Chapter 608: Hooking up with a Rich Lady
Hearing Shi Qingxue's voice, Lu Yiming smiled unconsciously and said softly, "Why? Do you miss me?"
Shi Qingxue said coquettishly: "Humph, narcissist, who missed you?"
Lu Yiming laughed and said, "But I missed you."
Li Yiwen shivered as he listened to this: "Oh, so corny. You kids really know how to have fun."
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yiming said, "Things here have come to an end for the time being. It's mainly about base construction and eel breeding. The county is watching over the infrastructure, and there are so many people who have invested in it and are willing to help me supervise. There won't be any problems. Eel breeding also takes time. We can go back to Zhonghai tomorrow."
Li Yiwen said: "There is one more thing. Chen Zefu wants to treat you to a meal."
Lu Yiming asked: "Who is Chen Zefu?"
Li Yiwen was speechless: "It's the big guy who invested 300 million yuan in you at the investment promotion conference. He is known as the king of Hong Kong hotels. My dear cousin, he gave you 300 million yuan in one go. Aren't you curious to know who he is?"
Lu Yiming said calmly: "He invested in me, doesn't that mean my plan is good? Why would I go and find out about him?"
"quibble."
Lu Yiming said, "Okay, I did notice him, but I haven't seen his profile yet, right? Well, I don't like socializing. After all, you know I'm very low-key. But I respect the elderly and love the young. If an old man in his seventies or eighties wants to invite me to dinner, it would be inappropriate for me not to go. I still have to give him face. Go and make the arrangements for me. After dinner, we'll go back to Zhonghai."
"OK."
At the Chen family's old house, Chen Zefu had just finished a phone call with Li Yiwen and confirmed the dinner. He looked up and saw that no one was around. He immediately shouted, "Xiaofeng, Xiaofeng, where is Chen Jinzhu?"
Xiaofeng is a 30-year-old young woman with a great figure and a pretty face. She is his personal secretary, responsible for taking care of his daily life and sharing some of the work.
Chen Jinzhu is the granddaughter of Chen Zefu. She had been studying in France and was just called back by Chen Zefu.
Xiao Feng said, "Miss San went out early in the morning and hasn't come back yet."
As he was talking, Chen Jinzhu came in from outside with a depressed look on his face, and shouted: "It's so boring here, there's not even a decent bar. When are we going back to Hong Kong?"
Chen Zefu said with a dark face: "You are a girl, and all you think about every day is bars and nightclubs. You are not reserved at all!"
Chen Jinzhu argued: "How can you define my gender?..."
Chen Zefu's veins almost popped out when he talked about this. He slammed his right hand on the rosewood coffee table and cursed, "Your father paid money and used his connections to send you to study in France, hoping that you would learn knowledge well. But you can't even learn the words in the textbooks, but instead you learned all this nonsense and defined gender... cough cough cough..."
When Chen Zefu was so excited, he couldn't help but cough violently. Xiaofeng came over to pat Chen Zefu on the back, and then said to Chen Jinzhu: "Okay, Xiaozhu, you should stop talking. We are all back together to celebrate the New Year, and I still have some things to do. You should be patient for a few more days. The countryside is also good, with fresh air and close to nature."
After coughing several times, Chen Zefu finally recovered and said, "I'm going to have dinner with Mr. Lu from Future Capital tonight. You can come with me."
Chen Jinzhu suddenly looked annoyed, pouted and snorted: "Don't think I don't know what you are up to. You want me to go on a blind date again!"
"Blind date?"
A woman who looked 90% like Chen Jinzhu came in carrying a bamboo basket full of wild vegetables and said to Chen Jinzhu with a smile, "Grandpa has found another young talent for you."
Chen Jinzhu said dissatisfiedly: "Chen Jinmei, you are also talking about me?"
Xiao Feng said, "How can you call your elder sister by her name? That's against the rules!"
