I didn't continue watching the performance and turned to head upstairs to Lan Ya's office.
When I entered, he was standing in the center of the room, his back to the door, on the phone. I stood at the entrance for a while, and he still didn't know I was there.
Seeing that she really couldn't finish her call, I didn't greet him and walked straight to the sofa and sat down.
She then saw me, her mouth gaping in surprise. She quickly hung up the phone and rushed over to me, throwing herself into my arms.
I nudged the door with my mouth, signaling that it wasn't locked. If someone were to push it open, what would these two bosses be doing?
She completely ignored me, quickly pulled aside what needed to be moved, and without a word, initiated a forceful take-down, leaving me utterly disarmed.
Alas, can't we just sit down and have some tender moments? Every time, it's a storm of her overwhelming me.
We both got up, tidied our clothes, and then sat down to talk.
I recounted my experiences of the past two days. She said in surprise, "I always thought our opponent was Wu Guodong. I didn't expect we misunderstood him."
I replied, "Not only was it not him, but he also saved my life. If I hadn't been tricked by Wang Dong again this time. However, fate is a cycle; he was tricked by his master and lost his life."
Lan Ya: "Yes, what they say is true: 'Those who do evil will perish by their own hands.' That describes this kind of person."
I said, "Who brought in the resident singer downstairs? It's quite good. Much better than just dancing before."
Lan Ya: "It wasn't any particular person. They found us themselves and discussed their request to perform. They don't charge us anything, only earn through tips. We earn from drink sales."
This model is good. How much you earn depends on yourself.
I said, "We can also promote this model in our other establishments."
Lan Ya: "I've thought of it, but there aren't many suitable teams. Some are too unskilled, and for others, the terms are difficult to agree upon. We'll have to find them gradually; it's not something that can be done in a day or two."
Lan Ya continued, "You'll need to make time these few days for us to get involved in the farm project. I've found a planner who wants us to have a meeting first to set the direction, after which he can develop the plan."
I said, "Please pay close attention to the farm development. I might be very busy lately, but I do have time for a meeting. You set the time."
I stood up. She asked, "What, are you leaving?"
I said, "Now that I'm back, don't I have to report in?"
Lan Ya: "If you don't hand over the 'public grain' when you get back, won't Sister Jing Lei devour you?"
I said, "You underestimate me too much. Why don't you test me and see if there's any 'public grain' left?"
Lan Ya: "Let's forget it. I can't be too ruthless, after all, Jing Lei is my good sister. You should hurry back. We'll find time to meet tomorrow."
She hugged me again before letting me go. I reciprocated, then got up and went downstairs, calling Wen Siqiang to drive me back.
It was still lively downstairs. I didn't look again, instructed Qian Fugui to keep a close eye on things, and then left by car to go home.
I didn't call Jing Lei. When I rang the doorbell, she took a while to confirm it was me. The moment she opened the door, she threw herself into my arms, hooked her arms around my neck, and kissed me.
I picked her up, closed the door with my foot, and carried Jing Lei to the sofa.
This is the biggest difference between Jing Lei and Lan Ya. She never rushes straight to the point, but rather lingers with you, letting your heart completely melt.
Only when both of us were exhausted did we collapse onto the sofa, holding each other, unwilling to get up.
The night passed without incident. In the morning, I turned on my fully charged phone, got ready, and waited for Jing Lei to make me breakfast.
She was busy in the kitchen. Soon, steaming hot dishes were placed on the table. She handed me chopsticks and then sat down to eat with me.
She asked, "What are you doing today?"
I said, "The land we own is about to start construction. Lan Ya said she's arranged to meet with the planner, and we'll have a meeting to set the direction so they can develop a plan."
Jing Lei: "You mentioning it reminds me. We'll need a lot of capital for development, and we still have a significant shortfall. We need to find ways to earn more money."
I said, "Later this afternoon, let's go to the Ong Brothers. We can see if we can gamble on some good raw jade. I haven't touched stones in a while; I'm getting a bit rusty."
Jing Lei hummed and then took my empty bowl to serve more porridge.
Every time I eat Jing Lei's cooking at home, I always have seconds. I always feel like I haven't eaten enough and want more. If this continues, I'll definitely get fat.
I really didn't want to put down my chopsticks; the food was too delicious. I wished I could keep eating like this.
But my stomach was already protesting, and I couldn't eat anymore.
Reluctantly, I pushed my bowl and chopsticks forward, resolutely unable to eat any more.
I stood up and went to the full-length mirror to adjust my attire. Just then, Wen Siqiang's call came in; he was waiting for me downstairs.
In the car, I called the senior. He said he had found a lead regarding Brother Hui's container drug smuggling and that he was rushing back today. He would tell me the details when we meet.
I hung up. With a lead, it would be easier; the matter now had a direction.
Today, the divine doctor was returning to the mountain. He needed to go up to collect medicinal herbs, some of which required processing before they could be used as medicine. There were also many other tasks to be done.
We arrived at the hotel, accompanied him to buy some daily necessities on the street, and then took him to the station.
Waving goodbye to the divine doctor, after a few days of spending time together, I felt he was like an elder to me – kind, benevolent, and caring. Being with him felt secure.
At this moment, Lan Ya called, saying the meeting was at ten in the morning at Jing Lei's commercial building office.
I agreed and then called Jing Lei, asking her to wait for us there.
This matter was not suitable for discussion at the raw stone base. Although I had a private office there, the farm development was our own business. It was best to keep the company matters separate, and discussing it there wouldn't be appropriate.
I told Wen Siqiang to go to the commercial building. Wen Siqiang acknowledged and, at the next intersection, made a U-turn, heading towards Jing Lei's commercial building.
The car stopped at the entrance of the commercial building. The building was having a promotion, with many people queuing to enter.
I saw Jing Lei on the first floor, standing in the lobby, watching the busy crowd.
I walked in, and Jing Lei, seeing me approach, gestured upstairs, telling me to go up first as she had to stay there for a while longer.
I didn't go up; I stood beside her.
Today was the 30th anniversary of the mall's opening. To reward new and old customers, all jade items below mid-range were buy-one-get-one-free, plus a three-year membership. With the membership card, customers could enjoy a 20% discount on everything in the mall.
This time, Jing Lei had truly invested heavily. The scale of the discounts was unprecedented in the entire city.
Of course, this was also a marketing strategy. Since it only applied to items below mid-range, these were the jade pieces with the largest inventory but typically lower sales, making them somewhat difficult to move. Thus, offering them as a promotion, while seemingly reducing profits, actually helped to recoup capital, making it a win-win situation.