The fat man, seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere inside the private room, entered. He glanced around, and when he saw Chen Yang, his eyes lit up. A mixture of apology and fear crossed his face as he quickly stepped forward, bowing slightly and saying,
"Mr. Fang, I'm so sorry! So sorry! There was a little trouble on the way, I'm late…"
Chen Yang was also completely bewildered. He looked at the fat man carefully, confirming he had never seen him before, and asked, puzzled,
"Sir, may I ask who you are…"
At this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the fat man. No one noticed that Lu Guoliang's expression changed the moment the fat man entered, and he seemed to sober up somewhat. And when he saw the fat man's respectful attitude towards Chen Yang, his face turned deathly pale.
The fat man patted his head, smiling sheepishly, and said,
"Oh my forgetfulness, I forgot to introduce myself! Mr. Fang, my name is Cheng Dakai, and I'm the general manager of Qiankun Real Estate Company. Our Qiankun Group's President Leng instructed me to attend your investment promotion banquet, but I ran into a little trouble on the way, so I'm only arriving now. I'm truly sorry!"
Cheng Dakai was also quite annoyed. President Leng Junfei of the group had personally instructed him to attend this banquet in Rongcheng. Cheng Dakai had long heard of Chen Yang's reputation; people below him were saying he was Chairman Ning's future son-in-law, and Chen Yang's city square planning proposal was considered a classic. Qiankun Real Estate Company had been steadily advancing the project according to Chen Yang's plan, and had received praise from President Leng and even Chairman Ning multiple times.
Therefore, Cheng Dakai attached great importance to tonight's banquet and had booked his high-speed train ticket well in advance. At this time, a direct high-speed train service had been launched between Fuzhou and Xiamen. Compared to intercity expressways, high-speed trains were not only punctual but also took less time, making them the preferred choice for many business travelers.
Cheng Dakai was worried about the time constraints of driving on the expressway, so he booked a high-speed train ticket. Unfortunately, the high-speed train, which almost never had problems, broke down today. The railway line experienced an electrical fault, leaving the entire train stranded in the middle of nowhere, waiting for over two hours before the circuit was repaired. Therefore, by the time Cheng Dakai arrived in Fuzhou, it was already past 7 PM.
Upon exiting the train station, Cheng Dakai hailed a taxi and rushed over, but he was still quite late.
Upon hearing Cheng Dakai's words, Chen Yang immediately remembered that after setting the time and place for tonight's banquet a few days ago, he had called Leng Junfei, explaining his current situation and hoping that Leng Junfei could arrange for someone from the Qiankun Group's Fuzhou branch to attend. Leng Junfei had agreed without hesitation.
Later, Lu Guoliang arrived late. Chen Yang learned he was a guest invited by Xie Fangzhi and assumed Leng Junfei had forgotten about it! Chen Yang didn't think much of it; he'd only made the call casually that day. Chen Yang had even planned to have a serious talk with Leng Junfei after the banquet that night!
What kind of quality does this branch manager have?!
Unexpectedly, Leng Junfei hadn't forgotten; he took it extremely seriously! So, without even consulting Qiankun Real Estate's Rongcheng branch, he directly sent the CEO of Qiankun Real Estate to Rongcheng to support Chen Yang!
"Oh, it's President Cheng! Welcome, welcome! You must be tired from your journey!" Chen Yang greeted Cheng Dakai with a warm smile and a handshake.
"Not at all! Not at all!" Cheng Dakai replied with a forced smile.
Everyone present, whether it was Xie Fangzhi, Song Xiaoyun, or the CEOs of the real estate and brokerage companies, was astonished by Cheng Dakai's humble demeanor, their mouths agape. They couldn't help but become intensely interested in Chen Yang's identity. Qiankun Real Estate was a well-known name in the national real estate industry, yet this General Manager Cheng was being so polite to Chen Yang!
Soon, they realized that this seemingly harmless fat man was none other than the boss of the arrogant General Manager Lu from earlier!
So, all eyes immediately turned to Lu Guoliang's face. Lu Guoliang realized he had courted disaster today, kicking a hornet's nest. Everyone looked over, and Lu Guoliang instantly became the focus of attention. Cheng Dakai also immediately noticed Lu Guoliang sitting in the main seat.
Lu Guoliang forced his trembling body to stand up, forcing a smile as he greeted Cheng Dakai:
"Mr. Cheng, hello..."
"Little Lu, you're here too!" Cheng Dakai was slightly surprised, but then smiled and said, "Mr. Fang, it seems that although I'm late, our company still has a representative present!"
After speaking, Cheng Dakai looked at Lu Guoliang and asked:
"Little Lu, since Mr. Fang thinks so highly of you and invited you to this banquet, you must show your appreciation! Did you reach any cooperation agreements just now?"
Although Cheng Dakai had a warm smile when facing Chen Yang, a subtle air of authority immediately appeared when he spoke to Lu Guoliang.
"This..." Lu Guoliang was momentarily speechless. If Cheng Dakai knew that he had not only failed to reach any cooperation agreement but had also shamelessly threatened Chen Yang, would he simply throw him into the Minjiang River...?
Lu Guoliang couldn't help but shudder. Others might not know Cheng Dakai, but Lu Guoliang knew his background very well. Cheng Dakai seemed harmless, always smiling and appearing like a benevolent Buddha, but in reality, he was a mid-level core member of Ning Kuncheng's gang, known for his ruthlessness, cold-bloodedness, and cunning, earning him the nickname "Smiling Tiger."
