At night, inside a Chinese restaurant in a high-rise building in the city center, the atmosphere was warm and elegant.
Li Zhao sat by the window, looking through the clear glass, and could clearly overlook the city's brilliant night view.
He did not wait too long; Zhou Lin arrived at the restaurant on time.
Unlike her formal attire at Xinheng Company, she was dressed more casually today, with a soft and comfortable cotton top paired with loose black trousers, appearing much more relaxed overall.
After sitting down, Zhou Lin said with a slight apology, "I'm sorry, Mr. Li, for making you wait."
"I just arrived not long ago. Today, it's just the two of us here, so you don't have to call me Mr. Li anymore," Li Zhao said.
A waiter walked over at this moment, "May I get the menu for you two?"
"Do you have any dietary restrictions?" Li Zhao asked.
"I can't eat too spicy food; everything else is fine," Zhou Lin replied.
Li Zhao casually ordered three dishes, then handed her the menu, smiling, "After fighting for so many days, it's time to treat ourselves well."
Zhou Lin's red lips curved slightly, "Then I won't be polite."
She briefly flipped through the menu and, like Li Zhao, ordered three dishes.
"Would you like to see the drink menu?" the waiter beside them asked.
"Sorry, I drove here," Zhou Lin said.
Li Zhao also waved his hand, refusing.
He could feel that while Zhou Lin's attitude was polite, it contained a hint of subtle distance.
After all, besides their brief interaction at Xinheng Company, they had no prior acquaintance.
Li Zhao wasn't particularly bothered by this; his main reason for inviting Zhou Lin to dinner today was to consult her about some matters.
Soon, the waiter served all the dishes.
Li Zhao said, "I think I heard you mention before that your major in university was land resource management."
"Yes, and later I also obtained relevant financial licenses," Zhou Lin replied while picking up food.
"I plan to build an amusement facility, similar to a castle, which requires developing underground space. Where do you think would be a good place to choose?" Li Zhao asked.
"How deep would the developed underground space be? And what's the area?" Zhou Lin inquired.
"The preliminary plan is five floors above ground and four floors underground. Excluding the wall sections, the usable area of each internal floor will exceed five hundred square meters," Li Zhao stated.
Zhou Lin looked at him in surprise, her delicate brows furrowed, "The underground space is too large; it will be very difficult to get approval."
She then asked curiously, "What kind of project is this? Is it convenient to disclose?"
"I plan to make it a Super Fortress-themed facility, attracting interested young people or groups through careful interior decoration," Li Zhao briefly described.
Zhou Lin pondered for a moment before saying, "Building it in a bustling area would incur excessively high costs in all aspects, and you'd need to consider avoiding sewers, subways, optical cables, and so on. Since the building is positioned as an amusement facility, it's best to choose an amusement park or a scenic area in the suburbs."
"Do you have any recommended places?" Li Zhao asked.
Zhou Lin said thoughtfully, "Some scenic areas in the suburbs, due to mismanagement, reportedly aren't doing very well. For example, the area bordering Jiulin City to the southwest of Yunhai City has several resorts. If you can persuade the scenic area management to agree to lease the land, things would be much easier."
She would not rashly make decisions for Li Zhao but would only offer appropriate suggestions.
Li Zhao listened and thought it was indeed a viable solution.
In Yunhai City, where every inch of land is precious, he couldn't possibly buy land.
On one hand, the expense would be too great, and secondly, it was completely unnecessary.
The Blue Star would have already fallen a year later, so why spend that money in vain?
A look of joy immediately appeared on Li Zhao's face, "Thank you, I'll toast you."
There was no alcohol on the table, so he could only temporarily use juice instead.
Zhou Lin slowly raised her glass and smiled, "It should be me thanking you. Because of our last transaction, I am now the vice president of Xinheng Company."
"You are not only young but also so capable; even without me, your promotion would have been a matter of time," Li Zhao offered a big blessing.
Zhou Lin smiled faintly, and they clinked glasses several times.
Li Zhao turned his head to look outside.
The high-rise buildings were brightly lit, and the bustling streets below, with their ceaseless traffic, resembled a flowing galaxy, adding a touch of liveliness and vitality to the city.
Li Zhao suggested, "Now that epidemics have broken out in many places on Blue Star, Chu Tian Group's revenue might increase significantly. You could consider playing the long game."
"That makes sense." Zhou Lin took a sip of juice and then looked at him, "Since you've earned so much money this time, you could find some time to go out with your family and relax."
Li Zhao's eyes flickered.
He keenly sensed that Zhou Lin seemed to be subtly probing his family background.
"My parents divorced a long time ago and now live abroad; I was raised by my grandmother, but she has passed away," Li Zhao said lightly.
Zhou Lin immediately showed a look of guilt, "I'm sorry, I spoke out of turn."
In reality, after Chu Tian Pharmaceuticals' tenth significant rise, Zhou Lin immediately arranged for someone to investigate Li Zhao's background.
However, after thorough investigation, all she knew was that he had once worked at a company called Longke Finance and was an ordinary employee.
Zhou Lin secretly wondered, 'Did I guess wrong? Is he really not a rich second-generation?'
Just as they were talking, Zhou Lin's phone suddenly rang.
Her delicate brows furrowed, and she hesitated to press the answer button.
Seeing this, Li Zhao felt a sudden sense of confusion.
A strange look quietly flashed in Zhou Lin's eyes, followed by a heavy sigh.
Li Zhao couldn't help but look up and ask, "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"
Zhou Lin told him about an unpleasant incident she had recently encountered.
A greasy, visibly overweight middle-aged man in his forties had been relentlessly bothering her simply because he had inadvertently looked at her at Xinheng Company.
He had even blocked her outside Xinheng Company for several days, threatening to keep her as his mistress.
"Can't you report him to the police?" Li Zhao asked.
Zhou Lin explained, "Our Xinheng Company also deals with private equity fund business, and he is an important client. Xinheng Company doesn't want to escalate the matter too much."
Li Zhao asked, "Who is that person?"
"The Gu Family in Yunhai City, have you heard of them?"
Li Zhao nodded slightly.
The Gu Family owned several listed companies and was one of the three major families in Yunhai City, almost universally known.
"Gu Rongcheng is Gu Tianyi's second son; he's the guy I just mentioned," Zhou Lin said.
Li Zhao's eyes flickered after hearing this.
The Super Fortress didn't even have a shadow yet, and he didn't want to get involved in too much trouble, especially with a top-tier wealthy family like the Gu Family, which Li Zhao couldn't control.
But Zhou Lin seemed to have no intention of letting him off the hook, asking, "Do you have any good ideas?"
"I know someone who's fairly capable; I can try to ask him for you," Li Zhao said in a calm tone, without making any promises.
"Okay, then I'll trouble you," Zhou Lin smiled sweetly.
