Chapter 208 The Beauty of First Love

Peking Chang'an Club is a top private club integrating high-end business, social and leisure.

Since its opening in 1996, it has been famous for its elegant palace-style decoration, exquisite cuisine and meticulous service.

It has become the preferred gathering and communication venue for well-known entrepreneurs, elites from all walks of life and international friends in Beijing and even the whole country.

At around five o'clock in the afternoon, the lights came on and the whole city of Peking was wrapped in neon lights.

Song Ci was wearing a simple and comfortable black short-sleeved T-shirt, with an upright posture and a calm demeanor.

Hand in hand with Liu Shishi, who was wearing a white shirt and blue skirt and had a swaying figure, she walked into the Chang'an Club.

The lights in the club are bright, and the halos are intertwined, like a dream.

In the air, wisps of elegant sandalwood scent drift slowly, seeping into the heart and lungs, instantly soothing all the restlessness in the heart and making people feel relaxed and happy.

A waiter in uniform and with a dignified demeanor in front of the door was sharp-eyed. He quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, his face full of respect and enthusiasm.

After quietly asking about their purpose, he led the way, leading Song Ci and Liu Shishi through a series of exquisite corridors and directly to the highly respected "Sanyuan" VIP room.

Liu Shishi and her boyfriend walked side by side, her beautiful eyes moving as she curiously looked at the high-end and exquisite decoration inside the club. The classical lighting and furniture were unique in charm, bringing the grandeur and elegance to the extreme.

Miss Liu whispered softly, with a sense of curiosity in her tone: "This is my first time here. I only heard of its great name before, but after seeing it today, I can see that it is indeed as good as its reputation says. The environment here is indeed great."

Song Ci smiled gently: "I am a member of the club. The dishes in the "Clear Bottles and Red Candles" Chinese restaurant here are excellent. You can come and try them with your friends in your spare time. Just use my membership."

Liu Shishi nodded, but she still felt that this place was too business-oriented. It would be more relaxing to have a hotpot or a barbecue than to have a small gathering with friends.

Arriving at the door of the "Sanyuan" private room, the waiter gently pulled the door, the hinges turned silently, and he bowed politely and said, "Sir, Madam, please come in!"

Song Ci and Liu Shishi walked in gracefully, and when they looked up they saw that Liu Xiangdong, the host, had already arrived first.

Dressed casually, he stood by the window, gazing at the magnificent city scenery outside, while chatting and laughing with a woman of outstanding temperament.

Seeing Song Ci appear, Liu Xiangdong and the lady beside him immediately came forward, extended their hands enthusiastically, and laughed heartily: "Brother Song is here, welcome, welcome!"

After saying this, he turned his eyes to Liu Shishi and praised her repeatedly: "This must be my brother's wife. She is so pretty. Standing with me, they look like a pair of gods and goddesses. They are the envy of others."

Song Ci shook hands with Liu Xiangdong and said with a smile, "Brother Dong, you are too polite. I am sorry for the expense today."

Then he turned slightly to introduce to his girlfriend: "Shishi, this is Liu Xiangdong, chairman of JD.com. You can just call him Brother Dong like I did. There's no need to be so formal."

Liu Shishi moved lightly with lotus steps, her figure graceful yet dignified, like a lady from an ancient painting. She opened her red lips slightly, revealing a gentle smile, and said in a soft voice: "Brother Dong."

At the same time, he observed carefully and calmly. The person in front of him had thick eyebrows, big eyes, a high nose bridge, and bright eyes. He gave people a sense of uprightness, majesty, and fullness of atmosphere.

Liu Xiangdong smiled heartily, and took the opportunity to pull the woman next to him over, and introduced her with a smile on his face:

"Come on, brothers and sisters-in-law, let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend Gong Xiaojin. She is a thoughtful and interesting person. You girls can chat more with her, brothers and sisters-in-law."

Hearing this, Gong Xiaojin was very calm and polite, with a proper smile on his face, and greeted softly: "Mr. Song, Miss Liu, I have heard of your names for a long time. Xiangdong often talks about you. Today I finally see you in person. You are indeed very elegant."

Everyone was talking and greeting each other politely. Every word they spoke was carefully considered, polite and warm.

After a lively exchange, everyone sat around the exquisite round table.

The two men relaxed and began to chat about everything from interesting business stories to current political news. The topics came one after another and laughter continued.

The two ladies sat beside him with great grace and elegance. They seldom spoke, but just listened quietly to their lovers' talk.

Occasionally, her eyes turn slightly, and she tilts her head slightly to look at the person beside her. Her eyes seem to contain a pool of autumn water, full of tender love, as if the noise in the world has nothing to do with them, and the voice of her lover is the most beautiful sound in the world.

