. He wouldn't do anything without benefiting himself. Besides, I do owe him a huge favor.
"Go ahead and tell me. As long as it's within my power," I replied readily.
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Seventy-Six: Unparalleled Weapon!
I wasn't surprised at all by Old Fox Qiao's demand for "repayment." I took a sip of my drink, and the girl next to me immediately refilled my glass. I then deliberately smiled, giving him a slight sidelong glance, and said, "Mr. Qiao, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself."
"What's the use of a man making so much money in his lifetime?" Qiaoqiao's father laughed. "I've seen plenty of fools who have the life to make money but not the life to spend it. Of course, you should enjoy the money you've earned. Otherwise, even if you accumulate a fortune, all you'll get after death is a small urn of ashes. If you don't make yourself comfortable now, wouldn't you have lived in vain?"
Looking at the roasted meat on the table, the golden plate, the silver cup, the various precious fruits, and the delicious lamb liver... I sighed. I was afraid that the wine in front of me was worth more than an ordinary person's hard-earned money for a month.
“Mr. Qiao, what do you need? Why don’t you just say it now?” I smiled wryly. “To be honest, you’ve been keeping me in suspense. I’m a little nervous. No matter how delicious this meal is, I can’t help but feel uneasy while I’m eating.”
"Haha! The dignified Fifth Master is afraid?"
"Fear? Of course I'm afraid. What I fear most is owing someone a favor," I said with a faint smile.
Qiaoqiao's father's smile vanished. He squinted at me, then waved his hand.
The girls around us, who had been busy pouring drinks and serving food with their snow-white arms, immediately stood up and gracefully left.
It was just the two of us left in the room.
"Chen Yang, what do you think of this place I have?"
I hesitated for a moment, then replied without hesitation, "Very good!"
After a pause, I said sincerely, "I never imagined that you, Mr. Qiao, would be able to create such a place... Although this place is luxurious, you must have spent a lot of money on it. But the benefits it brings are immeasurable!"
"Oh?" Qiaoqiao's father smiled.
“Of course!” I sighed. I whispered, “Such a den of iniquity! Here you can find almost every kind of top-tier luxury, food, drink, entertainment—everything imaginable! More importantly, a fixed circle has formed here! Everyone knows Shanghai is the economic center of China! And your place has practically captured Shanghai's wealthy class! It's practically a club for the rich! I'll set aside the fact that you're running this place, providing these most luxurious and top-tier experiences—the profits are naturally considerable… but that money isn't the main thing! More importantly, this club of Shanghai's top tycoons belongs to you! Over the years, you've cultivated countless connections and relationships here! With so many wealthy people gathered here, you must have obtained countless invaluable business opportunities and information every day!! In terms of value, this place is simply priceless!”
At this point, I looked at him and smiled, saying in my most sincere tone, "I truly admire you for being able to run such a place! Mr. Qiao's business has grown and prospered over the years, and the help this club has provided to you has been invaluable!"
"Hehe, since you describe this place so well..." Qiaoqiao's father suddenly said leisurely, "Then, how about I transfer this place to you?"
My heart skipped a beat, and I almost dropped the wine glass in my hand, but I managed to hold back. When I looked at Qiaoqiao's father, his face was inscrutable...
"Haha, you must be joking!" I laughed out loud.
Qiaoqiao's father did indeed seem to be joking; he squinted, and his tone was casual and nonchalant as he spoke those two sentences. But upon closer inspection, I noticed that his eyes were extremely serious!
I couldn't help but feel secretly alarmed!
Is he serious?
My mind raced with calculations!
I am perfectly aware of the true value of this club! And as I just made it clear, the value of this club lies in the immeasurable network of connections it can provide! To put it jokingly, with so many wealthy people gathered together, if each of them were to casually let you in with even a small business opportunity, it would be enough for you to make a fortune!
When you're navigating the business world, the personal relationships you cultivate with so many wealthy individuals can be incredibly beneficial to your career, to an immeasurable degree!
Would Old Man Qiao really be willing to transfer such a golden goose to me?!
