157: Chapter 157 A Free High-Level Position!
The profit from the furniture itself is negligible, but the more popular the furniture is in the market, the greater Shen Zhou's sense of achievement.
"We'll see when the time comes."
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Zhou ultimately decided not to agree.
After all, he knew nothing about furniture, let alone these so-called European antiques.
Even if he were to reluctantly participate in the design, he would likely just be a figurehead.
After a brief tour, it was soon nearly time for lunch.
"Vicente, please prepare lunch, and try to include more Chinese-style dishes."
Shen Zhou gave the instruction and sat down on a solid wood chair intricately carved with antique patterns.
"Very well, Mr. Shen."
After acknowledging the order, Vicente respectfully excused himself and left.
Meanwhile, Jiang Zhenqi was curiously running his hand over the patterns beneath him.
"Isn't it strange? These patterns look so sharp and angular, you'd expect them to be uncomfortable to sit on."
"But instead, it feels like sitting on a flat surface; there's absolutely no discomfort at all."
Ge Haiyang and Wang Sicong, who were standing nearby, shared the same sentiment.
"Hahaha, I had the exact same question yesterday."
"But if you look closely, you'll understand the secret."
Shen Zhou couldn't help but laugh.
The group began to examine the patterns on the surface of the chairs again.
It turned out that these patterns were all created using a special carving technique.
This carving technique creates a powerful visual illusion.
Although they appear sharp and angular, they are actually carved to lie perfectly flat.
"I can't believe such amazing craftsmanship and materials exist."
Jiang Zhenqi was stunned once more.
He immediately contacted his company's chief designer. After obtaining Shen Zhou's permission, he sent video footage showing the chairs in their entirety to the designer.
Not long after, the designer called back.
"Young Master, where did you see this? This is absolutely a genuine treasure!"
"Perhaps its market value isn't that high, but the market value of the craftsmanship it embodies is immense."
"If at all possible, Young Master, you must bring one of those chairs back."
"As long as we can study it thoroughly, no one in the high-end furniture market will be able to compete with us!"
The chief designer on the other end of the line was extremely excited.
"Alright, alright, I can't bring the chair back. Getting you this video was hard enough as it is."
"Actually, I mainly wanted to ask: is this craftsmanship difficult? Can't we replicate it?"
Jiang Zhenqi asked with a sigh.
"Young Master, I'll say it again: we would need the actual item to even have a chance at replication, and even then, it's unlikely."
"Beyond the unique carving technique, the most important thing is that it uses specific dyes and materials."
"I suspect these materials have long since vanished into the annals of history."
The chief designer sounded incredibly frustrated.
Ultimately, the two ended the call on that note.
"Hahaha, you brat, you come here and try to take everything you can get your hands on! You really want all the benefits, don't you?"
Ge Haiyang couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Jiang Zhenqi looked at Shen Zhou with a pitiful expression.
"Brother Shen..."
"Stop right there! You can't just take things from here. They are intrinsically linked to Pearl Castle."
Before he could finish, Shen Zhou interrupted him.
"And believe me, if I tell Vicente about this, he definitely won't welcome you back here again."
Shen Zhou used a joking tone to firmly reject the idea of taking the antique chair back.
Even though there were plenty of chairs here, it wasn't happening, even if Jiang Zhenqi only wanted one.
After all, he had no obligation to support the Jiang family's furniture business.
Of course, the most important point was that Jiang Zhenqi seemed to be joking as well.
Though, he probably wasn't entirely without the intention of testing the waters.
"Alright, Jiang Zhenqi, you really are insatiable."
Wang Sicong added with a chuckle.
Jiang Zhenqi suddenly realized his mistake. His relationship with Shen Zhou hadn't reached that level yet; how could he be so brazen in his requests?
"Brother Shen, I'm truly sorry. It's in my genes—my merchant instincts just kicked in again."
"How about this: I heard that you bought a property in Ziyu Mansion in Shanghai."
"I'll take the initiative and gift you a high-rise apartment at Ziyu Mansion, Brother Shen."
"That way, you can have your villa staff stay in the high-rise apartment."
Jiang Zhenqi immediately offered a sincere apology, backed up by a tangible gesture.
"Hahaha, it's a minor matter. But a high-rise unit at Ziyu Mansion is worth around 20 million, right? I can't accept such a gift without earning it."
Shen Zhou smiled and refused.
He didn't need the money, and there was no reason to owe a favor.
"Old Shen, don't be so polite with this kid. You might not know this, but Ziyu Mansion is his family's property."
"Besides, they keep a batch of units off the market specifically for gifting."
"If you take one, Old Shen, you're actually doing them a favor."
Wang Sicong interjected with a smile to smooth things over.
Only then did Shen Zhou nod and agree.
The matter was officially settled, and Jiang Zhenqi breathed a heavy sigh of relief, looking visibly relieved.
"Since we're on the subject, I should show my appreciation as well."
Ge Haiyang took out a black card he had prepared from his pocket and gently slid it toward Shen Zhou with both hands.
"Brother Shen, this is our family's black card for our restaurant group."
"It comes with an annual credit of 10 million."
"Of course, the credit amount isn't the important part; what matters is the special service this card represents."
"In the future, whenever you dine at any of our family's restaurant chains, just show this card and you'll receive the most exclusive service."
Ge Haiyang explained softly.
Shen Zhou toyed with the black card, feeling quite surprised.
He knew that with enough money, he could command respect at any major restaurant or hotel.
Even so, unless he proactively revealed his identity, there was always a chance that some other powerful person might snatch away a private room he had already booked.
To avoid such melodramatic situations, the value of this black card was self-evident.
Wang Sicong added with a smile:
"Old Shen, you probably aren't very familiar with their restaurant brands."
"Let me put it this way: within Shanghai, basically all the authentic local cuisine restaurants belong to them, along with some time-honored Cantonese brands."
"On top of that, they own many familiar chains, including nationwide Suzhou-style noodle shops, the popular Yangguofu Malatang, and several ubiquitous milk tea brands like Hushang Auntie."
"Whether it's high-end dining or casual eateries, they own a lot of them."
Hearing this, Shen Zhou was quite surprised.