novelonline Chapter 1349 It’s good to enjoy the shade under the big tree
Chapter 1349 It’s good to enjoy the shade under the big tree
Chapter 1349 It’s good to enjoy the shade under the big tree
"Mr. Xiao, please don't stand on ceremony, have a seat." Qin Hao naturally took the seat of honor, not out of arrogance, but because he was the one who was hosting the meal.
Xiao Ran carefully pulled out the chair opposite him, half of his buttocks touching the seat, his body leaning slightly forward, his posture showing obvious restraint.
He had prepared a whole host of compliments, hoping to get closer to Qin Hao while the waiter was serving the food, but before he could even speak, Qin Hao cut straight to the point, interrupting his thoughts.
"Mr. Xiao, I heard from Yang Xun that you're planning to develop an office building project in Shanghai. As far as I know, your company has only handled residential projects before, and it seems you have no experience in building high-rise office buildings?"
Faced with this direct question, Xiao Ran was clearly prepared. He straightened his back, and the restraint on his face eased somewhat: "President Lei's insight is indeed remarkable. Our company has never done high-rise office building projects before, but that doesn't mean we lack the corresponding technical reserves. As you can see, we have always maintained close cooperation with the Shanghai Design Institute. In the several high-end residential communities we developed before, the Shanghai Design Institute was involved in the entire process, from planning and design to construction supervision, and their reputation in the industry has always been good."
As he spoke, Xiao Ran quickly pulled out a thick stack of documents from his black briefcase and handed them to Qin Hao with both hands: "President Lei, these are case studies of projects our company has done before, including design drawings, construction reports, and feedback from clients. You can take a look. If it's convenient for you, I can also arrange for you to visit the site later. Our construction quality can absolutely withstand scrutiny, and there is absolutely no cutting corners."
Qin Hao took the documents, casually flipped through a few pages, and quickly scanned the text and drawings. His face remained expressionless and calm: "President Xiao, these documents only prove that your company has experience in constructing residential projects, but high-rise office buildings are completely different from ordinary residential projects. Office buildings involve high-altitude work safety, complex fire protection system layouts, earthquake resistance standards, and the later installation of supporting facilities such as central air conditioning and elevators. Every aspect is much more complex than residential projects. If problems arise, they cannot be solved simply by rework; the consequences could be unimaginable."
These words struck a nerve with Xiao Ran. A fine layer of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead, and his fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.
But he quickly recovered, looked up at Qin Hao, and said with a hint of admiration, "Mr. Lei is right. Experience is indeed important, but not having experience doesn't mean you can't do it well. Just like when you were developing the Southeast Asian market, before you, who would have thought that a packet of rat poison could open up the market? Didn't you also start from scratch and build up Haoran International's overseas business step by step?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Hao subconsciously glanced at Yang Xun sitting beside him. Yang Xun met Qin Hao's gaze and immediately gave an awkward smile, revealing two rows of teeth—clearly, he had revealed Qin Hao's old story of using rat poison to open up the Southeast Asian market when he was bragging to Xiao Ran earlier.
Qin Hao withdrew his gaze, placed the documents on the table, and smiled at Xiao Ran, saying, "Words are meaningless. Mr. Xiao, how about this: tomorrow we'll go to Shanghai together to see the land you acquired in person, learn about the surrounding amenities and development plans, and then make a decision. Today, let's not talk business, just make friends, how about that?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran was overjoyed. Although Qin Hao had not made any promises of cooperation, gaining the approval of such a business tycoon and being willing to "befriend" him had already exceeded his expectations.
You have to understand, in the business circles of Donghai, countless people are eager to get close to Qin Hao. Now this opportunity is right in front of them, and if word gets out, countless people will be envious.
"Alright! No business!" Xiao Ran stood up excitedly, picked up the bottle of baijiu on the table, and poured himself a full glass: "Mr. Lei, I'm honored that you think so highly of me and are willing to be my friend. I'll drink this first as a sign of respect, please feel free to drink as you like!"
After saying that, he tilted his head back and drank the strong liquor in his glass in one gulp. The spicy liquid slid down his throat, burning it, but it couldn't hide the joy in his heart.
Yang Xun chuckled from the side, "President Xiao, I've heard you have a huge capacity for alcohol. Isn't one cup too little? Since we're making friends, it should be at least three cups to show sincerity!"
As he spoke, he winked at Xiao Ran, signaling him to make a good impression on Qin Hao. Xiao Ran's smile remained unchanged, and he said without hesitation, "Alright! Three drinks it is! We must have a good time drinking with President Lei today!"
As he spoke, he picked up the bottle and poured himself two more glasses. Just as he was about to drink, he saw Qin Hao also pick up the bottle and pour himself three glasses of wine. After Xiao Ran finished his second glass, Qin Hao picked up the first glass, raised it to him, and then drank it down. He then drank the second and third glasses in quick succession, without any hesitation.
Xiao Ran and Yang Xun were both stunned, their wine glasses hanging in mid-air, their faces full of surprise—they originally thought that Qin Hao, as the big boss, would only take a few symbolic sips, but they did not expect that he would actually drink three glasses with them, and drink them so readily.
