He rarely takes a defensive stance, whether in emotions or career, and is used to being aggressive. This can be seen from the fact that Chen Yuanshu has an extraordinary position in his heart. Chen Yuanshu and Pan Yang have been together for nearly 10 years since their first meeting, and are one of the few people who can talk to him openly. Perhaps as a businessman, it's an honor to be able to converse with him, just like the vice president of Nanjing Panda Group before. However, as a woman who has rejected him twice, it's not easy to get along with him. Chen Yuanshu sighed quietly and turned her head: "Do you still have Ma Kaitai's phone number? If so, give them a call, we'll wait for them at the Ba Guo Bu Yi on Longchuan Middle Road or the grilled squid under the Tianqiao Bridge on Hongwu South Road. You can't always make us find you every time you return to China just to get together, it's not good."
Pan Yang took out an old Nokia phone and smiled: "I'm a person with a bad temper, but I'm loyal. I'll call them now. I don't want to bother them, those ungrateful brats are all successful entrepreneurs with families and careers, busy with their own affairs. I'm just a defeated general, how dare I trouble them?"
Chen Yuanshu said with a soft and emotional tone: "At critical moments, they can't replace you by stabbing you in the back. You're disappointed in them, but once you have a wife and kids and are no longer alone, you'll understand that heroes do indeed lack breath and can't withstand the wear and tear of life. Be more magnanimous and tolerant, those friends may not be up to much, but at least they won't stab you in the back when you're down on your luck, so just be content with that."
Pan Yang narrowed his eyes, making it impossible to tell whether he was feeling sad or melancholic. He fiddled with the severely worn-out old mobile phone, refusing to comment, as if Chen Yuanshu's words had struck a sore spot in his heart.
Chen Yuanshu drove the Maserati through the streets of Nanjing, neither fast nor slow. Every time she approached a zebra crossing, she would slow down voluntarily to let pedestrians pass first. She looked at her phone, which was not particularly elegant and had been used for seven or eight years. She didn't know whether it should be called "having a strong personality" or "personality disorder". When she thought of Pan Yang's complicated relationships with his old friends before going abroad, Chen Yuanshu felt a headache coming on, and her emotions were mixed. She said softly, "To take a step back, even if you don't want to have too much contact with them after returning to China, it wouldn't hurt to be wine-and-dine friends. China is not like a multinational corporation; you still need to bring out that set of things that you despise. No matter how strong you are, you can't fight the entire system alone."
Pan Yang dialed a number on his old mobile phone and smiled at Chen Yuanshu, saying "I'll listen to you."
If it were someone else, they would have been grateful to tears by now seeing Pan Yang's humble attitude. Chen Yuanshu naturally didn't need to be grateful, after all, the phone in Pan Yang's hand was still the first gift she gave him back then, when Pan Yang had just been kicked out of Dongxin Group.
"I'm Pan Yang, just back in the country. Yuan Shu said everyone get together at the old place, Hongwu South Road Tianqiao underpass for barbecue. You help me ask if others are free, I and Yuan Shu will be there right away." Pan Yang hung up the phone, straightforward to the point of being impersonal, but Chen Yuan Shu could imagine the excitement on the other end of the line.
Pan Yang is a highly aggressive and invasive man, not only Chen Yuanshu deeply understands this point, but basically all colleagues, friends or opponents who have come into contact with him also have the same feeling. He has a strong desire to dominate, always full of fighting spirit. In his early years, he worked as a government official, later jumped into the sea and ran a pyramid scheme, and was a professional manager for a series of companies. Perhaps due to his incompatibility with the Chinese business circle, his achievements were always inversely proportional to the rewards he received, and he was depressed and frustrated until he was recommended to join CVRD, the world's largest iron ore producer. There, his talents were finally fully released. Vale has been hailed as the "engine of the Amazon region". Within 5 years, he rose from a small role in the Chinese office to become one of the candidates for the company's CEO position, and was called the new designer of that engine by a world-renowned financial magazine. If successful, he will be more brilliant than Li Kaifu, China's university student spiritual leader, who at most only held the positions of Microsoft Vice President and Google Asia Pacific President.
