102: Investing in Zhongcheng makes them an "ally" of Mingyu.

Xie Hui sent Xiao Mi back to Wu Fei's home and helped Zhu Li arrange her newly bought succulent pots on the balcony. He was soon pulled aside by Su Mingyu, her tone carrying a hint of urgency: "Mr. Xie, General Manager Meng just called me. He said there's a bit of a funding gap for the new energy project's startup capital. If we can't get it together by the end of the month, the rollout might have to be postponed."

"A funding gap?" Xie Hui was stunned for a moment, then reacted immediately—this was his best chance to step in. Before, he had only signed a preliminary intent with General Manager Meng. Now, by putting in cold, hard cash, he could truly become an "insider" at Zhongcheng and give Su Mingyu more confidence within the company. He patted Su Mingyu on the shoulder and said firmly, "Don't panic, I'll handle the money. Let's go to the gold shop now and liquidate some of the remaining gold bars."

Seeing Xie Hui's confident expression, Su Mingyu's heart instantly felt at ease. She had been worried that Xie Hui was only offering verbal support, but she hadn't expected him to actually take action. Her eyes grew warm: "Mr. Xie, this is too much trouble for you, the project risks..."

"I'm clear about the risks, but I trust you more." Xie Hui interrupted her, pulling a black cloth bag from his inner universe. Inside were three glittering gold bars. "These are enough. Let's head to that same gold shop from before. The owner knows his stuff and won't lowball us."

The two drove toward the gold shop. On the way, Su Mingyu leaned back in the passenger seat, looking at the bag in Xie Hui's hand with a heart full of complexity. She knew the source of Xie Hui's money was unusual (he had mentioned "old items left by elders" before), yet he was willing to bring it out to support her project. This trust was heavier than anything else.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped in front of the gold shop. The owner with the gold-rimmed glasses from last time saw Xie Hui and immediately greeted him with a smile. His eyes swept over the cloth bag, and his pupils lit up: "Mr. Xie, you're back! This time it's..."

"Still liquidating." Xie Hui placed the bag on the counter and unzipped it. The three gold bars were dazzling under the lights. "Three bars, one hundred grams each. Still at the previous price, no problem, right?"

"No problem! Of course no problem!" The owner hurried to get his magnifying glass and gold tester. After a careful inspection, he smiled even wider. "The purity is still so high! Four hundred and twenty per gram. Three bars is three hundred grams, totaling one hundred and twenty-six thousand! I'll transfer it to you right now!"

He nimbly operated the POS machine, muttering all the while: "Mr. Xie, these gold bars of yours are truly treasures. I've been in this business for twenty years and rarely see such purity. If you have more in the future, you must come to me first!"

Xie Hui didn't respond. He waited until he received the bank transfer text, confirming the balance had become over six hundred and sixty thousand, before putting the empty bag back into his inner universe. Su Mingyu stood to the side, looking at the transfer record on his phone with shock—taking out one hundred and twenty thousand just like that, Xie Hui's strength was far greater than she had imagined.

Leaving the gold shop, Xie Hui drove straight toward Zhongcheng Group, calling General Manager Meng as he drove: "General Manager Meng, regarding the funding gap for the new energy project, I want to make an additional investment. It happens to cover the gap. Can we talk now?"

General Manager Meng was stunned on the other end of the line, then laughed loudly: "Mr. Xie, your efficiency is incredible! I'll wait for you in the office. Mingyu is with you, right? Have her come up together!"

After hanging up, Su Mingyu couldn't help but ask: "Mr. Xie, are you really going to make an additional investment? This isn't a small amount."

"Investment is about the people and the project." Xie Hui turned to look at her, his gaze sincere. "You're leading this project, so I trust you; Zhongcheng's strength is evident, so I trust Zhongcheng. Besides, we are allies. Helping you is helping myself."

The word "allies" warmed Su Mingyu's heart, and all her previous anxieties vanished. When the car reached the Zhongcheng building and they entered the lobby, they saw Su Mingyu's assistant running over anxiously: "Director Su, Mr. Xie, General Manager Meng just called again. He said the Legal Department has already prepared the supplemental agreement!"

The three walked quickly to the President's Office on the 19th floor. As soon as they pushed the door open, they saw General Manager Meng sitting behind his desk with project materials in hand. Seeing them enter, he stood up immediately: "Mr. Xie, please sit! Mingyu, you sit too!"

As soon as Xie Hui sat down, General Manager Meng pushed the supplemental agreement over: "These are the supplemental terms drafted by the Legal Department. An additional investment of one hundred and twenty thousand, with a slight adjustment to the shareholding ratio. Take a look; if there are no issues, we'll sign today."

Xie Hui took the agreement and scanned it quickly—the terms were clear with no hidden traps. There was even a clause specifically added stating that "project decision-making power is led by Su Mingyu," which clearly gave Su Mingyu plenty of Face. He looked up at General Manager Meng and smiled: "General Manager Meng is very fair. I have no objections."

"It's not that I'm fair, it's that you, Mr. Xie, have a good eye." General Manager Meng picked up his teacup. "To be honest, I was worried at first that you were just talking, since the new energy project carries no small risk. I didn't expect you'd actually dare to invest."

