A Movie for Three
"Beep beep beep--"
The phone rang a few times before being answered.
"Hello?" (pronounced with a second tone)
A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end. "Who is it?"
"Hello Section Chief Ye, I'm Ding Han, the one who applied for the business license for Feiyang Chain Esports Hotel Section Chief Ye. I heard there's been a slight problem with the application process, so I'd like to talk to you in person. Are you free tonight, Section Chief Ye? If so, my partner and I would like to Section Chief Ye you to dinner. We would be honored to have you join us."
"Oh, it's Brother Ding..."
Section Chief Ye smiled and said, "Sure, I'm free after work today. You can choose the place."
"Okay, I'll send you the address in a bit."
"No problem, see you tonight."
This Section Chief Ye doesn't seem to mind meeting with us.
"What's going on?"
Zhao Yihang, "Logically speaking, since he's holding our business licenses hostage, he shouldn't want to see us. Why did he agree so readily? Could there be something fishy going on?"
Lu Xiaobei looked at me and nodded.
"So what if there's something fishy going on? I'll still go alone. Xiao Bei, book a decent restaurant and send me the address."
"Good..."
Lu Xiaobei took his phone and made a call to reserve a private room. Shortly after, he sent me the restaurant address, which I then forwarded to Section Chief Ye, who replied with an "OK".
I went upstairs to continue coding.
Not long after, Lu Xiaobei pushed open the door and entered, looking worried. "Ding Han, shouldn't we give them a gift?"
"I don't know, let's prepare a backup plan."
I ordered, "Xiao Bei, go to the tea shop next door and buy a can of tea. Don't buy too much; I need the can."
"Oh..."
Although Lu Xiaobei was suspicious, she still obeyed and went.
He returned in less than ten minutes, placed the tea box on the table, took out the tea leaves and put them in the drawer, then took out 50,000 Star Coins from his Dimensional Storage Space, rolled them up, and stuffed them into the tea canister.
"You really want to give a gift..." Lu Xiaobei said.
"Um."
I nodded. "We can't afford to mess with this local bully. If we don't smooth things over now, he might cause us trouble again once the hotel opens. My expectation is 50,000. If 50,000 isn't enough to settle things, we'll have to think of another way."
"Good!"
Lu Xiaobei nodded, still indignant, but he could only endure it in this situation.
In the evening, he drove Lu Xiaobei to the restaurant.
We arrived half an hour early, ordered the food first, then ordered a pot of tea, and waited for Section Chief Ye.
A short while later, the door opened, and a slightly short and thin middle-aged man appeared in the doorway, carrying a briefcase. His face instantly broke into a smug, street-smart smile, "Something came up, sorry to have kept you waiting!"
"Section Chief Ye, please have a seat!"
I quickly stood up, shook hands with him, and introduced him, "This is my partner, Lu Xiaobei."
"I know."
Section Chief Ye plopped down, squinted his eyes, and smiled, "Your Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe's business license in Huaining City was registered through me, Brother Ding. Your business acumen is truly astonishing. To have managed a newly established chain of internet cafes to this extent is truly admirable!"
"Oh, not at all, it was just luck."
I smiled slightly, "We've already ordered the dishes, but we don't know if they'll suit Section Chief Ye's taste. They're all the restaurant's signature dishes."
"There's nothing wrong with the food."
Section Chief Ye asked, "Want to have something to drink later?"
"I have a very low alcohol tolerance, and I'm afraid that drinking too much will cause me to mess things up..."
"It doesn't matter."
Standing nearby, Lu Xiaobei said, "Ding Han, you should drink less. I'll drink with Section Chief Ye."
"Haha, that's great!"
Section Chief Ye said, "I've heard so much about Lu Xiaobei. To be honest, my daughter loves Milo's songs, and she also loves your song 'Plain Face.' She listens to it every day and is completely captivated by it."
Lu Xiaobei smiled and exchanged a few polite words.
The food was served quickly. I didn't dare to drink too much, so I took a bottle of beer to keep myself from drinking. Lu Xiaobei, on the other hand, drank some baijiu with Section Chief Ye.
When we were almost finished eating, Lu Xiaobei was slightly tipsy, her pretty face flushed, and she winked at me.
So, he took out a tea canister from his bag, slowly pushed it forward, and said, "Section Chief Ye, it's nice to meet you. I brought some tea with me; please accept this small token of my appreciation!"
