Chapter 137: Chapter 137

Wangyue Building, Star Pavilion.

Zhao Haotian gazed at Zhang Jian across the table, his eyes filled with contemplation.

"President Zhao...?" Someone beside him called out several times before Zhao Haotian snapped back to reality.

Song Qi raised his glass, his face adorned with a fawning smile: "President Zhao, after days of inspections, you must be exhausted. Allow me to toast you."

Zhao Haotian remained seated without moving, nor did he touch the glass. He said coolly, "I don’t drink."

"This..." Song Qi’s expression turned somewhat awkward.

From across the table, President Lei chuckled and stepped in to diffuse the situation: "President Zhao indeed doesn’t drink. Let’s just save the formalities. Having the project completed will be far more effective than drinking any amount of alcohol, don’t you think, Manager Song?"

This was a blatant jab at the culture of drinking at business dinners.

And Song Qi was a master of this domain, having sealed countless projects relying on this skill. But little did he expect to be thwarted by President Zhao this time.

He involuntarily glared at Zhang Jian, who sat across from him in silence like a fool.

After some thought, Song Qi smiled and said, "President Zhao abstaining from alcohol—I truly admire such resolve. Such willpower is difficult for ordinary people to achieve. No wonder President Zhao has managed to build such a large and strong enterprise. We pale in comparison!"

Zhao Haotian’s lips twitched slightly. Abstaining from alcohol? Wasn’t it because of someone sitting across the table?

"You’re too kind. Compared to Manager Song, I still have much to learn."

After all, when it comes to the art of flattery, who here can outshine Song Qi?

But it was clear that Song Qi hadn’t caught the sarcastic undertone in Zhao Haotian’s words. He thought Zhao was genuinely praising him, and his face beamed with pride. He even deliberately glanced at Zhang Jian.

Zhang Jian kept his head down, quietly eating his food, not giving Song Qi so much as a glance.

Song Qi thought to himself, "This guy really is a fool. So many executives are present, yet he doesn’t seize the opportunity to build connections and instead focuses on eating. He probably hasn’t tasted food this good in his life, so he’s making the most of it. When this chance is gone, it won’t come again."

Seizing the moment, Song Qi leaned in and said with a smile, "Mr. Huang of Yongrui Fund has long admired your reputation. He specifically asked me to help make introductions. What do you think, would you be willing to meet Mr. Huang?"

Zhao Haotian naturally understood the implications behind his words, but he suddenly recalled what Amos had mentioned in his call last night and replied calmly, "We’ll see."

Song Qi froze. Hadn’t President Zhao shown satisfaction before? He had already arranged everything, so why suddenly act unpredictably?

Ignoring Song Qi, Zhao Haotian turned his gaze to Zhang Jian, speaking gently, "Manager Zhang, you’re a native of Qingzhou?"

Being suddenly addressed, Zhang Jian was momentarily dazed. He quickly regained composure and answered honestly, "Yes, President Zhao."

"Taking charge of such an important project at such a young age—Manager Zhang, you truly are accomplished."

Zhang Jian hurriedly stood up: "President Zhao, you’re too kind. It’s all because of the trust my leaders have placed in me. I will do my utmost to ensure this project is handled well, sparing President Zhao and President Lei from any worries."

Song Qi grew more anxious watching Zhao Haotian’s frequent attention toward Zhang Jian.

Just then, Huang Zhen sent a message, and after glancing at it, Song Qi felt slightly reassured.

"Hmm, not bad. Your diligence and reliability truly stand out. Would you consider joining my company?"

This was a blatant move to poach talent.

Zhang Jian looked both surprised and flattered: "Thank you, President Zhao, for your kindness. But I fear my abilities are limited and may disappoint you."

"Don’t underestimate yourself—I see potential in you."

Zhao Haotian said with a smile.

President Lei also laughed and chimed in, "Manager Zhang, President Zhao has extended an olive branch to you. This could be an opportunity that changes your life."

Jealousy burned in Song Qi’s eyes, practically bursting into flames.

Why Zhang Jian? How did he deserve this?

Yet Zhang Jian remained composed and said calmly, "Thank you, President Zhao, for valuing me. However, I still have family to take care of, and I’m afraid I’ll have to decline."

"Oh? Family?" Zhao Haotian’s eyes showed a trace of interest.

"If they’re important enough for you to sacrifice your career to care for them, they must mean a great deal to you, don’t they?"

Zhang Jian’s honest, unassuming face finally revealed a faint smile.

"Yes, they are very important to me."

It wouldn’t be appropriate to probe further, so Zhao Haotian’s eyes reflected a thoughtful expression.

At that moment, Song Qi seized the opportunity to speak: "President Zhao, President Lei, there’s a meteor shower tonight. The stargazing platform is near Wangyue Building. If you’re interested, perhaps we could go take a look."

Zhao Haotian chuckled and said, "A meteor shower, huh? It’s been years since I’ve seen one. Unexpectedly, we get to enjoy a bit of romance tonight."

The group headed in droves toward the stargazing platform.

At the same time, Song Xiaojing and her team were also on their way to the platform.

Separated by the Qingshui River, Songhu Villa and Wangyue Building were connected to Little Qing Mountain, home to Qingzhou’s largest stargazing platform.

Little Qing Mountain was merely a small hill, requiring no more than a ten-minute drive to reach its summit.