I met my whole family through Baidu Tieba.

"Um."

Ding Ling didn't mince words and said directly, "Secretary Chen, have you forgotten the little story I just told you? Carl declined the mayor's invitation to celebrate his daughter's birthday. I suspect President Zhou did the same."

Secretary Chen seemed surprised: "Isn't President Zhou single?"

Ding Ling smiled and said, "I don't know about that. As Mr. Zhou's personal matter, it's not appropriate for me, as his assistant, to ask or say too much..."

Secretary Chen wanted to ask some more questions, but after Ding Ling finished telling her little story, she knew nothing about it.

Finally, Secretary Chen had no choice but to hang up the phone.

After hanging up the phone, Secretary Chen thought for a while, got up, left the office, went to the office next door, and knocked on the door.

After a voice inside said "Please come in," Secretary Chen went inside.

This is a spacious office. A large, eye-catching, luxurious mahogany desk stands in the center of the office, slightly to the north. A dragon-shaped wooden carving rests on one side of the desk.

A man in his forties, with slicked-back hair, was sitting behind this desk, leisurely pouring tea.

After Secretary Chen entered, the man glanced at him, then quickly looked away, holding a kettle in his right hand and focusing on the tea in front of him.

"What did President Zhou say?" the man asked casually, his eyes fixed on the tea in front of him.

"Ms. Zhou said she has something to do tonight and can't come."

The man raised an eyebrow, but his pouring motion remained steady and fluid as he poured the tea.

He then put down the kettle, thought for a moment, and laughed, "I've heard about this person's temper before, and now that I see it, it's certainly true. Even now, he's still very fiery. He has character, and I like that."

After giving his evaluation, the man looked up at Secretary Chen, a smile playing on his lips, and said, "You've come at the perfect time. This is my old friend I got last month, twenty years old."

As she spoke, she picked up the kettle beside her again, "And this kettle, it was made by an old craftsman in Yixing. That family only has one master craftsman left, his eyesight isn't very good, so he works slowly and can only make a few a year. I've been wanting one for three years, and I finally got it this year."

"A fine teapot deserves fine tea. You're in luck today, you're truly fortunate. Come, have a taste."

The man, in high spirits, pushed one of the cups of tea he had just poured forward.

Secretary Chen quickly came up, taking the tea while inwardly marveling: President Zheng is indeed President Zheng. He just gave President Zhou a hard time earlier, but now he doesn't seem to care about President Zhou's reaction at all. It's as if everything about the other party is under his control. He's completely in control, calm and collected. He's a true god.

One word—elegant!

As Secretary Chen accepted the tea, General Manager Zheng also picked up his teacup, brought it to his lips, and casually asked, "Did General Manager Zhou say what's wrong with her being unable to come tonight?"

"She didn't say, but from what Ding Ling said, it's for her daughter's birthday."

"Cough cough cough..."

Mr. Zheng coughed violently, his body bent over and his face turned red. He even coughed up the little bit of tea he had just drunk, which hung down the corner of his mouth and left some water stains.

Secretary Chen, who was holding a teacup and about to bring it to her lips, quickly put it down upon seeing this and asked with concern, "President Zheng, are you alright?"

Mr. Zheng coughed and waved his hand. He coughed for a while longer, coughing up all the water from his trachea, before finally stopping. He leaned back in his chair, took a deep breath, and the flush on his face gradually faded.

Secretary Chen was relieved and his eyes drifted to the teacup on the table, wondering if he could pick it up and drink it—General Manager Zheng said it was really good and he really wanted to try it.

Mr. Zheng leaned back in his chair, no longer in the mood for tea, and frowned in thought.

Zhou Man chose not to come after hearing the news, which was within his expectations.

He even anticipated Zhou Man's reason for declining—she had something to do.

Don't ask what it is, she won't tell you either. She's just creating a mysterious atmosphere for you to guess.

He was already using this trick when he was thirty—putting on airs and creating a false impression.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Man didn't use that trick. Instead, she said it was to celebrate her daughter's birthday.

Where did she get her daughter?

What kind of move is this palm strike that descends from the sky? ...

The office fell silent for a moment.

After a while, seeing that General Manager Zheng did not speak or react, Secretary Chen picked up the teacup on the table again, intending to take a sip first.

Just as he was about to bring the teacup to his lips, General Manager Zheng spoke up.

"Where did she get a daughter?"

Mr. Zheng finally voiced his doubts.

