Emerging Talent

Haiqin Restaurant.

Zhang Zhaohai was also a little stunned.

He truly hadn't expected Song Wenqin to be so decisive, directly throwing away the gift her brother-in-law had placed down.

This was completely unexpected.

"No... you really threw it away?" Zhang Zhaohai's eyes widened.

"So what if he throws it away? How much should we pay him?" Song Wenqin's tone implied as she watched the hastily departing figure outside the restaurant. "He harbored ulterior motives; he deserved it!"

"Well... that's just human nature," Zhang Zhaohai said, clicking his tongue.

When you're poor, no one cares even in the bustling city; when you're rich, even distant relatives come calling. This has been true from ancient times to the present.

Therefore, he was not surprised at all by Song Wenbo's arrival.

"What if he's here to borrow money?" Song Wenqin suddenly asked.

"Huh? Borrow money?" Zhang Zhaohai was stunned.

"Yesterday in the car, my mom mentioned that the couple was planning to expand the hotel, and that's why they invited that... Zhou Xiaona's brother yesterday," Song Wenqin said with a sneer.

What do you think is his purpose in coming today?

Zhang Zhaohai almost blurted out "Good riddance!" but thankfully he held back.

"Well, I'll help if I can," he said deliberately.

"Help? When our family needed help, why didn't they help us? Repaying evil with kindness is unreasonable," Song Wenqin said without hesitation. "We help in times of emergency, not in times of chronic poverty. What does their expansion of the restaurant have to do with us?!"

Zhang Zhaohai inwardly applauded, but only nodded slightly.

"Honey, whatever you do, I'll support you."

That afternoon, when Zhou Xiaona saw Song Wenbo return with a long face, she immediately understood everything.

"What? Not only did they not accept the gifts, they even threw them away?" Zhou Xiaona raised her voice, saying incredulously, "How could they be so heartless?"

"Put yourself in their shoes, right? When my sister asked me for money, we did the same thing," Song Wenbo said, head bowed.

"How can that be the same?" Zhou Xiaona said without even thinking.

Then, their eyes met.

"Then how is it different?" Song Wenbo retorted.

The couple sat in the shop, looking at each other, their faces burning.

Zhou Xiaona wanted to say something harsh, but she just couldn't bring herself to say it.

The gap is too big.

She went back and studied those three cars carefully; she estimated they cost over ten million.

With that kind of financial power, why would anyone care what harsh words she says?

These harsh words were only meant for the two of them to hear and to comfort themselves.

"And..." Song Wenbo hesitated, then mentioned that he had seen Haiqin Restaurant open for business at noon that day.

"To say the venue was packed would be quite an understatement; it was practically a long queue. The couple was incredibly busy—not just busy, they were counting money until their hands cramped."

"Really?" Zhou Xiaona's eyes widened.

"Would I lie to you?" Song Wenbo said.

"Could it be that they... hired some kind of master chef?" Zhou Xiaona muttered to herself, her expression constantly changing.

···

Zhang Yang hadn't planned to stay long during his trip back to Yinghai.

However, after receiving the unexpected surprise of staying at the Four Seasons Hotel, Yinghai Landmark, he planned to stay for a while.

This can be considered as solidifying the rear area.

Therefore, as the new owner of the Four Seasons Hotel, he frequently appeared in various public occasions during this period and got to know quite a few prominent figures in Yinghai.

He wanted to make friends with others.

However, he also owns the Yinghai Four Seasons Hotel, a business worth over a billion yuan, and his image and temperament are unforgettable, with an even more compelling personal charm.

Naturally, many more people wanted to befriend him.

Yinghai is actually a large city in terms of size, but the top business circles are so close that everyone knows each other and they see each other all the time.

As the owner of the Four Seasons Hotel, a landmark in Yinghai, Zhang Yang naturally quickly rose to prominence in Yinghai's business circles.

While not everyone knows him, mentioning Mr. Zhang, the owner of the Yinghai Four Seasons Hotel, is certainly a good start.

Most people would still show it respect.

On this day, an investment forum was held at the Yinghai Four Seasons Hotel.

At the event, a diverse range of companies from Yinghai, including construction and real estate, manufacturing, leading local textile companies, and food companies, were gathered.

The scale ranges from tens of millions to hundreds of millions.

Several of them are local giants, so large that even Zhang Yang can only look up to them.

However, none of this prevented Zhang Yang from chatting and laughing with them.

