Chapter 16 Chapter 16 (Part 2)

The door of the private room slowly closed, blocking out all sight. Lin Wan took a last look and saw Fu Mingjun looking at her with an indescribable look in his eyes.

Kaihua Construction Company will be responsible for the construction of Jiangcheng's largest department store, creating the city's tallest building ever. The sleek, 15-story building surpasses Jiangcheng's previous department stores, which were at most six stories high.

The investment by Hong Kong businessmen, with the help of Jiangcheng government, not only contributes to the development of Jiangcheng, but also represents a strategic layout for businessmen.

Yang Minghui briefly discussed the purpose of this investment with Fu Xiuhuai and the others: "Our CEOs Cheng and Lin visited the mainland over a decade ago and have deep ties to the mainland, having invested hundreds of millions of yuan in projects. They chose Jiangcheng this time because they value its development potential."

Fu Xiuhuai was drinking tea with someone and talking about the next construction plan. Even though he had never seen the Xitian Building in Gangcheng with his own eyes, he asked someone to find photos of it. Then, he planned the construction to adapt to the local customs based on the terrain and characteristics of Jiangcheng.

Lin Wan listened to the two of them and the Kaihua people talking about the construction of the commercial building, and listened from time to time. They were mainly eating and drinking.

Jinzhuang Restaurant is a century-old establishment. Legend has it that owner He's ancestors prepared imperial meals for the emperor in the palace, enjoying immense success. Later, during the Republican era, a descendant of the family returned to their hometown to open a restaurant, and business naturally flourished, passing down the family from generation to generation. However, during the Great Movement, their ancestors' past in the imperial court became a target for the campaign to eliminate the "Four Olds" and feudal superstitions. The restaurant was raided, and the family members were subjected to several rounds of struggle sessions and sent to a farm for reform.

After the great movement ended and the people were gradually rehabilitated, the He Family Restaurant was reopened. Thanks to its good cooking skills, it grew bigger and bigger and became famous. After more than ten years of development after the reform and opening up, it has now become a three-story grand restaurant, the best in Jiangcheng.

Whenever there is a banquet, this is the first choice.

This was Lin Wan's first time here. She had heard of the imperial cuisine but had never tasted it, so how could it not be new to her?

Eighteen delicious dishes were served. The boiled Chinese cabbage was fresh and elegant. It looked light, but I heard it was carefully prepared with various chickens, ducks, hams, and pork. The resulting broth was not meaty, but full of fragrance. The Chinese cabbage in the broth was like a blooming lotus, extremely elegant.

The waiter patiently explained, and Yang Minghui, a Hong Kong businessman, was very interested: "It's really a dish that is carefully prepared. It's very interesting."

Lin Wan took a sip of the broth, which was fresh, fragrant, and slightly sticky. It had a refreshing gelatinous texture, but was neither thick nor greasy. The taste was excellent, and the umami flavors rolled in her mouth like waves, with rich layers. It deserved the praise of "simple yet sophisticated."

Lin Wan tasted the other 17 dishes one by one. Her favorite was the Snowflake Chicken Soup. The minced meat and egg white were stir-fried into snowflake-like shapes, which were piled up like snowflakes and finally sprinkled with chopped ham. It was soft, fragrant, dense and tender in the mouth.

After tasting each dish, Lin Wan caught a glimpse of the Snowflake Chicken Nao opposite her. She was just waiting for the next dish to be served to her, but she heard Fu Xiuhuai and Yang Minghui talking about construction issues. Fu Xiuhuai looked at them, but his slender fingers pressed the rotating transparent turntable. Soon, the Snowflake Chicken Nao stopped right in front of her.

Lin Wan glanced at Fu Xiuhuai, only to see him calmly introducing the method of dry-fried abalone to Yang Minghui: "Mr. Yang, you can try the difference between it and the abalone and chicken wings stew in Hong Kong."

Yang Minghui was very considerate and after savoring the dishes carefully, he praised them highly: "They are all delicious dishes. If we sell them in Hong Kong, we will definitely be able to open a chain store."

Lin Wan silently scooped another spoonful of snowflake chicken soup into the bowl. She could hear Fu Xiuhuai speaking a few words of Cantonese to the guests. It was quite audible, at least not as plastic as the Mandarin of Hong Kong businessman Wang Yuanzhong.

