Qin Chuan was, of course, unaware that his appearance would trigger an earthquake between two best friends.
At the moment, he was walking deeper into the banquet hall with Yang Longcheng and Huang Qi.
As the three passed by, Qin Chuan finally understood the extraordinary status of Yang Conglong and Huang Qi. Almost everyone they encountered greeted them enthusiastically, a clear indication of their unusual standing.
There were indeed hierarchies among the second generation of the wealthy, with some families possessing immense power and others having weaker influences. Those with lesser standing naturally showed utmost politeness and eagerness to greet the stronger ones.
Simultaneously, Qin Chuan felt many eyes focused on him, filled with various expressions, mostly curiosity.
People seemed to be guessing the origins of his unfamiliar face. Qin Chuan even felt many women's gazes on him, fiery and overtly bold.
Qin Chuan figured he was being mistaken for a scion of a powerful affluent family. If he were to leverage his elder brother-in-law and Huang Qi to bluff his importance, perhaps many women would fall for it and be willing to engage in all sorts of delightful interactions with him.
The quality of the women here was truly remarkable, each with fair skin and beautiful features, and not of humble origins.
"Conglong, Huang Qi, over here!"
Just as Qin Chuan's thoughts were drifting, he heard someone call out Yang Conglong and Huang Qi's names. He withdrew his thoughts and looked in the direction of the voice.
He spotted a round table where several men and women were seated. Among them, a pale and plump man was waving at them.
Yang Conglong led the way and embraced the other man, "It's been a while, our CEO Lü has gained some weight!"
"Haha, not too bad! Not too bad, just a slight gain of ten pounds. I plan to become a two-hundred-pound fatty! Completely set myself apart from you guys."
The other person said with a chuckle.
"He's Lü Xiaoshu, a shareholder of the Tai Steel Group," a faint voice came from beside Qin Chuan. It was Huang Qi introducing the plump man's identity.
Qin Chuan's heart stirred. Indeed, no one attending this birthday party was ordinary; everyone had a significant background.
Shanxi Province had many pillar industries, the most famous being coal and steel, both renowned nationwide.
Tai Steel Group was a leading enterprise in the steel market, an incredibly powerful entity with a market value exceeding a hundred billion.
For many, joining Tai Steel Group was akin to securing a lifelong, stable career, ensuring sustenance for life.
One could imagine the extent of influence held by a shareholder of such a massive corporation.
Suddenly, Qin Chuan's thoughts turned to the birthday boy. Although he knew An Nuo, he had no idea what An Nuo's family did.
To be able to invite top-tier second-generation wealthy individuals like Yang Conglong, Huang Qi, and Lü Xiaoshu suggested that An Nuo's family background was likely formidable.
"Conglong, this friend is..."
After greeting them, Lü Xiaoshu's gaze naturally fell on Qin Chuan's face, with a hint of curiosity.
The others also looked on, silent.
"Oh, this is Qin Chuan, a new brother I've met. He's a good person, so feel free to interact and look out for him in the future," Yang Conglong introduced.
"Hello everyone, I'm Qin Chuan. I'm not the kind of scion from a prominent family you might imagine, nor do I have any particular background. I'm just a small-time entrepreneur."
Qin Chuan stood up and introduced himself with a smile.
His demeanor was neither subservient nor arrogant. He didn't feel inferior due to his lack of a significant background, nor did he fawn over the wealthy individuals present. Instead, he appeared composed and at ease.
"Entrepreneurship? In which field are you venturing?" a woman with a charming mole near her eye asked curiously.
"I dabble in various things. I'm involved in real estate with others, and also in fashion. Recently, I've invested in an electronics factory to develop new products." Qin Chuan replied.
"So many?"
Everyone was surprised, even Yang Conglong and Huang Qi widened their eyes.
Their familiarity with Qin Chuan was more on an emotional level; they simply found him agreeable and rarely inquired about his business ventures.
Just as Qin Chuan hadn't asked about theirs, they only knew he was in real estate, and were unaware of his involvement in garment factories or electronics.
After all, a person's energy was limited, and excelling and growing strong in one field was already a remarkable achievement.
For Qin Chuan to venture into so many areas was truly eye-opening.
"Have there been any outstanding achievements?" someone else asked. This time, it was a man with single eyelids and small eyes. When he squinted, a flash of sharpness would occasionally appear, indicating a very intelligent individual.
His name was Ma Wenbo, and his family owned a copper mine.
"Hmm... it's not really a significant achievement yet!"
"Just over half a year ago, I was penniless. Now my assets are roughly over ten million!"
Qin Chuan said modestly, "Not comparable to any of you here!"
"Additionally, the electronics factory I recently invested in is working hard to develop new products. It won't be long before you see it on the news."
The previously lively conversation suddenly fell silent after Qin Chuan finished speaking.
Everyone looked at each other, seeing a reflection of surprise in each other's eyes.
A net worth of over ten million was not to be underestimated, even by them.
They were the children of the wealthy, and their families were indeed powerful. However, often, those assets or wealth weren't their own. Many present had not yet reached a net worth of ten million.
In the minds of many, the term "second-generation wealthy" was often negative, subconsciously conjuring images of profligate behavior, bullying, and a life of constant indulgence in wine and women.
Such situations did exist, and quite a few. After all, who among the daughters and sons of wealthy families didn't enjoy a bit of pleasure?
However, this did not mean all the second-generation wealthy were like that. In fact, for families with more wealth and deeper roots, the requirements for their children were often higher.
They received the best education from childhood, enjoyed the highest-tier resources, studied abroad to broaden their horizons, all in preparation for the future inheritance of the family business.
This group of people understood the difficulties of entrepreneurship.
This was especially true for someone who started from scratch.
Among everyone present, except for one or two who dared to venture into entrepreneurship, the others were hesitant to start their own businesses, preferring to inherit their family's businesses.
"Conglong, this... brother, does he really have assets in the tens of millions now?" Lü Xiaoshu asked in the quiet atmosphere.
Everyone else stared intently at Yang Conglong.
"Yes, he definitely has assets exceeding ten million. My sister also knows Qin Chuan and is even more familiar with him than I am. If you don't believe me, you can ask her later," Yang Conglong explained. He then added, "But honestly, I don't know much about his business, and I certainly didn't know he was also running a garment factory and an electronics factory."
"Qin Chuan also knows Zimuo?" Lü Xiaoshu and the others showed even greater surprise, more so than when they heard Qin Chuan was an entrepreneur with a net worth in the tens of millions.
"Yes, Zi Mo and I are friends. We actually met at the entrance just now!" Qin Chuan replied with a reserved smile.
"Qin Chuan, I also deal with electronics and am currently starting my own business. Can you tell me about your product?" the woman with the mole near her eye spoke up. She appeared to be in her mid-twenties, with a voluptuous figure and smooth, tender skin.
Qin Chuan showed a surprised expression, "May I ask for your name, sister?"
"Sister? Hehe, you might not be younger than me!" the woman said.
Qin Chuan grinned, "I'm twenty-two this year!"
The woman, who had been smiling charmingly, suddenly lost her smile, her expression becoming awkward. This caused the entire table to burst into laughter, drawing the attention of surrounding guests.
"My name is Fang Rumei, Mei as in the character for eyebrows, hehe. You can call me Sister Mei from now on!" the woman introduced herself, having good psychological resilience and recovering from her slight embarrassment.
"It seems I'll have another older sister from now on. Alas, being young means being at a disadvantage!" Qin Chuan muttered to himself.