novelraw Chapter 181: Tang Song, President Tang
Chapter 181: Tang Song, President Tang
During his university days, Du Shaokai was somewhat of a recognized figure among the 2016 cohort of the "School of Computer Science and Technology."
Handsome in appearance, driving a sedan, extroverted and generous with money.
He knew Qiu Yu and Wang Ning, who were also in the student union, and their relationship was decent.
However, after graduation, they rarely kept in touch, occasionally liking each other's posts in friends' group chats.
But now, for Du Shaokai, who was in a dire situation, they were practically lifelines.
These spoiled rich kids didn’t take him seriously at all, but having a few familiar faces from university made it easier to break free from the tense atmosphere.
Du Shaokai set down his glass with force, stood up quickly, and walked over with a bright smile.
He patted Wang Ning's shoulder and joked, "Not bad, Wang Ning! Look at you now, wearing that polo shirt, sporting that watch—you’ve got the look of a successful man!"
Wang Ning raised his eyebrows proudly, "Not too bad."
Then, Du Shaokai grinned cheekily and opened his arms toward Qiu Yu, "Little Yu, we haven't seen each other in almost three years! A hug isn’t too much, right?"Qiu Yu chuckled and patted his arm, "You haven’t changed a bit, still playful after all these years."
"It's called staying true to oneself! Boys will always be boys!"
The two of them shared a few laughs and jokes.
Despite her lighthearted demeanor, there was always a trace of emotion in Qiu Yu’s eyes when she looked at Du Shaokai.
Back in university, she had a slight crush on him.
After all, he was attractive, had good conditions, was romantic, could sweet-talk, and even played guitar, making him very popular among the girls in the student union.
But she later realized he was quite the flirt, with girlfriends both on and off campus.
Her little infatuation gradually faded over time, and she hadn't expected to see him on this visit to Yan City.
Yet fate had its funny way of surprising people. As soon as she stepped onto the second floor of the bar, she spotted that familiar silhouette.
Feigning calm, she walked over and called out his name.
Three years had passed, and he looked more mature.
His hair was parted on the side, he wore a black embroidered shirt and brown trousers, looking both handsome and scholarly, with a roguish smile.
It was as if she was back in the sunny university campus.
Du Shaokai glanced around and pointed at a few others nearby, thoughtfully saying, "These seem like your classmates from the software engineering department, right? You are... Lu... Lu Ziming?"
He wasn't very familiar with the others, as they weren't in the student union, but he did remember Lu Ziming, a rich kid and a notable figure on campus.
"Hello." Lu Ziming nodded, not saying much due to their unfamiliarity.
He stood around 178 cm tall, with sharp features, giving off a composed and strong aura. He wasn’t traditionally handsome but had a likable appearance.
"Yes, they're all my college classmates." Qiu Yu pulled her thoughts back, pointed to the booth behind him, and curiously asked, "Are these your friends?"
After working in pre-sales technical support for several years, she'd honed her observational skills.
From the attire and demeanor of these people, one could discern quite a lot.
Du Shaokai's expression stiffened momentarily before he feigned nonchalance, "Just some colleagues from the company, out for a team-building night."
At that moment, a girl next to Qi Wen waved at them.
"Lu Ziming, long time no see!" she called out confidently.
Lu Ziming paused, scrutinizing her before recognizing, "Pei Xinxin?"
"Haha, couldn’t recognize me, right? You haven’t changed at all," Pei Xinxin laughed softly.
Lu Ziming nodded, complimenting her, "You’re more beautiful than before."
Pei Xinxin was a blind date set up by his father when he was in his third year of postgraduate studies.
They had stayed friends for a while, but due to a lack of chemistry, they eventually stopped seeing each other.
In the past few months, Pei Xinxin had changed her hairstyle, wore heavy makeup, and dressed quite provocatively. In the dim light of the bar, it was hard for Lu Ziming to recognize her without her speaking up.
Qi Wen, crossing her legs, asked, "Xinxin, is this your friend?"
