MWC – Chapter 48 Party

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

After seeing Madison off, Wen Liangyu turned back and gave Lu Ming a thumbs up, “Now my old friend can’t look down on me anymore, haha!”

Looking at Lu Ming, he hesitated for a moment but couldn’t hold back: “Brother, do you really think this investment is worth it?”

Lu Ming smiled, “Let’s give it a try. Even if it fails, it’s nothing. This industry is definitely promising in the future.”

Wen Liangyu was speechless, looking at Lu Ming with an expression that said, “You win.”

A bunch of golden keys were placed on the table in front of Lu Ming. Wen Liangyu smiled slightly, “Room 408 will be your exclusive room from now on. Treat it as your second home. If you’re too tired to go home at night, come here to rest.”

“Great, thank you, Brother Wen!” Lu Ming didn’t stand on ceremony. When dealing with someone like Wen Liangyu, if you truly want to be friends, there’s no need for pretentious courtesy.

It’s a reciprocal relationship. In the future, if he needs help, Lu Ming would definitely do his best.

Lu Ming had long heard that the fourth floor of the Wind Bao Club had several special suites that were never open to the public, reserved for super VIPs, and couldn’t be obtained just by spending money. These suites were used by Wen Liangyu to build relationships with particularly prestigious guests.

These keys represented that Lu Ming had truly entered the circle of interests shared by Wen Liangyu, Liu Laocai, and others, and on equal terms.

“Brother, do you want to go check out the room now?” Wen Liangyu smiled, “In a while, Old Liu and the others will come, and it won’t be convenient for you to handle your business here.”

Seeing Lu Ming nod, Wen Liangyu turned back and instructed the staff, “Take Lawyer Lu to Room 408 and send his materials there.”

Room 408 was resplendent with gold and more extravagant than a luxury hotel suite. It was more of an extremely comfortable living and entertainment space.

There was a room for mahjong and poker, a small bar, a gym, etc. The dining room had an elegant round table with a white tablecloth that could seat twelve, making it suitable for gatherings of up to ten people.

The bedroom and bathroom were, of course, extremely luxurious.

A huge floor-to-ceiling glass door in the north of the reception room faced a lush green hillside. When opened, there was a pathway leading to the club’s tennis court, swimming pool, and other recreational facilities.

The staff carefully introduced each room and explained how to leave through the corridor to the tennis court.

After reading some materials, Lu Ming frowned slightly, then picked up the phone on the desk and dialed the number for VIP Room 88. The staff answered, but the background was very noisy, especially with Liu Laocai’s loud voice roaring like a wave.

Soon, Wen Liangyu came to the phone. Lu Ming smiled and said, “Brother Wen, the reporter from the ‘Two Cents’ newspaper who exposed Kato Masahichi, named Jin Zhengyi, right? How can I contact him?”

“Ah, I know this person. I’ve looked into this case and know he’s a key figure. I tried to find him for you first thing…” Wen Liangyu said loudly as it was very noisy on his side.

“But ever since the situation blew up, this guy has disappeared. Even the police can’t contact him. I have someone watching his old address, but he hasn’t lived there for over a month. I’m also looking for him, so don’t worry, okay?”

“Okay, thank you, Brother Wen. Someone is coming to discuss something with me. When I go downstairs, give me his old address. I’d like to check it out.”

“No problem, no problem!” Wen Liangyu agreed readily.

The information about the case involving the Japanese man Kato Masahichi was moved here.

Additionally, prominently placed on the desk was a magazine called “Trimac Aircraft Company,” a special issue from last year. At that time, Trimac Company was in a difficult period of transformation failure. Now, it seemed that newspapers and magazines didn’t bother writing about it anymore, as if it didn’t exist.

This special issue on Trimac Company was naturally found by Wen Liangyu. He was very considerate, especially since he probably didn’t expect Lu Ming to actually invest. He just wanted to show off to his Western friend Madison that once disdained him, but now can’t reach his level.

