Chapter 87: Fine Wine and Heroes

Cooperation! When people around heard Mr. Shang say it out loud, they were all taken aback. Even the government officials were startled. Nobody knew what business Shang Yin did, and nobody knew who his collaborators were. Miss Su, famously ostentatious, was actually going to cooperate with the most mysterious tycoon in Mo City, this piece of news was like throwing a neutron bomb into the bustling venue. Merchants, who were about to clink glasses, pricked up their ears, and female guests, who had been comparing their clothes and jewelry, all looked over. Su Qingzhang also felt waves of shock within his heart; after all, he was experienced in the ways of the business world. Although he did not know whether this was good or bad, Ziceng, still green behind the ears, might just be getting fooled without knowing it. "Hehe," Su Ziceng nervously chuckled a few times, while Hang Yishao’s eyes immediately showed urgency. Being smart, he knew some matters should be avoided in such situations. Although he had many questions, he just laughed it off and stepped aside. In these several exchanges, both covert and overt, Su Ziceng also wondered, when had she ever said she wanted to do business and cooperate with Shang Yin? The next second, her mind took a turn, thinking if Shang Yin was willing to cooperate, not to mention top-tier whiskeys, he would already be a major client for the new wine shop. However, she had no idea why Shang Yin, with whom she had but a brief encounter, would want to cooperate with her and what he was planning. "Ziceng doesn’t understand, I hope she hasn’t said something to make Mr. Shang misunderstand," these simple truths Su Qingzhang understood. He was about to refuse when he saw someone added by his side, Su Ziceng grabbed his hand and, in a coquettish tone she never used before, said, "Daddy, I just wanted to discuss some ’perfume’ business with Mr. Shang," while saying this, she flirtatiously blinked at Shang Yin, those beautiful eyes conveying both teasing and a hint of brattishness. Shang Yin squinted, looking at the rose-hued beauty exuding alcohol scent, he raised his glass and took a sip— the Su family’s champagne tasted pretty good. "Perfume business," Su Qingzhang watched his daughter by his side, listening to her rare sweet talk, then seeing Qiao Chu’s figure deep in her eyes, his heart overflowed with a feeling of strangeness, and he immediately looked away. From childhood, Su Ziceng had never acted like this with him to ask for anything, except for this one time. Su Qingzhang’s change of expression was all noted by Chang’s mother and daughter. Chang Chi was also somewhat surprised, knowing Su Ziceng was always stubborn and because of the distant treatment from Su Qingzhang, she had never acted spoiled, not even when scolded or punished had she ever used such a sweet voice. Chang Chi thought, Su Qingzhang didn’t love Su Ziceng, but unexpectedly, they also had such a warm and tender scene. "Su Ziceng, you really have some tricks, but," Chang Mei snorted, draining the champagne in her hand, "You might have miscalculated your abacus; the more you act like a good daughter, the less your dad dares to love you." Su Qingzhang’s body leaned slightly, his whole weight pressing on the walking stick, his hands trembled slightly while Su Ziceng’s sweet whispers rang beside his ear. "Daughters are better," Hang Mu envied, glancing at Hang Yishao who was engrossed in his drink. Hang Yishao was deep in thought and did not respond, "When did Su Ziceng also start taking an interest in doing business." Hang Yishao felt somewhat uncomfortable; it seemed he had always been kept in the dark, only to see the once like-minded Su Ziceng change. This change made him very uncomfortable, because with each change, he understood Su Ziceng less and less. "You should learn from Ziceng and Chang Chi," Hang’s father wasn’t as leisurely sentimental as Hang Mu, it’s said girls mature faster, within just a few months even the always naive Su Ziceng had her own business, "always only knowing how to mess with those lewd fellows." Seeing Hang’s father directing criticism at him again, Hang Yishao frowned, but didn’t talk back: "Then I’ll go to the company for an internship tomorrow, so you won’t keep nagging endlessly." Su Ziceng’s changes served as a wake-up call for Hang Yishao. Hang Yishao didn’t just step back from the conversation to give way; more importantly, when Su and Shang stood together, he had a very uncomfortable feeling. Su Qingzhang was an old fox, able to gauge a person’s nature from their every word and deed, while Shang Yin was no simple character either— even observing through a set of lenses gave one the unsettling feeling of being stared at by a venomous snake. He didn’t know why, but seeing Su Ziceng’s floridly radiant smile, Hang Yishao felt a looming storm of crisis. "Not the same as the former Su Ziceng," Hang Yishao complained to Fei Qing abruptly. "How can it not be different, just like the Brut champagne we are drinking now, it’s been the same taste for so many years, just a bit fickle— having both the scent of spring flowers and the aroma of oak barrels," although Fei Qing was reluctant to compare Su Ziceng with floral fragrance, it was undeniable that Su Ziceng, in her coquettish state beside Su Qingzhang, was hard to connect with the fierce woman who had slapped him that day. "Different," Hang Yishao