Chen Jinzhu confidently said: "Calling people by their first names is a symbol of equality and freedom. Parents and grandparents in developed countries all call each other by their first names. Only we who are backward still abide by these decadent rules..."
" Come with me."
Chen Jinmei pulled Chen Jinzhu aside and said with a straight face, "You, stop making grandpa angry. Do you know how much trouble those ridiculous things you did in France brought to the family?"
Chen Jinlan said with a nonchalant expression: "Isn't it just a girlfriend? What's the big deal? This kind of thing is very normal in France. I really don't understand why you are making a fuss."
Chen Jinmei scolded, "We are in Xia Country, don't bring back the bad habits from France. Stop making trouble. Even if you have a foreign boyfriend, as long as we don't talk about marriage, our family will have no objection, but you can't find a woman. We are almost becoming a laughing stock among the wealthy families in Hong Kong."
Nowadays, people's ideas and concepts are still relatively conservative, not to mention a family with traditional power like this one. As a girl, Chen Jinlan found a girlfriend, which was like a knife stabbing her butt - it was an eye-opener.
Chen Jinlan said impatiently, "Okay, okay, why are you being as long-winded as my mother? Is your menopause coming earlier or faster?"
Chen Jinmei was used to Chen Jinlan's rebelliousness, but as the eldest sister, she still had to take care of her. She warned Chen Jinlan, "You must go to the banquet tonight and don't do anything weird. If you make grandpa angry again, I will cut off your pocket money and let you go out to work and earn money. Do you understand?"
When she heard that her pocket money was going to be cut off, Chen Jinlan finally gave in. Her expenses were very high, and she thought she would die if her pocket money was cut off.
Chen Jinmei continued, "Xiao Lan, come here. Mr. Lu from Future Capital, who is having dinner with you tonight, is a young genius. In terms of age, he is two years younger than you, and he is truly self-made. Even your grandfather highly respects him. It won't hurt for you to meet more young talents like him. We are not an ordinary family, you can't help but consider your family."
Chen Jinlan, however, looked disgusted and said, "Didn't you let me meet a bunch of so-called young talents in Hong Kong? What was the result? They all talked big but turned out to be a bunch of good-for-nothings..."
After learning that Chen Jinlan actually liked women, the entire Chen family felt as if the sky was falling. And when the wealthy families in Hong Kong learned that Chen Jia had such a strange child, they openly and covertly belittled and ridiculed the Chen family, making the Chen family unable to raise their heads in Hong Kong.
Therefore, the Chen family came up with a plan: let Chen Jinlan go on a crazy blind date, find a man to marry, and get rid of the impact of this incident.
But no matter what, Chen Jinlan was a returned overseas student, and with her status and position, she looked down on ordinary people. Therefore, although she had many blind dates, none of them worked out.
Listening to Chen Jinlan's complaints about her previous blind dates, Chen Jinmei's face became darker and darker. Chen Jinlan observed her expression and felt something was wrong. She remembered that her pocket money was still in the hands of her eldest sister who had taken over part of the family business, so she immediately stopped and said unhappily, "Okay, I'll just sit next to grandpa and be a lady tonight, is that okay?"
County town, Maple Leaf Restaurant.
At the entrance, two Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars led the way, followed by a modified Mercedes-Benz V-Class. These three Mercedes-Benz cars have been quite popular in the county recently, and many people know that this is Chen Zefu's car.
In a short time, the news that Chen Zefu was coming to Maple Leaf Restaurant for dinner spread like wildfire. The hotel staff were all curious about who Chen Zefu was going to have dinner with at Maple Leaf Restaurant.
After a while, Lu Yiming also showed up at the Maple Leaf Restaurant. Everyone then realized that it was no wonder that Chen Zefu made such a big show, it turned out that he wanted to have dinner with the richest man Lu.
Lu Yiming and Chen Zefu met in the hotel.
Lu Yiming was very polite to Chen Zefu and said, "Mr. Chen, good evening. I was thinking of finding a time to treat you to a meal to thank you for your great help at the investment meeting."