"Chairman Zhang, you may not know, but I'm preparing to retire, and my daughter is going to take over the business." Liu Fuyu of Su Province Prosperity Group looked tired.

Xingwang Group is the largest local chain supermarket in Yinghai. Since its first supermarket 25 years ago, Prosperity Supermarket has grown to have more than 70 directly operated stores, six large boutique supermarkets, and nearly 2,000 employees.

Although it hasn't expanded beyond Yinghai, and although most of its customers are now middle-aged and elderly.

However, as the backdrop of a generation's growing memories, Prosperity Supermarket, which accompanied a generation's growth, has long been deeply ingrained in the hearts of Yinghai people.

Naturally, Liu Fuyu, as the owner of Prosperity Supermarket, still holds a certain status in Yinghai's business community.

"That's great. You've been busy for decades, it's time to retire and take a good rest," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

"Um... would you be interested in getting to know my daughter?" Liu Fuyu, who had been holding back for a long time, suddenly asked Zhang Yang, "My businesses will definitely be handed over to my daughter and son-in-law in the future."

Several business owners nearby listened intently, unable to suppress low chuckles.

Zhang Yang glanced at Liu Fuyu, who had a large frame and was exceptionally tall, and after a moment's thought, he decisively abandoned the idea.

"Mr. Liu, actually, my main focus right now is still on my career."

"Old Liu, you've got a knack for this. We could hear you from way over here. You've got a good eye for things," several shopkeepers laughed. "We always said you wouldn't say a word when others brought this up before. Turns out you weren't without ideas, you were just holding back a big move, weren't you?"

"Chairman Zhang, don't let Old Liu's burly appearance fool you. His daughter is actually quite beautiful, very well-bred. Among our colleagues, those with sons have had their eyes on her quite a bit."

"However, if you, Chairman Zhang, agree, the other companies will definitely give up their ideas."

"Exactly. Compared to Chairman Zhang, which of your sons has this kind of confidence and audacity?"

Neither of them felt there was anything wrong with what the other was saying.

After all, putting everything else aside, the children of the wealthy are simply not on the same level as the children of the rich.

Don't even mention that their wealth is far less than Zhang Yang's. Even if they were on par, Chairman Zhang owns this enormous business, while their son is just a playboy, waiting to inherit the family fortune.

How can I compare to Chairman Zhang?

Not to mention appearance, temperament, or even personal charm and ability, that's a complete annihilation, easily defeated a thousand times over.

"The main reason is that I have a girlfriend," Zhang Yang admitted frankly.

He had heard that Liu Fuyu was quite devoted to his wife, had never had a bad reputation, and had been with her for decades with a very good relationship.

Upon hearing this, a collective sigh immediately rippled through the crowd.

But no one found it strange.

"Yeah, someone like Chairman Zhang... what do young people say these days? By the way, how could a heartthrob like him lack female company?"

"Old Liu, have you given up yet? What you think is good, everyone else thinks is good too. What chance do you have?"

Liu Fuyu paused for two seconds, then sighed.

"What a pity, what a pity."

This wasn't the first time Zhang Yang had encountered the situation of being chosen as a son-in-law. Everyone half-jokingly and half-seriously took it, and in the end, they just laughed it off.

With so many guests attending an investment conference, it's impossible that they were all big bosses.

Some of them are owners of various small and medium-sized enterprises.

Zhang Yang chatted with a group of leaders from various industries in Yinghai for a while. As soon as he stood up, a group of small business owners rushed up to him, eager to introduce themselves and get to know Zhang Yang.

To say they're "small" is relative; aren't they all prominent figures in the eyes of ordinary people?

"Hello, Chairman Zhang. This is my business card."

"Chairman Zhang, Chairman Zhang..."

As the owner of the Yinghai Four Seasons Hotel, Zhang Yang remained courteous even when facing small and medium-sized business owners whose strength and status were far inferior to his own, always treating them as guests.

Later, several female owners of local chain medical aesthetic institutions surrounded him, trying to take photos with him.

The female bosses who run cosmetic surgery businesses are indeed exquisitely refined, and they also look quite young and beautiful.

Their income is also quite good.

Surrounded by perfume, Zhang Yang found himself unknowingly pulled into a soft, yielding embrace.

"Chairman Zhang, we always choose the Four Seasons Hotel for our family's public events."

"I am a loyal guest of your family."

Facing those pairs of eyes looking at him with such admiration, and looking at that flawless face, Zhang Yang felt a mix of emotions.

Cosmetic medicine technology has truly advanced.

