Soon Liu Xia and Zhang Chun returned from the restroom together. When they saw Chen Xinyu arrive, they were very happy to go up and greet her.
"Xinyu, long time no see. I heard you founded Sky Media in Hong Kong? You've been reporting a lot of big news and inside stories lately, and your free newspaper subscription program is quite bold, with a huge investment." Naturally, the initial goal is to build a reputation, and those well-informed people in Beijing can easily find out Sky Media's background. As for the free newspaper subscription, it's an investment to increase and cultivate users. As long as they accept Sky Media, it doesn't matter how much money they lose.
Chen Xinyu smiled faintly: "It's all thanks to the help of my friends that we have this result today." Chen Xinyu's words were not an excuse. Without Xu Xiaoya's strong efforts behind the scenes, let alone publishing a magazine in such a short time, they probably wouldn't even have been able to establish a basic organization in Hong Kong. Xu Xiaoya directly acquired a newspaper and renovated it, so everything was readily available. Of course, Zhao Ling and Chen Xinxin's contributions were also indispensable. After all, they were the real locals in the South, and it was with their assistance that Xu Xiaoya's work was able to be completed so smoothly.
Liu Xia said, "With your strength, Xinyu, all of this is naturally a natural outcome. By the way, who is this...?" Liu Xia looked at Zhao Qiang next to Chen Xinyu.
Chen Xinyu smiled and said, "This is my friend Zhao Qiang."
Zhang Chun laughed it off: "Is he your boyfriend? Tell me quickly, who is he?" The fact that a man could sit with Chen Xinyu was news in itself.
“Him? Unemployed.” Chen Xinyu knew Zhao Qiang didn’t like to show off, so she made a joke.
Zhang Chun said, "No way, their family background must be extraordinary." Could an unemployed person who could enter Chen Xinyu's inner circle be an ordinary person? This is normal human thinking.
Chen Xinyu said, "As far as I know, his parents are ordinary working people."
Liu Xia was somewhat taken aback: "Xinyu, what are you up to?" Who would believe that Chen Xinyu, with her status, would date an ordinary unemployed man? Did she really encounter a princess and frog prince legend?
Just then, Tian Mengfan pushed open the door and came in with a girl. "Everyone, Shiyun is arriving. Let's go out and greet her."
After Tian Mengfan finished speaking, he saw Chen Xinyu and nodded as a greeting. Since they usually had close contact, Tian Mengfan didn't feel awkward. However, he was a little surprised when he saw Zhao Qiang, but there wasn't time to explain in detail. Tian Mengfan didn't even have time to introduce his girlfriend.
Tong Qiu stood at the door with a smile. The last time they had tea, it ended badly, and he didn't even know what had happened after the explosion. However, he had bravely saved people and had even received a few words of praise from Yang Shiyun. This made Tong Qiu so happy that he couldn't sleep for several nights, and he was even more hopeful for today's gathering.
The car carrying Yang Shiyun stopped in front of the hotel. Tong Qiu opened the back door, and Yang Shiyun stepped out gracefully. Her attire, though conservative, carried a subtle elegance that perfectly matched her cool and aloof demeanor. As Yang Shiyun alighted, Tian Mengfan, along with Liu Xia and others, came out to greet her. Everyone applauded in a warm welcome, saying, "Shiyun, welcome back to China!"
Yang Shiyun wasn't detached from worldly affairs, otherwise she wouldn't have come to today's gathering. Apart from the tea invitation from Tong Qiu last time, she hadn't accepted any other dinner invitations lately, which showed how much she valued the friendship among these people. Giving everyone a faint smile, Yang Shiyun said, "Alright, stop with the welcoming ceremony, let's go upstairs and talk."
Chen Xinyu stood outside the private room. She didn't go down to greet her. Zhao Qiang was even more oblivious. He didn't even leave the private room, so he didn't notice Yang Shiyun's presence until she entered the room. Zhao Qiang kept his head down, and anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was someone's bodyguard.
