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Three toppings.

Not even pizza and fried chicken places supported that many flavor combinations.

The car finally arrived.

After being quiet the whole way, Shi Bochuan said, "I'll get out first, then help you down."

Shi Jihan primly and shyly held out a hand, his gaze lowered to the side.

His fingertips nearly poked Shi Bochuan's bewildered eye.

Huh? Was I talking about you?

Shen Qinghuai's voice was slightly cold. "I have hands and feet. No need for President Shi to trouble himself."

Shi Jihan, who supposedly had neither hands nor feet: O.o?

Shi Bochuan looked at his younger brother's hand with obvious disdain, but still took it and helped him down. Before leaving, he reminded him, "I have other matters after entering. When you go meet the business partner, it's best not to let anyone else see you."

The moment the three members of the Shi Family appeared, they drew quite a few gazes.

Shi Jihan looked fairly presentable in a suit. Especially when he smiled with narrowed eyes, his clear black-and-white eyes curved into crescents, making him look obedient and soft.

His slightly baby-fat cheeks made him appear innocent and harmless. His features were small and delicate, with a tiny mole on the tip of his nose and slightly curly hair. He looked like the most expensive doll in a display window—the one wearing a small white suit and a bow tie.

But those looks were strange.

It was as if they had picked him apart from head to toe with their eyes countless times, constantly exchanging glances and nodding with their companions as they shared their gossip.

Even Shi Jihan found it hard to pretend not to notice.

Fine, he knew why. By this point, the original owner had made no effort to hide his coveting of the Shi Family's wealth, yet lacked the ability to back it up. The joke about him losing an investor had already spread.

Only Shi Bochuan, that blind-eyed, blind-hearted man destined for a crematorium arc, thought this was merely his belated rebellious phase.

Shi Jihan silently glanced at Shen Qinghuai, who was being gossiped about too, and sighed. "Brother, we can't walk together."

Shen Qinghuai had long grown used to strange looks, as well as being looked down on by this younger brother-in-law. "Mm."

Shi Jihan said, "We'll combine like terms."

Shen Qinghuai said, "Mm??"

"Wait." He grabbed someone who had already naturally started walking toward the

food

buffet area. "Aren't we finding the business partner first?"

000 praised him lavishly. [Sincerity, what a wonderful virtue. Host, he's sincerely inviting you to make trouble for himself.]

Shi Jihan gave a thumbs-up. [How could I possibly disappoint him?]

Make money first, eat later. It was enough to make him wolf down three bowls of rice.

The business partner's surname was Wang, and he was nearby.

Shen Qinghuai went over and greeted him. "Hello, President Wang."

He softened his breathing.

He was afraid that if he breathed too heavily, he would blow away the few remaining hairs on President Wang's head.

He had specifically received training in this level of social etiquette.

"Oh, it's you two." President Wang, who had just finished speaking with someone else, nodded and looked them over. "What is it?"

Shi Jihan strode forward and grabbed President Wang's hand. His eyes were so affectionate he could have looked lovingly at a dog. "President Wang, do you remember me? You held me when I was little."

He was just too affectionate, so his breathing was a little heavy, blowing up the hair on President Wang's head.

"What did you say?" President Wang touched his chilly scalp, uncertainty flashing through his eyes.

Was he getting old? Had his hearing gone bad?

A trace of stiffness appeared in Shen Qinghuai's perfect smile as he forcibly changed the subject. "President Wang, I have a fashion show project here. I wonder whether you might be interested?"

The colleague beside them, who had been preparing to leave after finishing his own discussion, tripped over his left foot with his right and made a sharp turn back.

What was this? Why were they poaching resources right in front of him?

"Don't play the emotional card here," the colleague said warily. "Since we're discussing the same project, why don't we have a proper talk and let President Wang make a choice?"

"Yes, yes, yes." President Wang hurriedly contacted his private doctor and repeatedly agreed. "Tell me what advantages you have over the other side."

The colleague proudly puffed out his chest. "For this fashion show, we invited a famous foreign fashion designer. We spent a whole year carefully preparing it, and our proposed guest list includes renowned figures from every field. We'll definitely be more impressive than Shi Corporation."

"We're shameless," Shi Jihan cut in before Shen Qinghuai could speak, puffing out his chest just as proudly. "I'll pour oil all over your runway."

The colleague's mouth twitched as he glared at him. "Our company spared no expense on this exhibition, and we have follow-up marketing measures ready. We'll seize the headlines on the day of the show."

Shi Jihan said, "Then all of you can slip and fall. Hahaha."

The colleague's mouth twitched violently. "Y-you're so vicious! Your company only became the industry leader by being shameless!"

Shi Jihan looked confused. "How can you blame your underwear for catching wind just because you can't fly?"

[Ding, Villainy Points +0.03]

Shi Jihan was disgusted. Why was it so little?

[After all, he's just an unimportant passerby.]

Shen Qinghuai could not stop him. His vision went dark again and again, flashing more spectacularly than strobe lights at a nightclub.

It was over.

Those were the only two words in his mind.

What was finished was not only his career, but also his reputation.

President Wang pondered. "I've already made my decision."

"President Wang, tell Brother Huai," Shi Jihan said, retiring after his accomplishment and concealing both his merit and fame. "I have something to do, so I'll be leaving first."

Wagyu beef.

