Billionaire's Gold Digger - Chapter 141
[Jiangcheng]
Dinner was chosen at a quiet riverside restaurant.
When Zhou Xun and Jiang Xiaoguo arrived, Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei were already there.
This was Fan Shengmei’s first time meeting Jiang Xiaoguo in person.
The girl was petite, dressed in a somewhat formal but plainly made casual suit, her long hair smoothly draped over her shoulders, looking both obedient and carrying the freshness of someone new to society.
Upon seeing Meng Yanchen and Fan Shengmei, she immediately bowed slightly and greeted them politely, with a hint of barely noticeable nervousness.
“Hello, Director Fan. Hello, Mr. Meng.”
“No need to be so formal, just call me sis.”
Fan Shengmei smiled and pulled her to sit beside her.
The girl’s features were delicate, her gaze clear; she was obviously the type who was well brought up, an obedient and hardworking girl, not long in the workforce, still retaining a bit of unpolished ‘dullness’ and natural daze.
She was here mainly for the Complaints Wall project being introduced in the second phase of the Cultural and Creative Park, which had nothing to do with the project Meng Yanchen and Zhou Xun were discussing at the moment.
She couldn’t join the conversation, so she quietly ate, but her back was straight, her ears seemed perked up, listening intently to the discussion far beyond her current work scope, like a sponge eager for knowledge, trying hard to absorb every bit of nourishment.
Zhou Xun’s tone was as calm, concise, and businesslike as ever.
But Fan Shengmei keenly noticed that he would, without a word, move dishes Jiang Xiaoguo had taken extra helpings of closer to her;
When her drink was nearly finished, he would naturally signal the waiter to refill it;
When Meng Yanchen mentioned an overly technical financial term, he would use simpler language to briefly explain, as if just casually, making sure everyone at the table could keep up.
All his care was hidden beneath ‘normal’ social etiquette, meticulous yet subtle as spring rain.
If one were thoughtful and experienced, it would be hard not to taste something special in it.
But Jiang Xiaoguo’s attention was clearly completely absorbed by the conversation itself and the powerful aura Zhou Xun exuded.
Fan Shengmei had previously heard some stories about Zhou Xun and this “10%” girl from Meng Yanchen, and seeing this scene now, she found it quite amusing.
Her gaze subtly drifted back and forth between Jiang Xiaoguo and Zhou Xun, trying to catch any unusual current between the two.
After half a dinner of careful observation, a knowing smile curled at Fan Shengmei’s lips.
She confirmed one thing—-
Jiang Xiaoguo didn’t dare to look Zhou Xun in the eye for more than three seconds.
Unfortunately, sharp-tongued Zhou Xun only had a mouth for talking business.
Meng Yanchen gently placed the bowl of soup, cooled to just the right temperature, in front of Fan Shengmei, and, leaning in, whispered in her ear at a volume only the two could hear,
“Director Fan, has your curiosity been satisfied?”
Fan Shengmei, caught red-handed, took the soup bowl and laughed softly, a little embarrassed,
“Was it that obvious?”
“Not obvious,”
Meng Yanchen’s gaze fell gently on her face, “But I can feel it.”
His eyes swept over the dishes in front of her, barely touched,
“Don’t just be curious about others, you haven’t eaten much tonight.”
As he spoke, he carefully served her food, while Zhou Xun, completely oblivious to this brief moment of warmth, pulled out his tablet, pushed it in front of Meng Yanchen, and interrupted,
“Yan Chen, look here, this is the new data model they just submitted. I think, if the government’s regional planning really leans toward high-tech industries next, then our original core segment of high-end talent apartments is perfectly fine, and may even need to be expanded ahead of schedule.”
He paused, tapped the tablet with his finger, and continued his calm analysis,
“But if the focus shifts to traditional culture and tourism, then the scale and positioning of this supporting facility must be adjusted, otherwise the risk of early investment will increase significantly.”
Meng Yanchen’s attention was immediately drawn back; he studied the data and charts on the screen, frowning slightly,
“The biggest variable now is this final planning document that hasn’t been released yet.”
He looked up at Zhou Xun, his tone purely businesslike, “If the final scale is as you say, leaning toward culture and tourism and drastically shrinking the high-tech segment, then the overall size of this project will be too small for Guo Kun. Even if long-term profits are promising, the investment cycle and strategic weight will change, and the group’s investment committee most likely won’t approve it.”
Fan Shengmei had previously operated Star Path, so she was already deeply interested in and sensitive to commercial real estate and regional planning.
Hearing the specifics of their discussion now, her attention immediately shifted from the faint ambiguity between Jiang Xiaoguo and Zhou Xun to the project itself.
Meng Yanchen thought for a moment and offered a suggestion, “If the later plan really undergoes major adjustments due to policy, you could try contacting Ziqian. The foundation and concept of this project fit very well with the current direction of Taiwei Group.”