Though defeated, still glorious.
This is the definition of Pan Yang's failure to promote by several small but powerful circles along the coast, but Chen Yuanshu wouldn't use these four words to comfort Pan Yang. Under the bridge, eating familiar barbecue, Pan Yang was silent, and Chen Yuanshu didn't interrupt his thoughts. This is where Pan Jiuduan doesn't fit in with China's business circle. He clearly knows that waiting for all roles to be seated before starting a meal is Chinese custom and basic courtesy, but he is too lazy to wait, unless he is waiting for Chen Yuanshu.
Men and women in their mid-30s to 40s arrived one after another, driving either BMW 750 or Mercedes-Benz S600. The men were majestic and imposing, even if a few of them were slightly less gifted in terms of facial features and physique, but still enough to make beauties of all kinds turn their heads. The women were glamorous, beautiful, and proud, like precious Persian cats, with cold and piercing eyes.
A row of luxury cars worth over a million yuan stunned passersby, but Pan Yang remained unmoved, merely nodding at the excited and successful white-collar workers. Chen Yuanshu had no choice but to play the role of the "red face" (the one who tries to mediate), fortunately, they were already used to Pan Yang's "white face" (the one who remains calm). The men took the initiative to get close to Pan Yang, while their female companions looked on in confusion. As newcomers to this circle of men, they couldn't understand why their partners would want to come and eat barbecue, which was greasy and served in a dirty place. However, each of them had some family background and didn't need to show off, after all, they were far inferior to the young lady of the Chen family.
Pan Zhongyang remained calm, only focusing on eating grilled squid. Chen Yuanshu could only continuously make small talk, and the women brought by those men were not familiar with their relationships, so they couldn't interrupt. Their minds were elsewhere, and several men wanted to say something, but every time they saw Pan's calm and profound face, they stopped themselves. Finally, a successful man with a strong affinity for women stood up, immediately gathering everyone's attention. Pan glanced at this man who used to be close friends with him, observing coldly. Chen couldn't bear his indifferent attitude, so she kicked him under the table, but Pan still maintained that hurtful demeanor.
"Nine sections, go back to my house and let my mom cook Hunan dishes for you. She remembers you every year and knits scarves and woolen clothes for you. This year she even sewed a pair of cloth shoes for you. If I didn't treat you as a friend, I'd have nothing to say, but it's me who owes you, not her. She really treats you well." Ma Kaitai opened a bottle of beer with his teeth and gulped it down, his eyes reddening slightly, leaving his new wife, who had only been married into the Ma family for less than half a year, looking stunned.
Aunt Hu's spicy and numbing winter bamboo shoots are fragrant.
Pan Yang seemed to be savoring the memory of that meal from years ago, muttering to himself: "We were so poor when we were in school, being able to come to your house and scrounge a meal was a real treat. Auntie Hu is a kind person, she always puts herself in others' shoes, you little brat are just like your dad, narrow-minded and selfish, I must have been blind to have taken a liking to you, but the kindness Auntie Hu showed me, I dare not forget."
Ma Kai-tai took off his glasses and smiled bitterly.
Ma Kaitai's woman had a hidden anger, she was 24 years old, her husband Ma Kaitai, who was 34 years old, was handsome and talented, with a good family background, and there was no flaw in him. A young woman who grew up in a warm greenhouse didn't understand the entanglements between two mature men. Relying on her family background and the pride that came from being pampered for over 20 years, she slammed down her chopsticks heavily, which was already very reserved for her. Normally, she would have pointed at Pan Yang's nose and scolded loudly. Pan Yang had seen all sorts of scenes and expressions, but this time he just smiled it off. Ma Kaitai slapped the table heavily and turned his head to roar: "A long-haired simpleton, get out!"