"I don't just 'dare' to invest, I know 'how' to invest." Xie Hui took out his mobile phone and opened the project analysis he had done earlier. "Look, General Manager Meng, our project targets the household market in third- and fourth-tier cities. Currently, the state is pushing new energy subsidies, and the demand in those tiers hasn't been met yet. As long as we control costs, we can break even within six months. Furthermore, I suggest cooperating with local 4S dealerships in the early stages instead of building our own outlets. This can save a lot of money."

These words hit General Manager Meng right in the heart—he had considered cooperating with 4S dealerships before but hadn't dared to make the call. Now, Xie Hui was not only investing money but also providing a concrete plan, which instantly put his mind at ease. General Manager Meng's gaze toward Xie Hui changed from polite to genuine admiration: "Mr. Xie, your analysis is even more thorough than what our marketing department produced! Mingyu, in the future, communicate more with Mr. Xie regarding project matters. With his help, this project of ours is solid!"

Sitting nearby, Su Mingyu felt a surge of pride as she listened to their conversation. Xie Hui had not only solved her funding problem but had also supported her standing in front of General Manager Meng. From now on, no one would dare say that she, "a woman, couldn't carry a project." Looking at Xie Hui's focused profile, the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.

After signing the supplemental agreement, General Manager Meng insisted on keeping them for dinner and specifically called several of the company's senior executives. At the table, General Manager Meng frequently toasted Xie Hui, praising him constantly: "Everyone, look, Mr. Xie is so young yet has such accurate vision and supports our Zhongcheng so much. In the future, we must learn more from Mr. Xie!"

The executives chimed in one after another, their eyes full of respect for Xie Hui—a young man held in such high regard by General Manager Meng was certainly not simple. Su Mingyu sat beside Xie Hui, and whenever someone offered a toast, Xie Hui would block it for her: "Mingyu still has to drive; I'll drink for her."

The subtle gesture made Su Mingyu's heart feel warm. During the meal, she quietly placed a piece of rib into Xie Hui's bowl: "Eat more, you've spoken so much, you must be hungry."

Xie Hui turned to look at her, meeting her reddened earlobes, and couldn't help but smile: "Thanks, you eat too."

As the dinner ended, General Manager Meng patted Xie Hui on the shoulder and said, "Mr. Xie, from now on, Zhongcheng is your home. Come anytime. If Mingyu dares to neglect you, you tell me!"

"Don't worry, General Manager Meng, I won't neglect Mr. Xie," Su Mingyu quickly replied, her Face turning red again.

Xie Hui drove Su Mingyu home. When they reached her building, before getting out of the car, Su Mingyu took a small notebook from her bag: "Mr. Xie, this is the latest progress report for the project. I've marked several milestones that need attention. Take a look when you have time."

Xie Hui took the notebook and flipped it open. The handwriting was neat, and key parts were marked with a red pen; it was clearly something Su Mingyu had organized with great care. He smiled and said, "With you being so meticulous, the project will definitely be fine. By the way, I'll go to the project team with you tomorrow to say hello to everyone, so they know our funding is in place and there's no need to worry."

"That's great!" Su Mingyu's eyes lit up. "Should I pick you up at eight tomorrow morning?"

"No need, I'll pick you up." Xie Hui ruffled her hair. "Go on up, get some good rest. We'll be busy tomorrow."

Su Mingyu nodded and turned to walk quickly into the apartment building. After a few steps, she looked back and waved at Xie Hui. The streetlights fell on her Face, making her look as soft as a marshmallow.

Xie Hui watched her figure disappear before driving away. Only a few minutes later, his mobile phone rang. It was Zhu Li calling, her voice filled with excitement: "Mr. Xie, I have good news! The client for the audit project I was on today was extremely satisfied. My boss even praised me and said I'm getting a raise!"

"That's wonderful!" Xie Hui said with a smile. "I'll treat you to dinner tonight to celebrate."

"No, no need. Let's all get together this weekend; Sister Wu and Xiao Mi will come too," Zhu Li said quickly. "By the way, I just heard from Su Mingcheng's childhood friend that Su Mingcheng knows you're investing in Zhongcheng and supporting Su Mingyu. He was so angry he smashed the cups at home and said he's going to find trouble with you."

Xie Hui's gaze instantly turned cold—Su Mingcheng really didn't learn his lesson, wanting to cause trouble again after being quiet for only a few days. He chuckled, his tone relaxed: "Let him come. I'd like to see what other tricks he has."

After hanging up, Xie Hui leaned back in the driver's seat and felt the inner universe in his chest—it held the newly signed supplemental agreement and Su Mingyu's progress report. They felt heavy, yet they made him feel exceptionally grounded. He knew that becoming an investor in Zhongcheng was just the first step of his full involvement. Next would be Su Mingcheng's interference and Su Daqiang's potential antics, but he wasn't afraid at all.

The car drove steadily through the night, a smile remaining on Xie Hui's Face. With the platform of Zhongcheng, an ally like Su Mingyu, and the support of Zhu Li and Wu Fei, no matter what tricks the su family men played, he could resolve them one by one. He was already looking forward to the scene at the project team tomorrow, and even more so to the satisfaction of slapping Su Mingcheng's Face next time—after all, to deal with people like that, you have to use strength to shut them up completely.