"Oh, Biluochun tea!"
Although Section Chief Ye appeared to be drunk and his eyes were blurry, he was actually quite shrewd. He immediately picked up the tea canister, opened it a crack, and peeked inside. He probably already knew exactly how much money was inside.
"Brother Ding, I'm not trying to be mean, but there's no need for this."
Section Chief Ye chuckled, pushed the tea canister back, and said, "Actually, I don't like tea. Giving me this canister would be a waste. Besides, I'm not that kind of person. How about this, since Brother Ding and I are getting along so well, why don't I just point you in the right direction?"
"Section Chief Ye, please speak."
"Applying to open a chain hotel is not as easy as you think. The business license is just the first hurdle. Many more problems will keep emerging. The most difficult one is the special operating license. You used to run an internet cafe, so it will probably be very difficult for you to get this license. But I have a way to solve this problem."
Lu Xiaobei asked, "What method?"
Section Chief Ye chuckled and kept everyone in suspense, "I'll tell you if you drink the wine in your glass."
A disgusting drinking culture.
Without saying a word, Lu Xiaobei drank the wine.
"How about this...?"
Section Chief Ye looked at me, then at Lu Xiaobei, and said, "I have 2 million yuan in spare cash here. I'm very interested in the e-sports hotel you're about to invest in, so I'd like to use this 2 million yuan as an investment. We can open this hotel together. Just give me 30% of the shares. That way, the issues with the business license, special operating permit, and other permits can be easily resolved. What do you two think?"
Lu Xiaobei was immediately dumbfounded.
"Section Chief Ye, your involvement in this investment is quite significant. Xiao Bei and I need to think about it carefully."
"Sure, you have plenty of time to consider. I'll wait for your reply."
After dinner, I called Zhao Yihang and asked him to come over so he could drive Section Chief Ye home first, and then return to the internet cafe.
On the way back to the internet cafe.
"Ding Han, what should we do?"
Lu Xiaobei was stunned by Section Chief Ye's series of moves. "Are we really going to let this person invest? Although having him, a section chief from the Administration for Industry and Commerce, as our backer will certainly reduce a lot of trouble after our e-sports hotel opens, I still have a feeling..."
"Don't let him participate."
I shook my head. "The shareholding structure of Feiyang Chain Hotels must be completely clean, just you and me. No one else is allowed to get involved, to avoid future chaos."
"Hmm, what should we do then? What Section Chief Ye said actually makes some sense..."
"That makes absolutely no sense."
I complained, "Xiao Bei, do you know what the most disgusting part of Journey to the West is when Sun Wukong protects Tang Sanzang on his journey to retrieve the Buddhist scriptures?"
"Where?"
"The disgusting thing is that every time Sun Wukong encounters a problem, he returns to the Heavenly Court to ask various gods for help. However, those monsters are actually arranged by the gods in the Heavenly Court. So the disgusting thing is that the person who solves your problem is actually the one who deliberately created the problem."
"..."
Lu Xiaobei pursed her lips, pretending to be deep in thought, before nodding after a long while. "That's right, you're right..."
"Then what should we do?"
Zhao Yihang, who was driving, said, "Boss, Ding Han, our e-sports hotel can't just be stuck here, can it?"
"Let's talk about it tomorrow, I'll handle it."
"All right..."
The night Wu Yan.
Several times I impulsively considered asking Lin Qingying for a solution to this problem, but then I thought that given her personality, she would probably just solve it for me without asking, which would only waste her goodwill, and that was definitely not what I wanted.
So I held back and decided to use my own connections to solve the problem.
The next morning, at Feiyang Internet Cafe.
Sitting in his office, enjoying the morning milk tea that Lu Xiaobei had brought him, he took out his phone and called Su Wei.
"Oh my, how rare..."
She answered the phone immediately and laughed, "It's rare for you to contact me first. What's up?"
"Well, there's something I'd like to ask you for help with."
"Tell me about it first."
So I told him that the business license of Feiyang Chain Esports Hotel had been blocked by a section chief of the Administration for Industry and Commerce, and that he wanted to use this as leverage to get shares in Feiyang Chain Esports Hotel.
"Such a thing actually happened?"
Su Wei was a little angry. "These parasites who abuse their power for personal gain are simply scum among civil servants!"
