188: Chapter 188: The More I Read, the More Satisfied I Become

Zhang Qi followed Li Yanxing into that ordinary black sedan, while Li Bingyue slipped into the back seat quite naturally.

Li Yanxing started the car, skillfully turned the steering wheel, and the vehicle pulled smoothly out of the Yunduan No. 1 underground garage.

Li Yanxing drove very steadily, just like the man himself, exuding a calm and reserved demeanor typical of someone within the establishment.

The atmosphere in the car was quite harmonious; Li Yanxing chatted casually with Zhang Qi about the traffic and weather in Shenzhen.

Zhang Qi responded with a composed expression, showing no signs of unease despite the other party's special status.

Before long, the car turned into a relatively quiet old street and stopped in front of a private restaurant with an understated storefront.

The three of them pushed the doors open and got out; Li Yanxing walked ahead, leading the way with familiarity, clearly a regular here.

This private restaurant had no noisy lobby; it consisted entirely of private rooms with excellent privacy, decorated in an antique style.

When the lobby manager saw Li Yanxing walk in, he immediately approached with a beaming smile, his attitude extremely warm and respectful.

"Mr. Li, you've arrived. Shall we head to the private room upstairs?"

Li Yanxing nodded with a smile and gave a few instructions in a very familiar manner, appearing approachable.

"Yes, the usual. By the way, bring up those two bottles of Moutai I have stored here; I have an honored guest today!"

The manager nodded repeatedly and hurriedly led the way, bringing the three of them to a quiet and elegant private room on the second floor.

The private room was filled with a faint scent of sandalwood, and a few ink paintings hung on the walls; the environment was very quiet, truly a good place for discussing business.

The three sat around the round table, and a waiter soon brought up steaming hot tea and several exquisite appetizer cold dishes.

Li Yanxing took the initiative to pick up the teapot and poured a cup of hot tea for Zhang Qi, his attitude remaining impeccably gentle.

"Mr. Zhang, the chef at this private restaurant is superb; usually, you can't get a table without a reservation."

Zhang Qi picked up his teacup, took a sip, nodded with a smile, and spoke in a very casual tone.

"Mr. Li, you've gone to such trouble. I'm not very picky about food; I'm happy to follow your lead."

Li Yanxing laughed heartily. With the atmosphere sufficiently prepared, he began to steer the conversation toward the main topic without making it obvious.

He picked up a hot towel from the table to wipe his hands, his gaze falling on Zhang Qi as if it were casual, like making small talk.

"Mr. Zhang, being able to afford a house in Yunduan No. 1 and drive a luxury car worth millions at such a young age—you are truly young and promising!"

"I wonder where Mr. Zhang works? Does your family run a big business?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Qi understood immediately; he knew the real show had finally begun.

He put down his teacup, leaned back against the chair comfortably, and responded with the spiel he had prepared long ago.

"Mr. Li, you flatter me. My hometown is in the countryside, and my parents are just farmers; there's no big business."

"I used to be an ordinary financial worker, but later, I got lucky and made some money through investments."

"Now, I just invest in a few companies I like and act as a hands-off boss."

When Li Yanxing heard this, a flash of imperceptible sharpness crossed his eyes, but the smile on his face didn't diminish in the slightest.

In fact, before coming, Li Yanxing had already used his family connections to investigate him secretly.

The results showed that Zhang Qi did indeed come from the countryside, had worked at a financial firm, and had suddenly become wealthy recently.

This completely matched what Zhang Qi had just said; there was nothing hidden or concealed, making him appear very open and honest.

Looking at the frank and confident young man before him, Li Yanxing couldn't help but sigh deeply in his heart.

In this era where one relies on their parents, to be able to start from scratch through one's own vision and means, and to earn such a terrifying amount of wealth!

This kind of person is definitely a dragon among men; looking at the entire younger generation of Shenzhen, I'm afraid you couldn't find another one!

The look of admiration in Li Yanxing's eyes grew stronger and stronger, and his gaze toward Zhang Qi became increasingly gentle; he was very satisfied.

"Mr. Zhang, you are truly too modest. These days, to achieve financial freedom through investment—that can't just be summed up by saying you were lucky!"

"With Mr. Zhang's extraordinary vision and courage, you will definitely shine in the Shenzhen business world in the future!"

Li Yanxing did not spare any praise and even took the initiative to raise his teacup, offering a toast to Zhang Qi in place of wine.

The two were chatting back and forth, while Li Bingyue, sitting to the side, was completely bewildered.

She held her teacup with both hands, her beautiful big eyes darting back and forth between Zhang Qi and her own brother, her face full of confusion.

Why does the atmosphere of today's meal feel more and more wrong the more I look at it?

Her brother is usually very imposing at home; even when facing those big bosses, he has never been this polite!

And these questions her brother is asking—checking household registration, checking work, checking family background—why do they sound so familiar?

A sudden flash of insight struck Li Bingyue: isn't this that famous scene from TV shows where people go on blind dates!

