I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

Since the organizer, Niu Haisheng, had agreed, Chen Kexu and Xiang Lingdong naturally had no objections either.

Shen Kang was quite grateful to his new friends, saying, "Thank you so much."

The four of them ate and chatted for about an hour. Finally, seeing that it was almost time, they parted ways, and Shen Kang left first.

Niu Haisheng, Chen Kexu, and Xiang Lingdong, however, had not left yet and were still sitting in the private room.

After Shen Kang left, Niu Haisheng waited a while longer to make sure he wouldn't return before eagerly asking, "Old Chen, Old Xiang, who exactly is this Shen Kang?"

Chen Kexu said, "Didn't I just introduce him? He's the owner of Anjia Housekeeping."

Niu Haisheng gave a forced smile: "Old Chen, you know what I mean."

Seeing his reaction, Chen Kexu stopped teasing him and told him that Shen Kang was Zhou Man's chosen son-in-law.

Although he was mentally prepared, Niu Haisheng was still taken aback after hearing the story.

Everyone in their circle is a boss, but that's only within Yangcheng and Qianlin Province. Even within that circle, they're not considered big bosses.

Compared to them, Zhou Man of Shengyuan Group was an absolute big shot. And that Shen Kang was actually Zhou Man's chosen son-in-law.

After the initial surprise, Niu Haisheng was immediately filled with excitement.

He was naturally excited to get to know such a person.

However, there was still one thing that left Niu Haisheng with some doubts: "Old Chen, do you know anything about Zhou Man's relationship with her son-in-law?"

Chen Kexu shook his head, "I don't know, but I reckon he values ​​it quite a bit. To say he's like half a son wouldn't be an exaggeration..."

Chen Kexu then shared some details he knew and reasonable speculations.

Upon hearing this, and recalling the fact that the executive lounge manager of Haobo Hotel had personally come to deliver tea and refreshments, Niu Haisheng thought that Zhou Man seemed to really value her as her son-in-law.

Thinking about it this way, I felt more confident.

After a moment's thought, Niu Haisheng said, "President Shen said he is shy and introverted, and I think he is indeed a very low-key person."

After uttering these two unconscionable sentences, Niu Haisheng himself paused for a moment before continuing.

"So, I think that when we introduce Mr. Shen to others, we should just say he's the owner of Anjia Housekeeping. There's no need to say anything else, so as not to annoy him or make him unhappy. What do you think?"

Xiang Lingdong expressed his agreement, saying, "President Niu's consideration is very thorough, I agree."

Chen Kexu naturally agreed, "I agree too."

"Then it's settled."

As Niu Haisheng spoke, he picked up another piece of pastry in front of him, "Hey, you know what, this thing has a lot of fancy features, but the taste is really good..."

……

After leaving the private room, Shen Kang did not leave the executive lounge immediately. Instead, he went to the entrance reception area of ​​the executive lounge and told the waiter that he wanted to see the manager of their executive lounge.

"...Just tell him that a Mr. Shen Kang is looking for him."

Whether it was a special instruction from the manager or the excellent training at the Haobo Hotel, the hotel staff member was very helpful and did not look down on Shen Kang because of his young age; he went to inform him directly.

Shen Kang waited in the reception area for a while, and out of boredom, he also took a few glances at the executive lounge of the Haobo Hotel.

At first glance, the executive lounge has a great view. The surrounding walls are made of glass curtain walls, and the building is high up. You can take in a large part of the city landscape at a glance, which makes you feel relaxed.

The executive lounge was also divided into several areas. There was the entrance reception area where he was standing, and several smaller, fragmented areas not far away. Judging from the sofas and lounge chairs, these were probably the main lounge area. Further away, there was also a large bar area...

As Shen Kang's gaze swept across the area, he saw two college-aged girls sitting in one of the many small, fragmented areas in the lobby's rest area.

There is a glass coffee table, three leather sofas, and a small bookshelf behind one of the sofas.

To the left is a glass curtain wall, offering a wide view of the city and surrounding greenery.

In addition, the sofas, coffee tables, and other furniture used in the hotel are all high-end products, giving the whole atmosphere a very sophisticated feel, perfect for taking photos.

The two girls who looked like college students were the two girls from the Pingxi College team.

They had nothing to do this afternoon, so they came here and bought a small cake for 49 yuan, but they didn't eat it and left it untouched on the glass coffee table.

One girl is sitting on the sofa, striking a pose, while another girl is holding her phone, in a horse stance, taking a picture of her.

If these two were to wear L-skirts, it would be the classic scene from later generations: "Eight lower-class women pooled together 39 yuan to buy a small cake at a five-star hotel and spend an afternoon posing for photos."

After taking several photos, the girl taking the pictures put down her phone and said, "My turn, my turn."

The girl who was sitting put her legs down on the sofa, ready to take the next photo. As she stood up, her gaze swept over a certain spot and then stopped inadvertently.

The girl who had taken the photos earlier felt something was off and followed her gaze, whereupon she saw Shen Kang standing not far away at the entrance reception area.

"It's that Shen Kang," the girl taking the photo said.