"Do you think I'm joking?" Qiaoqiao's father's words sent a chill down my spine!
I took a deep breath and gripped the cup in front of me tightly. I gripped it very hard because I needed to hide my true emotions! I was afraid that my hand would tremble and betray the turmoil in my heart!
I understand perfectly well that when negotiating with a cunning old fox like Qiaoqiao's father, I can't show the slightest weakness!
I took a big sip of the wine, and the originally fragrant and rich grape wine seemed to turn bitter. There was no joy or delight on my face. Instead, I slowly put down the glass, took a deep breath, and stared straight at this old fox.
"In that case, why don't you tell us your conditions first?"
Instead of showing any excitement, he looked at me with a deep and solemn expression, as if he were giving me a landmine instead of a hen that lays golden eggs.
My composed expression earned me a hint of admiration in Qiaoqiao's father's eyes.
He said slowly, "Chen Yang, you really didn't disappoint me."
I just smiled and didn't say anything.
Qiaoqiao's father sat up straight, then pulled a document from under the table and slowly pushed it towards me. My eyes lit up, but I sneered inwardly: He was indeed prepared!
“This is the total estimated value of this clubhouse,” Qiaoqiao’s father said with a smile. “I started managing this place eight years ago. I didn’t buy the land at the time; I only obtained the right to use it for forty years. After forty years, the state has the right to take back the land… Of course, that’s just a statement. With our abilities, finding a way to retain the right to use this land shouldn’t be difficult.”
"Not bad." I smiled.
"Back then, I acquired the land use rights to this plot of land. Although it was only forty years, I still spent 200 million yuan to bid for it. Although this is a remote suburb and the land price is much cheaper than in the city, considering the size of this place and the price, it is already considered very low."
I nodded: "That's good."
Leaving aside the rows of detached mansions, the various clubs, and the unique service venues, just considering the standard-sized golf course alone, the area is already enormous!
“Based on land prices eight years ago, 200 million back then would be worth at least four times the land price now,” Qiaoqiao’s father laughed. “That’s not even the purchase price, just the price for the 40-year land use right. If we buy this land, it will double again!” He spoke casually, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary. “There’s a standard golf course, a racecourse, six indoor sports halls, an outdoor botanical garden, an artificial lake, nineteen detached villas, and three apartment buildings, each with luxurious suites built to five-star hotel standards. There are also six restaurants of different styles, three tea houses, and seven indoor clubs for various activities. In addition, it has obtained membership certification from the International Billiards Organization, the Bridge Organization, and so on… All of this, plus the current value of this land, if I had someone estimate its worth, this place would be worth at least 1.4 billion! If I were willing to sell it, let alone 1.4 billion, even 2.4 billion, someone would definitely be willing to buy it!”
I could feel my fingers trembling slightly, but I carefully placed my hand under the table to hide it.
"Anything else?" My voice was calm, or at least I was pretending to be calm.
My composure finally surprised the old fox, Joe.
"At the same time, the projects operated here can generate a profit of about 60 million yuan annually... although it's not a huge amount. But you and I both know that the value of this place isn't in that." Qiaoqiao's father gently tapped the document: "Currently, there are 130 members of various levels here. Among them, all the top tycoons in Shanghai whose names can be found are members here! It can be said that if you were to list the top members here, it would be almost the same as the Forbes rich list in China. Although there are some omissions, it wouldn't be too far off. There is also a wealthy person from out of town who, although not a regular member, comes once or twice a year and also holds the title of honorary member. This includes members of the Li family in Hong Kong and the Rong family in mainland China..." Qiaoqiao's father suddenly joked: "If we were to hold a big gathering here, bringing all these top members together, and then if Bin Laden came and dropped a bomb, the entire Chinese economy would probably regress by 15 years the next day! Of course, this is a joke; these people of status cannot just attend any gathering."
I'm still listening!
