Chapter 22 A Very Naive Person

Chapter 22 A Very Naive Person

The dinner was set for two days later. Shi Zhangmin, in his sixties with slightly graying temples, was very amiable and unpretentious.

He was a famous action star on both sides of the Taiwan Strait in his early years, having won the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor. As he got older, he left acting and went into business.

Chen Wan was in the technical field, and the initial research and development were costly. He urgently needed to secure a stable and robust funding source. In the past two years, the economy in Haishi had been sluggish. He had his eye on a high-profile project funded by the mainland, but such a coveted opportunity rarely went to small companies like his.

Shi Zhangmin had a high reputation and extensive connections on both sides of the strait. It was said that one of the directors there was an old fan of his, so Chen Wan wanted to give it a try.

Chen Wan and Shi Zhangmin didn’t know each other but were introduced by a mutual friend. Chen Wan had good connections, and people who could help were usually willing to lend a hand.

Shi Zhangmin only agreed to meet Chen Wan after he made three sincere visits, and his old friend repeatedly assured him that this young man was worth meeting. Even if the matter didn’t succeed, this young man was worth getting to know.

Shi Zhangmin met him, and Chen Wan was indeed impressive. They had a pleasant and engaging conversation.

But Shi Zhangmin was very direct: "Young man, why did you think of coming to me? Coming to me is the slowest and most indirect path."

Chen Wan knew this well, but it was the fastest and most direct path he could find.

Shi Zhangmin said this, but Chen Wan was not discouraged. He simply said, "Mr. Shi, don’t say that. Even if it’s true, I’m not afraid of being slow."

Seeing Chen Wan’s composure, Shi Zhangmin asked him about his plans, and Chen Wan answered them one by one.

Shi Zhangmin said, "When I say I can’t help, I’m not being humble. This kind of thing is very complex."

Chen Wan still didn’t show any disappointment on his face. Only then did Shi Zhangmin say, "I can only help you with some introductions. The rest will be up to your own efforts."

Chen Wan was already happy that Shi Zhangmin agreed. The chance was slim, but Chen Wan was never afraid of failure. He picked up his glass to toast him.

Shi Zhangmin said, "It really might not work out. The relationships over there are complicated, and the officials are difficult to deal with. Can you drink? That kind of drinking is no joke; it’s pure torture."

Chen Wan said, "I can handle my liquor."

"Even if you can drink, it might not work out. You might not only miss this opportunity but also waste your time. Your leverage for future funding is so extensive; it’s not easy to handle." In recent years, many billionaires hadn’t been able to survive.

"I know. I’ll do my best. Thank you for your advice, Mr. Shi."

Seeing that Chen Wan was determined to take the plunge, Shi Zhangmin didn’t try to stop him further. After a few drinks, he got up and went to the restroom. Chen Wan sent a message to his partner in the private room, saying that he might need to go on a business trip soon to work on the relationships over there.

Hearing the door open, he put away his phone, poured the wine, and smiled, "Mr. Shi—"

Shi Zhangmin smiled warmly, followed by a tall man. A storm raged in Chen Wan’s heart, but he remained composed and stood up.

It had been a long time since he had seen Zhao Shengge. Chen Wan had been very busy.

But it might also be because he had been warned last time, so Chen Wan didn’t dare to see Zhao Shengge and kept himself busy.

Chen Wan wasn’t sure if Zhao Shengge wanted others to know they were acquainted, so he just stood respectfully to the side and didn’t take the initiative to greet him.

Shi Zhangmin said enthusiastically, "A Wan, this is Mr. Zhao Shengge, my friend. We haven’t seen each other for a long time. I ran into him on the road and invited him over for a drink." He really hadn’t expected to meet Zhao Shengge here.

In Haishi, how difficult was it to see Zhao Shengge?

Chen Wan smiled as if it were their first meeting and greeted, "Mr. Zhao."

Zhao Shengge looked at him for a moment, noticing he had lost a lot of weight, and nodded formally, "Mr. Chen, it’s been a while."

"..."

Shi Zhangmin’s face showed surprise.

He hadn’t intended for others to know he’d been in touch with Chen Wan, but after interacting, he still felt this young man was quite good, just unlucky. There had been whispers about his mother’s situation in Haishi’s social circles.

Maybe it was just his age—he was more prone to compassion these days. He thought that if he could connect Chen Wan with Zhao Shengge, things would be much easier. Turns out they already knew each other.

"A Wan, you know Mr. Zhao? Why didn’t you mention it?"

Zhao Shengge also turned to look at Chen Wan.

"..." Chen Wan ducked his head to pour tea for Zhao Shengge and replied to Shi Zhangmin, "I didn’t know you and Mr. Zhao were friends."

Zhao Shengge neither drank the tea nor spoke.

Shi Zhangmin had initially thought Chen Wan was sharp, but now he seemed a bit dense. He subtly hinted that Zhao Shengge was the heavyweight in the energy industry, and getting on his path would not only secure that project but also ensure future resources.

