The staff at the investment management office naturally welcomed this kind of investment with open arms. Hou Chengjin was meticulously going over various details, but Lin Chu grew bored, used a phone call as an excuse, and stepped outside.

Standing in the shade outside the door, he lit a cigarette and exhaled a long plume of smoke. ’Where can I find some fun?’ he wondered.

As another first-tier city, Yang City certainly had no shortage of places to eat, drink, and have fun.

Besides, upon arriving in a new city—even one so close by—a person instinctively wants to do something a little different.

Suddenly, he heard the click of high heels behind him. Lin Chu glanced back to see Zhao Rong had also stepped out. She pulled out a pack of Kent 1mg slims, lit one with a Zippo, and skillfully blew a smoke ring.

"President Lin, you look so young, but you have a very impressive presence."

A smile appeared on her exquisitely made-up face, her tone light and conversational.

Many young bosses dislike being called young in business settings. They feel they might be subtly disrespected because of their age and sometimes even deliberately dress to look more mature. Zhao Rong was well aware of this.

However, by adding that second part, she turned it into a sincere compliment, praising him for being young and accomplished.

Lin Chu offered a faint smile. He had no interest in hitting on her, so he could barely be bothered to speak.

It was just that transactional.

To be fair, she was quite attractive. She had been a livestreamer, after all, and streamers from the early days were genuinely good-looking. The beauty filters weren’t as powerful back then.

However, Lin Chu wasn’t into older women.

Of course, Zhao Rong didn’t know the real reason and just assumed it was because they weren’t well-acquainted yet. She kept the conversation going with a smile. "I’ve arranged for lion-head goose for lunch. There’s a very authentic roast goose place nearby we can try. How many people in our party?"

"Just the two of us. Don’t worry about the driver."

"Are there any fun places in Yang City?"

Lin Chu asked casually.

Zhao Rong smiled, pursing her lips. "Golf? Nightclubs? Gourmet food? Mahjong? We have things for refined and common tastes alike. What’s your preference, President Lin?"

"As long as it’s fun, I’m up for anything."

Lin Chu said with a casual smile.

’Damn, my thought process is just like a typical girlfriend’s,’ he thought. ’"I don’t care, you figure it out, and I’ll decide if I’m satisfied."’

Moreover, Lin Chu felt a flicker of alarm. ’None of the things she mentioned piqued my interest. I’m kind of tired of it all. Even nightclubs don’t sound appealing anymore.’

He took stock. ’It seems only two things can get me instantly excited anymore: money and beautiful women.’

’No wonder so many bosses love going to casinos.’

’No, this isn’t right. I need to figure out how to change things.’

Zhao Rong smiled. "Okay then, I’ll handle the arrangements. After lunch, you can come over to my company for a visit."

Just then, Hou Chengjin walked out the door.

He glanced at the two of them and smiled. "Finished chatting? I think this is a go. I’ll have my assistant and the team come over this afternoon to sign for the space, then we can register the company and get started. What do you think, President Lin?"

Lin Chu laughed casually. "You make the call. I just provide the money. I’m hungry, let’s go eat."

When it came time for lunch, it was still just the three of them. Her younger boyfriend, surprisingly, was not invited to join.

Lin Chu drew a sharp breath.

He once again thought, ’This woman is really something.’ She had a knack for handling men. Women were far better at training men than men were at training women.

After lunch, they went with her to her company.

She didn’t even take her own car. The three of them piled into one vehicle.

Her younger boyfriend drove off alone. ’A total tool,’ Lin Chu thought.

...

"Sister Rong, what line of business are you in these days? Man, my livestreaming revenue is dropping every month. It’s a real headache."

In the car, Lin Chu sat in the passenger seat, playing on his phone, while the other two were in the back. Hou Chengjin was always scouting for business leads wherever he went, and he was at it again.

Zhao Rong glanced at him and smiled. "I’m in the relationship sector. I help mistresses become wives, and I help legal wives get their money in a divorce."

She was surprisingly frank about it, unafraid of being copied. She had clearly either built a strong competitive moat or had already made her fortune.

’Huh?’ Lin Chu thought.

Hou Chengjin, however, got inexplicably excited upon hearing this. "How much do you charge?"

Zhao Rong replied, "They sign up for courses. Two thousand for the basic course, twenty thousand for the in-person course, and for private, customized services, there’s no upper limit."

He couldn’t help but glance back at her before quickly facing forward again.

’Well now,’ he thought. ’So she’s my mirror image, is she? I’m trying to help the bros stand up, and she’s dedicated to helping the sisters.’

In the back seat, the two of them quickly launched into a detailed discussion about her business model, even going over a few classic case studies.

They talked for quite a while.

Zhao Rong concluded, "But this sector has pretty much run its course. I’m getting ready to wind it down. Like Superman Li says, you never try to earn the very last coin. Besides, I should probably retire and settle down. I might even become a mom in the latter half of the year. I’ve switched to slims recently to prepare for pregnancy. If I wait any longer, I’ll be having a geriatric pregnancy."

Hou Chengjin sighed inwardly but still smiled and congratulated her.

Lin Chu had been listening the whole time without saying a word, just fiddling with his phone. An idea began to form in his mind: ’I should screw her over.’

’A wicked person.’

’She’s purely wicked.’

’Of course, I’m no saint myself, but I just can’t stand her, so I’ll be a hypocrite about it.’

’Besides, I’m really interested in setting up schemes like this nowadays. Pulling the strings is an essential skill to learn, but it requires a high level of finesse to get the balance right.’

’I’ll need to plan it carefully.’

’If the right opportunity comes up, I’ll just use her for practice.’

’Of course, if it’s not a good fit, I’ll just drop it. Why force the issue and create unnecessary difficulty?’

’Even when setting a trap, you have to go with the flow and build on events that are already in motion.’

"Sister Zhao, you’re not interested in micro-dramas? It’s an emerging sector. Why not invest a little?"

Lin Chu said this with a casual smile, ’thinking I’d see if I can rope her in first, just to create more opportunities for us to interact.’

Hearing Lin Chu bring this up, Hou Chengjin immediately looked at her with anticipation. "Yeah, Sister Rong, get in on this with us! I’m personally managing this project, and I’m confident we’ll make a profit. You can consider the earnings a cash gift for your future nephew."

Zhao Rong smiled and politely declined. "I don’t have the energy for new ventures anymore. You guys go ahead. But if you need my help with anything, just ask. I’ve mentored a few apprentices over the past couple of years, and they’re all doing quite well. I can introduce you later. If they’re interested, you can talk to them directly."

She was very measured, tactfully declining while not completely shutting the door on the possibility.

"Alright then."

Though a bit disappointed, Hou Chengjin could only smile and nod.

From the front seat, Lin Chu thought again, ’There’s a reason some people get rich. No wonder even someone like Hou Chengjin holds her in such high regard.’

’No need to rush, though.’

’I’ll just wait and see.’

"You know, I suddenly feel like buying a house in Yang City. I’ll inevitably be coming here often in the future, so I’ll need a place to crash. Sister Rong, if you know of any suitable listings, or have friends in real estate, send them my way. Any villa under a hundred million is fine. I like detached homes."

Lin Chu casually dropped this into the conversation.

Hou Chengjin was speechless. ’What a flex.’

Zhao Rong was stunned for a second, a little shocked. ’What kind of tycoon casually talks about villas under a hundred million?’ It wasn’t that she didn’t believe him, just that she was taken aback. She quickly recovered. "Of course. I know some people. I’ll set up a meeting for this afternoon."

...

...