Lobster, salmon, truffle foie gras, macarons.

Here he came!

Shi Jihan regretfully looked at Shen Qinghuai, sighed, shook his head, and left in satisfaction.

There was definitely no chance of cooperation now. Hahaha, he would just wait for today's allowance!

Under the colleague's burning stare, Shen Qinghuai took a deep breath. He no longer cared whether they cooperated or not. He only cared whether his reputation would be utterly ruined. "President Wang, in that case, I won't disturb you further."

He was too ashamed to remain here.

"Stop right there."

Shen Qinghuai stiffened.

Was President Wang planning to settle the score with him?

President Wang grabbed him by the shoulder.

President Wang patted him hard, his eyes filled with approval. "We're choosing you for this investment!"

Shen Qinghuai and the colleague: "?"

Shen Qinghuai and the colleague: "President Wang, are you all right?"

"Of course I'm all right. I'm better than ever." President Wang's voice was forceful and resounding. "Your company truly deserves to be an industry leader. In just a few words, your young master made the opponent collapse without a fight, defeating him step by step! Yet he never revealed a single detail about your own side, leaving everyone unable to figure you out. How profound. Your scheming is clearly on another level."

The colleague was stunned, then suddenly understood. Right, he had said everything, but he knew absolutely nothing about the other side's plan.

Damn it, they had sounded him out without him even realizing it.

Shi Jihan's ability to manipulate people's hearts was terrifying!

Seeing his expression, President Wang shook his head repeatedly, thinking he was far too green. Then he pulled Shen Qinghuai into a corner and quietly asked, "You were unwilling to reveal anything just now. Does that mean you have some secret trump card to overwhelm all the fashion brands at this show? Hurry and give me a hint."

Shen Qinghuai looked blank. "Do I... have one?"

President Wang lightly thumped his shoulder with a fist. "Oh, Little Shen, why are you still pretending with me?"

-

[Ding, "Raise Shen Qinghuai's Negative Reputation" completed. Task reward received: +10]

Shi Jihan was so excited he practically wanted to jump up.

He looked around and met eyes with the colleague from before.

The colleague avoided his gaze and quietly muttered to the people around him, "I'm telling you, those Shi Family people are unbelievably shameless! Blah blah blah..."

The people around him sighed. "Oh my god, they're actually that shameless!"

Shi Jihan asked 000, [Why is it only half? Didn't we agree on 20?]

[There's still your brother's portion.]

Damn it, he had fallen into the installment-payment trap again.

Shi Jihan turned his grief and indignation into appetite.

This is so expensive, I'm eating it. Chomp chomp chomp. This is expensive too, I'm eating it. Chomp chomp chomp.

[Who hosted this banquet? If I leave a thirty-word five-star review with pictures, can I get cash back?]

000 said, [The Zhou Family's Zhou Jingcheng. His family's businesses involve the entertainment industry, and this time you're cooperating with his company.]

Shi Jihan slowly stopped chewing. [It sounds so familiar, but I can't remember who he is.]

[He's the male lead of the third novel on Qidian. You even called him a rabid dog that ate arsenic, saying the moment he opened his dog mouth, he was asking to die.]

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

Everything that happened below was clearly seen by the people upstairs.

The Qidian male lead rested a hand on the railing and looked down at the most useless villainous cannon fodder in the whole text. His previously indifferent manner vanished as he smiled without smiling. "Did I see that right? Someone from the Shi Family discussed cooperation at my banquet, then planned to sell it to me at a clearly marked price?"

Wasn't that middleman markup a little too blatant?

Secretary Sun beside him detected the displeasure in his tone. "Please don't be angry. They may not have expected you to actually come. Otherwise, they would never dare to poach your business like this."

Zhou Jingcheng glanced at him and gave a cold snort. "Isn't my being here all thanks to my mother and you?"

They had organized a banquet behind his back and forced him to attend, telling him to see whether there was anyone he liked so he could get married as soon as possible.

Secretary Sun said quietly, "You can't put it that way. You never leave home except for work, and you stay shut up in the house every day. Where are you supposed to meet your destined partner?"

"I'm waiting for a home invader. Is that not allowed?" Zhou Jingcheng went downstairs. "Come on. Let's meet this young master of the Shi Family."

After learning that this was the Zhou Family's clubhouse, Shi Jihan's eyes lit up. He had found a good way to earn points.

"This painting." He pointed at the postmodern abstract painting on the wall. "One day, I'll roll some paint over a canvas with a paint roller too, then sell it to this idiot for twenty-five thousand."

[Ding, Villainy Points +0.2]

Tch. No matter how small a mosquito leg was, it was still meat.

"This music." He shook his head. "It doesn't sound good. Only Tom and Jerry counts as tasteful."

[Ding, Villainy Points +0.1]

He walked onto the balcony, looked down at the flowers in the garden, and shook his head. "The aesthetic sense is terrible. What kind of arrangement is that?"

Someone nearby heard him and refuted him. "What's wrong with that arrangement? Look carefully. It's obviously a self-portrait of Young Master Zhou. It looks great."

"Huh?" Shi Jihan was shocked. After staring at it seriously for a long time, he said, "It does look like a human shape..."

He turned to the suited man who had just walked over and said, "Keeping a self-portrait at home—bro, do you think this Young Master Zhou is so narcissistic that even licking his lips counts as kissing himself?"