After spending three days at Zhou Cheng’s workplace, Xia Xiaolan received news that Liu Yong had arrived in Qiong Island.
The Ye City government finally announced the auction to the public. Getting the news this late meant rushing to prepare the bidding materials. At this moment, time truly was money—the more thoroughly prepared, the better chance of securing the land. With only three days until the auction, some potential bidders couldn’t even gather enough funds!
Xia Xiaolan was heading to Ye City and asked Bai Zhenzhu if she wanted to come along: “Sister Bai, there’s some excitement to watch. Would you like to see it?”
Though Bai Zhenzhu had no interest in real estate, she thought it might be worthwhile to experience such an occasion—watching people raise their bidding paddles for hundreds of thousands or even millions was thrilling!
“Go with Xiaolan,” Pan Baohua encouraged before Bai Zhenzhu could respond. Pan Baohua wasn’t the type to constrain women at home. If Bai Zhenzhu couldn’t do what she enjoyed, how could that confident smile that came from deep within her heart remain?
Bai Zhenzhu didn’t hesitate—she wanted to go herself. She felt she wasn’t clever enough to understand those shrewd businesspeople’s thoughts. If not for Xiaolan bringing her into the industry, how could she have achieved her current wealth? While she might not have been born particularly clever, she couldn’t keep avoiding these situations. As Third Brother said, as her business grew, she would inevitably need to engage in higher-level business settings. She couldn’t forever resist such occasions.
After the two women left, Pan Baohua placed his hand on Zhou Cheng’s shoulder: “Stop staring, they’re gone. Can’t you show some dignity? Always clinging to your wife, aren’t you embarrassed?”
Zhou Cheng glanced at him. “Third Brother, your body is more honest than your mouth.” Why criticize only him? Pan Baohua’s feet hadn’t moved from their spot either!
Xia Xiaolan headed straight to Peng City with Bai Zhenzhu. She was somewhat short-staffed on secretaries again. Young Yu had been an excellent secretary, but then accompanied Tang Youru to HK for medical treatment, and later went to America—it seemed she wouldn’t return for a year or two.
After Young Yu, Song Minglan automatically stepped in. Song Minglan was quite capable, and after working together for several months, Xia Xiaolan had her manage Asia’s daily operations. With one secretary sent abroad and another assistant promoted, Xia Xiaolan’s inner circle had another vacancy. She asked Ge Jian to keep an eye out for another reliable secretary.
The Ye City government arranged the land auction at the Ye City Court—truly a sacred and serious venue. The government didn’t have many options; though it had become a provincial-level special economic zone, the time had been too short. Ye City had suddenly become a provincial capital, but its infrastructure hadn’t caught up.
Xia Xiaolan first met with her uncle Liu Yong before heading to the court. As “Director Xia” now, while she couldn’t compare to major conglomerates, she was no less than a small private enterprise. Such occasions certainly called for some prestige. She brought both Zheng Feng and Ge Jian along, with Ge Jian no longer serving as a bodyguard but as Qihang’s manager. Adding Liu Yong and Bai Zhenzhu, they made quite a group.
Arriving at the court entrance, they saw Du Zhaohui’s car already parked there. Du Zhaohui was speaking with Tang Yuanyue—or rather, Tang Yuanyue was speaking to Du Zhaohui, who seemed somewhat dismissive. Tang Yuanyue’s brother-in-law He Shi’en stood beside them.
Du Zhaohui still harbored some resentment toward Tang Yuanyue. Xia Xiaolan’s eyes showed amusement—Du was being petty in defending her, so she couldn’t undermine his stance. She might as well maintain some coldness toward Tang Yuanyue too!
He Shi’en’s eyes lit up upon seeing Xia Xiaolan, and he jogged over. “You’re here too!”
Remembering He Shi’en’s support at Tang and He’s wedding, Xia Xiaolan softened her tone: “Aren’t you here as well? Following your brother-in-law to learn from the experience?”
He Shi’en nodded, “My father told me to follow my brother-in-law, so I have to listen.” Following his father’s wishes had brought good fortune—how else would he have seen Xia Xiaolan here on Qiong Island?
When Xia Xiaolan stood at the court entrance, the whole place seemed to brighten. What made He Shi’en even happier was that when his brother-in-law Tang Yuanyue greeted Xia Xiaolan, her response was notably cool, unlike her warm interaction with him.
—This meant he was quite special, didn’t it?
Xia Xiaolan encountered many familiar faces at the entrance, including Meng Guanchao and others. The real estate business circle of the late 1980s was small, making such encounters common. Besides the Yuhua and Chengrong companies, Xia Xiaolan spotted another familiar face—Karl, Harold’s capable assistant in China.
Was Harold interested in Qiong Island too? Not coming personally but sending an assistant probably meant testing the waters, as today only three plots were being auctioned. None were particularly large, certainly not comparable to the Wilson family’s golf course in Peng City.
Then Xia Xiaolan noticed Zhu Suizhou. He had come with Sheng Xuan—Xia Xiaolan had thought she was still in Shang City! They exchanged only nods as greetings.
“Xiaolan, come over here, this is Director Wang.” Liu Yong introduced a friend, and Xia Xiaolan went over, eventually staying with Meng Guanchao’s group.
Du Zhaohui put his arm around He Shi’en’s shoulder: “Kid, have you had a girlfriend in school?”
He Shi’en pushed him away. “Speak properly, don’t get handsy!”
Du Zhaohui clicked his tongue twice. “Looks like you’re still a pure rookie. Little boy, trying to fancy a beautiful older sister.”
“That’s none of your business!” He Shi’en’s ears reddened. This Du fellow was quite annoying—why bring this up? Besides, Du himself liked Xia Xiaolan.
Du Zhaohui kept his grip on He Shi’en’s shoulder: “You know she’s married, right?”
“Of course, I know she’s married! So what if she’s married? I’m not trying to marry her!”
Young people’s affections rarely involved marriage matters—suggesting marriage would only frighten He Shi’en. He simply felt happy seeing Xia Xiaolan and naturally wanted to be close to her, without any complicated thoughts.
Du Zhaohui released him. This wasn’t a real rival—just a wet-behind-the-ears kid, no threat at all. But precisely because He Shi’en was young, he could shamelessly stick around Xia Xiaolan, making Du Zhaohui somewhat envious. He Shi’en was supposed to be learning from his brother-in-law, but upon seeing Xia Xiaolan, he abandoned his brother-in-law entirely. Whenever Xia Xiaolan spoke with others, he eagerly tagged along.
Du Zhaohui’s teeth ached: “Damn it, can’t you control your brother-in-law at all?”
Tang Yuanyue smiled. “Zhaohui, I can control his actions, but how can I control his heart? Shi’en is still young, experiencing his first love. He’ll mature in a few years. As for you, now that you’ve mostly sorted out Chengrong Group’s affairs, when will you consider your marriage?”
Du Zhaohui glared at him, feeling he was meddling.
Tang Yuanyue’s smile faded. “I understand your feelings better than anyone, but she has no interest in you. Do you think doing business together gives you a chance? Zhaohui, people like us don’t have the luxury of thinking about love. It’s both cheap and extravagant, not meant for us! Eventually, you’ll have to compromise with reality like I did—marry someone of equal status, have children, nurture them, and pass down the family wealth.”