After Flirting with the God-Tier Beautiful Tycoon - Chapter 68

Upon receiving the phone call, Chen Yi immediately dropped everything she was doing and went to Old Man Bai’s side.

Many cars were parked at the entrance of the Nancheng Mansion a single glance revealed that there wasn’t a license plate she didn’t recognize.

He Zhong opened the door for her. She collected her thoughts, relaxed her facial muscles, and once again donned her exclusive “smiling mask.”

Pinned to her flirtatious emerald green qipao was a piece of suet-fat white jade of exceptional quality. The jade plaque was blank, containing no carvings, yet its luster was superb, the texture as thick and rich as congealed fat. On her wrist, she wore a white jade bracelet an accessory she donned frequently and on the ring finger of her right hand was an oval emerald ring.

She appeared elegant and noble, her entire presence radiating a sense of opulence and prestige.

“Seventh Master.”

The bodyguards at the door bowed ninety degrees in greeting.

In the vast expanse of Nancheng, aside from Old Man Bai, Chen Yi was the only person entitled to such an honor.

“Mhm,” she responded faintly with a composed, practiced smile.

The moment she pushed open the doors of the Nancheng Mansion, a sea of business tycoons came into view. In the open air courtyard, several precious shrubs were planted. People were either slowly sipping tea and chatting, or brushing past the tender leaves of the branches, pretentiously reciting verses of poetry describing the flora.

These people, gathered in groups of three or five, were the members of the Nancheng Chamber of Commerce. A few others were absent or still on their way, but the majority were present. Among them were those Chen Yi had met and those she hadn’t those who supported her and those who opposed her.

She lowered her eyes, let out a soft laugh, adjusted the hem of her high-slit qipao, and stepped up the stairs.

The qipao swept past the green brick steps from a slight distance, stirring up fine dust in the wisps of the breeze. Her graceful figure and ethereal beauty instantly captured the attention of everyone present.

Those wolf-like men, as if under a spell, revealed expressions of greed and lechery.

“I haven’t been back to Nancheng in years, so I don’t recognize many faces in the Chamber. Who is this…?” A pot-bellied man, his face oily, looked at Chen Yi while speaking to the person beside him.

He was dressed head to toe in Hermes. His hair was so thin that only a sparse ring remained at the bottom, which, upon closer inspection, even appeared slightly curly. One hand held a prestigious cigar while the other wore a massive emerald thumb ring. The hand with the ring rested loosely on his large belly; to an outsider, he looked as if he were pregnant.

Chen Yi detested these greasy old men who lacked self-awareness. However, she still smiled like a flower in bud. “You must be President Liu. I still remember you; your golf game is excellent.”

Being praised by a beauty, the greasy man momentarily forgot what he was going to say. He didn’t even notice the cigar ash blowing onto his suit. The people around him flattered him and joined in the excitement, and the man laughed like an idiot.

These people might be successful in business, but they were not necessarily a match for a woman like Chen Yi. With just a few words, she could tame them completely.

Chen Yi’s “business persona” was highly effective. On her way there, she had already studied the business titans expected to attend today. She didn’t need many just enough would do. After all, she had dealt with many of them to varying degrees over the years. As for those she had no prior connection with, she could control the room with her usual business rhetoric and a bit of silver tongued charm.

Since it wasn’t election day yet, most of these people were easy to talk to. Moreover, with Old Man Bai present, they would give him face.

Seeing Chen Yi, Old Man Bai’s assistant hurried over to hand her the silk fan she frequently used. The plain, creamy white silk surface was embroidered with an elaborate “Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.” The empty spaces were traced with overlapping gold and silver threads to create water ripples, which, when caught in the light, gave a sense of shimmering waves.

It was said that the labor cost for this fan alone reached six figures. Though the pattern was technically gaudy, in Chen Yi’s hands, it possessed an air of fresh elegance.

Under everyone’s gaze, she lightly waved the fan, a smile on her face, and walked toward the main house with a swaying, serpentine waist.

Seeing Chen Yi arrive, another assistant serving tea stood up to give her a seat.

Old Man Bai was playing Go with an elderly man who sported a greyish-white beard. Several elders sat around them in an orderly fashion. It seemed this elderly man was the true guest of honor today, though Chen Yi did not recognize him he belonged to the group she had never dealt with before.

The Old Man had asked her to find time to join him in activities lately. Firstly, it was to increase her visibility and “brush up” her presence before the election secondly, it was to introduce her to people, allowing those she hadn’t met to become aware of her.

The people outside were mere foils the “Great Buddha” was right in front of her.

Chen Yi politely greeted the surrounding elders and then knelt on a futon by the table. Her beautiful emerald skirt spread across the floor, and from the side, her snowy white, folded legs were clearly visible. She lowered her gaze and quietly poured tea for the two players.

Unless the Old Man spoke, she remained silent. She was always sensible and possessed a strong sense of propriety, which greatly satisfied Old Man Bai.

“Was there traffic on the way?” Old Man Bai placed a black stone and spoke slowly.

Chen Yi stopped pouring tea and replied softly, “It wasn’t too congested when I was on the road. It’s rush hour now, so according to the usual pattern, it should be backed up by now.”

Her answer was seamless, explaining a small question with total clarity. The point wasn’t really to answer the Old Man’s question, but to perform for the elderly man playing against him.

The elderly man showed no expression and didn’t even look up as he composedly placed a white stone.

“Nice pendant,” Old Man Bai followed with another stone.

