Chapter 379: Chapter 232: Luckily, I Am Not Mr. Chen

Chen Cheng returned to his room, Chen Donghai had already temporarily left.

He once again flipped through the project materials for Kaiyang Hot Spring Town, left on the desk.

This project covers a large area, and the plan is to create a comprehensive tourist resort that integrates hot springs, leisure and entertainment, cultural experiences, and wellness living.

The preliminary planning and design of the project were quite good, showing that a lot of thought had been put into it.

But the problem is, Kaiyang County is just a small and economically underdeveloped town, and one can imagine the financial pressure of supporting such a large project.

Such projects often relate to tenure achievements, with the completion cycle also tied to the tenure period, hence the plethora of construction, to add bricks and mortar to one’s resume.

“Developing such a large area, can it really recoup the cost?” Chen Cheng mused to himself.

He closed the folder, leaned back in his chair, and thought: “Since I’m not getting involved, I can now watch as an observer to really understand what’s going on here.”

…

…

At seven in the evening, Mountain Villa.

Chen Donghai had deliberately changed into a deep blue POLO shirt, paired with casual slacks, appearing stable yet not lacking in style.

In contrast, Chen Cheng was wearing the white shirt that Chen Donghai usually wore, and the identity of “Mr. Chen” had changed through his attire.

It wasn’t long before Luo Ziyang, accompanied by others, knocked on the private room’s door.

“Mr. Chen, hello, hello! Sorry to have kept you waiting!”

Luo Ziyang, slightly plump, approached with a beaming smile on his face, immediately noticing Chen Donghai seated in the guest of honor’s position.

Behind him followed two young women dressed provocatively; it seemed they were “friends” he had brought.

“Mr. Luo, I’ve long heard your name,” Chen Donghai said with an easy-going manner.

“Mr. Chen, you’re too polite, just call me Lao Luo.”

Luo Ziyang responded with a hearty laugh, shaking hands with Chen Donghai.

“And this is?” Luo Ziyang’s gaze landed on Xu Qiu, who stood behind Chen Donghai.

Xu Qiu had changed into an off-white dress, matched with a light grey knitted jacket, appearing intellectual, elegant, and composed.

“Oh, this is Manager Xu from our company, mainly in charge of coordinating the project,” introduced Chen Donghai.

“Hello, Mr. Luo,” Xu Qiu said with a polite nod.

“Good, good, good. Manager Xu is young and beautiful, truly an example of a woman holding her own among men,” praised Luo Ziyang.

His gaze shifted from Xu Qiu to Li Na.

Li Na had chosen a light grey professional suit for the day, with the collar of her white shirt tied with a delicate little scarf, adding a touch of softness to the overall look.

She didn’t overly adorn herself, simply wearing light makeup that accentuated her already fair skin.

Her long black hair was neatly pinned up to reveal her slender, fair neck, exuding an air of intellectual proficiency.

“And this is?” asked Luo Ziyang.

“Mr. Luo, this is Xiao Li,” Xu Qiu introduced: “She’s the most outstanding intern in our company.”

“Oh? Where did Xiao Li graduate from?”

Li Na spoke confidently, “Hello Mr. Luo, I graduated from the College of History at Xida. I joined Mr. Chen’s company just this year.”

“College of History?” Luo Ziyang raised his eyebrows, “And now you’re in finance?”

Li Na smiled with a hint of playfulness in her voice:

“Mr. Luo, historical studies are about the past, but financial investment is about the future. I’m applying my learning to practice, making active use of it, and planning to use the perspective of history to anticipate the future trends in finance!”

Hearing this, Luo Ziyang was first taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter.

“What a concept, using the perspective of history to foresee the future! Xiao Li, your idea is really interesting! Young people should have such vigor and thoughts!”

“Thank you for the encouragement, Mr. Luo!”

Chen Cheng, who had been silent by the side, had indeed found a treasure.

Such business competence was exceptional anywhere.

“Hey, Mr. Chen, who is this?” Luo Ziyang’s gaze finally turned to Chen Cheng.

Chen Donghai was now “Mr. Chen,” but he dared not introduce this “Mr. Chen.”

Chen Cheng smiled and said: “Hello Mr. Luo, I’m Xiao Chen.”

“Hello,” Luo Ziyang replied indifferently.

He then said, “Now that everyone is here, shall we take our seats and start the meal?”

Manager Xu quickly presented the menu, “Mr. Luo, it’s our first time here, and we aren’t sure what to order. Maybe you could?”

“Easy to handle.”

Luo Ziyang smiled and called the service staff at the door, “Clear stewed donkey meat, smoked ribs, and also a wild mushroom hotpot.”

He looked at Chen Donghai, “Mr. Chen, would you like some deer blood to drink?”

Chen Donghai didn’t object, “Sure, whatever Mr. Luo says.”

“Two bowls,” Luo Ziyang glanced at Chen Cheng, “just two will do.”

After the dishes were ordered, Xu Qiu spoke, “Mr. Luo, shall we drink something tonight? We’ve brought some drinks with us.”

She signaled to Li Na, who immediately picked up two bags of Moutai from a cabinet, totaling four bottles.

Luo Ziyang glanced over, “No need for Moutai, let’s drink something characteristic of our place.”

With that, he also signaled his female companion.

The woman brought out a bottle of white liquor in a plastic bottle, unmarked and without any label.

“Mr. Chen, this is sorghum liquor brewed by my family, definitely tastier than any Moutai. You must try it!”

“Well then, I will be guided by our host,” said Chen Donghai, laughing.

While the dishes were not yet served, Luo Ziyang and Chen Donghai chatted about everything from international situations to domestic economy, and from investment environments to tourism development. It seemed casual, but in reality, they were both probing each other’s intentions.