Chen Zefu said cheerfully, "Mr. Lu, I am indeed very optimistic about your eel farming project. I have been in the hotel industry for most of my life, and I have some knowledge of food ingredients. The market prospects of eels are still very good, and your plan is highly feasible, so it impressed me."
After a few polite words, Chen Zefu pointed at Chen Jinlan, who was sitting next to him and introduced her to Lu Yiming: "This is my third granddaughter, Chen Jinlan. She just came back from studying in France."
Lu Yiming said casually: "It seems that Miss Chen is not only a beauty, but also a talented woman."
After all, it was a public occasion, so Chen Jinlan still showed the qualities that a lady from a noble family should have. She stood up and shook hands with Lu Yiming, and said softly, "Mr. Lu, it's nice to meet you."
Lu Yiming also gently shook her hand and responded with a smile, "Miss Chen, you're welcome."
It has to be said that Chen Jinlan is quite pretty, and she has the temperament of a socialite that has been honed by the Paris fashion circle for several years. Her dressing taste alone is extraordinary, and she is the type that ordinary people can never reach.
However, as a top wealthy man, Lu Yiming has never lacked beauties around him, and he has no idea about the Chen family behind Chen Jinlan. Therefore, to him, Chen Jinlan is just a little pretty, nothing more.
His gaze didn't even linger on Chen Jinlan for a moment, but fell on Chen Zefu again, and chatted with him about a lot of things in the hotel industry.
Chen Zefu asked curiously, "Is Mr. Lu planning to invest in the hotel industry?"
Lu Yiming shook his head and said, "That's not the case. I have invested in many companies, but most of them are in the high-tech field. If it is not necessary, I will not easily get involved in traditional fields. The reason why I am interested in the hotel industry is that I want to see if there is any way to combine the Internet with the hotel industry and break the original business ecology."
“Internet plus hotel?”
Chen Zefu was obviously very interested in this topic, and he couldn't help but urge, "Boss Lu, tell me about it quickly, this is new."
Lu Yiming said: "My idea is this: the biggest problem in the traditional hotel industry is how to connect with customers. For example, if I go to an unfamiliar city and want to find a place to stay, what would most people do?"
Chen Jinlan interrupted and said, "For things like this, you usually ask the local taxi drivers, right?"
Lu Yiming nodded, then asked, "But how can you guarantee that the hotel the taxi driver takes you to really meets your needs? After all, for taxi drivers, they may help whoever pays more. In this way, customers spend more money, but the hotel does not make any profit, and in the end the taxi driver gets a bargain. The key is that this model is not stable."
Chen Zefu, who has been immersed in the hotel industry for most of his life, immediately understood what Lu Yiming meant, and then humbly asked: "Mr. Lu, do you have a solution?"
Lu Yiming said: "I do have an idea. Can we create a website and put all the hotel information on it, with not only text descriptions, but also pictures and even videos for reference, and clearly mark the prices, set up different grades, and provide different services to meet the needs of guests with different needs."
Without waiting for Chen Zefu to speak, Lu Yiming continued, "The benefits of doing this are obvious. Users have more choices, and they don't have to worry about being cheated or staying in a black shop with no security. Secondly, for hotels, there are many benefits. They can attract guests by adjusting prices. They can even contact customers directly online and provide check-in information. This not only facilitates guests, but also helps hotels effectively reduce operating costs."
Chen Zefu was cheered up after hearing this and praised: "This is a good idea."
Even Chen Jinlan, who knows nothing about business, thinks Lu Yiming's idea is great. She said, "In this way, when I travel to a city in the future, I don't have to worry about accommodation. I can just search online to find the hotel I like and book a room directly without the trouble of running around. Especially during the peak tourist season, sometimes I arrive at the place and find out that the hotel is full. That feeling is really terrible."