"So, can you help me solve this?" I asked directly.
"This..."
Su Wei hesitated for a moment. "I work for the military, but this matter involves business and administration..."
"If you can't solve it, then forget it."
I sighed, "I called Wei Yang and Fang Ran, but I don't know if they can help me."
"No, no, no, no, no..."
Su Wei panicked and kept saying "no," saying, "Don't go to them. It makes it seem like our Crimson Dragon Legion is inferior to the Great Wall Watch... Leave this to me, Ding Han, don't worry, we'll make the calls right now! A mere section chief dares to pull this stunt? He can forget about being a section chief. And I'll make him send you the business license within 24 hours and apologize in person!"
She retorted angrily, "What a joke! How dare you bully Silver Star Hero Medal of the Crimson Dragon Country Kingdom like this?!"
I coughed and said, "Then I'll leave it to you!"
"Leave it to me, just wait for news."
Around 10 a. m., less than two hours after I called Su Wei.
"Ding Han!"
Lu Xiaobei burst through the door, saying, "That Section Chief Ye is here, and he brought our business license, saying he wants to see you in person to apologize. What's going on?"
"Ah?"
I laughed and said, "My connections are working? Let's go down and take a look."
Lu Xiaobei nodded vigorously and dashed downstairs ahead.
Downstairs in the lobby, Section Chief Ye, wearing a black jacket, with a briefcase tucked under his arm and a business license in his hand, looked at me with an embarrassed expression.
"Ding Han, you had such powerful backing, why didn't you say so sooner? You've gotten me into big trouble..."
"Section Chief Ye, didn't you ask for this?" I said with a beaming smile.
"Hey, I'm not the section chief anymore, just call me Old Ye."
"..."
"Ding Han, I'm so sorry, I made a mistake in a moment of confusion."
He presented the business license with both hands and bowed deeply to me and Lu Xiaobei: "I'm sorry, please forgive my momentary lapse of judgment. I sincerely apologize to you!"
With that, Section Chief Ye drove off in a black Audi A6 as if fleeing.
How can a person change so much?
Lu Xiaobei stared in utter disbelief.
I smiled slightly, put away the business license, and said, "How about having lunch with Cheng Shuang? I'd like to ask her about the e-sports hotel renovation, since the Cheng Group is one of the leading companies in the domestic hotel and catering industry."
"Sure, I'll treat you to lunch."
"Good."
So I told Cheng Shuang, and we immediately agreed. Lu Xiaobei and I set off from Feiyang Internet Cafe, carrying our business license, to Donghu District.
"Beep beep~~"
On the bus, a call came in from an unknown number.
Hello, who is this?
A young man's voice came from the other end of the phone. "Is this Ding Han?"
"Yes, it's me."
"Oh, I'm Secretary Liu from the Municipal Party Committee Office. I heard you just applied for a business license for the Feiyang Chain Esports Hotel, located by East Lake, right?"
"Yes, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"No problem, no problem."
He laughed and said, "SJ brought this up and asked me to ask you if there was anything you needed the government's help with in opening this hotel, such as support or funding. SJ said you're a key talent in the city, and such support would be easy to get approved."
Is this even possible?
I suddenly had a feeling that "when the time is right, everything in the world lends a hand."
So, I decided to organize a gathering and said, "I happen to be heading to Donghu District right now. I'd like to invite Cheng Shuang President Cheng of the Cheng Group, to dinner to discuss the e-sports hotel. Secretary Liu, if it's convenient for you, would you like to come along? We can discuss how to provide support together. How does that sound?"
"Yes, yes, I'll be right there!"
"Okay, I'll send you the restaurant address."
"Uh-huh!"
I was driving, so I was on speakerphone. When the call ended, Lu Xiaobei, who was sitting next to me, looked completely bewildered. "Ding Han, when did you get such strong connections? A secretary in the Municipal Party Committee Office —is that something ordinary people like us can get in touch with?"
"Don't ask. These connections were earned through hard work and skill!"
"Oh?"
Lu Xiaobei was skeptical.
Actually, I wasn't lying. My status wasn't bestowed upon me by others; it was earned through my own hard work and dedication. Without my top-ranking combat power in the National Server and my heroic performances in countless battles, the people in the Municipal Party Committee Office wouldn't care who I am. My so-called status is simply due to my own equivalent value.
