The fish in the soup was fresh and delightful, and the fragrance of the broth was rich without any fishy taste. It was refreshingly satisfying, deserving a five-star rating.
"Did you really try it?"
Zhou Wang asked with a slight chuckle while putting down his chopsticks and dabbing his mouth with a napkin, addressing Biaozi who was sitting nearby.
Biaozi, sitting upright in perfect posture, leaned slightly forward and smiled, "Yes, Mr. Zhou, rest assured, I never shortchange myself when it comes to food."
"Alright, let’s go... Oh, by the way, if we head over now, won’t it be break time at the company?"
Zhou Wang was about to stand up but suddenly remembered something.
"That’s not a problem. Mr. Zhang said he’s cleared his schedule for today. You can go over anytime, and he will be waiting."
Biaozi responded immediately.
Relieved, Zhou Wang nodded and got up, quickly glancing at Xiao An standing to the side, "You don’t seem to be yourself today. Are you sure you don’t need a break? With Biaozi accompanying me, it’s enough."
Dressed in a well-fitted suit and exuding mature charm, Xiao An blushed slightly in response. She knew Zhou Wang was referencing her lack of focus earlier.
"I’m fine, Mr. Zhou. I’ve adjusted."
Xiao An quickly shook her head.
Zhou Wang didn’t press further and called for the two to leave the ambassador’s three-bedroom residence together.
In the backseat of the Mercedes S500L with Xiao An, Zhou Wang took out a pack of cigarettes and tossed it to Biaozi in the passenger seat.
Biaozi, not expecting much, glanced at the pack and was startled before hastily refusing, "Mr. Zhou, this is Fuchun Mountain Residence, isn’t it? It’s too valuable. I can’t accept..."
Considering the current market, a single pack could cost six or seven thousand yuan, with one cigarette being worth several hundred yuan. Even though Biaozi had seen much through Zhang Shihao, he couldn’t quite handle this level of luxury.
"Take it. They say it’s worth a lot, but at its core, isn’t it just a consumable? As long as you don’t trade it, it’s just an ordinary cigarette. Don’t think too much..."
"Then today, I’ll bask in Mr. Zhou’s favor and enjoy it once..."
Unable to refuse, Biaozi laughed sheepishly and accepted it. However, he didn’t store the cigarettes away; instead, he tore off the packaging and offered one back to Mr. Zhou.
Smoking a few puffs, leaving psychological factors aside, Zhou Wang felt it was nothing special...
After all, for a smoker, the brand they smoke is always considered the best, regardless of the price.
On the way, just when Zhou Wang was tapping his knee, lost in thoughts, his phone buzzed with a message from a local number in Hang City:
"Hello, Mr. Zhou. Could you please return my call? I really can’t get through your line... I am Luo Meiling, one of BSK’s shareholders."
Zhou Wang was momentarily taken aback and glanced at the system interface, realizing that over an hour ago, the real-world interaction had been completed, and he now owned 22.6% of BSK shares.
In several cities simultaneously, Yunshangyun Law Firm had already completed the acquisition contracts. Zhou Wang had effectively become a shareholder of BSK, although the industrial and commercial registration of the controlling company behind BSK hadn’t yet been updated.
Zhou Wang directly called back the number that sent the text.
Soon, the call connected, and a mature woman’s voice came through, sounding rather intellectual, "Hello, is this Zhou Wang, Mr. Zhou?"
"It’s me, but we don’t need to use formal titles between us, do we, Ms. Luo?"
Zhou Wang responded cheerfully.
"Alright then, Mr. Zhou. It seems the rumors are true, you do seem quite young!"
Luo Meiling chuckled softly.
"I’m quite curious, where did this rumor originate?"
"Haha, the news surfaced this morning, but no one believed it until a couple of hours ago when several of us original shareholders received notices of stock sales. We were caught by surprise... Mr. Zhou, you’re impressive, acquiring so many shares quietly, and we didn’t catch any wind of it beforehand."
Luo Meiling half-jokingly tested Zhou, "Right now, our shareholder group is buzzing. Oh, by the way, Mr. Zhou, if it’s convenient, please add me on WeChat so I can add you to the group."
"Of course, I’d love to join the group. I’m eager to meet all the shareholders. Judging from BSK’s performance, you all must be extraordinary individuals!"
Zhou Wang laughed, offering no response to Luo Meiling’s probing.
Realizing she wouldn’t hear anything useful, Luo Meiling shifted the conversation without delay, stating her purpose:
"Currently, there aren’t many BSK shareholders in Hang City. Mr. Zhou, if you have time, how about joining us for a casual dinner tonight?"
"But I’ve already arranged to meet Mr. Zhang of Wuyou Media tonight, so I’m afraid I won’t have time..."
Zhou Wang replied with a hint of apology.
"No worries, Mr. Zhou. I’ve already asked Mr. Zhang in advance. He mentioned he wouldn’t mind if I hosted you on his behalf. You might not know, Mr. Zhang is also a BSK shareholder."
Luo Meiling promptly explained with a smile.
Zhou Wang obviously knew Zhang Shihao was a BSK shareholder too, and he pretended to be unaware because he wasn’t sure about the relationship between Zhang Shihao and Luo Meiling. So, acting as though he suddenly realized, he laughed and said,
"Ah, I see. Then I’m at your disposal."
"Great, Mr. Zhou... see you tonight."
Luo Meiling chuckled softly and then hung up.
Shortly after the call ended, Zhou Wang received a friend request on WeChat, indeed from Luo Meiling.
After accepting, curiosity got the better of him, and he clicked on her avatar for a glance. It seemed to be her: a reasonably attractive and youthful woman. Although beauty filters and edits obscured her exact age, her natural features were undoubtedly excellent...