Chen Yi took the opportunity to pick up the conversation. “The auction house recently received a batch of new jade. I’ve already bid on them and intend to have custom jade plaques made based on the preferences of the elders and seniors to be sent to your residences. The one around my neck is a sample. Since I had the chance today, I brought it for everyone to see. If you all find it acceptable, I will have them commissioned immediately.”

Her words were highly skillful. First, they indicated she intended to give everyone a gift second, they showed she had researched their preferences third, they implied she had already mapped out their home addresses.

Attitude is found in the details, and Old Man Bai admired this about her.

The elderly man stroked his beard, still silent. Old Man Bai wasn’t in a hurry to pry his mouth open and continued interacting with Chen Yi.

“Xiao Qi, where did you go today?” Old Man Bai picked up the teacup she handed him.

Chen Yi responded, “I went to Wanning Electronics to understand the recent trends in the tech industry, and also to visit your granddaughter.”

“Shuhua is back?” the bearded man finally spoke, calling her Shuhua with familiarity.

Chen Yi looked at Old Man Bai, who gave her a look, signaling her to answer.

“Little President Bai returned to the country three weeks ago,” she said.

The elderly man finally looked up at her. “You… are also concerned with technology?”

There was an underlying barb in those words. Though Chen Yi was slightly displeased, she didn’t take it to heart. She understood that you cannot make everyone like you or satisfy everyone, but you can use your strength to show them that you are not lacking.

“I am ashamed to say my academic background isn’t high, but I also advocate for ‘Business through Technology.’ As the primary productive force, the status of technology is self-evident. We can no longer focus solely on traditional industries emerging industries should be our primary lever. If we want to use the blade of technology to carve a path to the future, we must become leaders in the field and contribute to the development of emerging tech. Only then can we avoid being controlled by others, lead Nancheng business onto the global stage, and have a voice in the international arena.”

Chen Yi came prepared. This high-minded speech was clearly aimed at the position of the Chamber of Commerce President articulate and brimming with ambition. Indeed, it made the elderly man’s eyes light up. When he misplaced a stone, she knew her words had hit the mark.

“Old Meng, one wrong move and the whole game is lost,” Old Man Bai laughed as he finished the game.

The man called Old Meng put down his white stone and said pointedly, “I hope you, Old Bai, place your stones with no regrets.”

Chen Yi understood Old Meng’s meaning. Old Man Bai was the puppet master, and Chen Yi was an important piece in his hand. Whether a pawn or a tool, Chen Yi accepted it. To succeed, one must ignore what others say, choose a path, and walk it with unwavering determination. The words of a loser mean nothing, while even the nonsense of a winner sounds like wisdom.

The indignity she endured now would surely be repaid in full in the future.

The game was decided, and there was no point in lingering. Old Meng and the others went to the courtyard to admire flowers and birds while waiting for dinner to be served. Old Man Bai and Chen Yi remained by the game board, watching the crowd in the courtyard and talking softly.

“Xiao Qi.”

“Yes, Master Bai.”

“Do you know who that old man is?”

Chen Yi navigated both the legitimate and underground worlds, yet there were people she didn’t know those who preferred to remain hidden from the outside world.

“The old fossil finally agreed to come out, he was practically growing mold living in that bamboo grove,” Old Man Bai squinted his eyes. “He’s quite the actor. He was the one who told me Little Bai was back, yet he acted shocked just to test you. Putting on a show in front of me… he really is something.”

Hearing this, Chen Yi looked toward the elderly man surrounded by the crowd, teasing a bird. Unlike the greasy man from before, this man was dressed simply with no designer labels even the watch on his wrist was an antique from the last century.

Despite this, the man possessed an aura that was almost magically powerful a sense of open-mindedness and powerful self-confidence that belonged only to someone who had occupied a position of high authority for a very long time.

Chen Yi felt as though she had sensed this specific aura in someone else before. In her mind, the image of Shen Xiaojiang’s pitch-black eyes surfaced.

Chen Yi herself had spent over a decade meticulously maneuvering and calculating. Every time she attended an event, she had to prepare her “lessons” in advance, do thorough research, say things she didn’t mean, and discuss topics she loathed. Yet, there were people who didn’t have to do anything at all; with just a single glance, they could make everyone submit.

Later, Chen Yi learned from Old Man Bai that “Old Meng” was named Meng Changchun. He was a hidden member of the Chamber of Commerce and a veteran of the battlefield. He had never married and had no children; even as he approached eighty, he remained alone. He appeared to live a secluded life like a “wild crane among idle clouds,” but in reality, he was “listening in four directions and watching in eight” he knew everything.

His prestige within the Chamber of Commerce was second only to Old Man Bai. He liked innovation, embraced new things, supported emerging industries, and championed those who put their heads down to do honest work. He detested messy cocktail parties and meaningless sycophancy. Consequently, the person he had originally supported was Bai Shuhua, not Chen Yi.

After the club activities ended, Shen Xiaojiang followed a large group of people to a nearby barbecue restaurant for a gathering. Even though she didn’t talk much, she was surrounded by a crowd.

The barbecue shop had two floors, and neither space was particularly large. Two clubs had completely filled the first floor, and those who couldn’t find a seat were squeezed onto the second floor. Sitting at the long table, Sun Jiabao was on the left and a junior girl was on the right. If the two of them wanted to talk, they had to speak across Shen Xiaojiang. Shen Xiaojiang kindly offered to switch seats with one of them, but surprisingly, neither was willing.

If it weren’t for Shen Xiaojiang, Sun Jiabao and the junior might not have interacted at all.