Chapter 28: A Battle of Wits and Robbery
There were so many people today that Jin Zhao and Wang Nan circled around the auditorium but couldn't find seats. They had to go back to the back row and stand in the crowd to look from afar.
Wang Nan tried to zoom in with her phone, but it was too far away, and even the phone couldn't reproduce the people on stage. She couldn't help but mutter, "I've never seen so many people at a lecture before. Why are they so enthusiastic during the National Day holiday? I bet the school forced them to come to fill the seats. If students don't come, they get their grades docked, and if teachers don't come, their salaries are docked."
"no."
Standing next to Wang Nan was a slightly chubby young man, who seemed to be either a faculty member or an alumnus. He craned his neck to stare at the stage: "I saw the news on the official WeChat account and specifically changed my high-speed rail ticket for my trip to tomorrow."
Wang Nan asked curiously, "Is the principal really that good-looking?"
"Who's looking at the principal?" the boy chuckled. "Looking at Meng Yanxi!"
The girl next to him was taking pictures with her phone when Jin Zhao was accidentally bumped by her elbow, a dull pain coming from his chest.
Wang Nan was still chatting with the boys: "Do you boys also like handsome guys?"
"Who cares about his looks? We're here to see his money! A hundred million! That's probably the only time in my life I'll ever see that much money." The boy smacked his lips, his face full of longing. "I really want to accept it like crazy, I'd kneel down to take it!"
Wang Nan was amused by him: "You're not going to display a hundred million."
"You know what luck is? It's something that rich people have... no, Meng Yanxi isn't just any rich person. If you knew his story, you'd realize that Meng Yanxi is practically the chosen one. Chosen ones like him have a special aura. If I could shake his hand... tsk, I might even make ten million!"
Jin Zhao looked down at his hands and silently thought to himself: No, he'll still be poor.
Wang Nan joked, "You should find a seat first. Hey, there seem to be some empty seats in the first row. You can go sit there and shake hands with Meng Yanxi while you're at it."
Boy: "..."
Meng Yanxi was giving a speech on stage. His voice was as cool and clear as ever, like dewdrops on bamboo leaves on a crisp autumn morning. He was dressed in a dark suit, and from a distance, Jin Zhao could only vaguely make out his tall and imposing figure, unable to discern whether he had a script in his hand. He probably didn't, because he really only spoke a few simple sentences, and coupled with his icy tone, he gave the impression of being far away, unapproachable, like someone on a mountaintop.
Compared to him, the applause below seemed so simple, unpretentious, and approachable. The people around him clapped enthusiastically, as if whoever clapped the hardest would actually receive a hundred million.
At this moment, the background music for the donation ceremony started playing, and the principal went on stage to accept Meng Yanxi's donation. The two then took a photo together in the center of the stage.
Flashbulbs went off constantly, and the applause from the audience lasted for a long time.
After the donation ceremony at the main venue, Meng Yanxi signed a school-enterprise cooperation agreement with the principal.
Perhaps because 100 million was too far away for them, Wang Nan didn't feel anything when she saw 100 million. It wasn't until she got to the school-enterprise cooperation agreement that she became genuinely envious and said, "I have a school-enterprise cooperation task this academic year, but I don't think I can complete it. I don't have the resources in that area."
Wang Nan sighed, "I really want to send a message to Meng Yanxi, but he probably doesn't think much of our school."
Jin Zhao's eyelashes fluttered slightly.
Turning her head, she asked Wang Nan softly, "Do you have Meng Yanxi's WeChat?"
Wang Nan: "Yes, his sister got into trouble last time, and he took the initiative to add me on WeChat."
Jin Zhao moved her lips, as if she wanted to say something. Just then, her phone rang; it was Jin Wenyi calling.
She told Wang Nan, walked through the crowd, and went out through the back door.
"Hey, Lingling, have you gone out?" Jin Wenyi asked on the other end of the line.
Thinking that Jin Wenyi was afraid that she would change her mind and not want to go on the blind date, Jin Zhao hurriedly said, "I'm already at school. I came to pick up the textbooks I ordered earlier. I'll be right there."
"No rush. I just received a call from the middleman. He said something came up and he couldn't make it. We'll meet at 3 pm for coffee instead."
Jin Zhao frowned slightly.
It's almost noon now. If she hadn't run into Wang Nan on the way and been dragged over to see Meng Yanxi, she would already be in the restaurant. The fact that the other party changed the time at this time sounds like they are deliberately being negligent.
Jin Wenyi explained, "I was also very angry at first, but the middleman explained that the other party really had something to do, and the boy is indeed quite outstanding. He's older than me in both his undergraduate and master's degrees, tall and handsome, and after graduation, he passed the civil service exam and is now a favorite of the city leaders. Since you're already here, why not go and meet him? Maybe you'll hit it off? Even if it doesn't work out, just consider it making another friend and expanding your social circle. Your social circle is just too narrow; even good wine needs advertising."
Seeing that Jin Wenyi was about to start her earnest persuasion again, Jin Zhao quickly said, "Okay."
