I was forced to start the second round because I was raised in poverty

Chapter 318 The Lady of Oxford
Ma Shuning leaned against the white gunwale of the ship, the soft sunlight shining down on her, gently flowing over her porcelain-like skin, giving it a delicate and smooth luster like mother-of-pearl.

A minimalist light-colored tank top contrasted beautifully with her fair shoulders and neck, revealing her delicate collarbones, which were gently caressed by the sea breeze.

She was wearing a short tank top, which revealed a section of her flat and toned waist and abdomen. Her fair skin almost had a luminous quality in the sunlight. The gap between her waistband and the short tank top revealed her muscle lines, silently demonstrating the vitality brought about by her daily exercise habits.

She wore a pair of distressed, washed denim shorts with frayed hems that revealed a pair of long, shapely, and equally fair legs, creating a pure yet subtle allure.

After the three boarded the ship, they did not find Ma Ru. There was only a captain and a sailor.

"Hey? Where's Mr. Ma?"

Ma Shuning's eyebrows curved into crescent moons, and two deep dimples appeared on her cheeks as she explained with a smile, "Mario had something come up and can't make it."

"But it's okay, we don't need to be restrained or tense when he's not here. We can all relax."

ha?
Are you sure you left because something came up, or that you weren't there from the beginning?

Su Cheng felt that Ma Shuning was afraid of being rejected, which was why she said on the phone that she was with Ma Ru.

Zhang Yangwen, Jiang Shuyue, and Su Cheng had similar ideas.

She didn't bring bodyguards ashore today; instead, she had the car and bodyguards wait for them to return on the shore.

After making preparations, Ma Shuning instructed the captain to start the fishing boat and head out to sea.

The waters near Macau are murky due to the sediment from the Pearl River Estuary, but the waters around the surrounding islands and Wanshan are an excellent fishing paradise, especially famous for deep-sea boat fishing and rock fishing.

They were heading to the Wanshan Islands, which are about an hour or two by boat from Ao Island.

It's summer now, and it happens to be around the 15th of the lunar calendar, a time of high tide. The current is strong, attracting fish that are biting aggressively. Small tuna are also appearing.

Their boat was fully equipped with fishing gear, and they even prepared live shrimp and squid as bait; they just needed to choose the ones they liked.

Su Cheng silently observed Zhang Yangwen and noticed that Ma Shuning's cool and sexy outfit today had completely captivated the young master, making him stare with drool.

After we went out to sea, they were overly attentive, helping with fishing gear and drinks.

Su Cheng quietly reminded him to be more dignified, because the lower his position, the less Ma Shuning would like him.

Seeing that they had only just set sail and were still in the preparation stage, and that everyone was not yet in the right state of mind, Su Cheng felt that this was the right time.

He felt it would be best to help salvage the situation now, and he wanted to transform Zhang Yangwen's 'attentiveness' on the boat into that of an 'expert': "Hey Zhang, I didn't know you knew so much about sea fishing?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yangwen immediately knew that Su Cheng wanted to put him in the center of the conversation, so he naturally replied, "Yes, I've fished in the Huangpu River before."

This conversation did indeed catch Ma Shuning's attention: "Are you fishing in the Huangpu River?"

Zhang Yangwen tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips: "Yes."

"Isn't the Huangpu River a major shipping route? Can you fish there?"

"Sure, I used to go fishing with my dad when I was a kid."

"However, there aren't many fish in the Huangpu River, and the water is quite dirty. Even if you catch a few small fish, you wouldn't dare to eat them; you just fish for fun."

“My dad likes to think while fishing and doesn’t want me to disturb him; he enjoys the peace and quiet.”

Many people describe fishing as a game between hunter and prey, enjoying the pull and tension when a fish takes the bait.

Su Cheng didn't want to differentiate between levels in this kind of thing, but if fishing was just fishing and watching one's own hunting catch, then that would be too low-level.

When you sit by the river with a fishing rod in hand, trivial matters should drift away from your mind like falling leaves.

Work bills, interpersonal troubles, business struggles, power games, and so on should be left to sink to the bottom like bait.

The important thing is to be alone with nature, allowing the mind to enjoy the profound tranquility of the natural world, and the rewards are already reaped in the process.

Whether you return with a full load or empty-handed doesn't really matter; in the end, it will all turn into a wisp of sunset on the curved surface.

This is the "correct way" to use fishing.

Most people would choose to live a secluded life in the countryside, by the sea, or deep in the mountains and forests; this is the kind of life that many ordinary people yearn for.

But this kind of lifestyle is very low-class.

Because people can retreat into their own hearts at any time.

No one can find a more tranquil place than the depths of his own soul.

In other words: minor hermits hide in the wilderness, while major hermits hide in the city.

If you have a clear vision in your mind, you can immediately achieve a serene and orderly state of mind with just a focused glance.

