NOVPUB
Chapter 135: Chapter 133: Li Ya Comes Knocking
"The cooperation this time had its twists and turns, but the result is a happy one for all."
Chen Jin put away his phone and continued, "I thought Wen Shulin would push for a lower price, but she gave in."
Chen Cheng smiled, "LinkedIn’s strength is there for all to see, I think she must have been close to her bottom line."
With Chen Cheng’s words, Chen Jin felt even more proud inside.
But he still said, "I think there’s another reason for that."
Chen Cheng, seeing that meaningful smile, thought that Wen Shulin and his act had been seen through.
But what followed, Chen Jin’s words, indeed made Chen Cheng secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"LinkedIn and CGG are different in nature; they are licensed, long-established institutions with complex approval processes and many factors to consider."
"But we at LinkedIn are private equity. We make money fast, have wide channels, and very low capital costs."
Leaning forward, Chen Jin whispered, "Mr. Chen, I think your innovation this time is quite good. Those who are capable get to eat meat; those who aren’t can only watch."
Chen Cheng understood the hidden message in his words.
Chen Jin wanted to keep such competitive bidding rules going.
And Chen Cheng himself had reaped a bountiful harvest under this "equal conditions" pact, directly earning nearly 19 million.
But he understood another principle.
Bidding once or twice was harmless, but if it happened every time, those who failed to get a piece of the action would surely have complaints.
Jin Baogen didn’t refute Chen Cheng’s approach this time, but Chen Cheng knew clearly that the trailblazer set this rule to prevent competition and to let everyone at the round table, every institution, get a share of the spoils.
Moreover, Chen Cheng was in this position because of certain reasons, and also because of his current relationship with Wen Shulin, he couldn’t agree to this "good friend’s" insinuations.
"Old Chen, everyone wants to make money," Chen Cheng said with a light smile, "but we can’t let LinkedIn alone fill its belly, while others go hungry."
Upon hearing Chen Cheng’s words, Chen Jin was stunned at first, then quickly laughed and said:
"Mr. Chen, you misunderstand me, that wasn’t what I meant. I do know we can’t just look out for ourselves, it’s just that the bidding rules this time were quite effective, they really motivate everyone."
Seeing him deny his previous statement, Chen Cheng took the opportunity to smoothly divert, "Old Chen, this time was special. Next time, we’ll follow the rules."
Chen Jin nodded emphatically, understanding the principle of not overeating at a feast.
At this moment, Tong Jialu came over.
She stood beside Chen Cheng, "Brother Cheng, all procedures are completed."
Chen Cheng pointed to the chair beside him, and Tong Jialu sat down.
Chen Jin’s assistant also sat down beside him, took out an iPad, and after both parties had confirmed the account again, Chen Jin performed the transfer operation.
"Happy cooperation, Old Chen." Chen Cheng raised his teacup.
Chen Jin: "Hey, at this moment, we should drink some wine! Champagne!" 𝚗o𝚟pub.𝚌𝚘𝚖
Saying that, he snapped his fingers twice.
Chen Cheng set down his teacup, and asked with a smile, "Starting to drink at this hour?"
"Today, the two of us will not go home until we’re drunk!" Chen Jin tapped his phone meaningfully and smiled.
...
...
Meanwhile...
"Sir, why won’t Chen Cheng add me?"
After having lunch with Wen Shulin, Su Liya had gone for a stroll.
She was supposed to return home, but she sneaked out again and got in touch with Wu Dongyi, who had just gotten off work.
On receiving the message from his goddess, Wu Dongyi was thoroughly energized, as if he had not been at work at all.
And, upon arriving at the entrance of Wanliu Academy, he realized that Su Liya was truly wealthy.
Not only did she have a Black Card, but she also lived in a multimillion-dollar mansion, which was clearly not the kind of life that a fund manager like Li Hao could offer her.
Obviously, Su Liya was wealthy in her own right.
But when he heard her first sentence upon getting in the car, his passion cooled down significantly.
"Well..." He couldn’t understand why Chen Cheng wouldn’t add Su Liya either, and said, "Maybe because they’re not well-acquainted?"