But Chen Wan seemed oblivious to his hints, neither offering a toast nor initiating conversation. He just sat there quietly, listening, with no apparent ambition to climb the social ladder.

While Shi Zhangmin and Zhao Shengge were chatting and laughing, Chen Wan discreetly signaled the manager to add more dishes, flipping through the menu page by page with great focus.

Likely due to the preparations for the new dock project, Chen Wan had noticed the weariness etched between Zhao Shengge’s brows, and he had also lost some weight.

Zhao Shengge was the type who wouldn’t touch food unless it suited his palate, even if he was hungry, and he wouldn’t ask for it either.

After ordering, Chen Wan asked the manager to hurry with the dishes. Although he no longer felt he could accurately gauge Zhao Shengge’s taste, he didn’t want to seem overly eager, merely observing the etiquette of a host. This meal was originally for Shi Zhangmin, and since Shi Zhangmin’s friend had come, he was also his guest.

As Zhao Shengge listened to Shi Zhangmin, he watched the soup and snacks being served, still steaming with an appetizing warmth, feeling a mix of amusement and exasperation.

Zhao Shengge wasn’t sure if Chen Wan was clever or clueless—he needed to reevaluate.

He’d been sitting there for hours without broaching any serious topics, but busy ordering dish after dish.

As dish after dish arrived, Zhao Shengge finally asked, "Are you not full?"

His tone wasn’t harsh—it was actually quite mild and polite.

But as soon as these words were spoken, the other two fell silent.

He didn’t name anyone, but it was clear he was asking Chen Wan.

Not a word about anything important, yet he’d been meticulously studying the menu.

Studying it so seriously, yet not eating, ordering so much, not even touching the chopsticks.

"..." Chen Wan had to say, "The manager mentioned these are all seasonal specials, Mr. Zhao. You might be interested to try."

Shi Zhangmin, seated between them, observed the two young men with growing curiosity.

Originally, he thought from Chen Wan’s tone that they were not familiar, but from Zhao Shengge’s tone, he wasn’t sure anymore.

He defused the tension with a smile, "Come, let’s try together. Earlier, A Wan and I were too busy drinking to focus on the food."

Zhao Shengge glanced at Chen Wan, who’d barely touched his chopsticks, sighed inwardly, and said, "Let’s eat first, then talk."

Seeing Zhao Shengge willing to eat, Chen Wan was quite happy. As the junior at the table, he made sure to serve soup to everyone.

Zhao Shengge wasn’t in the mood, watching Chen Wan drink half a bowl before he drank himself.

As they ate and chatted, Shi Zhangmin did most of the talking. Chen Wan stayed quiet for a while, while Zhao Shengge picked up on Shi Zhangmin’s cues, half-truthfully inquiring about mainland investment matters.

Maybe it was his deep, cool tone, that naturally exuded authority and control when discussing business matters, that made Chen Wan momentarily stunned. A sudden realization hit him, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

He promptly and firmly stated that he had no intention of meddling in the energy market.

These days, Haishi's traditional real estate sector is on the decline, and energy drives the economy. Kexiang focuses on transit synthesis tech, a minor link in the energy supply chain. However, Minglong nearly has a monopoly on this tech. Even with the latest patents, Chen Wan couldn’t challenge or join Minglong’s business empire.

IP is a touchy subject, especially given the current lack of comprehensive market regulations.

The more Chen Wan dwelled on it, the more uneasy he felt. He set down his chopsticks and poured tea for them, almost as an apology.

"..."

At this, both Zhao Shengge and Shi Zhangmin fell silent.

Zhao Shengge reclined in his chair, his gaze calm as he studied Chen Wan, but his thoughts drifted to what Chen Wan had said to Song Qingmiao at Lianjing Temple.

Never mind.

Chen Wan wasn’t stupid.

Zhao Shengge had his pride. Since Chen Wan viewed him as a venomous snake and avoided him at all costs, he wouldn’t say another word.

The new dishes went mostly untouched, and he soon stood up, politely bidding farewell to Shi Zhangmin.

Despite Shi Zhangmin’s attempts to persuade him to stay, Zhao Shengge left.

Chen Wan felt uneasy and a bit lost. He thought Zhao Shengge had been in a decent mood earlier, but after discussing business, he seemed to lose interest.

He sighed quietly, sure he’d only reinforced Zhao Shengge’s view of him as scheming.

Maybe no one would believe he really didn’t want anything from Zhao Shengge.

After Zhao Shengge left, Shi Zhangmin commented that Chen Wan was too honest.

Chen Wan smiled and said he was not good with words.

Shi Zhangmin looked at him with eyes that were not too clouded: "It’s not that you’re bad with words; it’s that your heart is too simple."

But a simple heart also means a heart free of ulterior motives.

Chen Wan poured tea for him and called the waiter to pack up the dishes. The large table of almost untouched food and desserts would have to be taken home and eaten slowly.

Perhaps, as Shi Zhangmin said, he was foolish. Song Qingmiao said he was foolish, and Zhuo Zhixuan also said he was foolish. Maybe he really was a foolish person, always doing foolish things.