Huang Guangyuan smiled.
He nodded and said to Liu Haoran, "President Liu, I’ll be inviting some key brand merchants for drinks soon. I’d be honored if you could join us!"
Liu Haoran understood just how "key" these merchants in Huang Guangyuan’s eyes must be. This was Huang Guangyuan’s way of repaying the favor for being told about Zhao Hui’s identity.
He readily accepted. "It would be my honor!"
On the way back, Fang Qiang was sullen. He finally found an opportunity to say to Liu Haoran, "President Liu, about Xiao Zhao getting Mr. Huang’s contact information... I was just worried he might say the wrong thing and damage our relationship!"
Liu Haoran gave him a knowing smile. "It’s fine. That won’t happen."
Fang Qiang was left speechless, but a dull ache spread through his chest, like the sting of a breakup. That’s just how petty people are—easily angered.
The moment he got back to the office, he called a department meeting. He didn’t assign any work, but rather, he emphasized a few points.
"First, I, Fang Qiang, have made immense contributions to this company. We are the ones who built this empire, and we absolutely cannot let someone else come in and steal the fruits of our labor."
"Second, if someone really does try to steal the credit, you all need to know whose side to be on."
"Third, if you don’t know which side to take, don’t blame me for being merciless."
The people in the expansion department had no idea what he meant, but since their boss was speaking, they just chimed in with a few words of agreement and let it be.
Xu Wu was reporting to Chen Xiao about her investment discussions with Ding Yong. Although Chen Xiao had already confirmed it, she was still giving him an official update now that the matter was settled.
Chen Xiao was distracted. It wasn’t that he was ogling a beautiful woman; he was thinking, ’Does this count as me landing a deal? Should Junxiao Capital give me a commission?’
’Will this commission generate a Diligence Reward? If so, does that mean in the future I can earn as much as I want just by issuing myself bonuses!’
"Bonuses issued to the Host by the enterprises of the Host or Zhao Xiangjun do not generate a Diligence Reward!"
’Well, that path is completely blocked. So much for that.’
Chen Xiao said, "Just leave it at that. A project worth hundreds of millions... you can handle it yourself."
Xu Wu didn’t know whether to thank him or look down on him. In the end, she swayed her impossibly slender waist and walked out.
He sent a message asking Zhao Xiangjun if he should treat Xu Jia to dinner that night.
After all, her best friend was visiting; it was only right for him to be courteous.
Zhao Xiangjun replied that they would eat at home, saying she would just cook a few simple dishes. Chen Xiao let her have her way and told her he would come home early.
Ding Yong hadn’t been this happy in years. Being suppressed for so long had made him look old!
Today, he was glowing with energy, as if he had returned to his youth twenty years ago. He strode into the office and called for Gao Yue.
"Xiao Gao, we did it! Start drafting the contract immediately. Show it to me once you have a draft!"
"The business proposal was still a little underwhelming, but thankfully the project got approved. I’ll need you to work hard for the next couple of days, and once the funds are in place, our entire team will celebrate!"
Gao Yue was infected by his excitement and let out a sigh of relief herself. If the boss was doing well, it meant her job was safe!
It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered job-hopping before, but the entire real estate industry was in a slump, so it would be the same everywhere she went.
But with this Hongmeng Intelligent Selection Car project her boss was working on, if it took off, she would have a chance to cross over into the new energy vehicle industry.
This was a booming industry right now. Thank the heavens, the deal was finally done. Gao Yue excitedly sent a message to her group chat with her best friends: "Girls, congratulate me!"
Xu Wu replied, "Happy wedding?"
Li Xiao followed up with, "Hope you have a son soon?"
Gao Yue sent a rolling-eyes emoji: "My boss closed a huge deal. I’m about to hit the big time!"
Xu Wu sent a smiley face, but Li Xiao wrote, "Why are you so excited your boss closed a deal? It’s not like you’re his wife!"
Gao Yue went silent. She could never get any validation from chatting with them!
She buried her head in her work, determined to get it done today no matter what. First thing tomorrow morning, she would personally go meet with the manager at Junxiao Capital to coordinate.
This had to be finalized as soon as possible, because the timeline for the Intelligent Selection Car business was already extremely tight.
It was a day of celebration for many, and Peng Yu was also very happy.
That evening, he was hosting a dinner for key brand partners, and Xia Bin was naturally the guest of honor.
He reveled in such scenes, being the center of attention like the moon surrounded by stars. At this moment, he felt a bit like an emperor whose single word could decide life or death.
Merchants from various brands took turns toasting him and offering respectful praise. He nodded frequently, occasionally patting someone’s shoulder as a sign of encouragement.
Xia Bin sat in the seat of honor, being the most influential merchant present.
Peng Yu was also very polite when speaking with him; after all, the man wasn’t just the junior boss of Four Seasons Clothing, he was also a tycoon with a net worth of over a billion!
In Jiangzhou, a net worth of over a billion was an incredible feat!
At one point, Peng Yu quieted the room and cleared his throat.
"First of all, I want to thank all you bosses for your support of Wansheng Square! I’d like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt gratitude to you all!"
"For so many years, we’ve weathered every storm together, advanced and retreated as one, and developed hand in hand. It is you who have made Wansheng Square what it is today!"
"Therefore, I want to announce that in the future, Wansheng Square will provide even more resources to our partners!"
"With this contract renewal cycle, I have already instructed my team to persuade certain brands—those with operational problems or a low degree of cooperation with the mall—to leave. This will free up some prime retail spaces for the merchants with whom we have a great working relationship!"
"For example, President Xia here. I want to thank President Xia for supporting our more challenging malls in many of the other cities. In return, I promise that within three months, I will secure a prime location for President Xia at the Jiangzhou Wansheng Square. This is my promise!"
"I hope that in the future, all our partnerships can be as mutually supportive as the one between myself and President Xia. Alright, thank you all again. Cheers!"
Xia Bin opportunely raised a toast to him as well. "Thank you for taking care of me, President Peng. I’m a big fan of that spot in Wansheng Square!"
Peng Yu laughed. "If you like it, take it. I can reserve it for you today. Go ahead and get the blueprints drawn up. I’ll definitely clear out that other brand within the next two months!"
Xia Bin nodded. Normally, one would only commission design blueprints after the contract was signed. If anything changed at the last minute, the money spent on the blueprints would be wasted, and they cost tens of thousands.
But since Peng Yu, a regional president, had given his word, there wouldn’t be any issues.
He whispered, "President Peng, after this is over, let’s go for a second round of drinks!"
Peng Yu immediately beamed. ’President Xia really gets it,’ he thought. ’He knows me, he understands me!’
After returning home and resting for a bit, Chen Xiao went over to Zhao Xiangjun’s place.
With Xu Jia visiting, Zhao Xiangjun couldn’t very well take her over to Chen Xiao’s apartment, so she had Xu Jia stay in the guest room at her place instead.
This earned her an entire afternoon of grumbling from Xu Jia about "choosing a man over a friend," complaining that Zhao Xiangjun would be with Chen Xiao that night, leaving her to sleep all alone.
Zhao Xiangjun shot back, "How about you get a hotel, call a guy over for the night, and I’ll reimburse you?"
That shut Xu Jia up. Zhao Xiangjun really did have a roguish side to her sometimes!