"I'm here today because I genuinely intend to make friends with Mr. Xiao." Qin Hao put down his wine glass, picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth, and said frankly, "There's no need for empty pleasantries between friends. Being open and honest with each other is more important than anything else. What do you say, Mr. Xiao?"
Hearing Qin Hao's words, Xiao Ran felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and his previous restraint and tension vanished. He put down his wine glass and said sincerely, "President Lei, no wonder your business is so successful. I am truly impressed by your openness today! You have given me a very valuable lesson, from which I have benefited immensely."
Yang Xun watched from the side, then silently picked up the wine bottle, poured himself three glasses of wine, and drank them one after another. Then he smiled awkwardly at Qin Hao—he had deliberately encouraged Xiao Ran to drink earlier, which was somewhat like taking advantage of Qin Hao's power.
Qin Hao glanced at Ren Xia'er, who was sitting quietly drinking tea and hadn't said much, and then smiled as he introduced her to Xiao Ran and Yang Xun: "Oh right, I forgot to introduce you. This is Ren Xia'er. She is currently the financial director of Haoran International Donghai Branch and will also be the financial director of the future chain of shopping malls. She will be in charge of the malls' financial work from now on."
Ren Xiaoer put down his teacup, stood up slightly, raised his glass of juice to the two men, and said in a polite and professional tone: "President Yang, President Xiao, I hope you will take good care of me in my work in the future."
After saying that, she took a small sip of juice and didn't exchange any more pleasantries.
Yang Xun inwardly groaned – of course he knew Ren Xia'er. His breeding base supplied goods to Haoran International Industrial Park, and every settlement required Ren Xia'er's signature and approval.
He still remembers one time when, because of a decimal point error in the accounts, Ren Xiaoer called him to his office and checked the accounts line by line until he found the problem before he would sign it. He still remembers that rigorous and almost harsh work style vividly.
Ren Xia'er is now in charge of the finances of the chain stores. She will be dealing with many more places in the future, so we have to be extra careful.
Xiao Ran gleaned a deeper meaning from Qin Hao's introduction—the fact that a chain shopping mall project had been specially assigned to an experienced financial director was enough to demonstrate Qin Hao's high regard for the project.
He secretly resolved that when he went to Shanghai to inspect the land plots the next day, he must make a good impression, clearly explain his plans and advantages, and try to get on board the giant ship of Haoran International. This would be an opportunity that would be once in a lifetime for the future development of his company.
The banquet lasted until three o'clock in the afternoon. Xiao Ran and Yang Xun were so drunk that they could barely speak.
Qin Hao called over a hotel staff member and arranged for the two to stay in a room at the Donghai Hotel. He then asked the staff member to stay and take care of them before leaving with Ren Xia'er.
...The next morning, Qin Hao, Ren Xiaer, Yang Xun, and Xiao Ran boarded a car bound for Shanghai.
The car drove away from Donghai city and sped towards Shanghai. About two hours later, the car entered Shanghai territory and was heading towards the plot of land that Xiao Ran had acquired when a piercing "beep beep" sound suddenly rang out—it was the ringtone of a mobile phone.
Yang Xun and Xiao Ran subconsciously reached into their briefcases, only to find that it wasn't their cell phones ringing.
"Hello?" Qin Hao took out the brick-sized mobile phone from his black leather bag and pressed the answer button. Holding the heavy body, he couldn't help but complain in his heart—this thing is not only heavy, but also inconvenient to carry, and the signal is unreliable. He really misses the lightweight feature phones of later generations, but unfortunately, there are still none.
A lazy voice came from the other end of the phone, still a little sleepy: "Brother Hao, are you still in Donghai?"
"No, I just arrived in Shanghai," Qin Hao replied truthfully, glancing at the street scenes rushing past the window.
Upon hearing that Qin Hao had arrived in Shanghai, Liang Sichen's voice instantly brightened, tinged with excitement: "Where are you? Can I come to see you?"
Qin Hao turned to Xiao Ran and asked, "Mr. Xiao, what is the exact address of the land we're going to?"
Xiao Ran quickly gave the address, and Qin Hao relayed it to Liang Sichen: "The address is ***, but you'd better not wear high heels, this is wasteland, and the road is difficult to walk on."
Liang Sichen readily agreed on the other end of the phone: "Okay! I'll change my clothes and come over right away, see you in a bit!"
Yang Xun and Xiao Ran, who were standing nearby, exchanged a glance when they heard the words "Don't wear high heels," and both of them had ambiguous smiles on their faces—clearly, they both guessed that the person making the call was a girl, and that her relationship with Qin Hao was not ordinary.
As they spoke, the car slowly drove into a wasteland. After bumping along the potholed dirt road for a few minutes, it finally came to a stop.
The group got off the car. The ground was soft yellow soil, and the surrounding area was covered with waist-high weeds. In the distance, they could see a few low bungalows, and occasionally a few sparrows flew by, making it seem somewhat desolate.
