Chapter 178 Coffee

Zheng Yongwen brought out an exquisite siphon pot to brew coffee for Su Yehao on the spot.

Suddenly, something came to mind.

At that moment, Zheng Yongwen asked, "I have a bag of genuine civet coffee here. Want to try it? A friend asked someone to send it to me, guaranteed authentic."

Su Yehao immediately felt like he was facing a formidable enemy, shaking his head without even thinking. "Forget it, I'd rather not indulge in such elegance. I don't mind trying the fake stuff, but the more genuine it is, the more scared I am. There used to be a lot of weeds on Emperor Crab Island. It seems birds ate the fruit and then…you know, it’s the same as this civet coffee."

Zheng Yongwen, with a calm expression, replied in a composed tone, "I drink a cup or two of coffee almost every day. Why do you think there's any left? I can't quite accept it either."

"You can't accept it, yet you still asked if I wanted to drink it?"

"How would I know if you didn't want to? Maybe you'd like it."

"..."

Waving his hand, Su Yehao changed the subject and continued to talk about serious matters: "What's your take on the American subprime mortgage crisis?"

Zheng Yongwen stared at him for a few seconds before asking in return, "You have so many financial experts working for you, each one more talented than the last. Do you really need to come to me for my opinion on something like this? Don't tell me you think I'm a lucky charm, that I can bring good luck to your business?"

"No, why would you think that?" Su Yehao asked curiously.

"Because I have a friend who always lights incense for the God of Wealth before adjusting his stock positions, and another friend who always eats fried noodles near his house before playing a soccer game."

Such things can be explained by psychology, just like Father Su always sends money to Wong Tai Sin, simply seeking psychological comfort.

Su Yehao's focus wasn't on this. He only asked, "Your friend can still play soccer games? He must be in great shape."

"... Shut up, I have some young friends too, okay? That guy is only thirty-three years old, and an amateur soccer game is still a game."

Zheng Yongwen hand-cranked the ground coffee beans with practiced ease, then said to Su Yehao, "I haven't paid much attention to it. It's just another case of economic overheating. With America's influence, if something goes wrong, it will inevitably trigger a global financial tsunami. Fortunately, I didn't encounter such a tricky problem during my time as CEO. I’m not the one who has to worry now. Lately, I've only been flipping through newspapers, so I probably don't know as much as you do."

Su Yehao clicked his tongue and said speechlessly, "You're being paid more than ten million Hong Kong dollars a year to retire?"

"To be honest, I do have some thoughts about retiring. I have to thank your Yanwen Group's soaring stock price, and my other investments have also been very profitable. Before I knew it, my net worth was already in the ten figures. The main thing is that the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is always the same old thing, day after day, wearing away my patience."

It was just the two of them in the office.

Although Su Yehao was the largest shareholder of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, he only held 8.2% of the shares.

Zheng Yongwen wasn't managed by him, nor was he afraid of losing his job, so he didn't bother to pretend to be serious.

As he himself said, his net worth had already exceeded one billion Hong Kong dollars. He'd taken financial freedom a step further, and couldn't see much progress in his career, so it was inevitable that he would feel tired and bored.

Su Yehao joked, "I've seen a lot of people in your state lately. A bunch of my executives have been choosing to jump ship and start their own businesses, and some have gone home to retire. No wonder the company needs to constantly replenish itself with fresh blood. Young people are more energetic. At least they have to buy houses, buy cars, and marry wives, forcing them to take their work seriously."

Thinking this way, Su Yehao didn't regret the departure of people like Ma and Chu Jun.

Rather than keeping these "old folks" passively slacking off, it's better to replace them with some serious newcomers. Which of these core professional managers who accompanied him in building his empire weren't wealthy people with net worths exceeding hundreds of millions? Su Yehao's promises were no longer attractive to them.

Zheng Yongwen took his words with a grain of salt, only replying, "Indeed, without them, no one would work, and how would the company continue to operate? The reason why internet companies are so powerful is probably also related to their youth. After many traditional companies have gone through hardships to complete their IPOs, the shareholders only think about cashing out at high prices and leaving, losing the ambition to continue moving forward."

Su Yehao seemed to be deep in thought, suddenly realizing, "No wonder I've been feeling strange lately, unable to muster any energy to do anything. It's probably because I've been spending too much time with you middle-aged guys. I should make more young friends, so I don't get dragged down by you, like there's some kind of invisible magnetic field that makes people drowsy."

Zheng Yongwen said with a smile, "Although that's a bit of a dig at me, I admit you're right. My wife is always worried that I'll fool around outside, as if I still have that kind of thought, which is a real hassle. Only an energetic young man like you would like it."

Su Yehao shook his head and replied, "I'm not who I used to be. Treat me with fresh eyes after three days apart. The post-90s generation has already started turning eighteen, and I've become an old senior in their eyes, growing up listening to my stories. Isn't that scary?"

"... That's because you're too much of a freak, okay? How many people can get tens of millions of Hong Kong dollars to invest before they even graduate from high school?"

Zheng Yongwen felt a sense of insignificance when he thought about how Su Yehao was only in his twenties.

Thinking of this, Zheng Yongwen added, "Then it's settled. You should spend less time with me in the future, and I should spend less time with you, so that I don't get hit so hard whenever I start to feel like my life is worthwhile. I just want to live comfortably now."

"Brother Yong, don't think like that. It sounds like you're about to run away too. Strike while the iron is hot, then wane, and finally exhaust. Once you lie down, it won't be easy to get up and work again."

Su Yehao lived in a different circle.

There were fewer people his age around him, and more middle-aged people in their forties and fifties.

After a few years of bull market, they had all become rich and prosperous, and inevitably began to consider retiring or switching to a new track.

This led to the familiar people who had accompanied him in building his empire beginning to scatter, each with their own new pursuits...

On the way home after drinking coffee.

Su Yehao's phone rang. He picked it up and saw a message from Zhao Yimeng, which read, "Do you remember what you promised me? I'm waiting for you at the Four Seasons Hotel."

He'd just said that he should be treated with fresh eyes after three days apart, but after seeing this text message, Su Yehao began to waver again.

After hesitating for a short while, he replied, "Which Four Seasons are you at?"

Zhao Yimeng only sent a picture.

The scenery outside the window looked a little familiar to Su Yehao. He loaded the picture and zoomed in for a closer look. Good lord, it really was the Tower Bridge in London.

Ten thousand alpacas ran through Su Yehao's heart.

After thinking it over again and again, he called Miss Zhao directly, but unfortunately, no one answered...