Chapter 138: Li Wan

The next day, Zhang Wei took a day off to accompany Zhou Pangzi to negotiate the land deal. Considering that five people sharing one car would be cramped, Zhang Wei drove his own BMW 730, which also helped him avoid the nagging of Wu Yue from Shěng.

After meeting at the entrance of Xiangjiang Residential Complex, Zhang Wei’s BMW immediately attracted the attention of the other four. Zhou Pangzi and Wu Qian, both worldly-wise, were merely amused spectators, but Wu Yue and Zhang Mingyi looked on with a hint of envy.

Wu Yue and Zhang Mingyi also owned a Mercedes E300, but compared to the BMW 7 Series, it was a notch below. Especially with the subtle bitterness in Wu Yue’s tone, she even tried to coax Zhang Mingyi into trying out Zhang Wei’s car, but Zhang Mingyi politely declined.

The headquarters of Tiancheng Company was located in Changfeng Building on Hongqi Road, not far from Xiangjiang Residential Complex. However, the traffic in the capital city was notoriously bad, and it took over half an hour just to get through the congestion.

Zhou Pangzi was no stranger to Tiancheng Company. Upon arriving in his Audi A8, he parked in the Changfeng Building parking lot. As the four of them approached the building, they saw Tiancheng employees already waiting.

“Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou, welcome. On behalf of Tiancheng Company, I’m here to greet you,” a tall, beautiful woman in her twenties approached quickly, wearing a friendly smile.

“Miss Li Wan, you’re too kind to wait for us here,” Zhou Pangzi replied courteously.

“Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou, you are esteemed guests of Tiancheng Company; this is the least I can do,” Li Wan smiled faintly, revealing dimples, then gestured invitingly. “Please come inside. We have already prepared a lounge for you.”

“Wait a moment. We still have one more friend who hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll call to check where he is,” Zhou Pangzi said, signaling to wait a moment as he took out his phone and dialed Zhang Wei.

“Beep beep beep… Hey, brother, where are you? How did you disappear while driving?” Zhou Pangzi asked.

“Fat Bro, I saw heavy traffic ahead and stopped to refuel, but when I came back, I lost track of you guys. Now the traffic’s jammed again. Looks like I’ll be a while,” Zhang Wei said helplessly.

“You’re unbelievable, losing track just driving a car. Don’t worry, we’re waiting downstairs at Changfeng Building,” Zhou Pangzi instructed.

“Okay, the traffic’s clearing up. I’ll hang up now,” Zhang Wei said, then released the handbrake, stepped on the accelerator, and sped off.

“Miss Li, I’m afraid we’ll have to wait a bit longer. My friend is still driving over,” Zhou Pangzi apologized to Li Wan.

“That’s all right. The traffic in the capital is indeed poor; I understand,” Li Wan said with great understanding.

“Sis-in-law, is this Zhang Wei fellow reliable? Losing track just driving—he doesn’t seem sharp at all. Is he really as capable as you say?” Wu Yue teased.

Zhou Pangzi’s upcoming real estate company would need trustworthy people. Gaining his trust meant Zhang Wei would be highly valued. The land purchase negotiations were largely orchestrated by Wu Yue’s husband, who handled the preliminary talks.

Zhou Pangzi’s entry into the final negotiation owed much to Zhang Mingyi’s efforts. Now, on the verge of the final round, an unexpected contender had emerged, stirring unease in Wu Yue’s heart.

Not only was Zhang Wei in the real estate business, but he also had Zhou Pangzi’s trust, often addressed as “brother,” which intensified Wu Yue’s sense of threat. She feared Zhang Wei might steal her husband’s credit and edge out his position as a founding member of the company.

“Stop playing tricks all the time. You’re my sister, Mingyi is my brother-in-law. How could your brother-in-law and I mistreat you?” Wu Qian scolded her younger sister, fully aware of what was on her mind.

Although Wu Qian had limited contact with Zhang Wei, she had a deep impression of him and knew he was capable. Otherwise, no matter how much Zhou Pangzi trusted him, she wouldn’t have allowed him to join the negotiations.

The coal mining industry was about to undergo restructuring, which would inevitably impact Zhou Pangzi and Wu Qian’s coal business. Transitioning to real estate before the restructuring would enable a smooth career shift. This land purchase negotiation was a prime opportunity, and Wu Qian was highly enthusiastic about the project.

Hearing the name Zhang Wei, Li Wan’s eyelids twitched involuntarily. It was a name she was all too familiar with, though she hadn’t heard it for a year. The mention stirred a strange feeling in her heart.

