However, on the day of the opening ceremony, Chen Wan did not see Zhao Shengge’s seat or nameplate on the rostrum.
Zhao Shengge had grown increasingly low-key over the past few years. On the rare occasions he attended meetings, he followed his three-no principle: no speeches, no cameras, no interviews.
Financial reporters and everyone in the media industry shared that understanding. Even when he attended an event, no one was suicidal enough to try pointing a camera or microphone at him.
The assembly hall was built in a Roman-style circular structure, with thick carpeting and warm-toned chandeliers. It was very grand.
There were many attendees this time, and security was unusually strict. Chen Wan had been assigned a relatively remote seat far toward the back.
He swept his gaze around the hall and confirmed that Zhao Shengge was not there.
A man in a high and powerful position did not sit beneath dangerous eaves. He hid among the sea of people like an eye looking down from midair, like a hand controlling the whole situation from behind the scenes.
The vice chairman of the Commerce Association listed several preferential policies that would be trialed in the Bay Area in less-than-standard Mandarin, encouraging all innovators present to seize the opportunity and be the first brave enough to try the crab.
Chen Wan sensitively caught several key terms and quickly noted them down in his notebook, planning to go back afterward and study them carefully with his partner.
The mid-session recess lasted a full half hour. Zhuo Zhixuan crossed more than half the hall to the back to chat with Chen Wan. He did not have much of an industry of his own, and attending this dull, tedious meeting was entirely due to family pressure.
The hall had signal jamming in place. These few hours of being unable to touch his phone had nearly driven Young Master Zhuo insane.
“You’re actually taking notes.” Zhuo Zhixuan glanced at the terms Chen Wan had written down and said casually, “Instead of waiting for this draft plan to be implemented, you’d be faster off going to Shen Zongnian.”
Zhuo Zhixuan lowered his voice slightly. “For the border-island matter, the Commerce Association has no say. That’s Zhao family territory.”
Going directly to Zhao Shengge was out of the question, but Shen Zongnian could still help make the connection.
“No need,” Chen Wan said.
Zhuo Zhixuan said, “Don’t be naive.”
Preferential policies promoted resource flow and fairness to a certain extent, but they were too slow. The real things had already been circulated once at the top, with a few scraps leaked down for the people below to fight over.
Chen Wan took a sip of black tea and still shook his head.
Zhuo Zhixuan laughed in exasperation. “Why are you being so stubborn, Chen Wan?”
Sometimes he truly had no idea what Chen Wan was thinking. Say he had no desires and fought for nothing, and yet he was smooth and adaptable everywhere. Say he was calculating and scheming, and that was not quite right either.
Thinking about it carefully, Zhuo Zhixuan really had never seen anyone mix around beside them and still end up like this.
It was embarrassing even to say. Many things were simple, insignificant matters to them, yet Chen Wan simply would not open his mouth. He insisted on making a huge detour by himself. Those casual acquaintances who had only drunk a few glasses with Tan Youming or Shen Zongnian would have long since borrowed the tiger’s might and strutted around waving a chicken feather as an official warrant.
All the good water was flowing into outsiders’ fields. Zhuo Zhixuan was unhappy, and a few degrees of anger inevitably rose in his voice. “Chen Wan, can you have some kind of plan?”
Chen Wan had a good temper. He only smiled without speaking.
After quickly browsing through his notes once and confirming there were no mistakes or omissions, he said freely, “Don’t worry about me.”
“I know what I’m doing.”
There was simply no communicating with him. Chen Wan looked easy to talk to, but his mind was set harder than anyone’s. Once he decided on something, there was no changing it.
Over the two-day meeting, Zhao Shengge never appeared.
Perhaps encounters between people really did depend somewhat on fate—but even more on effort.
Opportunities were always left to those who were prepared. Nine missed attempts, and the tenth fulfilled his wish. That alone was enough to recharge Chen Wan.
That tenth time was at an auction, from very far away.
Zhao Shengge was very low-key. He never had a large crowd of bodyguards and assistants trailing after him. Today, he had not even brought an assistant. He walked over alone and sat in the central seat prepared by the organizers.
A wide distance separated each viewing seat, so neighboring guests would not disturb one another.
