Once upstairs, Fatty Tan and Skinny Wang showered Young Master Zhou with compliments, while the three girls nearby occasionally chimed in with playful banter, creating quite a lively scene.
The tea was ready, and Young Master Zhou sat there boasting, "Do you know who I've been having dinner with lately? Let me tell you, they're all big shots. When they come to our workplace for inspections, you can't even stand in front of them. Over the past few years, I've seen quite a few big scenes, especially during holidays."
"It's mainly because you're lucky; our dads aren't so lucky," Fatty Tan said, his words tinged with a hint of sourness.
“Let me tell you, it’s not just about one father. My eldest uncle is the chairman of Shandong Post and Telecommunications Group, my father is the second son at home and is the chairman there, and my fourth uncle is in charge of a coal mine in Shanxi. You should know the saying that one tree cannot support the whole forest, right? One person can’t do it alone; you have to rely on the family’s influence. I am especially grateful to my eldest uncle and fourth uncle for giving me a lot of guidance,” Young Master Zhou said proudly.
"Where's your third uncle?" Wang the skinny asked curiously.
“My third uncle is just a lowly clerk, nothing special, and we don’t usually keep in touch.” After saying this, Young Master Zhou glanced around at the three beauties and said, “Don’t think that just because you three aren’t as rich as those two, you’re not. You’re all government employees. Let me tell you, money is useless. No matter how rich you are, they can still control you. Ten thousand taels of gold is not as good as a seventh-rank official.”
Several people present chimed in, and Lu Feng sat there watching them chat enthusiastically, feeling as if he shouldn't be there. Just as he was wondering whether to leave, Young Master Zhou spoke up: "If we're talking about money, then all of us here combined probably don't have as much money as President Lu!"
When Lu Feng heard them suddenly mention him, he looked up, smiled modestly, and said, "I don't have much money either."
"Don't tell me you don't have much money. Even if you were the richest man in the world, it wouldn't matter here. Let me put it this way: if I say you can do it, you can do it; if I say you can't, you can't. Having money without power is just being a money bag in the end." Young Master Zhou said bluntly, "If you want to cooperate with the Post and Telecommunications Group, you still have to come to me, right?"
"That's right, I hope you can give your word and get this done." Lu Feng flattered him a couple of times, then got down to business and said, "It's the same conditions we discussed with President Zhou. We'll pay the ten million yuan network access fee, but we'll only contribute a very small portion of the subsequent construction costs. Alternatively, we can either not pay the ten million yuan, but we'll pay half of the construction costs for the signal towers, and we'll share the profits from those towers."
"President Lu, look at what you're saying. What do you mean we can't talk about it? Why are you being so serious? We've already come to Young Master Zhou for help, is there anything he can't do?" Fatty Tan said from the side, "How about this, I'll act as a mediator and compromise. I'll halve all your conditions, how about that?"
Young Master Zhou sat there silently, fiddling with his bracelet. Seeing that Young Master Zhou remained silent, Fatty Tan didn't know what to say either, so he asked the hostess, "How's the kitchen preparation going? It's taking this long to cook a meal. If you don't want to work here, tell them to pack their bags and get out!"
Less than two minutes later, the first dish was served. The head chef personally came over to apologize, and Young Master Zhou said calmly, "Let's eat."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wang the Skinny pulled Lu Feng aside and whispered, "Mr. Lu, you should watch your words. Someone as experienced in business as you knows how to speak properly, right?"
"What's wrong?" Lu Feng raised an eyebrow and asked, "Where did I say something wrong?"
“Look at you, you said all that before, but who asks someone to do something right away? You have to become one of us first. We're here to help you, so you can't ruin things yourself.” Wang the skinny said to Lu Feng, “Later, offer him a few more drinks, say some nice things, and settle the bill at the end.”
"Check out? Isn't this your teahouse?" Lu Feng asked, puzzled.
"Tsk!" Wang the Skinny seemed very dissatisfied with Lu Feng's performance, and frowned slightly, saying, "You're still short of money? Besides, we've taken care of everything for you, you can't expect us to pay for your meals, can you? This kind of important matter is not a big deal. Remember this, don't bring up anything today. Once you're in the circle, your problems won't be a problem."
Upon hearing this, Lu Feng thought to himself, "They're treating me like an ordinary person. Many people who want to get into the circle, when they first come into contact with leaders or higher-level circles, will be 'educated' like this. Once you understand the true colors of these people, you'll find that the so-called rules don't exist at all; they're just a means and excuse to suppress you."
As for social circles, Lu Feng was quite disdainful of them. Having lived two lives, he had a different understanding of social circles than others. A social circle is simply a group of people with shared interests and similar values. If everyone is eating from the same trough, that's not a social circle. A social circle is when you're eating from the same trough and going out together, and your friend touches someone else's girlfriend, you think it's normal, and the people in the circle don't care either.
A social circle is a place to filter values. It may be illegal or immoral, but if you want to work in a certain circle, you have to accept the values within it, even if they are sordid, vulgar, or despicable.
The food was served quickly, and several bottles of aged Moutai were already opened. The three beautiful women took the lead and downed one bottle in one gulp, drawing cheers from the other guests, their shouts sounding somewhat like monkeys in a circus.
Fatty Tan gestured towards Lu Feng with his chin and said, "Let's toast Young Master Zhou. This is our first meeting, how about we down three cups in a row?"
A chorus of cheers erupted from the audience. The glass in front of Lu Feng was already full, but the taste was astringent, making people frown. Lu Feng waved his hand repeatedly and said, "I really can't drink alcohol. How about I get you a bottle of red wine? I can drink a little red wine."
"Look at what you're saying. I'm a girl, and I can down a drink. You can't be worse than me, can you?" The girl next to him encouraged, "Give President Lu some encouragement. Down it in one gulp and show some manly spirit."
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