"Teacher, I heard as soon as I returned that you found your birth parents. Congratulations."
Jiang Wenhao greeted Wan Yunting with a hug in front of everyone, then smilingly congratulated him.
"Mm, come have a few drinks with me later."
Wan Yunting smiled and nodded at his secretary, Lucy. He had asked Jiang Wenhao to come over, implying their relationship no longer needed to be kept secret.
A wave of surprised, confused, and puzzled expressions swept across everyone present as they looked at Wan Yunting and Jiang Wenhao, not understanding their relationship or why Jiang Wenhao called him teacher!
Ouyang Xiuxian didn't recognize Jiang Wenhao, but Ouyang Xinyuan, Ouyang Yumeng, and the other younger siblings of the Ouyang family did. Furthermore, the elites from the business world and high society present generally knew Jiang Wenhao as the "Wolf of Wall Street" and a luminary in the domestic financial sector.
"Cousin, how do you know the great Jiang?"
Ouyang Xinyuan couldn't hold back his curiosity and voiced the collective question to Wan Yunting.
"We're friends who served time together." Wan Yunting turned back and said with a smile to Ouyang Xinyuan and the others.
The surrounding people looked stunned. Wan Yunting's past imprisonment was no longer a secret, and those who knew Jiang Wenhao were also aware that he had been imprisoned in Huadu City.
"We're not just friends; he's also my teacher!" Jiang Wenhao corrected.
"Teacher…?"
Everyone present was bewildered. Even Chen Shuai and Fang Ji, who hadn't left, looked at their idol in disbelief, questioning how he could say Wan Yunting was his teacher.
"Actually, the reason I got into finance was because my teacher taught me about it when he was in prison," Jiang Wenhao explained with a smile.
"What, he taught you?"
This statement caused all the young talents and socialites present to show exaggerated expressions, their eyes wide with disbelief as they looked at Wan Yunting and Jiang Wenhao. The impact of this news was immense.
Wan Yunting had recently become famous in Beijing as the long-lost son of Ouyang Zhixin and the Chairman of the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Association.
However, everyone had always believed that Wan Yunting's position as Chairman of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Association was due to his Ouyang family connections. Therefore, they only saw him as a TCM doctor and never associated him with the business world.
Yet, hearing Jiang Wenhao personally state that Wan Yunting was his mentor who opened the door to finance left everyone speechless, shocked, and incredulous.
"The Chaoting Financial Technology Group was actually built with my teacher's hands-on guidance!"
Jiang Wenhao then dropped another bombshell on everyone present, saying, "Therefore, he is the true chairman of the Chaoting Group!"
"Wow…"
A clamor erupted, and everyone present could no longer contain their emotions, their expressions and exclamations of surprise becoming exaggerated.
Ever since the Chaoting Group's headquarters was established in Huadu City, Jiang Wenhao had clearly stated that the group's true chairman was someone else, and he was only the vice-chairman. This mystery had piqued the curiosity of the financial world, both domestically and internationally, about who the true chairman behind the Chaoting Group was.
Now, with Jiang Wenhao revealing the answer in front of everyone, a hush fell over the crowd. Their wide eyes, filled with disbelief and astonishment, fell upon Wan Yunting. Ouyang Xinyuan, Ouyang Yumeng, and the other Ouyang family members behind him also looked at their cousin or older cousin with incredulous gazes. They had all considered this cousin to be merely a TCM doctor, never imagining he was the true chairman behind the Chaoting Group's financial empire!
This news exploded like a bomb in the hall, shocking everyone, and sparking constant discussion…
Chen Shuai and Fang Ji, hearing this news at the entrance, were completely dumbfounded. Just moments ago, they had been discussing how Wan Yunting was just an ordinary doctor and, without the Ouyang family, would have no right to enter the Chang'an Club and be their equal. Now, his hidden identity had completely stunned Chen Shuai and Fang Ji, leaving them dejected…
"The Ouyang family has struck gold this time!" someone remarked privately.
The rapid development of the Chaoting Group had already made it one of the top financial groups in the international financial arena, and a leader domestically. Jiang Wenhao, the financial wolf of China, who had swept through Wall Street, was the pride and idol of everyone in China's financial sector. Yet, behind such an idol of god-like status stood an even more formidable presence!
Instantly, the way everyone looked at Wan Yunting completely changed, filled with admiration, worship, and fervor. They could hardly imagine he had been so low-key, hiding his identity until now. This news would also spread like wildfire through Beijing's business circles overnight, undoubtedly appearing on the front pages the next day.
Next, Jiang Wenhao endured a barrage of toasting. Wan Yunting also became the center of attention for the younger Ouyang family members. Ouyang Xiuxian and Ouyang Xinyuan understood that with Wan Yunting's return, the family patriarch, Ouyang Shenhe, would surely pass the position of family head to his son Ouyang Zhixin's lineage. Therefore, building a good relationship with Wan Yunting was crucial, and the drinking could not be avoided.