Just as everyone was chatting happily, the door of the private room was opened again, and Lei Jun and his wife Zhang Tong came in.

Lei Jun was wearing simple casual clothes, but it couldn't hide his extraordinary temperament. Zhang Tong was wearing a plain long skirt, gentle and generous.

The appearance of the two instantly attracted the attention of Song Ci and the other three. Song Ci and Liu Xiangdong quickly stood up to greet them.

Lei Jun's narrow eyes flashed with a hint of flattery, a modest and gentle smile hung on his face, and he greeted everyone in a humble manner: "Sorry, I'm a little late and kept you waiting for a long time."

His voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of apology, which instantly dispelled the awkwardness that might have arisen from being late, making people feel kind and amiable.

"Brother Jun, you have to drink a few more glasses later!" Song Ci raised his eyebrows and joked with a smile.

He and Lei Jun were neighbors and often met each other on weekdays. Sometimes they would exercise together in Jingyuan early in the morning. As a result, they got along very well.

Lei Jun couldn't help but laugh and nodded in agreement: "Okay, okay, I accept the punishment."

Song Ci acted as a middleman and introduced Lei Jun and Liu Xiangdong to each other. After some greetings, everyone sat down and started the meal.

Soon the table was filled with various dishes, steaming and fragrant, and the highball glasses in front of us were filled with red wine. The atmosphere in the private room became harmonious and warm.

Liu Xiangdong's face was full of excitement. He stood up suddenly, picked up the wine glass steadily, and said proudly: "Thank you all for giving me Liu face today. I will drink first to show my respect!"

After saying this, he tilted his head back and drank the wine in the glass in one gulp. His movements were quick and decisive, showing his boldness.

Seeing this, everyone raised their glasses and responded in unison. For a moment, the sound of the glasses clinking was crisp and pleasant.

The three gentlemen present were all business leaders, either leaders of a company or well-known investors, so the topic at the dinner table naturally revolved around the general trend of business development.

Song Ci took a sip of red wine, savoring the smooth and mellow taste with the tip of his tongue. After a moment of hesitation, he slowly spoke:

"Affected by the US subprime mortgage crisis, the overall economic environment is becoming increasingly severe. This financial crisis is coming with great force and I am afraid it will not be so easy to overcome. Countless companies are at risk of closing down and going bankrupt."

"Yeah, I feel like this difficult time is not easy to overcome." Liu Xiangdong nodded in agreement, the smile on his face faded a little, and his expression became solemn.

He has a deep understanding of this financial crisis. A few days ago, he went to Donghai to meet with several VCs to seek financing, but without exception, he returned empty-handed.

So as soon as he returned to Peiping, he couldn't wait to make an appointment with Song Ci and Lei Jun to discuss JD.com's financing to solve the urgent problem.

After all, the cash flow in JD.com Group’s account is about to dry up, and time is running out and there is no time to waste.

Lei Jun took over the conversation, his eyes flashing with thought: "However, risks and opportunities always coexist. The companies that can survive this financial crisis will inevitably usher in new development opportunities."

When I said this, the hardships I went through when I started my business emerged involuntarily in my mind, and I felt filled with emotion.

Before attending the banquet, he spoke to Song Ci on the phone and learned that the purpose of Liu Xiangdong's banquet today was to invite him to invest in JD.com and help it survive this cold winter.

At this moment, looking at Liu Xiangdong, who was full of confidence but unable to hide his anxiety, Lei Jun seemed to see his former self.

JD.com is so similar to Joyo.com back then. Both are focused on logistics construction and are at a critical juncture of life and death.

Sensitively sensing Liu Xiangdong's anxiety, Song Ci followed Lei Jun's words and said with a smile:

"Yes, as long as we can get through this, there will be a bright future. Brother Jun, JD.com is also at such a critical turning point. I wonder if you are willing to give it a hand?"

Lei Jun looked deep in his eyes, as if recalling the past. He looked at Liu Xiangdong calmly, and his voice was calm but firm:

"The e-commerce industry has developed rapidly in recent years. However, from its initial inception to its current prosperity, every step has been the result of the hard work and sweat of countless entrepreneurs. The degree of difficulty is hard for outsiders to imagine."

Having said this, he paused for a moment, a hint of barely perceptible sadness flashed across his eyes, and then he regained his composure:

"Maybe I am still unwilling to give up. The failure of Joyo.com left a thorn in my side and I still can't forget it. So, in principle, I am willing to invest in JD.com and don't want to have the same regrets again."

Zhang Tong held Lei Jun's hand tightly. She knew that Joyo.com would be an eternal pain in her husband's heart. The company in which he had put so much effort collapsed before dawn. One could imagine the resentment and anger in his heart.

