Chapter 24: The Battlefield at Night

"Dad, still awake?"

An Xin, who had been hunched over in his study working on a chapter, went to the fridge for a cola and saw An Yuntian still smoking in the living room. He asked in surprise, "It's past your usual bedtime, isn't it?"

"Got something on my mind. Can't sleep."

An Yuntian stubbed out his cigarette and immediately lit another. He had quit smoking a long time ago and had lost the craving. He only reached for a stick or two when he was under extreme anxiety to relieve the pressure. Tonight, however, he was already on his third.

He had spoken to Wei Lin earlier and knew that Anderson had offered a very good price. Barring any surprises, the contract would be signed tomorrow morning. But he was terrified of surprises. When Wei Lin had taken Anderson and his companion to visit three other competitors that afternoon, he had been using his own connections to learn more about Fenglin Outdoor. He discovered it was a powerful company capable of ordering hundreds of thousands of items from Qifeng Hat Industry every year, while the total annual order for Xinlin was barely over two million.

If they could secure a tie-in with Fenglin and obtain a stable volume of orders, Xinlin could break through to a new level. The key was tonight!

"What's on your mind? Tell me about it," An Xin said, popping open his cola, his mind still on his novel’s plot. "Dad, look at how I'm training. How do I look?" An Xin flexed his back, touching his arms with self-satisfaction. "My coach says my back has real talent."

"Go away, don't bother me."

An Yuntian impatiently shooed him away. He stared at the wall clock in the living room for a while, then couldn't help but dial Wei Lin's number.

"Linzi, are you asleep?"

"Not yet, Uncle An. I'm driving."

"Linjiang City isn't that big. You taking Mr. Anderson to those other three firms might not be something you can hide from Tang Qiang. Linzi, we both know how difficult Tang Qiang is to deal with. I’m worried..."

"Uncle An, I know I can't keep it hidden, which is why I'm still working."

"Still working?" An Yuntian checked the clock again. It was nearly eleven. He asked in confusion, "It's this late, what kind of work are you doing?"

"It's hard to get anything done with Mr. Anderson, but I can talk to his female assistant," Wei Lin replied.

"The female assistant..." An Yuntian mused, then gave a light cough. "Linzi, you’ll have to put in the effort."

"Uncle An, what do you mean by that? What kind of person do you take me for?!" Wei Lin shouted indignantly.

"For the sake of Xinlin, for me, and for your old man, give it your best."

After hanging up, An Yuntian felt strangely less anxious. He stood up and headed to his bedroom to sleep.

...

Business is like a battlefield.

Wei Lin was well aware of everything An Yuntian had warned him about. He knew Tang Qiang would never sit idly by and would certainly try to approach Anderson again. He had done everything he could today and felt there were no loopholes. Since Anderson had explicitly stated they would sign the contract tomorrow morning, it would be inappropriate to pester him throughout the night.

He could have just waited, hoping no accidents would occur and that Anderson wouldn't go back on his word. But since Fu Jintang had contributed 0.5 points of favorability, showing him a new opportunity, he was not going to let it slip away.

He was determined to use that 0.5 favorability to win even more from Fu Jintang! Being omnipresent was his business creed.

...

At the Yangyanghong parking lot.

After parking, Wei Lin was rushing toward the entrance when he noticed a Mercedes-Maybach pulling to a stop. Catching a glimpse of the familiar license plate, he halted his steps, turned, and made his way to the right rear door. Before the driver could even step out, Wei Lin opened the door with a radiant smile. "Hello, Sister Zhu!"

"Oh, Wei Lin. Are you here with clients today?"

The older woman, slightly unsteady, nearly tripped as she stepped out, but Wei Lin caught her with quick reflexes. Her face, which she spent a fortune maintaining every year, broke into a smile. "You’re as sharp as ever."

"Hello, Sister Zhao! Hello, Sister Zhou!"

Two other women stepped out from the passenger seat and the rear left, all dripping in jewelry, luxury bags, and high-end watches.

The blade of time is always ruthless. No matter how beautiful they were in their youth, by the time they reached their forties or fifties, time had left deep marks on their faces. Medical aesthetics could not truly defy the laws of aging. Wrinkles appeared, skin lost its luster, and sagging features meant they had lost the beauty and vitality of their youth, no longer capable of conquering the dating market. Fortunately, they now possessed the wealth to seek hollow comfort in places like Yangyanghong.

"Wei Lin," the other two women greeted him with smiles as well.

"Sister Zhu, Sister Zhao, Sister Zhou, you look even better than last time. What products have you been using lately? Introduce them to me sometime so I can buy them for my girlfriends." Wei Lin responded to each with a smile.

