Chapter 250: I'm Going to See an Acquaintance

"Yang Director, you're not talking about bank loans, are you? That wouldn't be good for our company's image," Zhao Teng expressed his concern. "And if we collaborate with other entertainment companies, disputes over copyrights and other interests are likely, which might not be wise."

Yang Chen shook his head and smiled. "I'll provide you with a specific contact for the collaboration. Wang Jie, it'll be your responsibility to negotiate. You can trust the capabilities and integrity of the other party completely. However, I'll need to have some discussions with them first, and they'll contact you directly afterward."

What Yang Chen was referring to, of course, was Rose. She wanted to leverage Yulei's influence to legitimize her funds and gradually build Red Maple Society's legitimate commercial enterprises. Yang Chen's support would benefit both parties.

Investing heavily in films and commercial programs was akin to running a casino, a perfect money-laundering operation.

Though puzzled, Wang Jie and Zhao Teng saw that Yang Chen was serious and felt a mixture of excitement and anticipation. They then discussed their immediate work plans. Zhao Teng was in charge of staffing, recruitment, and interviews, while Wang Jie was responsible for networking and negotiations, attracting some idle artists and taking away entertainment company clients.

Yang Chen listened as Wang Jie said it was difficult to find talent and complained that the so-called little princes and princesses were too high in price. He couldn his had who had are<|end_of_action| >

Yang Chen felt he should treat these two diligent workers; he might need to rely on them when he wanted to slack off in the future.

Inviting his two subordinates to lunch, Zhao Teng and Wang Jie, of course, could not refuse. They found talking to Yang Chen very relaxed, without the restraint they usually felt when speaking to their superiors, and quickly warmed up to him.

Yang Chen led them out of the office, greeting employees with smiles along the way and urging everyone to join them for lunch. Many were slightly surprised; clearly, they found this young CEO quite unconventional.

Yang Chen didn't let Zhao Teng and Wang Jie drive, taking them to the parking lot and heading straight to the outskirts of the city in his white BMW.

Seeing Yang Chen drive a car worth over a million, Zhao Teng and Wang Jie were convinced that Yang Chen definitely had an impressive background. After all, at such a young age, how could he afford a car of this caliber unless he was born to a wealthy family?

What puzzled Zhao Teng and Wang Jie even more was the place Yang Chen chose for lunch. They expected either a refined Chinese restaurant or a quiet Western one, but Yang Chen picked a casual roadside hotpot joint instead.

Inside the hotpot restaurant, steam filled the air, and the patrons were mostly rugged locals and migrant workers. Yang Chen led Zhao Teng and Wang Jie inside, dressed smartly, clearly upper-class workers, drawing surprised looks from many.

Especially for Wang Jie, who came from an upper-class background, she had never been to such a restaurant before but didn't want to refuse Yang Chen's hospitality. She frowned slightly at the greasy, uncleared spots on the table but didn't say anything.

Yang Chen called over the landlady to order, ticking dozens of items on the hotpot menu, which made Zhao Teng and Wang Jie's eyes widen.

"Director, we can't eat this much," Zhao Teng advised.

Yang Chen waved his hand. "Don't worry. Even if we eat a hundred dishes, it won't cost more than a thousand yuan. I'm generous, so enjoy!"

Zhao Teng and Wang Jie were on the verge of tears. How could they possibly eat a hundred dishes?

"Oh, do you want to drink? They have a good ten-yuan bottle of Gaoliang liquor here, with that local taste. How about two bottles?" Yang Chen cheerfully suggested.

Ten yuan for liquor?! Zhao Teng and Wang Jie felt like they were from another planet; they couldn't understand the current situation.

"Hmm, not enough? How about three bottles then? One bottle per person. Despite the small quantity, it's fifty degrees strong!" Yang Chen continued to order drinks and food, then sat down facing Zhao Teng and Wang Jie.

Zhao Teng cleared his throat nervously and said with a stiff smile, "Director, Wang Jie can handle her liquor, having done PR work. I, on the other hand, get drunk with just a little."