Yang Minghui was curious: "Mr. Fu, did you learn this specifically? It sounds very standard."

Fu Xiuhuai said openly: "My wife loves Hong Kong's songs and TV dramas. I've been around her for a long time, and I've learned a few words from her."

Lin Wan knew that her mission on this trip, besides enjoying the local cuisine, was to help bridge the gap. She continued with the clichéd conversation, saying a few words in Cantonese: "I also learned the songs by listening to them for many years. They're not very standard, though."

Yang Minghui's eyes lit up. "Mrs. Fu is so modest. What she said is very authentic. Back then, when our General Manager Lin first arrived in Hong Kong from the mainland, he didn't speak Cantonese. He learned it later. It seems like we are destined to be together."

During the meal, they talked about the construction project, the close ties between Hong Kong and the mainland, the cultural and entertainment customs of the two places, and the investments of Fu Xiuhuai's company and Hong Kong businessman Cheng Lin.

Finally, Lin Wan suddenly realized a sense of familiarity in what she had just heard, and smiled as she said, "Speaking of Xitian Building, it sounds familiar to me. Now I finally remember it. Our garment factory also entertained a Hong Kong businessman, and he mentioned Xitian Building."

Yang Minghui suddenly became interested. "Oh, which Hong Kong businessman? I've been in Hong Kong for many years, and I've met all kinds of Hong Kong businessmen with our eldest young master. I know them all, famous or not. Could it be an old acquaintance?"

"His surname is Wang, and his name is Wang Yuanzhong. He is 48 years old. He said that Xitian Building used to belong to him, but he got tired of it and sold it." Lin Wan was surprised to see that Yang Minghui had a strange expression when he heard this.

"Wang Yuanzhong? This name is unfamiliar, but the previous owner of Xitian Building was indeed surnamed Wang." Yang Minghui thought back to the events of more than ten years ago. "Does that person have any characteristics?"

Lin Wan thought for a moment and said, "He's quite tall, a bit fat, with a square face. Oh, there's a black mole on the tip of his nose, quite noticeable."

"A black mole on the tip of his nose?" Yang Minghui's thoughts drifted back to many years ago, and he suddenly remembered someone. "Then his real name should be Wang Tianwei. I do know him. He's just a businessman who went bankrupt a long time ago. Why is he still thinking of investing in the mainland? Mrs. Fu, you better keep your eyes open."

Lin Wan frowned slightly, not expecting to hear the word "bankruptcy" from Yang Minghui. "He changed his name? Did Hong Kong businessman Wang Yuanzhong go bankrupt? Could he have made a fortune again after these past ten years?"

"Probably not." Yang Minghui knew all about the companies and bosses in Hong Kong, big and small, but when it came to an old acquaintance he hadn't seen in years, he hesitated to say anything definitive. "The Xitian Building was indeed owned by Wang Tianwei back then. He was a superstitious man, even having a fortuneteller calculate whether the mole on the tip of his nose was good or bad, assuming it blocked his fortune. That's how he became known among Hong Kong businessmen, and they called him the Black Nose King. But he was also a big drinker, whoremonger, and gambler, driving the building bankrupt. Our General Manager Lin acquired the Xitian Building at an auction where the court had repossessed the building for debt repayment. They say people are different, but our General Manager Lin was a businessman. Within a few years, he built the Xitian Building into a Hong Kong-wide fame, and later opened chain stores in several other Asian countries and mainland China. As far as I know, Wang Tianwei later made a living by collecting trash, but he didn't make much progress, and I haven't heard of him making any fortunes again... As for him changing his name to Wang Yuanzhong and investing in mainland China, I don't know if it's true."

This was completely different from the statement made by Hong Kong businessman Wang Yuanzhong. Lin Wan was shocked. Could it be that the Hong Kong businessman received by the garment factory was a liar?

Lin Wan couldn't be completely sure at this point, but Yang Minghui, a sharp man, offered to help: "I'll call Hong Kong City later and ask someone to help find out the details of Wang Tianwei's current situation."

"Thank you so much." Lin Wan's heart was beating fast. She thought the garment factory couldn't be so unlucky.

