Zhao Qiang said, "Is there anyone with the surname Yang more authoritative than Yang Shiqi? Unless it's Old Master Yang, but he wouldn't be interested in holding a concert, much less hold onto the tickets."
Zhou Wan said, "Of course it's not Old Master Yang. He doesn't care about entertainment matters. But this person is somewhat related to Yang Shiqi."
Zhao Qiang said, "As far as I know, Yang Shiqi doesn't seem to have a brother."
Zhou Wan said, "But she has an older sister."
Zhao Qiang was speechless. He knew that Yang Shiqi had two older sisters, but he had never met them. He had heard that they were not in the country, and he didn't know which one Zhou Wan was referring to.
After driving for a while, Zhou Wan kept Zhao Qiang in suspense before explaining, "Her name is Yang Shiyun. I'll take you inside in a bit. Don't say anything out of line. Just follow behind me and do whatever I tell you, understand?"
Someone who can make Zhou Wan so serious must be extraordinary. Zhao Qiang nodded in agreement, although he wasn't afraid of this person named Yang Shiyun.
"She just returned from studying in the United States and heard that Su Su was very talented, so she sponsored her to hold an internal concert. However, the news leaked out, and now the ticket price has been inflated to more than 10,000 yuan, and there are no tickets available."
Zhao Qiang believed that this was not a matter of sponsorship or not. Zhao Ling would never be stingy with the money for Su Su's concert. This was to give Yang Shiyun face, since Yang Shiqi had a special relationship with him. Although the girls were secretly competing with each other, they still had to treat each other with respect on the surface. If anyone did something that didn't save face, it would be a loss of face for Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang has never been to the Yang family before. He thought he would come with Yang Shiqi, but he didn't expect that a completely unrelated girl would bring him. However, Old Master Yang might not know about his arrival, otherwise he would definitely have reacted at all.
Zhou Wan got out of the car obediently at the entrance. A guard drove her car to the garage, and someone else contacted the villa's staff. After approval, someone led the two of them inside. Being able to own a villa in the heart of Kyoto is not something that can be done just by having money. Moreover, the villas in this area are lined up in a row, so it is certain that this is no ordinary place.
Zhao Qiang followed Zhou Wan, carrying a large bag of cosmetics. Finally, the two entered a reception room, which was empty. Zhou Wan said to Zhao Qiang, "Put the things on the table and sit for a while. We should be able to see Yang Shiyun soon."
Zhou Wan said she had been waiting for a full hour, and Zhao Qiang was about to slam his fist on the table in anger. Even Yang Shiqi wouldn't dare to put on airs like this in front of him. How dare her second sister leave her standing there for an hour? If she couldn't even come out to meet him and give him an answer, and couldn't even serve him a cup of tea, this was just too impolite.
To Zhao Qiang's surprise, Zhou Wan was unusually quiet, which was completely out of character for her. Seeing Zhao Qiang getting impatient, she even advised him, "Be quiet, I don't want to leave a bad impression." Zhao Qiang was actually quite excited to see Zhou Wan like this.
After waiting for another half hour, footsteps finally sounded outside the door. Zhao Qiang hurriedly turned on his X-ray glasses, wanting to observe Yang Shiqi's sister as soon as possible. A girl walked leisurely and unhurriedly towards the door, wearing a loose casual top and sweatpants.
With a creak, the door to the reception room was pushed open, and a girl with a cold and beautiful face walked in. Although the air conditioning was on in the middle of summer, the room was still hot. However, the girl brought a cold aura with her. Zhou Wan couldn't help but shiver, and Zhao Qiang also felt goosebumps. The chill made him forget about the girl's appearance.
Yang Shiqi has an androgynous appearance. She is beautiful, and her skin is very fair, but she lacks femininity and is overly masculine. However, her second sister is not like her. At first glance, you can't find any similarities between the two. It's as if they were raised by different parents. In a daze, Zhao Qiang actually found a few familiar things about the girl in front of him. Perhaps it was because he hadn't seen the girls in his family for a while. So the girl in front of him had some of Xu Xiaoya's decisiveness, some of Hu Qian's gentleness, some of Luo Wei's shyness, and even some of Liu Yiyi's mature beauty. When she smiled calmly at the two of them and was about to speak, Zhao Qiang even felt the sweet and cute taste of his senior sister.
