By the roadside, Qin Chuan watched Yang Zimo's car until it disappeared from sight, only then reluctantly pulling his gaze back.
Back in the car, he lit a cigarette and took several deep puffs before his restless heart could calm down.
Deep down, he was truly reluctant to see Teacher Yang leave, but in reality, if Teacher Yang stayed any longer, the risk factor would only increase.
Once she discovered he was juggling two relationships, not only would he be unable to enjoy the blessings of multiple partners, but everything he currently had would likely vanish instantly.
So, it was better for Teacher Yang to leave; at least, this peace could be maintained for now.
However, Teacher Yang's sudden, unscheduled surprise inspection served as a red light warning for Qin Chuan, as no one could predict if she would pull another surprise visit next time.
If she were to surprise him without his knowledge, and he happened to be with Li Ya, then the game would be over.
"I must hurry and make money, and quickly improve my social status."
"Otherwise, the joy of multiple partners will forever remain a dream..."
After finishing his cigarette, Qin Chuan started the car and sped back towards the city.
He had a lunch engagement at noon, arranged by Shang Bingrong.
Last night, because he was hosting all the franchisees, Liu Dongqiang had stayed with him, and the dinner appointment with Shang Bingrong had naturally not been fulfilled.
He absolutely had to attend the lunch today, as Liu Dongqiang would be leaving in the afternoon.
Halfway to his destination, Qin Chuan received a call from his elderly mother, asking him to come to the supermarket.
"Mom, I'm swamped with company matters these past few days, with franchisees coming every day. I'm afraid I won't be able to make it!" Qin Chuan said.
He was joking; he wasn't stupid. Daring to visit his mother at this time would be like getting kicked by a donkey, and he would clearly be lectured.
The day Teacher Yang arrived, his mother had sent Qin Yang to tell him to visit, but Qin Chuan hadn't. Now that Teacher Yang had left and she was asking him again, Qin Chuan was even less likely to go.
He would only consider visiting the supermarket when he felt his mother's anger had subsided.
"You... you'll be the death of me! If you have the guts, don't ever come back!"
Jiang Cuihua, hearing her son's excuse, was so angry she cursed him on the phone.
Only after his mother hung up did Qin Chuan breathe a sigh of relief, and then, as if remembering something, he made a call.
"Brother Dao, tell your people to pull back. The crisis has been resolved!"
"Understood, Boss!"
Zheng Chengdao also seemed relieved. After all, this wasn't a glorious matter, and if Li Ya found out, she might make things difficult for him.
Back at the electronics factory, Qin Chuan found that although there were fewer franchisees today than yesterday, there were still quite a few, a total of seven.
At the same time, the number of people calling the franchise department for inquiries reached over a hundred daily.
These were all very good signs, proving that the extensive efforts made earlier were finally bearing fruit.
Time ticked towards noon, and Qin Chuan drove to the restaurant Shang Bingrong had booked.
As soon as he entered, he saw that everyone was already in the private room: Shang Bingrong and his wife, Shang Honglian, Liu Dongqiang, and the young man called Baozi.
"Sorry! Sorry! I'm late!"
Qin Chuan quickly apologized.
"It's alright, we just arrived too. Come, sit down quickly!"
Shang Bingrong's wife greeted him warmly.
Liu Dongqiang and Shang Honglian also chimed in with greetings. However, Qin Chuan keenly noticed that Shang Honglian seemed unusually downcast, appearing very low in spirits.
It seemed something had happened...
After Qin Chuan sat down, Shang Bingrong spoke:
"Qin Chuan, you've been a busy man these past two days. I heard you received at least ten franchise partnership agreements in a single day yesterday. Congratulations, congratulations!"
"Thank you, Uncle Shang!"
Qin Chuan expressed his gratitude.
"Boss Liu, where did you go sightseeing today? What are your impressions of our small county town?"
Qin Chuan turned his gaze to Liu Dongqiang and asked with a smile.
In the morning, Liu Dongqiang had toured the entire Yongnan County with Shang Honglian.
"It's quite similar to my hometown. Although it's a bit more backward, the people are simple and the lifestyle is peaceful. It's a great city to live in."
Liu Dongqiang replied.
Amidst laughter and chatter, steaming hot dishes were served.
Shang Bingrong raised his glass: "Come, Qin Chuan, Boss Liu, let's have a toast, the three of us!"
Qin Chuan and Liu Dongqiang quickly stood up.
Shang Bingrong was the bank president. Even if it was just in a small county town, both Qin Chuan and Liu Dongqiang still needed to show him great respect.
After a few rounds of drinks and dishes, Shang Bingrong's wife finally got to the point.
"Qin Chuan, I heard from Honglian that she and Boss Liu in Beijing have been researching something called an e-commerce platform. They say that in the future, people will be able to buy things online."
"But her father and I both feel it's a bit unreliable. Honglian said you understand these things. Can you explain it to us properly? Is this thing really reliable?"
Shang Bingrong's wife said.
"Her father and I feel that instead of doing such intangible things, it would be better to be down-to-earth and find a job. With my and her father's capabilities, I can truthfully say that we can easily arrange for Honglian to get a position in any department in our county, enjoying state benefits."
"Even working at your electronics factory would be much better than what she's doing now."
After Shang Bingrong's wife finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Qin Chuan, awaiting his answer.
Shang Honglian even became unusually nervous, and Liu Dongqiang looked on with anticipation.
Liu Dongqiang had more or less guessed the intentions of Shang Honglian's parents at this dinner, but this was not his domain, and he was an outsider.
The only one who could help was Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan scanned the room, taking in everyone's expressions. He roughly understood the reason for Shang Honglian's low spirits, and then smiled, saying, "Uncle Shang, Auntie, I understand how you feel."
"Honglian is your precious daughter. You only have one daughter, and often you want to keep your daughter close, even hoping she doesn't marry too far away in the future."
"Am I right?"
Shang Honglian, sitting beside him, blushed when Qin Chuan even brought up her future marriage, but she was equally curious to hear her parents' response.
"Qin Chuan, it seems we've invited the right person today. I don't know how your young mind works, but you understand so much at such a young age, even guessing the thoughts of older people like us."
Shang Bingrong said with a smile.
He then looked at his daughter's face and frankly admitted:
"Since Qin Chuan has brought the topic to this point, I might as well share my and her mother's thoughts. We've never told Honglian about this before."
Everyone listened quietly.
Shang Bingrong took a deep breath and slowly said:
"That's right, we only have this one daughter, and we truly don't want her to go too far. We would both be very worried."
"As for marrying in the future, of course, the closer, the better. Even if the family is a bit poor, it doesn't matter."