The welcoming banquet ended in a friendly atmosphere after just one meal. Fu Xiuhuai was equally generous and booked a luxury suite in a four-star hotel for Yang Minghui and arranged a tour of Jiangcheng.

The group left the table and walked out of the private room. In the magnificently decorated hall, Fu Xiuhuai invited Yang Minghui to visit Kaihua Company tomorrow. "Mr. Yang, you just arrived in Jiangcheng today. Have a good rest tonight. You are welcome to visit Kaihua tomorrow and discuss the building plan together."

Yang Minghui had other work arrangements and was very satisfied when he heard this: "See you tomorrow."

At the time of farewell, Fu Xiuhuai arranged for a driver to drive a Santana to take Yang Minghui back to the hotel. As the car started slowly, a noisy noise was heard behind him.

A group of young men in their early twenties were crowded out, their faces flushed from drinking and the air reeking of alcohol. They were arm in arm and shouting about going to the Golden Phoenix Karaoke Hall to continue drinking.

"Liang Bin made way for us and told us to drink as much as we wanted. He even reserved the best booth for us."

The person in the middle was Fu Mingjun.

Fu Mingjun's face was also flushed from drinking, but when his eyes fell on the group of people in front of him, his eyes suddenly became clear.

Fu Xiuhuai adjusted his shirt cufflinks, glanced at the group of young people with a deep gaze, and said lightly: "Mingjun."

These two simple words seemed to lack any emotion, but they instantly quieted the drunk young men in the hall.

Although no one knew the mature man in front of them, people of the same sex always like to compete with each other. If the other party was a young boy, these people probably wouldn't even look at him twice, and would look down on him with disdain. But the other party was a tall, mature man with a calm demeanor. The two words "indifferent" could make people fall silent unconsciously, which shows his majesty.

"Fu Mingjun, who is this?" Among the young men, the tall, square-faced one was curious, but lowered his voice because of the imposing manner of the man opposite him.

Fu Mingjun's face was red from drinking, but he couldn't do anything outside, so he could only call out, "Uncle."

They had heard that the wealthy Fu family in Jiangcheng was quite wealthy. They had eaten, drank and had fun with Fu Mingjun many times, but they had never seen the head of the Fu family. Now they all looked over with wide eyes to catch a glimpse of the demeanor of Fu Mingjun's uncle.

"Hello, uncle."

"Uncle, we and Fu Mingjun are brothers!"

Fu Xiuhuai glanced at the few people and nodded slightly, then instructed his nephew: "Don't hang around outside after drinking. Go home and rest early. I'll have someone take you there."

Lin Wan watched Fu Xiuhuai admonishing his nephew like a loving elder, but his nephew's eyes were red and he looked at her.

There were many people here at the moment, and Lin Wan was a little nervous. Fu Mingjun looked a little strange indeed.

"My uncle brought his wife to dinner, but I'm left alone." Fu Mingjun sneered.

The other people present thought it was just a nephew teasing his uncle and started to make jokes. Only Lin Wan felt a tightness in her heart and dug her toes into the ground.

Otherwise, you two uncles can talk, I want to retreat first.

Fu Mingjun's poor manners after drinking made Fu Xiuhuai look more mature and steady. The man put his arm around Lin Wan's waist and said with a faint smile, "It's right for you to be more mature and get married early. There's no need to envy others. Go back and rest."

After saying that, Fu Xiuhuai turned around and took everyone away in a taxi.

Lin Wan didn't know why the uncle and nephew were always at odds with each other, and they were slandering each other. She didn't know who to believe.

Behind him, Fu Mingjun and his group of unfriendly-looking friends were still making a lot of noise, shouting and joking after drinking, and the voice of one of them could be heard faintly.

"Fu Mingjun, your uncle is right. You should get married on your own. Don't envy your uncle. But where's your girlfriend? I heard you have a very beautiful girlfriend. Why are you still hiding her..."

After Lin Wan left, Fu Mingjun looked at the figure in front of him and slowly uttered a few words: "She was taken away."

***

After successfully receiving Yang Minghui, the Hong Kong businessman representative of Xitian Building, Lin Wan went to Cuihu Villa alone, while Fu Xiuhuai took everyone in the company back for a meeting.

