Lin Chen smiled. "What a coincidence. President Chen recommended a client to me—Song Qingquan, the Third Master of the Song Family."
Xu Guofeng's eyes widened in surprise.
Chen Zhian had actually recommended someone from the Song Family.
"Dad, who are the key figures in the Song Family?"
"The Old Master Song is still alive, in his eighties. He has three sons. The eldest, Song Shize, is the Family Head and manages most of the family's affairs. The second is Song Shikang, and the third is Song Qingquan."
Lin Chen paused. "Aren't Song Qingquan and Song Shize from the same mother?"
Xu Guofeng nodded. "Old Master Song's first wife passed away, and he remarried in his thirties. His second wife gave birth to Song Qingquan. The Three Song Brothers get along well with each other."
"At least on the surface."
Lin Chen pondered. The Song Family possessed vast assets, and the three brothers would have enough to divide. But if any of them harbored ambitions, their harmony might not last.
*If they don't get along, that might be for the best,* Lin Chen thought to himself.
If the Three Song Brothers united, the Song Family would become a formidable force against him, creating far greater trouble for him in the future.
"Dad, if I get close to Song Qingquan, would that be good or bad?" Lin Chen asked.
"It should be beneficial," Xu Guofeng replied after a moment's thought. "If the three brothers are close, your good relationship with Song Qingquan would likely improve your ties with the rest of the Song Family. If they're divided, your close ties with Song Qingquan would give you strategic flexibility—you could advance or retreat as needed. If Song Shize decides to oppose us, you could support Song Qingquan. If he chooses not to, he'd likely try to win you over instead."
Lin Chen nodded. "With Old Master Song still alive, Song Shize will probably try to maintain good relations with us."
"Indeed," Xu Guofeng said with a slight smile. "As long as Old Master Song lives, the three brothers are unlikely to turn on each other."
"Then let's focus on building good relations with the Song Family first, and then find a way to severely crush the Wu Family!"
"Let's cripple the Wu Family first."
***
Hangzhou was where Song Qingquan lived.
"President Chen, what brings you here?" Song Qingquan asked with a hearty laugh as he greeted Chen Zhian.
He had met Chen Zhian several times before, but their relationship wasn't particularly close. Song Qingquan was puzzled as to why Chen Zhian had suddenly come to visit his home.
"President Song, long time no see," Chen Zhian replied with a smile.
The two quickly entered Song Qingquan's villa.
"President Song, is your daughter home?" Chen Zhian asked as soon as they sat down.
"Brother Chen, why do you ask?" Song Qingquan's expression turned noticeably colder.
His daughter was seventeen years old and stood at 1.65 meters. She had once been a beautiful girl, but she had developed anorexia and now weighed less than 30 kilograms.
She could be described as skin and bones.
His daughter was his sore spot. He didn't want others to mention her, nor did he want them to pity her.
Chen Zhian said, "Please don't misunderstand, President Song. I came today to tell you about someone who cooks incredibly delicious food. Your daughter might enjoy it."
"Perhaps after a few meals, she could recover."
Song Qingquan's expression softened slightly.
"President Chen, I'm afraid it won't work."
"I've had her try countless exquisite dishes from around the world."
Song Qingquan shook his head.
Chen Zhian replied, "I've eaten my share of fine cuisine, but even state banquets pale in comparison to Master Lin's creations. To me, they're utterly unremarkable."
"Hmm?"
Surprise flickered in Song Qingquan's eyes.
"Is it really that delicious?"
Chen Zhian nodded. "It's an unparalleled delicacy. Master Lin only prepares three to five tables per month, and the ingredients are self-provided. Each table costs one million yuan to prepare."
"But that million yuan is an investment worth every penny."
Song Qingquan frowned. "Only three to five tables a month?"
"Yes."
"Each table has ten dishes, and they can be packaged to go. That way, a single person can enjoy the dishes from one table for about ten meals."
Chen Zhian explained.