Chen Wan had been arranged in a very remote, very dim corner. Looking over from afar, Zhao Shengge seemed even more restrained than before.
He truly loved observing Zhao Shengge. The sight of the other man crossing his long legs, leaning back against the chair, and lowering his eyes to read the booklet made Chen Wan think of a lion indifferently looking down upon all living things. He appeared steady, but was in fact languid, a little bored. Occasionally he would lift his eyes and glance at you, then lower his head again and sink back into his own world.
The dim, shadowed light made his profile look very quiet, with a hint of the cold that came from standing too high.
Zhao Shengge was not quite the same as he was in Chen Wan’s memory. Even Tan Youming and Shen Zongnian, who had grown up with him, might not be able to detect where the difference lay. But Chen Wan loved observing Zhao Shengge too much, so he came infinitely close to the truth: the other man was using a growing authority and decisive ruthlessness to cover the fatigue at the corners of his eyes and brows.
When power was given to a person, some kind of shackle was inevitably imposed as well.
Zhao Shengge was like a high mountain that did not collapse in a crisis. That nearly imperceptible trace of weariness was a fallen leaf drifting through a valley stream—insignificant, unnoticed by all. Only the bird that flew toward this mountain every day would know.
A high mountain stood there to be looked up to. Chen Wan became that bird, circling it year after year without stopping.
The auction had not yet begun. Around him, guests chatted in pairs, their voices very low. Chen Wan could hear some of it.
“He jumped from the Financial Tower. Seventy-eighth floor. The pool in Huajing Park was stained red with blood. A lot of people saw it.”
“The police came and cleaned it up very quickly. They also wouldn’t let reporters go in to film. Mrs. Mak cries every day now, and she even went to Minglong Tower to protest and demand justice.”
“I heard it wasn’t because of that bad debt. It was Mak Jiahui being dishonest, playing tricks with... going in circles, and then trying to join hands with the Hua family. After that... lost patience. Even more hard-hearted than his old man.”
“...You can’t provoke him... signing charity donation contracts for disabled children on one side while forcing a wealthy enemy into bankruptcy and suicide on the other... killing and saving people, all in a single thought.”
That person was like Voldemort, whose name could not be spoken. Everyone understood tacitly and kept their mouths shut.
A small disturbance sounded not far away. One of the staff made some mistake while serving tea at Zhao Shengge’s table. The people around them all fell silent at once, lowered their eyes, and pretended not to notice.
But Chen Wan saw Zhao Shengge lift a hand to the other party like a gentleman and calmly say that it was all right. His voice was also very polite and gentle.
Chen Wan thought that even if Zhao Shengge himself had heard the private gossip those people had been chewing over just now, he would not become angry.
Zhao Shengge was actually easier to talk to than many people. Although his presence was very strong, his emotions had always been calm: warm yet stern, commanding yet not fierce, courteous and at ease.
Of course, having ruthless methods was another matter.
Chen Wan did not seriously listen to what was displayed at the auction.
He only knew that Zhao Shengge bought a Ming Wanli blue-lotus treasure-mouth vase, because after the auctioneer called the price once, the sale was completed. No one was bold enough to bid against Zhao Shengge.
When it ended, Zhao Shengge walked out with a middle-aged man. The other party was much older than him, but perhaps because of the difference in height, even that widely known Hai City official lost some of his bearing and presence standing beside him.
The two spoke occasionally. Zhao Shengge still said little and listened more.
The guest threshold for this auction had been set very high, so there were not many people. When guests passing by saw Zhao Shengge, they did not act rashly. They only greeted him with a respectful “Mr. Zhao.”
Chen Wan was one of them.
When he walked out of the exhibition hall with a companion from the same industry, he brushed briefly past Zhao Shengge, but there was no pause, nor did their eyes meet.
The other man did not recognize him—had not even noticed him. Chen Wan was not surprised at all.
Even though he had already relied on Tan Youming and Zhuo Zhixuan’s favors and face to attend several dinners where Zhao Shengge was present, Zhao Shengge would not remember an irrelevant person.
Chen Wan had always known his place.
And he did not mind. He was not asking for that anyway.