Chapter 98: A Meeting of Minds

Yu Qian took Yang Fan by the arm and walked toward a middle-aged man.

"Manager Li, how have you been lately?" Yu Qian asked politely as she reached Li Yuanhe and raised her glass.

Li Yuanhe looked up, recognized Yu Qian, and offered a faint smile. "Ah, it’s Manager Yu. A pleasure to see you." He raised his own glass in acknowledgment.

Upon noticing Yang Fan at Yu Qian’s side, Li Yuanhe’s expression betrayed a hint of surprise. Could this young man be her partner? He knew Yu Qian had high standards and did not easily take a liking to anyone. His first impression of Yang Fan was simply that he was too young. What could a man in his early twenties possibly possess to win Yu Qian’s favor?

"Manager Yu, who is this?" Li Yuanhe asked with a curious smile, glancing at Yang Fan.

"My boyfriend, Yang Fan," Yu Qian replied with a bright, cheerful smile. Since Yang Fan did not want to reveal his true identity, she had to introduce him as her boyfriend.

"And may I ask what line of work Mr. Yang is in?" Li Yuanhe inquired out of curiosity. He assumed that if someone had captured Yu Qian’s heart, they must at least be a young master from a prominent family.

"I’m unemployed," Yang Fan said indifferently.

Li Yuanhe was taken aback. He immediately assumed the answer was a mere evasion; how could a man with no job catch the eye of a woman like Yu Qian? Yu Qian, too, felt a flicker of awkwardness, not having expected such a blunt response.

"Haha, Manager Li, why don't we sit down over there and talk?" Yu Qian smiled. "I came here specifically to discuss something with you."

"Oh?" Li Yuanhe chuckled. "Very well, let’s sit and chat."

They moved to a sofa, and Li Yuanhe took a seat nearby. As for Yang Fan, knowing he had no place in the conversation, he remained silent, sitting still as his gaze wandered across the banquet hall.

"Manager Li, I heard you are fully in charge of the Chen family’s plot of land in Mong Kok?" Yu Qian asked.

Li Yuanhe understood her objective immediately. The Chen family had expressed interest in selling that plot, and it had attracted quite a bit of attention.

"That is correct. I am responsible for the Mong Kok property," Li Yuanhe admitted. "Are you interested in it, Manager Yu?"

Yu Qian ran a catering business, and with the heavy foot traffic in Mong Kok, it was indeed an ideal location. Building a large-scale restaurant complex there would be a sound investment.

"To be honest, my company, Yuanfu, is very interested in that land and hopes to acquire it. I wonder if you are willing to sell it to us?" Yu Qian said sincerely. "If you are willing to sell to Yuanfu, I can offer a fair price that will certainly satisfy you."

Li Yuanhe did not answer immediately, instead feigning a look of great difficulty. Stroking his chin, he replied, "Manager Yu, to be frank with you, there are several others besides yourself who are eager to secure that plot, and they have offered very competitive prices."

Li Yuanhe knew the land was valuable. When he was first granted full authority over the sale, he knew he stood to make a significant profit. Many people were desperate to acquire that land, and they were willing to spend a fortune to get it. This was his chance to make a tidy sum.

"Manager Li, may I ask what the highest offer has been so far?" Yu Qian asked.

"Thirty million," Li Yuanhe said, holding up three fingers.

Yu Qian was surprised to hear that someone had offered thirty million. Based on her estimates, the land was worth just over twenty million; anything more would be hard to justify. Her own bottom line was twenty-five million. She hadn't expected anyone to bid as high as thirty million.

"Might I ask who is willing to pay thirty million for that land?" Yu Qian asked curiously.

Li Yuanhe smiled. "Manager Yu, I’d rather not say. If you truly want the land, you will have to offer more than thirty million."

Yu Qian frowned, hesitating. Thirty million was already well beyond her internal budget.

"Yang Fan, what do you think?" After a moment of thought, she decided to ask him. As a major shareholder of the Yuanfu Catering Group, his opinion mattered.

"Don't ask me about company matters. You should make the call yourself," Yang Fan said, shrugging. He knew nothing about business, and any input from him would be meaningless.

Yu Qian pursed her lips, not really expecting any useful advice from him anyway. However, Li Yuanhe, watching from the side, was stunned. As the president of the Yuanfu Catering Group, why would she seek the opinion of a man who seemingly had nothing to do with the company?

"Manager Li, Yuanfu can offer thirty million," Yu Qian said after a moment of consideration.

"Manager Yu, you’re putting me in a difficult spot," Li Yuanhe said with a look of dismay. With both sides offering thirty million, he was caught in the middle and couldn't please everyone.

Yu Qian smiled. "Well, to make things easier for you, I’ll offer thirty-two million. I will provide you with a separate card for the extra two million."

This offer pleased Li Yuanhe immensely. He had already planned to skim a little off the top of the thirty million, but with Yu Qian adding an extra two million, he stood to make a much larger profit.

"Since you are so forthright, Manager Yu, let’s find a time to discuss the contract," Li Yuanhe smiled.

"That sounds good. Let's arrange a time tomorrow," Yu Qian replied. They raised their glasses and drank.

"What are you two chatting about? It seems like a pleasant conversation," Chen Yang said, walking over with a smile on his face.

Seeing Chen Yang approach, Li Yuanhe quickly stood and greeted him, "Young Master Chen."

Chen Yang glanced at Li Yuanhe dismissively and waved a hand. "What are you talking about?"

"Young Master Chen, we were discussing the sale of the Chen family’s land in Mong Kok," Li Yuanhe said with a beaming smile. "Manager Yu is interested in the property and is willing to pay a high price for it."

Chen Yang raised an eyebrow and looked at Yu Qian, his eyes filled with admiration. He thought to himself, *This woman is truly a masterpiece.*

Feeling Chen Yang’s intense gaze, Yu Qian furrowed her brows, a sense of revulsion rising within her.

"And how are the negotiations going?" Chen Yang asked.

"Young Master Chen, Manager Yu is willing to pay thirty million. I think it’s a good price, so I accepted," Li Yuanhe said with a smile. "We planned to discuss the contract tomorrow and finalize the deal if all goes well."

"Thirty million to acquire the Mong Kok land? That’s far too little," Chen Yang said, feigning dissatisfaction.

Hearing this, Li Yuanhe felt a wave of frustration. Thirty million was already a very profitable price. For Chen Yang to call it too little left him utterly confused.

"Then what do you think it is worth?" Yu Qian asked, staring at Chen Yang with a look of clear displeasure.