"Can't you pay him more to make extra tables?" Song Qingquan asked.
Chen Zhian shook his head. "Master Lin isn't motivated by money. His wife's family is worth tens of billions, and while he doesn't have that much himself, he'll never run out of money in a lifetime."
"Each guest can recommend one other person. Knowing your daughter's situation, I recommended you."
"President Song, you might want to give it a try."
Song Qingquan said, "My daughter isn't keen on going out. President Chen, could you arrange for the chef to come to our home instead?"
"I'm willing to increase the fee."
Chen Zhian shook his head. "President Song, I can't do that. I had the same idea before, but I didn't want to force my father. In the end, I took him to the restaurant myself."
"My father was absolutely delighted."
"If you truly care about your daughter, don't try to force this. Confronting Master Lin directly will only end badly."
Song Qingquan asked, "What's Master Lin's name?"
"Master Lin is named Lin Chen," Chen Zhian replied. "He's very young, only in his twenties."
Surprise flashed in Song Qingquan's eyes. "So young? President Chen, if he's so young and his cooking is so exceptional, could there be something wrong with his food?"
"Rest assured, President Song, it's absolutely safe," Chen Zhian assured him.
Song Qingquan nodded. "Your reassurance puts me at ease. Please give me Lin Chen's contact information."
Chen Zhian provided Lin Chen's phone number.
"I hope you get what you wish for, President Song," Chen Zhian said, rising to leave.
Song Qingquan quickly dialed Lin Chen's number. "Mr. Lin, this is Song Qingquan. President Chen suggested I contact you about reserving a lunch."
"When can I make an appointment?" Lin Chen asked, surprised. Chen Zhian should have mentioned his name, but Song Qingquan's tone suggested he knew nothing about his dealings with the Wu Family.
"President Song, how about three days from now?" Lin Chen suggested. "Please try to prepare the ingredients your daughter used to love."
"Understood, Mr. Lin. We'll see you in three days. There will be three of us: my wife, my daughter, and myself."
"My daughter's situation is a bit special. She doesn't like meeting strangers..."
"In that case, President Song, you can arrive a bit later," Lin Chen said. "I'll leave before 11:55, so you can come between 11:55 and 12:00."
"Thank you for your understanding, Mr. Lin."
After hanging up, Song Qingquan sighed. Persuading his daughter to leave the house would be no small feat.
***
The laboratory where Chen Guoxiang was located.
"Experiment progress: 90%, 91%, 92%—"
The supercomputer reported the experiment's progress in real-time.
Chen Guoxiang watched intently.
If the experiment succeeded, it would confirm Lin Chen's theory. This theory could have far-reaching implications for many aspects of the nation.
By pointing the way forward, it could save the country vast sums of money and countless hours of research time.
"99%!"
"100%!"
The experiment concluded—a success!
"Phew!"
Chen Guoxiang let out a long sigh of relief.
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
The surrounding crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause. Despite over a dozen failures, this single success made it all worthwhile.
"Collect all data immediately!"
"This experiment is crucial. Maintain strict confidentiality."
Chen Guoxiang said in a low, serious tone.
Back in his office, Chen Guoxiang made a call. "Director Yang, the experiment was successful. It succeeded according to Academician Lin's guidance."
Director Yang's interest was piqued. "Academician Chen, you completed it based on Mr. Lin's guidance?"
"Yes... After my failures, I raised some questions, and Mr. Lin responded within hours. His overall competence far surpasses mine," Chen Guoxiang said.
"Academician Chen, you mean—"
"Director Yang, I can't claim credit for this success. The credit belongs entirely to Academician Lin."
"Academician Chen, I will report this to my superiors."
He quickly informed his superior. "Leader, I need to report something—"
Director Dong relayed the information upward again.
The security level for Lin Chen's situation might need to be raised.
Ten minutes passed.
Director Dong checked the system.
He discovered he no longer had the authority to access Lin Chen's information.
-----------------------
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