"Did Sister Zhou need something?" Yang Shiyun knew Zhou Wan, but they weren't close, otherwise she wouldn't have called her "Sister Zhou." Besides, if the two were familiar, Zhou Wan wouldn't be so reserved.
Zhou Wan quickly replied, "Yes, I heard that Sister Shiyun just returned to the country, so I brought you some cosmetics. Although the appearance is not very good, they are all top-quality products from the popular youth health product company. You can't buy them anywhere else."
Zhou Wan gave Zhao Qiang a push, and Zhao Qiang quickly stepped forward to hand over a plastic bag. Yang Shiyun didn't take it. Zhao Qiang thought to himself, "She's got quite the airs." Helpless, Zhao Qiang could only put the cosmetics on the table one by one, so that she could see the goods first. Otherwise, it would be difficult to bring up the matter of asking for a receipt later.
Zhou Wan enthusiastically introduced, "Shiyun, don't be fooled by the appearance of these cosmetics. Just try a little bit and you'll know I'm telling the truth. We're all girls, and we have an instinctive feeling for cosmetics. When these cosmetics touch your skin, you'll immediately have a feeling."
As she spoke, Zhou Wan unscrewed a bottle, gently applied a tiny bit with her finger, and then nervously reached out to take Yang Shiyun's hand. Yang Shiyun frowned, but ultimately did not refuse. So Zhou Wan applied a tiny bit to the back of her hand, and immediately Yang Shiyun's brows relaxed. It was probably because the cosmetics gave her a really good feeling.
Zhou Wan naturally noticed Yang Shiyun's reaction as well, and she said with some pride, "Sister Shiyun, I was right, wasn't I? These are all good stuff. Even Qingqing and I don't have any to use. They're not available on the market at all."
Yang Shiyun said, "You must have a reason for giving me such an expensive gift." She wasn't one to beat around the bush, and since she'd accepted the gift for no reason, she was bound to do something.
Zhou Wan lowered her head, feigning shame, and said, "I want to ask Sister Shiyun for a few tickets to Su Su's concert."
Yang Shiyun said, "This is not for sale to the public." If the tickets were as cheap as cabbage, it would certainly be unequal to the gifts received.
Zhou Wan immediately said, "That's right, otherwise why would I come to Sister Shiyun for help? Please help me."
Yang Shiyun glanced at the cosmetics and said, "I can only give you ten."
Zhou Wan was overjoyed, not expecting the cosmetics to be so powerful. Yang Shiyun, a person with such a temper, had approved ten sheets without hesitation, which far exceeded Zhou Wan's initial expectations. So she immediately said, "Thank you, Sister Shiyun."
Yang Shiyun glanced at Zhao Qiang, and Zhao Qiang boldly glanced at her in return. Their eyes met briefly. Zhao Qiang was curious that Yang Shiqi's second sister was such a strange woman, while Yang Shiyun was probably curious about how an ordinary man like Zhao Qiang could be hanging out with Zhou Wan.
"Come with me to get the tickets," Yang Shiyun said to Zhou Wan, leaving Zhao Qiang alone in the meeting room. However, Zhao Qiang didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, Zhou Wan came running back, jumping and skipping, holding a stack of tickets in her hand: "Got them! Sister Shiyun is really awesome!"
Zhao Qiang wasn't as surprised as Zhou Wan had imagined. Zhou Wan said, "You should be content. You'll understand how I feel when you see Su Su and hear her songs."
Zhao Qiang chuckled: "I've already seen her."
Zhou Wan was somewhat surprised: "Huh? How could that be?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Her older sister and I were high school classmates."
Zhou Wan was extremely surprised: "How...how could this be? What a coincidence! You should have said so earlier! These cosmetics are a free gift!"