Secretary Chen regretfully removed the teacup from her lips and reported to the director, "I don't know. It was her assistant, Ding Ling, who called to say so..."

Secretary Chen gave a very detailed report and had a good memory, repeating everything Ding Ling said, including the little story Ding Ling told.

After listening, Mr. Zheng fell into deep thought.

This time, Secretary Chen didn't dare to go for tea anymore. He just stood quietly, watching President Zheng and waiting for orders.

He knew that President Zheng was exchanging blows with President Zhou from afar.

It was under Secretary Chen's expectation that he noticed President Zheng finally moved, snapping out of his reverie and looking in his direction.

"Xiao Chen."

Secretary Chen perked up and immediately replied, "Yes, sir."

He was really looking forward to President Zheng's counterattack—President Zheng's counterattack would definitely be quite sharp, and he needed to learn from it.

Then he heard what President Zheng said.

Who was Liu Che?

"..."

Secretary Chen then explained to General Manager Zheng who Liu Che was and how he went from being an unappreciated prince to becoming Emperor Wu of Han.

Mr. Zheng suddenly realized what was going on and cursed, "So it was Emperor Wu of Han. Why didn't you just say Emperor Wu of Han? Why did you have to say Liu Che? Who knows that? I thought he was some relative of the Zhou family..."

After cursing for a while, General Manager Zheng asked Secretary Chen, "What do you think of the three examples Ding Ling mentioned?"

Secretary Chen was also unsure of what President Zheng meant, so he cautiously said, "The first two examples are fine, but the third example is a bit inappropriate."

Mr. Zheng shook his head. "I think the opposite of what you're thinking. I think the third example is the most appropriate. Juy has a nephew, and Mr. Zhou also has a nephew, doesn't he? Hahahaha..."

Mr. Zheng must have thought of something funny, because he burst into laughter.

Secretary Chen didn't know what was so funny, but she laughed along with him.

After laughing for a while, Mr. Zheng stopped, tapping his fingers lightly on the tea table, his nose twitching from time to time as if he had a nerve infection.

He was muttering to himself.

"For a woman to remain so composed even at this point... either she's putting on an act too well, or she genuinely has some kind of confidence... If it really is an aunt beating her nephew, that would be hilarious, haha..."

After a while, General Manager Zheng suddenly asked Secretary Chen a question.

"Xiao Chen, if there really is a 'Jingnan' (a major rebellion) on President Zhou's side, who do you think I am?"

Secretary Chen was stunned and didn't dare to reply immediately.

But President Zheng didn't seem to really want to hear his answer, and continued speaking to himself: "With my status, back in the day, I would have been a Yao Guangxiao, no matter what."

As he spoke, he didn't look at Secretary Chen, but stared at a painting on the opposite wall. The painting depicted a crane standing on one leg on a pine branch, with clouds in the distance and mist nearby.

General Zheng glanced at it for two seconds, then said, "Who was Yao Guangxiao? When others looked at Zhu Di, they saw him as a prince, a military man. He looked at 'timing.' In the end, even though Zhu Di won, he didn't want wealth and status. He attended court during the day and returned to the temple in his monk's robes at night. What did he gain? He gained the advantage of 'judging the situation perfectly'..."

General Zheng's history is so-so, but he's particularly fond of the history of the Ming Dynasty—mainly because the group of eccentric emperors from the Ming Dynasty was so hilarious and interesting.

Zhu Youxiao, the mortise and tenon artist; Zhu Zhanji, the cricket commander-in-chief; Zhu Houzhao, the mighty general; Zhu Yijun, the number one homebody in China; Zhu Qizhen, the war god of Tumu Fortress. Zhu Houcong, the master of the Wuji Alchemy Room in the Western Garden, the master of the Longevity Cave in the Qianqing Palace, the founder of the Dan Ding School, the Fifth-Rank Mysterious Heavenly True Man, the Grand Celestial Master of the Mysterious Vault, and the Supreme Great Luo Celestial Immortal…

With such a hilarious team, President Zheng is a big fan of Ming Dynasty history, and consequently, he also knows a little about Juy's deeds and can talk about them off the top of his head.

Secretary Chen stood to the side, not daring to respond, but he was a little puzzled: What exactly did what President Zheng said have to do with today's events? Just because Zhou Man didn't come to dinner, was it really worth bringing up the Jingnan Rebellion and Yao Guangxiao? Wasn't that taking too big a step?

