His masculine voice was deep, mellow, and pleasant to the ear, slightly hoarse from smoking, with an indescribable sensuality.

Xia Xiaolan was stunned.

Was there something wrong with her hearing?

Mafia meant exactly that – how could she have misheard!

This man smoking on the terrace had called her “Miss Mafia.”

“I’m sorry, do we know each other? You must have the wrong person. There are no mafias in China, and we don’t consider such jokes humorous—”

Xia Xiaolan’s protest was met with two short laughs from him:

“That’s just an insignificant codename, don’t mind it. What we have in common is that we both find the cocktail party inside boring and want to enjoy a moment of peace, so let’s share this terrace!”

The cocktail party was indeed boring.

She had collected a stack of business cards, but probably none of them would be useful!

While others might enjoy being the center of attention like this, a pragmatist like Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t be pleased with how much male attention she received. She genuinely wanted to discuss business… to seek opportunities for cooperation and business ventures, rather than waste time refusing men’s advances.

This was exactly what troubled Xia Xiaolan, as she had no experience handling such situations.

Her expertise lay in business negotiations, not in dealing with a group of men with ulterior motives.

Inside was a crowd to face, but on the terrace, there was only one person to deal with.

Though his meaning was unclear, he was at least polite and generous.

“Thank you then, sir—”

“Wilson. Following the Chinese way of introducing oneself, that’s my surname.”

Mr. Wilson corrected Xia Xiaolan’s form of address.

Xia Xiaolan paused, “My surname is Xia, it’s one of the Chinese surnames. You can understand it as ‘summer,’ and China’s first dynasty with an abdication system was also called ‘Xia.'”

Xia Xiaolan’s explanation allowed Wilson to quickly understand the meaning of her surname, though his understanding was slightly off:

“…So, Miss Xia, are you a noble, with a surname from an ancient dynasty?”

“No, Mr. Wilson, we don’t have nobility in China. I’m not pretending to be a descendant of nobles, I’m just an ordinary Chinese citizen.”

Being a Chinese citizen was true, but the ‘ordinary’ assessment was false.

This surname suited her, as fierce as summer. Those men eagerly pursuing her at the party probably thought she was a gentle lady who spoke in soft tones.

For some reason, Xia Xiaolan found that Mr. Wilson had a low threshold for amusement.

He said he would share the terrace with her and proactively put out his cigarette. Xia Xiaolan asked curiously, “Mr. Wilson must also be a foreign businessman invited to this party, haven’t found any suitable projects?”

He hadn’t shown off his masculine charm like a peacock displaying its feathers, which made Xia Xiaolan feel comfortable staying on the terrace.

They needed to find something to talk about.

Xia Xiaolan wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to earn dollars.

Wilson was also straightforward, “Honestly, Shenzhen has surprised me. I heard from some friends that China is undergoing reform and opening up, and if you want to discover new financial opportunities, a country with such a large population and primitive, aggressive business market would be a good choice. I’m not worried about whether I can make money in China, but rather how to safely enjoy the wealth earned… Miss Xia, do you think I can trust Shenzhen’s investment environment?”

These foreign businessmen weren’t just rich fools; they all worried about having their wealth harvested.

The domestic environment had indeed been turbulent in previous years.

But that was all in the past, and at least for the next twenty or thirty years, the economy would develop vigorously, with various preferential policies supporting foreign investment.

“Companies like Coca-Cola returned to the Chinese market at the beginning of reform and opening up. Mr. Wilson doesn’t need to worry about dangerous investment environments. I think anyone with insight can see the Chinese government’s support for reform and opening up! This is especially true in Shenzhen. We welcome foreign investors who bring technology and friendship. Mr. Wilson, as long as you’re not greedy enough to want to take away 10 dollars when you earn 10 dollars and are willing to share some profits with Chinese employees and pay taxes to the government, you’ll find that the Chinese people are very friendly, and the Chinese government is very reasonable!”

Earning 10 dollars and wanting to take away 11 dollars? Impossible!

That would mean leaving nothing for China, it would be a predatory investment. Though local governments might agree for the sake of “foreign exchange,” Xia Xiaolan strongly disliked such foreign investors.

She believed in win-win business dealings, making money while leaving benefits for those involved.

It’s like fishing – Xia Xiaolan preferred using nets with large holes, catching big fish, and letting small ones go. Some people wanted to use electric shock or poison, killing everything regardless of size, and emptying the pond completely. How could business continue after that?

Mr. Wilson seemed lost in thought.

In the dim light, Xia Xiaolan could only see the outline of his face and his gaze as he observed her.

He was about to say something when the terrace curtain was lifted, and another person entered:

“Sir, the mayor of Shenzhen—”

“I understand, I’ll go right away.”

Wilson stood up.

“Miss Xia, chatting with you has been pleasant. I believe in what you Chinese call ‘fate,’ and if it’s meant to be, we’ll surely meet again.”

What a mystical foreigner, believing in fate.

He was the only man tonight who hadn’t actively given Xia Xiaolan his business card, and she indeed had a deeper impression of Mr. Wilson. Although she didn’t even know what he looked like or his background!

Would she even recognize him if they met again?

After Wilson left, only Xia Xiaolan remained on the terrace, finally achieving true peace.

Until a few minutes later, when someone else lifted the curtain, Xia Xiaolan felt she couldn’t stay there any longer.

In that moment of light, she recognized this person – the figure was familiar, short and thin Du Zhaohui.

“Young Master Du, long time no see. I should express my gratitude to you.”

Du Zhaohui had been watching Xia Xiaolan, having seen her slip onto the terrace earlier. He thought she had just gone out for fresh air, but after a while, he saw a foreign man leave first. Du Zhaohui finally couldn’t resist – he didn’t know why he came here, perhaps because Xia Xiaolan had acted like a chaste widow in front of him, but tonight she first accepted Tang Yueyue’s advances, then privately mixed with a foreign man on the terrace. Under the influence of alcohol, Du Zhaohui ran to the terrace with inexplicable irritation.

Xia Xiaolan’s direct expression of gratitude confused Du Zhaohui.

Thank him for what?

For acting as a middleman and introducing her to Tang Yueyue?

Xia Xiaolan was actively seeking patrons, first Tang Yueyue, then a foreigner. Du Zhaohui couldn’t help but mock:

“No need to thank me, I don’t deserve any credit, it’s all—”

Xia Xiaolan interrupted him: “I’m thanking you for taking in Xia Dajun before, and Xia Ziyu after. Young Master Du is truly kind-hearted!”

His kindness was misplaced – leaving aside Xia Dajun’s matter, helping Xia Ziyu escape was deliberately opposing her. No matter how much Xia Xiaolan wanted to find money-making opportunities, she wouldn’t find them with Du Zhaohui!