Lu Yiming waved his hand and said, "This idea is not actually mine. Several companies have already started to work in this field. I originally planned to see if I could do this project myself. But after talking with Mr. Chen, I realized that without a senior professional team that has a deep understanding of the hotel industry, it would be difficult to succeed. After all, the Internet is not omnipotent."
Having said that, Chen Zefu became more and more satisfied with Lu Yiming. He was neither arrogant nor impatient, and had a magnanimous demeanor. It was obvious at first glance that he was a man who could accomplish great things. He wished he could make him his grandson-in-law right then and there.
It's a pity that Lu Yiming had no interest in this. During the banquet, the topic of both parties kept revolving around the hotel industry, which made Chen Zefu anxious but helpless.
After the banquet, Chen Zefu finally got the chance and said to Chen Jinlan, "See Mr. Lu off later."
During the whole banquet, Chen Jinlan was actually secretly observing Lu Yiming. Lu Yiming and Chen Zefu talked freely, and their modest and dignified style was completely different from those so-called young talents that Chen Jinlan had met before, which left a deep impression on Chen Jinlan.
Born into a wealthy family like the Chen family, she was considered to be well-informed, but this was the first time she had seen someone like Lu Yiming.
He has the vigor and vitality of a young man, yet the maturity and stability of a middle-aged man. His steps are always unhurried, as if everything is under control.
In Chen Jinlan's opinion, confident people tend to become arrogant, while calm people usually act cautiously and take every step carefully.
But these two qualities, confidence and calmness, are perfectly integrated in Lu Yiming.
Outside the hotel, facing the evening breeze, Chen Jinlan asked curiously: "Have you always been so confident?"
Lu Yiming smiled and said, "Maybe it's because I can predict the future. Before a person places a bet, he knows that he has a sure win, so naturally he has no hesitation or confusion in his heart."
Chen Jinlan thought Lu Yiming was joking, so she responded humorously: "So, you are also a fortune teller."
Lu Yiming said: "I can't really call myself a fortune teller, you can call me a prophet."
It was the first time that Chen Jinlan met such an interesting person, so she chatted with Lu Yiming for a few more words. The two of them walked out of the hotel talking and laughing, but this scene was just seen by a reporter who had just got off work. The reporter quickly dodged to the side, hid behind a car, picked up the camera hanging around his neck, adjusted the parameters, and aimed at the two people.
"One is the richest man in Lu, and the other seems to be the daughter of the Chen family. I happened to meet them when I was interviewing in the village these days. My goodness, judging from their appearance, they have an unusual relationship."
The reporter's gossipy spirit was burning deep in his heart, and he couldn't wait to rush up and find out the truth.
However, looking at the black-clad bodyguards beside him, he very rationally gave up the idea.
With my small body weighing only a hundred pounds, how could I withstand the blows from these people?
Lu Yiming and Chen Jinlan walked to the hotel entrance and talked for a long time before Lu Yiming got in the car and left. The reporter was about to leave when he saw Chen Zefu walking out of the hotel.
Being professionally sensitive, several possibilities flashed through his mind in an instant: "My goodness, two young people dating in a hotel at night is fine, but isn't this the hotel tycoon Chen Zefu? He is also the grandfather of this rich girl and the current head of the Chen family. He is here, could it be that this Lu Yiming and the daughter of the Chen family are about to get married? This is big news!"
He took out his cell phone and took several photos before leaving satisfied.
Lu Yiming was completely unaware that he could be photographed by paparazzi even when he went to the hotel for dinner. After returning home, he took a shower, read his emails for a while, and dealt with some company matters. It was not until after two o'clock in the morning that he could no longer resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day, I woke up at noon. After washing up and having a hearty breakfast, I regained some energy.
"Well, I'm getting old now. I can't stay up late. If I go to bed a little later, I feel unwell."
Lu Yiming muttered something, yawned, and was about to go back to sleep, but Li Yiwen came in with a few newspapers, yelling, "Hey, you're just a fool. I told you to go to dinner, but you hooked up with the daughter of the Chen family?"
