Chapter 43

As night fell and the city lights began to twinkle, Hanghu was illuminated by thousands of lights. The glow enveloped the entire city, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere, much like a classical woman holding a lute half-concealed, her beauty leaving one in awe.

On such a beautiful night, He Fenghua, known as a rising star in the Jiangnan business world, did not mingle in the entertainment scene like the spoiled rich kids. Instead, he sat alone in a teahouse by the West Lake, sipping tea and enjoying the night view of the lake.

"Knock knock—"

The knocking sound drew He Fenghua's gaze away from the lake. He gently put down his teacup and said calmly, "Come in."

Creak!

The door opened, and Xu Weize appeared at the threshold.

He was still wearing his favorite Armani suit, carrying a classic Hermès men's bag, and wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, exuding the air of a corporate elite.

Moreover, due to the confidence he had accumulated through his own efforts, he already had a hint of a business tycoon about him.

However—

When he saw He Fenghua in the room, his confidence seemed to evaporate, leaving him with the unshakeable inferiority complex of a man from a humble background.

He immediately bent his proud back and bowed, saying, "Young Master He."

"The tea house owner's private stash of pre-rain Longjing tea is quite good. Come, have a taste." He Fenghua, with his legs crossed, picked up the teapot and poured tea for Xu Weize.

"Thank you, Young Master He."

Xu Weize expressed his gratitude, somewhat flattered. He knew that in the Jiangnan real estate industry, there were few people who could have He Fenghua personally pour tea for them.

"I called you here today for two reasons: one, to confirm the bidding price for the Green Lake Group's Jiangnan company for the first phase of the Riverside New District project; and two, to give you some well-deserved rewards." After Xu Weize took the tea with both hands, He Fenghua got straight to the point.

Hearing this, Xu Weize did not dare to drink the tea first. Instead, he gently put down the teacup and said, "Please rest assured, Young Master He. I am the deputy leader of the entire bidding team, and the final bidding price was determined in a meeting. There will be no mistakes."

"It seems you have deeply earned the trust of Su Yuxin, or rather, the entire Su family."

He Fenghua smiled with satisfaction. He knew that if the man before him had a higher starting point and a better platform, his future achievements would not be inferior to his own.

But... there are no "ifs" in this world.

Even a Mercedes-Benz driving on a muddy road cannot surpass a Xiaoli on a highway, let alone himself, who was not even a Xiaoli?

This meant that Xu Weize would have to look up to him for the rest of his life!

"Thank you, Young Master He, but to gain the complete trust of the Su family, there is still a long way to go." Xu Weize smiled humbly.

He Fenghua seemed to enjoy the way the grassroots elite收敛了骄傲 in his presence. He smiled and changed the topic, "If I hadn't invited you for tea tonight, you would have gone to the stadium to watch Zhou Xiran's commercial performance, right?"

"Um."

Xu Weize nodded without hesitation, just as he had never concealed his infatuation with Zhou Xiran in front of He Fenghua.

That infatuation ran deep to the bone!

"Earlier, I mentioned that the second reason I invited you today is to give you some rewards." He Fenghua continued.

"Uh..."

Hearing this, Xu Weize's heart raced, but he feigned modesty, "I just did what Young Master He asked me to do. It's not enough to warrant a reward."

"If I told you that Zhou Xiran would be waiting for you in her room after her performance tonight, would you refuse?" He Fenghua asked with a smile.

Xu Weize did not answer.

The fleeting possessiveness and unhidden excitement betrayed his true feelings, giving He Fenghua the answer he had already anticipated.

"This is an advance reward for your years of unwavering effort and loyalty."

He Fenghua leaned back in his redwood chair, looking at Xu Weize like a king reviewing his subjects, "After this matter is settled, I will give you a villa by Thousand Island Lake. Zhou Xiran will stay there at least one night every month until you tire of her."

"Thank you, Young Master He!"

Xu Weize stood up and bowed, his excitement evident. To him, a villa by Thousand Island Lake was not a big deal, but the thought of the woman he had been infatuated with for years lying beneath him was enough to make his blood boil.

"You deserve it."

Compared to Xu Weize, He Fenghua remained calm, as if spending a hundred million to keep Zhou Xiran, a top celebrity, for Xu Weize was a trivial matter.

Perhaps sensing the underlying meaning in He Fenghua's words, or perhaps already confident that the woman he was infatuated with would serve him like a slave tonight, Xu Weize calmed down.

In an instant, he was completely composed.

His face showed no trace of excitement, only gratitude and loyalty, "Please rest assured, Young Master He. If life is a chess game, I am willing to be a pawn on your chessboard, helping you win the game!"

"Hehe... A Harvard graduate, indeed, with excellent eloquence."

He Fenghua laughed happily, gesturing for Xu Weize to sit down, "Although you are just a pawn now, I believe that one day, you will become a chariot, a horse, or a cannon in my business empire."

Xu Weize nodded vigorously.

"Alright, Zhou Xiran's performance should be over. Go and enjoy her." He Fenghua waved his hand and added, "Don't worry about being followed. My people are experts in counter-surveillance."

Hearing this, Xu Weize couldn't help but admire how thorough He Fenghua was—thinking of what he could think of and even what he couldn't!

Admiring him, Xu Weize didn't add unnecessary words but picked up his classic Hermès men's bag and left the room.

