195: Chapter 195 Good, good, good, ordinary families

As twilight began to wash over the sky, the window of the silver Bentley slowly rolled down a crack, the cigarette held between Su Ye's fingertips glowing faintly, his gaze sweeping across the entrance of Zhilan Restaurant in the alley.

Just then, a black Maybach pulled up slowly behind Su Ye's car.

Su Ye discarded his nearly finished cigarette and pushed the door open to step out, just in time to see Yu Chen climbing out of the black Maybach. This figure, who could walk sideways in the business circles of Sichuan Province, wasn't wearing his usual suit today, having switched to a plain Tang suit. Seeing Su Ye, he smiled and raised a hand:

"You kid really know how to pick your timing, knowing I've been craving the food at Zhilan Restaurant these past few days."

Su Ye walked up and patted his arm, his gaze sweeping over the assistant behind Yu Chen:

"How could I let Brother Yu go hungry for it?"

"Master Feng is in charge of the kitchen today; he said he saved a freshly killed rock carp for us, along with termite mushrooms flown in from Yunnan this morning. It's guaranteed to suit your taste."

As the two were talking, another low-key Audi A8L pulled up slowly at the entrance of the alley, the window rolling down to reveal Chen Ze's somewhat hearty face.

Perhaps because he had just gotten off work, his tie was half-loosened and he looked a bit devil-may-care, shouting as soon as he saw Su Ye:

"I finally made it! If I had missed Master Feng's 'three ways to eat a fish,' I reckon I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight."

Su Ye smiled and walked up to greet him, saying:

"What's the rush? The food is all saved for you."

He then pointed to Yu Chen in his Tang suit and Chen Ze in his dress shirt, finally pointing to himself as he joked:

"Would you say we represent three generations: old, middle-aged, and young?"

Chen Ze and Yu Chen exchanged glances, and with hints of amusement in their eyes, they jokingly scolded:

"Get lost."

The three chatted and laughed as they walked into the restaurant, heading straight for their usual private room with practiced ease.

The waiter respectfully opened the door, and the soft, warm light of the crystal chandelier spilled down. Exquisite cold dishes were already set on the mahogany round table, but when they saw who was sitting in the main seat, the smile on Yu Chen's face instantly froze, and the suit jacket draped over Chen Ze's arm nearly slid to the floor.

The middle-aged man in the main seat was wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit. His figure was upright, and his brow carried an aura of authority that commanded respect without anger. It was none other than the man who had been appearing frequently in the news in Sichuan Province recently, the one who had just taken office not long ago as the Provincial Number One—Su Yi!

Yu Chen's pupils constricted sharply, and he subconsciously gripped his Tang suit cuffs.

He had been grinding in the business circles of Sichuan Province for over twenty years, having dealt with almost everyone from provincial-level officials down to district and county cadres. But this Secretary Su, who had just arrived, was someone he had never had any interaction with—not to mention meeting in private, he had only seen him once at a public meeting.

He turned his head to look at Chen Ze and found that this person, who was usually a bit devil-may-care, was at a loss for what to do. At this moment, his eyes were wide open, and the corners of his mouth were still curved in the same way he had been speaking just a moment ago, clearly as shocked as he was. The Chen family's scale wasn't large enough, and they hadn't been established for many years; they usually only had contact with municipal-level leaders, and provincial-level ones were really a bit out of their reach.

Su Ye's voice broke the silence in the private room:

"Fourth Uncle, you arrived quite early."

Su Ye greeted him with a very natural tone, completely lacking the restraint one might have when facing a high-ranking official.

"Fourth Uncle?"

Yu Chen and Chen Ze exclaimed in their hearts in unison, exchanging a look of disbelief.

Although the two hadn't known Su Ye for long, they had initially thought Su Ye came from some prominent family, only to learn later that it was just an ordinary family. And now you're telling me the Provincial Party Secretary is your Fourth Uncle? Fine, fine, fine—so this is an "ordinary family," is it?

Chen Ze hurriedly tugged at the corner of Su Ye's shirt, silently confirming with his lips: "This is..."

Su Yi looked up at Su Ye, the aloofness of the political world fading from his eyes, replaced by the warmth of an elder. The imposing aura he carried also receded, and combined with how well-maintained he was, he looked just like a neighborly uncle:

"I just finished a short meeting, so I stopped by on the way."

His gaze turned to Yu Chen and Chen Ze, who were still standing there, not having recovered from their shock, and he nodded slightly: "General Manager Yu, General Manager Chen, I've heard much about you."