Jin Wenyi immediately smiled and said, "I've sent the address to your phone."
Because her blind date canceled at the last minute, Jin Zhao and Wang Nan ate lunch together. They had lunch in the cafeteria and then strolled around the university campus for a while.
The temperature has dropped these past few days, and after several autumn rains, the osmanthus flowers on campus have all bloomed. Osmanthus petals drip onto the wet bluestone slabs, and the air is filled with a sweet fragrance.
Although Wang Nan's elaborate outfit only resulted in her being squeezed into the back row, she adhered to the principle that makeup should not be wasted, and dragged Jin Zhao to take many photos on campus.
When it was almost time, the two left. Wang Nan returned to school, while Jin Zhao took a taxi to her blind date.
*
After the donation ceremony, the principal, along with a group of senior executives from the university, invited Meng Yanxi to lunch.
The school had booked a table at a hotel near the school in advance, but Meng Yanxi took the initiative to suggest changing the lunch location to the university cafeteria.
The principal readily agreed, as the host would go along with the guest's wishes.
Fortunately, the university has many canteens, including the few that are always packed with students, as well as some restaurants. The principal specially chose Hetianzhai, which was used for the reception. That day, they were the only table on the entire floor, which was quite impressive.
It was almost 3 p.m. when it ended. Meng Yanxi had been drinking, and his assistant Zhuang Yu came to pick him up.
He's never been a heavy drinker; he used to be a lightweight when he was younger. It's not as bad now, though, since it's impossible to be a complete teetotaler in business. Today he had two drinks with the principal, and he didn't pass out in the car. He even subconsciously took out his phone, checked missed calls, and then opened WeChat.
There were no missed calls or friend requests.
Meng Yanxi leaned back in her chair, pinched the bridge of her nose, and suddenly felt lonely amidst the sensual pleasures.
He clicked on the red dot notification in his WeChat Moments.
The latest post is from Meng Zhuxi's counselor, Wang Nan, which was posted just one minute ago. There is no text, only three simple photos.
His gaze swept over the third picture, and his lonely peach blossom eyes focused instantly as he pointed with his long fingers.
It had just rained, and water droplets still clung to the leaves of the osmanthus tree. Two girls stood in front of the tree, one holding up her phone, the other making a peace sign, with golden osmanthus blossoms behind them, blooming beneath the red-brick and green-tiled buildings of the School of Literature.
Just as Zhuang was about to leave through the north gate, a cold voice suddenly came from behind: "Go through the east gate."
When the Maybach arrived at the East Gate, Jin Zhao had just caught her special express car.
Because she stubbornly refused to raise the price, and considering the time it took for the driver to accept her order, she waited for a total of ten minutes.
If it were Lu Jingyue who came today, Meng Yanxi would be much less worried, since Lu Jingyue would know to follow without him even having to say a word. Unfortunately, Zhuang Yu didn't recognize Jin Zhao and stubbornly wanted to turn left.
“Turn right.” Meng Yanxi.
Zhuang was taken aback, but those who could follow Meng Yanxi were all shrewd people. Without asking any questions, he knew what to do just by glancing at his boss.
*
The coffee shop where we met had recently opened. It had trendy decor, was very quiet, and played soothing foreign songs. It had a very romantic name – "Return Date".
I didn't see the manager, but there were three or five waiters, who were very friendly. The only downside was that my blind date wasn't very good; she changed the time and was late.
Jin Zhao arrived at 3:00, while the other person was ten minutes late. During that time, she sat alone by the window, gazing absently at the black Maybach parked across the street.
It started raining again, not heavily. The raindrops were blown obliquely by the wind onto the French windows, forming long lines of rain.
She tried to see the license plate of the car across the street through the rain and fog, but the street was too wide and she was slightly nearsighted, so she couldn't see it clearly even after ten minutes.
She wasn't really bothered by the license plate, after all, she didn't think her connection with Meng Yanxi would be deep enough to lead to another chance encounter.
She knew it wasn't Meng Yanxi, but she felt that this car looked quite similar to Meng Yanxi's.
There are so many rich people these days.
She propped her elbow on her hand, tilted her head, and tapped the table with her other hand, thinking listlessly.
"Is this Miss Jin?" A slightly surprised male voice came from beside me.
Now Zhao turns back.
The other person was wearing a black jacket, had a refined appearance, and wore glasses. Just as my aunt had described, he was clean-cut, tall, and handsome.
"I am Li Jin."
Her blind date finally arrived.
As the other person sat down opposite her, Jin Zhao glanced at the wall clock; it was 3:10.
She was just thinking that if she was 15 minutes late for the exam, she wouldn't be allowed to enter, so she would wait until 3:15.
Li Jin apologized repeatedly and explained, "I had an unexpected social engagement."
Teachers are always quick to forgive, and Jin Zhao smiled and said, "It's okay, I just arrived too."
She was always considerate of others, even generously lending him her own excuse: "It was raining, and it took a long time to get a taxi."
