At the entrance of a restaurant, Wang Zheng couldn’t help but complain when he saw the wine box in Zeng Yu’s hand, “That’s the wine I paid for.”
Zeng Yu replied calmly, “You gave it to me, so it’s mine now. We’re drinking red wine today; I wasn’t planning on drinking my own.”
Wang Zheng shook his head, “No way, red wine just doesn’t hit the spot.”
Zeng Yu suggested, “Then let’s eat somewhere else.”
Wang Zheng thought for a moment and said, “Alright, how about this? You take the wine and luggage back, then drive to the area near our old rented place. There’s a homestyle restaurant there I used to frequent with Yezi. Their food is cheap, but it tastes great.”
“I’m fine with that, but didn’t you arrange to meet someone?” Zeng Yu smirked as he looked at Wang Zheng.
Wang Zheng slapped his forehead, “Oh right, I got distracted by you and forgot I made plans with someone. Let’s just go inside for now, but what about your wine? It’s a bit awkward to bring wine and not open it, right?”
Zeng Yu sneered, “Don’t even think about touching my wine.”
“You never fall for it! I really give up on you.” Wang Zheng, exasperated, led the way. The two entered first. As soon as Zeng Yu entered the private room, he tucked the wine box into his bag to avoid being seen.
“So, who are you meeting that has such a big ego?” Zeng Yu couldn’t resist teasing.
Wang Zheng looked awkward as he picked up a teacup, set it down again, and pulled out his phone to dial a number. “Chen, I’ve arrived. You do what you want.” It wasn’t clear what the other person said, but Wang Zheng’s expression changed. “Then don’t bother coming.” He hung up immediately, tossed the phone aside, and grumbled, “Big egos. Forget waiting for them, let’s order first.”
“How did you even meet these people?” Zeng Yu asked casually.
The entertainment industry was booming, with lots of money pouring in. It attracted all sorts of characters, so naturally, Zeng Yu was worried Wang Zheng might get scammed.
“It was Louis who introduced me. The company used to do copyright deals, but recently they’ve been trying to produce a web series themselves. They have an IP and are looking for investors. Apparently, they’ve already secured funding from two parties, but the total investment is too large, and those two want to bring in more people to share the risk. I think they’ve changed their minds now, realizing they don’t need another person taking a share of the profits. The series hasn’t even started filming, and they’re already convinced it’ll make money. I called them, and they gave me some lame excuse about being busy and said they’d come later,” Wang Zheng grumbled, feeling humiliated.
Zeng Yu thought for a moment and asked, “What’s their relationship with Louis?”
Wang Zheng tilted his head, thinking it over. “I think Louis introduced us during a drinking session. You know Louis, he knows everyone. I have quite a bit of cash on hand right now, but with real estate being restricted, there aren’t many good investment opportunities.”
Zeng Yu nodded, “With the economy slowing down, finding a good investment is tough. Financial investments aren’t a bad idea, but the risks aren’t small. If you really want to get into the film industry, you’d better be careful. You don’t want to pay tuition fees and still fail to get a foothold.”
“Forget it. When are you going abroad?” Wang Zheng, feeling embarrassed, decided to change the subject.
“This week, actually. Louis has already arranged everything. I’m going to visit a few big wineries over there. With a business visa, I can stay longer and really experience the essence of wine culture,” Zeng Yu said as he opened his travel bag and took out a bottle of wine. He called the waiter over, “Decant the wine, please.” The waiter brought a decanter, opened the bottle in front of Zeng Yu, and began decanting the wine.
Seeing this, Wang Zheng couldn’t help but tease, “Finally willing to open it, huh?”
Zeng Yu smirked, “Wine is meant to be drunk, but since you had an appointment with others, why should I provide the wine? Now that they’re not coming, we can enjoy this fine wine ourselves.”
Wang Zheng chuckled, “Can I invite someone else?”
Zeng Yu asked back, “Who?”
Wang Zheng replied, “My second uncle. Last time he was at my place, he saw these two bottles and pestered me to drink them.”
Zeng Yu smiled. He had a good impression of Wang Chengfu. Wang Chengfu had helped quite a bit in the rapid development of Jiangyu Company.
Zeng Yu nodded, “Sure.”
Wang Zheng quickly dialed a number, “Second Uncle, don’t say I never think of you. We’re at Liuguang Restaurant, private room 303. One of the two bottles of wine you had your eye on is already open—hello?” Before he could finish, the other end hung up, leaving Wang Zheng grumbling, “He actually hung up on me.”
Zeng Yu couldn’t help but laugh. This uncle and nephew pair were quite amusing. Separately, they seemed normal enough, but together, they entered “abnormal” mode.
“What’s your uncle been up to lately?” Zeng Yu asked.
Wang Zheng shook his head, “Not sure. I don’t really talk to him about this stuff. I just know he goes abroad every now and then. He just got back recently; otherwise, you wouldn’t even get a chance to see him.”
“How’s your dad’s health?” Zeng Yu asked again.
Wang Zheng grinned, “He’s doing great! He’s living a better life than I am, with someone keeping him company all the time. I went home once and saw him. He’s living there now, wandering around with nothing to do every day, and he’s even got a dog. As for that woman, she goes to the U.S. a few times a year. Last year, he even went with her once.”