When they parted, Fu Xiuhuai invited Lin Wan to go with him, but was politely declined.

Lin Wan did not agree to go to the office to wait for him, preferring to go back and rest.

After working for six days, Lin Wan returned to her bedroom and turned on her computer, which she hadn't touched for six days. She wanted to go to the BBS and chat rooms to look for some clues. However, there were not many people from Hong Kong in the chat rooms on the mainland, so naturally they didn't know much about Hong Kong businessmen.

Occasionally, a netizen from Guangdong and Shenzhen would mention some information about Hong Kong businessmen, and they would say that they had never heard of Wang Yuanzhong. Instead, they knew of the well-known wealthy businessman couple Cheng Wanting and Lin Keying in the port city not far away on the other side of the strait. Even their secretary Yang Minghui was quite famous.

After quickly browsing the chat room messages, Lin Wan could tell that this wealthy couple had incredible financial resources and real talent. Even their investments in mainland China had been reported in many newspapers, but only their names and surnames appeared, without photos.

Compared with other top Hong Kong tycoons who are famous for their high profile, he can be said to be very low-key.

The representative Secretary Yang we met today is a close confidant of the two and often travels between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to do things for them.

Not many people know Wang Yuanzhong's name, but it reminds Lin Wan of Yang Minghui's words. Wang Yuanzhong, who was received at the garment factory, was a wealthy man who had worked hard to make his fortune, and was also the father of a famous movie star. However, in Yang Minghui's words, he was an incompetent prodigal son. The two images were really far apart.

Lin Wan kept this matter in mind and thought about how to bring it up with the leaders of the garment factory. It was a serious matter, so she had to be careful.

By dinner time, Fu Xiuhuai still hadn't returned, so he called home and told them not to wait for him. Fu Xiutong was also busy at the steel mill, and Zhang Meiying was so engrossed in playing mahjong that she had no plans to come home for dinner.

Aunt Wang prepared meals for three people, four dishes and a soup. After the old man, the old lady and Lin Wan came to the table, she went outside to tend to the flowers and plants.

The elderly couple Fu Zhiyong and Jiang Yuehua asked about Lin Wan's appetite and reminded her of some precautions for pregnancy. After the meal, they talked about the day when Lin Wan and Fu Xiuhua got married.

Lin Wan was indeed curious, so she listened patiently and asked for details from time to time.

"Xiu Huai has always had a stubborn temper. Back then, our family was in trouble. Your father, a university professor, was dragged out for denunciation and denounced as the "stinking ninth". Our whole family was sent down to the countryside for reform. We were planning to entrust the younger Xiu Huai to a colleague, so that at least one child could be saved. But this child, only about ten years old, insisted on going with us." Jiang Yuehua, now older, loved reminiscing about the past. "Later, the Fu family relied on him to support them, and we have the good life we have today. Business is so hard. At the beginning, he was labeled a speculator. He suffered a lot, and he saved some money for his family. Later, he went out to take on projects, doing everything by himself, and never complained to his family... Xiu Huai's father and I were worried about his lifelong event. Seeing that he was already in his thirties and there was no movement around him, how could we not be anxious? Then one day, he suddenly said he wanted to get married."

Speaking of marriage, Jiang Yuehua smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits: "I am so happy to see you. Xiu Huai, this boy, has really good taste."

Lin Wan didn't dare to say more. After all, she had no memory of these things. When she heard her mother-in-law mention that their wedding banquet was held at the Jinzhuang Hotel, she was surprised.

It turns out that I had eaten at Jinzhuang Restaurant half a year ago?

"Jinzhuang's food is delicious, especially the Snowflake Chicken Soup, which is expertly prepared. You're also a favorite." Jiang Yuehua had a deep impression of the wedding banquet held six months ago. "I remember after the toast, Xiu Huai even asked the kitchen to add an extra serving of Snowflake Chicken Soup. I've never seen him so thoughtful before."

Thinking of the Snowflake Chicken Nao that happened to be right in front of her at noon today, Lin Wan's eyelashes trembled slightly.

The autumn wind in October was bleak, and the sky in Jiangcheng was getting darker and darker earlier. Around seven o'clock, it was already dark and accompanied by rolling dark clouds.

