"Brother-in-law, who was that tall middle-aged man you had dinner with at Xinyuan Restaurant yesterday?"
While they were grocery shopping, Xia Xueqing couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked Song Qiao.
Song Qiao looked at her with surprise. He wondered how this girl knew he had dinner at Xinyuan yesterday, and that he met the secretary.
"Xueqing, how did you know I was eating at Xinyuan?" Song Qiao asked her back, instead of answering directly.
"I, I just happened to pass by and saw you and a few others walking out of the restaurant," Xia Yuqing replied, her eyes darting away as she spoke in a flustered manner.
Seeing this, Song Qiao didn't want to expose her and just chuckled softly.
"Xueqing, it's best not to get too caught up in such matters. You're still young, and the most important thing is to focus on your studies. My factory will need a high-achieving student like you from a prestigious university to support it in the future. As for who that person was, it's not important."
Xia Xueqing stuck out her tongue and made a funny face upon hearing her brother-in-law's words.
"Oh, brother-in-law, I get it. If you don't want to talk about it, don't. You're more naggy than my mom."
Though she said this, she was already quite certain in her heart. Song Qiao was definitely not as simple as he appeared, and the person he dined with must have been the secretary. Ordinary people wouldn't warrant Song Qiao changing the subject to placate her. Seeing Song Qiao's low-key and reserved demeanor, and recalling Zhang Chuan's ostentatious behavior, Xia Xueqing's admiration for her brother-in-law grew.
The two bought a lot of groceries and returned home. Their mother-in-law was enthusiastically entertaining Zhang Chuan, while Xia Yuqing insisted on staying in the kitchen to cook. Her mother-in-law couldn't refuse her and reluctantly agreed.
This made Zhang Chuan, who was sitting nearby, feel a great deal of regret. He had hoped that with Song Qiao absent, he would have a chance to express his feelings to Xia Yuqing. With his current financial standing, he believed he could win her over. However, to his surprise, Xia Yuqing completely denied him any opportunity for one-on-one time.
As soon as Song Qiao returned home, he heard Zhang Chuan passionately discussing business with his mother-in-law. His mother-in-law listened, nodding in agreement, and occasionally giving him a thumbs-up. Song Qiao couldn't help but chuckle. This Zhang Chuan was truly a gem, with one speaking and the other listening. His so-called theories would likely be ridiculed if they were known.
"Song Qiao, you're back. Come and sit. I think Young Zhang's project is quite good. You should sit down and listen too."
Although Song Qiao was extremely reluctant, he couldn't directly refuse out of respect for his mother-in-law's feelings and reluctantly sat down. Fortunately, Zhang Chuan seemed to restrain himself somewhat upon Song Qiao's arrival, refraining from discussing any theories or phenomena he didn't fully understand.
"Brother Song, what do you think? Are you interested in investing?" Zhang Chuan suddenly asked Song Qiao after a long explanation. He had already gathered quite a bit of information from his mother-in-law, knowing that Song Qiao, despite not being particularly capable, had a considerable amount of spare cash.
"Sorry, I'm not very interested in this area," Song Qiao replied, waving his hand. Zhang Chuan's main business was selling health products, which, while highly profitable in the short term, would likely face strict government crackdowns later on.
"Hmph, don't you usually like taking risks? Why are you being so timid now?" his mother-in-law said unhappily, seeing Song Qiao refuse Zhang Chuan without hesitation.
"Mom, all investments carry risks. We don't understand this industry well, and we'll suffer great losses sooner or later," Song Qiao quickly explained to his mother-in-law. He wondered how Zhang Chuan had managed to brainwash her into believing this project was foolproof.
Just as Zhang Chuan was about to explain to Song Qiao, Xia Yuqing suddenly emerged from the kitchen.
"Song Qiao, someone called to inform me that I need to go to our city's Chamber of Commerce tomorrow morning to sign a document. They said that all newly established enterprises in our city within the past month need to be present."
Song Qiao thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll go with you." He wasn't at ease with Xia Yuqing going to such an event alone, especially with the matter she had just taken on.
"No, I can go by myself. Aren't you busy with work at the factory?" Xia Yuqing waved her hand and refused. She desperately needed to achieve something to prove herself to Song Qiao, and thus preferred not to have her husband intervene in many matters.
Just as Song Qiao was about to persuade her further, he suddenly remembered that the so-called chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, Wang Gang, was a former secretary under Director Sang. He later went into business and became one of the people Director Sang supported. He figured that if he contacted Director Sang in advance, Wang Gang wouldn't cause trouble for his wife like Feng Yun did. With this in mind, he didn't insist further and agreed to his wife's request.
"Yuqing, you can go with peace of mind. I have connections in the Chamber of Commerce. I'll make sure to put in a word for you beforehand."
At this moment, Zhang Chuan interjected.
"No, no, there's no need. How could I trouble you again?" Xia Yuqing hastily waved her hand, wanting to refuse. Zhang Chuan had already helped her once, and if this continued, the favor would only grow larger.
Hearing Zhang Chuan's words, her mother-in-law, who had been somewhat worried, suddenly beamed.
"Young Zhang, you're truly capable. You have such strong connections everywhere. With you involved, I feel at ease about this matter."
"Auntie, you're being too formal. It's my duty," Zhang Chuan said, basking in the praise, his eyes narrowing into slits.
"Oh, and regarding the investment, I'm very optimistic. Although Young Song is unwilling to participate, I have some spare cash I can invest. I hope you won't mind that it's a small amount." His mother-in-law said to Zhang Chuan after some thought.
Upon hearing his mother-in-law's decision, Song Qiao's expression changed drastically. His mother-in-law was truly deluded. How could she agree to such a high-risk investment with Zhang Chuan without understanding the situation? If she lost money in the future, she would likely be unable to face reality.
"Mom, please don't be impulsive. We need to consider this matter more carefully. It's best not to invest so rashly," Song Qiao said helplessly, shaking his head. He quickly tried to dissuade his mother-in-law and simultaneously cast a meaningful glance at Zhang Chuan, hoping the latter would be sensible and not pursue the matter further.