2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 482 An Unexpected Hot Pot Feast (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

A small apartment in Beijing, though not large, represents a huge fortune for ordinary people. But if its owner is a billionaire, it seems somewhat out of place.

"Is this your house? How did you end up with such a small place? But in this weather, having hot pot in a small house like this would definitely create a better atmosphere."

The capital city has officially entered winter, and the nighttime temperature will drop below zero. Wang Wei is carrying several boxes of mutton rolls, and Tan Jincheng is also carrying various fruits and vegetables.

Gu Qingqing was holding two bottles of red wine.

Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing came without Zeng Jixiang, and Wang Wei also left his assistant at the hotel, which was specifically instructed by Tan Jincheng.

As for Lai Yiu-fai, he was sent by Tan Kam-ching to wait for Sun Tong-yu.

"It's just hot pot, what's the big deal if there are a couple more people at home?" Tan Jincheng's mysterious attitude made Wang Wei even more curious.

“One more person is coming in a little while, it’s better if fewer people know,” Tan Jincheng explained, noticing Wang Wei’s confusion.

Tan Jincheng told Wang Wei to make himself at home while he and Gu Qingqing prepared dinner. In addition to hot pot, they would also make a few side dishes to go with the drinks. This was not difficult for Tan Jincheng, since he had cooked for several years in his previous life.

From the day he received the call, Wang Wei felt it was a bit surreal, and tonight was no exception.

The house was small and not furnished, but it was very clean, and the heating was on full blast. There was a potted plant in the living room, which was obviously prepared in advance. The young couple was preparing food in the kitchen, and he was treated like an elder being entertained.

Tan Jincheng's cooking skills also shocked Wang Wei: "You actually know how to cook? I thought your company was just bragging about it."

This technique is obviously not something that can be faked.

"That's right, I've worked as a kitchen helper on cruise ships, so what's so strange about me knowing how to cook? My brother Zhang Xupeng can cook too," Tan Jincheng said with no small amount of pride.

Without exaggeration, he wouldn't dare say anything else among well-known entrepreneurs, but when it comes to cooking skills, he's definitely number one.

"That makes sense," Wang Wei said, pursing his lips.

You're talking nonsense. You've been on the cruise ship for over a year. Unless you were helping out in the kitchen every day, how could you have this skill? Do you really think I've never suffered?

People from Guangdong and Guangxi are quite particular about food. Whether they know how to cook is not important, but they do have a discerning eye.

"Sit down for a while, watch some TV, and you'll be fine in a bit."

"Where is the person you're talking about?"

Tan Jincheng raised his hand to check his watch: "Almost there. If anyone rings the doorbell later, please open it for me."

The agreed time with Sun Tongyu was 7 p.m., and it was almost time. Considering that he might not be able to find the building, Tan Jincheng sent Li Yaohui to pick him up. Li Yaohui had experience in avoiding crowds.

It has a bit of an underground rendezvous feel to it.

"Fine, none of you open the door. I want to see who you're trying to keep so secret. If you hadn't brought your sister-in-law along, I would have thought you wanted me to cover for you."

While joking, Wang Wei unconsciously thought of the beautiful celebrity who endorsed Flashcar. Doesn't she live in the capital?
Speaking of which, this guy has quite a bit of self-control. He didn't take advantage of such a beautiful spokesperson who even helped her solve a big problem. He's someone who can get things done.

Sun Tongyu was very punctual. After a little disguise, he pressed the doorbell at seven o'clock sharp, led by Li Yaohui.

Sun Tongyu, wearing a black overcoat and a mask, was considerably shorter than Li Yaohui. Standing behind Li, he was well concealed, and he seemed quite satisfied with Tan Jincheng's arrangement.

Before coming, he had looked up this apartment complex. It was relatively ordinary, more like a school district property that had become popular in recent years. Not many internet professionals lived there. The meeting took place around dinner time, and given the cold weather, there weren't many people taking walks in the complex.

He needed to plan for his future, but he didn't want to cause too much trouble before officially leaving the company, as that would cause unnecessary trouble for him, his family, and even the company's stock price.

As for how Taobao should explain his departure, that's Ma's own business, and he's free to go wherever he wants.

The doorbell rang, and Wang Wei, who was sitting on the living room sofa watching TV with no time to spare, became unusually impatient. He quickly got up and walked towards the door. Before boarding the plane, he didn't know what Tan Jincheng wanted him to do.

After arriving in the capital and meeting them, I found out that I was supposed to meet someone, but I still don't know who it is. This feeling is so unpleasant.

"Hello, Mr. Wang."

The door opened, and the first person to enter was Li Yaohui. Wang Wei nodded politely but ignored him, tilting his head to look at the person behind him. He couldn't clearly see who Sun Tongyu, who was disguised and had his head down, was, but his figure looked somewhat familiar.

Following closely behind Lai Yiu-fai into the room, Sun Tongyu casually closed and locked the door. Then, while removing his mask and taking off his coat, he greeted Wang Wei with a smile: "Mr. Wang, it's been a long time."

