Chapter 18: I Don't Believe It

It was the first time Zheng Qian had truly felt that exercise could maintain such a perfect physique.

Jin Lu had lived such a disciplined life for so many years; there probably wasn't a single day she didn't work out.

The lunch just now must have been prepared specifically for him, as Jin Lu hadn't touched any of those high-sugar or high-oil foods.

"What is it?" Jin Lu asked, wiping a plate with a dishcloth.

"Nothing, I just wanted to hug you." Zheng Qian buried his face in Jin Lu's dark, silky hair.

"Oh? I don't believe it." Jin Lu spoke in a somewhat cold and alluring tone, carrying a hint of suggestion.

Previously, Jin Lu had told him that if Zheng Qian bought her this apartment at Jiangshan International, she would marry him.

On the first night, Zheng Qian had a mental block.

On the second night, he had drunk too much and was unable to perform.

But now, Jin Lu was already the mistress of this apartment, and Zheng Qian's body was in its best state; he had even bought protection on the way back.

Everything was ready.

"You're right not to believe it!" Zheng Qian's hands began to wander.

Jin Lu quickly grabbed Zheng Qian's hand and pinned him against the wall.

"Let me tell you, don't you dare mess around. I've practiced Chinese Kickboxing."

Although Jin Lu said this with her mouth, her index finger rested on Zheng Qian's Adam's apple, slowly sliding downward...

At this moment, Zheng Qian's burning desire was completely ignited.

The two moved to the bedroom.

"Shuangshuang."

"Hmm?"

"Is this your first time?"

"Hmm..."

"Then should I use protection?" Zheng Qian asked, chivalrously seeking Jin Lu's opinion.

"No need, I'm in my safe period."

"If you want to use it, that's fine too, it's up to you."

...

Zheng Qian was so tired he had fallen asleep.

Jin Lu, lying beside him, was also exhausted.

He received a message from Manager Li Tao saying he had already arrived at Wangyue Pavilion and asking when Zheng Qian would be over.

After seeing it, Zheng Qian kissed Jin Lu lightly on the forehead and slowly climbed out of bed.

"Are you leaving?" Jin Lu asked weakly; Zheng Qian had really worn her out that afternoon.

"I have an appointment with two people to discuss some cooperation at Wangyue Pavilion."

"Then will you be back tonight?" Jin Lu hugged the quilt and looked at Zheng Qian.

"I'll definitely be back."

"Oh, okay."

"When you come back, could you help me bring a bottle of laundry detergent?"

"What for?"

"To wash the bedsheets!"

Zheng Qian glanced at the red stain at the foot of the bed and understood instantly.

"Okay!"

...

Wangyue Pavilion was considered the highest-spec, most expensive, and most luxurious hotel in Yebai, yet Zheng Qian had never been there once.

After arriving at Wangyue Pavilion, he finally understood why Jin Lu had asked him whether he would be back tonight.

Besides concern, there was another very important reason.

Wangyue Pavilion was just one of the buildings; in reality, it was situated on a small artificial island filled in within Moon Lake.

On the small island, there were all kinds of entertainment facilities: KTVs, nightclubs, restaurants, hotels, and everything else one could imagine.

In such a place, how could money-for-sex transactions be absent?

This was clearly a semi-red-light district!

Wangyue Pavilion was a building about twenty stories high, and standing on the roof, one could see the entire landscape of Yebai at a glance.

After meeting up with Manager Li Tao.

Including Manager Li Tao, there were two men and two women.

"Xiao Qian, let me introduce you first."

"This is Chen Weiqiang, President Chen, the old client I mentioned to you."

Chen Weiqiang was not old, just in his early thirties, wearing a blue Armani suit, looking vibrant and spirited—a typical elite professional.

Last night, Manager Li Tao had briefly introduced Chen Weiqiang's background. This man had graduated with an undergraduate degree from Imperial University, flew overseas for his master's degree with a guaranteed spot in the Ivy League. Even if he didn't start his own business, based on this resume alone, he could easily find a job with a starting annual salary of over a million.

"Wei... Brother Qiang." Zheng Qian called out cordially.

