Zhou Sinin, though undoubtedly sharp-witted,
could not easily lead Guan Yongyi by the nose, considering their close relationship since childhood.
At four o’clock, several new customers appeared at the Level 3 hot spring in the Hang City Kempinski Hotel.
Besides Guan Yongyi, who happily accepted an invitation, He Ying, Xie Yujia, and several female workers from the night class also showed up at the spa.
In such a public space crowded with acquaintances, Zhou Sinin couldn’t do much, especially since Guan Yongyi had makeup to cover her flaws.
Even if they went to the steam room and spa, any tiny clues that might be exposed were gradually lost amidst the girls’ laughter.
The intimate whispers of two people and the casual chats of a group are fundamentally different matters.
Zhou Sinin’s attempt at probing ended in futile obscurity.
However, come dinner time, Guan Yongyi flat-out refused to join Zhou Sinin and the other for a meal.
Despite how Zhou Sinin invited her, her answers remained the same:
"Hey, why do you always insist on me joining you for meals?"
"Can’t you show off your love with someone else?"
"I’ve had enough! No!"
"Don’t let people say I lack social skills again!"
Seeing the short-haired girl seemed resolute, Zhou Sinin gave up.
Taking advantage of the snow that had already stopped, she and Lu Jincheng went to her long-coveted restaurant for a candlelit dinner.
For some reason, Zhou Sinin, breaking from tradition, ordered a bottle of red wine and initiated a heart-to-heart relaxer with Lu Jincheng.
As the evening neared and the snow threatened to fall, it was a good excuse to drink a cup in such a perfect atmosphere.
"Let me tell you, our stores in Jiang City aren’t all profitable yet, but you’re planning to expand further, should we slow down a bit?"
They sat opposite each other, the brown-haired girl resting her chin on one hand, forcefully poking the steak on her plate.
"We have loans to repay, the supply chain in other areas has to be started from scratch, many things should be considered for the long term..."
In talking business, Zhou Sinin couldn’t help but furrow her delicate brows, her eyes filled with concern.
"What if we run out of capital and can’t repay the loans?"
"Don’t worry about that."
Lu Jincheng shrugged, seemingly unconcerned.
He had just made a killing in the stock market, at the moment when he was most financially bulletproof.
With food in hand, the heart doesn’t panic.
"You’ve done market research yourself; the coffee industry is facing rapid product iterations and severe homogenization issues, maintaining high-speed growth through differentiation isn’t easy."
Lu Jincheng rubbed his cheek, patiently explaining.
"But we can’t wait for brand differentiation to happen before expanding. We have to stake our claims boldly and burn through cash."
"As for not being able to repay loans... don’t worry, I’ve got it covered."
"The case was settled, and I had Lawyer Shang make the calculations, there should be an income of a few million sufficient to solve our urgent needs."
Mr. Lu smiled, spreading his hands, looking very confident.
"But is it really appropriate for you to shift other business revenues to ?"
Zhou Sinin subconsciously shook her head, picked up her wine glass with her left hand, and took a small sip.
Though she knew he had solutions, she was still somewhat unsure.
In her understanding, there was still no concept of a conglomerate company; solving problems in this manner seemed more like shifting funds from one hand to the other, not entirely proper.
Of course, it truly wasn’t.
Should Mr. Lu really mess up, or stop funding, there indeed existed a risk of financial breakdown.
After all, the legal entity of Golden Stone Coffee wasn’t him.
"You don’t need to overthink it, what’s inappropriate about it?"
The man smiled, his lips slightly curled, remaining noncommittal.
"The factory funds came from the loans; it’s fine, consider it profiting the team."
He, in fact, subtly made Zhou Sinin overlook something.
That was, aside from Golden Stone Coffee, all other companies were solely his own ventures. Updates are released by N()velFire.net
But Golden Stone Coffee also had investments from Zhou Sinin and her father.
At this point, Zhou Sinin wasn’t sure what else to advise.
If it were the comparatively cautious her, she would never opt for Lu Jincheng’s approach.
Yet, the growth of Golden Stone Coffee from nonexistent to its current status was closely linked to Mr. Lu’s unique capabilities.
Even his strategy in traffic marketing, product pricing, and trending each step was precise and stable.
Mr. Lu’s decisions often went against the mainstream, yet he consistently made substantial profits.
Like Golden Stone Media, which had opened a new track, he had proven his capability in various fields multiple times.
She had to trust him.
As they talked, Zhou Sinin’s cheeks gradually turned a tipsy red, the alcohol affecting her.
She wasn’t good with alcohol and unlike Guan Yongyi, who occasionally drank at home to lift spirits, her eyes began to look slightly blurred.
"I can’t drink anymore... I can barely keep my eyes open, let’s go back."
Lu Jincheng helped Zhou Sinin and hailed a car, together returning to the hotel.
Zhou Sinin seemed drunk.
The moment they entered the room, she clung to him like a koala, refusing to let go.
Her lovely peach blossom eyes slightly squinted, her arms around Lu Jincheng’s neck, her breath carrying a hint of mint scent.
She shed her coat, and the man carried her into his arms, moving her to the center of the sofa.
A nickname rarely used, now sounded soft and tender in Lu Jincheng’s ear.
"I feel so insecure..."
There was no eye contact or syrupy affection.