"Are you Teacher Liu?" Ye Xingchen was surprised. This was Liu Chuanfu, his mentor from high school.
He took extra care of Ye Xingchen when they were in high school, and it had been eight years since they last saw each other. Ye Xingchen looked much older than before.
"Yes, it really is you," Liu Chuanfu said happily.
"Teacher Liu, how have you been lately?" Ye Xingchen stepped forward and grasped Liu Chuanfu's hand, feeling somewhat moved.
Liu Chuanfu is different from those people who only care about money when they accept gifts and run training classes. He is a true teacher. Seeing him looking old now, Ye Xingchen couldn't help but feel a little sad.
"Well, haha, you're doing pretty well too, aren't you? I had high hopes for you back then." Liu Chuanfu laughed heartily.
"I'm fine too. Teacher, are you here for dinner?" Ye Xingchen asked with a smile.
“Yes, that’s perfect. It’s Zhang Zhen, the class monitor from your year, and two other classmates. Since you’re here, let’s have a meal together. Your teacher has been missing you.” Liu Chuanfu shook Ye Xingchen’s hand.
"Alright, teacher, let's go in." Ye Xingchen thought for a moment and then agreed.
Originally, he didn't want to have any interaction with his classmates, but Liu Chuanfu was different. Ye Xingchen regarded him as his mentor, and since he stepped forward, Ye Xingchen couldn't refuse.
"Teacher Liu is here, please come in."
There were already two men and one woman in the private room. The one wearing glasses was Zhang Zhen, the class monitor from back then. The girl who was dressed very nicely was Wu Meiyue, the class beauty. The other one was named Chen Peng, who had a good relationship with Ye Xingchen.
Zhang Zhengang had just given up his seat when he saw Ye Xingchen. He was taken aback: "Ye Xingchen?"
"Yes, I just saw him at the door, so I called him over." Liu Chuanfu smiled and said, "Xingchen, you still remember him, right?"
"I remember, Chen Peng, my deskmate, this is our class beauty Wu Meiyue, and Liu Zhen, just like before." Ye Xingchen said in a friendly tone.
"Xingchen, it's been a long time." Chen Peng greeted him warmly.
"You've grown quite a bit taller, kid." Ye Xingchen patted him on the shoulder and then sat down.
"Ye Xingchen, you were Teacher Liu's most promising student back then. You got into a prestigious university, and you must be doing quite well now." As soon as he sat down, Liu Zhen started to retort.
Indeed, Ye Xingchen had excellent grades back then, and Liu Chuanfu thought highly of him. This angered many students from well-off families, and Liu Zhen certainly didn't hold back in criticizing Ye Xingchen.
"It's alright, I can at least make ends meet." Ye Xingchen smiled.
"That's definitely an understatement. A real talent like him must be earning at least a million a year now," Wu Meiyue said, touching up her makeup with a sarcastic tone.
One of them was confident in her beauty, and the other came from a wealthy family, so they looked down on Ye Xingchen.
"No, you overestimate me," Ye Xingchen replied calmly.
"I heard you went and became a simp, getting completely played by a woman and ending up losing all your money?" Wu Meiyue closed her makeup mirror and sneered, "Is that true?"
Ye Xingchen frowned. This matter had become common knowledge, but Li Li had already moved on from it. Why were these people still bringing it up?
"No way, Xingchen wouldn't be so clueless." Seeing the atmosphere getting a bit awkward, Chen Peng quickly changed the subject: "We old classmates haven't seen each other in a long time, we should have a good drink later."
"Chen Peng, shut up. Didn't you come here today to ask Liu Zhen for a favor?" Wu Meiyue rolled her eyes. "Teacher Liu, the student you took a liking to back then wasn't all that great."
"Look at this mess that's happening at school, doesn't it have to be solved by students like Liu Zhen?"
"What happened at the school?" Ye Xingchen was slightly taken aback.
"Heh, so this talented guy hasn't gone back since graduation, has he? He doesn't even know what happened at No. 5 Middle School?" Liu Zhen sneered.
"Teacher Liu, what's going on?" Ye Xingchen asked hurriedly, as he really didn't know.
"Sigh, the playground and library of No. 5 Middle School are next to old residential buildings. Now that the old city is being redeveloped, that piece of land has been included in the redevelopment area." Liu Chuanfu sighed.
"The developer is going to demolish that plot of land. If it's demolished, what will happen to No. 5 Middle School without a playground or library?"
"Didn't you communicate with the developer?" Ye Xingchen asked.
“We’ve communicated with them, and the Education Bureau has contacted them several times, but they just won’t budge. Now they’re even bringing a bunch of thugs to block the school gate every day. The school’s facilities have been smashed several times already, and calling the police is useless.” Liu Chuanfu shook his head.
He dedicated his life to teaching and nurturing students, and had a deep affection for the school. He didn't want to watch the school be demolished and left in ruins, so he kept trying to find a solution.
"Don't worry, Mr. Liu. I know Wang Qiang, the general manager of Jianning Real Estate. Our company is in urban construction, so they'll definitely give us some face." Liu Zhen, confident in his connections, deliberately raised his voice: "And don't worry about those thugs either."
"I know President Qin of Sihai Group. We often drink together. If I give him a heads-up, those thugs will definitely not dare to cause trouble."
"Wow, that's impressive! Jianning Real Estate is the biggest developer in Tianhai. I heard the municipal party secretary is the older brother of the CEO of Jianning Real Estate. That kind of connection isn't something just anyone can have." Wu Meiyue said with admiration, "Liu Zhen, I heard Qin Wu used to be a gangster with a lot of connections?"
"Yes, he's known as Fifth Master in the underworld. He's a big shot, and ordinary people can't get close to him." Liu Zhen's eyes were full of admiration when he spoke of Qin Wu.
"Liu Zhen, I'm really counting on you for those matters. I'd like to toast you." Master Liu raised a glass of wine. He had been promoted to director, and these matters were now his responsibility.
He had been working tirelessly on the demolition issue these past few days. He raised a glass of wine to Liu Zhen and then drank it all in one gulp.
"Teacher, you're too kind. It's what I should do, but I'm sorry, I've had a cold these past few days and can't drink alcohol," Liu Zhen said with a forced smile, without even standing up.
Ye Xingchen's face darkened. This kid was putting on airs. What was wrong with him? He just wanted to show off in front of the teacher.
He came to dinner today not to solve any problems, but to show off.
"Liu Zhen, Teacher Liu is your mentor. He offered you a drink, and even if you don't drink it, you shouldn't just sit there and do nothing," Ye Xingchen said in a deep voice.
"Who do you think you are, Ye Xingchen? What right do you have to question Liu Zhen?" Wu Meiyue snorted. "Liu Zhen has been working at the company since graduation and is now a section chief. If he has to drink every toast offered to him, how much would he have to drink?"
"It's alright, if you can't drink, then don't drink," Liu Chuanfu quickly said, trying to smooth things over.
“Even if you can’t drink, you should stand up and use tea instead of alcohol. This shows a lack of respect for your teachers.” Ye Xingchen stood up: “Teacher Liu, I don’t think he’s sincerely trying to solve your problem.”
"Let's skip this meal and find somewhere to talk. I'll handle the school demolition issue."
"Hehe, Ye Xingchen, you're not joking, are you? You think you can handle this? Wouldn't it be better to just stay at the company and be a salaried employee?" Liu Zhen laughed.
“Exactly, this matter involves developers and organized crime. Without connections, how are you going to resolve this? With your reputation?” Wu Meiyue said disdainfully.
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