Chapter 82

Ding Hao clearly didn't expect Qiao Yunna to be so generous. Buying the Mountain Beyond the Mountain was indeed one of Ding Hao's wishes. In the future, if he had the chance to find his family, he could bring them here to dine every day. Moreover, with the increasing number of gold bars in his magical space backpack, Ding Hao needed a few real companies to cover up his source of wealth. Yunhe Villa was clearly too small-time.

However, since it was a company worth hundreds of millions, Ding Hao was still a bit nervous. He wasn't worried about where the money would come from; Qiao Yunna had promised to help, and he guessed that the bank managers had already prepared the funds, just waiting for him to have the time to go through the procedures.

What Ding Hao was worried about was the current operating status of the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. That day, when he was with Qiao Yunna, he was so nervous that he didn't even taste the dishes carefully or pay attention to the company's operations. Although he trusted that Qiao Yunna wouldn't deceive him, he couldn't be sure that Qiao Yunna's subordinates wouldn't deceive her.

Therefore, Ding Hao planned to visit the Mountain Beyond the Mountain a few times in private before the official auction to get a better understanding. Besides, he hadn't seen Chen Fang for a long time. That morning, Ding Hao drove the Audi R8 Qiao Yunna had given him to Yunhe Villa to pick up Chen Fang, planning to have a meal at the Mountain Beyond the Mountain.

Of course, it was also to boost Liu Jiang's confidence. He was always worried that hoodlums like Hu Gongzi would cause trouble, and driving the Audi would help intimidate some people. He also wanted to persuade Chen Fang and Liu Jiang to accept his proposal: he wouldn't take any dividends for the next few months.

Although Ding Hao casually mentioned that he wouldn't take any dividends for the next few months, saving them for Chen Fang and Liu Xia's dowry, Liu Jiang and his wife always felt uneasy. When they saw Ding Hao get out of the Audi, they felt much more at ease.

He was indeed a big boss; a car was worth more than the entire Yunhe Villa! For him, a few hundred thousand in dividends was just a drop in the bucket!

Chen Fang and Liu Xia initially thought a VIP had arrived. When they saw it was Ding Hao, wearing sunglasses, they almost burst out laughing! This little rascal, he had learned to act cool in just a few days. Chen Fang didn't know the car belonged to Ding Hao, thinking he had borrowed it from a friend. When Ding Hao made an elegant gesture to open the car door, "Ladies, please!"

"Little handsome, where will you sit if we both get in?" Liu Xia looked inside the car and reminded him.

"No problem, you two are so slim, we can squeeze in."

"Maybe I won't go then?" Liu Xia was a bit hesitant.

"No worries, there are no traffic police around, what's to be afraid of? Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" Chen Fang wasn't being polite in front of Ding Hao, while Liu Xia, a bit shy, was pulled into the car by Chen Fang.

"Mountain Beyond the Mountain, today I'll treat you, order whatever you like!"

"Really?" Liu Xia's eyes widened.

"Hey, look at you, it's just a meal, what's the big deal? We have plenty of good food at Yunhe Villa." Chen Fang looked at Liu Xia with disdain.

"Big sister, it's the Mountain Beyond the Mountain!"

"What's so special about the Mountain Beyond the Mountain?" Chen Fang asked.

"Peasant!" Liu Xia glared at Chen Fang.

"Who are you calling?" Chen Fang had only been in Qianjiang for a short time and had immediately moved into Yunhe Villa, so she didn't know much about the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. She just thought Liu Xia, a college graduate, shouldn't be so unsophisticated. However, after Liu Xia explained on the way, she patted Ding Hao on the shoulder in the front seat.

"Hey, you don't have to be so wasteful just because you have money, Yunhe Villa is great, and Old Liu's fish head with chopped peppers is excellent."

"Not wasteful, I plan to buy the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. Today, I'm inviting you two to visit and help me evaluate it." Ding Hao said casually.

"Ah?" Liu Xia's jaw almost hit the ground, looking at Ding Hao in disbelief, then at Chen Fang.

"What's the matter?" Chen Fang was about to scold Liu Xia, who was acting like a country bumpkin, calling herself a peasant.

"Sister, he said he's going to buy the Mountain Beyond the Mountain!" Liu Xia pointed at Ding Hao.

"So what? Isn't he the major shareholder of Yunhe Villa?"

"You can't talk to me like I'm from another planet. Ding Hao, the Mountain Beyond the Mountain must be worth hundreds of millions, right?"

"About that, I've already had it appraised."

"Ah?" This time, it was Chen Fang's turn to drop her jaw! This rascal seemed to be talking about someone else's story, not even turning his head. When Ding Hao bought the shares of Yunhe Villa, Chen Fang thought he was being impulsive. She never imagined this kid would actually have the means to get the money and now wanted to buy the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. What was he planning to do with all that money?

"All bank loans." Ding Hao realized he had scared the two women in the back seat and quickly added.

"Then, Mr. Ding, we'll have a feast today!" Liu Xia's understanding of Ding Hao came entirely from Chen Fang. She thought Chen Fang had been hiding something. Now she knew Mr. Ding was so wealthy, it was time to treat him properly.

