On the second day in Wangcheng, Yao Zhen took Liang Jiming to the local Yacht Club pier.
“I am going to show you my network today and pull some guests for the hotel.”
Liang Jiming was quite surprised; he had assumed Yao Zhen only came here to play. Originally, that was the plan, but this was a spontaneous idea. Being invited to the Yacht Club provided a chance to have fun and handle some serious business at the same time.
The car arrived at the pier just around noon. The largest yacht club on the peninsula was located here. The entire pier was soaked in dazzling sunlight, private floating bridges swayed gently with the waves, and the berths on both sides of the jetty were packed tight. The air carried the salty tang of seawater and a faint scent of engine oil.
Yao Zhen stepped onto the deck. The yacht owner was currently leaning against the railing, getting intimate with a hot girl.
“Holy shit, Xiao Zhen!” The man released the girl and opened his arms to welcome him. “You came here and didn’t even say a word? I had to invite you three or four times before you’d grace us with your presence. You really have a big ego.”
Yao Zhen walked up and bumped shoulders with him, laughing lazily. “Piss off. Why would I want to see you? Don’t you already have company? Did you call me here to be a third wheel?”
“Listen to you. No matter who I’m with, you’re still more important, bro,” the guy said, putting an arm around his shoulder and winking as he turned around. “Meet Lily, a model.”
He patted the girl’s waist: “Greet Young Master Yao.”
“Hello, Young Master Yao,” the girl’s voice was sickeningly sweet.
Yao Zhen nodded casually, hands staying in his pockets. He jerked his chin toward the person beside him: “Ah-Ming, my boyfriend.”
The two opposite them looked astonished. The man burst out laughing and raised an eyebrow at Yao Zhen: “Are you shitting me, kid?”
Yao Zhen remained dead serious: “Not shitting you.”
The man smiled and reached out to Liang Jiming: “Just call me Ben.”
Liang Jiming shook his hand with a composed expression. After a few pleasantries, Ben led them into the cabin. The yacht pushed through the waves, slowly leaving the pier.
The wine, which had been decanting for a while, was poured. Yao Zhen took a sip and leaned back comfortably into the sofa to chat. This Ben was a friend he had met while studying in the UK; he was the young owner of this yacht club and currently served as its director. To put it simply, he was also a profligate second-generation heir, but as an only child, he lived a much better life than Yao Zhen.
Ben only knew that Yao Zhen had been exiled here by his father; that day was the first time he heard the specific reason. He was instantly floored with admiration: “Wow, you’re playing for high stakes.”
Yao Zhen’s skin was already as thick as a city wall. He laughed, “You don’t understand. In our Chinese proverbs, this is called ‘Once you’ve seen the ocean, no other water will do.'”
The guy was almost dying from the cheesiness. He hugged the girl in his arms and shook his head: “I don’t get it, and I don’t want to.”
Liang Jiming’s expression remained flat. The young master’s boasting was mixed with nonchalance; he just listened without taking it to heart. Ben continued pouring wine, introducing a specific vintage. Yao Zhen had come specifically for his wine; Ben’s family had acquired several top European chateaus and had all the best bottles.
After a glass, Yao Zhen became even more spirited. Liang Jiming spoke up, “Drink less. We’re having lunch in a bit.”
Yao Zhen leaned into him, smiling mischievously at him: “Fine, then you help me drink it.”
Ben couldn’t take it anymore and said to Lily in his arms, “See that? The Young Master is even more ‘sweet’ and whiny than you are.”
The girl laughed as well. “Then I should learn a thing or two from him.”
Yao Zhen cursed at his buddy: “Shut your mouth.”
“In all seriousness,” Ben said, putting a cigar in his mouth as Lily obediently lit it for him, “What business did you say you wanted to do with me yesterday? You didn’t make it clear over the phone.”
Yao Zhen leaned back into the sofa with his legs crossed and pointed at Liang Jiming beside him. “He will talk to you. He’s in charge of this whole operation.”