"Eight years isn't a long time, but it's not short either. My Rich Club has already made a name for itself. Outsiders may not know about it, but within this circle, having a membership card here is a symbol of status! What does that represent? It represents the loyalty of our clients and members! It represents the members' sense of identification with this club!" Old Fox Qiao smiled with a hint of smugness: "Moreover, in these eight years, I've gathered what can be described as the most comprehensive intelligence data in all of China!"
He continued to tap lightly on the document with one finger, then spoke slowly and deliberately, uttering words that shocked me...
Old Man Qiao said:
“This contains almost all the most secret hobbies of the wealthy! Their preferences, their lifestyles, what they like to eat, what they like to play, what they like to do, what they dislike, what they are superstitious about... it’s all here! I’ve collected all of this over eight years!” He said slowly, “Don’t underestimate this information. In some ways, I even think this information is more valuable than this place itself!”
My heart started pounding!
As Sun Tzu's Art of War says: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated!
This saying applies to the battlefield, and it certainly applies to the business world as well!
Imagine you're navigating the business world. Before dealing with your business rivals or partners, you'd naturally want to gather all their information beforehand—the more detailed, the better!
At times like these, you might have a document... containing information on all your rivals, partners, enemies, friends, and all the important figures you want to befriend and curry favor with!
What do they like and dislike? What brands of clothes do they prefer? What kind of food do they like? How well-done do they like their steak? What kind of women do they like—long hair or short hair? Hot or gentle? Or what kind of tea do they like to drink? Are they cunning or treacherous? Are they loyal or opportunistic? What sad memories have they had? What do they value most in their hearts?
You have complete control over all of this… You can know all the weaknesses in your opponent's personality and habits! You can seize the opportunity to strike! And you know all the preferences of your friends! You can cater to the tastes of the people you want to curry favor with… Everything about them is transparent to you! What would that feel like?
In my opinion, this situation is almost like playing a computer game but having a cheat code in your hand!
The value of this information is almost incalculable!
Just as I lost my composure, the old fox Qiao suddenly laughed: "Chen Yang, you've finally fallen for him."
I took a deep breath and looked at him frankly: "Yes, I am indeed tempted! Something like this is practically priceless. Who wouldn't be tempted? This is an unparalleled weapon that can make one conquer the business world!"
“It is indeed an unparalleled weapon.” Qiao Qiao’s father smiled, then suddenly stood up and pushed with his large hand!
With a few loud crashes, all the food and plates on the table were pushed aside and fell to the ground. Then, he calmly and slowly pushed this dish in front of me.
His voice was like a devil tempting me: "As long as you agree to my conditions, as long as you nod your head, all of this... will be yours!"
I strongly resisted the urge to reach for the thing in front of me. I took a deep breath and repeatedly told myself to stay calm!
Stay calm!
The rush of passion in my head slowly subsided, and I suddenly smiled...
I chuckled, then moved my hand off the table and placed it on my knees, which were crossed over my legs. I looked at Qiaoqiao's father with a calm expression and said, "I am tempted, but the terms are probably outrageously expensive. Why don't you tell me first and see if I can afford it? If I can't afford it, then even the best things are meaningless if I can't buy them."
As we talked and laughed, I even picked up a pair of chopsticks from the table, pointed to the ceiling, and laughed even more easily: "I also really like the moon in the sky; it's a wonderful thing. But I can't possibly buy it and use it as a fluorescent light at home, can I?"
Seeing that I had clearly been moved, but suddenly and inexplicably calmed down, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Qiaoqiao's father's eyes.
He stared at me silently for a while, then slowly sat back down.
We stared at each other... and I suddenly remembered a metaphor from some novel I couldn't recall:
It looked like a gaze between a leopard on land and a seal.
a long time……
"I'm getting old," Qiaoqiao's father finally said.
I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
“I am fifty-eight years old this year.” Qiaoqiao’s father pondered for a moment, looked into my eyes, and at that moment, his eyes were very peaceful.
"When I was young, I was too engrossed in my career and neglected my family. It wasn't until I was in my thirties that I had a daughter like Qiaoqiao." Qiaoqiao's father's face suddenly aged a few years at this moment.