"Kai Tai, you're not good at anything, but this one thing makes people feel at ease." Pan Yang suddenly sighed and thought back to his student days when Ma Kai Tai had broken up with the school flower and class flower many times in order to "hang out" with him. His hard-as-iron heart slightly softened, and he looked at the little wife who was scared silly, Pan Yang comforted her with a smile: "Don't be afraid, he's just pretending for my sake, actually his heart is aching for you, believe me, tonight he'll definitely take you to Jin Ying to make it up to you."
Chen Yuanshu nodded and smiled: "Now Nanjing Golden Eagle has fallen behind, we have to go to Dajin."
Those little wives or flower vases finally roughly understood this man's weight and didn't dare to take him lightly again.
"Yuan Shu, I heard you've acknowledged a sworn brother, but you didn't even introduce him to us?" A man who worked at Yangzi Petrochemical joked.
"Now there are many stories about him in Nanjing, all sorts of strange and bizarre ones. Let's take a look at the true face of Lushan." The others followed suit.
"It's just that this treasure can't be hidden or concealed, Sister Chen. We have to hold it in our arms and give it a big hug."
Pan Yang, who had long been prepared, also poured oil on the fire and smiled: "Make a phone call to try, if you have time, come over, if not, there's no way."
Chen Yuanshu couldn't help but call Chen Ergou, and on the phone, she gave him some subtle hints. As a result, he responded like a wooden stake, saying that he would set off immediately, leaving Chen Yuanshu crying with laughter. Pan Yang and his group slowed down their eating pace, determined to engage in a protracted battle. The group whispered among themselves, all discussing "Chen Fusheng", even Pan Yang joined in, gathering quite a bit of gossip.
Chen Ergou's appearance was unremarkable, driving an Audi A4 and wearing ordinary clothes that didn't stand out. His looks weren't even as attractive to women as Ma Kaitai's. As soon as they met, he hastily handed over his business card with a slightly servile attitude, which left the group somewhat disappointed. They would have preferred to see the enthusiastic smile of Chen Jia's younger brother, rather than this young man who seemed too eager to please. Although their social circle wasn't top-tier in Nanjing or Jiangsu, they at least had some sophistication and weren't easily intimidated, unless they were up against someone like Wu Huang. They were used to dealing with spoiled rich kids and occasionally encountered people from humble backgrounds like Pan Yang, who was also quite refined. As a result, they didn't find the young man, who introduced himself as the deputy manager of Qinghe Human Resources, particularly interesting. On the other hand, Pan Yang, who was far above their social circle, examined Chen Ergou's business card with great interest.
After handing out his business card, Chen Ergou was pulled down to sit beside Chen Yuanshu. Pan Yang took the card and said calmly: "In a group of friends, you must grasp a few who can create wealth and benefits together, and among these good friends, you must cultivate one or two close friends. Don't think you can be so versatile and have friends all over the place, that's unrealistic. Believe me, having one is lucky, having two is extremely lucky. Business cards are useless if given to others by the dozen, they must ask for it themselves."
Pan Yang spoke with a condescending tone, but without the slightest hint of superior guidance, which was quite contradictory, and perhaps this was where his profound wisdom lay.
Chen Yuanshu was about to say something, when Pan Yang smiled slightly and said: "Floating life, the name card is actually enough for one person, the people around me are too practical, if you don't have enough capital, even if you kneel down, you can't crawl into their circle. I'm different, as long as it's to my taste. So in the future, when you do business, you need to grasp the main contradiction. When I first entered CVRD, the first thing I did was to find its number one big boss and offer myself. Once he didn't respond, then twice, twice not working, then three times... finally after 43 emails, he decided to come from Brazil headquarters to China office to see me. After that, my biggest job was to pester him. Those dozens of vice presidents at Vale, I never looked directly at them. The second year, that old man wanted to marry his granddaughter to me. So I'm qualified to teach you this way, and I wouldn't be willing to pass on experience to those rich kids around you."
