The meeting with He Shengyuan arrived as scheduled. It was set at a restaurant on Little Pool Mountain, with an entire floor reserved.
Chen Wan was still the first to arrive. It was not his home ground, but he liked to prepare for everything as thoroughly as possible.
A few people from the other side had arrived as well. All of them had clawed their way through the world of fame and profit, and before the true principals appeared, they quickly warmed up the room.
This time, Zhao Shengge was actually the first of the principals to arrive, though not early. He came exactly on time, alone.
Seeing that neither Tan Youming nor Shen Zongnian was present, Chen Wan took the initiative to walk over and greet him, then introduced the guests in attendance.
Zhao Shengge shook hands with each of them.
Some of these people were He Shengyuan’s friends. Some were old hands in the industry. None were nobodies. In this meeting tonight, half entertainment and half mediation, all of them would play a crucial role.
The guests discovered that the rumored crown prince of Minglong Group, the man of lofty power and position—oh no, by now he was already the one in power—was not as aloof and difficult to approach as they had imagined.
He was only much younger than they had imagined.
And far too handsome.
When Zhao Shengge finished exchanging pleasantries, he turned to look at Chen Wan.
Chen Wan had just raised his glass to someone across the room and set it down. As soon as he turned back, he crashed into Zhao Shengge’s unhurried gaze.
“Mr. Zhao,” he greeted with a smile.
Chen Wan was happy.
It had been some time since the last meal with Shi Zhangmin, and he had thought of Zhao Shengge many times.
In many late nights before dawn in Central, when the last departing ship sounded its whistle, when both his body and mind seemed to have reached their limit and sent out a distress call, Chen Wan would think of Zhao Shengge.
Every time he saw Zhao Shengge in person, he suspected his body automatically produced some light, buoyant, joyful bubbles.
But he quickly remembered his own situation. The atmosphere of that dinner last time had not exactly been good either. So the excited nerves soon quieted again.
Zhao Shengge watched Chen Wan, who had originally been smiling with flawless ease in every direction, become slightly restrained. His posture looked docile and respectful, but it was still restrained.
Completely different from the person in the secretary’s description.
As if they were not the same man.
Then what kind of person was Chen Wan, exactly?
Zhao Shengge felt as though he were meeting him for the first time.
Every time he observed, examined, and analyzed Chen Wan, he obtained many wrong answers. The observation and scrutiny Zhao Shengge believed to be perfectly concealed could not form even one ten-thousandth of the real Chen Wan. Instead, they laid bare himself—wavering, uncertain, unable to find the right method.
But no matter what, Zhao Shengge did not quite approve of this way of doing things.
He took one step toward Chen Wan, but before he could say anything, Shen Zongnian, Tan Youming, and He Shengyuan entered together. They had met downstairs.
Zhao Shengge could only go shake He Shengyuan’s hand.
During that, he glanced back once at Chen Wan.
Chen Wan felt that Zhao Shengge’s gaze on him was somewhat grave. Thinking back to the misunderstanding during the meal with Shi Zhangmin, he kept himself very restrained the entire night and did his best to lower his presence.
Sometimes, Zhao Shengge would glance toward the corner, only to see the back of a black-haired head turned away as it spoke to someone else.
The back of Chen Wan’s head was rather round.
Round-headed people were all stubborn.
The matter was discussed fairly smoothly. Although He Shengyuan had built his foundation in Hai City and his roots were deep, in recent years he had plans to shift his main strength toward the new Northern European shipping routes. Maintaining good relations with the Zhao family and Shen family would reduce future worries.
He Shengyuan enjoyed himself thoroughly. This group of young masters was not as difficult to deal with as he had imagined. After a few rounds of drinks, he called over some young men and women to sit with them and play. There were no overly vulgar activities—just bridge, dice, and drinking to liven things up.
Even beside Chen Wan sat a pretty girl. This was not a situation he could refuse, and He Shengyuan was not someone he could refuse.
The dining table had already been cleared by the servers and turned into a card table.
Chen Wan wholeheartedly wanted to be a miscellaneous worker who poured tea and water, but Tan Youming privately put an arm around his shoulder and instructed him, “Wan, you’re the only one who can play the good cop tonight. As for those two poker faces, Zhao Shengge and Shen Zongnian, I, your Brother Tan, have no hope for them.”
Tan Youming’s heart was practically breaking from worry.
Chen Wan answered with an amused smile.
Although this was not a formal negotiating table, it was still business. Calm on the surface, undercurrents surging beneath. They truly could not let Zhao Shengge and Shen Zongnian play the good cop. That would weaken their own momentum.
Otherwise, they would not have needed to invite so many people.
The dealer drew lots, and Tan Youming was delighted. In the very first game, he got his wish and had his inside man pressed over beside the opposing side.
Unexpectedly, He Shengyuan also burst into laughter. He had a very good impression of Chen Wan. Biting an unlit cigarette, he beckoned Chen Wan to take the seat of honor and said heartily, “So this is floodwater rushing into the Dragon King’s own temple.”
Chen Wan helping him fight Zhao Shengge.
There was a good show to watch.
Chen Wan smiled, but did not act coy. He went directly to He Shengyuan’s side.
