Chapter 175: Chapter 174: Three Generations of Accumulation
After some more thought, he figured there wasn’t much holding him in Yang City. He definitely had enough time to make a trip back to Peng City to attend a golf club gathering.
So, the next day at noon, Lin Chu headed out.
By a little after two in the afternoon, Lin Chu had arrived. He had already contacted Jin Jiaying, who was waiting for him at the parking lot exit, holding an umbrella.
She didn’t see Lin Chu’s Mercedes. Instead, she saw him get out of a Rolls-Royce with a Guangdong A license plate, and she immediately came jogging over.
The hem of her white miniskirt fluttered, conveying a sense of delight.
’Ever since he got his membership, Lin Chu has only come twice,’ she thought. ’He seems completely indifferent—so extravagant it makes your heart ache for him. A monthly fee of over two hundred thousand, and he treats it like money down the drain.’
’The main thing is, if he doesn’t come, I earn almost no tips. Although I already got a 2% commission when he bought the membership, who would say no to more?’
’A boss like him is so busy all the time; I don’t dare bother him with messages too often.’
"President Lin, I’ve missed you to death."
Jin Jiaying initiated a hug and even planted a kiss on him, her voice far sweeter and more cloying than before.
Lin Chu pursed his lips into a smile. He glanced up—the sun was indeed strong—so he also took out an umbrella from inside the Rolls-Royce. ’They say it’s custom-made and costs a hundred thousand yuan, not that I ever asked. Since I bought it, I bought it. It’s just an ordinary parasol, really.’
Hmm.
Not knowing if Lin Chu had gotten a new car or had owned this one all along, Jin Jiaying proactively took the umbrella from him. She diligently held it over his head, leaving half of her own body exposed to the sun.
They made their way toward the venue.
"You’ve been so busy, haven’t you? But you have to remember to stay active, even if you’re busy. I’ve been thinking about you a lot here at Mission Hills."
Jin Jiaying joked playfully. ’If you can’t be friends with a client,’ she thought, ’becoming a friend with benefits is a pretty good alternative.’
’A few days ago, I saw him post a picture of a private banking card on his Moments. He must have struck it rich again.’
"Yeah, I went on a trip recently."
Lin Chu replied with a faint smile. ’Her excessive fawning still feels a bit cheap,’ he thought. ’Then again, I was the same way back when I was in sales.’ He suddenly felt a sliver of empathy for her—just a tiny one.
Jin Jiaying hesitated, suppressing the urge to whine coquettishly, ’I want to go on a trip, too! Take me with you!’
’Making demands of a big shot, even if you’re being cute about it, is risky. The right time and place for that is in bed, not on the road.’
"Today’s gathering is very high-profile, you know. The third-generation successor of the group is here, greeting guests at the entrance. His surname is Zhu, name’s Zhu Yixian. He’s the same age as you—24 years old."
Jin Jiaying said in a low voice, bringing the topic back to the gathering itself.
’I have an accurate grasp of Lin Chu’s core need: networking. As long as I can help him with that, I won’t have to worry about him cutting me off.’
’And if I can be a huge help, the rewards will be even bigger.’
Hmm?
’Group... third generation... successor...’ Those words still rubbed Lin Chu the wrong way.
’I’m a fucking... successor, too!’
’What am I even on about?’
"Tell me more. What’s the deal with their family?"
Though his interest was piqued, Lin Chu asked with a casual smile. ’I don’t really know the history behind Mission Hills,’ he mused, ’but there’s no question they’re a major family. True old money.’
So Jin Jiaying explained.
The first-generation patriarch of this massive real estate and golf conglomerate, surnamed Zhu, was from Xiangjiang. A multi-billionaire, he had transformed this place from a barren wasteland into one of the world’s benchmark golf courses.
He had also accomplished many great things, like helping to bring the 2008 Olympics to Capital City and promoting the development of the domestic golf industry, carving out a massive empire for himself.
’This guy wasn’t a bullshitter like my own dad; he was the real fucking deal.’
The Zhu Family’s second generation of brothers mainly developed the villa real estate, operated the courses, hosted various tournaments, and expanded the membership system.
Now, the family’s third generation, Zhu Yixian—the third son of the second generation’s third brother—was mainly responsible for managing member relations, which was considered one of the core positions within the family.
Although it was a case of each generation being less capable than the one before, their foundation was incredibly deep. They were born with silver spoons in their mouths.
After hearing all this, a ridiculous thought suddenly popped into Lin Chu’s head: ’Have more sons?’
’History really is cyclical,’ he thought. ’The ancients always said more sons meant more fortune. For one, it spreads the risk. For another, you might just get that one prodigy. If one of them makes it big, the whole family makes it big.’
’After decades of family planning, it feels like we’re returning to the historical norm.’
These thoughts struck a chord with Lin Chu.
’You have to hand it to those Xiangjiang families. They’ve been having big families from the very start!’
Soon.
Lin Chu saw the third-generation scion of the Zhu Family. He was about the same height as Lin Chu but quite a bit uglier. His skin was fairer, giving him the look of a pretty boy. With a neat, clean buzz cut and a sharp suit, he did have a somewhat distinguished air. He was holding court with a few middle-aged men, laughing and chatting.
Seeing Lin Chu approach, Zhu Yixian patted one of the men on the shoulder, excused himself, and walked over. He wore an impeccable smile and extended his hand while still some distance away.
"President Lin, a pleasure to meet you. Welcome. Thank you for coming."
Lin Chu shook his hand and smiled casually. "You’re too polite."
’Remembering all the members’ info and putting names to faces is a basic skill for this job, of course.’