Aunt Wang glanced at the dark sky and sighed, "Oh, it looks like it's going to rain heavily."

After saying that, he went to collect his clothes.

The temperature is most pleasant before the rain, and when the breeze blows, it brings coolness.

Lin Wan stood in the garden of the Fu family villa and felt a few fetal movements, a wonderful, gentle wriggling feeling. The uncontrollable surge of new life was disturbing, tense, and mixed with a bit of anticipation deep in her heart.

"Lin Wan!" He Yanni, carrying a red leather bag, got out of a red Xiali taxi and waved at Lin Wan on tiptoe.

He Yanni has always been enthusiastic. Every time she meets someone, she raises her voice to greet them, like the warm sun.

"Sister Yanni, did you just come back from outside? Have you had dinner?" Lin Wan took a few steps forward and used the universal greeting phrase.

"I ate! We just ate outside while shopping." He Yanni was a little excited. She took Lin Wan's hand and wanted to talk to her, then took her straight to her home. "Your husband introduced my husband to a job again. He's a real fortune teller."

Fu Xiuhuai undertook the construction and renovation of buildings, and the upstream and downstream supply also needed cooperation. In addition to the supply of raw materials, transportation was also a big expense.

It is really expensive for a construction company to maintain a group of large trucks and drivers. It is better to cooperate with transportation companies when needed, which can reduce costs.

He Yanni's husband Sun Hongbo is reliable and has collaborated with Fu Xiuhuai on many projects since they met, so both parties are at ease.

The two stood on the asphalt road between the two villas and chatted casually: "Thanks to your husband's ability, he has taken on big projects, so our old Sun can also get a piece of the pie."

He Yanni said this modestly. In fact, although her transportation company was not the largest, it was stable and reliable. The projects it usually took on and its own transportation projects could also bring in stable income. However, Fu Xiuhuai often got big projects, which was icing on the cake.

After dinner, someone in the villa area was out for a walk. When they passed by the two, they heard what they were saying and couldn't help but join in the conversation: "He Yanni, what you said is quite reasonable. Doesn't your and Sun Hongbo's transport team rely on the Fu family's business? Otherwise, you wouldn't even have any broth to drink. You must get along well with Fu Xiuhuai's wife."

Lin Wan frowned slightly, looking at the middle-aged woman she didn't know. She saw that the woman was fat, with a round face full of fat. When she smiled, she didn't look friendly, but rather a bit mean, which matched the provocation in her words.

Regardless of the relationship between the two families, this is indeed a harsh statement. Even if He Yanni meant to be humble and flattering, it would be awkward for an outsider to intervene and belittle her. It might even make it so that the two of them could no longer be friends.

According to her, if He Yanni became friends with her, she would be fawning on her. For the sake of her face and dignity, she had to stay away from her.

Lin Wan smiled at the unfamiliar woman and spoke sweetly, "The cooperation between the construction company and the transportation company was a mutual choice, especially since Brother Sun is so capable and has managed the transportation project so well. Otherwise, how could they have lasted this long?" Lin Wan knew that He Yanni was the financial officer of the transportation company and couldn't help but admire this husband-and-wife business. "Especially with Sister Yanni as their strategic advisor, managing such an important financial process, it's only natural that they can continue to work together for the long term."

"You..." The middle-aged woman's triangular eyes, which were originally drooping, suddenly widened a little. She snorted coldly and turned away.

He Yanni felt relieved after hearing these words. No matter what, Lin Wan had given her enough face.

After dragging Lin Wan home to sit for a while, He Yanni poured her a glass of warm water and then mentioned the woman just now: "That Aunt Liu really holds a grudge and always comes out to say something sarcastic."

"Aunt Liu...?" Lin Wan wasn't sure if she knew that person.

"Yeah! Have you forgotten?" He Yanni plopped down next to Lin Wan and rambled on about the past. "Six months ago, her son also opened a transportation team and wanted to cooperate with your man. He gave him gifts several times, including one for you. Remember?"

"Sent it to me?" Lin Wan naturally didn't remember, but fortunately He Yanni was carefree and just thought that Lin Wan had forgotten.