"Tong Qiu, you were very brave at the scene of the car accident last time." This was Yang Shiyun's second affirmation of Tong Qiu, and Tong Qiu's face beamed even brighter. Then Yang Shiyun praised Liu Xia: "Liu Xia, I heard that you organized a water delivery activity to a drought-stricken area this year, which was very good."
Liu Xia said, "No, no, it was with the help of our friends. We went to the drought-stricken areas of two provinces and delivered more than 50,000 bottles of water. We also got a lot of first-hand information about the drought-stricken areas. Seeing how difficult the lives of the people there were touched me deeply."
Yang Shiyun then said to Zhang Chun, "I heard you became famous at a charity auction, spending over five million to buy an old record by a celebrity."
Zhang Chun said shyly, "It's nothing, it's just a donation, and besides, I really like that CD."
Yang Shiyun then said to Tian Mengfan, "What, you've settled down and found a girlfriend? Why don't you introduce her to us?"
Tian Mengfan quickly pulled the girl behind him over and said, "Wu Xiaodie is also a fan of Su Xiaosu. Quickly say hello to Sister Shiyun."
Wu Xiaodie was a very shy girl, and Yang Shiyun gave off a cold feeling. Even though she tried her best to communicate with the people present, she still couldn't hide her coldness. This made Wu Xiaodie very afraid. Her voice was trembling: "Hello, Sister Shiyun."
Yang Shiyun nodded and said to Tian Mengfan, "Since you have this plan and have brought it to us, you should treat them well in the future."
Tian Mengfan chuckled: "Don't worry, Sister Shiyun, this time I'm really serious, it's not just a game."
Yang Shiyun looked at Chen Xinyu, and Chen Xinyu looked at her in return. Although everyone present was Yang Shiyun's closest friend before she went abroad, Yang Shiyun was not Li Qingqing after all. Given her personality, even her best friend might not be the type to confide in her about everything. Therefore, there was a distance between these friends, and they couldn't just talk casually about anything.
"Why did Xinyu suddenly decide to start her own media company?" Yang Shiyun was also well-informed and could keep secrets from others, but it was difficult for people from extraordinary families to keep their secrets.
Chen Xinyu said, "I don't want to work at CCTV anymore, there are too many rules."
Yang Shiyun nodded: "There's nothing we can do, that's just how things are in this country."
Chen Xinyu asked, "You don't plan to go abroad again this time?"
Yang Shiyun said, "Yeah, I want to find something to do. Staying abroad isn't my home after all."
Tong Qiu quickly said, "Shiyun, if you really plan to stay in China and not leave, why don't you come and help me at my company during this time?"
Liu Xia said, "What are you thinking? If Shi Yun wants to do her business, she'll do it herself. Help you? You wish."
Yang Shiyun ignored the two's argument and instead gestured to Zhao Qiang behind Chen Xinyu: "Aren't you going to introduce him to us?" She had only just noticed Zhao Qiang; otherwise, she wouldn't have waited until now to ask.
Chen Xinyu was a little embarrassed. After all, she considered herself Zhao Qiang's girlfriend. It was inevitable to feel a little awkward the first time she introduced her boyfriend to her friends, but she was mostly proud. "My friend," Chen Xinyu said, still not revealing the truth. Xu Xiaoya was coming soon, and if she openly said that Zhao Qiang was her boyfriend, there would be no way to handle the situation later. If others took it personally and assumed that Zhao Qiang was her boyfriend, it was none of her business.
"Your friend has quite a personality." Yang Shiyun glared at Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang sensed the anger in Yang Shiyun's eyes, but he didn't look up. Yang Shiyun had already recognized him. Her words implied her dissatisfaction with Zhao Qiang pressing down on her that day, and the atmosphere was full of hostility.