If Lao Zhang didn't even have this level of vision, he wouldn't have been able to build Jin Hong Group into such a large company and stand out in fierce competition.

Ma Shuning's focus is completely different from Su Cheng's.

Can you ride a horse?
I also do sea fishing.

Does that mean Zhang Yangwen comes from a well-off family?
Are you from Shanghai?

Zhang Yangwen was overjoyed when he heard Ma Shuning imitating Shanghainese to communicate with him, and he replied in fluent Shanghainese: "Yes, I am Shanghainese."

"Mr. Ma, your Shanghainese is quite good."

Ma Shuning's smile was like a half-open orchid in a secluded valley, reserved and mysterious. She then switched back to Mandarin: "What's your name again?"

"Zhang Yangwen".

Zhang Yangwen also switched back to Mandarin, which he felt was a good start.

Ma Shuning took the initiative to ask his name, which shows that she wanted to remember him.

But Ma Shuning's next question gave Zhang Yangwen a cold sweat.

"Didn't you sell a bottle of whiskey at the auction a couple of days ago?"

Zhang Yangwen: ???

Su Cheng: ???
Zhang Yangwen resisted the urge to look at Su Cheng, because if he did, he would definitely give himself away.

Just as Zhang Yangwen was thinking about how to answer the question, Ma Shuning spoke up again: "If it is, then why use a pseudonym?"

"I was wondering if your name was Zhang Jiahua or Zhang Jiale, but it turns out it's neither."

Zhang Yangwen had no choice but to admit that he had sold the bottle of wine.

The family that could afford that bottle of wine must be rich and powerful. Considering that Zhang Yangwen knows how to ride horses and sea fishing, Ma Shuning came to the conclusion that Zhang Yangwen's family must be quite wealthy.

Ma Shuning didn't think much about other things; what she was concerned about was:
Why doesn't Zhang Yangwen exude an air of wealth?
She can't smell it.

Zhang Yangwen's family may have some money, but they are probably not the kind of family that is financially independent. They are probably an A8 or A9 level family.

But that's not right either. She's seen plenty of A8s and A9s, but none of them are like Zhang Yangwen.

Zhang Yangwen's temperament and behavior resemble those of a middle-class person, yet he enjoys sea fishing and horseback riding.

But how could a middle-class person possibly produce a whiskey worth millions?

A household that has this bottle of wine in its possession must be at least an A10 level family, or an A9 family with sufficient cash flow.

But if they were A9 or A10 students, how could their children, raised with assets of hundreds of millions or billions, turn out like this?
Zhang Yangwen is smarter than Tang Li, whom I met a couple of days ago, and has a certain level of emotional intelligence, but he is still too ordinary in the upper circles.

Based on the information Ma Shuning has read, the only possibility is that the illegitimate child stole his wealthy father's wine to exchange for money to support his own consumption.

Ma Shuning had seen this kind of thing quite often.

Feeling guilty, Zhang Yangwen pressed on, "Mr. Ma, how did you know?"

"That bottle of wine was bought by my father."

"Oh...you guys drink it yourselves?"

"No, I gave it to a friend of my father's."

This confirms Su Cheng's guess and his plan to deliver the wine was successful; President Bai has already obtained the bottle.

And there were unexpected gains.

If Ma Shuning knew that Zhang Yangwen used an alias, it means that the Ma family had investigated the source of the wine, and it's even possible that President Bai asked them to investigate.
He didn't know if the Ma family knew about the connection to Su Cheng, but if President Bai knew that Zhang Yangwen had sold the wine, he would definitely connect it to Su Cheng. Because President Bai might have seen Daenerys's bottle of wine before, and he could probably recognize whose wine it was at a glance, given its rarity.

Ok?
Su Cheng's mind raced, and she sensed that things behind this weren't so simple.

"Where did you go to university?"

Ma Shuning continued to ask Zhang Yangwen some questions.

She originally wanted to ask Zhang Yangwen why he used an alias and was selling bottles of wine so secretly, but after thinking about it, she decided not to ask. What if he really stole her father's wine? That would be too embarrassing.

But she wasn't interested in Zhang Yangwen; it was purely to satisfy her curiosity. She wanted to know if her guess was right, and if not, where the problem lay.

Zhang Yangwen had no idea what Ma Shuning was thinking. He genuinely believed that Ma Shuning wanted to understand him, so he answered whatever she asked.

Cornell University.

"America?"

“Yes.” Zhang Yangwen wanted to mention his QS ranking, but then thought better of it, as it seemed a bit like showing off his academic credentials.

Moreover, anyone who has studied abroad should basically know which universities are in the top 30.

Cornell University consistently ranks around 20th in the QS rankings, with its highest ranking being 16th.

"Mr. Ma, where did you study?"

Zhang Yangwen followed up with a question, saying that communication requires give and take, and that it's not enough for Ma Shuning to keep asking him questions.