Even though I know these are tech-savvy faces, to be honest, they don't look too out of place. The DO (Digital Origin and Development) influence isn't too strong either. In any case, they're worlds apart from the stereotypical stiff, half-finished faces.

But despite the regrets, when it comes to faces, the original is always the best.

So, he could only remain diligent and unassuming.

In the afternoon, Zhang Yang left the meeting and took a break to visit the Haiqin Restaurant.

He was stunned for a moment when he arrived at the scene.

What's the meaning of all those camera vans and long lenses at the entrance?

And this... Penguin Video?

"Mom and Dad, what happened?" Zhang Yang stepped forward and couldn't help but ask.

"Zhang Yang, what brings you here?" Song Wenqin looked up, her eyes immediately lighting up with surprise. "Our shop is going to be on a TV show!"

Her tone betrayed her excitement.

Zhang Yang was still a little confused... How could this be so strange?

"Here's what happened." Song Wenqin pulled her son to sit down in the shop and then explained the whole story.

Others may not understand yet.

However, as the person directly involved, Zhang Yang is the only one who knows the truth behind the store's current explosive popularity, so his acceptance level is naturally quite high.

It can only be said that everything was a matter of chance, and each element was indispensable.

"I understand." Zhang Yang nodded.

"These days, trendy restaurants are all the rage. I saw a roadside stall in Yinghai that got so popular after a local food blogger visited it that people started lining up like crazy. If our place were on a food documentary on Penguin Video, wouldn't it be a huge hit?" Song Wenqin laughed.

"A huge fire?" Zhang Yang looked around at the surging crowd, speechless.

"Isn't this a massive fire?"

The hall was bustling with activity, every seat filled; the sheer volume of people made it seem like the peak season during the first month of the lunar calendar.

"Don't be surprised, haha, your dad and I are both baffled. We don't know how business suddenly became so booming." Song Wenqin couldn't stop laughing. "By the way, your dad and the film crew are in the kitchen. Do you want to go check them out?"

"I'm not watching anymore," Zhang Yang muttered to himself.

It's floating away.

They didn't even tell me that their store was going to be on a TV show. Well, it seems my parents really want to be independent and do things their own way.

But what they had no idea was that the shop's booming business was all thanks to his son's quiet, behind-the-scenes efforts.

Liaodong was abolished.

That's fine, from now on let Mom and Dad focus on this business.

My parents are busy and fulfilled, running ten or twenty restaurants, so their son can focus on developing his career and realizing his ambitions.

As we were talking, we saw my dad and several young people come out of the kitchen together.

"Haha, what a coincidence, my son is here." Zhang Zhaohai pointed at Zhang Yang and walked straight over with a smile. "Zhang Yang, let me introduce you."

A short while later, Zhang Zhaohai introduced the members of the on-site directing team.

Several members of the directing team looked at Zhang Yang, their eyes flashing with amazement and surprise.

"Hello... you." One of the girls, named Xiao Ye, suddenly reached out her hand without warning, her face flushed.

"Hello." Zhang Yang gave the petite girl in front of him a strange look, extended his hand to shake hers, and then looked at the director named Liu Cheng from the directing team. "Director Liu, thank you for your hard work."

"It's Mr. Zhang who should be working hard," Liu Cheng said with a smile, "To take the time out of his schedule to cooperate with our filming."

"Not at all, not at all, this is called a win-win situation," Zhang Zhaohai said with a hearty laugh.

"Okay, you guys get back to work." Zhang Yang nodded, and seeing the situation in the shop, it didn't seem like it needed his attention, so he decided to leave first.

He had just left.

Shortly after, Liu Cheng glanced at Xiao Ye, who was still somewhat distracted in the group, and immediately smiled.

"What's wrong, little girl? Why are you suddenly lost in thought?"

"No... no, I was thinking, could we include the boss's son in the shot too? I think it might make the effect even better," she suddenly suggested, raising her eyes.

Liu Cheng smiled meaningfully, which made Xiao Ye lower his head in embarrassment.

"Alright, this is such a difficult task, how about I give it to you? You go and talk to them." He smiled.

"Okay!" Xiao Ye nodded hurriedly.

As she jogged outside, her heart pounding, she braced herself to approach him and strike up a conversation.

Outside the door, Zhang Yang had already gotten into the Cullinan and sped away.

Xiao Ye stood blankly at the doorway, watching the Cullinan away, his head buzzing. He figured the Cullinan probably didn't care whether it appeared on camera or not.