Chapter 45: This Coincidence Isn’t Much of a Coincidence

Chapter 45: This Coincidence Isn’t Much of a Coincidence

Shi Ling only realized Ji Mingxiu had taken action after the effects became apparent and he noticed it himself.

He had set his phone to "do not disturb" mode early in the morning, while Mo Jin and Shao Qin, though a bit conflicted, hadn’t done the same yet.

However, one day, he suddenly noticed that the number of calls received by Mo Jin, Shao Qin, and even Fang Lingyun had significantly decreased.

After much thought, Shi Ling could only think of Ji Mingxiu as the one who might have helped resolve this issue for them.

Though he had an idea, to confirm, he decided to call Ji Mingxiu.

Shi Ling got straight to the point: "Is it you who dealt with the Zhou family? What did you do to make them settle down so quickly?"

When Ji Mingxiu received the call, he was in his office. While handling some documents, he replied to Shi Ling, "It wasn’t anything too troublesome. Although the Zhou family can still maintain their facade, they can’t withstand much turmoil. The reason why Zhou Zhengde has been bothering your team is that they have too much free time, right? So, I had someone give them something to do."

He then reassured Shi Ling, "Since I’ve chosen to invest in your project, it means I recognize your value. No matter what issues you encounter, you can trust me. There’s no need to go through Ji Linze indirectly."

Shi Ling: ??

"Ah?"

He was genuinely confused.

At the beginning, he had planned to find something to keep the Zhou family occupied.

Knowing that after the Zhou family rose, Zhou Zhengde appointed his relatives to many important positions within the company, Shi Ling found it hard to believe there were no internal issues.

As Ji Mingxiu mentioned, the reason the Zhou family had been harassing them was that they had too much free time.

The Zhou family's scale was significant, and with Shi Ling's influence alone, it would be difficult to bring them down immediately. However, he could stir up some trouble and add some real stories about the Zhou family in the media.

It would just take some time.

But before he could act, Ji Mingxiu had already resolved the issue with the Zhou family.

However, Shi Ling's puzzled "Ah" also confused Ji Mingxiu on the other end of the line: "Wasn’t it you who asked Fang Lingyun to tell Ji Linze indirectly?"

Shi Ling denied it outright: "No, the reason the Zhou family started paying attention to our studio, besides their own greed, is partly because of me. I was planning to handle it myself."

"With Zhou Su's influence on the internet, the Zhou family has been enjoying good public relations. Exposing some dirt on them would be enough to cause them trouble."

He pondered and suggested, "It was probably Fang Lingyun. Maybe he intended to contact you directly, but when he negotiated with you alongside Mo Jin and Shao Qin, you scared him a bit, so he chose to tell Ji Linze indirectly."

After listening to Shi Ling's explanation, Ji Linze sounded somewhat aggrieved: "So, you were planning to keep it from me?"

Shi Ling was at a loss for words.

Hesitantly, he tried to justify: "Not really. You’re so busy now, and I thought such a minor issue wasn’t worth troubling you with. I was going to inform you after I resolved it."

Ji Mingxiu: "Isn’t that still keeping it from me?"

Shi Ling: ...

"If you insist on seeing it that way, then I guess so."

Ji Mingxiu clicked his tongue, slightly dissatisfied: "I’m your boss, after all. Can’t you say something nice to cheer me up?"

Shi Ling, who had never flattered anyone in his previous life or this one, asked sincerely: "Like what?"

Ji Mingxiu tentatively said: "How about going on a date with me?"

Shi Ling readily agreed: "Sure, you just set the time. I was planning to discuss next year's project plans with you anyway!"

Ji Mingxiu: ...

Shi Ling, do you even understand what a date is?

***

The "date" was eventually scheduled for the weekend.

Both Shi Ling and Ji Mingxiu were indeed only free during the weekends at this time.

The location was set at the rooftop Western restaurant in Central Plaza.

When Shi Ling, accompanied by the restaurant manager, found the seat Ji Mingxiu had reserved, the latter had already ordered some dishes. Seeing Shi Ling approach, he handed him the menu: "See if there’s anything else you’d like to add."

Shi Ling took the menu and sat down opposite Ji Mingxiu: "Why did you suddenly think of coming to a Western restaurant?"

Ji Mingxiu leaned back in his chair, smiling at him: "We’ve watched a movie, had milk tea, and eaten together before. After thinking about it, I realized we haven’t had Western food together. This is the best-reviewed Western restaurant nearby, so I wanted to bring you here."

"Moreover, the top of Central Plaza is the highest point in Beijing."

Hearing this, Shi Ling turned his head and looked outside through the glass window.

Undoubtedly, being able to overlook the entire city, the view was indeed breathtaking.