Su Liya sat in the back with her head drooping. She just wanted to find out if it was this Chen Cheng who had helped her.
Her own mother’s words were clearly hiding something, but her intuition told her that Chen Cheng was her hero.
Through the rearview mirror, Wu Dongyi observed Su Liya’s reaction, confused in his heart.
"Does Dacheng have such a great charm? To bewitch this young foreign lady so thoroughly?" he pondered.
The vehicle headed towards the direction of Big Willow Tree, and Wu Dongyi also wanted to know what kind of place Chen Cheng had opened after resigning.
...
...
"Wanbao Hall... Wanbao Hall..."
Wu Dongyi, noticing the navigation indicating that they were close to their destination, slowed down the car and started looking for the restaurant sign among those on the street, repeating the name under his breath.
Su Liya also perked up, joining in the search.
Soon enough, the two of them indeed saw the somewhat weathered signboard.
"This is a place for dining?" Wu Dongyi parked the car, and he and Su Liya walked in.
But before they even stepped over the threshold, he was captivated by the ancient and refined decor.
What Wu Dongyi didn’t expect even more was the stunningly beautiful woman sitting at the cash register.
"Hello?"
Xiao Meier lifted her head, looking at the two newcomers, "Hello. Just the two of you?"
Wu Dongyi smiled and said: "Well... we came here looking for Chen Cheng."
Xiao Meier blinked, her face full of confusion.
Since the opening, there had been many people looking for Chen Cheng.
But none called him by his full name directly, so she guessed that these two weren’t very close to Chen Cheng.
Consequently, she asked cautiously, "May I know who you are?"
"I am an old colleague of Dacheng," Wu Dongyi explained, "We met a couple of days ago, and he mentioned he had opened a restaurant, so here I am to try the taste."
He glanced around, not seeing Chen Cheng’s figure, "Isn’t he here?"
Xiao Meier came forward warmly, "Xiao Cheng is out on business today, please come this way."
She led them to a table by the window, pulling out the menu, "What would you like to eat?"
Wu Dongyi flipped through the menu, and was shocked by the prices.
A dish of Mapo Tofu selling for 68, not to mention the other dishes.
Seeing that the two hadn’t ordered yet, Xiao Meier said, "Take your time selecting, I will bring two bowls of red bean soup to refresh you first."
"Hey, sure!"
Once Xiao Meier had walked away, Wu Dongyi asked in a low voice, "So, Dacheng isn’t here, are we still going to eat here?"
Su Liya had finally seen a glimpse of hope and wasn’t ready to give up so easily.
"Eat! I’ll treat you!" she stated decisively: "I just want to meet him!"
"Well, that’s great!" Wu Dongyi then relaxed, as long as he knew the reason for coming and that Su Liya had money, otherwise, he’d really think he’d encountered a meal scam.
Xiao Meier returned with two bowls of red bean soup, warmly serving them: "Try this, it’s a specialty of our restaurant."
"And even if Xiao Cheng isn’t back yet, our quality control of the dishes is still excellent."
Wu Dongyi happened to flip to the dessert page, seeing that even this seemingly ordinary bowl of red bean soup cost 48, he couldn’t help but hurriedly take a few bites.
"Wow, this is really delicious!" he exclaimed.
Seeing his reaction, Su Liya also took a taste.
The silky texture and unique aroma of dried tangerine peel instantly melded and dissolved in her mouth in a way she had never experienced before.
"This red bean soup is truly amazing!"
The recent stresses became a fleeting memory with the sweetness of the red bean soup.
Hearing the standard Taiwanese accent from Xiao Meier was surprising.
But she was even more pleased that another person appreciated her craft, beaming with smiles, she asked: "What else would you both like to eat?"
Wu Dongyi: "How about this black truffle with salmon sashimi rolls, Hundred Flowers Honey Roasted Pigeon, Braised Sea Cucumber with Abalone Sauce, truffle wild mushrooms..."
Xiao Meier reminded, "Our portions here are actually quite generous. It’d be a waste to order too much."
"Not at all, I haven’t eaten lunch!" Wu Dongyi turned to Su Liya, "Do you want to try anything else?"
