Zhang Cheng remained silent, simply listening quietly.

Before long, a dozen or so waiters filed in carrying various dishes, quickly filling the table.

"Come on, everyone, pick up your chopsticks and try Fenghuang's cooking. Let's make up for what we lost on the way!" Jiang Yuhong called out, serving himself a bowl of soup first.

After taking a few bites, the bamboo curtain of the private room was lifted, and Sister Phoenix walked in with a smile, holding a wine glass in her hand.

Jiang Yuhong raised an eyebrow: "Oh, looks like someone's going to pay for my dinner tonight?"

Sister Phoenix gave him a reproachful look, her charm captivating: "Mr. Jiang, if you'd be so kind as to grace us with your presence every day, I'd gladly offer you free meals at my 'Fire Phoenix' restaurant every day. But let's get down to business. There's a shoemaker named Mr. Sun in Wenzhou who heard you're here and would like to come and offer you a toast. Would that be convenient for you, Mr. Jiang?"

"A shoemaker?" Jiang Yuhong glanced at Zhang Tian thoughtfully. "Looks like I'm getting this meal thanks to Boss Zhang."

Zhang Tian was taken aback, not understanding what Jiang Yuhong meant.

"Let him come over," Jiang Yuhong waved to Sister Phoenix.

Sister Phoenix smiled and agreed, then turned and left.

Jiang Yuhong then explained to Zhang Tian, ​​who was still somewhat bewildered, "Wenzhou and Jiaxing are not far apart. You are in the clothing business, and he is in the shoe business. Who do you think he wants to get to know?"

Zhang Tian suddenly realized what was going on and quickly said modestly, "Mr. Jiang, you're joking. Who am I? They must have come here for you." He had come to Shanghai this time with the intention of learning how to do securities from Jiang Yuhong, so he naturally kept a very low profile.

Before she could finish speaking, a portly middle-aged man followed Sister Phoenix in. He was wearing an oversized brown suit that looked rather mismatched, and he held a full glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor) in his hand, his face beaming with a smile: "This must be the famous Mr. Jiang Yuhong! It's an honor to meet you!"

Jiang Yuhong merely raised his wine glass slightly without getting up, and pointed at Zhang Tian: "Mr. Sun, you're too kind. This Mr. Zhang is also a Zhejiang businessman; you two seem to have something in common."

Then, as if he had just noticed Zhang Tian, ​​Mr. Sun feigned surprise: "Oh my, so Mr. Zhang is also from Zhejiang! My apologies! May I ask which city you're from, Mr. Zhang? What kind of big business do you run?"

Zhang Cheng almost laughed at his acting. He continued eating heartily, seemingly oblivious to everything around him.

Mr. Sun was incredibly enthusiastic, and his few words made Zhang Tian feel quite flattered. Zhang Tian apologized to Jiang Yuhong and Zhang Cheng, and then Mr. Sun pulled him to a small table outside for drinks.

Only Jiang Yuhong, Zhang Cheng, and Zhang Jianhao and a few others remained in the private room, eating in silence.

Jiang Yuhong looked at Zhang Cheng's eating manner and smiled slightly: "What, do you think these businessmen are hypocritical, even better actors than actors?"

Zhang Cheng swallowed the food in his mouth, wiped his mouth with a napkin, then looked up and smiled faintly: "Every industry has its own rules. Merchants pursue profits, and being a little shrewd is the only way to grow a business. There's nothing wrong with that."

"How did you and Zhang Tian divide those treasury bonds?" Jiang Yuhong changed the subject.

"He paid 70% and I paid 30%. He covered all the initial investment."

“I can help you reduce his share to 10%.” Jiang Yuhong said casually, as if he were talking about a trivial matter. “Let him earn a million or so, and that will be fair to the effort he put in.”

With an initial investment of nearly ten million, earning over a million in a week was indeed a huge profit for Zhang Tian.

Zhang Cheng shook his head: "If it's agreed upon, then we'll do it as agreed. In business, integrity is key."

"Womanly sentimentality." Jiang Yuhong scoffed dismissively, then poured himself another glass of wine. "I heard you got a contract for bringing electricity to the village in Funing? The contract is only 600,000 yuan, nothing special. Want me to introduce you to some big bosses in the wire business? Or maybe I can help you get a few more contracts?"

Zhang Cheng paused slightly as he picked up his teacup, knowing the weight of Jiang Yuhong's words.

"If you want, I can get you the entire power supply project in Funing City, and even several surrounding cities, without anyone knowing," Jiang Yuhong said with a hint of seduction.

Zhang Cheng put down his teacup and looked into Jiang Yuhong's deep eyes: "President Jiang, I said before that I don't have any great ambitions. I just want to make some money peacefully and let the brothers who came with me live a good life."

“Don’t be so sure of yourself,” Jiang Yuhong interrupted him, smiling meaningfully. “Is 14 million treasury bonds still a small business in your eyes? People’s appetites change. Even if you don’t think about yourself, you should at least think about your fellow villagers.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jianhao and the others all stopped eating and turned to look at Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng met their gazes and slowly said, "Since they trust me and have followed me, I can't let them suffer. I will pave the way for them step by step."

“You…” Jiang Yuhong shook his head, seemingly somewhat helpless, then laughed, stood up and stretched, “Alright, you’ve eaten enough. Let’s go, I’ll take you to meet some real friends, it’ll be good for you in the future.”

He glanced at Zhang Jianhao and the others: "You guys, eat a little longer, I've already paid the bill."

Zhang Jianhao and the others then looked at Zhang Cheng.

Zhang Cheng nodded slightly, stood up, and followed Jiang Yuhong, who was already walking out of the private room.

Watching Zhang Cheng and Jiang Yuhong's figures disappear behind the screen, Li Fuguo dared to mutter softly, "Brother Gang, why do I feel like... I couldn't understand a single word that Brother Gou and that General Manager Jiang were saying?"

Zhang Jianhao was also completely bewildered, but he couldn't show weakness in front of his underlings, so he could only glare fiercely at Li Fuguo: "Eat your food! Aren't all those delicious treats enough to shut you up?"

Li Fuguo said "Oh," and lowered his head to continue arguing with the food on the table.

Zhang Cheng followed Jiang Yuhong out of the private room and through the noisy lobby, his mind racing with thoughts. The people Jiang Yuhong had introduced him to tonight, and the things he had said, were undoubtedly showing him a wider, but also more dangerous, world. He was trying to completely draw him into his circle. Whether this was a blessing or a curse remained to be seen.

But Zhang Cheng was very clear about one thing: he couldn't stay in Funing County forever.

But what kind of person will Jiang Yuhong take him to meet next?