Wang Wei wanted to place orders for online shopping delivery services, so how could he not know Sun Tongyu? They had met a few times before because of business dealings.

"Holy crap!" Wang Wei was completely stunned.

Hearing the commotion, Tan Jincheng, wearing an apron and holding a spatula, came out of the kitchen: "You're here! Sit down for a bit, dinner will be ready soon. Brother Li, please help us entertain them."

Lai Yiu-fai didn't say anything, just smiled and nodded. The boss had come to the capital secretly this time without even bringing his secretary, but he brought Lai Yiu-fai along, which showed his status in the boss's eyes.

Of course, this is also related to his past performance. As Tan Jincheng's personal driver and bodyguard, Lai Yiu-fai is often flattered and courted by people who ask him for information.

Among them were people from within the company, people from other companies, and even some local government officials. He truly experienced firsthand the treatment that the ancients described as "a seventh-rank official receiving treatment at the prime minister's gate."

However, Lai Yiu-fai did his job well. Without the boss's permission, he kept quiet even when the boss's wife and his own wife inquired out of curiosity.

When appearing in public, Lai Yiu-fai skillfully hides himself from the crowd, ensuring that the cameras don't notice him.

Like him is Gu Qingqing's personal driver, Liu Suman. These two can be said to be the people that Tan and Gu rely on the most. However, Liu Suman's role is more complicated and simpler.

Gu Qingqing usually spends most of her time at school or Beicang Company, so there are no safety issues. Therefore, Liu Suman usually takes on the task of picking up and dropping off Zhang Suzhi and her daughter.

"President Tan is cooking himself? That's quite a treat for me. I'm just benefiting from President Wang's generosity." Sun Tongyu smiled as she looked at Tan Jincheng.

Like an online romance meeting in real life, the two chatted online for several months before meeting in person for the first time. There was no fancy restaurant, no high-end food, and they didn't even dress up.

The room was very warm. Sun Tongyu, who had taken off her coat, was wearing only a thin undershirt. Tan Jincheng was in a similar situation, wearing a simple sweatshirt with an apron tied on it.

"I should say I benefited from Mr. Sun's influence, but I wonder how Mr. Tan's cooking tastes," Wang Wei replied mechanically, still not fully recovered from his daze.

A family dinner is always the highest form of hospitality. Besides very close relatives and good friends, the only guests invited to a host's home are the ones the host values ​​most. Although Wang Wei has a good relationship with Tan Jincheng, he has never eaten at his home before.

"Come in and sit down, don't stand. There's only one last soup left. Brother Li, please help Qingqing tidy up the restaurant and put the hot pot on the table."

Boss Tan treated everyone casually, as if it were just a normal family dinner, which made Sun Tongyu feel much more relaxed.

Indeed, the two had been chatting on their phones for months and had covered everything they could. If Tan Jincheng were to put on a serious, courteous demeanor now, it would seem too fake.

"I never expected that Xiao Tan would be meeting with President Sun. It's such a surprise," Wang Wei sighed as he sat back down on the sofa.

Wang Wei usually addresses Tan Jincheng as "President Tan" in front of his assistants, and "Little Tan" is just a nickname used by them. But now he calls him "Little Tan" in front of Sun Tongyu, which shows that his mentality has completely lost its balance.

From Shenzhen to the plane, analyzing the businesses of Flash Technology, Hangxin New Energy, Jinpeng Industry, and Orange Technology, what does Tan Jincheng suddenly want to do in the capital?

They had speculated about the reasons from various sources, including the Olympic Organizing Committee, celebrities, officials, and businessmen, but they never expected that Tan Jincheng would go to such lengths to bring him to Beijing to see Sun Tongyu.

Sun Tongyu, CEO of Ali, the newly listed internet company that has become the number one internet company in China and occupies more than 70% of the online shopping market, and the actual controller of Orange Shopping, which was also launched recently, secretly met with the company's core business, which is known as the "father of Taobao".

Holy crap, this kid's got a knack for stirring things up. He's trying to poach Taobao's talent. Whether this gets out or not, it'll be enough for the media to hype it up.

The crucial point is that Sun Tongyu actually came to see him!
He was in the express delivery and logistics industry. At that time, Wang Wei did not have a deep understanding of the Internet, and SF Express did not have much influence in Zhejiang Province. It relied more on Tan Jincheng's connections, the agricultural products of Happy Farm, and Orange Products Club for development.

Wang Wei was unaware that Sun Tongyu would be leaving the company at the end of the year. In his mind, this was a blatant poaching attempt by Orange Products, targeting Taobao's vital artery!

He knew Sun Tongyu's abilities. So, if he successfully poached him and he became the CEO of Orange Products, it would indeed be a good thing for SF Express's development, just as Xiao Tan had said on the phone.

The better Orange Products develops, the better SF Express's business will be.

"You're really ruthless, kid. Aren't you afraid of Boss Ma retaliating against you?" Wang Wei exclaimed, then gave Tan Jincheng a meaningful look.

(End of this chapter)