Zhao Yazu was stunned for a moment. "These few people... are they a startup team?"

Just now, Chen Cheng was still asking her whether to acquire a company or organize a new venture.

Zhao Yazu hadn't expected him to have target candidates so quickly.

Chen Cheng shook his head. "Not yet. However, these few people are currently organizing a venture together."

"I expect there will be news on the market very soon."

Zhao Yazu smacked her lips. "Since they are breaking up the partnership—"

"Then I suggest talking to them separately. If you invite them all at once, they'll reach a unified consensus internally."

Chen Cheng waved his hand. "Invite them all."

"Although what I want most are the Chief Architect and the CTO, Chen Wei is also very important in this team."

"If we can't reach an agreement together, then we'll talk to them separately."

"Repairing the gallery roads while secretly marching through Chencang?" Zhao Yazu raised an eyebrow, a smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

This man was truly devious.

On the surface, he's inviting people to talk about investment, so they won't have made any preparations for acquisition negotiations.

Once they arrive, it turns out the talk is about taking the whole package away.

Zhao Yazu didn't even dare to imagine how spectacular that scene would be.

"It's not quite that; calling them together like this is being open and aboveboard."

"And the time?" Zhao Yazu held back a smile.

"As soon as possible."

"Okay, I'll give Assistant Zhou a call."

Chen Cheng thought for a moment. "Forget it, I'll call her myself in a bit."

As he spoke, Chen Cheng chuckled. "Otherwise, my little wife might get suspicious."

Zhao Yazu looked at Chen Cheng's handsome profile and plucked up the courage to ask, "Aren't you tired?"

Chen Cheng was slightly stunned for a moment before understanding what she was referring to.

"I need some things to prove that I truly exist in this world."

"Emotional entanglements and attachments are the best proof."

Zhao Yazu froze, remaining silent for a long while.

Just how indifferent a person must be to need emotional entanglements with others to prove their own existence?

Then, Chen Cheng looked at Zhao Yazu with a smile. "By the way, I'm about to become a father."

Zhao Yazu was stunned for a second, then immediately reacted. "Then I must congratulate you~"

Chen Cheng smiled. "Let's go. It's about time; I should go meet my girlfriend's friends."

Zhao Yazu, who had been a bit moved just a moment ago, immediately had her mouth twitch.

Bah, scumbag.

He's just playing with emotions, yet he insists on finding such high-sounding excuses.

...

"You didn't drive?"

Qiao Xichen picked up Chen Cheng at the bus stop.

Chen Cheng said with a beaming smile, "I just wanted to spend a little more time with my girlfriend."

"I just put the car back."

A brilliant smile appeared on Qiao Xichen's face. She giggled, shifted gears, and drove away from the spot.

"Didn't you say you'd be late?"

"It finished early."

"Did it go smoothly?"

"Well... today was just about checking out the personalities of various mentors to see if they're easy to get along with. There wasn't really anything to go 'smoothly' or not."

"Later, I'll have to evaluate their academic levels, teaching abilities, and so on."

Qiao Xichen burst out laughing. "When others go to grad school, it's always 'Teacher, pick me, pick me!' But you're something else—you're actually giving scores to the professors at Peking University."

Chen Cheng smiled and raised an eyebrow. "Well, look at who your boyfriend is."

*Ring ring ring~~*

While they were chatting, Qiao Xichen's phone rang.

Qiao Xichen glanced at the phone on the center console and said to Chen Cheng:

"Help me check it; it might be Sister Nanjia and the others."

Chen Cheng complied, picked up the phone, and took a look. "It's Ji Nanjia."

As he spoke, Chen Cheng had already pressed answer and put it on speakerphone, holding it in front of Qiao Xichen's face.

As soon as the call connected, Ji Nanjia's brisk voice came through. "Hey~ Qiao, where are you?"

"Hey~ Sister Nanjia, I'm... let me see, at the Workers' Stadium. Just two more intersections and I'll be there."

On the other end of the phone, Ji Nanjia laughed. "Alright then, I'll wait for you for a bit."

"I thought you were going to be the last one to arrive."

Qiao Xichen chuckled and casually asked, "What about Xu Yan?"

"Just called her; she'll be a while longer."

Ji Nanjia said, then changed her tone and asked with a smile, "Hey~ where's that boyfriend of yours?"

"I don't see any handsome guys here."

She knew exactly what this dinner was about today.

Wasn't it just to introduce her boyfriend to them and officially announce she was no longer single?

Ji Nanjia was very curious about Chen Cheng.

When she helped Qiao Xichen move before, she was the one driving the 'Huo Lala' van.

When she saw that house and the car, let alone Xu Yan, even she—with her broad horizons—was stunned.

She had even teased Qiao Xichen with Xu Yan about how she'd struck it rich.

Only, when Xu Yan saw the car, she was a bit dazed.

That day with Chen Cheng, she had been too excited and hadn't noticed the license plate number, so she didn't know if it was a coincidence or what.

But she felt guilty and didn't dare to ask directly.

A smile played on Chen Cheng's lips. "Ahem~"

He cleared his throat, also as a reminder to Ji Nanjia that he was with Qiao Xichen.

"Hello, Ji Nanjia. I am Chen Jianan."

"I'm currently sitting in Qiao Xichen's passenger seat."

Ji Nanjia froze for a second, then immediately smiled. "Hello~ hello~"

"Qiaoqiao has praised you to the skies; I finally get to see the real person today."

Chen Cheng glanced at Qiao Xichen and said with a smile, "How exactly did she praise me?"

"She said, 'The physique of Wu Song, the looks of Pan An.'"

"Hey, hey, hey~" Qiao Xichen's face instantly turned red. "Sister Nanjia, you can't talk nonsense; I never said that."

"..."

After a few more pleasantries, Ji Nanjia took the initiative to hang up.

"This sister of yours is quite the socialite," Chen Cheng said as he put Qiao Xichen's phone back into the slot below the gear shifter.

The center console in this car was practically non-existent; only this slot could hold a phone.

When Qiao Xichen went to work alone, she could put her laptop and backpack in the passenger seat.

If there was someone in the passenger seat, her small bag had to be placed behind the center console.

So, if we have a fridge, TV, and big sofa, we don't necessarily have to buy a supercar, right?

Good girl~

Qiao Xichen nodded. "Yeah, Sister Nanjia has a small company that does event planning."

"Things like birthday banquets, annual meetings, company celebrations, and the like."

"So she deals with people very often."

"Sister Nanjia isn't intimidated by social interaction at all."

"Anyway, she's much better at it than I am."

Chen Cheng chuckled and grabbed her hand. "Our Manager Qiao doesn't need to belittle herself; didn't you just get promoted to supervisor?"

Qiao Xichen giggled happily and lifted her chin proudly. "That's true."

While the two were flirting, they soon arrived at the restaurant Chen Cheng had asked Zhao Yazu to book.

Hongbin Lou, known as the number one Halal restaurant in the capital.

And it lived up to its name.

This shop was a 'China Time-honored Brand' founded during the Xianfeng era. In 1955, it moved to the capital at the invitation of Premier Zhou.

It had hosted many foreign affairs reception activities.

The great man of letters—oh wait, the great 'archaeology expert' Mr. Guo once wrote an inscription for this shop.

"When the wild geese come, the wind brings warmth; the guests and friends fill the seats, urged to eat more. The red flag atop the building is redder than fire; heroes have never feared difficulties."

After parking the car, Qiao Xichen held Chen Cheng's arm and entered Hongbin Lou.