Liu Xia, Zhang Chun, and the others were clearly unaware that Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun had interacted before, and more than once. However, the four of them noticed Yang Shiyun glaring at Zhao Qiang. Tong Qiu, after all, was mindful of Zhao Qiang's classmate relationship with Sun Gang, and also because the four young masters had to give Chen Xinyu some face since Zhao Qiang was seen with her. So, Tong Qiu quickly changed the subject: "Everyone, let's take our seats. If we don't eat soon, we might not make it to the airport to pick her up." Since these people were organizing a small concert for Su Xiaosu, they must like her, so going to the airport to pick her up was only natural.
Tong Qiu is a good person, but that doesn't mean all four young masters of Beijing have the intention of being good people. For example, Liu Xia has hardly looked away from Chen Xinyu since she entered his sight. It's not that Yang Shiyun is less beautiful than Chen Xinyu, but Yang Shiyun's status is too high. Even Liu Xia's family background wouldn't dare to dream of her. However, Liu Xia thinks he is good enough for Chen Xinyu, but Chen Xinyu seems not to have noticed his existence at all. Instead, she looks at Zhao Qiang with gentle eyes from time to time. Even a blind person could sense that something was amiss.
When Liu Xia sensed Yang Shiyun's hostility towards Zhao Qiang, he devised a plan. He whispered a few words to the waiter, and Tong Qiu invited everyone to take their seats. Liu Xia then rushed to arrange seats for Zhao Qiang, so Zhao Qiang sat next to Yang Shiyun. Chen Xinyu was originally seated in a seat not next to Zhao Qiang, but how could she leave his side? Thus, Zhao Qiang ended up sitting between Chen Xinyu and Yang Shiyun. Liu Xia's plan to separate Zhao Qiang from Chen Xinyu failed, so he could only sit next to Chen Xinyu. When Liu Xia saw the hostile look Yang Shiyun gave Zhao Qiang, he was secretly delighted. He hoped Zhao Qiang would provoke Yang Shiyun; then things would get interesting.
Yang Shiyun doesn't drink alcohol, and the four young masters, considering they had important business to attend to in the afternoon, only ordered a few bottles of ice-cold beer to cool off. When the beer was poured for Zhao Qiang, he blocked the glass and said, "I'm not drinking anymore, I have things to do this afternoon."
Liu Xia poured more wine, then put on a stern face and said, "Xiao Zhao, this isn't right. Don't you consider us friends? Xin Yu's friends are our friends. You refuse a drink offered by your friends? What do you mean by that?"
The men present had all poured themselves a beer, and Chen Xinyu felt it wasn't appropriate to bring Zhao Qiang out. She advised, "Have a drink, Zhao Qiang. Beer won't make you drunk. I can always explain for you." Chen Xinyu knew that Zhao Qiang was considering the arrival of Xu Xiaoya and Su Xiaosu, which was why he wasn't planning to drink. It wasn't because Zhao Qiang was afraid of them; in fact, Xu Xiaoya loved to drink more. It was just that Zhao Qiang didn't want alcohol to cause trouble.
Liu Xia said, "Look, Xin Yu has already spoken, are you not going to give her face?" These words were a bit provocative.
Seeing Chen Xinyu's pleading gaze, Zhao Qiang released his glass, and beer was poured into his glass. Yang Shiyun sniffed and looked at Zhao Qiang with even more dissatisfaction. Of course, whether Zhao Qiang drank or not was none of her business, but Yang Shiyun had a strange quirk: she was quite sensitive to tastes, and alcohol was one of them. And with Zhao Qiang so close to her, it was impossible for her not to have any thoughts.
At this moment, all sorts of dishes were served in a continuous stream. Liu Xia helped to set the dishes. Zhao Qiang glanced at them and noticed a problem. All the dishes in front of him were cold dishes. Actually, there was nothing wrong with eating some cold dishes in the summer. They were even more refreshing and appetizing. But the problem was that these cold dishes used garlic as a seasoning. Everyone knows that garlic is the most likely ingredient to produce an unpleasant odor.