However, with over a billion people in China, there were thousands named Zhang Wei. She didn’t believe this Zhang Wei mentioned by Wu Yue was the same one she knew. After all, Zhou Pangzi was a billionaire, while the Zhang Wei she knew was just an ordinary migrant worker in Beijing. Their paths were unlikely to cross.

Li Wan cleared her mind and reminded herself, “They’ve already broken up and have no common ties. The next time they meet might be at a reunion twenty years from now, and by then, their memories of each other will have faded.”

Just as Li Wan felt a touch sentimental, a brand-new BMW 7 Series drove over and stopped beside the group of five. The window slowly rolled down, and a young man leaned out, asking, “Excuse me, is Tiancheng Company in this building?”

“Hello, I’m Li Wan, Sales Manager at Tiancheng Company. May I ask who you are?” Li Wan, noticing the inquiry, hurried forward to greet the man in the BMW.

“That Zhang Wei finally made it,” Zhou Pangzi said, patting his round belly as he saw the BMW arrive. His stout figure meant even standing too long caused backaches.

“Sis-in-law, what are you looking at? That’s a BMW 760, much pricier than Zhang Wei’s 730!” Wu Yue scoffed, pointing to the badge on the car’s rear.

“Oh, the driver isn’t Zhang Wei after all. I almost mistook him,” Zhou Pangzi straightened up and marched to the back of the car, confirming it was a BMW 760.

The BMW 760 and 730 shared the same exterior, but the 760’s performance was far superior and cost more than twice as much, making it one of the most expensive BMW models.

“Good thing I didn’t go over to talk, or I’d have made a fool of myself,” Zhou Pangzi chuckled awkwardly.

“Madam, there’s a lady outside who is the Sales Manager of Tiancheng Company,” the man driving the BMW 760 called over to the back seat.

“Okay, I know. Get out,” a soft female voice replied.

“Yes, Madam,” the man responded, stepping out, then opening the left rear door and holding the door frame.

A woman around twenty-seven or twenty-eight emerged—beautiful, tall, elegant. She wore a white long dress and carried a designer handbag. She glanced at Li Wan and said, “Hello. I’m Xiang Xiaomeng from Yuèdá Real Estate Company.”

“Director Xiang, I’m Li Wan, Sales Manager at Tiancheng Company. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Li Wan’s eyes brightened as she smiled warmly.

“I’m pleased to meet you too,” Xiang Xiaomeng replied with a subtle smile.

“Director Xiang, we’ve prepared a lounge for you. I’ll have a colleague take you upstairs,” Li Wan said.

“Alright,” Xiang Xiaomeng glanced toward Zhou Pangzi and the others, her eyes flickering with a sharp glint before nodding.

“Xiaofang, please take Director Xiang to the seventh-floor conference room to rest and notify the chairman,” Li Wan instructed her assistant.

“Okay, Sister Li,” said Xiaofang, a petite girl who looked under twenty, standing shyly behind Li Wan.

“Director Xiang, please follow me,” Xiaofang gestured politely and led Xiang Xiaomeng and her two assistants toward Changfeng Building.

“Miss Li, this Director Xiang is also invited by your company?” Zhou Pangzi frowned, displeased.

“Yes. For this land sale project, both you and Director Xiang are among the invitees,” Li Wan said with a trace of embarrassment on her lovely face.

Zhou Pangzi and Wu Qian exchanged looks, both showing surprise. They had assumed they were the sole bidders; they hadn’t expected Tiancheng to invite other companies, which would undoubtedly complicate negotiations and raise the price.

“Sis-in-law, why don’t the three of you go upstairs with Miss Li first? I’ll wait here for Zhang Wei,” Wu Yue, ever shrewd, suggested. She sensed that Director Xiang was likely a competitor.

As the saying goes, “Know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.” A sudden rival could disrupt their plans. Wu Yue wanted Zhou Pangzi, Wu Qian, and Zhang Mingyi to get a read on Director Xiang’s company’s financial strength.

“No, you three go upstairs first. I’ll wait for Zhang Wei here personally,” Zhou Pangzi said resolutely.

With another real estate firm vying for the land, the negotiations would become more unpredictable. Zhang Wei’s ability to detect deceit would be even more vital. Zhou Pangzi had to personally remind him; otherwise, he wouldn’t be at ease.

Hearing Zhou Pangzi, a billionaire, place such importance on someone named Zhang Wei piqued Li Wan’s curiosity. She wondered why two men with the same name could be so vastly different.

“Beep beep beep…”

A sharp honk caught the attention of Li Wan and the others. A brand-new BMW 730 with a Jizhou license plate pulled up beside them. The driver’s window rolled down slowly, revealing the side profile of a young man… (To be continued)