With Gao Baisong's guarantee, Li Chonglou could put aside the matter of the convoy for the time being. Now that Shi Tou's wish was fulfilled, the progress on Black Blade's side should not be that fast either.
Li Chonglou suddenly felt a bit bored.
The matter with Huayin would take at least the day after tomorrow, and the Hu family was even further off. If anything were truly wrong, Hu Han would be the first to contact him. After much thought, Li Chonglou decided to meet up with Zhang Yu and the others first.
When the three heard that Li Chonglou was inviting them out for a meal, they immediately pushed aside their work. As soon as Li Chonglou booked a private room, they had all arrived.
"Wow, Brother Li, it's rare for you to treat us!"
Among the three, Zhang Yu was the most casual. He pouted, hinting with a touch of coquettishness.
Li Chonglou smiled and replied, "I apologize, I was quite busy the last while, but you all must have been too, right? The situation in Shangjing seems a bit off lately."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu's spirits immediately lifted. He quickly sat down and probed, "Brother Li, do you know any inside information?"
"What do you want to know?"
Li Chonglou looked at him with a smile. This time, even Feng Zheng couldn't stand it any longer and quickly sat on the other side, saying, "Brother Li, the market in Shangjing has been changing a lot recently. Many tycoons are consolidating their funds or selling everything, converting it into hard assets."
Zhang Yu chimed in, "That's right. It's as if a world war is about to break out. Brother Li, do you know what's really going on? Is Shangjing really going to be chaotic?"
Li Chonglou pondered for a moment and said, "There are signs, but it shouldn't get chaotic in the short term."
This wasn't him speaking nonsense. If the airport incident hadn't been handled properly, Shangjing might have undergone a drastic change today.
But now, with the airport incident handled almost perfectly, some of the opponent's plans were exposed prematurely. The General Bureau couldn't possibly have not noticed.
This meant that the opponent's plan to steal a chicken had backfired, and it was unlikely to cause chaos in the short term.
Upon hearing this, the two exchanged glances, seeing the strong business opportunity revealed in each other's eyes.
While others thought it was chaotic, but it wasn't, this piece of information was a golden opportunity for them!
If nothing else, look at the stock market. In the current situation, many people thought it was going to be chaotic, and the stock market was in a state of collapse. Investors and retail investors were practically scrambling to exit this troublesome place.
But this was precisely a golden opportunity to buy at the bottom!
Because if Li Chonglou was telling the truth, then the current signs were just an illusion. By the time they reacted, these stocks would definitely rebound!
Buying at the bottom and selling when it halted – wasn't that just making money?
And this was just one aspect!
The two of them wanted to return to their companies on the spot and start researching. Just as Yao was about to stand up, Ya Lili said with dissatisfaction, "You two, Brother Li is rarely treating us. Are you planning to ditch us?"
"Uh."
The two of them then realized their impulsiveness. Feng Zheng repeatedly apologized, "I'm sorry, I got too excited. No rush, no rush, let's eat first!"
Zhang Yu also quickly changed the subject and said, "Right, right, let's eat first. I'm just hungry. Brother Li, have you ordered yet?"
Li Chonglou smiled and shook his head, not bothering to argue with them. He pushed the menu towards Zhang Yu and said, "You guys arrived right after I booked the room, so I haven't ordered yet. Take a look at what you want to eat."
Ya Lili glared at Feng Zheng, who could only offer a sheepish smile.
Soon, the group returned to their old friendly state, chatting about everything under the sun. Li Chonglou also used this opportunity to inquire about Zhang Yu's family situation, intentionally or unintentionally.
Strictly speaking, the Zhang family was not one of the Eight Great Families or the Sixteen Renowned Families. This was why, when so many incidents occurred before, Zhang Yu's family had not sent anyone to help.
However, the Zhang family was not simple either. Firstly, the Zhang Corporation was managed by them. The Zhang Corporation was supported by two of the Eight Great Families and five of the Sixteen Renowned Families, creating a complex web of influence.
Therefore, in a sense, Zhang Yu's safety might not have been as good as Ya Lili's, but Ya Lili definitely did not have as much money as Zhang Yu.
This caused Li Chonglou to refrain from acting rashly even though he knew his target was Zhang Yu's father. In this intricate network of powers, although the Zhang family had the final say, it probably did not include Zhang Yu herself.
Li Chonglou couldn't rush Zhang Yu. He could only see if there was an opportunity to contact her brother, or gradually approach her father.
However, this was only one of his secondary objectives. As for Zhang Yu herself, Li Chonglou had long regarded her as a friend.
The meal passed quickly. Li Chonglou didn't make any progress with Zhang Yu, but he wasn't troubled or disappointed. Instead, he led them to another venue for entertainment and relaxation.
However, as they walked, Feng Zheng and Ya Lili became lovey-dovey again, drawing an eye-roll from Zhang Yu, who complained almost the entire evening.
Everyone dispersed around midnight.
Li Chonglou had drunk a little and felt exceptionally clear-headed. Thinking he wouldn't be able to sleep if he went back, he went for a walk by the park lake alone.
This park was specially developed by the city. Although it was close to the city center, it occupied a considerable area, with a green coverage rate of up to ninety percent.
It was Li Chonglou's first time here, but he immediately fell in love with the atmosphere.
Especially when he reached the lakeside, he could sense a faint trace of spiritual energy. However, the lake before him was clearly an artificial one, which made him curious.
How could an artificial lake have spiritual energy?
"It's not the lake that has spiritual energy, but that old tree."
A familiar voice suddenly came from the side. Li Chonglou instinctively turned his head to look.
"It's you?"
He saw Luo Feng dressed in a different outfit. He wore a fashionable trendy T-shirt on his upper body and seven-quarter pants, looking like a hip hop artist.
What Li Chonglou recognized him by was the pair of sunglasses he wore almost all the time.
But why was he here? And why did it seem like he was waiting for me?
Just as Li Chonglou was filled with confusion, Luo Feng walked towards him with a calm smile.
"This lake is called Lingxin Lake. Its purpose wasn't for citizens to admire, but for the thousand-year-old tree in the center of the lake."
Li Chonglou was immediately captivated by his words.
"You mean there's a tree in this lake? Won't it drown?"
Luo Feng shook his head. "It won't drown; it will even nourish it."
"Hmm? Are there such strange trees in the world? What is this tree called?"
By this time, Luo Feng had reached Li Chonglou's side. A wooden railing was built along the lake, and Luo Feng rested his hands on it.