After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

Liu Guangjin and President Hou also looked over.

Gong Yuelong put down his teacup, smiled, looked at Zheng Tao, and spoke with a sincere tone tinged with admiration:

"I wouldn't presume to say I have any plans. What Mr. Zheng just said has truly broadened my horizons."

He shook his head, appearing very honest. "Levels, operations, emotional value... I rarely hear these words, let alone ponder them."

"The kind of tricks and advanced techniques that Mr. Zheng mentioned... are beyond our reach and we can't learn them."

These words sound like nothing but flattery and self-deprecation, praising Zheng Tao's empty rhetoric to a high degree while relegating the actual work they did to a low-level category.

On the surface, they yielded, but in reality, they drew a clear line: you play your games, I'll do my real work.

Zheng Tao felt completely satisfied, especially the words "unreachable" and "unlearnable," which really hit the nail on the head.

An undisguised smugness spread across his face. All his previous displeasure had vanished, and he even found Gong Yuelong more agreeable. This man was quite sensible; he knew his own limitations.

"Hehe, Mr. Gong, don't underestimate yourself. Practical work is fundamental and important."

He waved his hand, his tone clearly conveying superiority and tolerance, as if he were genuinely giving pointers to those who were less advanced.

Liu Guangjin and President Hou exchanged a glance but remained silent.

They certainly understood the subtle barb in Gong Yuelong's words, but that didn't stop them from thinking that this Boss Gong was quite shrewd in his words and deeds.

They don't argue or quarrel, they don't show off, but they never suffer any loss.

Zheng Tao was satisfied and continued his long conversation with Liu and Hou.

I no longer intend to pay attention to Gong Yuelong, that old-fashioned, low-class person.

Gong Yuelong picked up his teacup again, finally finding some peace and quiet.

The door to the tea room was pushed open again.

The first thing that caught my eye was the gentle smile of Yang Ruyan, the owner of Juxian Pavilion.

She stepped aside and gestured for the person behind her to proceed.

"Mr. Liu, Mr. Hou, Young Master Zheng, and Mr. Gong, excuse me for disturbing you. I brought two friends over for a chat. I hope you all don't mind?"

As she spoke, Yu Yue and Yu Lili walked in.

Yu Yue remained as elegant and poised as ever, dressed in a beige suit and carrying a designer handbag. Her smile was just right, and when her gaze fell upon Gong Yuelong, her eyes paused almost imperceptibly before returning to their usual calm.

Yu Lili followed beside her, dressed brightly, with lively eyes, quickly locking onto Liu Guangjin, President Hou, and the well-dressed Zheng Tao as her focus.

Yang Ruyan introduced them with a light touch and a natural tone:

"This is Ms. Yu Yue, and this is her sister, Lili."

They were also very interested in the development of the High-tech Zone, especially the major plans for the eastern area. Hearing that the two CEOs were here, they wanted to meet them and hear their insights.

Her introduction not only clarified her purpose but also elevated the status of Liu and Hou, while also explaining why she had brought people along. Her words were tactful and watertight.

Liu Guangjin and President Hou were clearly very polite to Yang Ruyan, and both stood up.

President Hou was all smiles:

"Welcome, friend, introduced by Boss Yang! Please have a seat!"

Yu Yue nodded her thanks to Yang Ruyan, then looked at Liu and Hou, her voice gentle:

"I apologize for disturbing you two executives."

Only then did she seem to notice the others, turning her gaze to Zheng Tao, smiling and nodding: "Young Master Zheng."

Finally, her gaze returned to Gong Yuelong, pausing for a slightly longer half-second, her tone becoming flat and polite: "Boss Gong."

Yu Lili was more outgoing, greeting everyone along with her sister, sweetly calling out "General Manager Liu" and "General Manager Hou."

He addressed Zheng Tao as "Young Master Zheng," but when it was Gong Yuelong's turn, his expression was slightly complicated, and his voice was lower.

"...President Gong."

Zheng Tao quickly stood up as well, smiling warmly, "You two ladies are too kind, please have a seat!"

He greeted them verbally, but his heart skipped a beat, followed by a surge of tension and excitement.