Chen Ergou sighed in admiration, "It's rare to meet someone who is so frank on our first meeting."
Chen Yuanshu scolded with a smile: "Fosheng, don't bother about this guy, believe his nonsense and you'll go crazy."
"We poor kids, if we don't resort to unorthodox methods, all we can do is sacrifice ourselves for you rich people's spoiled sons. What's wrong with taking a detour? Deng said it doesn't matter whether the cat is black or white as long as it catches mice."
Chen Ergou nodded and said, "That makes sense."
"Do you usually read books? What are you reading recently?" Pan Yang asked seemingly carelessly.
"There are, about 4 books a month. Recently I've been reading 'Real Estate Investment Fund', paying attention to some financing and investment details." Chen Ergou replied, as if facing a great enemy, in ****, Zhuyeqing had given him this feeling of having a thorn in his back, after that it was Lao Qian, and then there was this mysterious stranger. He was naturally tense, and also had an undeniable sense of inferiority, but sitting next to him was Chen Yuanshu, one of the few women he couldn't casually deal with, she had paid out so much, no matter what her original intention was, Chen Ergou didn't want her to have even a little disappointment, so gritting his teeth, he also wanted to fight to the end with this difficult opponent in front of him."
A war without gunpowder has begun.
Chen Ergou can only hold on for now.
Pan Yang's attack was not fierce, his knife was sharp, but he struck extremely slowly.
Chen Yuanshu couldn't intervene, she could only watch from the sidelines. It wasn't that she didn't want to take sides with her sworn brother who had been on the same boat as her for so long, but deep down, she was somewhat looking forward to the outcome of this war. Ma Kaitai and his group of outsiders were very clear about Pan Yang's feelings towards Chen Yuanshu, but they couldn't have imagined that Pan Yang would regard Chen Ergou as a hypothetical enemy, so this meal was eaten in relative harmony. Although Chen Ergou tried to ingratiate himself with every level of social circle, since Pan Yang had spoken up, he knew when to stop, and besides, Pan Yang's words had indeed made him realize something - grasping the main contradiction, these words were meaningful. Chen Ergou glanced at Chen Yuanshu beside him and smiled to himself, wasn't this the main contradiction?
After dinner, Chen Yuanshu had something urgent and hurried back home. Chen Erdou volunteered to send Pan Yang, who had no car, back to the apartment.
"Are you going to follow Wei Duan Gong's black gold route?" Pan Yang asked with a smile from the passenger seat.
Chen Ergou hesitated for a moment and nodded.
"Money laundering is a technical job, do you need me to find an expert in this field for you?" Pan Yang asked with a playful tone.
"For the time being, it's still manageable." Chen Ergou neither refused nor agreed.
"Do you like Yuan Shu? Or should I say, do you have designs on her?" Pan's words were as sharp as a knife, cutting straight to the heart of the matter.
"You're wondering if I have designs on her or her family, aren't you?" Chen Ergou asked with a smile.
"You can also pursue both, in this realistic society, for people like us phoenix men, finding a good wife who is 30 years younger or from a different generation is also a kind of unconventional approach, being able to have the best of both worlds, why not? Isn't that right?" Pan Yang lit a cigarette and said.
She is my sister.
Chen Ergou's voice was gentle, yet exceptionally firm. "And maybe it's my innate vision that makes me think I can only love one or two women at most, and any more would be excessive. Maybe there are occasional purely physical affairs, but those are just physiological needs, not emotional ones. I already have a wife and a woman I've wronged, I don't want to cause more trouble."
"From now on, don't be so trusting of an opponent. It's not a good habit." Pan Yang said softly, rolling down the car window, flicking away the cigarette butt, and rubbing her temples.
"My mother taught me for over twenty years that good intentions will be rewarded, but after being in the city for just two years, I couldn't change my ways overnight." Chen Ergou said with a bitter smile.