"Sure, anything available at the Mountain Beyond the Mountain!"

They chatted and laughed all the way, quickly arriving at the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. However, to Chen Fang and Liu Xia's disappointment, it was already closed! Ding Hao should have checked beforehand. The Mountain Beyond the Mountain was now in the auction process and wouldn't be open to the public for the next half month!

"Mr. Ding, are you doing this on purpose?" After getting out of the car and seeing the locked gates, Liu Xia said dejectedly.

"Sorry, I really didn't know. Hmm? There seems to be a notice and reception staff inside, let's go in and check."

"No, you go if you want, we're going to eat, Liu Xia!" Chen Fang pulled Liu Xia, thinking that if Ding Hao asked her to evaluate the food and service, she could say a thing or two. But she didn't understand the asset assessment and brand value on the notice, so she didn't want Liu Xia to go in.

If Liu Xia knew more than her, it would be embarrassing. Most importantly, Chen Fang was increasingly unable to understand Ding Hao. Where did this kid get so much money to buy most of Yunhe Villa's shares? Now, it was worth hundreds of millions!

"No, I'm not going either!" This time, Liu Xia and Chen Fang were in agreement. Although Ding Hao's car was nice, the seats were too few. They had already squeezed in once, and Liu Xia didn't want to hunch over and bow her head to find a place to eat.

"Then, shall we go somewhere else to eat? We can come back here later?" Ding Hao felt embarrassed, having brought the two ladies out for a meal only to find the place closed.

"No need, why don't you go in and check? Chen Fang and I will go back to the villa to eat. Just lend us the car..." Liu Xia had enjoyed the ride and knew Ding Hao had come here for a reason, so she and Chen Fang didn't want to drag him away.

"Sure, no problem, take it." Ding Hao was indeed there to inspect the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. Since Liu Xia and Chen Fang were going back to the villa and Liu Xia had asked to borrow the car, he couldn't refuse.

Liu Xia happily took the keys and hopped into the Audi. She had had her driver's license for several years but had only driven her father's minivan for grocery shopping. She had been pestering her father to buy a car, but he was worried about Hu Gongzi causing trouble and wanted to return to their hometown.

Finally, with Ding Hao's investment, the villa had stabilized, but her father said they should save the money to buy her a house. Today, she finally had the chance. This luxurious car was perfect for a test drive. Chen Fang didn't know much about cars, but Liu Xia did. It was a 2014 model with a 5.2-liter engine!

Although having an experienced driver beside her would be more reassuring, the car only had so much space. If Ding Hao sat in the passenger seat... Liu Xia naturally couldn't let him in.

Vroom... Before Ding Hao could react, Liu Xia had driven off with Chen Fang. Ding Hao shook his head and walked straight to the Mountain Beyond the Mountain. Although it wasn't open, there were many reception staff. Most were enthusiastically introducing the history of the Mountain Beyond the Mountain to the guests. Clearly, this was an instruction from the Qianjiang municipal government. They wanted to sell it for a good price!

As soon as Ding Hao entered the hall, a woman in her late twenties wearing a Mountain Beyond the Mountain uniform approached: "Sir, can I help you? We are not open for business recently..."

"Oh, I just came to take a look. Your hotel is going to be auctioned, right?" Ding Hao could tell from her expression that she was a bit impatient, clearly not considering him a potential buyer. However, since he had entered, she couldn't just kick him out.

"Yes, sir, who are you?"

"A friend of mine is interested in buying it, I came to check the situation."

"Oh, this way, please!" The woman nodded thoughtfully, her attitude becoming much warmer as she began to introduce the place to Ding Hao. After a brief introduction, she led him to a meeting room where a video about the Mountain Beyond the Mountain was playing.

Ding Hao glanced around; there were about twenty people, most of whom were wealthy and influential, some even with assistants and secretaries. They were likely preparing to participate in the auction. When Ding Hao entered, no one paid attention, so he found a spot with fewer people and sat down.

After the video ended, a man in his thirties walked up to speak, repeating what the woman had said, emphasizing how great the Mountain Beyond the Mountain was, a century-old establishment... The audience didn't react as enthusiastically as in a classroom or a company meeting.

After all, the people in the audience weren't fools. They were very professional and could understand the situation by looking at the site and the financial statements! Ding Hao found it boring, wondering why the Qianjiang municipal government would put it up for auction if it was so good.

Finally, after the man finished his speech, the people in the meeting room started chatting. Various Mr. Wu and Mr. Li introduced themselves, exchanging business cards. These were all influential figures in the Qianjiang catering industry. Even if they didn't plan to buy, they had to come and join the fun.

However, no one recognized Ding Hao, so he quietly sat on the side, watching the commotion.

"Everyone, please, we New Source are determined to win the auction of the Mountain Beyond the Mountain! We hope for your support!" Ding Hao was dozing off when a male voice suddenly rang out in the meeting room. A man in his thirties stood up and addressed the crowd.

Beside him stood a middle-aged man in his forties, smiling at everyone. Clearly, the middle-aged man was the boss of New Source, and the man speaking was just a subordinate!