Rebirth 05: From Coal Mine Owner to Mobile Phone Tycoon

Lin Shaoyang was in such a hurry that he didn't notice the people around him.

I stopped to take a look, and wow, even the biggest stars were there.

Why is there a woman who spilled red wine?

Why does it look so familiar?

Upon further reflection...

Isn't that the woman who bumped into Lu Yuan at the door?

Then look at the empty wine glass that Lu Yuan is shaking in his hand.

Lin Shaoyang secretly gave a thumbs up.

The woman was helped to the restroom by her friend once again.

"Did you spill it?"

"Huh? You can't possibly wrong me," Lu Yuan said with an innocent look.

"I was just trying to shake the red wine to get the foam out, and I accidentally slipped."

Lin Shaoyang thought to himself, "I can't believe a single word you say unless it's about serious matters."

"Why are you in such a hurry? What happened?"

"I just spoke with Mr. Zheng Qian, and he would like to meet with you after the dinner later."

Fearing that Lu Yuan might not be familiar with it, Lin Shaoyang explained it further.

"Mr. Zheng's grandfather was knighted by the Queen of England."

"When Mr. Zheng was young, his behavior and style were quite similar to his grandfather's, so everyone jokingly called him 'Little Sir Zheng'."

"Over time, people got used to it and have continued to use it as a term of respect."

"So," Lu Yuan said thoughtfully, "this banquet originated with Sir Zheng?"

Lin Shaoyang nodded

"Sir Zheng's ancestral home is also in the mainland, but I don't know which specific region. However, his hometown holds a feast every year on the second day of the second lunar month."

"Sir Zheng brought this habit with him, and he would host a banquet for relatives and friends every year."

"As Sir Zheng's business grew bigger and bigger and his social status rose higher and higher, this family-style gathering gradually turned into the dinner party we see today."

Lu Yuan suddenly realized that if Lin Shaoyang hadn't mentioned it, he would have forgotten that today was already the second day of the second lunar month, the day when the dragon raises its head.

Indeed, it's been over a month since I led the brothers south to make mobile phones after the Chinese New Year. Things have been coming up one by one, and my days are packed with tasks.

Sometimes I forget to look at the calendar.

I haven't been paying attention to the situation in Shenzhen these past few days, and I don't know how Lao San and the others are doing with things.

And then there's Attorney Zhang, that sexy, mature woman. I wonder how her case is going. Did she notice the test I set for her?

"So, we're going to meet the host of this banquet in a little while?"

"That's right. In addition to inheriting the Zheng family business, Sir Zheng is also a shareholder of HSBC and the CEO of HSBC Investment Management."

"They hold nearly 50 billion yuan in funds, including bonds, stocks, futures, and so on."

"It's also the largest brokerage firm in Hong Kong."

Lu Yuan immediately understood why Lin Shaoyang wanted him to come to the banquet.

Lu Yuan was also very fortunate that he had done his homework this afternoon.

This is exactly what came in handy.

"So please don't run around later, okay?"

Lu Yuan waved his hand dismissively, "You're not a child anymore, what do you mean by running around?"

A waiter, constantly weaving through the crowd, came to Lu Yuan and his companions and took the empty wine glass from Lu Yuan's hand.

"Sir, Madam, our dinner is ready. You may proceed to the restaurant."

The waiter kept making quiet reminders to everyone in the crowd.

The crowd began to slowly move towards the restaurant.

Lu Yuan and his companions didn't linger. They walked through an arcade inlaid with Venetian stained glass from the salon and followed the crowd to the restaurant.

This is a magnificent space that is over fifty meters long and twenty-five meters wide, and its imposing presence comes primarily from its eight-meter-high dome.

The dome is not a monotonous flat surface, but rather features a group of angels and the goddess of harvest depicted in intricate plaster reliefs.

A half-ton Baroque crystal chandelier hangs from the center, its thousands of teardrop-shaped crystals refracting light like a frozen shower of stars.

On both sides of the hall, twelve floor-to-ceiling windows, each four meters high, stand symmetrically, and the floor is paved with the finest white marble from Carrara.

Its smooth, mirror-like surface is inlaid with huge radial geometric patterns made of natural stone of different shades, resembling a stone rose blooming on the ground.

The moonlight, after being reflected and softened by the windows and the ground, coated every inch of the air in the hall with a pearly luster.

Eight walnut wood dining tables, arranged in two rows and four columns and stretching over twenty meters long, are adorned with silver candlesticks and crystal wine glasses that gleam in the sunlight.

At the very front of the hall is a stage, and behind the stage, glass doors open to connect with the outdoor balcony.

Six display stands were set up in front of the stage, with the auction items to be auctioned tonight under glass cases, allowing everyone to preview them.

This was Lu Yuan's first time attending such a long table banquet. Suddenly, he felt as if he had arrived at a strange place.

Holgwarts!

This looks just like a scene from a movie.

"So, how should we sit? Anywhere is fine?"

Lu Yuan asked Lin Shaoyang in a low voice.

"Apart from the few seats closest to the stage, which are the ones with name tags on the table, the rest are all casual. If you're really unsure, just ask the waiter for help."

After listening, Lu Yuan led the way to a seat near the front of table number 6.

"Aren't you going to sit in the front row?" Lin Shaoyang asked when Lu Yuan stopped.

"There are too many big shots in front of me," Lu Yuan shook his head, "It's uncomfortable. I feel fine."

A tall, elegant middle-aged woman was already seated at the very front of table number 6.

Zhou Mei looked around and chose to sit opposite the beautiful woman, while Lu Yuan sat next to Zhou Mei to her left.

Lin Shaoyang greeted the beautiful woman and sat down next to her, opposite Lu Yuan.

This made Lu Yuan a little curious, as the beautiful woman opposite him had come alone.

Moreover, the beautiful woman's face seemed somewhat familiar to Lu Yuan, but he couldn't quite place her.

I was just about to say hello, have a chat, and catch up to avoid any awkwardness later.

Then I heard a series of quick footsteps beside me.

Wang Fei walked to Lu Yuan's right and pulled out a chair to sit down.

"Aren't you going with Sister Xue'er and the others?"

Lu Yuan was slightly surprised to see that it was Wang Fei.

Wang Fei then pointed to the position of long table number 4 on the right front.

"They've all gone over there. It's mostly production companies and investors with connections to the entertainment industry."

Lu Yuan said "Oh," and to put it simply, they were the sugar daddies.

"Then why don't you go?"

"No," Wang Fei shook her head. "They're too boring. I'd rather stay here and have some peace and quiet."

Indeed, given Wang Fei's personality, no one can force her to do things she doesn't want to do, which is somewhat similar to Zhou Mei.

"Aren't you afraid of offending those big spenders?"

Wang Fei smiled slyly.

"That word 'you' is quite vivid and descriptive."

Indeed, the term "sugar daddy" won't appear for another 10 years.

But that doesn't stop everyone from understanding the joke in it.

"Besides, those people are much more generous than you, their new sugar daddy."

"He threw away a hundred million in one go!"