Unexpectedly, Lu Ming was really considering an investment, so he found this investigation report on Trimac Company to give Lu Ming more angles to understand the company.

After reading for a while, Lu Ming picked up the materials on Kato Masahichi’s case and began to study them.

…

Around eleven o’clock, Pamela arrived at Room 408, bringing the promotional plan for “Buyun” shoes, as well as the new employee profiles for Huaxia Technology and Huaxia Garments.

Huaxia Technology had recruited 10 new employees, while Huaxia Garments had recruited 5.

The office space at Jibird Tower was already insufficient. However, there were no suitable vacancies in Jibird Tower, so it seemed they would need to find a new office location. The new company had only been established for a few months, yet it was expanding to the point of needing new premises, which was quite remarkable.

“Boss, this place is nice!” Pamela curiously wandered around the rooms.

Lu Ming, looking over the proposal, smiled, “I will probably come here once a year. This place will be empty most of the time. Take the keys. If you don’t have the keys, someone will still open the door for you. If you’re tired from work, come here to rest. You can also bring friends to relax here. The tennis court and swimming pool at the back are all free to use.”

“Alright…” Pamela agreed softly.

Noticing something off in her tone, Lu Ming looked up. Pamela was biting her red lip, staring at her exquisite crystal high heels in a daze, as if she was feeling conflicted.

“Ah, I didn’t mean it like that!” Lu Ming suddenly realized that his words could easily be misunderstood. Those who kept mistresses in grand hotels often used this method: long-term rooms with keys given to the mistress. However, in Beiguan, there were very few who could keep a mistress in a long-term room at the Wind Bao Club. Those who could were truly the elite among elites.

The phone rang at an opportune moment.

“Qianxing, come down and eat. Old Liu and the others can’t wait!” It was Wen Liangyu calling.

“Let’s go. Have a meal before you leave!” Lu Ming stood up.

…

Downstairs, Lu Ming was a bit speechless. It felt like a family gathering today. Bringing Pamela along seemed fitting, but also more likely to cause misunderstandings.

In VIP Room 88, a table was already laden with delicious food. Wen Liangyu, Liu Laocai, Zhao Xingwang, and Councilor Meng Dezhu were all there. Originally, it was the four of them, but with Lu Ming, they became the Five Musketeers.

Apart from Zhao Xingwang, the others had brought female companions. Meng Dezhu’s companion was clearly his wife.

Wen Liangyu was single and had never married. His companion was a very graceful lady in a cheongsam named Jia Xiaoling. Her gaze towards Wen Liangyu was full of admiration and tenderness.

Liu Laocai’s companion was none other than Deng Hongmei. She looked a bit embarrassed when she saw Lu Ming.

Meng Dezhu’s wife, Mrs. Wang, was a plump woman with a prosperous look, seemingly adept at playing the role of a politician’s wife. She quickly struck up a whispered conversation with Pamela.

As the main wife, she didn’t bother much with Jia Xiaoling. As for Deng Hongmei, she looked down on her even more.

Pamela, although appearing as a mistress, was a Westerner, which naturally made a difference. Mrs. Wang’s conversation with Pamela even seemed a bit ingratiating.

And to Lu Ming, who was young and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in the new circle, she looked up to him.

Especially as everyone saw Lu Ming come in, they congratulated him on investing another five hundred thousand dollars and making a big business deal.

This was naturally Wen Liangyu’s vague boasting on Lu Ming’s behalf.

Zhao Xingwang didn’t know that Lu Ming could earn so much money in such a short time through the three-point seat belt patent.

Like Wen Liangyu, he thought Lu Ming was a key member of a hidden financial family, avoiding trouble by coming to the East Sea.

Since Xingwang Industries was revived because of Lu Ming, he was very grateful.

Everyone drank and chatted, the atmosphere was very harmonious.

