Chapter 658: Chapter 361: The Old Hen Turns Into a Duck
As the song ended, the scene shifted, and the little round table from the Spring Festival Gala appeared before everyone.
"Eh? What’s that car on the table?" Feng Biao, due to his many years working at a car dealership, immediately saw the key point, "That brand is..."
"Jing Qi?" Feng Biao rubbed his eyes and confirmed again, "It’s really Jing Qi! That car logo, it can’t be wrong!"
Ding Zhaohui also leaned in for a closer look, "It really is! Didn’t Jing Qi undergo bankruptcy restructuring just a while ago?"
Chen Cheng’s eyes were fixed on that model, the car’s body lines were smooth, the design minimalist yet futuristic.
It seemed the big surprise Cao Yue mentioned was this.
Xia Gaoqiang also came over, stroking his chin and said, "This design looks quite techy, could it be an electric car?"
Chen Cheng smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip without responding.
"This car looks pretty cool!" Feng Biao’s professional habit kicked in again, "I wonder how its performance is."
Meanwhile, Wen Shulin’s eyes were bright; she knew clearly that this was the agreement soon to be reached between Chen Cheng and Cao Yue.
"Mr. Chen, congratulations." She suddenly raised her glass.
Everyone’s eyes turned to Chen Cheng, only to see this man remain calm and composed.
"Wow, Dacheng, are you going to say that you’re also involved with this car?" Ding Zhaohui was the first to react.
"Eh, it’s just some small business."
"That’s so impressive, hey!" Feng Biao gave a thumbs up, "Eh? No, when did you start getting into cars again?"
Chen Cheng smiled mysteriously, "Low profile, low profile."
"Dacheng, how many secrets do you have that we don’t know about?" Xia Gaoqiang looked shocked, "First, you reopened Wanbao Hall, then set up Camellia, started a training camp, and now it’s a car. Are you transforming into an industrialist?"
"Nonsense, I’m just playing around." Chen Cheng waved his hand dismissively, yet it only piqued everyone’s curiosity further.
"Playing around and you can get on the Spring Gala?" Ding Zhaohui looked doubtful, "This isn’t some ordinary ’playing around’!"
"Exactly, this car doesn’t look cheap." Feng Biao chimed in, "Dacheng, come on, tell us what’s really going on here?"
Chen Cheng, seeing he couldn’t evade it, had to give a simple explanation, "Actually, it’s just a project collaborated with Jing Qi, it’s this car."
Everyone was even more amazed, "That’s so impressive."
Chen Cheng pointed at the car model on the screen and said, "This car should use niobium batteries, but probably not in the first generation."
"And the raw material for niobium will be supplied by Miss Hoshino Mika’s mine."
Mei Xiang was surprised too, "Me?"
"No..." Ding Zhaohui and others looked at the young Mei Xiang, faces full of astonishment, Feng Biao exclaimed, "Miss Mei Xiang, does your family really own a mine?"
"My mine has already been entrusted to China Tungsten High-tech to manage, it’s a joint venture with Brother Cheng to set up an industrial fund." Hoshino Mika only then understood the significance of each step Chen Cheng took.
"Industrial fund?" Feng Biao felt his head spin a little; the information was too overwhelming for him to digest all at once.
Today’s New Year’s Eve dinner truly opened his eyes.
Ding Zhaohui was also puzzled, "So, this car, this battery, this mine, are all related to Dacheng?"
Chen Cheng nodded, smiling, "Sort of, I’m just part of it; the main credit goes to the partners."
He downplayed it, not wanting to be too ostentatious.
Xiao Meier looked at Chen Cheng, her eyes filled with pride.
Wen Shulin cleared her throat, "Mr. Chen, congratulations on your great achievement once again."
"Yes yes yes, we must propose a toast to Dacheng!" Ding Zhaohui also raised his glass, "He can now blink and turn an old hen into a duck!~"
"Go away, you, hahaha!"
"Hahaha..."
Chen Cheng happily drank up his wine, his gaze locked onto the exquisite car model on the screen.
Indeed, as Xia Gaoqiang mentioned, he had achieved a perfect transformation.
From the shadowy debt circle to standing under the spotlight, he became a true industrialist and a financial sector investor.
"Come on, let’s keep drinking!" He filled his glass again, "Tonight, everyone must enjoy themselves to the fullest!"
...
...
In previous years’ Spring Gala, Chen Cheng never stayed past midnight.
