238: That old man is really good at bragging.

Wang Qingxuan was completely bewildered.

What are they...

Wang Qingxuan's mind went blank.

Even if they were in a rush... they shouldn't be rushing like this, right?

President Shi, carrying Old Shi on his back, finally rushed to the bus stop sign.

He stopped, stumbled, and almost lost his balance.

He felt like his lungs were about to explode.

"Huff... huff... Lin... President Lin..."

President Shi bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for air, unable to finish a sentence.

Old Shi, on his back, was full of vigor.

"Put me down!"

Old Shi scolded.

President Shi dared not delay and hurriedly placed the old man down carefully.

Li Mo was quick-witted; he pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere and handed it over eagerly.

"Old Shi, please wipe your sweat."

Old Shi brushed his hand away and ignored him completely.

He stood steady and straightened his Tang suit, which had become wrinkled from the intense running.

Then, he looked up, peering at the young man in the cheap sportswear before him with a look of scrutiny, surprise, and a trace of imperceptible awe.

"Young man, good methods."

Old Shi's voice was hoarse from the exertion, but it remained steady and powerful.

Lin Yu blinked.

Is this old man talking to me?

He looked around; besides himself and Wang Qingxuan, there was only the bus stop sign.

"Who are you?" Lin Yu asked hesitantly.

He was certain he didn't know this old man, who seemed quite imposing.

Old Shi did not answer his question.

He just stared fixedly at Lin Yu, his cloudy yet piercing eyes seemingly trying to see through him completely.

"My good-for-nothing grandson, and that kid named Feng Rui, failed to recognize a superior person and offended you."

Old Shi spoke slowly, enunciating every word clearly.

"As their elder, I apologize to you on their behalf."

Having said that.

Under everyone's horrified gaze.

This eighty-year-old man, who had held the reins of the Linzhou Pharmaceutical Alliance for decades.

Slowly bowed to Lin Yu.

Ninety degrees.

An impeccably standard bow.

On the wide boulevard, traffic continued to flow.

No one knew what headline-worthy news was happening at this small bus stop.

But Lin Yu had no intention of dwelling on this right now.

Because the bus he was waiting for had arrived.

"Beep—beep—"

A harsh horn sounded, and a bus, neither new nor old, pulled up to the stop with a trail of diesel exhaust, swaying slightly.

The bus door creaked open, revealing a bearded, impatient-looking Driver Uncle.

Lin Yu paid no more attention to the old man still maintaining his bowing posture.

He turned to look at the people behind Old Shi, then at the bus, and finally back at this strange old man.

He blinked and made a very simple suggestion.

"Shall we... talk on the bus?"

In an instant, everyone's brains crashed.

The image of President Shi sprinting a hundred meters with his grandfather on his back was already magical enough.

The image of Old Shi bowing ninety degrees on the street was already mind-blowing enough.

But now, this young man actually wanted to negotiate with the Alliance's pillar of strength... on a late-night bus?

What kind of move is this?

Even Li Mo, who prided himself on calculating human nature, fell into deep thought.

The boss's way of thinking is indeed not something ordinary people can fathom.

Negotiating on a bus...

Is this a state of returning to simplicity, of hiding in plain sight?

Or is this a test? A test of their sincerity, whether they can lower their status and integrate into this lowest-level environment?

Only Old Shi, after a brief moment of shock, straightened his body.

A hearty smile actually bloomed on his wrinkled face.

"Good!"

"To have this opportunity to talk, I couldn't ask for more!"

With that, he took the first step, trembling as he climbed onto the bus.

Li Mo was quick-witted, lunging forward to steadily support Old Shi.

Lin Yu and Wang Qingxuan exchanged a look; the latter was still in a soul-out-of-body state, mechanically following Lin Yu onto the bus.

Wang Teng and President Shi were still stunned in place.

The Driver Uncle became impatient, poked his head out, and berated the guys below who were dressed like gentlemen.

"Hurry up! Are you getting on or not!"

"Dilly-dallying, if your brain doesn't work, don't come out!"

The driver's roar finally snapped the big shots out of their petrified state.

President Shi and Wang Teng's faces turned pale and red; they had never been scolded like this in their lives.

But they dared not talk back.

The two hurriedly supported each other and sheepishly squeezed onto the bus.

Feng Rui was the last, like a walking corpse, pushed onto the bus by the crowd.

"Beep, student card."

Yes, although he had delayed graduation for five years, he still hadn't graduated, so the student card was still valid.

Lin Yu swiped his card, pulled the still-bewildered Wang Qingxuan, and walked straight to the back row by the window to sit down.

Old Shi, supported by Li Mo, sat in the same row as Lin Yu, separated by a small aisle, just right for talking.

President Shi, Wang Teng, and Feng Rui sat properly two seats behind.

For a moment, the atmosphere in this dilapidated late-night bus became incredibly strange.

Everyone pricked up their ears, even softening their breathing, ready to listen to this "bus talk" that could decide the future of the Linzhou business world.

However, the first to break the silence was the Driver Uncle's grumbling.

"Damn it, when did the late-night bus get so many people?"

"So annoying!"

"Not sleeping in the middle of the night, why are you all out? Is it a holiday or are you thieves?"

The coarse curses clearly echoed throughout the entire bus.

If it were normal times, the hot-tempered Wang Teng would have already dragged this driver out of the driver's seat.

But now, he could only lower his head and pretend not to hear.

Old Shi cleared his throat, intending to break the awkward silence.

As an old veteran who had run the Alliance for decades, he knew the art of negotiation well.

Talking about interests directly was too vulgar and too easy to lead to a stalemate.

Especially when facing an opponent like Lin Yu who didn't play by the rules.

He had to start from somewhere else, narrow the distance, and establish an emotional connection.

He followed Lin Yu's gaze to the street scene whizzing by outside the window, wearing an expression of perfectly timed reflection.

"Time flies really fast."

Old Shi's voice was not loud, but just right for Lin Yu to hear clearly.

"Back in the day, when this route first opened, this place was still just a wasteland."

He paused, seemingly recalling the past, with a touch of nostalgia on his face.

"It's funny to say, I was the one who spearheaded this bus route and fully funded it back then."

"At the time, they suggested naming the route after me, calling it the 'Shi Gong Line,' but I didn't agree; it was too flashy."

Old Shi laughed at himself, then changed the subject, returning to the present.

"Who would have thought that for me, the financier, after all these years, this is the first time I've ridden the bus I donated."

These words were impeccable.

It subtly showcased his seniority and strength while using a self-deprecating tone to lower his posture, appearing approachable and non-aggressive.

The information density was huge, yet it sounded like casual conversation.

Li Mo, listening from behind, nodded secretly; brilliant, truly brilliant!

President Shi and Wang Teng also breathed a sigh of relief; experience counts, finding an entry point so quickly.

Even Wang Qingxuan, who had been in a daze, couldn't help but glance over.

This old man is not simple.

Everyone thought that Lin Yu would follow up on this topic, or at least say a few polite words.

However, before Lin Yu could speak.

A rough voice broke the nostalgic atmosphere Old Shi had carefully crafted.

"Pfft!"

An undisguised sneer came from the driver's seat.

The Driver Uncle glanced disdainfully through the rearview mirror at the old man in the Tang suit in the back row.

This old geezer really knows how to talk big!

Opening his mouth to say he donated this bus!