Chapter 32: The Man Beside the Pillow

Zhuang Chen picked up a string of tiger-skin beads, said to be from Overlord Ridge. The pattern was decent, the base color clean enough—barely passable. The shopkeeper hurried to seize the opportunity, promoting enthusiastically, “You’re an expert, sir. This is a true premium piece. Take it for fifteen thousand!”

Zhuang Chen set the beads down casually and pressed, “Any better ones?”

“Yes, please wait.” The shopkeeper turned to the safe, took out several small boxes, and laid them on the table. “One set is full water-wave, one is ghost-face, and another is purple oil pearwood—please have a look.”

Zhuang Chen’s eyes lit up; he picked up the ghost-face beads first. The market’s current hype about ‘matching eyes’ was all a ruse—the real deal was still the ghost-face.

“The water-wave’s no good. The other three sets are acceptable. Give me a package price.”

The shopkeeper quickly repacked them, saying warmly, “Fifty thousand, let’s make friends. Come back next time, I’ll have even better for you.”

Zhuang Chen bargained a bit, finally closing the deal at forty-seven thousand. He put on the ghost-face bracelet and continued shopping. He bought a pair of four-pillar lion heads for thirty thousand, a pair of Southern Border stones for twenty-six thousand, and two gourd pendants for eight thousand. He returned home with a full haul.

After a moment’s thought at home, he dialed his private number, hoping to invite Guo Degang and Yu Qian to dinner.

He soon received a reply: meet tomorrow at two in the afternoon, at a teahouse near No. 4 Gongti East Road, close to the Deyun Society. Zhuang Chen was quite satisfied. His list of idols was short, but Guo Degang and Yu Qian were at the top.

Countless lonely nights had passed with their comic dialogues as his lullaby; it had become a habit. He’d always wanted, on coming to the capital and saving up some money, to attend a live show or two, genuinely supporting traditional culture.

The next afternoon, arriving at the teahouse, Zhuang Chen finally met Guo Degang and Yu Qian. He presented the brocade boxes and said politely, “I’m a fan of both of you. I heard Mr. Guo likes walnuts and Mr. Yu favors bracelets—just a small token.”

Guo Degang quickly accepted the gift. Opening it, he saw four-pillar lion heads; a glance told him they were not cheap. Yu Qian received a large tiger-skin bracelet made of huali wood, along with a native gourd.

Guo Degang said warmly, “Brother Zhuang, you’re too kind. Anyone who enjoys our cross talk is a friend. Please, sit; let’s have tea and chat.”

Yu Qian also sat with a smile, carefully scrutinizing the young man before him. In fact, both he and Guo Degang were supposed to catch a flight today for an important engagement. But the guest’s background was too significant to refuse; they had no choice but to entertain him first and take a later flight.

Zhuang Chen poured tea for them himself, smiling, “It’s nothing special. I’ve listened to your cross talk for years; I just wanted to meet you both. I hope I haven’t been a bother?”

Guo Degang laughed, “Ha! Brother Qian and I have kept many people company in their sleep over the years! If you like us, it’s fate. And you even brought gifts? The more such ‘bother,’ the better, right?”

The three burst into hearty laughter, and the atmosphere quickly became relaxed and congenial. After some conversation, Guo Degang realized Zhuang Chen truly had no ulterior motives—he simply wanted to meet and chat. This put everyone at ease.

As they talked, Zhuang Chen noticed that offstage, Old Guo was rather reserved, while Brother Qian was the sociable one, chatting about everything under the sun—they got on famously. When the topic turned to food, they hit it off even more. Brother Qian loved to cook and had a zest for life. In the end, he invited warmly, “If you have time, you must visit my garden. I love spending time there. Let’s have a proper gathering.”

Zhuang Chen gladly accepted, knowing Yu Qian was fond of animals. He’d rented dozens of acres in Langfang, turned it into a private zoo called ‘Heavenly Essence and Earthly Splendor,’ with goldfish, birds, dogs, and many little ponies; all their gatherings took place there.

Seeing it was getting late, Zhuang Chen took the initiative to leave. “I won’t take up any more of your time. I have no special skills, just a little idle money.”

“If you ever need anything, just say the word. I won’t hesitate!”

