The dinner was set for two days later. Shi Zhangmin was in his sixties, his temples faintly white, and he was easygoing, without much of an air about him.
In his early years, he had been a well-known action star on both sides of the strait and had won the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor. Later, when age caught up with him, he left acting and went into business.
Chen Wan worked in technology. Early-stage research and development burned through money, and he urgently needed to connect with a stable, powerful funding pipeline. Hai City’s economy had been sluggish these past two years, and he had set his sights on an officially backed mainland investment project. But a coveted project like that usually would not fall to a small company like his.
Shi Zhangmin had high public recognition on both sides of the strait and a wide network. It was said that one of the directors over there was an old fan of his films, so Chen Wan wanted to try.
Chen Wan did not know Shi Zhangmin. A mutual friend had introduced them. Chen Wan had decent connections; when ordinary people could help him, they were usually willing to give him a hand.
Shi Zhangmin had agreed to meet him because Chen Wan had come with repeated, sincere requests, and because an old friend had promised him again and again that this young man was worth meeting. Even if the matter could not be done, this young friend was worth making.
So Shi Zhangmin met him. Chen Wan was indeed very good, and the two of them had a pleasant conversation.
But Shi Zhangmin still spoke very directly. “Young man, how did you think of coming to me? Coming to me is the slowest and most roundabout path.”
How could Chen Wan not know that? But this was already the fastest, nearest path he could find.
Since Shi Zhangmin put it that way, he was not discouraged. He only said, “Please don’t put it that way, Mr. Shi. Even if it’s true, I’m not afraid of slow.”
Shi Zhangmin saw that he could stay steady, then asked him some questions about his plans. Chen Wan answered them one by one.
Shi Zhangmin said, “When I say I may not be able to help, I’m not being modest. The water in this sort of thing is very deep.”
Still, no disappointment showed on Chen Wan’s face. Only then did Shi Zhangmin say, “At most, I can help introduce you. After that, you’ll still have to work the connections yourself.”
The fact that he was willing to agree was enough to make Chen Wan very happy. The chance was slim, but Chen Wan had never been afraid of coming up empty. He picked up his glass and toasted him.
Shi Zhangmin said, “It really may not work out. The relationships over there are tangled and complicated, and the officials are hard to deal with too. Can you drink? The way they drink isn’t a joke. It’s suffering.”
Chen Wan said, “My alcohol tolerance is passable.”
“Being able to drink doesn’t mean it’ll work out either. When the time comes, you may not catch this ride, and you’ll have wasted your time too. Your later-stage funding leverage is stretched so long. It won’t be easy.” In these past few years, plenty of tycoons worth over a hundred million had failed to hold on.
“I know. I’ll do my best. Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Shi.”
Seeing that he was determined to throw himself at the Yellow River, Shi Zhangmin stopped trying to persuade him. After a few cups, he got up and went to the restroom. Chen Wan stayed in the private room and messaged his partner, saying he might need to make a business trip soon and go over there to work some connections.
When he heard the door open, he put away his phone, poured the wine, and smiled. “Mr. Shi—”
Shi Zhangmin came in smiling, and behind him followed a tall man. A storm swept through Chen Wan’s heart, but his face remained very calm as he stood.
He had not seen Zhao Shengge for a very long time. Chen Wan had been busy.
But it was also possible that, because he had been warned last time, Chen Wan did not dare see Zhao Shengge and had therefore arranged himself into busyness.
Chen Wan was not sure whether Zhao Shengge wanted outsiders to know they knew each other, so he only stood modestly to the side and did not take the initiative to greet him.
Shi Zhangmin said warmly, “Ah Wan, this is Zhao Shengge, Mr. Zhao. A friend of mine. We haven’t seen each other in a long time. I happened to run into him on the way and invited him over for a drink.” He truly had not expected to run into Zhao Shengge here. In Hai City, how hard was it to see Zhao Shengge even once?
As if meeting him for the first time, Chen Wan smiled and greeted him. “Mr. Zhao.”
Zhao Shengge looked at him for a moment and felt that he had lost a great deal of weight. Then he gave a businesslike nod. “Mr. Chen. It’s been a long time.”
“…”
Surprise showed on Shi Zhangmin’s face.
Originally, he had not wanted others to know he was in contact with Chen Wan. But after getting to know him, he still felt this young man was very good. His fate was simply poor. As for his mother’s matter, rumors had more or less circulated in Hai City’s circles years ago.
Perhaps people really did grow more softhearted with age. He had thought that if he could connect Chen Wan to Zhao Shengge, everything would become much easier. Who would have known they already knew each other?
“Ah Wan, if you know Mr. Zhao, why didn’t you tell me?”
Zhao Shengge also turned to look at Chen Wan.
“…” Chen Wan quickly lowered his head and poured tea for Zhao Shengge, answering Shi Zhangmin, “I didn’t know you and Mr. Zhao were friends.”
Zhao Shengge did not drink the tea. He did not speak either.
A moment ago, Shi Zhangmin had still thought Chen Wan exquisitely tactful. Now he felt this young man’s brain was a little wooden. So, in and out of his words, he hinted that Zhao Shengge was the true heavyweight in energy. If Chen Wan could get onto his path, forget that one project—the resources afterward would no longer be a worry.
But Chen Wan seemed not to receive his signal at all. He did not toast. He did not take the initiative to speak. He showed no intention whatsoever of climbing up the pole offered to him. He simply sat there properly and listened.