"Oh, in that case, if you get drunk, let me know. I'll help you finish it. Don't worry, I don't mind drinking what others leave behind. It's a waste otherwise, and saving is honorable," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Soon, the hotpot with a broth of meat and bones was brought to the table, along with various condiments. Because Yang Chen had ordered so much, the landlady threw in an extra plate of pig's blood and tofu skin, which put Yang Chen in a great mood. Zhao Teng and Wang Jie had eaten hotpot before, but never in such a lively little restaurant in the heart of the city. The surroundings were somewhat dirty-looking, and they weren't sure if the place even had a business license, let alone a hygiene permit. If they weren't genuinely hungry, they wouldn't dare eat here.

Yang Chen had ordered an excessive amount of dishes, and one small table couldn't fit all the food along with the rack. Without hesitation, Yang Chen dragged an adjacent table over to his own.

Zhao Teng and Wang Jie were dumbfounded. It was their first time dining in such a small hotpot restaurant, and the first time they had seen someone so boldly dragging tables around.

"Hey, these little diners are great. You can eat and play as you please. Big hotels are too troublesome—you can't talk loudly, you can't smoke," Yang Chen said as he lit a cigarette, holding it between his fingers while using the other hand to drop various vegetables and raw meat into the hotpot. "This is the atmosphere for hotpot—lively and bustling. It's best when it's snowing outside, and we're drinking strong liquor. We're all friends here, so I invited you casually."

Zhao Teng forced a smile. "Director Yang is right. This is quite... uh..."

He coughed a few times due to the poor-quality tobacco, struggling to find words.

Wang Jie giggled behind her hand. "Director Yang, you're quite something. We've never seen such a grand setup before."

"I know," Yang Chen said proudly. "Today, I'm showing you what kind of person I am. Whether it's fancy or simple, I don't care about appearances. I'm lazy, I lack specialized knowledge, I like things straightforward. What you see in the office is the real me, and what you see here, looking like a peasant, is also real. About half a year ago, I was just a street vendor selling lamb skewers near the West District market. Believe it or not, despite having a Harvard master's degree, I really sold lamb skewers."

Seeing Zhao Teng and Wang Jie speechless, Yang Chen opened a bottle of local liquor that had been brought over, filled their glasses, and his own. He raised his glass to toast them. "Here, have a sip. Don't just stare at me dumbly. Selling lamb skewers didn't cross the threshold for declaring personal income tax, so I didn't evade taxes."

Finally, Zhao Teng and Wang Jie laughed, picked up their glasses, and though the liquor smelled pungent, they took a sip each.

Wang Jie managed alright, but when Zhao Teng drank the strong liquor, it burned like fire down his throat. He coughed continuously, his face turning red before he managed to stop.

Yang Chen laughed heartily and had the landlady bring him a glass of cold water, insisting he shouldn't drink any more.

"If you can't handle it, just say so. I'm not a boss who insists his subordinates drink. Don't feel pressured," Yang Chen said.

Embarrassed, Zhao Teng smiled weakly. "It's not that I can't drink, Director Yang. This liquor is just too strong."

After some laughter and conversation, they finally started eating the hotpot, but combined, Zhao Teng and Wang Jie couldn't match even half of what Yang Chen consumed alone.

Soon enough, the massive pile of food that originally seemed impossible for the two of them to finish was devoured by Yang Chen as if in a whirlwind.

In their minds, their perception of Yang Chen was shifting from clear to blurry, blurry to clear, constantly changing. However, regardless of the impressions forming, they unexpectedly found themselves liking this peculiar boss more and more.

"Director Yang, if you've been drinking, you shouldn't drive. How will we get back later?" Zhao Teng expressed concern. "Maybe we should have someone from the company come to pick us up."

Yang Chen waved dismissively. "Why worry? I can drive even after drinking. I've been to the police station so many times it's almost like home. Let's go! I'll drive you back to the office!"

Zhao Teng and Wang Jie's faces alternated between pale and green. Was this really their company's director or someone who just escaped from prison?

But just as Yang Chen finished paying and prepared to leave with Zhao Teng and Wang Jie, a familiar figure passed by outside the small hotpot restaurant.

A strange look flashed in Yang Chen's eyes. He turned to the two of them and said, "Wait here for ten minutes. I need to see someone. I'll be back soon."

Before Zhao Teng and Wang Jie could ask any questions, Yang Chen briskly walked out of the small hotpot restaurant and disappeared into a narrow alleyway.