Over the years, her husband has been deliberately avoiding contact with his colleagues who started Joyo.com with him. She understands that Lei Jun is forcing himself to cut off his emotions from the past, but how can he just cut off the obsession that has penetrated deep into his bones?

Lei Jun felt the warmth coming from his palm, and his originally tense face gradually relaxed, with a hint of warmth in his eyes.

The lighting in the box was soft. Liu Xiangdong was extremely nervous, fearing that Lei Jun would reject him like those VCs.

But when I heard that Lei Jun was willing to invest in JD.com, I felt like a huge stone had fallen from my heart and I was ecstatic.

Without saying a word, he picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp, as if only this kind of drinking could vent his surging emotions.

But maybe because he drank too much, he choked in his haste and started coughing non-stop.

Gong Xiaojin looked distressed, and quickly patted her boyfriend's back to help him breathe. Her voice was soft and gentle: "Xiangdong, drink slowly!"

Liu Xiangdong pounded his chest lightly, took a deep breath, and waved his hand, his face still flushed. "Xiao Jin, fill my glass again, and toast to Mr. Lei and my sister-in-law with me."

Lei Jun was a little embarrassed by this scene and suggested, "Let's have a drink together. Don't be so formal."

Song Ci also hurried to smooth things over, saying that although the alcohol content of red wine is not as strong as that of white wine, it has a strong aftertaste and it is not possible to drink it in such large cups.

Liu Xiangdong is a smart man, and he also took advantage of the donkey to go downhill, so he only had a few toasts.

A consensus was reached on the core issue of this gathering. Once an agreement on investment was reached, the three men present would become a community of interests, so the atmosphere at the table became more harmonious.

The three of them exchanged views on the development of e-commerce, ranging from market trends to user experience, from supply chain management to technological innovation, and had in-depth discussions.

Zhang Tong had a warm smile on her face. She pulled her husband and Song Ci and flexibly changed seats to sit next to Liu Shishi and Gong Xiaojin.

"Men are like this, they can't stop talking about their careers. They talk about their grand plans and we talk about our family matters."

"I rarely see him talk so much. At home, except when talking to me, he rarely talks so much." Liu Shishi spoke softly, her eyes as gentle as water, quietly falling on Song Ci.

Seeing my boyfriend in high spirits and talking eloquently, my heart was filled with joy, and I couldn't help thinking to myself: Yi Yi, this is your social skills, so dazzling!

"Is Mr. Song usually very quiet?" After hearing what Liu Shishi said, Gong Xiaojin glanced at Song Ci who was arguing fiercely with Liu Xiangdong, and couldn't help but smiled secretly with his hands covering his mouth: "It doesn't look like that!"

Her boyfriend is a very eloquent person, but this time, when arguing with Song Ci, he was actually at a disadvantage. He was left speechless by Song Ci's refutation, his face flushed, and he looked unconvinced. It was really interesting.

Liu Shishi tilted her head, thinking about Mr. Song's usual temper in front of her, and smiled: "Maybe he is quiet in front of me."

Zhang Tong acted like a caring elder sister. She looked at Miss Liu, whose heart and eyes were full of her boyfriend, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, and said meaningfully:

"Silly girl, you and him grew up together and are each other's first love. He has reserved his most gentle side for you."

As she spoke, her eyes unconsciously drifted towards Lei Jun, her thoughts flying. She and her husband Lei Jun also went from first love to marriage.

They have been married happily for many years. Looking at Liu Shishi at this moment, it seems as if I see myself who went through all the ups and downs with Lei Jun back then.

So from the first time they met, she liked Liu Shishi very much and made sincere friends with the girl, hoping that she and Song Ci could blossom and bear fruit.

Gong Xiaojin, who was standing by, couldn't help but ask in surprise when he heard this: "Is Shishi and Mr. Song's first love?"

She originally thought that with Song Ci's outstanding looks, he should be surrounded by women all the time, but from what Zhang Tong said, it seemed that he had only dated Liu Shishi.

Liu Shishi was a kind-hearted lady, and she quickly guessed the reason for the other party's surprise. She smiled and asked back, "Sister and Dong Ge are also first love?"

Gong Xiaojin's pretty face blushed and she nodded shyly. She and her boyfriend met in college when they were young and had supported each other all the way to where they are today. Only she knows the sweetness and hardships in their journey.

Seeing this, Liu Shishi clapped her hands and chuckled, "Oh, that's really interesting. Sister Zhang and Mr. Lei are also first loves. It turns out that the three of us are each other's first love. What a wonderful fate."

Zhang Tong was also slightly surprised, and casually showed a happy smile. She had achieved her goal and had a happy family. At this moment, she silently wished that the two girls in front of her could also have a good home like herself.

(End of this chapter)