grunted, not because of the makeup or the changed evening dress, nor because of the few lazy coquettish voices from her eyes, it was just different. Oh Hang Yishao, after eighteen years, you finally realize, the Su Ziceng you knew is completely not the original Su Ziceng. Su Qingzhang asked a few more questions and realized that Shang Yin indeed knew quite a lot about "perfume". Su Ziceng also enjoyed collecting various scents of perfume on normal days, so he relaxed his vigilance and let them discuss it by themselves. Wen Maixue stood a bit further away, and at this moment, a government official next to her was persistently persuading her to donate some charity funds for the newly built children’s welfare home. Although she was cursing in her heart, her face showed willingness, only slightly turning her body towards Su Qingzhang who was about to walk by, saying, "Uncle Su, the welfare home matter, I must trouble you more with it." Being stopped like this, Su Qingzhang, seeing the official with a smile plastered on his face and the graceful Wen Maixue, also laughed out loud twice, saying incessantly, "Of course, of course." "Mr. Shang," Su Ziceng, noticing everyone under him had shifted their attention away, and seeing that Shang Yin did not intend to join in the lively scene, unsure whether what he said earlier was true or false, could only tentatively probe: "The words you said earlier, do they hold true?" "My words to women have always been half true, half false," Shang Yin replied in a jesting tone, his eyes behind the sunglasses occasionally sweeping over Su Ziceng, as if weighing up Su Ziceng’s significance. "What exactly is the truth, and what is false?" Su Ziceng did not get discouraged and continued to probe for details. "Doing business is true. As for what kind of business, it depends on Miss Su’s intentions," Shang Yin came today purely for the excitement, having seen all the significant wealthy merchants in Mo City today, which was worth it. Everyone thought he was low-key, but they did not know Shang Yin likes hiding in corners the most. Wen Maixue once said, Shang Yin is like a rattlesnake coiled in the corner, ready to bite when people are not paying attention. Among the old families in the city, except for the Qiu Family’s elderly matriarch who was recently unwell and could not attend, the Wen family sent Wen Maixue. Wen Maixue also had an attitude towards Su Qingzhang that was neither servile nor overbearing, suggesting her main purpose today was not to please the Su Family. She was merely making a public appearance while also networking with government officials. The other Su, Hang, and Fei families appeared to be standing together equivalently, but in reality, they were competing against each other. Su Qingzhang had spent a great deal of money constructing this skyscraper - the foremost in all of Z country - demonstrating his extraordinary status in Mo City. On the other hand, Shang Yin found himself at leisure, not bothering to muddy the waters. "The liquor business," Su Ziceng turned around and fetched a glass of drink, replacing the one in Shang Yin’s hand, "As today’s host, I’m quite embarrassed; the drinks here are a bit poor." Su Ziceng noticed that when Shang Yin drank, he didn’t even taste it but drank it all in one gulp, his brow furrowed, clearly dissatisfied with the liquor. "This is exactly why I am reluctant to attend such gatherings. Too many people, too much chatter, plus the tasteless drinks make it entirely uninteresting," Shang Yin, a straightforward person, made no attempt to disguise his feelings. Good is good, bad is bad. "In that case, Mr. Shang, you should indeed collaborate with me. There isn’t a single good wine shop in Mo City," Su Ziceng pressed on relentlessly. "Miss Su, do you know why I have not opened a wine shop in Mo City until now? I do not enjoy dealing with wine and liquor all day long." Shang Yin, someone who knew his drinks, did not mean he liked tasting them daily, circling around alcohol, even good liquor without the company of a woman felt as bland as plain water. "You don’t need to worry about this aspect, Mr. Shang, you only need to provide a few famous wines as the shop’s signature, and I will handle the rest," Su Ziceng, seeing things gradually approaching his expectation, could not help feeling anxious, and his words grew hurried. "Miss Su, I wonder if your understanding of liquor matches your understanding of men," Shang Yin noticed Hang Yishao occasionally looking this way. "When you can differentiate between these drinks, or find a real connoisseur, come find me." Shang Yin left a business card, with his contact number on it. Su Ziceng took the business card, then watched as Shang Yin took different types of drinks from a waiter. He tasted a sip from each glass; the colors of the drinks were somewhat different, but there wasn’t much difference, the taste was almost similar. In fact, she could have asked the person responsible for buying the liquor at the Su Family what brands the drinks were, but Su Ziceng did not do so, because Shang Yin had already pinpointed her biggest flaw at the moment. Su Ziceng did not understand wines. Like Shang Yin, she couldn’t deal with liquor and beverages for an extended period; she needed to find a person who understood wines, and this person must not be controlled by either Chang Mei or even Su Qingzhang. It was time for her to cultivate her "own person."