"Girlfriends? You little scoundrel, stop picking up bad habits," Zhao Lianyun teased.

"It's a new product from my clinic. Little Wei, bring your girlfriends over next time, and I’ll give you the cost price." Zhou Rong, the owner of the largest local beauty clinic, smiled at him. Seeing the driver get out, she frowned and ordered, "Help Sister Zhu stand properly!"

"You got it! But Sister Zhou, don't give me a hard time in front of my girlfriends just because you aren't making a profit off me," Wei Lin joked.

"Wei Lin, go do your business, don't mind them." Zhu Jun, still leaning on Wei Lin, smiled as she steadied herself. "We're in the Baihua Room. If you're not busy later, come over and join us for a song."

"Sure. Have a good time, ladies."

Wei Lin waited until the driver came over to support Zhu Jun before he let go and left.

"That kid is smooth and charming. He's destined to do great things," Zhou Rong said, watching his back with a faint smile, then added with a touch of melancholy, "He's handsome, too. It’s a pity I'm already old, otherwise..."

"Sigh, twenty years ago, which one of us wasn't a local beauty in Linjiang?" Zhao Lianyun sighed.

Zhu Jun took a sip of warm water offered by the driver, gathered her composure, and said languidly, "If you two have any friends in the apparel or hat industry, you might want to throw some orders Wei Lin's way. My line of work has nothing to do with his, so I don't even have the chance to help him."

Zhao Lianyun and Zhou Rong nodded gently.

...

In the Rose Room.

As soon as Wei Lin pushed the door open, he saw Fu Jintang sitting alone, drinking in silence. In the dim light, the mature, bewitchingly dressed woman sat with her legs crossed in front of a bottle of洋酒 (Western spirits), a sliver of skin glowing with an alluring luster.

"Sister." Wei Lin called out warmly.

He sat down a seat away from her, grabbed a glass without hesitation, and poured himself a drink before saying, "My apologies for the poor hospitality today. This is for you!" He downed it in one gulp.

Fu Jintang took a light sip, looking at him with a mysterious smile. The hot summer had just passed, and the night had a slight chill. Wei Lin was wearing blue jeans and a black casual suit jacket over a white T-shirt—his fashion sense was completely on point. His handsome features, combined with his lean, tall frame, made him stand out several notches above the previous "spirited" young men.

Fu Jintang looked satisfied. "Surprised? Didn't expect me to come to a place like this?"

"A little," Wei Lin nodded gently. He pulled the fruit platter toward him and began nibbling on a slice of watermelon. "A woman as beautiful as you should have packs of wolves desperately pursuing her. I didn't think there was any reason for you to come to a place like this."

Fu Jintang sighed softly. "Talking about feelings... it's just too exhausting."

"Come, drink with me!" She poured herself another glass and gestured for Wei Lin to move closer, bringing out dice and other tools. "If I have a good time drinking tonight, I'll tell you something."

"Drink! I can drink with you until daybreak!" Wei Lin leaned in and began playing dice with her.

Half a bottle of spirits disappeared in less than half an hour. Having had her fill of both fun and drinks, Fu Jintang suddenly said, "The people in these places are all dregs. There's not a single one worth looking at."

"Sister, want me to go find someone for you?" Wei Lin offered, playing to her preference.

"You?" Fu Jintang shot him a sidelong glance, mocking him. "Don't you not even know the place?"

"Ahem, I'm a local, after all. I have my own ways of doing things." Wei Lin stood up and walked outside the private room, calling the manager over.

"Wei..." The manager, even thinner than Wei Lin, started to call his name but suddenly remembered Wei Lin’s earlier warning and stopped himself.

"It's fine outside the room." Wei Lin waved his hand and sneakily pulled the manager further away. "Are there really no decent young guys left?"

"There are two, but they were reserved for Sister Zhu and her friends—two more of them are on their way." The manager didn't play games with Wei Lin, saying with a bitter face, "I wouldn't dare touch the people reserved for Sister Zhu. Mr. Wei, you didn't say you were coming today! If you had just said one word in advance, I would have definitely saved you two good ones!"

"What if I talk to Sister Zhu and borrow them for a while?" Wei Lin asked.

"As long as Sister Zhu nods, there's no problem on my end!" the manager replied hurriedly.

"Great!"

Wei Lin didn't use a phone; he went straight to the Baihua Room, drank a few glasses, and chatted up the ladies.

"Wei Lin, just take them!"

"If your client likes any of the ones in my room, feel free to keep them too!" the wealthy Zhu Jun said with a generous flourish.

...

P.S.: Remember to add this to your library!