There was indeed someone talking to Professor Wen in the living room. Though dressed presentably, it wasn’t Zhou Cheng at all.

That bastard Du Zhaohui dared to impersonate her boyfriend and freeload at the Wen household!

In front of Du Zhaohui sat a half-eaten pie, with the sweet fragrance of apple lingering in the air – this was Aunt Hu’s specialty dessert.

“Aunt Hu, this isn’t my boyfriend.”

Hu Ying looked confused. “Huh? Isn’t he the one who often makes overseas calls to our house?”

Du Zhaohui had naturally spotted Xia Xiaolan and quickly stood up: “I said I was Xiaolan’s friend, but you insisted I was her boyfriend. I couldn’t explain myself.”

Du Zhaohui had indeed tried to explain, but Hu Ying had taken it as typical Chinese male modesty.

This had turned into quite a misunderstanding.

Xia Xiaolan knew Du Zhaohui had come mainly for business matters. He’d already paid his 10 million HKD fee, so naturally, there would be follow-up work – he was here to collect on that debt. When she saw it was him, her earlier excitement vanished, though she remained curious:

“What were you discussing with Professor Wen?”

Du Zhaohui pulled out some documents, “I’ve secured the land. As you suggested, we’re building an electronic components market. Since Professor Wen teaches architecture, of course, I needed to consult with him!”

Professor Wen taught “History of Architecture” to first-year students at Cornell’s School of Architecture!

However, Professor Wen had a solid foundation and had always been on the teaching frontline. He couldn’t possibly abandon his professional knowledge – learning never stops with age, though his area of expertise differed.

In any case, Professor Wen’s expertise far exceeded Xia Xiaolan’s, so Du Zhaohui wasn’t wrong to discuss the electronic components marketplace with him.

No wonder this uneducated young master could receive such hospitality at the Wen household – he had chosen the right topic, hitting Professor Wen’s sweet spot.

Xia Xiaolan sat down and took the documents Du Zhaohui handed over:

“You’ve already gotten land approval? That was quite fast!”

Du Zhaohui sighed, “What choice did I have? I heard he’s already bought a factory in Thailand – isn’t that even faster? I polished up the business plan you left me and had over a dozen meetings with the Shenzhen city government just for discussions. At the busiest point, we had three meetings in one day, repeating the same things from morning till night! Thankfully heaven smiled upon us, and the city government approved my investment plan!”

If he had just wanted to acquire land and build, that would have been simple.

But what use would an isolated building be?

Du Zhaohui had to convince the Shenzhen city government to plan the electronics industrial park in that area. Without overall planning coordination, Du Zhaohui’s project would just be an ordinary real estate development.

Xia Xiaolan couldn’t help but look at him with newfound respect, “Du Zhaohui, getting this project off the ground shows you can be a vice president at Cheng Rong Group.”

Though Xia Xiaolan had created the plan, Du Zhaohui was the one implementing it.

Du Zhaohui must have used Cheng Rong Group’s name in negotiations with the city government, but using the group’s resources would have been impossible. Du Chengrong had insisted on fair competition, so Du Zhaohui couldn’t even use the group’s think tank – besides, he wouldn’t dare use Cheng Rong Group’s think tank anyway, who knew whose orders those people followed? If they had already been bought by Du Zhaoqi, seeking their help might make Du Zhaohui lose even faster.

This was why he was willing to forgo profit to hire Xia Xiaolan!

When Xia Xiaolan said handling this project qualified him for vice president, Du Zhaohui coughed modestly: “Not at all. I’ve just secured the land. For specifics on how to build and operate the electronic components market, I still need to come to America to consult you.”

This was something Xia Xiaolan couldn’t refuse.

He had paid 10 million HKD, so he was entitled to these follow-up services. A business plan alone wasn’t worth 10 million HKD… at least Xia Xiaolan didn’t have that kind of reputation yet. Unless she reached the absolute peak of her field, not just a complete, implementable business plan, but even the chance to have a meal with her wouldn’t fetch such a high price!

This wasn’t about celebrity dinner appearances, but rather like Warren Buffett auctioning off dinner time – a single opportunity to interact with Buffett could sell for over a million US dollars.

The money Xia Xiaolan had taken wasn’t to test Du Zhaohui’s comprehension but to ensure he actually made money.

If there were things Du Zhaohui couldn’t handle, Xia Xiaolan would have to step in personally.

10 million HKD wasn’t easy money!

But Du Zhaohui wasn’t as foolish as imagined, managing to handle a large portion of things himself, which naturally made things much easier for Xia Xiaolan.

His performance deserved positive reinforcement and encouragement.

Xia Xiaolan did exactly that:

“Credit where credit’s due. Everyone has their strengths. Look how much I used to dislike you, but with your multi-pronged approach, aren’t we working together now? That’s your capability!”

If she used to dislike him, didn’t that mean she didn’t dislike him now?

Du Zhaohui gulped down his coffee: “Please continue…”

Such words were worth hearing more of, making his wait worthwhile – he had deliberately waited until securing approval before flying to America. Du Zhaohui was just like a child eager for praise, his current emotional intelligence not exceeding that of a 10-year-old – coincidentally, research shows that Border Collies are the world’s smartest dogs, with adult dogs having intelligence equivalent to an 8-year-old human child.

Xia Xiaolan felt Du Zhaohui was acting a bit lovestruck – how could he get lovestruck while discussing such crucial business?

“Regarding Second Young Master Du’s moves in Thailand, buying a factory suggests he’s taking the manufacturing route – that’s the other path I suggested you could take. Since you chose the electronic components marketplace, let’s not discuss manufacturing. But this shows that Second Young Master Du is clear-headed, or has capable advisors. Beating him won’t be easy! By the way, you’re investing 50 million HKD yourself – how much are you planning to borrow from the banks?”

Du Zhaohui held up one finger, “I’m doing a major project here. How can a few tens of millions be enough? I need to borrow more from the banks. The city government seemed amenable to the idea, so I proposed borrowing 100 million RMB. They’re arranging for four banks to jointly provide the loan – quite generous of them.”

Perhaps it was his good looks that made the city government proactively arrange for four banks to jointly loan him money.

Du Zhaohui unconsciously straightened his back even more.

Xia Xiaolan finally couldn’t help laughing:

“100 million? Du Zhaohui, did you use Cheng Rong Group to deceive people?”

The city government wouldn’t let banks casually loan out such large sums unless they thought Cheng Rong Group was behind the loan… It made sense – Cheng Rong Group could certainly repay a 100 million loan. The city government didn’t know Du Zhaohui’s situation in his family; they only knew he was Du Chengrong’s eldest son. In Chinese minds, the eldest son naturally inherits the family business, and Du Zhaohui had managed group affairs in Shenzhen for so long – who wouldn’t believe he was the heir?

A hint of ruthlessness flashed across Du Zhaohui’s face:

“If the project fails, I’ll be bankrupt anyway. What’s the difference between losing 50 million HKD and owing an extra 100 million RMB?”

Xia Xiaolan nodded, “That’s true. Whether you’re penniless or in debt to the banks, the result’s the same – you’ll become a price-sensitive consumer.”