Zhang Xinzhou got back to the dorm, showered, and lay on his bed, still turning the conversation between Xu Ye and Feng Shaoping over in his mind.

He started breaking it down…

First, right off the bat, close the distance — compliment Feng Shaoping’s wife on looking young, then diagnose the man and administer the flattery accordingly.

Then, using the calligraphy as a springboard, branch out to other topics, drawing the relationship closer still, manufacturing the illusion of two people who’d met each other far too late in life.

Then, leveraging that freshly built rapport, exchange a couple of sentences of actual business.

In this part, Xu Ye had said only two lines: the first stating his purpose, the second stating his sincerity.

And then came the high-level maneuver.

Using a vase that by any measure didn’t look like an antique, he negotiated the price directly with Feng Shaoping — every sentence carrying a second meaning. Feng Shaoping had obviously understood Xu Ye’s intent instantly, and played along with the exchange. The two of them haggled, and finally closed at a fair price.

The entire negotiation, from start to finish, was seamless.

By comparison, Zhang Xinzhou realized he’d been dumb as a pig.

The one thing he couldn’t work out was this: Xu Ye was exactly the same age as him — so how did he understand this whole world of social savvy so thoroughly? By rights, only someone who’d been grinding it out in society for years, or someone who worked inside the system, could reach a level like that.

Thinking this, Zhang Xinzhou turned his head to glance at Xu Ye, who was likewise lying in bed chatting with his girlfriend, and felt a sudden surge of envy.

But at this moment, he was also glad he’d made the decision after the gaokao to come to Shanghai for university. Some things you couldn’t learn from books.

…

Xu Ye was on a video call with Chen Qingqing.

After a bit of small talk, Xu Ye steered things around. “So? How did your songwriting teacher rate the song I wrote?”

Chen Qingqing said deliberately, “She said it was just an ordinary song, nothing special.”

Chen Qingqing couldn’t lie to save her life — as she said it, she didn’t even dare look at Xu Ye on the screen.

Xu Ye laughed. “No chance. I don’t believe you.”

Chen Qingqing said haughtily, “Believe it or not, your loss.”

“You dare put your hand on your… conscience and say that again?”

“I just won’t.”

She turned her head aside, then pouted and added, “Don’t go thinking you’re so impressive.”

Xu Ye: “Then I’ll just ask Zhang Ruowei and the others later.”

“You’re not allowed to ask.”

“See? Gave yourself away.”

“I’m done talking to you, I’m going to sleep.”

“Don’t hang up, switch to voice.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Last time I heard you snoring.”

“No way, you definitely misheard.”

“I did not.”

“Go to bed earlier and you won’t hear me snore.”

“You always fall asleep before me.”

“Can’t help it — every time I hear the sound of your breathing, I want to fall asleep next to you.”

[The other party has hung up.]

Xu Ye hurriedly sent a voice message. “Why’d you hang up?”

Xu Ye: “Where’d you go?”

Xu Ye: “Hello? Hello?”

Xu Ye: “Goodnight.”

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Qingqing finally replied with a goodnight. She assumed Xu Ye was already asleep — but he immediately sent a voice message back.

Chen Qingqing deliberated for a full thirty seconds before accepting it. Xu Ye had just been about to speak when she cut in with a warning: “Shut it, or I’m hanging up.”

“Damn.”

“What did you say?”

Xu Ye: “I said, ‘Sure, goodnight.'”

Chen Qingqing: “Why can’t you just talk normally?”

Xu Ye: “You told me to shut it, didn’t you?”

Chen Qingqing pulled the blanket up, buried herself under it, and muttered, “Dumb pig.”

…

The days that followed were all rain, one repeating into the next.

On Friday, Zhang Xinzhou got a message from Feng Shaoping — the school had agreed to the vending machines, just a matter of paying a venue-use fee and electricity fee each semester.

Zhang Xinzhou now knew that Feng Shaoping was talking nonsense. As logistics director, a small matter like this was entirely his to decide; the reason he’d hidden behind “the school” before was simply that Zhang Xinzhou hadn’t understood how he operated.

That evening, Xu Ye brought Zhang Xinzhou over, along with fifty thousand yuan in cash. Zhang Xinzhou found it a hassle and asked, “Can’t we just transfer it?”

Xu Ye rolled his eyes. “Even if we were willing to send it that way, would he accept it?”

It took Zhang Xinzhou a long while to work that one out.

Xu Ye didn’t stay long at Feng Shaoping’s this time, because the moment Feng Shaoping’s wife saw the fifty thousand in cash, the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes crinkled with delight — at a moment like that, the sooner you left, the better.

Sure enough. The two of them had barely reached the stairwell when Feng Shaoping’s wife’s voice drifted out from inside. “Honey, why are they giving you this much money?”

“It’s the money for the antique. Keep your voice down.”

“Antique? Where do we have an antique in this house?”

“Never you mind. Just put this money away carefully, and don’t mention it in front of anyone.”

“Got it, honey. Tonight I’m going to reward you properly.“

“…”

Xu Ye smiled and led Zhang Xinzhou back to school.

At the fruit shop, Jiang Wei was waiting. Seeing Xu Ye return, she stood up and asked, a little displeased, “Where’d you go? Why are you back so late?”

“Out taking care of something. You need me for something?”

Jiang Wei handed him a sheet of A4 paper. “The office came through. We can move in this weekend. See? Efficient, aren’t I?”

Xu Ye took it and glanced over the contents — mostly usage rules for the college student entrepreneurship center. He said offhandedly, “It’s probably your uncle who’s efficient.”

“What did you say?!”

“Nothing, nothing. I knew that once the campus belle stepped in, there’d be no problems.”

Jiang Wei planted her hands on her hips. “Let me tell you, I lost count of how many times I ran to the admin building for this. Without me, you two would never have pulled it off.”

“Definitely not.”

Jiang Wei scoffed, then held out her hand to Xu Ye. “Give me money.”

“For what?”

“For equipment. The office only has desks and chairs — everything else we have to buy ourselves. At the very least we need a few computers.”

Xu Ye smiled. “Where were you planning to buy computers?”

“The computer market.”

“That place is a total rip-off. My best friend can build computers himself — I’ll have him put mine together. I’ll transfer you five thousand separately, buy whatever else you want with it.”

Only then was Jiang Wei satisfied. Before leaving, she didn’t forget to stress, “Remember to transfer it — I’m going shopping tomorrow.”

“Relax.”

Watching Jiang Wei walk off, Zhang Xinzhou said with a smile, “Without Jiang Wei, none of this would’ve gone so smoothly.”

Xu Ye knew this perfectly well, of course. Without Jiang Wei brokering the connections and opening the first door, the company would never have grown this fast.

Xu Ye walked into the shop and called Qin Zhiwei.

Qin Zhiwei: “Playing League, make it quick.”

Xu Ye: “I need you to do something for me.”

Qin Zhiwei: “What?”

Xu Ye: “Build me a few office computers. I need them for the office.”

Qin Zhiwei: “It’s raining both days this weekend.”

Xu Ye: “Are you helping or not?”

Qin Zhiwei: “I’ll have to think about it.”

Xu Ye: “You dog, feeling yourself, are you?”

Qin Zhiwei: “Xu Ye, you absolute — asking for a favor and using that tone?”

Xu Ye: “How about this.”

Xu Ye: “Come over tomorrow, and I’ll introduce you to our campus belle.”

Qin Zhiwei: “Really?”

Xu Ye: “I keep my word.”

Qin Zhiwei: “I’ll be there first thing tomorrow morning.”

(End of Chapter 136)