Just like the connections I've built with people like Su Wei, Wei Yang, and Fang Ran, the reason they hold me in such high regard is simply because they are capable enough. Otherwise, what?
Is it because I'm handsome?
I called Cheng Shuang and told her about Secretary Liu joining the dinner party.
"Sure!"
Cheng Shuang smiled and said, "I know Secretary Liu. We've met at a few dinners. Although we're not close, we're acquaintances. Actually, this is a good thing. If the Municipal Party Committee Office is willing to get involved, your e-sports hotel project is basically secure. I reckon they'll treat this project as a key project to be supported by Donghu District."
"That would be perfect. We'll be there soon. See you at the restaurant later."
At noon, at a well-known Sichuan restaurant near the Cheng Group's Donghu project.
Secretary Liu arrived even earlier than Cheng Shuang. She was a young man in his thirties with black-rimmed glasses. She looked refined and very enthusiastic, and was very polite to me and Lu Xiaobei.
Soon after, Cheng Shuang arrived, and after exchanging pleasantries, they began to eat.
During the meal, we talked about trivial things, even the East Lake Insect Nest incident and the plan to handle the victims, but we didn't mention the e-sports hotel at all.
After dinner, we drove to the hotel.
"So this is it! The location is indeed excellent!" Secretary Liu exclaimed. "Ding Han, you have a good eye!"
"Haha, it's alright."
I led Secretary Liu to the back of the hotel and pointed, saying, "I'd like to convert half of the hotel's rooms into Lake View Room, but this reed bed at the back blocks the view, making it impossible to enjoy the lake. Secretary Liu, do you think we can deal with these reeds?"
"Can."
Secretary Liu took out a pen and paper and said, "Tomorrow, the Municipal Party Committee Office will arrange for the sanitation department to come and completely clear the reeds within 100 meters of the hotel. In the future, this area will also be included in the city's landscaping management area, and there will be dedicated personnel to take care of it."
I felt a secret thrill; this feeling of having resources at my fingertips was just too good!
"By the way, Secretary Liu."
Cheng Shuang, who was standing nearby, said, "According to Ding Han and my previous plan, the nearly 20 meters from the hotel to East Lake will be turned into a viewing terrace. In addition, we plan to extend the terrace onto the lake and build a lakeside restaurant, developing it with the characteristics of a lakeside inn. This will probably require applying for land for several hundred bungalows, as well as the qualification for a lakeside restaurant."
"Sure!"
Secretary Liu smiled and said, "Donghu District has always encouraged the vigorous development of tourism, which is a good thing."
"But..."
Cheng Shuang laughed and said, "Along the shore of East Lake, thousands of inns have applied to build terraces, but all of them have been rejected. Only a very small number of inns have actually been granted the right to expand."
"That's to protect the water quality of East Lake."
Secretary Liu smiled meaningfully, "Ding Han's e-sports hotel is different. Its main user group is college students. College students are of high quality, and their pollution to the water is almost negligible, right?"
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Secretary Liu and I locked eyes and burst into sly grins.
Thus, the expansion of the e-sports hotel and the lakeside restaurant were basically finalized. Secretary Liu's notebook was filled with two pages of notes. He would continue to follow up on these matters to ensure their full implementation. No wonder he was someone who could make a living in the Municipal Party Committee Office; he was meticulous in his work.
As for using personal connections and government resources to open an e-sports hotel, gaining an overwhelming advantage over competitors through "slightly unfair" means, and inevitably leading the industry in future operations, I have no conscience whatsoever.
If you have resources, you should use them; if you have connections, you should use them too. I'm not a pedantic person, and I don't pretend to be. When I encountered difficulties in my previous startups, I would proactively ask Lin Qingying and Cheng Shuang for help. As long as you don't do anything against your conscience, doing a good job with the project is the most important thing. Otherwise, what else can you do? Compete fairly with your peers?
There is no such thing as absolute fairness in this world.
In the afternoon, after seeing Secretary Liu off, Lu Xiaobei, Cheng Shuang, and I were having coffee at the hotel's coffee shop, and the person who brought the coffee was the girl I thought was very pleasing to the eye.
I've already asked the cleaning lady; her name is Xiao Wen, which is a nice name.
"The next step is renovation and refurbishment."