The first toast came from Wen Liangyu, who smiled and said, “Honestly, our brother here doesn’t care much about money or how much he can make. In the future, even if we all combine, we wouldn’t compare to his little finger. But today, I want to share another great news. Our brother has been promoted to a second-level lawyer, the youngest second-level lawyer. In the future, he will be the youngest royal barrister! Isn’t that right?!”

Everyone immediately cheered and applauded.

Wen Liangyu continued with a smile, “Our little brother doesn’t want to make a big deal out of this, but as his older brothers, we can’t just let it slide! Let’s toast to our worthy brother first! As for the gifts, we’ll prepare them slowly and give him a nice surprise!”

Everyone immediately raised their glasses and toasted Lu Ming.

Lu Ming stood up with a smile to respond, but unexpectedly, Pamela also stood up beside him, acting like a supportive girlfriend, and joined him in drinking a glass of wine. Of course, her glass contained red wine.

Lu Ming sighed inwardly, understanding Pamela’s mindset. In front of others, since everyone assumed she was his girlfriend, she naturally had to play the role well to prevent any gossip. She didn’t want people to think Lu Ming was just some fool or had questionable tastes, unlike someone like Liu Laocai.

After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, the atmosphere became increasingly lively.

Everyone took turns toasting Lu Ming.

Pamela sat closer and closer to Lu Ming, naturally inching towards him.

She was dressed fashionably in casual wear: a snow-white casual jacket, a black-and-white lettered sweatshirt, wide white chiffon pants, and high-heeled crystal shoes with delicate black toenail polish on her slim feet. She wore large metal earrings, and her blonde hair and blue eyes made her look even more dazzling and imposing.

After clinking glasses with someone, Lu Ming sat down and felt a slight movement on his right hand. It was a slender hand gently grasping his. The fragrant breeze wafted over, and Pamela whispered softly in his ear, “Can I toast a few glasses to them? Is that appropriate?”

She clearly felt that Lu Ming was being somewhat bullied by the constant toasting, a difference in Eastern and Western thinking.

“Haha, little brother, your girlfriend doesn’t want you to drink anymore, right? You’ve got someone looking out for you now!” Liu Laocai laughed heartily.

Pamela smiled slightly, “Chairman Liu, you’re joking. Whether the boss drinks or not is not up to me. I can’t control it, shouldn’t control it, and won’t control it!”

Councilor Meng’s wife, Mrs. Wang, laughed, “Look at my sister, her Chinese is getting more fluent, speaking in bursts like that, using rhetorical devices so well. There’s a writer from the ‘Love and Butterfly’ school who likes to write like that, right?” Central China dialect is also referred to as Chinese.

Everyone laughed, agreeing.

Speaking of writers, Lu Ming suddenly thought of something. In his spare time, he had considered what else could make money quickly, utilizing memories from his past life.

He had thought about writing novels. The famous works from his previous life were different from those in this world, so copying them with some modifications to suit the current reading habits could be very popular.

But it was just a thought. In reality, while the plot structure of a novel is important, the most crucial thing is the writing style. The same story described by a literary master and by himself would be entirely different. They could make readers cry, while he might make them cringe.

So, he dismissed the idea as soon as it emerged.

However, writing serialized stories for newspapers and magazines didn’t require such high standards, similar to online literature. He could draft the main storyline and have a decent ghostwriter fill in the details.

Moreover, his goal wasn’t to make money from serials but to have a bestselling publication under his control. In this world, such a publication was a powerful weapon, useful in both business and politics.

For example, the promotional plan for “Buyun” shoes included spending five hundred yuan to hire a famous journalist to write a soft article, and there was no guarantee of the journalist’s effort. If he had a popular publication, these issues would be resolved easily.

“Brother Wen, you have a magazine under your name, right?” Lu Ming looked at Wen Liangyu.