A young boy had been arranged beside Zhao Shengge. Zhao Shengge swept a casual glance over him and, in the end, did not stop him from sitting down.
Chen Wan and Zhao Shengge had played as upper and lower hand before. They had never played opposite each other.
Zhao Shengge sat across from Chen Wan. Smoke curled and drifted everywhere around them, but he alone was not smoking. Looking at Chen Wan, he casually gestured for him to begin.
Chen Wan studied the cards seriously. He did not intend to throw the game. There was no need. Shoddy acting would be disrespectful to He Shengyuan.
Besides, in card skill, Zhao Shengge and he were split sixty-forty. Chen Wan had to summon one hundred and twenty thousand percent of his focus to deal with him.
Chen Wan pondered the cards. Under the table, he lightly touched the toe of someone’s shoe. He instinctively drew his leg back a little.
After a few cards went out, the tablecloth stirred faintly again. He accidentally brushed against someone’s trouser leg. He had clearly already been very careful.
The leg he touched seemed to lift once by reflex.
Chen Wan could not see it, but he could feel that it was a pair of very long legs. They had accidentally touched his ankle and calf, the force very light, gone in an instant.
Chen Wan felt deeply apologetic and rude. Once again, he tucked his legs away properly, not allowing himself to make the same mistake again.
Only, his ankles and calves were extremely sensitive places. That feather-light contact had precisely pierced his nerves, making his entire leg feel a little numb.
Someone watching the cards softly reminded him, “Chen Wan, it’s your turn.”
Chen Wan came back to himself and raised his head.
Zhao Shengge was looking at him quietly. Like a gentleman, he pushed a king of clubs toward him.
Chen Wan’s heart jolted. He immediately gathered his attention and played his card.
Zhao Shengge still won this round, though he had not played sharply either. Compared to the time at sea, this could even be called merciful.
He Shengyuan leaned over to count Chen Wan’s lost cards and joked, “Chen Wan, your body is in one camp, but your heart is in the other.”
Chen Wan only smiled and shook his head. “My skill was inferior. I admit defeat.”
He had lost, so he was responsible for shuffling.
During the break, Zhao Shengge took out his phone and checked it, replying to a message.
A card slipped from Chen Wan’s fingers and fluttered to the floor. He quietly apologized and bent down to pick it up.
Zhao Shengge had his head lowered. He probably did not hear.
Chen Wan bent over. The card on the floor was a king of clubs. He did not know whether it was the same king of clubs Zhao Shengge had used in the previous round to overturn the bottom layer of his points.
The image of Charlemagne on the card face flickered dimly beneath the tablecloth. The guests’ legs each held their own posture under the table.
Even among so many equally refined suit trousers and black leather shoes, the pair of legs directly opposite him still stood out.
A bent pair of very long legs, their posture casual and relaxed, yet still carrying a kind of steady dignity. Wrapped in black suit trousers, the folds around the thighs revealed the strength and resilience of the leg muscles, as imposing as their owner.
Beneath the straight trouser cuffs was a section of black sock, wrapping a prominent ankle and extending into polished black leather shoes. There was a kind of meticulous abstinence and sensuality to it.
This person’s shoes and trousers were not the most expensive present, but they drew the eye most. They made a person most want to reach out and touch them...
What would it feel like to be touched by such a pair of legs?
What about being stepped underfoot?
What kind of pleasure would that be...
Heat rose in Chen Wan’s nose.
He felt that he was sick, and terribly ashamed. He struggled to pull back his uncontrollable thoughts and straightened.
Until the second round of dealing began, he was still analyzing. Judging from position, distance, and touch, what he had accidentally bumped into earlier could not possibly have been...
Good that it was not.
His distraction nearly made him misdeal. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and did not draw anyone’s attention. Zhao Shengge suddenly lifted his eyes and looked straight over.
Chen Wan’s heart skipped a beat.
The other man’s gaze was slow, calm, and gentle. Chen Wan suppressed his tangled thoughts and focused on dealing.
Though the stakes at the card table did not truly amount to much, businessmen cared most about auspicious omens.
Starting from the second round, He Shengyuan sat directly beside Chen Wan as his strategist and battle supervisor, guiding his tactics.
He had a strong addiction to cards. Although Chen Wan had not thrown the first round, he had lost after all, and felt rather embarrassed. From time to time, he echoed He Shengyuan, and when he played, he also respected the other man’s opinions.
He Shengyuan was probably from Sai Kwan. He spoke quite quickly, and some of his verbal habits and word choices were difficult for Chen Wan to catch. Chen Wan could only lean closer and half guess his way through understanding him.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder, studying the cards together, brows faintly drawn.
Zhao Shengge abandoned the gentle style of the first round and pressed forward step by step. It was that same king of clubs again, savage and treacherous, swallowing the points Chen Wan had endured hardship to accumulate.
Chen Wan looked at Zhao Shengge with some confusion. He knew the other man was supposed to play the bad cop, but this was far too black-hearted.
The Bodhisattva from the previous round had turned directly into King Yama in the flesh. Chen Wan was wholly caught off guard.
The other man was lowering his eyes to look at his cards. The young boy sitting beside him handed him a glass of mild liquor. Zhao Shengge did not refuse. He accepted it and took a sip.
The boy happily lifted the corners of his mouth.