Only then did Ben’s gaze turn seriously toward Liang Jiming. “Let’s hear it then.”
Liang Jiming gave a general outline of their idea: a partnership between the hotel and the yacht club to create a deeply integrated service plan. Members from the club would take their yachts to the island, where the hotel would provide free maintenance and supplies for the boats, along with a high-end, all-in-one entertainment service.
“It sounds attractive enough,” the young owner of the yacht club said, flicking ash from his cigar without much focus. “But to put it bluntly, you just want the yacht club to refer customers to your hotel in exchange for a little commission. Personally, I don’t care, but my old man might not look twice at such small favors.”
Liang Jiming admitted to himself that Yao Zhen had mentioned on the way over that the yacht club members were high-net-worth individuals—the ideal target customers for their hotel. Their goal was indeed to poach clients from them.
He explained, “Our hotel can collaborate with the yacht club to plan themed nautical seasons and brand activities like exploring nearby hidden islands. For the yacht club, it’s also a great opportunity to increase member loyalty and gain promotional exposure.”
Ben remained disinterested. Brand promotion wasn’t something he, as the heir, needed to worry about personally unless there were visible, practical benefits right in front of him.
Yao Zhen took the wine glass back from Liang Jiming, took another large gulp, and said, “My dad is planning to consolidate and package the group’s hotel business for an IPO. Do you want a chance for priority investment during the Pre-IPO round?”
Ben raised an eyebrow at that, finally showing some real interest. The yacht club was just for fun; his family mainly dealt in investment funds. He knew the background of a young master like Yao Zhen. If a group of that scale was taking its business public, it was no joke. Even if the global hotel industry wasn’t doing great right now, there was still money to be made.
However, that wouldn’t just be about this one hotel. He suspected the kid was just talking nonsense to bluff him. “Is that true? Can a kid like you really call the shots on that?”
Yao Zhen said with pride, “Do you think my dad would actually leave me here forever? He sent me here so I could take over the hotel business later. When the time comes, I’ll introduce you to the investment banks.”
Liang Jiming glanced at him silently but didn’t expose him.
Ben decided to let it slide. “Fine, even if you’re giving me a bounced check, I’ll take it since we’re bros. Alright, have your boyfriend here put together a partnership proposal and send it to me first.”
Satisfied, Yao Zhen clinked glasses with him. “Thanks for the support, Ge.”
Liang Jiming said nothing more. He stood up and walked over to the bar counter. Yao Zhen continued to chat with Ben until, after finishing the drink, Ben headed to the deck with his female companion.
Yao Zhen then stood up as well, walked to the bar, and sat on a high stool.
“Baby, look at how diligently Lily serves Ben Ge. Can’t you learn a bit from her?” The young master propped his chin on one hand while swirling his empty wine glass in the other, looking at Liang Jiming, who was mixing a drink, with a beaming smile.
Liang Jiming replied coldly, “If the Young Master likes that type, you can go find one for yourself.”
“I don’t want to,” the young master refused, teasing him immediately. “My wife is still better looking.”
Liang Jiming ignored him, took the wine glass from his hand, and mixed him a different cocktail instead. “If you’re going to drink, drink this.”
Yao Zhen took it. It was a cocktail made of white rum, coconut milk, and pineapple juice. It was cloyingly sweet—less like a drink and more like a pineapple-coconut milkshake. It was barely drinkable.
“Are you a bit unhappy?” He seemed carefree, but he was actually very quick to notice Liang Jiming’s mood.
Standing behind the bar, Liang Jiming asked casually, “Was what you said about the IPO investment true?”
“Uh-huh,” Yao Zhen said. “More or less. This hotel really doesn’t make money. When it’s time to go public, poor-performing branches like this one will have to be cut, otherwise, it’ll hurt the valuation. That’s why my dad threw me here to mess around however I want.”