Liu Laocai laughed, “Old Wen just likes to pretend to be cultured. He saw the upper class doing something, so he wanted to do it too. He was selling a successful adult magazine but insisted on turning it into something classy. Now look at him, it’s going bankrupt, right, Old Wen?”

Actually, everyone present was somewhat wary of Wen Liangyu. Despite his gentlemanly appearance, beneath the surface, he was ruthless.

His pale hands had probably been stained with the blood of many rivals.

Only Liu Laocai could speak without any restrictions, thanks to their childhood friendship.

Wen Liangyu smiled faintly, “It’s not bankrupt yet. The magazine has moved to Wolong Bay, and it still publishes every month, just a few hundred copies.”

“Oh, you have a piece of land in Wolong Bay, right? Acquired a few years ago!” Liu Laocai’s words were seemingly directed at Councilor Meng Dezhu.

“Yes, it hasn’t been developed,” Wen Liangyu smiled.

Meng Dezhu looked a bit uncomfortable and coughed, “Director Wen, don’t worry about the development of the old port area. Let’s see about next year.”

Liu Laocai laughed, “Next year and the next year, how many next years are there?”

Meng Dezhu looked displeased but said nothing, as Liu Laocai had a brash personality and contributed significantly to political donations each year.

Lu Ming knew that Wolong Bay was the old port area of Beiguan.

The relics of the Zhongzhou Imperial Capital were long gone, as if the dynasty never existed. But it was said that the old inner city of the Zhongzhou Imperial Capital was actually in Beiguan, and Wolong Bay was the port of the Zhongzhou Imperial Capital.

Currently, Beiguan mainly developed the new port area, and the old port area was no longer suitable for large vessels, having been abandoned.

It seemed Wen Liangyu had acquired a piece of land there, hoping Meng Dezhu could help promote the development of the old port area, but to no avail.

Wen Liangyu smiled, “Forget it. I plan to close that magazine. It’s supporting a dozen idle people, and I can’t afford it anymore. Let them find their own way, and I don’t plan to keep that land either.”

Liu Laocai laughed, “Old Wen, you have a good scheme. Acquiring that land of over a thousand acres for ten thousand yuan, mortgaging it to the bank for thirty thousand without paying any interest. Now that it’s of no development value, you’re waiting for the bank to repossess it. You’ll still profit.”

Wen Liangyu smiled without replying and said to Meng Dezhu, “Old Meng, don’t mind. Beiguan isn’t under our control yet. I understand.”

“Old Meng needs to get into the Seven-Person Hall!” Liu Laocai sighed.

The Beiguan Municipal Administration Committee, elected from the Beiguan Council, comprised seven members governing all Beiguan affairs, mockingly called the Seven-Person Hall.

“Brother Wen, why don’t you sell me that magazine?” Lu Ming suddenly said.

Wen Liangyu was taken aback, “Qianxing, you want to get into the magazine business?” He was one of the few who liked to address Lu Ming by his name directly, indicating a closer relationship than the others. Although his status was higher, being part of a criminal family meant he couldn’t be in the spotlight.

Lu Ming nodded, “I have the idea.”

“Then start a new one. Getting a publication number is simple. Why take over mine, which is a mess?” Wen Liangyu smiled wryly.

Lu Ming smiled, “Every year, there are dozens of new publications in Donghai, and just as many fail. Your magazine started as an adult publication, failed to transform, and is now trying again. It has plenty of topics. As long as the revised content is strong, it won’t be too difficult to operate. But I still need to visit the magazine office to see for myself.”

He glanced at the clock on the wall, “How about this afternoon, Brother Wen? Will you accompany me?”

Before Wen Liangyu could respond, Liu Laocai laughed, “Sure, we’ll all go! I’ll bet our little brother Qianxing can make this magazine successful.”

Lu Ming was someone he discovered and introduced to the group, bringing many surprises.

Life had been monotonous, but now, watching this young man succeed was quite enjoyable.