Zhao Qiang successfully took three tickets from Zhou Wan, leaving the remaining seven tickets to her disposal. After leaving Yang Shiyun's house, Zhao Qiang did not ride in the same car as Zhou Wan. Instead, he called Sun Gang, who said he would immediately call a taxi to pick him up, as taxis were not common in this area and it was difficult for Zhao Qiang to find one.
(Thanks to Id问天Coins for the reward, and thanks to readers 429171433425, mzjia, and Blood Clan for their monthly ticket support)
Volume 2 [574] Drinking Tea
【574】Drinking Tea
Sun Gang was acting mysteriously in the taxi. Zhao Qiang asked him, "What good thing happened to you? You can't stop smiling."
Sun Gang leaned close to Zhao Qiang's ear and whispered, "Guess where Chen Yang is right now?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I hope he hasn't been taken in by some rich woman and kept as a mistress."
Sun Gang said, "He doesn't have that kind of charm."
Zhao Qiang said, "I can't guess that."
Sun Gang said, "Someone gave us those three oil tanks for free. Chen Yang went with them to the resettlement site. They said they would store them for free. As long as we put oil in them and left them there, we would make a fortune when the price of oil goes up."
Sure enough, back at the oil factory, Chen Yang was nervously supervising the crane lifting three large oil tanks. Three special transport vehicles were already ready to go. The man in the white shirt who had recently attacked Zhao Qiang was now shouting at the construction site: "Careful, careful, a little further forward, okay, lower it, lower it..."
Seeing Zhao Qiang and Sun Gang return, Chen Yang scurried over excitedly, his attitude towards Zhao Qiang incredibly amiable, "Zhao Qiang, are you done with your work? Where's Miss Zhou?"
Zhao Qiang said, "She's already left after she got the ticket."
Chen Yang said, "Who exactly is she? Look at that woman in the white shirt, she's completely changed her attitude towards us. She insists on buying the three oil tanks and giving them to us, and even finding us a place to store them for free. It's like a windfall."
Sun Gang said, "What do you mean by 'manna from heaven'? They're only doing this because of Miss Zhou. Don't be arrogant."
Chen Yang chimed in, "Yes, yes, it's because of Miss Zhou's influence. After all, our classmate is Miss Zhou's good friend."
Zhao Qiang said, "She and I are enemies." It's impossible to make Zhao Qiang give up his hatred for Zhou Xiaowan just because he has three oil tanks.
At this moment, the man in the white shirt arrived, his previous seriousness gone, replaced by a grinning face: "Mr. Zhao, are you satisfied with how this matter was handled?" The people who came to buy the oil cans weren't important figures; important figures wouldn't personally intervene. The man in the white shirt couldn't afford to offend Zhou Xiaowan, so he had to curry favor with Zhao Qiang. Considering that they 'slept together' at night, even if they were currently fighting tooth and nail, the man in the white shirt wouldn't dare offend them. They believed in the saying "a fight at the head of the bed is reconciled at the foot of the bed," and outsiders shouldn't interfere in a couple's domestic affairs. As long as things didn't truly break down, the man in the white shirt had to fawn over Zhao Qiang; otherwise, he'd be in big trouble if Zhou Xiaowan lost her temper.
Zhao Qiang no longer needed to worry about the oil tanks. He said to Sun Gang, "Let's find a place to rest. It's unbearably hot here."
Sun Gang said, "Yes, yes, I'll treat you to tea. Let's go."
Sun Gang was naturally very fond of Zhao Qiang at this moment, and the place where he was invited to drink tea was even registered in Beijing. Including some snacks and dried fruits, the cost was estimated to be as high as three thousand yuan, which made Zhao Qiang speechless. It was just a bowl of tea.
Drinking tea is an elegant and relaxing experience, and with the air conditioning on full blast in the tea room, the three of them chatted comfortably.
