"My wife tells me you've been doing excellent work with our daughter." Zhao Weiming's grip was strong, his gaze assessing. "Her English has improved significantly."
"Tingting is a bright student. She simply needed the right approach."
"Humble too." Zhao Weiming released his hand and smiled. "I also saw your segment on Hangzhou Tonight. Quite the story - from scholarship student to company founder in less than a year."
"I've had good fortune."
"Fortune favors the bold," Zhao Weiming said. "And from what I've seen, you're quite bold indeed."
He turned to the two older gentlemen beside him.
"Allow me to introduce Director Liu of Hangzhou First Bank, and Mr. Shen of Jiangnan Real Estate."
Lin Feng greeted them both politely.
Hangzhou First Bank.
That was the same bank Manager Chen worked at. The same bank Lin Feng used to funnel his system's infinite money through.
He kept his expression neutral.
"A young entrepreneur," Director Liu remarked, stroking his chin. "What industry are you in?"
"Several, actually," Lin Feng replied. "Delivery services, investment, entertainment..."
"Diversified already? At your age?" Mr. Shen raised an eyebrow. "Ambitious."
"I prefer to think of it as practical. Different revenue streams provide stability."
The two older men exchanged glances.
"Well said," Director Liu nodded approvingly.
The conversation continued - business talk, market trends, some veiled probing. Lin Feng navigated it smoothly, saying enough to impress without revealing too much.
…
An hour later, the banquet's main event began.
The guests gathered around a raised platform at the center of the courtyard, where Chairman Zhao Chenguang sat in a carved wooden chair.
The old man looked dignified in his traditional changshan, his silver hair combed back neatly. Despite his age, his eyes remained sharp as they surveyed the crowd.
Zhao Weiming stepped forward.
"Thank you all for joining us tonight to celebrate my father's 73rd birthday."
Applause rippled through the gathering.
"As is tradition," Zhao Weiming continued, "we will now present our gifts to the patriarch."
One by one, guests approached the platform.
"Chairman Zhao, please accept this jade carving from the Han dynasty..."
"This painting by Master Zhang..."
"A rare bottle of Maotai, aged fifty years..."
The gifts were extravagant - antiques, artworks, rare collectibles. Each presenter gave a brief speech, and Chairman Zhao acknowledged each with a nod and a few words.
Lin Feng waited patiently.
…
Finally, his turn came.
He stepped forward, carrying a wooden case.
The crowd's murmuring quieted slightly. Many recognized him now - the young man who had been walking with Madam Zhao, and speaking casually with the young miss.
Lin Feng stopped before the platform and bowed.
"Chairman Zhao. Happy birthday. I wish you health and longevity."
The old man studied him.
"You're the tutor."
"Yes, sir."
"And the entrepreneur from television."
"That as well."
A faint smile tugged at the old man's lips.
"What have you brought?"
Lin Feng opened the wooden case and turned it to face the chairman.
Inside, resting on red silk, sat the Yixing zisha tea set.
The teapot gleamed under the lantern light, its purple-brown clay surface smooth and lustrous with age. The six cups surrounded it in perfect formation, each one a miniature masterpiece. The serving tray beneath them bore the subtle markings of a Ming dynasty craftsman.
A collective gasp rose from the crowd.
"Is that..."
"A complete Yixing set?"
"Wait - wasn't that the item from the Cultural Heritage Auction?"
"The one that sold for over two million?"
"He bought that?"
Chairman Zhao's eyes widened slightly.
He leaned forward, examining the tea set with the careful gaze of a true collector.
"Ming dynasty," he murmured. "Late period, if I'm not mistaken. The clay work... this is authentic Yixing craftsmanship."
"You have a keen eye, Chairman," Lin Feng said.
The old man looked up at him.
"Where did you acquire this?"
"The Hangzhou Cultural Heritage Auction, about a week ago."
"I had intended to attend that auction," Chairman Zhao said slowly. "But other matters kept me away."
He studied Lin Feng for a long moment.
"You bought this... for me?"
"I heard you were a collector who appreciated traditional tea culture." Lin Feng met his gaze steadily. "I thought it would be a fitting gift."
Silence hung over the courtyard.
Then Chairman Zhao laughed.
"I didn't know the younger generation still had eyes for such things." He shook his head slowly. "Most young people these days only care about phones and cars. But you... you understand the value of tradition."
He gestured for an attendant to take the case.
"I accept your gift, young man. It is... most appreciated."
Lin Feng bowed again. "I'm honored, Chairman."
As he stepped back, he caught Zhao Weiming's eye.
The man gave him a subtle nod of approval.
Madam Zhao was smiling.
And in the crowd, the whispers had reached a fever pitch.
"Two million yuan for a birthday gift..."
"Who exactly is this young man?"
"He's definitely someone to watch."
"The Zhao family seems to favor him greatly."
"I should introduce myself later..."
Lin Feng returned to his place among the guests.
His expression remained calm, but internally, he allowed himself a small moment of satisfaction.
Mission complete.
He didn't really care much for the event, but he had planted seeds.
Now he just had to wait for them to grow.
…
After returning from the banquet, Lin Feng sat down with Yu Shen at the Tianji office.
"How are things looking?" Lin Feng asked.
Yu Shen pulled up some charts on his laptop.
"Growth has picked up since we started the ad campaign," he said. "But we're still not where I'd like us to be."
Lin Feng nodded slowly.
He had been thinking about Tianji for a while now. It seemed he really needed to make a move on that front.
But at the moment, his hands were tied. He was planning something huge, and most of his liquid capital was already committed.
Still...
After some thought, he came to a decision.
Increasing his investment would help Tianji's bottom line. More importantly, it would multiply his daily gains - which would compound and lead to even more money down the line.
Money he so desperately needed.
"Xingyao has been making quite a bit lately," Lin Feng said casually. "I've decided to invest some of it into Tianji."
Yu Shen's eyes widened slightly.
"How much are we talking about?"
"900,000 yuan."
Yu Shen stared at him.
Lin Feng smiled and pulled out his phone.
A few minutes later, the transfer was complete.
This brought his total investment in Tianji to a clean one million yuan.
Considering Tianji's AUM was now about 4 million after his injection, this meant he held roughly 25% of its total cash.
Not bad.