(Thanks to Langzi Xiaoxiaotou for the monthly ticket support)
Volume 2 [578] Mental Disorder
[578] Mental Disorder
Chen Xinyu knew Yang Shiyun's temperament, so she began to suspect that Liu Xia harbored a prejudice against Zhao Qiang. However, she couldn't say it outright in front of him, so she could only glare at Liu Xia a few times. Liu Xia pretended not to see it, so the matter was temporarily dropped.
"Come on, let's have a drink to celebrate the reunion of good friends," Tian Mengfan raised his glass, and the other three young masters immediately responded.
Zhao Qiang had no choice but to drink the glass as well. With each breath, the smell of alcohol in the air grew stronger. Yang Shiyun moved her chair further away from Zhao Qiang, her eyes filled with dissatisfaction. This pleased Liu Xia greatly; once Yang Shiyun had a prejudice against someone, that person was not far from being doomed.
"Come on, eat, eat," Liu Xia warmly invited Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang picked up his chopsticks, but all the dishes he could reach had an unpleasant smell. He could have stood up and picked up dishes further away, but that would have been too impolite. And who knew how long it would take for Liu Xia to turn the table around? He might not even turn the table around at all, because he was clearly trying to embarrass Zhao Qiang.
Zhao Qiang was a stubborn man. He picked up the food in front of him and started eating. Sure enough, the taste made Yang Shiyun even more unhappy, but Zhao Qiang didn't even bother to look at her. Zhang Chun elegantly put down his chopsticks and said to Yang Shiyun, "Shiyun, how have you been these past few years abroad?"
Yang Shiyun felt a little better after seeing Zhang Chun's standard dining etiquette. She said, "It's alright. Different lifestyles and cultural differences. You'll get used to it. Although the social environment abroad is better, people still look at you with strange eyes. It's not as comfortable as in China. I don't feel at home abroad."
Zhang Chun said, "Do you have any specific plans for the future? We'd like to be prepared and follow your lead."
Yang Shiyun said, "Well, I haven't planned to get involved in business yet, but I want to follow in Liu Xia's footsteps and go to remote areas to see what's going on in China."
Liu Xia happily replied, "Great! I'm willing to be your guide, and I promise to do my best."
Yang Shiyun said, "That's great. Xinyu, as a reporter, I don't recommend that you come with me."
Chen Xinyu considered it for a moment and said, "Yes, I can put aside what I'm doing to do this interview."
Everyone chatted happily, and Zhao Qiang ate heartily. He knew that even if he pretended to be a gentleman, Yang Shiyun wouldn't like him, and there was no need to curry favor with the Four Young Masters. So why pretend? He would just do whatever he wanted.
Yang Shiyun raised her glass and said, "I think it's about time, so before this meal ends, I want to thank you all for your concern. I will be staying in China from now on, and I will have many more opportunities to get to know you all. There's plenty of time in the future, so today I'll toast you all with tea instead of wine." Yang Shiyun wasn't so cold in front of these friends, at least.
The four young masters naturally had to give Yang Shiyun face, so they downed their drinks. Zhao Qiang, who was thirsty from eating, picked up his cup and also downed his drink. Liu Xia said sarcastically, "Oh dear, why did Zhao Qiang down his drink too? Shiyun didn't even toast you."
Chen Xinyu had been holding back, but Liu Xia's targeting of Zhao Qiang made her very angry. Hearing Liu Xia say this, Chen Xinyu spoke up, saying angrily, "Liu Xia, what are you trying to do? What did Zhao Qiang do to offend you?"
Liu Xia said, "Xinyu, you can't wrong me like this. I didn't do anything wrong. I'm just telling the truth, Shiyun, isn't that right?" Liu Xia started to rally his allies. Apart from Tong Qiu, who would secretly support Zhao Qiang to give Sun Gang some face, none of the other four young masters cared about Zhao Qiang unless Chen Xinyu admitted that Zhao Qiang was her boyfriend. But even if Chen Xinyu admitted their relationship, as rivals, those men didn't need to give Zhao Qiang any face. In their eyes, Zhao Qiang was not good enough for Chen Xinyu. A beautiful flower stuck in cow dung would make any man indignant.
