Chapter 11: Negotiation (Part 1)

"Can you give me an explanation?" Li Yi asked cautiously, knowing that women often act without reason.

"I'm just excited, really! I was so admiring you just now! You were like a great marshal commanding the nation, a calm and humorous diplomat, and a handsome superstar. In short, I just love you to death." Zhou Ziqi clasped her hands together, acting like a young girl.

Li Yi was taken aback but also relieved. He thought this little girl was just in a temporary frenzy, chasing a star. This girl still needed to develop her intelligence.

Shaking his head, Li Yi turned to leave.

"Mr. Li! Please wait!" A chubby middle-aged man ran over, followed by a few others.

"Are you calling me?" Li Yi looked at him, somewhat uncertain.

"Yes, yes!" The fat man wiped his sweaty head with a large blue and white handkerchief and extended his right hand. "Hello, I am Yuan Guoping, the vice president of Liugang. I would like to invite Mr. Li to a simple dinner. I wonder if Mr. Li would be willing to join us?"

Li Yi said, "Sure."

Yuan Guoping was overjoyed and looked at Zhou Ziqi. "This young lady is? Would you like to join us for dinner?"

Before Zhou Ziqi could speak, Li Yi said, "She has something to do, so she won't be joining us."

Zhou Ziqi was furious and shouted, "I don't have anything to do! What right do you have to decide for me?"

Li Yi said in a tone that brooked no argument, "When adults are talking, children should stand aside."

Zhou Ziqi stomped her feet, her two rows of white, neat teeth clattering.

Yuan Guoping led Li Yi out with a smile. "Mr. Li, I know a restaurant where the dishes are quite special. I'll take you there to try them."

Li Yi smiled. "Are the dishes here not to your taste?"

Yuan Guoping laughed. "It's too crowded and noisy here."

Li Yi smiled but did not point it out. He clearly wanted to have a private meal, fearing that others might take Li Yi away.

As they passed the gate, Li Yi saw Xiao Jianfei and nodded to him. He suddenly asked Yuan Guoping, "Mr. Yuan, do you have any cigarettes?" Yuan Guoping quickly took out a new pack of soft Zhonghua. "Yes, yes, yes!" Just as he was about to open the pack, Li Yi snatched it away. "No need to open it. Consider it a loan. I'll return it to you later." Yuan Guoping said, "No need to return it, no need to return it."

Li Yi held the cigarettes and handed them to Xiao Jianfei. "Xiao brother, thank you for your help today. If we meet again, I'll treat you to a drink."

Xiao Jianfei took the cigarettes with some surprise and smiled. "Sure! I'll definitely make you my friend."

Xiao Jianfei had seen many people and could tell that Li Yi was someone worth befriending. He was not arrogant despite his talents and did not become conceited when flattered. Especially the act of borrowing the cigarettes to give to a friend moved Xiao Jianfei. If this guy lived in ancient times, he would be a leader with a sense of righteousness, like Song Jiang.

Yuan Guoping led Li Yi to a Crown car, while the others got into a Santana 2000. The two cars headed south.

About half an hour later, they arrived at a place with golden and splendid decorations, ancient and elegant. The eaves were painted, the tiles were green and red, and the windows were made of red wood. The large red wooden door was studded with dozens of large copper nails, resembling the Forbidden City. At the entrance were two large stone kirins, each about eight feet tall. A large sign read "Man Yuan" in powerful calligraphy by the renowned contemporary calligrapher Qiming.

Li Yi thought, "Is this a private Qing Dynasty restaurant?"

As soon as they entered the gate, five welcoming ladies stood on each side, all tall and graceful, making the scene dazzling. Their sweet "Welcome!" made people feel relaxed and regal.

Yuan Guoping took out a gold card, and the receptionist became even more respectful, leading the group to a large private room on the third floor.

The room was indeed large, even larger than any private room Li Yi had been to in the future. At the entrance was a round table, and by the window was a guzheng, with a small round platform next to it.