While Shi Zhangmin and Zhao Shengge chatted and laughed, he quietly called the manager in to add dishes, then opened the menu and studied it page by page with extraordinary seriousness.
Probably because he was preparing for the start of construction on the new terminal, Chen Wan had noticed the fatigue between Zhao Shengge’s brows the moment he entered. He had also grown a little thinner.
And Zhao Shengge was indeed the sort of person who, if there was nothing to his taste, would not take a single bite even if he was hungry, nor would he say anything to anyone.
After Chen Wan finished ordering, he asked the manager to hurry the kitchen along. Although he no longer felt he could accurately grasp Zhao Shengge’s tastes, and he did not dare seem too attentive, this could at least count as basic etiquette in hosting a guest. This meal had originally been his invitation to Shi Zhangmin, and since Shi Zhangmin’s friend had come, that made him his guest as well.
As Zhao Shengge listened to Shi Zhangmin speak, he watched soup and dim sum arrive one after another, all of them steaming hot enough to whet the appetite. Something stirred faintly in him, and at the same time, he was somewhat speechless.
Whether Chen Wan was clever or stupid—he felt he needed to reassess that.
He had been sitting here for quite a while, and Chen Wan had not mentioned a single proper matter. Instead, he had busied himself ordering dish after dish.
Zhao Shengge watched the newly added dishes come out one after another until they were finally all served. Then, without warning, he asked, “Are you still not full?”
He was not fierce. In fact, his tone could even be considered gentle and gentlemanly.
But once the words came out, the other two fell silent for a moment.
He had not named anyone, but the question was clearly for Chen Wan.
He had not said half a useful sentence, but he had studied the menu with great seriousness.
He had studied it so seriously, yet he had not eaten. He had ordered so much, and his chopsticks had not moved.
“…” Chen Wan could only say, “The manager said these are all seasonal new items. If Mr. Zhao is interested, you can try them.”
Seated between them, Shi Zhangmin watched the two young men without showing it, and a few questions rose in his mind.
Listening to Chen Wan’s tone earlier, he had thought the two were not close. But listening to Zhao Shengge’s tone now, he was no longer sure.
He smoothed things over with a laugh. “Come, let’s all try some. Just now Ah Wan and I were busy drinking and hardly ate properly.”
Zhao Shengge glanced at the person who had barely touched his chopsticks and sighed inwardly. “Then let’s eat first and talk after.”
Chen Wan was quite happy to see that he was willing to eat. He had the lowest position at the table, so he served soup for everyone.
Zhao Shengge was not in much of a mood. Only after watching Chen Wan drink half a bowl did he drink his own.
They ate while talking. Shi Zhangmin spoke the most, and Chen Wan did not open his mouth for a long while. Zhao Shengge, following Shi Zhangmin’s words, took the initiative to ask in a half-true, half-false way about the mainland investment matter.
Perhaps because his voice was deep and cool, when he spoke of business, there was an innate pressure and sense of control to it. Chen Wan froze for a second. Sparks flashed through his mind, and a layer of cold sweat rose along his back.
He hurriedly expressed, tactfully but firmly, that he had no improper ambitions toward the energy market.
Hai City’s traditional real-estate industries were declining now, and energy was the backbone of the economy. Kexiang worked in transfer-and-synthesis technology and was merely one small link in the energy pipeline. But this technology was almost monopolized by Minglong. Even if Chen Wan had the newest patent, he fundamentally could neither threaten Minglong’s commercial territory nor cling to it.
Intellectual property was a very sensitive area, especially now, when market and industry regulations were not yet fully standardized.
The more Chen Wan thought about it, the more inappropriate it felt. He even set down his chopsticks and poured tea for both men, carrying a faint air of apologizing for an offense.
“…”
This time, both Zhao Shengge and Shi Zhangmin fell silent.
Zhao Shengge leaned back in his chair and looked at Chen Wan, his gaze calm and waveless, while in his heart he remembered what Chen Wan had said to Song Qingmiao that day at Lotus Serenity Temple.
Forget it.
Chen Wan was not stupid.
Zhao Shengge had Zhao Shengge’s pride. Since Chen Wan regarded him as something venomous and avoided him as though he could not get away fast enough, then he would not say another half a word.
The newly added dishes were almost untouched. Very soon, he rose and politely said goodbye to Shi Zhangmin.
Shi Zhangmin urged him to stay again and again, but Zhao Shengge still left.
Chen Wan felt uneasy and a little at a loss. He had thought Zhao Shengge’s appetite just now had been fairly good, but the moment business was mentioned, he had lost all interest.
He silently sighed and decided that, in Zhao Shengge’s heart, his crime of harboring ulterior motives had been compounded.
Perhaps no one in this world would believe that he truly had no intention of gaining anything from Zhao Shengge.
After Zhao Shengge left, Shi Zhangmin said Chen Wan was too honest as a person.
Chen Wan smiled and said his mouth was clumsy; he was not very good at speaking.
Shi Zhangmin looked at him with eyes that were not yet too cloudy. “Your mouth isn’t clumsy. Your heart is.”
But a clumsy heart also meant a heart without stray thoughts.
Chen Wan poured tea for him and called the server in to pack up the food. A whole table of dishes and dim sum, almost untouched, could only be taken home and slowly eaten by him.
Maybe.
Shi Zhangmin said he was stupid. Song Qingmiao said he was stupid. Zhuo Zhixuan also said he was stupid.
Perhaps he really was a very stupid person, always doing very stupid things.