But this year’s was different; facing the upcoming appearance of Meng Wanning, he felt a bit of anticipation.
Feng Biao and the others left the quadrangle courtyard around eleven, saying they wanted to go home to stay up for the New Year.
Xia Yubing and Tong Jialu had no choice either; in Xiao Meier’s eyes, they were just helping with Chen Cheng’s work, so the two sisters did not make things difficult for Chen Cheng and left shortly after Feng Biao and others.
Now, the hot pot in the courtyard had long died out.
Chen Cheng, Xiao Meier, Wen Shulin, Mei Xiang, and Li Ya went into the warm room, brewing tea and drinking wine while chatting in the room.
"Hey, Xiao Er, what are your plans for the Spring Festival?" Wen Shulin held a glass of red wine, her face flushed with alcohol, half-reclined on the Arhat Couch, looking very charming.
Xiao Meier was also in a good state, her cheeks flushed, eyes dreamy, and her speech a bit slurred, "I... I’m planning with Xiao Cheng to go to Hainan for a few days. He’s taking me to see the ocean."
"Ah? Just the two of you?" Wen Shulin asked, and as soon as she spoke, she corrected herself, "The weather is very warm there."
"Yes, Xiao Cheng said the weather there is nice." Xiao Meier laughed happily, her drunk state making her blurt out, "Sister Lin, why don’t you come with us?"
"Ah? Wouldn’t that be a bit inappropriate?"
Wen Shulin couldn’t hold back her smile, but she still said, "You two are going on a honeymoon, I’d just be a third wheel, wouldn’t I?"
Xiao Meier grabbed Wen Shulin’s hand, her eyes sincere, "Sister Lin, what are you saying! What honeymoon... we’re just... just going out to have some fun... if you... if you are willing... join us!"
Wen Shulin laughed coyly, "Why would I intrude on your fun..."
"Fun... the more the merrier!" Xiao Meier, emboldened by alcohol, hugged Wen Shulin’s shoulder, "The more people... the merrier... the more fun it is! Sister Lin, you must... must come with us!"
Wen Shulin glanced at Chen Cheng, who was sipping his tea with an air of indifference, secretly laughing, this man really knows how to keep his calm.
Su Liya, having sharp ears, had already heard the conversation between the two clearly.
She quickly went to Wen Shulin’s side, leaned on her and said, "Mommy, Xiao Er has already invited you, you should come along."
"Just take me with you~" Liya chuckled, "Consider it a reward for me being so well-behaved lately, okay?"
Wen Shulin always found it hard to resist Su Liya’s coaxing. She stroked the girl’s smooth long hair, and then looked at Xiao Meier, "So, Liya and I are really coming along?"
"Sure! That would be wonderful!" Xiao Meier turned to Chen Cheng, "Xiao Cheng, Sister Lin and the others are coming with us, that’s settled!"
Chen Cheng pressed his lips together, "Since you’ve decided, I have no objections."
"Wait!" Su Liya then ran to Mei Xiang’s side, linking arms with her, "What about Mei Xiang if we all leave?"
"I... I’m fine..."
Xiao Meier slapped her forehead, "Oh, my memory! Mei Xiang, will you come with us too?"
"Sure!" Mei Xiang agreed readily.
Chen Cheng was a bit bewildered, from a sweet trip for two, Xiao Meier’s invitation quickly turned it into a group tour in less than a minute.
"Eh? Why don’t we ask the junior sister later? See if she’d like to join us in Hainan to enjoy the sun?" Xiao Meier suggested.
The opening drum sounds came from the TV, and Chen Cheng looked at the announcement text appearing on it, "Look, isn’t she up next?"
Everyone’s attention turned to the screen with curiosity, "Which one is she?"
Having seen Meng Wanning’s drama makeup before, Chen Cheng pointed to the leading lady on the screen, "It’s definitely her."
Wen Shulin gave Chen Cheng a playful glare, "How do you know so clearly? You recognize her even with all that face paint?"
Seeing the mood, Chen Cheng noticed Wen Shulin was getting jealous again, he chuckled, "That costume is exactly like when she was at Mr. Jin’s little mansion, how could I not know?"
After speaking, not missing out, he quietly pinched Wen Shulin’s slender waist twice while everyone else was focused on the TV.
Wen Shulin was startled, yet dared not make a sound.
Her wine-red face, however, was even redder than Meng Wanning’s on TV.