Pingxi College and Yang University of Science and Technology introduced each other, so the two knew Shen Kang's name and witnessed the later "giving face from afar" incident.

The two stopped taking pictures for the time being and looked towards Shen Kang.

Although Shen Kang is shy and introverted, and seems a bit inferior to Yu Zeliang, he seems to have some complicated interpersonal relationships and is still quite nice.

Perhaps this Shen Kang is a rich second-generation? And maybe he got to know those two men who looked like businessmen through family connections, which is why they gave him face? This guess seems the most reasonable…

As the two girls were thinking, they saw a man who looked like the lobby manager hurrying towards Shen Kang.

……

"Mr. Shen, is there anything I can help you with?" The executive lounge manager approached Shen Kang with a smile and asked.

The manager didn't know who Shen Kang was, but he knew from Sun Hongjun's previous request for him to personally deliver tea and snacks that this young Mr. Shen was no ordinary person, so the manager's attitude was quite good.

Shen Kang didn't beat around the bush and spoke frankly: "It's nothing, I just wanted to ask who gave me the complimentary tea and snacks earlier? If possible, I'd like to meet them and express my gratitude in person."

The manager smiled and said, "Of course."

He then picked up the walkie-talkie in front of the counter and spoke for a while. Finally, he gestured to a single sofa in the entrance reception area, "Mr. Shen, please wait a moment. Our General Manager Sun will be here shortly."

Shen Kang nodded and sat down on the sofa.

Not long after, a man hurried in from outside. It was the same man he had seen in the lobby earlier, the one who had smiled at him from afar.

As he walked in, the hotel staff greeted the man, calling him "General Manager Sun".

Shen Kang thought to himself, "Sure enough, it was this person who arranged everything."

Thinking this, he stood up from the sofa.

Mr. Sun then walked up to him, slowed his pace, stopped, and smiled. "Hello, Mr. Shen. I am Sun Hongjun, the general manager of this hotel."

"Hello, Mr. Sun, thank you for the tea and refreshments."

"Of course."

Face is something that is given to each other.

Sun Hongjun has given Shen Kang so much face, it wouldn't be appropriate for Shen Kang to pretend he didn't see it, so he wanted to meet him to say thank you.

Now that they had met and exchanged information, Shen Kang and Sun Hongjun exchanged contact details before Shen Kang left the executive lounge.

Sun Hongjun didn't leave immediately. Holding his phone, he looked down at the newly added contact information, breathed a sigh of relief, feeling both pleased and deeply moved: "Truly, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step..."

The two girls from Pingxi College at the other end of the rest area also witnessed the whole scene.

"He doesn't seem... that shy and introverted?" the girl who had taken the photos said hesitantly.

The girl being photographed nodded silently, "It seems so."

When Sun Hongjun arrived, both of them heard the hotel staff call out "General Manager Sun".

Whether facing that manager or this General Manager Sun, Shen Kang was always quite poised and confident, chatting and laughing freely. He showed no signs of being shy, introverted, or unapproachable.

In comparison, Shen Kang's "unpresentable" behavior back then seemed more like he didn't have much in common with these college students, which is why he was too lazy to talk much.

Furthermore, "General Manager Sun" arrived in a hurry, seemingly afraid of keeping Shen Kang waiting any longer...

At this moment, in their hearts, Shen Kang's image continued to grow larger, and two golden characters on his forehead appeared faintly—male, god!

……

After leaving the executive lounge, Shen Kang did not go straight back to his room, but instead made a phone call to Qian Ming'en.

Knowing that Qian Mingen was resting in his room, he went directly to Qian Mingen's room.

After welcoming Shen Kang into the room, Qian Ming'en couldn't help but say, "You, as the team leader, are busier than I, the teacher in charge."

As Shen Kang walked towards the sofa in the corner of the room, he chuckled, "I originally planned to participate in the competition in a straightforward manner, but who would have thought I'd run into someone I know here?"

As he spoke, he walked to a corner of the room and sat down on a sofa.

Qian Ming'en followed and sat down opposite him. "You kid, you wouldn't come here without a reason. So, what do you want?"

Shen Kang then said directly, "Those two people in the elevator just now were company bosses..."

He recounted how Niu Haisheng and his colleagues had invited him to their industry conference the following day.

"...Their meeting is in the afternoon. If I'm going to attend their meeting, then it would be best to schedule our team's presentation for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in the morning. But as you know, Dean Qian, the presentation order for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition teams is determined by random draw."

"If it were a draw, I might have drawn a spot in the morning, but it's too much of a matter of luck. So I thought I'd go to the provincial tournament organizers and see if they could find a way to get our team to do the roadshow tomorrow morning. That would be a safer bet."

According to the rules, it wouldn't be appropriate for Shen Kang, a student, to go to the competition organizers to discuss this matter on his own, so he came to find Qian Ming'en first.

After hearing what Shen Kang said, Qian Ming'en was both amused and exasperated.

He knew Shen Kang was capable of causing trouble, but he never expected that Shen Kang, who was just here to participate in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, would actually manage to make a last-minute effort to attend some industry conference.

"You really know how to cause trouble."