Pei Xinxin turned her head with a smile, "Yes, Ziming's sister is a sales supervisor at Zhongcheng Group, and my uncle is her colleague."
She was being polite. In reality, Lu Ziming's sister was just a group leader in sales, while her uncle was the department manager.
"Oh?" Li Junyi raised an eyebrow, smiling, "Yufan, doesn’t your family hold shares in Zhongcheng Group?"
Liang Yufan sipped his orange-colored drink and casually said, "Just a little, about 2%."
Qi Wen blinked, adding, "Well, our Supervisor Tian has to be the one to talk about. Her father is a major shareholder and executive director at Zhongcheng Group."
"Right, almost forgot about Little Jing, she usually doesn’t hang out with us, too low-key."
...
Listening to the conversation from the booth, Lu Ziming, Qiu Yu, and the others were astonished.
What kind of background was this? It sounded impressive.
Lu Ziming had a solid understanding of his sister’s company, a well-known firm in Yan City focused on textiles and standard parts, with net assets exceeding 1.2 billion and a workforce of over 3,500.
Being a shareholder and board member of such a conglomerate meant immense power and influence.
Especially now that he worked at Tiancheng Capital, his awareness of these things was sharper. The rightful source is NoveI(F)ire.net
Rich kids also had social circles, like the one he was currently with.
Lu Ziming licked his lips and put on a warm smile, "Looks like we’re quite connected here. How about we share a drink later? Our booth is at T23."
Liang Yufan and the others exchanged polite remarks but didn’t invite them over.
After all, this was a small team-building event for Jinxiu Commerce, and they didn’t have much interest in mingling with the others.
Li Junyi glanced at Pei Xinxin and then at Lu Ziming.
He called over a bar staff member and said, "Arrange a booth next to ours for these guests, and tonight's expenses are on the house. Enjoy yourselves and don’t hold back."
Qiu Yu, Wang Ning, and the others were taken aback.
What was happening?
The woman in a fitted business suit bowed and said enthusiastically, "Understood, Mr. Li!"
She gestured towards them, "This way to the T10 booth, feel free to order anything you like."
Seeing their stunned classmates, Du Shaokai couldn’t resist showing off.
He raised his eyebrows and explained, "He’s Li Junyi from our company’s strategic investment department. His family owns this bar."
Qiu Yu, startled, bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Li, for the treat!"
Originally, she had planned to treat her old classmates, but with the offer of a free upgrade, it was only right to express gratitude.
Looking at the group of carefree and poised wealthy heirs, a strong desire to network emerged in her heart.
These were high-level connections!
But she knew her own limitations; getting close to them was out of reach, even for Lu Ziming.
The others also quickly expressed their thanks.
Li Junyi stood up with a polite smile, "You're welcome. Thank you for coming by; you’re always welcome here."
Having been raised with elite education, he had excellent manners and was generous.
A few drinks were nothing of consequence to him.
It was enough to maintain Pei Xinxin's image.
...
Eight of them sat at the adjacent booth, five men and three women.
Directly in front of them was the main stage of the LiveHouse, where they could fully immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere.
Du Shaokai decided to stay at their table, ordering some of his favorite beers while casually chatting with his classmates and keeping an eye on the time on his phone.
He planned to meet Tian Jing at the entrance when it was time.
Qiu Yu, feeling apologetic, said, "Sorry, everyone. I didn’t expect company matters to delay us for a day."
Originally, she was supposed to arrive in Yan City on Friday afternoon, with a gathering planned for that evening.
However, a client issue forced a schedule change, pushing the meet-up to Saturday.
"No worries, we can relax more on the weekend."
"Exactly, no going home sober tonight!"
"Alright, everyone, cheers to our reunion after three years!" Qiu Yu raised her Wusu beer.
"Cheers!"
The clinking of bottles resonated.
Everyone reminisced about their university days and reflected on each other's changes.
"Xiao Yu, switching to pre-sales at a major company must be much easier, right?"
