Charles’s deep blue eyes looked at Li Qiao with intent and focus, as he wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin, smiling warmly and nodding, "Not bad, I quite like it."
"That’s great, please eat more if you like it." Li Qiao wasn’t good at socializing and usually followed her heart. As the host, aside from the courtesy phrases, she didn’t know what else to talk about with him.
Talk about financial topics? That might seem like a deliberate attempt to strike up a conversation.
People like them who mingled in the financial field were all shrewd.
Li Qiao didn’t want to rack her brains, so she simply picked up her juice glass and gestured a toast to Charles.
It was almost as if to say ’world peace’ to promote friendly exchanges...
Charles took a sip of white wine and then casually lifted his glass, probing tentatively, "Miss Li, are you interested in the stock market?"
Unexpectedly, the financial magnate was the first to throw out a topic.
After a moment of thought, Li Qiao nodded gently, her tone modest, "I have some understanding."
With a look of regret, Charles shook his head and sighed softly, his gaze locked on Li Qiao’s cheek, "I once had a female friend who could play the stock market like a maestro. Looking back, my achievements today owe a lot to her guidance and teachings.
Unfortunately, she passed away many years ago. If she were still alive today, you two might have hit it off upon meeting. You look so much alike that when I saw you just now, I almost thought she had come back to life."
Foreigners tend to speak directly without much beating around the bush.
At this moment, Li Qiao finally understood why Charles had been so emotional since he first saw her.
Li Qiao’s eyes held deep meaning as she caressed her juice glass, feigning regret as she nodded, "That’s indeed a pity. Hearing Mr. Charles describe her, I can’t help but wish to meet her myself. Do you happen to have a photo of her that I could see?"
At her words, Charles spread his hands with regret, shaking his head, "Not right now, but I can look for one when I return to my country."
"Could I trouble Mr. Charles to send me a photo if you find one, for me to admire?" Li Qiao’s words were carefully chosen, seemingly purely interested in the unseen stock guru.
Charles composedly nodded, "Of course, perhaps we could exchange contact information..."
Before he could finish, Shang Yu returned.
Just as Li Qiao, who had been about to pull out her phone to add Charles’s contact, was interrupted: "..."
Shang Yu, with an inscrutable gaze, came back to the table, his eyes curved in a smile as he looked at Charles, decisively settling the matter. "There’s no need to exchange contacts. You have my phone number; you can call me if there’s anything."
Charles let out a sheepish laugh, slipping his phone back into his pocket, repeatedly saying "ok" several times.
After the meal, Li Qiao and Shang Yu stood still to see Charles off into his car. After the other party’s motorcade had gone far away, she lightly bumped the man’s shoulder, "Master Yan, what is Charles doing in the South Sea?"
Shang Yu looked down, his smile deep and meaningful, "Borrowing money."
Li Qiao looked at him with understanding, "Asking to borrow thirty billion US Dollars from you?"
She heard this at the dinner table.
Initially surprised that a financial magnate would still need to borrow, it now seemed that she hadn’t heard wrong.
"Yes, the Charles’s family has had some operational issues recently, with liquid assets tied up, needing a large influx of capital to stabilize." Shang Yu explained in a tone so casual, it was as if he was discussing an insignificant matter.