Shi Ling leaned against the window and gazed for a while: "The view is really nice. It’s indeed the highest point in Beijing, and the seat you chose has an excellent view. Can I take a picture later?"

The restaurant manager, standing by, promptly responded: "Of course, we offer a photography service. If you’re not satisfied with your photos, our professional photographers can assist you."

Shi Ling nodded approvingly: "The owner of this restaurant really knows how to do business!"

After enjoying the view from above, Shi Ling shifted his attention back to the menu.

At this point, he noticed that many dishes to his taste had already been pre-selected by Ji Mingxiu.

He looked up at Ji Mingxiu: "You’ve already made quite a few choices!"

Ji Mingxiu nodded modestly, casually replying, "We’ve eaten together so many times; we can be considered dining partners. I can tell what you like, so check if there’s anything else you prefer that I haven’t selected."

Shi Ling flipped through the menu and felt that Ji Mingxiu had already made enough selections. He handed the menu to the manager, saying, "That should be enough. It's just the two of us, and we won't be able to finish so much."

Ji Mingxiu nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's leave it at that. If we really need more, we can order again later."

Once the manager was sure that the two had finished ordering, he took the menu, smiled at them, and nodded. "Very well, we'll start preparing your order. If you need anything, you can press the button on the table. I wish you both a pleasant dining experience!"

As the restaurant manager was about to leave, a sudden commotion arose within the restaurant.

He furrowed his brow and looked toward the source of the noise.

It was a group of young people, along with several cameramen carrying large cameras.

It looked like the set of a variety show.

The manager seemed to recall something and let out a sigh of relief. "No need to worry, it's a variety show recording. They've booked several tables in advance, and they're quite far from here. The production team has also assured us that the recording won't disturb other guests dining in the restaurant."

"However, if you'd like to take a look, as long as you don't interfere with the filming and the crew doesn't object, it should be fine."

Neither Shi Ling nor Ji Mingxiu showed any interest. Upon hearing that the recording wouldn't affect them, they let it go.

Seeing that the two weren't interested, the manager said no more and tactfully left.

For a moment, it was just Shi Ling and Ji Mingxiu in the area—an ideal time to discuss business.

However, just as Shi Ling took out his tablet, before he could open the plans he had prepared for the remaining month of this year and next year, a familiar voice interrupted him.

"Lin Ze, don't seem too interested in the Central Restaurant? I heard it's reservation-only, and you need a special booking to come here. They say the food is excellent, and the views are great too. There's even a special viewing platform, or so I've heard!"

"It's alright. I've been here a few times before. The first time was exciting, but after coming several times, it's nothing special. The scenery doesn't change, after all."

The voices were a bit distant, but the content was clear.

Shi Ling looked up at Ji Mingxiu. "That sounds like Ji Linze's voice, doesn't it?"

Ji Mingxiu nodded. "They mentioned his name in the conversation, so it should be him."

"But if I remember correctly, he should be filming a variety show right now..."

Before he could finish, Ji Mingxiu realized something.

The restaurant manager had already mentioned that a variety show had borrowed the venue.

Shi Ling also caught on and leaned back in his chair. "What a coincidence. Their dating reality show also chose this restaurant?"

Ji Mingxiu looked in the direction of the crew and narrowed his eyes slightly. "It should be a coincidence. While Central Restaurant is indeed expensive, it's also a popular spot for social media and reservations aren't too difficult, as long as you reach a certain spending amount in Central Tower. Since Ji Linze has met the requirement, it shouldn't be hard for the show's crew to get a reservation."

Shi Ling was silent for a moment. "That spending amount should be quite high, right? I definitely haven't reached it yet."

Ji Mingxiu chuckled at this. "Don't worry, I have a reservation spot. If you want to come again, just let me know, and I'll book it for you."

"Alright, let's not worry about them. The manager already said the show's recording won't disturb other guests. We should just enjoy our meal."

Shi Ling nodded in agreement. "You're right."

However, even though they had no intention of crossing paths with the crew, some people weren't exactly quiet.

As the dishes started to arrive, members of the crew, who had been quite far from Shi Ling and Ji Mingxiu, began to take notice of them.

Most of the crew remained calm—they had been instructed not to disturb others during the date. But, as with any group, there were always a few who were less disciplined.

Zhou Su looked around and suddenly spoke to the crew. "The view here seems really nice. Can I go take a look by the window? Don't worry, I promise I won't disturb anyone."

Since he had given his assurance, and since Central Restaurant was known for both its food and views, the crew agreed after some consideration.

As Zhou Su made his way over, he caught sight of Shi Ling and Ji Mingxiu.

Zhou Su murmured, "Huh, it looks like I've spotted a familiar face?"