Whether it was a mistake by the waiter or a broken lock, the door opened a crack without anyone noticing. Just then, someone passed by in the corridor. Sun Gang saw him immediately, stood up with delight, quickly opened the half-closed door, and whispered to the person outside, "Young Master Tong, you're here for tea too?"
Zhao Qiang didn't recognize anyone outside. He wasn't very old, probably in his early twenties. He was dressed fairly properly, with a serious expression that gave him a mature-beyond-his-years feel. His clothes were not like those of some young people who like to dress in a trendy way; instead, they were a bit old-fashioned.
Tong Shao nodded to Sun Gang: "Mr. Sun, you're here for tea too?" It seems the two really know each other.
Sun Gang warmly ushered him into the room: "Is Young Master Tong alone? Come, come, sit here with me, let me introduce you to a friend."
Tong Shao glanced at his watch and said, "I have an appointment with a friend, but I still have some time, so I'll bother you for a few minutes." His words were extremely polite, giving Sun Gang plenty of face.
Sun Gang was naturally pleased and gestured for them to enter, introducing the people in the room to Tong Shao, "This is my old classmate, his name is Zhao Qiang, and this is my assistant, Chen Yang, who is also my classmate."
Tong Shao nodded slightly to the two of them as a greeting. Chen Yang stood up and greeted them, "Hello, Tong Shao," his voice humbly.
Zhao Qiang simply stood up and shook hands with Young Master Tong. He didn't think Young Master Tong was worth currying over; they should just treat each other as equals.
While Tong Shao was taking his seat, Sun Gang introduced him to Zhao Qiang: "Tong Shao is one of the four young masters of Beijing. His full name is Tong Qiu. His father is a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee. Tong Shao himself has achieved great success at a young age. We had some business cooperation before, so I was fortunate to get to know Tong Shao, and I was also fortunate that Tong Shao did not mind and we became friends."
Zhao Qiang didn't know who the "Four Young Masters of Beijing" were, but the fact that Tong Qiu, a member of the Politburo, would still give face to Sun Gang showed that he was very shrewd and different from ordinary playboys. Zhao Qiang had to give him a thumbs up.
"What good stuff did Boss Sun bring to Beijing this time?" Tong Qiu asked. He knew that Sun Gang was in the seafood and dried goods business. Last time, he bought a batch of natural and green seafood and dried goods from Sun Gang and brought them home, where they were praised by his family. If it weren't for this, he wouldn't have agreed to come in for a chat.
Sun Gang said apologetically, "I haven't received any high-quality goods recently, so I haven't had the heart to bother Young Master Tong. However, I have already contacted the source of the goods, and I will notify Young Master Tong as soon as there is any news."
Tong Qiu nodded: "Okay, I'll wait for your call. It's getting late, I'll go over and make some arrangements. My friend will be arriving soon."
Sun Gang certainly didn't dare to delay Tong Qiu's business, so he stood up to see him off, saying, "Take care, Young Master Tong. We'll keep in touch later."
Tong Qiu left the room without glancing at Chen Yang and Zhao Qiang again. Given his status, it was already quite an achievement that he greeted them when he came in, especially since Zhao Qiang didn't have a sign on his head claiming to be a superhero.
Whether Sun Gang was intentionally observing the activity in the corridor or the door simply wasn't closed properly, it was still ajar. After the three of them had drunk two cups of tea, they heard crisp footsteps outside. The sound was fast and urgent, indicating that the owner must be a very energetic person.
"Little Dongzi, I'm here, get out here right now!" Someone shouted in the corridor. This kind of thing is rarely seen in the teahouse, because people who come to drink tea all want peace and quiet and no one wants to disturb anyone else.
Zhao Qiang shrank into the corner, because he knew who was outside the door without needing to see through things. It was Li Qingqing, whom he hadn't seen yet today. He never expected that such a tough girl would come to the teahouse.
With a soft creak, the door to a tea room next door opened, and a hearty laugh rang out, "Qingqing's here! I'm here, please come in." It was Tong Qiu; the guest he was waiting for was Li Qingqing.
