Who's going to be the female lead's simp? Aren't the supporting female characters mor

"The younger generation is truly formidable."

Zhao Hongtu finally spoke, his voice hoarse and carrying a strong old Beijing accent, "That mess with the Shen family has dragged on for so many years and no one dared to touch it, but I didn't expect you, a kid, to clean it up so neatly. Clean and efficient."

"You flatter me, Fourth Master." Bai Jingyou nodded slightly, his tone neither humble nor arrogant. "It was just going with the flow and a stroke of luck."

"Luck is also a kind of strength." Zhao Hongtu spun the walnut in his hand even faster. "However, the pool in the capital is too deep and the water is too murky. It's a good thing that young people who have just learned to swim are splashing around happily because they have good physical strength. But if they swim too fast, they are prone to cramps, and then they will sink and not even be able to make a bubbling up."

Even a fool could hear the veiled meaning in those words.

The surrounding crowd fell silent instantly, countless eyes fixed on the two at the center of the storm, waiting to see the first clash between the old and new forces.

Bai Jingyou's smile remained unchanged: "Fourth Master is right. However, modern swimming pools all emphasize constant temperature circulation. As long as the equipment is good and the technique is solid, you can swim back and forth even in deep water. The problem is with some older pools where there's too much silt at the bottom, which can trap people."

hiss--

A faint gasp could be heard from the crowd.

Is this kid subtly mocking Master Zhao as being like mud?

Zhao Hongtu's hand, which was turning the walnut, suddenly stopped.

Although the smile was still on his face, a hint of coldness had seeped into the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

"What a silver tongue." Zhao Hongtu took a step closer, the imposing aura of someone accustomed to being in a position of power emanating from him. "I don't understand DeepBlue Technology's big data and cloud computing stuff. But in Beijing, there are some old rules that still apply. You can't get anywhere by going it alone."

He raised his hand and gently patted Bai Jingyou's shoulder with the hand that was holding the walnut.

"There's one vacant board seat at Huajing Club right now. Everyone thinks you need a mentor. Perfect timing! I have a few idle warehousing companies. They're a bit old, but they have a lot of locations and connections. How about we merge them into Deep Blue Technology? Consider them a tech stock of mine. From now on, I'll guarantee you'll be unstoppable here. What do you say?"

See the picture poorly.

This is an attempt to forcibly acquire shares, or even turn DeepBlue Technology into his cash cow.

Zhang Yi's expression changed. She knew Zhao Hongtu was greedy, but she hadn't expected him to be so blatantly greedy. This was outright robbery!

Bai Jingyou gently brushed his shoulder, as if there was some dust on it.

"I appreciate Fourth Master's kindness." Bai Jingyou's voice turned a bit colder. "Deep Blue Technology's shareholding structure is very clear, and there are no plans to expand its shareholding for the time being. As for walking sideways... I'm a human, not a crab, and I'm used to walking straight."

Zhao Hongtu's face darkened completely.

"Young man, you've narrowed your options," Zhao Hongtu sneered. "Your Northwest Hub project is useless just because you have the land. Water and electricity approvals, fire safety inspections, road planning... each step will take a year or two to complete. If no one helps you out, this land will probably sit idle until you go bankrupt."

A naked threat.

This is what makes established powers so terrifying.

They don't need to compete with you in terms of technology; they only need to obstruct your process to break your financial chain and make your life a living hell.

Some of the surrounding guests gloated, while others shook their heads inwardly.

They were still too young and didn't know how to humble themselves.

Just as the air seemed to freeze, and Zhang Yi was about to bite the bullet and try to smooth things over,

"Master Zhao, you haven't even had a sip of tea yet, why are you so angry?"

A cool, languid female voice, like an ice scalpel, sliced ​​through the frozen atmosphere.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ye Lingqing walking gracefully towards them, wearing a dark green velvet cheongsam and holding a glass of red wine.

She swayed gracefully, exuding charm, but her phoenix eyes revealed an undeniable sharpness.

When Zhao Hongtu saw Ye Lingqing, his originally gloomy face twitched, and a hint of fear flashed in his eyes.

"President Ye," Zhao Hongtu said with a forced smile, "what brings you here? You're usually impossible to get away from these kinds of gatherings."

"I can't help it, someone owes me a lot of money, so I have to keep an eye on things." Ye Lingqing walked to Bai Jingyou's side and naturally reached out to straighten his slightly disheveled tie, her actions as intimate as those of lovers who had known each other for many years.

Then, she turned around, stood in front of Bai Jingyou, and looked directly at Zhao Hongtu.

"Fourth Master just mentioned the Northwest Hub project?" Ye Lingqing swirled his wine glass and said casually, "It's really unfortunate that the project has been included in the national pilot list. The supervisory team from above will be stationed here next week. If you want to oversee the project during the approval process, I'll have to give the leaders of the supervisory team a heads-up in advance and have them come to your place for a cup of tea to ask for your advice."

Zhao Hongtu's hand trembled, and the walnut almost fell to the ground.

National-level pilot project? Supervisory team?

These two words carry more weight than all the wealthy people in this room combined!

If it's true, he wouldn't dare to do anything to it, even if he had ten times the courage.

That's like provoking the Grand Duke Jupiter!