Chen Yang casually interjected:
"President Cheng, after our discussions just now, your company's General Manager Lu has basically decided to purchase a ten-second, hourly, quarterly advertising package on our channel…"
"That's too stingy!" Cheng Dakai retorted decisively. "How much does a ten-second ad package cost? We should get a bigger one!"
Although he said this, Cheng Dakai was actually quite satisfied. After all, he was late, albeit for unavoidable reasons. But if word got back to President Leng, it would inevitably raise suspicions of slighting Chairman Ning's future son-in-law.
Being late is being late; there are no unavoidable excuses. You could have simply come to Rongcheng yesterday and waited!
But now that he heard Lu Guoliang had finalized an advertising package, it was different. Although he, Cheng Dakai, was a few minutes late for some reason, Qiankun Real Estate's support for Chen Yang was unwavering! But at that moment, Song Xiaoyun seamlessly continued Chen Yang's words:
"President Cheng, President Lu's agreement to purchase the advertising package came with conditions..."
Upon hearing Song Xiaoyun's words, Cheng Dakai glanced at Lu Guoliang indifferently, making Lu Guoliang feel as if he were being stared at by a venomous snake, his whole body breaking out in a cold sweat.
"President Cheng, this is our company's Deputy General Manager, Song Xiaoyun, and also the Channel Director of 89.6!" Chen Yang gave Song Xiaoyun an approving look and introduced her to Cheng Dakai.
Cheng Dakai looked at Song Xiaoyun with a friendly expression and asked:
"Director Song, may I ask what conditions Xiao Lu proposed?"
Song Xiaoyun glanced at Lu Guoliang, only to see that he was also looking at her. His previous arrogant demeanor had vanished without a trace, replaced by a pleading look in his eyes.
A sudden surge of pleasure rose in Song Xiaoyun's heart. She glanced coldly at Lu Guoliang, then said to Cheng Dakai:
"President Lu demanded that I drink a large toast with him before he would give us the order. He also said that if I didn't agree, none of the executives present would dare to advertise on our channel..."
Song Xiaoyun's words were followed by a deathly silence. Xie Fangzhi's gaze towards Chen Yang was complex. Although he knew Chen Yang had considerable influence, he had still underestimated him. Seeing the respectful attitude of the head of Qiankun Real Estate towards Chen Yang, Xie Fangzhi knew his previous worries were unnecessary.
Cheng Dakai's smile faded slightly upon hearing Song Xiaoyun's words, but he naturally had a smiling face, so he still appeared amiable. Cheng Dakai turned his gaze to Lu Guoliang's face and asked calmly,
"Little Lu, is that how it is?"
Although his tone was extremely calm, without a trace of emotion, Lu Guoliang felt a chill run down his spine. His body trembled uncontrollably, his teeth chattering, but he couldn't utter a single word.
If it were just an ordinary company, Lu Guoliang wouldn't be so terrified. He could simply quit; after all, the money he'd amassed over the years was enough for him to live a carefree life.
But the problem was, Qiankun Group wasn't an ordinary company, and Lu Guoliang wasn't just an ordinary employee. Cheng Dakai's position was far more than just his superior.
Within Master Kun's influence, making such a mistake could cost you your life! Seeing Lu Guoliang's expression, Cheng Dakai guessed what had happened. His expression turned cold, but his tone remained calm:
"Xiao Lu, you go back first! Wait for me at the company."
These simple words made Lu Guoliang feel as if he had lost his parents. He knew that if he went back now, his fate would be dire when Cheng Dakai returned to the company.
Lu Guoliang tumbled off his seat and collapsed to the ground, pleading incessantly:
"President Cheng, I was wrong! I... I didn't know President Fang was your friend, otherwise I wouldn't have dared to disrespect President Fang even if I had a million lives! I... I'm a bastard! I'm worthless! President Cheng, please... please forgive me this time..."
Cheng Dakai frowned slightly and said calmly:
"Little Lu, I never repeat myself. Don't test my limits!"
Lu Guoliang immediately slumped to the ground. Cheng Dakai glanced at Lu Guoliang with disgust, then gestured with his chin towards the two burly men standing like javelins at the door. The two men immediately understood and entered, dragging Lu Guoliang out like a dead dog.
Seeing this dramatic scene, all the executives were dumbfounded. By the time they came to their senses, Lu Guoliang had already been dragged away by the two men. A hint of awe crept into their gazes towards Chen Yang.
Cheng Dakai, with an apologetic expression, said to Song Xiaoyun:
"Director Song, I haven't managed my subordinates well, and you've suffered this injustice! I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation for this matter!"
After saying this, Cheng Dakai walked to the table, poured a large glass of baijiu (Chinese liquor), and then raised the glass, saying loudly:
"Mr. Fang, Director Song, colleagues in the industry, I, Cheng Dakai, am late today. Our company's employees have let us down again, making us a laughingstock. Here, I will punish myself with three drinks to apologize to all colleagues, especially Mr. Fang and Director Song!"
After saying this, Cheng Dakai tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.
At this moment, everyone at the table came to their senses and came forward to greet him.
"Mr. Cheng, you flatter me. We should be the ones toasting you!"
"Mr. Cheng, I am Lao Niu from Feiyue Real Estate. I'll accept your toast!"
...
Chen Yang and Song Xiaoyun exchanged a glance, smiled knowingly, and returned to their seats simultaneously.