"Yeah." He Yanni felt a little uncomfortable with her rival stealing her business. After all, whoever steals whose business will lose, so there's no need to hide it. "I gave you a lot of nice things, like ginseng, deer antler, gold chain, and gold bracelet, but you confiscated them and just said you wouldn't participate in Fu Xiuhuai's business. Anyway, her family won't be able to see our two families getting along well."

Lin Wan didn't expect that there would be such a thing. It seemed that no matter whether she remembered the past or not, she would make the same choice.

Especially since He Yanni is enthusiastic, cheerful and sincere to others, which I can feel. There is no reason to let others stir up trouble and affect the relationship.

The two talked in the room for a while, and He Yanni suddenly thought of something and pulled Lin Wan upstairs again: "Oh, right, aren't they working on the building project in Hong Kong City this time? Speaking of Hong Kong City, I have something good!"

He Yanni mysteriously stuffed a paper box into Lin Wan's pocket, which was then packed in a paper bag used to store clothes in a department store, making it look quite heavy.

"Go home and take a look! I guarantee you'll like it! It's from Hong Kong, so it's especially good!" He Yanni praised the things as if they were the best in the world, which made Lin Wan particularly curious.

When Lin Wan returned home with the paper bag of things, she heard Fu Minghui's laughter as soon as she walked into the living room.

When Fu Minghui heard that her brother had returned home, she came back from school to catch him, intending for Fu Mingjun to treat her to a delicious meal.

But when I arrived, Fu Mingjun disappeared again.

"Aunt!" Fu Minghui chatted with her grandparents for a while, then went to Lin Wan to complain about her brother's unreliability. "He's been away for months, and when he comes back, he's gone. I really should let my uncle deal with him!"

Lin Wan had no intention of getting involved in the Fu family's disputes. She just smiled and said, "Do you have classes tomorrow? Leaving so early in the morning?"

"Yeah!" Fu Minghui felt so pitiful. She had to take a taxi to school early tomorrow morning. "Auntie, my brother is really pissing me off... Oh, every time I call you auntie, I feel like I'm calling you old."

Lin Wan was amused by the girl's words, but then she thought it made sense. The term "little aunt" sounded old-fashioned when applied to a 22-year-old like herself.

"Then don't call me that. Just call me by my name. Don't pay attention to those empty words."

"No, my uncle won't agree." Fu Minghui was also puzzled. Her uncle had always been casual and tolerant of her and her brother, but he insisted on making it clear during the wedding that people had to be called according to their seniority.

Fu Minghui knew when her uncle would let her go and when he would be serious and not allow anyone to be refused, so she could only follow the seniority.

"Anyway, it was my uncle who told me to call him that. Aunt, if you're not satisfied, go ahead and beat him up."

Lin Wan chuckled, and after talking for a while, she went upstairs carrying the bag given by He Yanni.

......

Lin Wan returned to the house just as Fu Xiuhuai arrived home.

Fu Minghui politely called him "uncle" and couldn't help but joked, "Uncle, auntie just went upstairs to put something away. You two are quite interesting. You haven't seen each other for a long time."

Fu Xiuhuai's mouth curled up, and he strode to the second floor, leaving only one sentence: "Since entering college, your tongue has become more and more broken."

Fu Minghui nodded at her uncle from behind, looking very playful.

It took less than half a minute to go upstairs. Fu Xiuhuai knocked three times as usual before turning the doorknob. When he pushed the door open, he saw Lin Wan, who never showed any intense emotions at any time, was frightened. She stuffed something into the closet as if to hide it, closed the door with a bang, leaned her back against the closet, and looked at him in panic.

The eyes that were as clear as water were now like a deer's eyes slightly open, with a sense of pure moisture, looking at me purely and helplessly.

"What's wrong?" Fu Xiuhuai had never seen Lin Wan like this before. Even when such a big thing happened, she was calm and composed, and no emotion could be seen on her face.

"Nothing." Lin Wan's cheeks were visibly flushed, burning all the way to her ears. She shook her head like a rattle and denied it in a hurry.

The image that lingered in her mind was something she, a diligent university student, had never encountered before. She had assumed He Yanni had given her some sort of Hong Kong tape or VCD, but she had no idea...

Lace, hollow, half-covered, so thin and transparent that it seems non-existent...