He originally wanted to call him "Brother Wei," but that seemed a bit inappropriate.

"Hello, hello. You must be President Zheng, right? A pleasure to meet you." Chen Weiqiang was very polite and even patted Zheng Qian on the arm.

Manager Li Tao gave an awkward smile and continued the introductions: "This is Liu Shiqi, President Liu."

Liu Shiqi was wearing a white dress and was twenty-eight years old, but she looked only twenty-three or twenty-four. If Manager Li Tao hadn't introduced her last night, Zheng Qian would have even mistaken her for a pure college student who had just graduated.

Her background was much simpler. She only graduated from an ordinary first-tier university, didn't pursue a master's degree, and entered the financial industry early to work her way up. Now, she was a shareholder in three companies and the founder of Zhongguang Fund. Chen Weiqiang's dock shipping and trading company was just one of her investments, but she was the second-largest shareholder there as well.

According to gossip Manager Li Tao had heard, Liu Shiqi's ability to reach this point today did not rely entirely on her own hard skills; she had also used her beauty to exchange for opportunities to climb higher.

Zheng Qian felt this news wasn't unfounded. After all, for someone from an ordinary first-tier university to become a major shareholder in three companies and a fund founder in six years was clearly unlikely.

"Hello, President Liu." Zheng Qian just shook hands with Liu Shiqi briefly.

"Hello."

Liu Shiqi seemed to look down on Zheng Qian, so she only responded politely, her face cold.

There was another woman whom Manager Li Tao did not introduce. She was carrying a briefcase, observing the situation, but remained silent. She looked very capable and sharp, likely a secretary for either Chen Weiqiang or Liu Shiqi.

"President Chen, shall we eat while we talk?"

Each floor of Wangyue Pavilion could only accommodate one table of guests.

The five of them went up to the sixteenth floor.

After taking their seats, they didn't talk about business but started eating first.

However, Zheng Qian did glance at that girl a few times, intentionally or otherwise.

She was dressed very formally in a white suit that fit perfectly, with not a single wrinkle on her clothes.

The girl had delicate facial features, fair skin, eyebrows like green mountains, and eyes like water, giving people an impression of heartfelt cleanliness and purity.

First, they opened two bottles of Romanée-Conti, and the five of them chatted while eating.

It was evident that this female secretary held a high position and was highly valued, whether by Chen Weiqiang or Liu Shiqi; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to sit at the same table to eat on such an occasion.

"President Zheng, I heard from Brother Tao that you want to buy shares, is that right?" Chen Weiqiang, as the big boss, spoke first.

Zheng Qian nodded: "No need to call me President Zheng. Just call me Xiao Qian or Little Zheng."

"That won't do. We are discussing cooperation; it's business. Although I am older than you, we are on equal footing."

"Yes, my girlfriend gave me a sum of money to support my startup, but I don't know what to do. Yesterday, Brother Tao told me you had just founded a company, so I thought this might be an opportunity."

Girlfriend?

There was a bit more disdain in the look Liu Shiqi gave Zheng Qian.

"Then how much capital do you have, and how many shares do you intend to buy?"

"I have 30 million. I wonder how many shares that would get me?"

30 million?

Everyone was a bit surprised.

What kind of girlfriend could give 30 million for a startup?

This isn't even called a startup; 30 million is already enough to be called a successful person.

"It's like this: our company currently uses an A/B share model. President Liu and I are old classmates. Out of trust in me, she came in during the angel round, but in reality, the risk she took was very high, so she owns quite a few shares."

"So, if you can put up 30 million, I can give you 24% of the shares."

This 24% was 24% without control of the company, which couldn't compare to the shares in Chen Weiqiang's hands.

In the A/B share model, Chen Weiqiang actually controlled the shares with the most voting power, which was the most significant.

For example, if Zheng Qian and Chen Weiqiang both had only 24% of the shares, their stakes were the same, but Zheng Qian could only cast 10 votes, while Chen Weiqiang could cast 100. This was a business model adopted to prevent capital from seizing the company.

No matter how much money you put in, even if Chen Weiqiang's shares were diluted to one percent, the voting power he possessed would still be more than everyone else's combined.