"Brother Xian, let's find a place to get out and drink. I really don't feel comfortable in this kind of setting."
Watching the instant shift in people's attitudes and their eager attempts to toast him, Wan Yunting felt extremely uncomfortable.
"Let's go, I'll take you guys for some skewers."
Ouyang Xiuxian also disliked such fake social gatherings. He took Wan Yunting, Jiang Wenhao, Ouyang Xinyuan, Ouyang Yumeng, and a large group of younger siblings to leave the Chang'an Club and head to a secluded alley. There, an elderly couple was operating a barbecue stall. Although there were only a few small tables, it was quite busy.
"Uncle Huang, Auntie, business is booming!"
Ouyang Xiuxian greeted the elderly couple warmly.
"Oh, it's Little Xian, when did you get back?"
The elderly couple, upon seeing Ouyang Xiuxian, happily came out to welcome him, clearly recognizing and being familiar with him.
"I just got back today. I've brought my siblings to support your business!"
Ouyang Xiuxian gestured to Wan Yunting, Jiang Wenhao, Ouyang Xinyuan, and over thirty other younger cousins and relatives behind him. The elderly couple looked stunned, as did the patrons at the three tables. Seeing Ouyang Xinyuan and Ouyang Yumeng dressed in branded suits and evening gowns, clearly from high society, they wondered why they were in such a common place for skewers.
An incredible scene unfolded: Wan Yunting, Ouyang Xiuxian, Jiang Wenhao, and Ouyang Xinyuan sat around a small table on low stools, eating skewers and drinking beer, while Ouyang Yumeng's siblings stood around them, also eating lamb skewers and marveling at how delicious they were.
Wan Yunting and Jiang Wenhao chatted about company matters. They planned to relocate the company headquarters to Beijing after the Lunar New Year. Since Wan Yunting would be based in Beijing in the future, he needed to move the company there to allow Fang Yanxi to join him.
After discussing these matters, Ouyang Xiuxian interjected, discussing martial arts with Wan Yunting. As a secular disciple of the Shaolin sect, he also began drinking, quickly gaining admiration for Wan Yunting's extensive knowledge of martial arts.
It wasn't until past midnight that Wan Yunting and Ouyang Xiuxian took the younger siblings back. Jiang Wenhao, escorted by his secretary Lucy and six bodyguards, also returned to his hotel to rest.
Arriving home at two in the morning, his parents were already asleep. Wan Yunting quietly headed to his room, but the door next to his opened. Zhang Xian'er, dressed in a white coarse linen robe, peeked her head out. Wan Yunting was startled to see her and asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"
"I was asleep, but you woke me up!"
Zhang Xian'er gave him a lingering, lively glance with her peach blossom eyes and warned, "Keep it down…"
Wan Yunting blinked in surprise. He watched her close the door, thinking he had been quiet enough.
The next morning at six o'clock, Wan Yunting was meditating facing east on the rooftop. To his surprise, he found Zhang Xian'er sitting in the snow on the lawn in the front yard, also meditating. The girl seemed to sense him and turned her head to look at Wan Yunting on the rooftop, huffing, "What are you looking at?"
Wan Yunting blinked again, then smiled, "Good morning."
"Don't peek at me practicing," Zhang Xian'er warned, then turned back to continue her meditation.
Wan Yunting rolled his eyes speechlessly and stopped watching her, focusing on his meditation practice of the Eight Desolations Divine Skill. Although he had achieved enlightenment in the sword dao and the Great Dao Sword Art at the Jianya peak of the Wudang Sect, elevating his martial arts to a new level, he was still only at the late stage of Dan Jin. Wan Yunting's current goal was to break through to Gang Jin.
Gang Jin had only two realms: Outer Gang and Inner Gang!
Outer Gang was a stage that had stumped countless martial artists, leaving them stranded. Inner Gang was even more elusive; across all major sects, fewer than ten people had reached the Inner Gang realm, with Wudang Sect's leader Zhong Yulong being one of them.
Outer Gang required tempering the body to its peak, achieving an extraordinary level. This wasn't just about the auxiliary effects of internal energy, but truly relied on the power of the physical body. Sitting and cultivating internal energy was only part of it. Wan Yunting's next task was to temper his body, a process that was long and arduous. Martial artists who reached this stage couldn't expect to achieve it overnight, as doing so would be detrimental. However, at his age, possessing such martial arts cultivation was rare in the entire martial arts world across all major sects. But Zhang Xian'er downstairs was one of them, as was Zi Qing, the foremost sword practitioner of the Wudang Sect. And then, another person arrived…