As night falls and the city lights come on, the vibrant cityscape of Shanghai gradually unfolds.
At this moment, a five-star hotel on the Bund is filled with men and women, the men in suits and the women in long dresses, all looking glamorous.
One of the men stood out the most, dressed in flamboyant attire; he was the host of today's banquet.
The man was greeting guests when he glanced casually at the door. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and with a smile, he quickly walked forward: "Brother Chu, you're here! I've been waiting for you for so long. It's my birthday tonight, so you'd better have a few more drinks."
"Your birthday banquet is quite grand, Guo Yi." Chu Fang looked around and saw that everyone coming and going was someone of status and position.
Indeed, the man in front of him was Guo Yi, whom he had once saved and who had also helped him teach a lesson to the young master who coveted Zhong Tingyue.
Today is Guo Yi's birthday, and he invited Chu Fang to attend. Chu Fang happened to be near the Bund at the time, so he decided to come and visit as well.
"Hehe... just a small stunt." Guo Yi scratched his head, noticed Zhong Tingyue who was holding Chu Fang's arm, and bowed slightly: "This must be your sister-in-law. Hello, sister-in-law. I'm Guo Yi, Chu's little brother."
Zhong Tingyue introduced herself, and Guo Yi said with a smile, "No wonder Brother Chu ignored me. It turns out you've found your soulmate. And sister-in-law, I'm not just flattering you, you're the most beautiful and elegant girl I've ever met."
You flatter me.
The three of them went into the hotel together, attracting the attention of everyone. Guo Yi chattered on about the dinner party, while Chu Fang waved his hand and said, "Stop hanging around in front of me, go and entertain the guests."
"Alright, you two do as you please. Just let me know if you need anything." Guo Yi nodded and then walked away.
Chu Fang and Zhong Tingyue took some snacks and sat in a corner, eating while watching the guests attending the meeting.
"Tsk tsk tsk." Zhong Tingyue clicked her tongue. "This is the first time I've attended such a high-end banquet. I used to think it was very impressive, but after experiencing it firsthand, I realized it's really boring. These people stand for hours with wine glasses in their hands. Aren't they tired?"
"I'm tired, but I have to endure it for the sake of social obligations," Chu Fang replied.
"It's boring."
The two ate their snacks while commenting and sharing their thoughts, a stark contrast to the social interactions of the others present.
Neither of them came from wealthy families; they were born ordinary and experienced ordinary lives. In addition, apart from Guo Yi who was present, they didn't know anyone else and found it difficult to fit in.
However, the two of them were quite content and at ease.
Just then, a commotion arose outside, and a group of people walked in. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man dressed in casual clothes, exuding an extraordinary aura, clearly holding a high position. His features bore a resemblance to Guo Yi's. This man was Guo Yi's father, Guo Xun, the chairman of a listed company.
Upon seeing Guo Xun, everyone gathered around him, greeting him with smiles. Guo Xun, in turn, smiled and responded to each of them, saying, "Eat, drink, and have a great time, everyone."
Guo Yi whispered a few words in his father's ear. Guo Xun glanced casually in the direction where Chu Fang was sitting, left the crowd, and walked towards Chu Fang. As he approached, he smiled and said, "Little Chu, it's been a long time."
"Hello, Uncle Guo." Chu Fang stood up and greeted him.
When Guo Xun rescued Guo Yi, he personally invited him to his home for a casual meal, and that's how they met.
Guo Xun was a very hardworking person. In those turbulent times, he resigned from his teaching position and went into business. After several ups and downs, he finally built up his own empire. However, he was humble and gentle, with the temperament of a scholar, and spoke in a gentle and mild tone.
After exchanging greetings, they introduced Zhong Tingyue's identity. Upon learning that Zhong Tingyue had opened an interior design studio, Guo Xun immediately pulled Chu Fang aside and introduced the guests, jokingly asking everyone to take care of 'this niece's' company.
Zhong Tingyue cast a questioning glance at Chu Fang, who simply shrugged, indicating his helplessness.
Before long, Zhong Tingyue had received many interested clients. With a responsible attitude, she discussed relevant matters with those clients in great detail. Chu Fang listened from the side, yawning, then nudged his girlfriend's arm and left.
Walking over to Guo Xun, who was currently discussing company affairs with a group of senior executives, Chu Fang stopped talking upon seeing him and said, "Little Chu, what brings you here?"
Chu Fang thought for a moment, then got straight to the point and said, "Uncle Guo, my sister-in-law will be out of school soon, and I need to go home early. I think you invited me here tonight because you have something important to discuss, so I think it's best to tell you as soon as possible. I will definitely help if I can."
When Chu Fang received Guo Yi's birthday invitation, he casually declined. However, Guo Yi hoped that Chu Fang would attend, and there was a hint of pleading in his voice. Chu Fang then sensed that something was wrong.
Then Guo Xun arrived, and although he wore a smile, his face held an unresolved worry. And why would he bring a senior executive from his own company to his son's birthday party? One extremely important point was that he was introducing clients to Zhong Tingyue, and there were far too many clients who fit the profile of Zhong Tingyue's studio—this was clearly not right.
With a little thought, it became clear that tonight's seemingly birthday banquet for Guo Yi was actually designed for Chu Fang.
Just then, Guo Yi walked over, looking embarrassed.
"I'm sorry, Xiao Chu," Guo Xun said sincerely.
"Brother Chu, I'm sorry," Guo Yi apologized as well.
"Hey, we've been friends for years, don't say sorry." Chu Fang patted Guo Yi on the shoulder. "Tell me, what happened?"
Guo Yi hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "I acted too aggressively on a project, pouring all the company's funds into it. We have no working capital left, and now we have a debt to repay that we can't seem to fill. If we don't repay on time, the company will be in crisis..."
Guo Yi is still too young and has run into a crisis in handling affairs. Even Guo Xun cannot solve the financial crisis. After thinking it over, only Chu Fang can help him and can lend him a large sum of money at any time.
"Phew..." Chu Fang exhaled and smiled. "I thought it was something serious, but it's just about money. How much?"
“Five hundred million,” Guo Yi said. “Brother Chu, don’t worry, once the company has the money, I will definitely pay you back first, and the interest will definitely be paid in full.”
“Okay.” Chu Fang nodded. “I will have someone transfer the money into your company account.”
Upon hearing this, Guo Yi felt a glimmer of hope and quickly expressed his gratitude: "Thank you, Brother Chu."
Meanwhile, the company executives standing nearby quietly observed Chu Fang, surprised that such a young man could come up with such a large sum of money; he was truly impressive.
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