Xiao Ran walked to Qin Hao's side, pointed to the several dozen acres of wasteland in front of them, and began to vividly introduce it: "Mr. Lei, don't be fooled by how desolate this area looks now; it's actually in a very good location. Look over there, it's only a ten-minute drive to Huanghe Road. Huanghe Road is a bustling area in Shanghai, with high pedestrian traffic and a strong commercial atmosphere. Moreover, the government has already planned to build a main road here next year, which will make transportation even more convenient. I plan to build several 28-story office buildings here, along with a five-story shopping mall, forming a commercial complex. It will definitely attract many companies and merchants to move in..."
Meanwhile, in a hotel room in Shanghai, Liang Sichen was busy changing clothes. She had originally been wearing a dress and high heels, but remembering Qin Hao's comment that "the road is difficult to walk on," she changed into casual jeans and white sneakers.
I had just changed my clothes, picked up my bag, and was about to leave when I bumped right into my mother and grandfather in the hallway.
"You're such a grown woman, why are you still walking so clumsily? Be careful." Liang's mother reached out and helped her up, her tone tinged with reproach, but her eyes were full of love.
Liang Sichen quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, Mom and Grandpa, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going. I have to go out for a bit and I might be back later."
Grandpa Wang frowned and said, "What? Grandpa has finally come back from Hong Kong, and instead of showing Grandpa around and letting him see how Shanghai has changed, you want to go out?"
“Yes, Sishen,” Liang’s mother also advised from the side, “If it’s not something urgent, just postpone it. Your grandfather is getting old, and we don’t know when he will come back next time.”
Liang Sichen hesitated for a moment, bit her lip, and said, "But Brother Hao is in Shanghai, and we made an appointment to meet."
"Oh? You mean Mr. Lei from Haoran International?" Old Master Wang's serious expression instantly softened, and a hint of interest appeared in his eyes.
Liang Sichen nodded: "Mm."
“In that case, how about Grandpa comes with you?” Grandpa Wang suddenly suggested, “I was just planning to travel around anyway.”
Liang Sichen was taken aback, not expecting her grandfather to suggest going together. Not wanting to refuse, she could only nod and say, "Ah? Well... okay."
When Liang's mother saw that her father was about to leave, she quickly said, "I'll go with you too."
And so, the three of them got into the car arranged by the hotel and drove to the address Qin Hao had given them.
The car veered further and further off course, finally stopping in front of a barren field. Looking at the desolate scene before her, Liang's mother frowned and whispered to Liang Sishen, "Sishen, are you sure this is the place? Why did you choose such a place to meet? There's not a soul in sight; it's so unsafe."
Liang Sichen was also a little surprised, but she still helped her grandfather out of the car and looked into the distance. Soon she saw a black Crown sedan parked not far away.
"It should be just ahead. I recognize Hao's car." With that, he helped his grandfather walk towards the Crown sedan.
At this moment, Xiao Ran was holding a design drawing and vividly describing the plan for this land in front of Qin Hao.
Upon seeing Liang Sichen and her group arrive, he paused slightly, stopped speaking, and looked at Liang Sichen and Old Master Wang with a puzzled expression.
"Brother Hao." Liang Sichen walked to Qin Hao's side and called out softly with a smile on her face.
Qin Hao turned around, nodded to Liang Sichen, then looked at Grandpa Wang beside her and greeted him with a smile: "Grandpa, what brings you here? When did you return to China?"
Grandpa Wang chuckled: "She just arrived a couple of days ago. This girl said she had made an appointment with you. I thought we'd meet in some romantic place, but it turned out to be something like this. It seems Mr. Lei is indeed a man of action, unlike those good-for-nothings in our family..."
"No, Sishen is very capable."
After Qin Hao finished speaking with a smile, he turned around and introduced to Xiao Ran, "Mr. Xiao, let me introduce you. This is my friend, Liang Sichen..."
Upon hearing the name "Liang Sishen," Xiao Ran's face instantly showed a look of astonishment. He stared at Liang Sishen for a few seconds before hesitantly asking, "Miss Liang, do you know someone named Liang Fan?"
“Liang Fan is my cousin. Do you know him?” Liang Sichen said casually.
Xiao Ran smiled bitterly to himself—he had gone to great lengths to curry favor with Liang Fan in order to establish a connection with the Liang family, but he never expected that the Liang family, which he had tried so hard to ingratiate himself with, would be so familiar with Qin Hao.
This further solidified his determination to get on Qin Hao's good side—look at the kind of people Qin Hao associates with, the resources behind him are far beyond what a good-for-nothing like Liang Fan could ever hope to access.
"Yes, I've done a few business deals with Liang Fan before, and he often mentioned you..."
Liang Sichen curled her lip, her tone tinged with disdain: "What good things could he possibly say about me? He'd probably just be saying bad things about me."
Xiao Ran looked embarrassed, as if he had tried to flatter someone but ended up making a fool of himself.
"Don't wash your dirty linen in public," Old Master Wang said, changing the subject. "Mr. Lei, as far as I know, Haoran International has always focused on overseas markets. Why are you suddenly starting to invest in the domestic market again?"