Besides, the resources Zhou Man currently possesses hardly qualify her as a "powerful ruler."

Didn't General Manager Zheng usually look down on General Manager Zhou, who was "sent off to a local position"? Why is he suddenly switching allegiances just because the other party didn't attend the banquet today?

He thought this in his heart, but didn't utter a single word.

Secretary Chen had worked for President Zheng for many years and knew that this boss had a skill that others couldn't learn—that is, every time he made a major decision, the cause was something that people couldn't understand, and the process was so fast that people couldn't react, but in hindsight, every time he made a very accurate decision.

Mr. Zheng often says that he made his fortune not through any foresight, but through "smelling" things. Others look at things by understanding the principles; he looks at things by smelling their essence.

"Xiao Chen, do you think I was too hasty in getting involved just because of a dinner party?"

Mr. Zheng's sudden question pulled Secretary Chen back from her thoughts.

This novel was first published on [website name].

Secretary Chen was startled and quickly said, "No, no."

Mr. Zheng waved his hand, picked up his glass, didn't drink, but just turned it around: "You probably think it's hasty. It's okay, it's normal for someone with your brain to have such thoughts. Let me tell you something."

"I was born in the 1960s, and my hometown is in eastern Henan. My family has been poor farmers for three generations. When I was in my early twenties, I worked as a loader at the county fertilizer plant. One night, after finishing my night shift, I was walking home when I passed by the county grain station and saw a long queue at the entrance."

"I thought they were issuing grain coupons, but when I went closer to take a look, it wasn't. The grain station was starting to issue 'treasury bonds' to farmers who were selling their grain. The government didn't have enough cash, so they used those as collateral. The farmers weren't happy about it, saying it was just a piece of paper. Someone shouted at the entrance of the grain station: 'Who wants them? 20% off for cash!' Nobody paid any attention to him. Then someone else shouted: '30% off!' Still nobody paid any attention."

"I stood there, I didn't move."

"I smelled a scent that I can't quite describe."

Secretary Chen leaned forward slightly.

He knew that General Manager Zheng rarely talked about these past events.

Every time he talks about it, there's something real inside.

"I stood there for almost half an hour."

"Later, someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Xiao Zheng, what are you standing there for? That thing is just a credit card.' I checked my pockets. I had just received my salary. I remembered it clearly: thirty-seven yuan and fifty cents. I chased after him and walked to the roadside with the person selling the coupons. I said, 'How many do you have? I'll take them all.'"

"That man looked at me like I was an idiot."

"He had eighty in his hand. I only had twenty or so on me, so I told him to wait. I ran home, took out all the money I had saved for half a year, and borrowed fifty from my third uncle, for a total of one hundred and sixty. With that money, I collected all the treasury bonds from the people outside the grain station. I went back the next day, and on the third day I went to the village next to the station. In total, I collected almost four hundred."

Secretary Chen's eyes widened when he heard this.

Four hundred dollars was not a small amount in those days.

He could almost picture the scene: a young man in his early twenties, like a fool, running around on a rural dirt road in winter, clutching a bunch of paper coupons that were being treated as IOUs.

"And then?" Secretary Chen couldn't help but ask.

Mr. Zheng chuckled: "Later? Later, the national policy came down, and treasury bonds could be redeemed, plus interest. Some of the bonds I had were worth a hundred yuan each, and I bought them for sixty or seventy yuan. You do the math."

He paused, then said, "Later, I used that money to do something else. Guess what it was?"

Secretary Chen shook his head.

"The second time was in the early 1990s."

Mr. Zheng poured out the cold tea in the cup, picked up the pot again, and poured in hot water. The sound of the water was soft and gentle, as if it were waking up the tea table.

"At that time, I already ran a small grocery store in the county. The store wasn't big, and business was so-so. One day, a man from Yongjia passed by and came in to buy cigarettes. He was a stranger, and when he took out his money, a piece of paper fell out of his pocket. I looked down and saw it was a brochure about real estate in the south. He didn't seem to care about it. He picked it up, dusted it off, and said, 'This is useless for a small place like this.' I asked him, 'What's the situation in the south right now?' He laughed and said, 'They're building all over the place, and the land price changes every day, like pancakes are being made.' He also said, 'People from small places like us can only go there to take a look; don't take it seriously.'"

"I took it seriously."

"I smelled that indescribable odor again."