After they sat down, Yuan Guoping introduced the others. "This is my secretary, Jin Ming. This is our finance director, Liang Jianbing. This is our procurement director, Zeng Hongwen." The introduced individuals stood up and shook hands with Li Yi.

Among them, only Jin Ming was a woman, in her early twenties, and clearly a novice. She trembled slightly when shaking hands with Li Yi. As a vice president's secretary, she naturally had a first-class appearance and demeanor. Li Yi only nodded politely and did not linger his gaze on her.

Seeing Li Yi's reaction, the disappointment in Yuan Guoping's eyes quickly disappeared, and he smiled. "It's rare for us to gather, let's have a few drinks?"

Li Yi, a seasoned drinker from his past life, naturally agreed. "Sure."

Yuan Guoping instructed the waiter, "Bring the most expensive dishes to fill the table, and the best wine, three bottles."

The waiter nodded and left.

Soon, a girl in Hanfu entered, bowed to everyone, and walked to the guzheng, sitting down gracefully. She extended her ten fingers, long, white, and delicate, with intricate designs on her nails. She lightly plucked the strings, like a butterfly fluttering, pleasing to the ear.

Li Yi marveled and couldn't help but look a few more times.

Soon, another girl in the same attire entered. At first glance, it seemed to be the same person, but upon closer inspection, their clothing colors were different. The first one was light green, and the second one was rose red.

This girl also bowed and said softly, "Sisters Yuyan and Yuyan are here to serve the distinguished guests. Please bear with us."

Her voice was like celestial music, soothing and refreshing.

Even Li Yi, a seasoned veteran of the nightlife, felt a strange impulse, both visually and emotionally moved.

Even Jin Ming, the girl, was captivated, her eyes shining with admiration.

Yuan Guoping laughed heartily. "Sure, sure. If you perform well, there will be a generous reward!"

Li Yi knew that this meal would be quite expensive. He smiled and said, "Mr. Yuan, let's get straight to the point. Why did you invite me here?"

Yuan Guoping laughed. "Just to eat, drink, and have fun, nothing else. We don't talk about work at the dinner table."

Li Yi thought to himself, "He's a seasoned businessman. Soft words and generous gifts make people compliant. A good meal and drink naturally make everything go smoothly."

At this moment, one of the girls, either Yuyan or Yuyan, was already dancing gracefully on the small platform.

The dishes and wine were brought in one after another, including abalone, shark fin, bird's nest, mountain delicacies, and seafood, filling the table.

The graceful dance, accompanied by the pleasant ancient music, along with the fine wine and delicious food, and the presence of the attendants, made this life no different from that of ancient nobles.

Li Yi suddenly thought, "Watching the dance, listening to the music, and eating the bird's nest, what a great enjoyment!"

Unexpectedly, Jin Ming, the young girl, was also a skilled drinker. After a few rounds, she had knocked out Liang Jianbing and Zeng Hongwen, and even Yuan Guoping was swaying. But this girl was still fine.

Li Yi was amazed and thought that there were many remarkable women in the world. He raised his glass and drank a few more rounds with the two. By the time the three bottles were empty, Yuan Guoping was already passed out on the table, and only Jin Ming and Li Yi were still somewhat清醒, but they were also babbling incoherently.

Soon, Li Yi's head drooped, and he leaned on the table, motionless.

Jin Ming suddenly became more alert and called out, "Mr. Li! Mr. Li!" Seeing that Li Yi was indeed drunk, she said, "Wake up, he's asleep."

The three men, who had been completely drunk, raised their heads, showing no signs of intoxication.

Yuan Guoping shook his head. "Good grief, this guy is too strong. Does he look like a college student? He drinks better than I do! If it weren't for Jin Ming, we three would have been left here for sure. Alright, let's follow the plan!" Thinking of Li Yi's gaze earlier, he had an idea and got up to walk towards Yuyan and Yuyan.

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(End of Chapter 11, Part 1)