Chapter 3: Missing Out on a Fortune
Lu Xiao Shan’s hand holding the teacup stilled. His tense face gradually relaxed, his expression shifting, the remaining flicker in his eyes instantly vanished, replaced by a chilling emptiness. He looked at Cheng Xiao Xiao with an icy gaze. Under her gentle smile, he slowly reached out and placed his teacup on the table with a sharp “clink.”
The vibration of the wooden table, combined with the cold wind from outside, created a chilling atmosphere in the room.
An IQ test? She really dared to ask!
Cheng Xiao Xiao, however, seemed unfazed by his reaction. Meeting his gaze, she calmly opened a website on her phone, handing it over again, a clear smile in her eyes, “Look, there are test questions online, very simple, and the results are immediate.”
Her tone was casual and sincere, full of expectation, yet clearly a challenge to Lu Xiao Shan.
Couldn’t she just talk to him normally?
Lu Xiao Shan’s face was like ice, silent. He stared at Cheng Xiao Xiao for a while, his gaze shifting from her face to her phone, then pausing briefly on her fingers near the teacup. The icy aura around him seemed to falter, disrupted, and gradually dissipated under the influence of the outside wind.
After a moment of silent staring, under Cheng Xiao Xiao’s surprised gaze, Lu Xiao Shan expressionlessly stood up, reaching out to close the slightly open window with a sharp “snap.”
This action was unexpected.
The smile on Cheng Xiao Xiao’s face faltered. She subconsciously glanced at her hand holding the teacup, following Lu Xiao Shan’s previous line of sight.
What was this? A gesture of goodwill or an avoidance of the question?
Cheng Xiao Xiao couldn’t understand immediately, but she saw the gloom in his eyes. After a moment of astonishment, she smiled, leaning back in her chair, her eyebrows curved as she playfully said, “Mr. Lu, closing the window now…isn’t that a bit inappropriate.”
They already occupied a private room with the door closed. Closing the window so ostentatiously would invite speculation from the occupants of the adjacent room.
“You can open it again,” Lu Xiao Shan glanced at her indifferently, his voice deep and calm, tinged with coldness. Before he could continue, his phone rang.
Suddenly interrupted, Lu Xiao Shan slowly shifted his gaze, glanced at the caller ID, and answered the call in front of Cheng Xiao Xiao.
The room was quiet, the two separated only by a table. Lu Xiao Shan didn’t seem to try to avoid her, so Cheng Xiao Xiao easily overheard the conversation.
“Brother Shan—” The voice on the other end was loud and strong, yet with a hint of careful flattery. He tentatively called out, and when he got no response, he boldly said, “Um…Xinhe called, saying they’re expecting a large shortage of goods during the Spring Festival, so they want to order a batch from us.”
“Fresh goods?” Lu Xiao Shan’s voice was calm, revealing no emotion.
“No—frozen goods.” The person on the other end quickly explained, “If it were fresh goods, I would have refused. We’ll have finished our own stock by then! It’s the frozen goods I’m unsure about…”
Lu Xiao Shan listened to the phone, reseating himself opposite Cheng Xiao Xiao. He casually offered her his teacup, naturally tapping the table next to the cup, gesturing for her to refill it.
Cheng Xiao Xiao was taken aback by this sudden request. A mouthful of tea choked her, causing her to cough several times. Her expression changed to one of astonishment and speechless shock. She stared at Lu Xiao Shan’s finger, not taking the cup.
The person on the other end probably didn’t expect someone else to be present. Hearing the coughing, the conversation stopped abruptly.
Cheng Xiao Xiao vaguely heard a gasp. After a moment, the person on the other end seemed to wake up, stammering, “Brother Shan…are you busy…”
“Who called?” Lu Xiao Shan interrupted, getting straight to the point. His gaze swept across Cheng Xiao Xiao’s flushed face. Seeing her lack of reaction, he coldly took a new cup from the table, pouring a new cup of tea – and pushing it towards Cheng Xiao Xiao.
Cheng Xiao Xiao coughed, looking at the teacup, glancing at Lu Xiao Shan with a complicated expression, unwilling to speak – she strongly suspected he was doing this on purpose!
Finally catching her breath, Cheng Xiao Xiao sighed resentfully, placing the almost-spilled teacup aside, taking a napkin to wipe the tea stains from the table, picking up the freshly poured tea and leaning back.
For her, confronting Lu Xiao Shan in private was one thing, but interacting in front of others was different. Clearly, Lu Xiao Shan’s company had important matters – she would still maintain basic social etiquette.