’Owning a golf course is great for building "high-end connections." In fact, that’s one of the main reasons to do it.’
’But that path has already been trod. I can’t go down that same road.’
’There’s no path left for me.’
’Unless... I take someone else’s.’
"I was looking through the guest list, President Lin. We’re the two youngest men here today. What’s more, our birthdays are in the same month, only eight days apart. Since this is our first meeting, I’ve prepared a small gift for you."
Zhu Yixian said with a smile, pulling a small red box from his pocket.
Lin Chu was slightly taken aback. ’This thing looks an awful lot like a ring box,’ he thought, ’though of course, that’s impossible.’ He offered his thanks and casually opened it. Inside was an exquisitely crafted figurine: Iron Man, mid-swing with a golf club.
’A souvenir, I guess. It’s pretty interesting, and it’s on-theme. Not worth much, but it’s the thought that counts.’
’Besides, what guy doesn’t like Iron Man?’
"This is great. Very thoughtful. Let’s grab a meal sometime," Lin Chu said with a smile, patting the outside of his shoulder. To be honest, a gesture of goodwill like this felt pretty nice.
"Sounds good. Please, go on in. I have more guests to welcome, so if you’ll excuse me."
Just then, another member arrived at the entrance. Zhu Yixian excused himself and went over to continue his welcome.
Lin Chu glanced at his profile, shook his head with a smile, and then headed inside.
’This party hasn’t even started yet, and I’ve already gotten a little something out of it.’
Wait.
’Does a son count as a "brother"?’
’If my dad counts, then a son must count too. And it’s a natural, fucking ten-fold rebate!’
’How filial.’
’So very, very filial.’
Lin Chu was suddenly in a fantastic mood, and his steps grew lighter. ’Though, to be honest, I’d still prefer a daughter—my sweet little girl,’ he thought. ’And any punk who dares come near her can drop dead!’
...
The gathering was a Western-style cocktail party with a buffet, which was convenient.
In front of the long buffet table in the banquet hall, there was a promotional flyer for the partner restaurant. Lin Chu glanced at it: Michelin-starred restaurant ensue, Head Chef, Ms. Chen.
’Mission Hills really spares no expense for these parties,’ he thought. ’But... Chen Jinyu?’
A chord was struck in Lin Chu’s heart once again.
He nonchalantly scanned the crowd but didn’t see her. ’She’s probably busy in the kitchen,’ he figured.
Even though he’d been with many women since, he still had a vivid memory of this "sworn older sister" of his, the little rich woman.
’I stopped going to ensue much after that. Partly because I was sick of the food, and partly because I didn’t want to see her anymore.’
’She wanted a stable family.’
’But I’m destined to be a wanderer. My voyage won’t stop for anyone.’
’If it were some young girl, getting tied up for a few years would be no big deal. But her desperation to get married was terrifying.’
After some thought, Lin Chu found a random spot to sit. He didn’t send Chen Jinyu a message, just sat there casually, observing the crowd.
Suddenly.
Another familiar figure caught Lin Chu’s eye.
’An Qingning?’
She was wearing a golf caddie’s uniform: a black polo shirt, a white miniskirt, and sneakers. Her figure was delicate, and her legs were astonishingly long.
Sheesh...
’That cringe-worthy woman... Li Yaoyao’s best friend. She’d "helped" me get "revenge" on Li Yaoyao, and we’d gone back and forth a couple of times. She wanted me to buy some private equity product—for what, thirty thousand yuan? But she wouldn’t put out, so the whole negotiation collapsed.’
’Has she... gone into the business?’
Wait.
’Then again, working at a golf club isn’t exactly "the business." You could even say it’s a step up from her old financial sales job. After all, she gets to meet a higher class of bosses here.’
As if noticing someone was watching her, An Qingning’s eyes followed the gaze. When she saw Lin Chu sitting there, leisurely smoking a cigarette with another caddie by his side, she froze.
She quickly came back to her senses, nonchalantly poured coffee for the guest in front of her, and then hurried away in a direction away from Lin Chu, clearly trying to escape.
It felt like the greatest distance in the world.
’The "bootlicker" from back then was now in the inner circle, sitting there like a VIP,’ An Qingning thought instinctively. ’This whole party was for people like him.’
Her first instinct was to flee, to not go over there. So many things came down to a single moment’s decision, ultimately leading to a world of difference.
’But who could have known back then?’
Lin Chu watched her retreating back, blew a smoke ring, and just smiled faintly.
’This sort of drama couldn’t stir the slightest ripple in his heart anymore. Never mind An Qingning; even if Li Yaoyao herself were standing right in front of him, she’d be nothing but thin air.’
All that was in the past now.
He just found it faintly, ridiculously amusing.
’What kind of get-together is this!’
’A "gathering of heroes," huh? What a hodgepodge.’
...
"Hello, you must be President Lin, right? I saw you on the guest list. A well-known investor. We’re in the same line of work. Gu Tong, from MQ Investment."
A woman who looked to be in her thirties walked over. She had the typical air of a career woman. Dressed in a casual tracksuit that gave her a laid-back air, she had slanted phoenix eyes, short hair, and fiery red lips. She smiled at Lin Chu and readily extended her hand.
’Her immediate vibe was not feminine in the slightest.’
Having seen the name on the list, Lin Chu now put a face to it. She wasn’t much of a looker, but she had a good presence. Lin Chu smiled, shook her hand, and politely invited her to sit and chat.
’She’s a rich woman from an investment firm. What does she need looks for!’
Lin Chu could now tell with precision which women were potential business partners and which were potential bed partners.
He could sort them out with a single look.
...
...