Liang Jiming frowned, and Yao Zhen leaned closer toward the bar. “Do you feel like all your hard work is being wasted? It’s not like it’s been axed yet. If you can help me get this hotel back on its feet, maybe my dad will be happy and change his mind.”
“I’m not unhappy. It would be better if you could return,” Liang Jiming answered his previous question in a flat tone. “I’ve just realized that the money game is the fundamental rule of this world. Everything else is just talk.”
So you’re an ambitious careerist, then.
Yao Zhen didn’t say that out loud. Instead, he continued to flirt. “Then you better hold on tight to my golden thighs.”
Liang Jiming gave a short laugh. “Just drink your wine.”
……
As evening approached, the yacht sailed into a relatively calm patch of sea, with the sunset scattering across the blue water. Yao Zhen dragged Liang Jiming into the lower deck’s cockpit and urged the helmsman to give up his seat. He pushed Liang Jiming into the chair, saying they should have some fun. Ben had given them a wave earlier, telling them to do as they pleased.
“There are no obstacles in this area, and the autopilot is on. Nothing will happen.” Yao Zhen leaned half-heartedly over the wide console, his fingers randomly tapping the flashing screen.
Liang Jiming sat in silence, his gaze slowly scanning the control panel.
“Hey, don’t just look! Get your hands on it!” Yao Zhen moved behind him and, without a word, grabbed his hand and pressed it directly onto the steering wheel.
The young master was almost entirely pressed against Liang Jiming’s back. He leaned close to his ear, his voice filled with playful excitement. “Hold it tight. This thing feels light and has no feedback; you have to use some force! Quick, quick, turn it to the right! See that group of seagulls over there? Let’s scare them!”
Yao Zhen was in a playful mood, throwing all maritime regulations out the window just for a laugh. Under his brute force, Liang Jiming’s hand turned the wheel, and the yacht’s course suddenly shifted. The force from the tilting hull made Yao Zhen lose his balance, crashing even more solidly against Liang Jiming’s back. Instead of panicking, he burst out laughing.
“Exciting, right?” Yao Zhen grew even more hyped. “This boat is modified. This kind of horsepower is built on burning money.”
Liang Jiming warned him helplessly, “Stop messing around. Look at the radar.”
“Why look at that?” Yao Zhen dismissed it. “Driving this thing is all about feeling. When the feeling hits, you step on the gas, and no troubles can catch up to you!”
As he spoke, he freed one hand and tried to reach for the throttle lever nearby. Liang Jiming’s brow twitched. He reached back and caught that wandering hand, stopping his movement.
“Don’t touch that,” Liang Jiming said in a deep, firm voice.
Yao Zhen’s movements froze. He blinked, looking at his pinned wrist, then looked up at Liang Jiming’s expressionless profile.
“Alrighttt,” Yao Zheng dragged out his words. He didn’t pull his hand back. Instead, staying in that held position, he rested his chin back on Liang Jiming’s shoulder. His lips were almost touching his ear as he lowered his voice with a playful smile. “If my wife says so, fine. I’ll listen to you. Then teach me—how should I play with it?”
He was grinning cheekily, his warm breath blowing right into Liang Jiming’s ear. After the initial burst of profligate energy passed, he started provocatively acting spoiled.
Liang Jiming let go of his hand and focused his attention back on the sea ahead. His voice returned to a calm tone. “Watch the course. Slow down.”
Yao Zhen giggled and placed his hand back over the back of Liang Jiming’s hand. The engine roared steadily as the yacht pushed through the blue waves. Yao Zhen continued to chatter in his ear, full of endless energy.
Suddenly, Liang Jiming asked, “Did you spray perfume?”
“No,” Yao Zhen laughed while leaning against him. “How could you tell?”
When he changed clothes that morning, a bit of the fragrance sample from yesterday had just spilled onto his shirt. Liang Jiming gave a faint “mm” and continued to operate the wheel. However, his senses were pulled away, lingering on the warm body behind him and the hot breath at his ear.
This young master really seems to be seducing him. It’s getting a bit restless.