She had been surprised by Lu Xiao Shan’s request to check credentials for a blind date and was slightly upset, sitting here with the intention of having a “good talk about values” with him. But she didn’t quite understand his reactions, so it was best to know when to stop. They would each go their own way, returning to normal – assuming Lu Xiao Shan felt the same.
Lu Xiao Shan’s phone call continued.
The person on the other end seemed unprepared for the situation, hesitating for a long time, seeming to realize the call was ill-timed, his voice slightly apologetic, “It’s…Vice President Yu of the Industry Association, saying Chen Dazhao from Xinhe is desperately begging him.”
“Are Xinhe’s people that incompetent?” Lu Xiao Shan put down the teapot, casually asking, his tone somewhat impatient.
“Absolutely!” The person on the other end sighed, venting their anger in agreement with Lu Xiao Shan. While their industry didn’t shut down for the Spring Festival, everyone usually finished their stock a month or two in advance. Like Xinhe, rushing to order goods on New Year’s Eve was like having rocks for brains. What were they doing earlier?
After a few curses, he suddenly recovered, quickly changing his tone, adding a hint of schadenfreude, “I’m also puzzled. After the call, I asked around and found out there was a problem with Xinhe’s procurement manager, who took leave to go home for the New Year, but he couldn’t be reached since yesterday morning! Chen Dazhao, being vigilant, personally checked the warehouse, and most of it was empty! Most of the previous orders were forged! I guess most of the pre-purchase contracts they signed with slaughterhouses and farms are also false. Now Xinhe is short of both fresh and frozen goods. Their supply chain is collapsing, and other slaughterhouses in neighboring cities can’t hold out! Our frozen warehouse is closest to them, so Chen Dazhao is trying to get supplies from us?”
“Chen Dazhao’s brother-in-law?” Lu Xiao Shan clearly knew the details, instantly identifying the key information.
The person on the other end didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh, replying with a complicated tone, “That’s right! If not for his brother-in-law, Chen Dazhao would have found out earlier! Apparently, he embezzled company funds for online gambling. Xinhe’s previous reserves could barely cover the hole for half a year, but now, at the end of the year, with a new wave of swine fever, it’s impossible to hide it, and the guy just ran away!”
Cheng Xiao Xiao hadn’t been paying much attention, but she became interested. As someone in investment banking, she was familiar with many industries, and had some understanding of the pork industry, though not in-depth. Listening to Lu Xiao Shan’s call, she made an instant judgment.
Lu Xiao Shan’s business was indeed huge! Combining her mother’s words, Lu Xiao Shan practically controlled the entire industry chain!
Most importantly, this was a capital-intensive industry with high barriers to entry – in short, it’s not something ordinary wealthy people can do! You need over a hundred million dollars, real cash! Otherwise, have you ever seen someone buying piglets without paying? Building pig pens without paying? Opening slaughterhouses without paying?
Those who say they get bank loans need sufficient capital! Otherwise, you can’t just get a loan from the bank!
Lu Xiao Shan was incredibly wealthy!
Cheng Xiao Xiao was amazed, her eyes opened wide. Sitting and drinking tea with a tycoon whose cash assets likely exceeded 100 million was a rare occasion. Hmm, she probably hadn’t offended him too much…Could she still curry favor with him?
Thinking this, Cheng Xiao Xiao almost laughed, but her reason prevailed, and she held back her laughter, sadly shaking her head, “Oh, what a mistake!”
Lu Xiao Shan coldly glanced at Cheng Xiao Xiao, who was shaking her head and smiling to herself, looked away, his fingers resting on the table, listening to the call, before concisely replying, “Hold it for now.”
“Understood!” The person on the other end instantly grasped his meaning, his tone smoother and more confident, meaningfully stating, “Brother Shan, don’t worry, if Vice President Yu contacts me again, I’ll say you’re on a blind date and can’t answer the phone!”
With these words, Cheng Xiao Xiao’s amusement instantly vanished. She drank a large gulp of tea, suppressing her sudden annoyance – that was a convenient excuse, and she had become a prop in his business dealings!
After hanging up, Lu Xiao Shan didn’t look at Cheng Xiao Xiao, pouring himself a cup of tea. Suddenly—
Author’s Note:
Author: Brother Shan, how does it feel? Is this identity setting grand enough? Someone will definitely like it!
JJ System: …I suggest you check your subscriber count before talking to your protagonist, and I hope you’re still this confident after checking!
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