"I did my undergraduate and master's degrees at Oxford."

Zhang Yangwen: ???

The Lady of Oxford?
Even Su Cheng was surprised.

He couldn't tell at all that Ma Shuning had studied at Oxford.

She exuded a free and easy vibe, and Su Cheng once thought she might be from the Potassium Chloride University.
However, Ma Shuning's rigorous thinking, independent thought, refusal to blindly follow authority, and pursuit of clear logic are indeed core abilities cultivated by top universities like Oxford.

She also has strong communication skills, pays attention to logic, and knows how to effectively transmit and receive information.

This is where Ma Shuning's brilliance lies.

This guy is a real hidden talent!

I'd believe it if you said she was Su Cheng from Potassium Chloride University, or I'd believe it if you said she was Su Cheng from Oxford.

"Mr. Ma, your academic qualifications are impressive! You must be ranked fourth in the QS rankings this year, right?"

"We came in second this year, beating Cambridge." Ma Shuning answered the question with a hint of pride, and she also specifically mentioned Cambridge, which truly has a gentlemanly tradition.

She also asked Su Cheng and Jiang Shuyue about this topic.

"Mr. Su, what about you? Which university did you attend?"

"Ah, it's not on the QS list."

"Ok?"

The QS rankings are produced by Quacquarelli Symonds, a British international education market consulting firm, and are commonly referred to as QS.

It is both authoritative and not authoritative.

What's authoritative is that MIT has been ranked number one for 13 consecutive years.

What's unreliable is that there's a regional bias involved, intentionally pushing up the rankings of universities in the UK.

Five of the top ten universities are located in the UK.

Most importantly, University College London (UCL) consistently ranks between 9th and 12th, and many people write that it's in the top 10 of the QS rankings.

So what do you think?

Su Cheng was unaware of the other companies within the Dihao Group, but during the resume screening process at Shengyue, all applicants who listed UCL as their alma mater, including Su Cheng herself, were rejected by the HR department.

Under normal circumstances, it is just a reference.

Ma Shuning smiled cleverly: "It's okay, rankings are just rankings. The most important thing is strength. President Su, your strength is very strong, and you have a unique vision. I want to know which university you attended."

“I didn’t go abroad. I did my undergraduate studies in mainland China. The QS ranking is probably outside the top 500.”

"Oh, and what about you, Miss Jiang?" Ma Shuning turned to ask Jiang Shuyue.

Jiang Shuyue said she is at Newport University, which is ranked around 330 in the QS rankings.

"Xingang University, Sun Yat-sen University?"

"Correct."

"That's good."

Ma Shuning continued to focus the conversation on Su Cheng: "President Su, why haven't you thought about studying abroad?"

Going abroad?

He can't afford a plane ticket.

Even if you have the money for a plane ticket, you still can't get a visa.

"Huh? Why can't I get down?"

“We are different from those in Hong Kong and Macau. You can get visas easily, but it’s not easy for people from our county to get visas, and we don’t have proof of assets.”

"These are all easy to handle, right? You can get the proof of assets from a bank, and the visa can be obtained from a visa application center or the immigration office, right?"

Su Cheng: ???
He felt that Ma Shuning had a bit of Ma Ru's vibe.

When Su Cheng said she had no proof of assets, she meant she had no assets and no money!

It's not an agency that doesn't have the necessary procedures.

Su Cheng had to explain again: "I didn't think about studying abroad at that time. Only those of us in the previous and next years who studied less common languages ​​such as Russian, Portuguese, or Spanish could be sent abroad for a year on government scholarships."

"Oh, I see!"

Upon arrival at their destination, the experienced captain selected a suitable sea area for Ma Shuning and the others, and the group began sea fishing.

During this process, Su Cheng also mentioned Tang Li's wishes and requirements to Ma Shuning.

"Mr. Ma, Mr. Tang has agreed to sell 90% of the shares."

"However, he wants to retain ownership of the first and second stores in Gyeongju."

This means that Tang Li now intends to run these two shops himself, and all profits, management rights, and ownership belong to Tang Li personally.

Su Cheng briefly described his plan.

The cost of launching a full rollout in all provincial capitals and strong second-tier cities at once would be around 300 million yuan, including 24 months of cash flow.

Three hundred million is not a big deal for the Ma family; they can just discuss the plan in a simple way.

Since they chose Su Cheng, they must believe in his abilities.

It doesn't matter if we lose everything.

Mr. Bai's influence is worth far more than a few hundred million.

Of course, it would be best to make some money.

"Yes, that's fine, as long as Mr. Tang agrees to give up 90% of the shares."

Just as the two finished their conversation, Su Cheng's rod stirred. The fishing rod instantly bent into an arc, and the reel emitted a rapid "squeaking" sound as it lost power.

"Hey, there's a fish!"

"Quickly, quickly, reel in the line!"

(End of this chapter)