Mr. Zheng said, "That night, I told my dad that I wanted to sell the shop and go to the south to take a look. My dad chased me with fire tongs, saying I was crazy, but I let him chase me. The next day, I sold the shop, exchanged all the money for bankbooks that can be withdrawn nationwide, and hid three hundred yuan in my shoe. I took a train for two days and two nights and arrived in eastern Guangdong."

"It was so hot there that I got heat rash all over my body. It was so crowded, and there was pile driving everywhere. I wandered around for a week but couldn't find any way in. Later, I was eating at a street food stall when I heard two locals next to me cursing in Cantonese. They were saying that a certain piece of land had failed to sell at auction again, and if it couldn't be sold, the owner was going to jump off a building. I couldn't understand a word, but I remembered the words 'failed to sell.'"

"The money I brought with me that time was only a few tens of thousands of yuan, which was nothing in that area. But later, I found that plot of land that had failed to sell at auction. It was a triangular piece of land that nobody wanted, and there was road construction going on next to it. When I went to inquire, people looked at me like I was a beggar, but I still bought it. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to cover the bid for that round. People said I was 'obsessed'."

When talking about the three words others used to insult him, "crazy line," Mr. Zheng laughed heartily, as if he had returned to his youthful days of venturing into the world, feeling incredibly carefree.

After laughing, he continued.

"The following year, the road was completed, and that piece of land became a street-facing property on three sides. I used it to pay a high price. And later, this office where you are sitting now came to be."

Secretary Chen was truly speechless this time.

He only knew that Mr. Zheng had started from scratch, but he never knew that he started in this way.

He sold off his small shop, traveled north and south, and invested his money in a triangular plot of land that everyone else considered unlucky. He felt this wasn't just being bold; it was more like playing a game on the edge of a cliff.

The older generation's playing style is still too lacking in skill.

This made Secretary Chen, whose mind was full of CF models, margin of safety, beta coefficient, information asymmetry, efficient market hypothesis, moat analysis, industry life cycle, Porter's Five Forces, DuPont analysis, and Davis double play, want to spit on it.

But it was through these leaps and bounds, through this kind of unskilled "smell-based" mystical method, that General Manager Zheng managed to jump his way from the dirt roads of eastern Henan to this office in Yangcheng.

As for myself, I can only work as an assistant to General Manager Zheng.

It has a bit of the feel of "No matter how many magical arts you have, I will break them with a single sword".

This left Secretary Chen speechless and helpless.

"So don't use your so-called analysis to judge me."

Mr. Zheng put the cup back on the tea table, leaned back, and said, "What you analyzed was 'carelessness,' but what I smelled was 'a scent.' I've only smelled this scent a handful of times in my thirty years. Every time, it was someone else throwing meat on the ground, and I squatting down to pick it up. They laughed at me for being a fool, but later they stopped laughing."

He spoke in a low, even somewhat lazy tone.

Secretary Chen remained silent.

He had previously thought that it was too hasty for President Zheng to suddenly want to become "Yao Guangxiao" just because "Zhou Man didn't come to the banquet".

But now, Secretary Chen realizes that compared to someone who would risk their entire fortune on a single plot of land upon hearing the words "failed to sell"...

Mr. Zheng was being too cautious this time.

"Understood."

Secretary Chen asked, "What about General Manager Zheng and General Manager Zhou...?"

After thinking for a moment, Mr. Zheng said, "Could you help me set a time? Just say I'm inviting her to dinner."

After saying that, he raised his finger and said, "Also, go and find out what's going on with President Zhou's 'daughter.' President Zhou is, after all, my close friend and a relative by blood. If she really has such a daughter, then she is my niece. It wouldn't be right not to prepare a gift, or people would say that I, Lao Zheng, am impolite."

"clear."

"Go."

After Secretary Chen left, President Zheng stopped fiddling with his tea set and tea leaves. Instead, he frowned in thought, his nose twitching occasionally, as if he had a nervous flare-up.

He felt that the taste wasn't quite right this time.

The scents he used to smell included soy sauce aroma, strong aroma, light aroma, rice aroma... but this time, it was very complex, a compound fragrance.

It's like mixing a bottle of soy sauce aroma, half a bottle of strong aroma, three cups of light aroma, and adding a few drops of rice aroma, and finally, someone even smeared a fruity aroma on the rim of the cup.

It's quite complex.

Suddenly, Mr. Zheng stopped stroking and looked troubled.

What's going on?

Why does it smell like dog?

……