I took a deep breath and said, "Cheng Shuang, you're an expert in hotel decoration, could you give me some advice?"
"Okay, just a moment."
Cheng Shuang sipped her coffee and said, "I'll have my assistant bring over some documents; she should be here soon."
"Good."
A few minutes later, Cheng Shuang's assistant walked into the coffee shop, panting, placed a thick stack of drawings on the table, and then went to have a coffee.
"Yes."
Cheng Shuang said, "Our Cheng Group's hotels have their own decoration companies. These are some of our design proposals. Take a look and choose one you like. I will have the design team design a specific plan for your e-sports hotel according to your preferred style. In addition, the terrace, lakeside restaurant, etc., will maintain the same decoration style as the hotel."
Let's take a look first.
Lu Xiaobei and I started looking at the renovation plans.
We quickly chose one that we both really liked. The interior design was modern with some technological elements, while the exterior design had a more guesthouse feel, giving a sense of relaxation.
After confirming the plan, Cheng Shuang handed the materials to her assistant and said, "Have the design team work overtime and produce three plans within 48 hours for me to choose from."
"Yes, President Cheng."
The assistant left.
I then looked at Lu Xiaobei and said, "Xiao Bei, Cheng Shuang is one of our own. In my opinion, why don't we entrust the renovation of our hotel to the Cheng Group?"
I have no objection.
Lu Xiaobei readily agreed, "Sister Cheng Shuang would definitely not cheat us."
Cheng Shuang smiled and said, "Of course not, I swear to God!"
I was a little unsure. "Let's wait for the plan to come out first, and then Cheng Shuang, you can prepare the budget first. Xiao Bei and I will then see what to say. To be honest, I'm really not sure."
"It's okay, we can postpone the renovation payment."
Cheng Shuang, understanding and considerate, said, "We can settle accounts with them gradually after the hotel starts operating and making money. The Cheng Group has a healthy cash flow and won't be short of money."
Her words made me feel somewhat ashamed, so Lu Xiaobei and I immediately agreed to treat her to barbecue that night!
Two days later.
Cheng Shuang sent me the revised renovation plan, which included three options: A, B, and C. Lu Xiaobei and I liked all of them, but in the end, we painfully chose option A.
"Drop!"
Cheng Shuang sent over a list, saying, "This is the renovation budget list. You and Xiao Bei take a look, and if you confirm it, we'll sign the contract, and then the renovation team can start working."
The bill clearly states the total renovation cost: 12 million!
"Holy crap..."
This number scared Lu Xiaobei so much that he swore.
"Mind your manners!" I turned to look at her.
"Oh oh..."
Lu Xiaobei blushed. "I wasn't the one who said 'Holy shit' just now."
"Alright, I know that's your little sister who lives deep in your heart, her name is Lu Xiaonan."
"Huh?"
She widened her eyes and joked, "How did you know I have a twin sister named Lu Xiaonan? That brat has a terrible temper. If you ever see her again, don't mistake her for someone else. She's not like me, so gentle, considerate, kind, and generous."
"Keep your voice down, or God will hear you and strike you with lightning!"
"Depend on!"
She lightly punched me, and just then, Cheng Shuang sent another message, interrupting our conversation. "12 million, isn't that too expensive?"
It is indeed a bit expensive.
I'm speechless. Add to that the 3 million in rent, and that's 15 million. That's definitely a huge investment!
"That's true to some extent, but if you want to build a boutique hotel brand, it seems like you can't do it without investment."
"Yes."
Cheng Shuang said, "Huaining City is a tourist city, and Donghu District is a key tourist area. There are thousands of inns and hotels along Donghu Lake. Without absolute competitiveness, it is impossible to survive. The investment is a bit large now, but once it is completed, your e-sports hotel will definitely be fully booked. It may even become a popular spot for internet celebrities to take photos. At that time, you can make money without lifting a finger."
I was a little gloomy. "If only we could just sit back and collect money like that! Thanks for your kind words! But 12 million is a bit much. We'll pay half first, and we'll transfer the rest to you when we have the money!"
"Okay, then let's sign the contract and have the renovation team start work?"
"Um!"
The next day.
The renovation team from Cheng Group arrived, marking the official start of construction for the first Feiyang Chain Esports Hotel.
All staff, including receptionists, accountants, and cleaners, will be on paid leave. They will be put to use on the opening day after the renovations are completed.