Li Qingqing was wearing a tank top and a mini skirt, an outfit that completely captivated Chen Yang. He kept peeking through the crack in the door, hoping to get a better view of her ample bosom beneath the tank top. Sun Gang flicked Chen Yang's head and warned him, "Don't look where you shouldn't. Beijing isn't Dongyang City. You'll be in big trouble if you accidentally offend someone."
Chen Yang was indeed a little scared. Thinking about Tong Qiu's background, he quickly followed Zhao Qiang's example and shrank back, silently drinking his tea.
The people outside didn't rush into the tea room, and the door to this room was ajar, so the voices outside could be heard clearly. Li Qingqing said, "Are you deliberately trying to insult me?"
Tong Qiu chuckled: "What are you saying? Even if I had the desire, I wouldn't have the guts."
Li Qingqing said, "If you invited me to a bar, I would definitely go without hesitation, but coming to a place like this, aren't you putting me in a difficult position?"
Tong Qiu said, "I invited you here to accompany one of my distinguished guests."
Li Qingqing asked curiously, "Oh, there aren't many people who can be called noble in your eyes, Young Master Tong."
Tong Qiu said, "Yang Shiyun is back in China. I'd like to invite her for afternoon tea, but we haven't seen each other for so long, and I'm afraid it might be a little awkward. So I'd like you to join us. You're a lively person, so please help liven things up."
Li Qingqing's expression changed: "You surnamed Tong, you're really making trouble for me. You know I don't want to see her. She's always so cold and aloof, like she doesn't want to associate with anyone, as if everyone owes her money. Aren't you just asking for trouble?"
Tong Qiu said, "Qingqing, you can't say that. We grew up in the same compound. Even if we don't have much contact, we still need to maintain appearances. What do you think? Shiyun has been back in the country for a few days now, and I've been thinking about this. It would be too impolite not to say hello to her soon."
Li Qingqing said helplessly, "Alright, alright, she's already here. Can she leave now? When will she arrive?"
Tong Qiu glanced at her watch: "It should be about time. Let's go inside and wait. These rooms are by the window, so we can see right outside and she'll spot us as soon as she arrives."
Zhao Qiang was just at Yang Shiyun's house, and he didn't expect her to be invited to have tea again. If he had known this would happen, they should have all gone over together.
The conversation in the corridor ended, and then the door to the next room closed. Sun Gang felt relieved and continued to refill his tea while chatting and catching up with Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang's attention was fixed on the view outside the window. From his position, he could clearly see everything outside the teahouse. If Yang Shiyun came, Zhao Qiang would notice her too. After all, Yang Shiyun was Zhao Qiang's sister-in-law, and he couldn't ignore her. However, this sister-in-law was a bit cold. Next time he saw Yang Shiqi, he would definitely ask her if Yang Shiyun had suffered any psychological trauma.
This teahouse was truly a tranquil oasis amidst the hustle and bustle. Inside, it was incredibly elegant and peaceful, but outside, the road was a whirlwind of traffic. While it might not be the busiest street in Beijing, the traffic flow was staggering. In the few minutes that Sun Gang and Chen Yang were chatting, Zhao Qiang had already observed nearly three hundred cars pass by. The driving skills of these big city drivers were truly exceptional. If Zhao Qiang didn't rely on his super biochip for control, navigating this road would be extremely difficult.
Amidst the surging traffic, no one noticed a small child running out of a roadside shop; the parents, undoubtedly distracted by their shopping, must have overlooked him. Curious, the child walked step by step into the middle of the busy road, completely unaware of the impending danger. Because the child was positioned so out of the way, even Zhao Qiang only noticed him at the last moment; given his current location, it was impossible for him to reach the child within the allotted time.
A light truck fully loaded with goods sped by, but the driver reacted quickly enough. When he saw the pedestrian suddenly appear in the middle of the road, he immediately slammed on the brakes. The truck wheels spun and slid along the ground, emitting smoke.
Volume 2 [575] Car Accident
[575] Car Accident