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"The prices are different," Cheng Lang said bluntly.

White Jade Capital's purchasing channels were basically connected directly with manufacturers or general distributors. The discounts were substantial. But with Cheng Lang's current standing, never mind whether those manufacturers would even care about a milk tea shop's purchase volume. Even if they were willing to supply him, the person dealing with Cheng Lang would at most be a bottom-tier distributor. Never mind the discounts—there was no guarantee that the supply would even be stable. After all, when doing business, everyone naturally prioritized orders from major clients.

But if Cheng Lang wanted to make his milk tea shop successful, he had to ensure there would be no problems with his supply chain.

Han Mingchen quietly listened to Cheng Lang's analysis and nodded in approval. "That makes a lot of sense. But why should I agree to it?"

At the end of the day, this arrangement offered White Jade Capital no benefits. On the contrary, the milk tea shop might even lower White Jade Capital's image. So Han Mingchen had no reason to agree to Cheng Lang's request.

Cheng Lang sighed and looked at Han Mingchen eagerly. "Actually, until tonight, I'd always dreamed of using White Jade Capital as a platform, and my status as one of its star attractions, to achieve the first small goal of my life—make one hundred million first."

Han Mingchen: "..."

"Pfft!" The security department manager sitting nearby failed to hold it in and burst out laughing.

Han Mingchen did not know whether to laugh or cry. "Fine."

Han Mingchen waved a hand, too lazy to argue with Cheng Lang. "Go find the purchasing department manager yourself. If you can convince him, work it out privately."

In other words, even if Cheng Lang really managed to persuade the purchasing department manager to procure goods for him, he could not sell alcohol and beverages outside under White Jade Capital's name.

Cheng Lang was overjoyed. "I knew it, Chen—you're a good man. Thank you for looking after me and giving me a leg up. From now on, I'll love my job, fulfill my duties, and work hard to contribute to White Jade Capital's development—"

"Enough, enough!" Han Mingchen cut him off, looking slightly pained. "If there's nothing else, go downstairs first."

"Sure!" Cheng Lang answered crisply, then left the office with light steps and a delighted expression.

With just that one person gone, Han Mingchen felt the previously noisy office immediately become quiet. The security department manager glanced at the firmly shut office door and said with a smile, "That kid's pretty interesting."

For some reason, upon hearing that, Han Mingchen's mind immediately echoed with Cheng Lang's words: "Very good. This man has caught my attention." Han Mingchen shuddered involuntarily, a wave of revulsion washing over him.

The security department manager looked at Han Mingchen, whose face had suddenly darkened, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" Han Mingchen said with a livid face. He pulled open the drawer beneath his desk and casually grabbed a handful of goji berries, dropping them into his teacup. He wanted to nourish his stomach.

By the time Cheng Lang left the office, it was nearly midnight. He changed clothes and prepared to clock out. But when he turned around to look for someone, he realized Shen Huaiyu was gone.

"Him?" A waiter from the same group sneered and said in a tone that was impossible to tell whether it was envy or jealousy, "Boss Lu called him away."

Lu Chengxuan?

Cheng Lang frowned. Then the waiter continued in a strange, mocking tone, "You seem really concerned about Shen Huaiyu. Don't tell me you like him?"

Cheng Lang glanced at him and replied with a beaming smile, "Of course I like him. Who wouldn't want to be friends with someone like Shen Huaiyu—handsome, a good student, innocent, and kind?"

No one knew which nerve Cheng Lang's words struck, but the waiter's expression changed. He glared at Cheng Lang. "You—"

"Enough!" The shift supervisor appeared just in time. "You're off work, so hurry home. So reluctant to leave? Do you want to stay and work overtime?"

After saying that, the supervisor patted Cheng Lang on the shoulder again, looking full of regret and as though he wanted to say something but stopped himself. "Don't overthink it. Go back and get some sleep early."

Cheng Lang looked at the supervisor, feeling that this guy seemed to have misunderstood something.

After leaving White Jade Capital, Cheng Lang went to the roadside to catch a cab. While waiting, he bought two roasted sweet potatoes. He ate one in the car, then casually gave the other to the dorm manager auntie who had specifically kept the door open for him.

"Wait a moment." The dorm manager auntie placed the steaming roasted sweet potato on the table, then pulled a thermal lunch box from beneath the desk and handed it to Cheng Lang. "My family made dumplings. We made too many, so I brought you a lunch box."

Cheng Lang froze slightly.

The dorm manager auntie stuffed the thermal lunch box into his hands. "What are you standing there for? Go upstairs. Remember to bring the lunch box back down to me tomorrow."

Cheng Lang's lips curled up slightly as he said softly, "Thank you, Auntie."

When Cheng Lang returned to the dorm, the room was pitch-black. Lights-out had long passed. He turned on his phone's flashlight, sat at his desk, and quietly ate the dumplings.

The dumplings were filled with celery, Chinese cabbage, and pork, with a little green pepper mixed in. They tasted especially fresh. Cheng Lang had barely taken two bites when his other two roommates woke up, drawn by the smell. Sniffling, they asked, "What smells so good?"

"Dumplings." Cheng Lang looked up. "Want some?"

The two roommates nodded like pecking chicks. Cheng Lang rummaged through everything until he found their chopsticks, then fed each of them two dumplings.

After eating and washing up in the dark, Cheng Lang climbed into bed. When he woke up the next morning, Shen Huaiyu had already returned.

"I brought breakfast for you guys," Shen Huaiyu said. "Tea eggs, millet porridge, and the cafeteria's free pickled vegetables."

"Holy shit! Shen Huaiyu, you've finally made progress!" One roommate's eyes lit up, his gaze practically glued to the breakfast. "You actually thought to bring breakfast for everyone. All those times we covered for you when they checked the dorms weren't for nothing."

Shen Huaiyu curled his lips slightly. "That's also why I wanted to thank everyone."

"We're all in the same dorm. Why be so polite?" The other roommate was also somewhat flattered. Mainly because Shen Huaiyu had rarely interacted with them since school started. He spent every day alone with a gloomy expression, withdrawn and unsmiling. As a result, quite a few classmates complained behind his back that Shen Huaiyu was arrogant and looked down on them. On top of that, many girls were really into Shen Huaiyu's whole act, which made everyone dislike him even more.