Pan Yang let out a sigh and coldly laughed, "The first time I saw Yuan Shu was when she was carrying my mom on her back in the snow. It was New Year's Eve, and everyone on the road was busy eating dinner. Just as I was about to lose hope, a car stopped and took us to the best hospital in Nanjing, curing my mom's illness. That was 9 years ago, when I was 25 and had just passed the exam for the National Development and Reform Commission. My monthly salary was very low, so I knelt down and kowtowed three times to Yuan Shu, then quit my job and went into sales, relying on my wit and luck to pay back the money I owed her. After accumulating some connections, I started doing legitimate business, running errands for people. I may not have been one of China's first professional managers, but I was definitely one of the most pathetic ones, earning money that went into other people's pockets, taking the blame for others' mistakes, and being used and discarded like a worn-out shoe. I've done all sorts of dirty things, using my brain only for those purposes. Later, Yuan Shu introduced me to the Danxia River Valley project, which was a turning point for me. In these 9 years, starting from her boyfriend who was ruined by gambling, there have been many men in and out of her life, but none of them were worthy of her except Ye Yan Zhao. So I never gave up hope. In Brazil, I slept only three hours a day, often traveling to three countries in one day. Even so, I had to finish reading two books every week. We're just floating through life, we poor people shouldn't compare ourselves to other poor people, that will only make us narrow-minded and think we've done enough. A person can either lie down, sit, or run. Running until you die is more meaningful than lying down and starving to death. You stand in front of me, who has been running non-stop, do you think I'll look up to you?"
Pan Yang got off the car without waving goodbye or saying farewell.
Chen Erdou sat heavily in the car, not hurrying to start the engine.
The phone rang, it was Chen Yuanshu.
"What did Pan Yang say to you?" Chen Yuanshu asked tentatively.
"Nothing." Chen Ergou said with a low chuckle.
"Go to the lobby of Xuanwu Restaurant and wait for me for a few minutes, I'll be there soon." Chen Yuanshu hastily hung up the phone.
Chen Ergou was no stranger to the Xuanwu Restaurant, as it was located near the Jiangsu Provincial Military Command and Garrison Headquarters. Chen Yuanshu's home was also nearby, but Chen Ergou had never been there. Every time he passed by the provincial military hospital, he couldn't help but want to laugh at the red sign that read "Sacred Guards, Do Not Trespass". He wondered if there had ever been an incident where a guard had been attacked with explosives. After sitting in the Xuanwu Restaurant for four or five minutes, just as the guqin music was reaching its climax, Chen Yuanshu arrived at the hotel, her expression solemn. She sat down across from Chen Ergou and, after a moment of contemplation, said slowly: "Ergou, no matter what he says to you, you must not let it disrupt your plans..."
"Sister." Chen Ergou gently interrupted Chen Yuanshu's speech.
Chen Yuanshu gazed at his calm and serene face, no longer speaking, and smiled wryly to herself.
Chen Ergou handed her the coffee he had specially ordered for her: "Sister, I'm not that person who waited for opportunities at Shan Shui Hua Men anymore. Pan Zhong's few words can't bring me down. You may not believe in my determination, but you should believe in your own judgment. You didn't choose him, you chose me, and that's definitely right."
The last sentence seemed a bit ambiguous, Chen Yuanshu glared at him with no killing intent.
"Sister, let me take a look at your palm?" Chen Ergou sneaked a glance at Chen Yuanshu's pair of hands that were as white and delicate as jade.
Chen Yuanshu smiled strangely, without making a sound.
Chen Ergou knew it was difficult and retreated, scratching his head.
Chen Yuanshu stretched out her hand with a charming and seductive smile, half-serious and half-alluring.
Something unexpected must have happened, Chen Er Gou didn't dare to take her breathtakingly beautiful hand, and indeed, Chen Yuanshu withdrew her hand, laughing: "If you dare to flirt with me again, I'll have someone drag you away to be shot within an hour." (To know what happens next, please log in, more chapters available, support the author, support the official version!)