All eyes turned to Yang Shiyun. It was almost predictable that Yang Shiyun would support Liu Xia. This was not only because they were good friends, but also because everyone could see that Yang Shiyun had no good feelings towards Zhao Qiang, and even disliked him.
Chen Xinyu was seething with anger. She had already removed the Four Young Masters from her list of good friends. People with such narrow minds didn't deserve to be her friends. In other words, these men had all been after her beauty to some extent when they dated her. Chen Xinyu cursed herself for making the wrong friends. She prayed that Zhao Qiang wouldn't get angry because of this, otherwise the Four Young Masters would be in big trouble.
Yang Shiyun picked up her cup again and looked at Zhao Qiang. Everyone thought that Yang Shiyun would say something to humiliate Zhao Qiang. People of their rank usually don't care about the feelings of those below them. They do what they want and say what they want. Hiding things is not their way of doing things. It's too stifling.
Yang Shiyun looked solemn. She raised her glass to Zhao Qiang and said, "Zhao Qiang, thank you. You know why, even if I don't tell you."
The four young masters were so shocked they nearly dropped their glasses. Why was it a thank you voice instead of a reprimand? One of them thought he'd misheard and rubbed his ear, saying, "Shiyun, are you sure you're telling the truth?" Yang Shiyun had toasted them all together earlier, but her toast to Zhao Qiang was separate.
Yang Shiyun glared at her: "What, do you think I've gone crazy?"
Liu Xia and the others waved their hands repeatedly: "No, no, how could we think that way? It was just too unexpected."
Yang Shiyun neither explained nor paid attention to the four people. She smiled slightly at Zhao Qiang, took a sip of her drink, and raised her cup in a gesture of respect, as if her previous dislike for him had never existed.
Zhao Qiang rubbed his nose. Yang Shiyun's actions were truly unpredictable. Just now she was being hostile towards him, but now she wanted to express her gratitude. Was she trying to prove that she could separate public and private matters? Zhao Qiang picked up his glass and downed the wine without saying a word.
The atmosphere on the scene became a bit awkward. Apart from Chen Xinyu, who knew that Yang Shiyun was expressing her gratitude to Zhao Qiang for saving her at the car accident scene, everyone else was confused and dared not speak.
Yang Shiyun put down her glass and suddenly stood up. Under the watchful eyes of the four young masters, she picked up the wine bottle on the table, tilted it to the side, and poured wine for Zhao Qiang. The four young masters were somewhat bewildered. What was going on? They had known Yang Shiyun for over ten years, but they had never seen her pour wine for anyone else, let alone a strange man. Did she hate Zhao Qiang's taste and intend to smash the bottle over his head and knock him out? Such a violent act seemed unsuitable for her.
Zhao Qiang accepted Yang Shiyun's offer to pour him more wine without hesitation, and then chuckled and joked, "I am truly honored."
Yang Shiyun stood beside Zhao Qiang, leaning forward slightly and whispering almost into his ear, "I'm clear about right and wrong. I'm grateful you for saving me, but I also hate you because I dislike the way you saved me and your style of doing things."
Zhao Qiang touched his nose and said nothing. The two were in a rather ambiguous position. Even Chen Xinyu was a little angry. The four young masters' eyes almost popped out. It turned out that it wasn't about hitting people with wine bottles, but about really refilling wine. This honor made them more envious and jealous of Tian Mengfan, since he brought his girlfriend. The other three men were all pale with envy.
After speaking, Yang Shiyun suddenly raised her foot and stepped on Zhao Qiang's instep, then stomped down hard and twisted it. Zhao Qiang, in pain, covered his mouth, his face contorted in agony. How could he have imagined that a woman as rigid and aloof as Yang Shiyun would do such a thing?