The woman's parents using the excuse of a meal to thoroughly investigate the man's background and character—it's exactly the same!

Thinking of this, Li Bingyue's fair, pretty face instantly turned red to her ears, and her heart began to thump wildly.

She snuck a glance at Zhang Qi and found that he was chatting with her brother with a calm expression, which made the shyness in her heart even stronger.

At this moment, Zhang Qi had also fully realized what was happening and had completely seen through the other party's intentions.

Looking at Li Yanxing's expression—like a mother-in-law looking at a son-in-law and becoming more satisfied the more she looked—he felt a mix of laughter and tears.

This Li Yanxing isn't here to talk about buying a house; he is clearly here to vet a future brother-in-law for his sister!

And judging by his posture, he seems very satisfied with him, a self-made first-generation entrepreneur; there's practically nothing to complain about!

This situation left Zhang Qi speechless; he even felt it was absurd and somewhat unreal.

Back when he was a miserable wage slave, his parents had forced him to go on a few blind dates when he returned home for the New Year.

At that time, he had no money or power, and his blind date partners were all high and mighty, nitpicking him in every way.

In the end, they all ended unhappily, and he endured nothing but cold shoulders.

But now, it's the opposite, even though he has no intention of having a serious relationship or getting married to Li Bingyue.

Yet, a top-tier influential family in Shenzhen like theirs is actually coming to him proactively, expressing their absolute satisfaction with him!

The difference in treatment between having money and not having money is truly enough to make one sigh!

However, Zhang Qi knew very well that now that he had the system, what kind of woman couldn't he have?

He already had beauties like Manager Chen Danni and Su Ran by his side; his life couldn't be more comfortable.

He didn't want to give up the whole forest for the sake of one Li Bingyue, or go off to be someone's son-in-law and suffer those kinds of constraints.

This kind of constrained, serious relationship didn't fit his principles at all!

Thinking of this, Zhang Qi decided he couldn't let this misunderstanding deepen any further; he had to end this absurd meal quickly.

So, after the dishes were all served and they had eaten a bit.

Zhang Qi took the opportunity to check the time on his phone, then looked up and gave Li Yanxing an apologetic smile.

"Mr. Li, the food really looks good, but I'm truly sorry, I have some matters to attend to in a moment."

"Let's just have a simple meal today and skip the alcohol; I'll host a banquet specifically for you two siblings next time I get the chance."

Zhang Qi's words were very polite, but the subtext of wanting to get away quickly was something anyone who wasn't a fool could hear.

Li Yanxing had been climbing the ranks within the establishment for so many years; his ability to observe and assess situations was naturally top-notch.

Hearing Zhang Qi take the initiative to suggest ending the meal early, he immediately felt a bit suspicious and raised his eyebrows slightly.

Could it be that his earlier interrogation-style questions had made this proud young man uncomfortable?

Someone like Zhang Qi, who had built a net worth of over 100 million through his own efforts, was bound to be proud in his bones and would not tolerate being offended.

His probing just now was indeed a bit too deliberate, and it might have caused resentment; this was truly counterproductive!

After all, for a young talent of this caliber, if he were to harbor resentment because of a moment of probing, it would not be worth the loss.

Li Yanxing felt annoyed with himself and hurriedly picked up his teacup, wanting to say a few pleasantries to ease the atmosphere.

But before he could speak, Li Bingyue, who was sitting next to him, couldn't hold back and spoke up first.

This girl was simple-minded; she didn't think about all those twists and turns, and her mind was filled only with not wanting Zhang Qi to leave so soon.

Although Zhang Qi had clearly rejected her confession at the nightclub last night, she had finally managed to see Zhang Qi again.

How could she bear to let Zhang Qi leave just like that? She blurted it out, her tone filled with urgency and reluctance.

"Brother Qi, what urgent business could you possibly have in the middle of the day? Don't you even have time to enjoy a proper meal?"

Hearing his sister's naive question, Li Yanxing couldn't help but turn to look at her, sighing inwardly.

No one knows a sister better than a brother; seeing Li Bingyue's anxious and caring appearance, Li Yanxing knew that his sister had completely fallen for him this time!

But thinking about it, it was normal; Zhang Qi was tall and handsome, had money and ability, and his personality was steady and magnanimous.

Facing a high-quality man who exuded fatal attraction from head to toe, any normal woman would basically be tempted!

Zhang Qi looked at Li Bingyue's impatient appearance and felt a sense of helplessness; this girl was truly straightforward.

He could have just found an excuse to brush it off, but thinking about it, there was no need; he simply told the truth.

"Actually, it's nothing major. It's just that I'm planning to buy a detached villa recently, and I'm preparing to go look for some suitable properties."

Hearing that Zhang Qi was actually going to buy a house, a radiant glow of excitement instantly appeared on Li Bingyue's pretty face.

She turned her head abruptly, grabbed Li Yanxing's arm, and her voice rose several decibels in her excitement.

"Brother, you know so many people; you must know someone who sells villas!"

"Why don't you ask for Brother Qi!"