"President Ye...you're joking." Zhao Hongtu chuckled twice, a fine layer of sweat appearing on his forehead. "Since it's a key project from above, it naturally gets the green light all the way. Who would dare to stop it? I'm just...showing concern for the younger generation."

"That would be best." Ye Lingqing smiled slightly, raising her glass in a gesture of respect. "We appreciate Fourth Master's concern. However, President Bai is now an important partner of mine; his affairs are my affairs. If Fourth Master wishes to discuss cooperation, how about we meet at my Cloud Top Teahouse another day? I'll personally brew you some tea."

Zhao Hongtu's facial muscles twitched stiffly. This was an order to leave, and also a warning.

Although Ye Lingqing is young, the Ye family's background within the system is unfathomable, and he is not someone that an old hand like him, who rose to power through underworld means, can afford to offend.

"Of course, of course." Zhao Hongtu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and glared fiercely at Bai Jingyou. "Since President Ye is protecting me, then I won't bother with this. President Bai, there's always next time."

After saying that, he snorted heavily, turned around and squeezed into the crowd, his back looking somewhat disheveled.

The crowd that had been waiting to see what would happen immediately dispersed, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

Bai Jingyou watched Zhao Hongtu's departing figure, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

"Thanks." Bai Jingyou turned his head and looked at the woman beside him.

Ye Lingqing took a sip of red wine, her eyes playful: "No need for verbal thanks. What happened just now really put me in a difficult position. Zhao Hongtu is as petty as a pinhole; he'll definitely try to trip me up in the future."

"President Ye can even bring out the supervisory team, so what are we afraid of?" Bai Jingyou laughed.

"That was just to scare him." Ye Lingqing leaned close to Bai Jingyou's ear, her breath sweet as orchids. "The document hasn't been approved yet; it'll take at least another half month. If you can't handle him in these two weeks, then what he said might be the truth."

Bai Jingyou raised an eyebrow: "An empty city ploy?"

"That's called resource integration." Ye Lingqing took a step back, reverting to her aloof goddess demeanor. "For the next two weeks, you need to keep him so busy that he won't have time to bother you. That depends on President Bai's abilities."

"Don't worry." A glint of light flashed in Bai Jingyou's eyes. "I'll keep him so busy he can't even turn a walnut."

The two exchanged a smile, everything understood without a word.

Standing to the side, Zhang Yi watched the two interacting in perfect harmony and suddenly felt a strong sense of crisis.

She originally thought she was the one riding on the pig and counting the money, but now it seems that the pig... has already been taken away by someone else?

In a corner of the banquet hall.

Zhao Hongtu, who had just suffered a setback, was sitting in the shadows, holding his phone, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

"Hello, is this the third brother? Yes, it's me."

"Since we can't get our hands on that land in the Northwest, let's destroy it. Find a few local troublemakers and have them cause a ruckus at the construction site. Remember, don't use violence; just say it's an environmental issue or a cultural relic protection issue... make them sick!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Hongtu looked at Bai Jingyou, who was full of vigor in the distance, and the walnut in his hand made a teeth-grinding grinding sound again.

"Young man, you have a long road ahead of you..."

Meanwhile, Zhang Yi was watching the two of them.

"Alright, stop flirting," Zhang Yi interjected sourly. "The main character is here."

Following Zhang Yi's gaze, a middle-aged man in a dark suit was walking onto the stage of the banquet hall.

He wasn't tall, but he had a very strong presence. He wore gold-rimmed glasses and exuded a refined, scholarly air.

The air in the hall seemed to thicken as the person on the stage spoke.

It lacks the江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the worldly and unsavory ways of the martial arts world) style of Zhao Hongtu, and the ostentatious display of a nouveau riche who wants to show off his gold teeth.

The man on stage simply adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, lightly tested his voice into the microphone, and the few small business owners who had been whispering in the corner immediately shut up, even subconsciously straightening their collars.

Chen He.

The head of the Chen Group, a recognized Confucian businessman in Beijing's business circles, and one of the true core directors of the Huajing Club. If Zhao Hongtu was a roughneck who rose to power through force and the gray areas, then Chen He is a strategist who sits firmly on the throne through accurate policy interpretation and a vast industrial empire.

"That's Chen He." Zhang Yi's voice was even lower, with a hint of barely perceptible awe. "I didn't expect him to be hosting this personally today."

Bai Jingyou narrowed his eyes.

Chen He's opening remarks were brief, without lengthy formalities. His few insightful remarks about next year's economic situation prompted many in the audience to look thoughtful. A few minutes later, he stepped down from the stage, carrying a glass of soda water instead of red wine.

The crowd surged again, but this time no one dared to approach and try to get close to Zhao Hongtu as they had done with him; everyone maintained a polite distance.

Just then, Zhao Hongtu, who had just been humiliated by Bai Jingyou and was seething with anger, rushed over as if he had seen a savior.

"Chairman Chen!" Zhao Hongtu's gloomy expression vanished, replaced by a familiar smile typical of a seasoned veteran. "You've finally arrived. I was just talking to some young men about you, saying that without you in charge in Beijing, the Huajing Association would be missing a bit of its spirit."

Zhao Hongtu's voice was quite loud, clearly indicating that he wanted to regain the face he had just lost by exchanging pleasantries with Chen He.