The experts have already caught wind of this? One is from a project company, the other is a building materials company... the competitors are already showing up!

It seems that the waters in the eastern part of the city are deeper and more alluring than he had imagined.

The increased pressure only made him more certain that the connections Liu and Hou possessed were genuine and could be the key to changing the overall situation.

Otherwise, Yang Ruyan wouldn't have brought people here so easily, and these two women wouldn't have come straight here.

He glanced at the still silent Gong Yuelong, then quickly swept his gaze over the Yu sisters, a sense of crisis mixed with a strange sense of superiority rising within him once more.

Look, this is the real stage worth fighting for.

He needs to work even harder.

With his mind made up, Zheng Tao's smile was radiant, and he became even more attentive in pouring tea and serving water. His gaze toward Liu Guangjin and President Hou was so fervent that it almost seemed to burn.

The little calculation in my mind was running very fast:

Every word and gesture must be carefully considered from now on, so that the two true masters can clearly see who the most valuable collaborator is.

In his eyes, this small tea room had become a strategic high ground that he had to seize.

Liu Guangjin and President Hou chatted with Yu Yue and her sister for a while, asking some polite questions.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Liu Guangjin put down his cup and gave President Hou a look.

"Please sit down, everyone. We'll be going out for a bit." He stood up.

President Hou stood up and said, "Yes, yes, together."

The two left the tea room one after the other, skipped the restroom, and went straight to a small, deserted balcony at the end of the corridor.

As soon as he closed the door, Liu Guangjin's smile vanished, and he took out a cigarette and lit it.

"How so?" he asked.

"That kid from the Zheng family, he's starving, easy to fool." President Hou lit a cigarette, speaking quickly.

"Those two women, the older one is quite skilled, she probably won't let go until she sees the real deal. The younger one is lively, but impatient, she's probably just trying her luck."

Liu Guangjin nodded: "That's pretty much what we were thinking. The key is Zheng Tao. We need to give him some incentives so the hook will stick deeper. We need to make him feel that with a little more effort, he'll be able to get in."

Mr. Hou smiled: "Got it. Draw a big picture, make him feel that every penny is spent wisely."

"Yes. Let's leave those two women alone for now and see how they react."

If they verify the information we gave Zheng Tao through other channels, it will actually make us seem more reliable.

Liu Guangjin stubbed out his cigarette. "What about Gong Yuelong..."

"They're not on the same wavelength, let him go." President Hou waved his hand.

The two exchanged their words, adjusted their expressions, and returned to the tea room one after the other.

They had barely sat down and hadn't even spoken when Gong Yuelong put down his teacup and stood up.

"Mr. Liu, Mr. Hou..." He nodded in turn, "There's an urgent matter at the construction site, I'll have to go first. You can continue your conversation."

After saying that, he nodded to Yang Ruyan, turned around and left without the slightest hesitation.

Zheng Tao only gave a perfunctory reply, "Take care, Boss Gong," his mind entirely on the two people opposite him.

Yu Yue watched Gong Yuelong's departing figure, her eyes flickered, but she remained silent.

Yu Lili pouted, thinking that this person was still so boring.

We chatted for about fifteen minutes, just going through the motions.

Yu Yue realized that Liu and Hou were using the same empty words over and over again.

All promises are like mist floating on tea smoke; they seem there, but when you reach out to grasp them, they vanish.

For her, it was too inefficient and too bland.

Yu Lili initially tried to join in the conversation, but seeing that her sister was not interested and that Liu and Hou's responses to her were mostly perfunctory, her enthusiasm waned.

She secretly glanced at Zheng Tao's eager expression, as if he wanted to stick close to her, and thought to herself that this young master was a bit silly.

Yu Yue gracefully set down her teacup, picked up her handbag, and stood up: "President Liu, President Hou, Young Master Zheng, Boss Yang, thank you for your hospitality. We have some other matters to attend to, so we won't disturb you any longer."

Yu Lili also stood up and forced a smile.

The tea room door closed again, leaving only Liu Guangjin, General Manager Hou, and Zheng Tao inside. Yang Ruyan did not return after seeing the guests off.

Zheng Tao felt a sense of relief, followed by immense excitement.