Afternoon.
After inputting a string of code, debugging was complete, and the system ran normally.
[Congratulations! The progress of the Yue Ning Mall Algorithm has increased to 40%!]
Finally, it's reached over 40%!
I sent Lin Qingying a message directly. "Good news, the core algorithm is 40% complete!"
"Good!"
She quickly replied, "I'm coming right now!"
Soon after, Lin Qingying's white Bentley pulled up downstairs, attracting the attention of many students who were online. It was only natural that the appearance of such a stunningly beautiful woman as Lin Qingying, with her commanding presence and authoritative demeanor, would cause a minor sensation.
"Good Manager Lin! You've arrived!"
Downstairs, Zhao Yihang's rather obsequious voice could be heard.
Lin Qingying has always been Zhao Yihang's ideal choice. Ever since he met Lin Qingying once in Creek City, he has been obsessed with her, but it's hopeless, she's mine.
With the sound of footsteps, Lin Qingying and Shen Man appeared in my office.
"USB Drive."
"Um!"
She handed me the USB Drive, then leaned back in her chair and watched me copy the algorithm. A delicate fragrance wafted into my nostrils, and even her hair cascaded over her shoulders. This intimate feeling stirred my heart.
"I have to work overtime today, so I can't have dinner with you."
Lin Qingying simply rested her chin on my shoulder and laughed, "Why don't you stay at the internet cafe and eat your boxed lunch?"
"Don't work overtime for too long, or I'll go to Yuening to bail you out."
"Wow..."
She laughed and said, "You're so domineering..."
Across the desk, Shen Man crossed her arms and looked at us with a scrutinizing gaze. "Manager Lin, if I may be so bold as to ask, are you two really not together?"
Lin Qingying immediately realized that the posture was too intimate, so she quickly got up. "You noticed?"
"I can tell."
Shen Man rubbed her forehead, feeling utterly speechless.
After the copying was completed, Lin Qingying rushed back to Yuening to deliver the core technology, prioritizing her work.
I stayed in the internet cafe and continued writing the rest of the code.
Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
On a leisurely afternoon, a light rain drizzled down, tracing patterns on the windowpane.
"Drop!"
A message came from Lin Qingying: "Ding Han, the R&D department informed me that the overall algorithm of Yue Ning Mall has made a significant breakthrough because of your core algorithm. Fang Tuo even said that even with only 40% of the algorithm, it is already possible to create a very perfect user profile and product recommendation algorithm mechanism."
"Tell them not to get too complacent, but to strive for excellence. There's still 60% of the algorithm to be completed. If Yue Ning Mall is going to be, it should be the best in the world, not be satisfied with what it has now."
"Um!"
She sent a "striving for excellence" bear emoji and said, "No overtime today. I'd like to invite you, Fang Tuo, and the three R&D directors from Yuening to have dinner together. Would you do me the honor?"
"Oh dear, so rushed? I'll have to check my schedule..."
"Wow, busy man, come take a look!"
"You're lucky, I happen to be free for dinner tonight, so I'll give you that favor."
"Alright, then we'll meet there!"
Lin Qingying sent me a restaurant address and then happily went back to her work. Our brief chat and jokes were probably the happiest time of her day.
In the evening, Lin Qingying took a taxi to Yue Ning Plaza, where she had booked a restaurant.
Upon arriving at the restaurant, Fang Tuo and three bald young men were already there.
Sure enough, people who write code tend to have less hair; it seems to have become a pattern.
"Ding Han!"
Fang Tuo stood up and shook hands with me, smiling, "Manager Zhang, President Jiang, Manager Liu, this is Ding Han, who outlined the key points and designed the core algorithm for us. Let's get to know each other."
Wow, so young?!
The slightly overweight Manager Zhang immediately stood up and shook hands. "Ding Han, I've heard so much about you... Your algorithm is truly... I don't know how to describe it, I can only use two words to describe it—awesome!"
"That's really impressive, a truly insightful and comprehensive analysis!"
President Jiang stood up, shook hands, and said, "I am utterly impressed and admire you greatly!"
Manager Liu, who had the least hair, was a man who paid attention to his appearance. He tucked his hair in from the sides and stood up to shake hands, saying, "I'm Liu Jianbin from the R&D department. Ding Han, your algorithm has been incredibly helpful to us. Thank you so much. Without you, I reckon our algorithm, which we built in the dark, would be at least two levels lower, and that's not an exaggeration at all!"