Zeng Yu could tell that Wang Zheng was a bit upset. Even if he had accepted his father’s remarriage in his heart, he wasn’t about to admit it out loud.
Just as they were talking, the door to the private room swung open, and Wang Chengfu walked in. “Well, at least you still have some conscience.”
Wang Zheng was stunned, “You got here so fast? Can you fly?”
Wang Chengfu sneered, “Your IQ is running low again. How could anyone fly? I was already eating here. I came over as soon as I got your call.”
He smiled and nodded to Zeng Yu, “Thanks. I know you’re the one providing the wine.”
“No need to be so polite, Uncle. You’ve helped me so much; treating you to wine is the least I could do,” Zeng Yu stood up respectfully.
Chengfu laughed and turned to Wang Zheng, “Look at how polite Xiao Zeng is. He stood up and greeted me. And you? Sitting there like you’re glued to the chair?”
“I’m not getting up. What can you do about it?” Wang Zheng shot back, and their daily bickering resumed.
“I heard you’re thinking about getting into the film industry? Ha! You, in a TV drama, wouldn’t survive past the first episode. I’m worried your small fortune won’t last two years in that world. And remember, don’t mess around with those flowers and weeds out there. If anything happens, no one will be able to help you,” Chengfu warned.
Wang Zheng smirked, “I’ve turned over a new leaf already.”
“Uncle, sit down and stop arguing with him,” Zeng Yu interrupted, and Chengfu “hmphed” before sitting down.
Just as Chengfu sat down, the door opened again, and three people entered—one man and two women. The man was short, balding, and wore black-framed glasses, his face filled with smiles. The two women behind him wore heavy makeup, both with unmistakable “plastic surgery” faces, cautiously smiling along.
Wang Zheng’s expression instantly cooled when he saw them, “Mr. Chen, weren’t you busy and said we’d have to wait?”
Zeng Yu silently observed this Chen, who showed no hint of embarrassment. He smiled and nodded, “For Mr. Wang’s invitation, no matter how busy I am, I’ll find time to come.” In reality, he had been on his way to meet someone else when that person canceled, so he decided to come here instead.
Successful people must have one essential quality: thick skin. Whether or not this Chen was truly successful was unclear, but he had certainly mastered the thick skin part.
Zeng Yu, meanwhile, silently grieved for the red wine still decanting.
Chengfu said, “Since you’re here, have a seat. Waiter, bring out the dishes and pour the wine.”
Zeng Yu finally spoke, “Bringing out the dishes is fine, but the wine still needs some more time to breathe.”
Chengfu smiled, “Zeng Yu’s the expert here. Let’s do as he says.”
Chen didn’t rush to sit. He took out his business card, handing one to Chengfu and another to Zeng Yu, trying to familiarize himself with everyone.
Chengfu had an air of authority without being angry, while Zeng Yu exuded calm confidence. Faced with people like this, Chen felt it was crucial to get on their good side.
Wang Zheng finally pointed at Chengfu and Zeng Yu, “Mr. Chen, these two are the real big shots, much wealthier than me. Ladies, go sit with them.”
Chen quickly followed Wang Zheng’s suggestion, guiding the two women to sit with Chengfu and Zeng Yu.
One of the women smiled, “My name’s Yu Jin. Please take care of me, boss.”
Zeng Yu frowned slightly, barely acknowledging her with a nod, “Zeng Yu.”
Chengfu was even more curt, not saying a single word. He just nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to Zeng Yu with a smile, “Zeng Yu, Louis told me that you blind-tasted eight different wines correctly the other day. That was really impressive.”
Zeng Yu smiled modestly, “It was just luck.”
Clearly, Zeng Yu wasn’t interested in this topic, which surprised Chengfu a bit. He looked at Wang Zheng with confusion in his eyes.
Wang Zheng shook his head slightly, signaling that this wasn’t the right time to talk about it.
Chengfu chuckled, “Louis is quite competitive when it comes to wine, but it looks like he finally met his match with you.”
Chen, feeling out of the loop, whispered to Wang Zheng, “Is it not convenient to introduce them?”
Wang Zheng replied coldly, “We’ll talk later.”
Despite the obvious cold shoulder, Chen didn’t show the slightest bit of embarrassment. He kept smiling as he continued, “It wasn’t out of neglect that I kept Mr. Wang waiting. I got a call this morning from the boss of a well-known film company, inviting me to discuss a potential partnership over lunch. I really had no choice but to delay. Big companies are hard to turn down.”
In the film industry, having money isn’t enough—you also need connections and channels, or else your projects won’t have a platform to air on. Wang Zheng was well aware of his weaknesses: he had a bit of money, but throwing that money into the film industry was like a drop in the ocean.
“Uncle, Wang Zheng is thinking about investing in film. Could you help him out?” Zeng Yu said quietly. Chengfu immediately understood.
Chengfu didn’t think Wang Zheng’s investment was a good idea. After all, in business, outsiders are easily taken advantage of. While there are people who successfully break into unfamiliar industries, they’re few and far between.
“No problem. I’d like to see who dares mess with my nephew’s money.”
