The hot pot restaurant booked by Secretary Liu was located in the heart of the business district, surrounded by numerous trendy eateries and chain restaurants. To maintain such a thriving business amidst them, the taste must have been excellent.
On a cold, rainy day, hot pot was a fitting choice.
Xia Qing Tian was very satisfied, and Xia Hong Lang mentioned he hadn't eaten hot pot in a long time, finding it a nice occasional treat.
"We seem to have a split pot at home. Next time, let's get some good ingredients and make a rich broth for the base. We can enjoy it at home," Aunt Liu suggested.
"Yes, next time we'll eat when Qing Yu is also here," Xia Qing Tian agreed.
As the three of them chatted and walked out, Xia Hong Lang said, "Qing Tian, come back to the company with me. There are two more documents that the secretary's department organized before lunch that you haven't seen yet."
"Okay," Xia Qing Tian nodded. "But I can only stay until three in the afternoon. I need to go back to school today; there's an event next week, and I have to sign something there."
"Alright." Xia Hong Lang nodded. "You need to balance both your career and studies. Dad believes you can do very well."
"And be mindful of your health and safety. If you're really tired, you must say so. Don't try to carry everything alone," Aunt Liu said, looking at Xia Qing Tian with concern.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Xia Qing Tian said with a smile.
"Then I'll head back now. You and your father have a good afternoon~" Aunt Liu said, feeling reassured by the harmonious interaction between Xia Hong Lang and Xia Qing Tian.
It was Xia Hong Lang who had extended a helping hand to her and Xia Qing Yu when they were at their lowest point, taking them in.
Xia Qing Tian had strongly disliked her, which had led to a deterioration in father-daughter relations, resulting in constant friction.
Finally, it seemed their hardships had paid off. If things could continue like this, allowing them to live peaceful and happy lives, that would be truly wonderful.
After seeing Aunt Liu off, Xia Qing Tian and Xia Hong Lang were walking back. At an intersection, Xia Qing Tian casually glanced to the side and suddenly froze. Frowning, she said, "Dad, you go back first. I'll come over in a bit."
"Oh? What are you going to do?" Xia Hong Lang asked.
"I..." Xia Qing Tian's beautiful eyes shifted. Pointing to a nearby milk tea shop with a queue, she said, "I want to drink milk tea. This milk tea is very popular online."
"It looks like a long wait. Why don't we have the secretary queue up?" Xia Hong Lang said, glancing at the line. "It's still raining."
"Don't trouble Secretary Lin; she's on her lunch break now. I'll queue myself," Xia Qing Tian said with a smile. "Besides, I want to buy ice cream. By the time she buys it, the ice cream will have melted."
Xia Hong Lang nodded, only reminding Xia Qing Tian to be careful before leaving for the company.
Seeing Xia Hong Lang depart, Xia Qing Tian, holding her umbrella, walked towards a coffee shop in an alley.
Peering through the floor-to-ceiling window, she couldn't see the person she was looking for. After a moment's hesitation, Xia Qing Tian took out a gradient-colored pair of sunglasses from her handbag and smoothed her long hair. She then put away her umbrella and entered the coffee shop. Inside, Xia Qing Tian spotted the table by the wall.
Casually picking up a menu from the counter, she opened it and pretended to read, then walked directly towards a spot diagonally in front of that table.
Getting too close would arouse suspicion, but from this spot, she could probably overhear them with a little effort.
"A latte, please," Xia Qing Tian quietly said to the server.
"Certainly." The server took the menu, and Xia Qing Tian began to listen intently to the voices.
"Mr. Yu is clearly a smart person. I hope our cooperation goes smoothly."
"Pleasure doing business with you." Yu Lin Wan smiled faintly and extended her hand to shake the hand of the person sitting opposite her. "I didn't realize President Song had been working in L City for so long. You even know of such an authentic coffee shop here in Z City."
"Heh, although my company is in L City, I attended university in Z City before. It's just..." She paused and let out a light laugh. "Never mind, let's not bring it up. I'll show you our proposal for this time, Ms. Yu."
"Okay." Yu Lin Wan responded and saw Song Jun Han take out documents and spread them on the table.
"We plan to launch a singing and dancing talent show. The show's style will involve our company's talented artists collaborating with contestants in the show for performances, followed by a dual voting system by the audience and judges," Song Jun Han explained. "This format isn't entirely new, but we can make it interesting by focusing on the artists."
"First, we can select artists who are relatively controversial or have unique personalities. For the contestants, appearance is paramount, with skill coming second."
"As for the competition system, we can discuss it further later. If there's any artist you wish to promote, you can also suggest them."
"As far as I know, the projects Gu's Entertainment has recently planned are very close to what Mr. Song has proposed," Yu Lin Wan said, looking at Song Jun Han.
"Heh, there are only so many entertainment projects in the market. Overlap is inevitable; ratings are what truly matter," Song Jun Han replied.
"Mr. Song's idea is good, but I have another thought," Yu Lin Wan said, placing a contract on the table. "Compared to artists from our two companies, I think it would be beneficial to invite some highly talked-about artists from outside."
"Ms. Yu means..." Song Jun Han looked at Yu Lin Wan.
"There are only a few artists currently with the highest heat and topicality," Yu Lin Wan said with a deep smile. "Xia Qing Tian, for instance, is excellent."
"Xia Qing Tian is an artist under Gu's Entertainment; she might not agree," Song Jun Han said hesitantly.
"Heh, we can only try. If we don't try, how will we know?" Yu Lin Wan said. "I happen to have a bargaining chip that she cannot refuse."
"Then I will eagerly await it," Song Jun Han's lips also curved upwards.
Meanwhile, Xia Qing Tian, stirring her coffee cup with a spoon, had a subtle expression.
She hadn't expected Song Jun Han to join forces with Yu Lin Wan.
Even more surprisingly, the first thing they planned to do after joining forces was to target her.
Aren't you people running companies?
Are you that idle?
Do you have no important business of your own to attend to?
Yu Lin Wan still held a bargaining chip she couldn't refuse?
What bargaining chip? Blackmail?
Even with blackmail, she might not yield. She wasn't that familiar with Yu Lin Wan. What did Yu Lin Wan's life or death have to do with her?
After listening for a while longer, she noticed their conversation shifting from business to a more intimate tone. They were either boasting about themselves and inflating their value or using subtle hints to flirt. Xia Qing Tian found it increasingly hard to listen.
After paying for her coffee, Xia Qing Tian, holding her umbrella, left the coffee shop and headed to the milk tea shop queue.
It seemed her lunch break was nearing its end, and the queue had shortened considerably. It only took two to three minutes before it was Xia Qing Tian's turn.
After ordering three milk teas for takeaway, Xia Qing Tian started walking back towards Xia's company.