"No, no!"
I chuckled. Chatting with tech geeks is indeed effortless; everyone is very easygoing.
Lin Qingying arrived shortly afterward.
"Manager Lin!"
Everyone stood up to greet them.
I patted the seat next to me and said, "Manager Lin, sit next to me!"
She gave me a reproachful smile, and obediently walked over and sat down, asking, "Have you ordered yet?"
"I'm waiting for you."
"Give me the menu, what would you like to eat?"
"Eat the expensive stuff."
"Expensive doesn't necessarily mean good."
"Then eat well."
"Um!"
She lowered her head to order, while Fang Tuo and other executives were dumbfounded. They had probably never seen Lin Qingying like this before. Back in Yuening, she was the high-ranking CEO, a leader full of authority.
Soon after, a table of dishes was served.
Lin Qingying asked if they wanted to have some drinks, but Fang Tuo and the others shook their heads, saying they had to work overtime later.
At this moment, I finally understood why Lin Qingying had invited these people to dinner. They were all leaders of the Technical Team at Yue Ning Group. As long as she could gain their support, Lin Qingying could wield significant influence within Yuening.
Clearly, although Xie Zheng is the chairman, his focus is on capital; he strives to gain more power from capital, which is completely different from Lin Qingying's strategy.
So I lowered my stance and had a pleasant conversation with the presidents and directors. I didn't act like an "algorithm guru" or "master" at all. On the contrary, I gave them some pointers, which made them realize something and exclaim how awesome it was.
Lin Qingying didn't understand, but she just smiled and listened to us talk about technology and work. She really enjoyed the atmosphere.
As a result, halfway through the meal, the door opened, and an uninvited guest appeared—
Xiao Chen!
"Oh, what brings you here, Mr. Xiao?" Fang Tuo was taken aback.
"I heard that some senior executives from Yuening were having dinner here, so I came to check it out. It really is you guys. I'm right next door."
Xiao Chen's gaze fell on Lin Qingying: "Xiaoying, why didn't you invite me to the gathering?"
"I thought you weren't in Huaining City," Lin Qingying replied politely.
"I've been here recently."
Xiao Chen finally looked at me and smiled, "Ding Han, long time no see."
"Yes, it's been a long time."
I smiled and nodded, "Shall we sit down and have something to eat?"
"OK..."
Xiao Chen pulled out a chair and sat down; this man's shamelessness was simply astonishing.
Fang Tuo and the others were also shocked, probably because they didn't expect that such a handsome and rich man would be so shameless in order to pursue the girl he liked.
No one spoke; they ate in silence.
"Xiao Ying."
Xiao Chen said, "A movie just came out yesterday. It's about financial fraud. You might be interested. How about I treat you to a movie later? There's an 8 PM showing."
Lin Qingying smiled and shook her head, "I'm a little tired today, so I'll go home after dinner."
"Oh..."
Xiao Chen was a little disappointed.
Lin Qingying glanced at me furtively.
"It's okay, I'll watch it with you if you want," I said.
"Good."
Lin Qingying said, "Then buy me milk tea."
"Buy it if you're not afraid of having trouble sleeping."
"Don't be afraid!"
Beside him, Xiao Chen's face was pale.
"Do you want to see it or not?"
I looked at him and said, "Xiao Chen, if you want to watch, I'll treat you too. Buy three tickets, and I'll sit in the middle."
Xiao Chen probably wanted to curse.
Fang Tuo secretly gave me a thumbs up, and the other three directors also exclaimed "Awesome!" It was a battle between experts, and every move was potentially fatal. Xiao Chen was clearly struggling to keep up.
After finishing the meal.
Several executives went back to work overtime, while I bought three cups of milk tea and three tickets. Xiao Chen, feeling embarrassed, bought two buckets of popcorn instead.
The movie was pretty good; Lin Qingying was completely engrossed in it.
I sat in the middle, and as I ate, I finished the popcorn in Lin Qingying's arms. So, I naturally reached into Xiao Chen's popcorn bucket and grabbed a handful.
"Ding Han, you son of a bitch..."
In the darkness, Xiao Chen could be vaguely seen glaring angrily, his lips twitching wildly.