Chen Xinyu sat next to Zhao Qiang and saw Yang Shiyun's actions clearly. Yang Shiyun's behavior was beyond her expectations. Wasn't this too intimate? Just a moment ago, Yang Shiyun was giving Zhao Qiang the cold shoulder. Are all women so fickle?
Yang Shiyun put down the wine bottle, and then said to Zhao Qiang in a barely audible voice, "Don't think you can fool my sister. If you want to marry my sister, you'd better stay away from other girls." It turned out that Yang Shiyun already knew about the relationship between Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiqi. The Yang family all knew about this, so it was probably impossible to keep it from Yang Shiyun.
Yang Shiyun returned to her seat and ignored Zhao Qiang from that moment on. This gave the four young masters some psychological comfort; if Yang Shiyun continued to behave that way, they would go crazy. Although they had a thousand questions in their minds, none of them dared to ask. Pressing Yang Shiyun about things she didn't want to explain would only anger her.
Liu Xia was even more furious with Zhao Qiang, but he dared not make any more bad moves, mainly because he was afraid that Yang Shiyun would do something unexpected again. So the lunch proceeded smoothly. As the time for the plane to land approached, everyone set off for the airport to welcome Su Xiaosu.
When they arrived at the airport, they found out that their flight wouldn't land for another twenty minutes, so everyone sat in the VIP lounge. Tian Mengfan said smugly, "Su Xiaosu is really lucky. She's being promoted by several big companies at the same time. I remember when she was studying in Beijing, one of my small companies even invited her to do a commercial performance. Back then, it was only a few hundred yuan per show, and she looked so pathetic."
Liu Xia said, "What did you think he did before? Li Ka-shing worked as a waiter and a repairman, and he's still doing very well now, isn't he?"
Zhang Chun reminded Tian Mengfan, "Mengfan, don't look down on Su Xiaosu. Although she's just an actress, do you know who her god-sister is?"
Tian Mengfan shook his head: "Who is it? I'm not looking down on her, but I feel like everyone is paying too much attention to her."
Zhang Chun said, "Absolutely. Su Xiaosu's rapid rise to prominence is inextricably linked to the people behind her. Her biggest supporter is her god-sister, Xu Xiaoya."
Tian Mengfan gasped, "Really? No wonder they can afford to burn money like that. Home Investment is a company that even the world's largest conglomerates wouldn't dare offend easily."
Liu Xia snorted: "You only see the people with a lot of money, have you ever investigated the people behind Lingdong Entertainment?"
Tian Mengfan said, "Zhao Ling comes from a working-class family. Isn't she just benefiting from Su Xiaosu's influence? If it weren't for Su Xiaosu, would Jiayuan Investment have invested so heavily in her?"
Liu Xia said, "You're wrong. Zhao Ling has a good friend named Chen Xinxin. Haven't you investigated Chen Xinxin's true identity? She is Chen Guangwei's daughter. She was able to expand her business in the south despite the suppression from Chen Guangmin's family. This Chen Xinxin is no ordinary girl. With her supporting Zhao Ling in the south, who would dare to say no?"
It turns out that the Four Young Masters valued Su Xiaosu not only because they liked her, but also because they were interested in the connections behind her. The Four Young Masters were influential in Beijing, but in terms of economic power, they weren't even worthy of carrying Xu Xiaoya's shoes. In terms of control over the local economy and officials, they were not even as powerful as a municipal party secretary. Not to mention, in an unfamiliar southern coastal city, people don't act without self-interest. People of their age and status would never blindly follow celebrities.
Volume 2 [579] Something Happened
[579] Something happened.
After waiting for a full half hour, there was still no news of the plane landing. Even Yang Shiyun couldn't help but stand up and say, "What's going on? Is the plane still en route? How can it be delayed for so long?"