"What kind of business do you all do?"

Zhao An lit a cigarette, swirling his wine glass in one hand, occasionally picking up a bite of food and chewing.

His expression was somewhat nonchalant. He didn't care about these young masters; they were more trouble than they were worth.

If he asked them to help, they might not be able to do anything.

But they could easily sabotage his plans. Most people had no choice but to befriend them, giving them some profits to prevent these parasites from ruining their schemes.

Zhao An, however, was dismissive of this. He might have needed to deal with these people before, but not anymore.

To remain undefeated, his goal wasn't to make money, but to recoup his losses and, incidentally, earn a little extra.

Paying employee salaries was the most significant expense, and Zhao An's task was to recoup all of that.

As mentioned before, people need to eat, drink, and relieve themselves—all of which require money. He could start from there.

He had made a fortune before the financial crisis; it wasn't an exaggeration to say that even if he did nothing, he could live comfortably for three lifetimes.

"I'm in the textile and garment business, Young Master An," Zhang Lei said with a smile, pouring Zhao An some more red wine.

"I'm in the construction team business, Young Master An," Li Ming added with a smile, seemingly with ulterior motives.

"I'm in the cotton farming business, Young Master An," Wu Bin added, his expression calm, neither flattering nor fawning.

Knock, knock, knock. Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"What is it?" Bai Qingyang asked his attendant.

The attendant went to the door to inquire, then returned and said, "Young Master Yang, it's Lin Xiao and Fang Shunli."

"Let them in." Bai Qingyang's heart skipped a beat. It seemed they had also realized the situation and were starting to cooperate with Zhao An, their cheap brother-in-law. He knew about his sister Bai Qiuqin and Zhao An's affair. It wasn't a big deal; marriage was just a formality, while a physical relationship was the real stability.

This was different from those relationships between reporters and female subordinates—it was a stable relationship.

"Haha, Lao Bai, you're not very generous, not even inviting us to dinner. Zhao An, long time no see, we're just here for a free meal, how about you do us a favor?"

Fang Shunli sat down with a smile, the question merely a matter of politeness.

Whether he wanted it or not, he was determined to freeload.

"Long time no see… Zhao An, you've changed a lot in just a few days. You've become even more unpredictable."

Lin Xiao sat down next to Zhao An with a smile, completely oblivious to their previous bitter feud.

"Forget it, I can't tell you're praising me."

Zhao An waved his hand, exhaling a smoke ring. "Just say what you mean, don't give me this pretense."

He was direct, not giving any face. Hypocrisy and politeness were useless.

This kind of behavior is very impolite and would be considered ill-mannered.

It depends on the person.

If it were anyone else, their family would probably have been dealt with by now.

But with Zhao An, there's no need to deal with him. This guy is cunning and shrewd, and he's allied with the Bai family; he's difficult to handle.

"Haha, you haven't changed a bit, still so quick-witted. I came with Brother Fang to apologize to you. This drink is for you. I've offended you in the past, but as the saying goes, 'no discord, no concord.' Everyone has witnessed your abilities. Come on, I'll drink this, you can drink as you like!" Lin Xiao seemingly generously picked up his glass, filled it to the brim—a full two ounces of baijiu—and downed it in one gulp.

"Zhao An, I'll also drink to you. Don't hold grudges about the past. We have different positions. If possible, I'd really like to be friends with you. Come on, I'll drink this, you can drink as you like."

Fang Shunli was also quick to forgive and forget, not caring about losing face; getting the practical benefits first was what mattered.

Zhao An casually picked up his glass and clinked it with theirs, then began to eat and drink heartily, smoking, drinking, and eating seafood, not afraid of causing trouble!

Bai Qingyang, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all. Not long ago, they were practically mortal enemies, never to speak again; today, they could naturally sit down and drink and eat together. There's no hatred or gratitude between families, only conflicts of interest.

As long as there's profit, everything is negotiable; when it comes to saving face, someone will always find a way to suppress the issue.

Unless it's something like the Southwest Chamber of Commerce, where someone tries to take advantage of another's wife, get her pregnant, and usurp her place—that's a mortal enemy, a hatred that can never be forgiven.

"What brings you all here? Let's skip the simple meal and drinks."

Bai Qingyang said calmly, though he was actually a little displeased. He and Zhao An hadn't even discussed serious matters yet, and these scoundrels had already arrived.

"Haha, the economy's bad, huh? My company's already losing money, not making ends meet. That's why I've come to consult an expert."

Lin Xiao laughed heartily, not using his status as the eldest son of the Lin family to intimidate anyone.

Even if Zhao An didn't give his father face, he didn't care.

"Exactly, we've known each other for a while now. Zhao An's idea, our strength—it's a powerful alliance, what can't we do?"

Fang Shunli's tone was arrogant. Indeed, putting aside the Huang family, the three of them combined could crush them!

As for this kind of thing…

Zhao An had never been interested.

He had no goodwill towards the other three families; they were all driven by self-interest. When there was no profit, they'd be happy to stab him in the back.

Only the Bai family was somewhat acceptable, but not by much. They were only in the alliance stage, not too outrageous yet, and currently the cooperation was smooth and pleasant, with no need for conflict.

"Have you ever witnessed the style of Japanese conglomerates?"

Zhao An suddenly posed a question, a disdainful smile playing on his lips, making it impossible to discern his true thoughts. What was he really up to?

Hearing this question, Bai Qingyang, Fang Shunli, and Lin Xiao all became somewhat serious.

Their families and conglomerates are fundamentally different. One aims to perpetuate the family line, while the other seeks to amass wealth and control politics; they are indeed not the same.

Whether it's Japanese conglomerates or South Korean chaebols, they're all essentially the same—the kind that use money to cause trouble.

"What insightful opinion does Young Master An have?"

Lin Xiao inquired, unsure of the other party's intentions.

"I'm asking you, not the other way around. Since you don't know, then forget it."

Zhao An remained silent. What seemed like a simple question was actually a matter of seizing the initiative.

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