The three exchanged contact information and parted ways. Zhuang Chen was quite pleased, feeling he’d fulfilled a wish. He admired Louis Koo as well—not for his acting, but for his quiet dedication to charity.

There was a primary school in his hometown donated and built by Koo, as well as many orphanages—over a hundred in total. If he ever made it to Hong Kong, he would definitely seek him out and perhaps do charity together.

As for other celebrities, he appreciated them, especially the actresses. He’d heard that many tycoons liked to ‘conquer’ them, but he didn’t understand the appeal.

Spending a million on a meal, or several million for a night, seemed pointless—better to build an orphanage. Where was the pleasure in that?

Of course, tastes differ. What you find pointless, others may never tire of.

He drove to the CBD. Tang Hong had invited him several times to visit the new office. Now that the share transfer was complete, he was the largest shareholder; with nothing better to do, he came for a look.

“This is the office area. It’s not large, but it has everything we need—compact yet complete…”

“These are Xiao Liu and Xiao Li. They’ve been with me for six years—company veterans, founding contributors…”

“This is my office. The décor is simple; we’ll improve it when the company makes more money…”

Zhuang Chen toured the studio with Tang Hong and found it quite impressive. It was minimalist and refined. Though there were only three people, the energy was vibrant and infectious.

“Should I start calling you President Tang now?” Zhuang Chen joked, looking at Tang Hong’s radiant face. “So, how does it feel? Being your own boss is satisfying, isn’t it?”

“What president? I’m still working for you, aren’t I?” Tang Hong handed Zhuang Chen a cup of coffee, blushing for once.

Zhuang Chen laughed heartily, taking the share certificate without even glancing at it. He encouraged her, “If you say so, then if you ever have any difficulties, don’t hesitate to ask. The company is yours to run—you don’t need to report to me about everything. Too much hassle!”

Tang Hong just smiled. After all, this was a real big shot. Two million, even twenty million, probably meant nothing to him.

That was why she was willing to cooperate: he invested money but didn’t meddle—who wouldn’t like that?

“Don’t worry, we’ve already contacted many old clients. Quite a few are willing to keep working with us. I’m optimistic we’ll be profitable within three months.”

Zhuang Chen wasn’t concerned, but Tang Hong was careful. She produced a business plan and began explaining. Having a boss’s trust was a blessing; as an employee, one shouldn’t take it for granted.

Zhuang Chen sipped his coffee while listening—he could learn something, too. This was his first business investment, and naturally, he hoped it would succeed. Money was secondary; what mattered was whether his judgment of people was sound.

So-called venture capital is all about the investor. Years ago, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son handed money to the unassuming Jack Ma, and Alibaba’s IPO made him Asia’s richest man—did he do it for Ma’s good looks?

Talent counts for nothing until you succeed.

In the end, this world belongs to the strong—the victors. If you succeed, even your farts are fragrant; every word becomes a classic of entrepreneurship, a motivational slogan.

If you fail, no matter how much you suffer, you deserve it. Even kneeling, no one respects you—such is reality, and no one can escape it.

As for himself now, gourmet food was just a hobby; outwardly, he was an investor. If fate brought the right people, he would help if he could—for both plausible deniability, and a clear conscience.

After hearing Tang Hong’s plan, he clapped and praised, “Very solid—I have great confidence in you.”

“As always, if you need help, just ask. Remember, I’m the major shareholder—make good use of it, and don’t stand on ceremony!”

Seeing it was almost time, he invited, “Today’s my treat—let’s call our team and have a good meal!”

Tang Hong didn’t refuse. She brought the two young ladies, and they all got into the Bentley. She’d been so busy lately her feet barely touched the ground, and it was a rare thing for a big shot to treat—why not enjoy it?

“Boss, we finally see you in person! Sister Hong always said we had a powerful backer—turns out it’s true!”

“And so young and handsome, just like a leading man in a TV drama!”

“Exactly—a real-life domineering CEO!”

Zhuang Chen could only smile helplessly at the two chattering girls. From the moment they got in the car, they hadn’t stopped talking, their curiosity overflowing. In the end, he simply said nothing—if he couldn’t handle them, at least he could avoid them.