"It’s still tough, lots of traveling around the country," Qiu Yu sighed, shaking her head.
Her programming skills were average, and she often struggled with coding logic.
After barely a year, she transitioned to pre-sales technical support, essentially a sales role with inherent instability.
Looking at Lu Ziming across the table, she said softly, "I really envy you, Ziming. Graduating with a master’s, having a house and car arranged by your family, and landing a great job
in finance."
"Yeah, Ziming is probably the most successful among us."
"Wang Ning isn’t doing badly either. He’s now the technical director at School Belle Shen’s company, and he even has shares."
"Not too bad, but our company is facing some development bottlenecks and actively seeking funding. I even went on a roadshow with Yuyan a while back." Wang Ning, allergic to alcohol, turned red after a sip of beer and became more talkative.
Hearing "Shen Yuyan," the men in the group couldn't hide their reactions.
In their batch, her name was unavoidable, a symbol of their youth and a collective crush.
Lu Ziming took a long drink from his bottle.
From college through graduate school, he had pursued Shen Yuyan for four years.
He finally gave up last year, following his family's advice to start dating.
It was nearing 8 PM, and the LiveHouse was filling up.
The host stepped on stage, delivering an energetic introduction.
A three-member band soon took their places.
The pulse of guitar and drums echoed as lively rock music filled the bar.
「♪BGM: Time, insignificant to you, becomes infinite... Sleepless youth...」
The beat and rhythm drew everyone into motion, and the dance floor exploded with energy, lights sweeping the venue.
Li Junyi rallied his colleagues, leading them to the glass railing on the second floor, cheering and toasting with the music.
A few stylish female colleagues swayed with fans and sunglasses, making an eye-catching sight.
「♪BGM: If you haven't slept yet, and if I still chase...」
Qiu Yu looked at Du Shaokai and laughed, pulling at his arm and shouting, "Everyone, let’s get wild!"
He glanced at her, feeling a spark of interest.
Qiu Yu might not have been a stunning beauty, but she had an appealing figure and a nice aura, which had made her popular in the male-dominated computer science department.
If Tian Jing weren't part of the picture tonight, he might have pursued a fun story with Qiu Yu.
The song "Take Me to Nightlife" ended.
Du Shaokai checked his phone and saw it was nearly time. He was about to speak when Qiu Yu asked, "Shaokai, where do you work now? Still programming?"
The question drew the attention of others as well.
Putting away his phone, Du Shaokai responded vaguely, "Jinxiu Commerce. I’m not a programmer anymore. I have a friend arriving soon, so I’ll be back in a bit."
He left quickly, heading for the stairs.
"Jinxiu Commerce?" Lu Ziming raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know the company, Ziming?" Qiu Yu asked curiously.
Lu Ziming nodded lightly, "It was recently invested in by Smile Holdings and is making waves in the investment sector. It's the leading clothing trade company in Yan Province and is now branching into cross-border business thanks to Smile Holdings’ ecosystem."
"That impressive!" Qiu Yu’s eyes brightened.
Others expressed similar amazement.
Lu Ziming added, "And another thing: Tang Song is also at Jinxiu Commerce."
"Tang Song?"
"Oh, that Tang Song!"
"Tang Song was the hardest-working student I knew in college. He truly hustled!"
...
Qiu Yu recalled a somewhat clear image of Tang Song.
At the start of university, he looked quite delicate but later became increasingly uninhibited.
His attire was simple, and he was reserved, focused on studying. His grades were excellent, and he was often seen in the library and study rooms, sometimes even taking leave to work part-time.
All in all, he was a student with little presence. If Lu Ziming hadn't mentioned him, they likely wouldn't have talked about him tonight.
Wang Ning's mouth twisted in displeasure at the mention of Tang Song.
At the last investment conference, Tang Song stole the show, even snubbing Wang Ning at the banquet.
Damn it! Who does he think he is? Next time, he’d definitely put Tang Song in his place!