Zhou Xun thought carefully, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, “Let’s wait for the final document from their side in the next couple of days.”
There was a barely noticeable inclination in his tone. “I still prefer to work with Guo Kun. Of course, the premise is that both sides are in the most compatible range in terms of project scale and strategy. If the plan does change later…”
He nodded, agreeing with Meng Yanchen’s suggestion. “Taiwei is indeed a very good backup.”
[2203]
Early the next morning, sunlight hadn’t fully seeped through the curtains yet. Qu Xiaoxiao felt as if her whole body had been taken apart and reassembled, so sore and weak she couldn’t move.
Just as she groggily tried to snuggle closer to the warm source beside her, the shrill ringtone of her phone mercilessly exploded.
She struggled to find her phone, didn’t even open her eyes, and mumbled a “Hello.”
On the other end, Fan Shengmei’s voice came with a distinctly playful smile.
“Xiao Qu~ Last time you drank too much and had a headache, this time… is it a cold? That hoarse voice is getting pretty frequent.”
Qu Xiaoxiao instantly sobered up, awkwardly cleared her throat, and tried to sound sweet to cover her guilt.
“Fan-Jie~ You’re back?”
“Not yet, it’ll be a couple more days.”
Fan Shengmei chuckled, then her tone turned serious.
“Let me tell you something important. Last night, when I had dinner with Zhou Xun and Meng Yanchen, I heard them discussing a project. I think… maybe we could give it a try.”
Then, she quickly analyzed the project’s situation, the variables in regional planning, and the advantages they had in Star Path.
“But the current issue is Meng Yanchen’s Guo Kun, and the second choice is Zhao Ziqian’s Taiwei. So,”
Fan Shengmei paused, her voice carrying a sense of burning bridges.
“I’ve sent the relevant materials to your email. Go find Andy and discuss it, let’s get a project proposal done as fast as possible. I’ll go talk to Zhou Xun.”
She even lowered her voice to add, “Keep it confidential! I haven’t even told Yan Chen about this idea. Right now, both he and Zhao Ziqian could be our future competitors.”
Qu Xiaoxiao, “!!!”
She stiffly turned her head to look at the man beside her, still half-asleep, one arm possessively wrapped around her waist.
Her smile instantly became more miserable than crying, and she said dryly into the phone,
“Well… that really is… not good at all.”
Fan Shengmei on the other end didn’t sense her despair at all, instead brimming with fighting spirit.
“How could it not be good? This project is absolutely perfect for us! Get up and go talk to Andy, get the materials done! Chen Mingyu is at the company, have him help you when the time comes.”
Qu Xiaoxiao was still making her last stand. “But… Fan-Jie, that’s your own husband, and with his relationship with Zhou Xun… can we really pull this off? Isn’t this a bit too difficult?”
“So what if he’s my husband? Haven’t you heard there’s no father and son in business? Who told me that no man smells as good as money? As for our chances…”
Fan Shengmei glanced over at Jiang Xiaoguo not far away, her tone resolute.
“Relax, your Fan-Jie… has a secret weapon.”
Hearing her confident tone, Qu Xiaoxiao’s business brain instantly took over!
That’s right! No man smells as good as making money!
Who cares who’s lying in bed, making money is the real deal!
She hung up the phone in a flash, sat up abruptly, and started shoving the still-sleeping Zhao Ziqian beside her without mercy.
“Wake up! Wake up!”
Zhao Ziqian was roused by her, opened his eyes groggily, and before he could even see who was in front of him, a pile of clothes and pants was thrown right onto his face.
“Quick! Get dressed! Hurry up and leave!”
Qu Xiaoxiao’s tone was urgent, as if the house was on fire.
Zhao Ziqian was completely bewildered, clutching his clothes, looking at this woman who could flip her mood faster than flipping a page, trying to make sense of the situation.
“What happened…”
“Your house is on fire!”
Zhao Ziqian was utterly confused by her antics, but still instinctively cooperated and got dressed. Before he could even ask a question, Qu Xiaoxiao shoved him out, clothes and all.
“Bang—-!”
With a loud bang, the door to 2203 was slammed shut in his face, almost hitting his prominent nose.
Zhao Ziqian stood in front of the tightly closed door, his shirt not even fully buttoned, suit jacket in hand, completely stunned.
A morning breeze blew by, making him look especially… desolate.
He thought they’d already cleared the air yesterday, said everything so plainly. Even if it wasn’t a tender morning, it shouldn’t be… getting kicked out right away, should it?
Zhao Ziqian stood alone in the empty hallway, so exasperated he laughed.
“Sleep with me and then pretend nothing happened?!”
He simply couldn’t understand what kind of wiring this woman’s brain had.
“Qu Xiaoxiao, you’re something else!”
He speechlessly pulled out his phone, opened Xiao Yixiao’s WeChat, and sent a voice message in a helpless yet amused tone.
“Xiao Yixiao, add me to whatever group you guys have!”