Qian Ming'en made a complaint, then after a moment's thought, said, "The competition process for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is all determined in advance. You want to make special arrangements and have the competition organizers schedule you for tomorrow morning... I think that's a bit risky."

As he spoke, Qian Ming'en placed his right hand on the armrest, his fingers tapping unconsciously. Suddenly, he asked, "Are Deng Shicheng and the others coming for an interview tomorrow?"

Shen Kang nodded, "Yes, as we discussed last time, that's correct."

The "interview" they were referring to was the specific interview conducted by Deng Shicheng's "People's Focus" program.

Originally, Deng Shicheng's idea was to arrange a time as soon as possible to interview Zong Shijie, the female guest, Shen Kang, and the others, and the location would naturally be Yang University of Science and Technology.

However, during their conversation in the coffee shop's private room that day, Deng Shicheng also inquired about Shen Kang's academic performance. After all, Shen Kang was still a student, and how could one talk about students without mentioning their grades?

Qian Mingen was a little nervous at the time.

Although he hadn't paid special attention, he knew that with Shen Kang's "method of going to school," he probably skipped half of his classes. There wasn't much to say about his academic performance.

However, since Shen Kang was going to appear on television as a student of Yangke University, his academic performance had to be good and positive, so Qian Ming'en simply dodged the question.

"Shen Kang is only a freshman and hasn't taken any exams yet, so we don't have his specific scores. However, according to his teachers, Shen Kang is attentive in class, studies diligently, and often goes to the library to study on his own."

Qian Mingen then launched into a long-winded explanation, saying it was just like the real thing.

Shen Kang was very cooperative and didn't mince words, readily admitting everything: "I've always believed that learning is the cornerstone of success, so on my first day of school, I started studying in the library. I even ran into Dean Qian there. It was because of this that Dean Qian saw my efforts and recommended me to participate in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition."

"..."

Qian Mingen remained silent at the time.

Fortunately, Qian Ming'en didn't back down and continued, "Yes, it was because I saw Shen Kang's hard work and excellence that I recommended him to represent Yangke University in the first Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition."

Upon hearing this, Deng Shicheng quickly scribbled a couple of notes in his notebook and asked, "What is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition?"

Qian Ming'en then briefly introduced the full name of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition: "...This is a national competition with a very high standard of project establishment."

"Shen Kang, through his hard work and excellent grades, has made it through the school and city-level competitions and has now entered the provincial competition."

"In this competition, only three teams from the entire Yangcheng made it to the provincial finals. Shen Kang's team was one of them. Therefore, Shen Kang and his team's achievement is quite outstanding."

Upon hearing this, Shen Kang finally showed some humility: "Dean Qian, you flatter me. Director Deng, you may not know, but Dean Qian is our instructor for this competition project. It's mainly due to Dean Qian's rich experience and excellent guidance that our team was able to achieve such success..."

The old man and the young man worked together quite well.

When Deng Shicheng learned of this new information and that the provincial competition for the "Three Innovations" was scheduled for this weekend, he immediately adjusted the interview time.

As for Zong Shijie and the female guest, we'll stick to the original plan and find a specific time for the interview.

As for Shen Kang, Deng Shicheng planned to go to the competition venue on the day of the provincial competition of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition to conduct an interview and take some footage of Shen Kang's participation in the competition.

Qian Ming'en thought that this was another way to boost Shen Kang's and Yangke University's reputation, so he naturally agreed.

Shen Kang had no objections.

Therefore, Deng Shicheng and his team will come here tomorrow to conduct a detailed interview with Shen Kang.

……

Let's go back to the present.

After briefly mentioning Deng Shicheng and his team's interview, Qian Ming'en said, "Let's use this to talk about it. We'll say that a TV station is coming to interview us tomorrow, but the staff there are limited time, only available in the morning. We hope the event organizers can take this into consideration and make an exception."

"Although the TV station mainly came to film you, as long as they film your performance in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, they will naturally include the competition in their footage as well."

"Other provinces' innovation and entrepreneurship competitions are still just quietly taking place. If our Qianlin Province's innovation and entrepreneurship competition can be broadcast on television and gain a certain level of exposure, then it will surpass the innovation and entrepreneurship competitions of other provinces to some extent. I think the competition organizers will take this factor into consideration and may be willing to make some concessions and cooperation for this."

Upon hearing this, Shen Kang thought it was a good idea. "Alright, let's do it the way Dean Qian suggested. I never would have thought of this. The old fox is indeed shrewd."

Qian Mingen laughed and scolded, "I'm not buying your act."

Despite his words, Qian Ming'en felt quite pleased to hear Shen Kang praise him.

After the two made their decision, Qian Mingen made a few phone calls.

After confirming that the competition team had checked into the Haobo Hotel, he asked for their room number and then took Shen Kang there.

Upon arriving at the room, Shen Kang followed Qian Ming'en inside. He saw that it was also a double room with four people sitting in it: two on the sofa, one on a chair, and one who had nowhere to sit, so he sat directly on the bed.

The room reeked of smoke. A small table was hastily dragged over and placed between the four people. On the table was an ashtray, which already contained quite a few cigarette butts.