"Is it worth spending a hundred million on Xu Weize?"

After Xu Weize left, a woman in a white qipao gracefully entered the room and started brewing tea for He Fenghua.

Looking at the alluring curves wrapped in the qipao, He Fenghua remained calm, "The best way to make money is to spend money—want to make money, you have to be willing to spend, especially to make more money."

"Like when you spent two hundred million to buy some broken porcelain vases to please my father?" The woman, skilled at brewing tea, laughed teasingly.

Facing the woman's teasing, He Fenghua smiled but said nothing.

On one hand, he knew she was not mocking him but admiring him. On the other hand, the woman was the only daughter of a political giant in Jiangnan and his fiancée.

By winning her admiration, he won her heart and, with his exceptional emotional intelligence, secured the support of his powerful father-in-law in the Jiangnan political arena, becoming the undisputed successor of the He family!

Now, he and the woman named Han Jing were at the stage of discussing marriage.

"Buzz... buzz..."

A moment later, just as Han Jing finished brewing the tea, He Fenghua's phone on the tea table rang.

Perhaps because of her absolute trust in He Fenghua, Han Jing did not touch his phone, nor did her expression change. She gracefully poured tea for He Fenghua.

He Fenghua picked up the phone and, seeing the caller ID, his pupils slightly contracted.

After a moment's thought, he answered the call in front of Han Jing.

"Young Master He, I have fine wine and beautiful women here. Would you do me the honor of joining me?" Liu Qin's seductive voice came through the phone.

He Fenghua remained unperturbed, saying coolly, "I like tea, not wine. As for beautiful women, there are many, but I only choose one."

No woman dislikes sweet talk, and Han Jing was no exception.

Hearing He Fenghua's half-joking compliment, a warm smile spread across her usually calm face, filled with happiness and satisfaction.

She admired He Fenghua's talent and ability, and even more so, his loyalty.

At least, since she and He Fenghua had been together, she had never heard of him being involved with other women.

"Young Master He is right. Compared to Miss Han, the women here are all dim by comparison." On the other end of the line, Liu Qin, known as the top socialite in Jiangnan, flattered him, but her smile carried a hint of sarcasm.

It seemed she guessed that Han Jing was by He Fenghua's side and knew that He Fenghua had been playing the role of a good man for the past two years to gain entry into the Han family.

After all, in her view, there were no cats that didn't seek fish, and no men who didn't cheat!

"Liu Miss, you didn't call me today just to talk about the pleasures of life, did you?" After a brief exchange of pleasantries and jokes, He Fenghua took the initiative to get to the point.

Liu Qin deliberated for a moment and said, "It's like this, Eighth Master wants to lend a hand to Young Master He."

"Oh?" He Fenghua's pupils contracted again, but he remained calm, "What do you mean?"

"Eighth Master knows that Young Master He wants to bring the Su family to their knees and wants to help you." Liu Qin, knowing the right moment had come, got straight to the point.

"How will he help?"

He Fenghua sneered. He knew that people like Qiao Bazhi should not be too close, but he couldn't ignore them either, so he maintained a distance.

Now that Qiao Bazhi was actively trying to get closer, He Fenghua saw through his intentions—Qiao Bazhi wanted to use him to connect with the powerful Han Guodong in the Jiangnan political arena.

"Young Master He knows the situation of the Su family better than Eighth Master and I. Su Hongyuan is the mainstay, Su Ming is mediocre and can only maintain the status quo, and Su Qin's involvement in politics is of limited help to the Su family's business. Only Su Yuxin has the ability to take the Su family to the next level."

"Originally, Su Yuxin was suffering from a strange illness, and the future of the Su family was uncertain. Now, she has been saved by an unknown doctor, and Su Hongyuan sees hope. He has used a bitter strategy to send the designated successor, Su Feiyu, to prison, both to comfort Su Yuxin and to use adversity to train Su Feiyu, achieving two goals at once."

At this point, Liu Qin paused and said in a captivating tone, "Eighth Master's idea is simple: to indirectly remove Su Yuxin from this world—break the legs of that unknown doctor so he can never step foot in Hanghu again!"

"Tell Eighth Master that such a victory would make me feel it was not won fairly. I appreciate his offer, but I must decline." He Fenghua's eyes revealed a hint of disdain.

"Is Young Master He really not considering it?"

Liu Qin knew that He Fenghua was always proud, but she didn't expect him to refuse so cleanly. After all, she also knew that whether He Fenghua could make a move against the Su family would determine whether he could gain favor with Han Guodong and stand tall in the Han family.

"Violence is for those in the underworld. I am a businessman and cannot be so violent." The disdain in He Fenghua's voice grew, even bordering on contempt.

Perhaps sensing the contempt in He Fenghua's tone, Liu Qin did not persist in trying to persuade him. Instead, she looked displeased and said, "Since Young Master He has already made up his mind, I won't waste my breath."

"Goodbye, Miss Liu." Without waiting for Liu Qin to respond, He Fenghua hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" Han Jing handed the tea to He Fenghua and asked casually.

"Qiao Bazhi wants to use a small fry's legs to make me owe him a favor. In his eyes, my favor is worth too little, isn't it?" He Fenghua laughed mockingly, as if talking about something absurd.

What he didn't know was that sometimes a small fry could turn into a superhero!

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