Yu Chen quickly composed himself, stepped forward, and reached out his hand, his palms sweating slightly without him realizing it.

"Se-Secretary Su, how do you do!"

After saying this, he cast a fierce, imperceptible glare at Su Ye. He had originally thought this was just a casual dinner among friends; he never expected to meet such a big shot, and even less did he expect that Su Ye was actually Secretary Su's nephew!

Although the Yu Family could be called a local powerhouse in Chengdu, even forcing Liu Hongbo to give them some leeway, they still paled in comparison to the big boss on the official side. Not to mention, Yu Chen had inquired before, and this current person had come down from the capital and had extensive connections there as well.

Chen Ze also hurriedly straightened his tie, draped his suit jacket over the back of the chair, and walked forward quickly: "Secretary Su, I am Chen Ze, from the Chaoyang Group. I have seen you before at the provincial enterprise symposium, but I didn't dare to step forward and disturb you."

Su Yi shook hands with both of them and pointed to the seats beside him: "Sit down. We are all our own people; there's no need to be so restrained."

Su Yi's phrase "our own people" made Yu Chen and Chen Ze's faces blossom with smiles.

After everyone was seated, Su Ye knew he had given his two older brothers quite a shock today. To avoid being held accountable later, he took the initiative to pour warm Jiannanchun for the three of them, the liquor swirling in the crystal glasses with fine bubbles.

Yu Chen held his wine glass, his fingertips still trembling slightly.

He secretly observed the interaction between Su Ye and Su Yi, watching Su Ye naturally refill Su Yi's drink and listening to them chat about recent events with casual, everyday talk. Only then did he belatedly realize why Su Ye could remain so relaxed after knowing Liu Hongbo was targeting him—it turned out he had such a background!

However, he immediately frowned slightly. Although Su Ye's Fourth Uncle was the Provincial Party Secretary, Liu Hongbo's influence was not to be underestimated. Furthermore, Su Yi had just arrived, while Liu Hongbo had been cultivating his roots in Sichuan Province for decades. It was no exaggeration to say that his shadow could be found everywhere, big or small, throughout Sichuan Province, not to mention his extensive connections in the capital.

Yu Chen made up his mind to remind Su Ye after the dinner ended not to let his guard down.

Chen Ze inwardly rejoiced, thinking it was fortunate that his relationship with Su Ye had always been good. If he were Su Ye's enemy...

Su Ye picked up the wine bottle and refilled the three glasses again, saying in a relaxed tone: "I invited you all here today for two reasons. First, I wanted everyone to get together. Second, I know my Fourth Uncle just took office, and since Brother Yu and Brother Chen have extensive connections in Sichuan Province, perhaps you can be of help in the future."

Yu Chen and Chen Ze instantly understood the significance of this dinner party.

Yu Chen immediately put down his wine glass, his tone sincere: "Secretary Su, you can rest assured! I have been in industry and real estate in Sichuan Province for so many years; if there are any projects in the province that need support, I, Yu Chen, will definitely be the first to respond!"

Yu Chen knew clearly that gaining Su Yi's favor was a huge opportunity for the Yu Family. It wasn't that the Yu Family didn't have connections at the top—the current number two in the provincial government was one of the Yu Family's allies, and they had some connections in the capital—but precisely because of this, he understood how strong Su Yi and the power behind him were.

Chen Ze also hurriedly chimed in: "Secretary Su, the Chaoyang Group has over three hundred 4S dealerships in Sichuan Province, with tens of thousands of employees. We are also working on cultural tourism projects now. If the province has any plans regarding the automotive industry or cultural tourism in the future, we will definitely cooperate fully and will never hold you back!"

Su Yi looked at their positive attitude, a smile appearing on his face as he raised his glass: "Good, I am very happy to have your support. The development of Sichuan Province cannot be separated from the support of entrepreneurs like you. Come, let's have a drink first, and here's to hoping we can have more cooperation in the future."

The group raised their glasses together, the liquor mellow as it went down their throats, but Yu Chen and Chen Ze felt that this drink carried a bit more weight than usual.

When Master Feng personally brought in the first dish, Yu Chen and Chen Ze had not yet fully recovered from their shock.

Looking at the crystal-clear rock carp sashimi on the silver platter, Yu Chen lost his usual appetite, his mind filled with the conversation that had just taken place.

As Su Ye kept cracking jokes and keeping the conversation lively, the atmosphere at the scene gradually warmed up.