The other party, however, did not back down, and said with a smile, "No, the investors brought me here after I finished entertaining them."
In a normal conversation, Jin Zhao should have asked who the "investor" was, since those two words sounded very wealthy, and most people would be curious enough to ask more. Unfortunately, she had recently been provoked by Meng Yanxi and was a bit resentful of the rich, so she didn't respond.
The words fell to the ground, and for a moment the atmosphere turned cold.
Just then, an electronic voice announced "Welcome!" from behind, and someone pushed open the door of the coffee shop and walked in.
The waiter responded quickly, immediately taking the menu and passing by Jin Zhao. Jin Zhao heard the waiter say with a smile, "Hello, how many are in your party?"
The other person didn't answer, and sounded even more arrogant than her blind date.
The waiter was very kind and politely added, "If you need anything, please press the bell, or you can scan the code to order here."
Perhaps because she was too obviously distracted, Li Jin took the initiative to pick up the conversation and praised her with a slightly flattering tone: "Miss Jin looks really young."
Jin Zhao sensed something was off about what he was saying and said, "My aunt should have shown you my picture."
“Yes,” the other person pushed up their glasses and smiled, “but usually these photos are photoshopped so much that even your parents wouldn’t recognize them.”
"Has Mr. Li seen many photos?"
"There are quite a few. Every few days, someone introduces me to potential partners. Last month alone, I received more than a dozen photos. People who don't know me think I'm looking for a partner, but those who don't might think I'm selecting concubines."
He seemed to want to laugh at himself, but the laugh showed no self-deprecation whatsoever; it was filled with pride and arrogance.
Jin Zhao didn't know what to say.
Whether she was trying to be candid or using a praising-then-critic approach, Li Jin continued: "So when I first saw Ms. Jin's photo, I actually didn't want to come. She's just too beautiful, not at all like a 26-year-old woman. It was my aunt who told me that Ms. Jin is a university teacher, cultured, high-quality, and has a lot of vacation time, so she can take care of her family and children in the future, which is why I agreed to come. I didn't expect Ms. Jin to be even younger and more beautiful in person than in the photos."
One sentence stepped on too many landmines, and Jin Zhao no longer knew where to begin to dislike him.
She picked up her bag, stood up, and prepared to leave without saying a word. Footsteps came from behind her, and at the same time, the scent of cold mountain pine mist mixed with a faint smell of alcohol enveloped her from afar.
Jin Zhao looked up and was caught off guard by a pair of dark, peach-blossom eyes.
Perhaps it was the unexpected reunion that caught her off guard, or perhaps it was because she had never forgotten him, that her heartbeat recognized him before her reason. Their eyes met, and Jin Zhao's mind went blank for a moment.
In that brief moment, Meng Yanxi had already squeezed in.
The coffee shop had two-seater sofas. Meng Yanxi was tall and had long legs, with an imposing aura. As soon as he walked in, Jin Zhao subconsciously moved aside and watched as the man sat down next to her.
In a daze, it was as if she had been transported back to the time in her second year of high school when she was his deskmate. The boy leaned back in his chair, his long legs stretched out, sitting casually on the outside of her. Someone called her "Luoshen," and he would twirl his pen, raise his eyes indifferently, and say nothing, the cold air from the air conditioner blowing swiftly. After two or three times, finally no one called her Luoshen anymore.
But that was nine years ago; time has long since passed.
How did he suddenly appear here?
"Who is this...?"
Her blind date was just as surprised as she was.
Jin Zhao was half-awake, but not quite. She stood there, glanced at Li Jin, and then looked awkwardly at Meng Yanxi.
Meng Yanxi sat down next to her casually and tapped the table with one hand: "She's my boss."
Jin Zhao: "?"
Li Jin was just as shocked as she was, thinking to herself, "These days, it's all the rage to film people taking their bosses on blind dates. I thought it was absurd, but I never imagined that art really does come from life."
Meng Yanxi ignored the two men's discomfort. He was quite at ease, looking down at them. After a moment of silence, he picked up on the boastful line the man who had just been choosing concubines had thrown out: "You just mentioned investors. Which investor were you referring to?"
Li Jin was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Who are you? Judging by your age, you shouldn't even be a department head, at most a university administrator, yet you're so grand-looking." But this question had entered his core comfort zone, and he really couldn't help but answer. He coughed lightly and said, "Yun Sheng Group, Meng Yanxi."
Jin Zhao: "..."
Her toes were digging into the ground; standing there would only make things more awkward. She quickly sat down next to Meng Yanxi, propped herself up with her hands, and took the opportunity to cover her face.
Meng Yanxi glanced at her and asked calmly, "Do you know Meng Yanxi?"
Li Jin nodded primly: "We're fairly familiar with each other. He donated 100 million yuan to Suida today, and we even had lunch together."
Meng Yanxi seemed to chuckle, then suddenly asked, "I heard he's quite handsome, is that true?"
Li Jin thought for a moment and said, "He is quite handsome."
Meng Yanxi: "How do you compare to me?"
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