"Lu Ziming!" Pei Xinxin waved a glow stick in front of him and pointed at the entrance on the first floor. "There's a female colleague coming; you should toast her!"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Lu Ziming was puzzled.
Pei Xinxin explained, "The colleague Du Shaokai is meeting, Tian Jing, her father is a major shareholder at Zhongcheng Group. Knowing her could help your sister's career in the group."
Lu Ziming's eyes lit up, "Got it. Thanks, Xinxin."
"You're welcome."
Qiu Yu couldn't resist asking, "Are you all employees of Jinxiu Commerce?"
"Yes, but we’re from different departments, just cross-department team-building," Pei Xinxin nodded, dancing with the glow stick in time with the music.
"And Du Shaokai? Which department is he in?"
"He's currently in the channels department."
Qiu Yu's heart skipped a beat.
The channels department is the core of a trading company!
If Du Shaokai was a peer to these people, he must be well-regarded at work and possibly had a solid background too.
It seemed like he was indeed doing well with a bright future.
A female classmate leaned in and asked, "What about Tang Song? Is he in the technical department?"
Tang Song’s stellar academic performance and technical prowess were well-known during university.
Outside Drink Old.
The air was fresh and cool after the rain.
Du Shaokai stood by the entrance, adjusting his hair and clothes in the phone’s camera, his body upright, nerves slightly on edge.
It didn’t take long.
Bright lights illuminated the entrance.
The sound of an engine hummed, and a black Maybach slowly pulled up and stopped at the front door.
A moment later, the rear door opened.
Tian Jing stepped out in a black evening gown, looking both sexy and sweet.
Du Shaokai took a deep breath, his face breaking into a brilliant smile as he prepared to approach.
But then, another tall figure emerged from the car.
Tian Jing naturally looped her arm around his and said cheerfully, "Tang Song, we’re here! It’s peak time now—let’s hit the dance floor!"
Du Shaokai's advancing foot paused mid-step, and the neon lights at the entrance cast a green hue over his face.
The pair climbed the steps.
Tang Song noticed the frozen Du Shaokai at the doorway, raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.
Tian Jing, completely unaware of Du Shaokai, held onto Tang Song’s arm, talking excitedly about the dances she knew, her eyes only on him.
As they passed, Du Shaokai clenched his fists tightly, quivering in frustration.
Entering through the doors and moving down the hallway, Tang Song looked around curiously.
Drink Old featured a pure American vintage industrial style, with aged furniture, retro lighting, and leather sofas adding an air of sophistication.
Exposed brick walls, concrete ceilings, and steel structures were abundant.
...
“Um… Tang Song…” Pei Xinxin stuttered, not knowing how to respond.
“What’s up, Xinxin?” Lu Ziming asked, puzzled. “Tang Song works at your company, right? I’ve even seen his offer letter.”
On stage, the band switched to a new song, Summer Ripple by Orange Ocean.
The deep bass notes started to play.
Li Junyi, holding his drink, turned and laughed, “Of course, who doesn’t know our President Tang?”
President Tang?
Amidst the loud music, it wasn’t clear if they had misheard "Tang Song" as "President Tang."
Qiu Yu was about to ask more questions.
Qi Wen, leaning over the second-floor railing with her elbows on the glass, called out, "Whoa, Little Jing is here! She looks stunning tonight!"
Immediately, the group turned to look at the first-floor entrance.
In the dim bar, her fair skin shone like moonlight, radiant and beautiful.
Her black gown sparkled with scattered diamonds, standing out brilliantly.
All eyes then shifted to the young man beside her.
Tian Jing clung to his arm, the two standing closely together.
He wore a dark, semi-casual suit, perfectly fitted, with an open jacket revealing a clean white shirt underneath.
With a refined face and tall, straight posture, he exuded a unique charisma. His strides were confident, as if each step matched the music's beat. In the bar's vintage and shadowy ambiance, he appeared even more striking.
“Clang~” The bottle in Li Junyi's hand hit the floor, and he exclaimed, “What the… President Tang and Tian Jing are here together?”