Chapter 48 Mutual Sympathy

When encountering problems, Nie Yunyang never chose to run away. Instead, he would rack his brains to find a solution, persisting until the very end no matter how difficult it was.

If a man wants to succeed, he must possess the razor-sharp drive to forge ahead. Once he retreats, he will fall into bad habits. When opportunities arise, if they happen to come with difficulties, he will invariably choose to flee.

Ever since returning to Chongqing, Nie Yunyang had been well aware of the kind of life he wanted and the troubles he might face. He had chosen a path full of thorns from the very beginning; he needed to muster up his courage and march forward rather than retreat in the face of battle.

No matter who this Ni Jie might be, Nie Yunyang was determined to keep the appointment. Even if it were a Feast at Hong Gate, it did not mean he couldn't leave unscathed.

The Yayuntai Riverside Restaurant was located in the Nan'an District. Nie Yunyang took a taxi there. The restaurant sat right beside the Yangtze River, offering a view of the dazzling lights on the opposite bank.

Wang Xu had been waiting at the entrance since seven o'clock in the evening, his heart pounding with anxiety. It was only when he saw Nie Yunyang appear that he finally breathed a sigh of relief. If he had been stood up, his boss would have skinned him alive!

"Mr. Nie, you're here? President Ni is already waiting inside. Please, come right in." Wang Xu greeted him with a fawning attitude.

Nie Yunyang nodded and said, "Lead the way."

Wang Xu made a polite gesture with his hand and then led Nie Yunyang toward the private dining room reserved by Ni Jie. He had to admit that high-end restaurants were indeed impressive, with their exquisite decoration and breathtaking aesthetics.

Two bodyguards stood outside the private room. They blocked Nie Yunyang's path and motioned that they needed to frisk him.

Feeling quite displeased, Nie Yunyang was about to show his anger when Wang Xu chimed in with a flattering smile, "Mr. Nie, this is for the safety of both you and President Ni. Please forgive us."

"I can give President Ni face this once, but let this be the first and last time."

With that, Nie Yunyang spread his arms.

The two bodyguards checked him very thoroughly. One could tell that they were extremely serious about their work, except that they found absolutely nothing.

Immediately afterwards, Wang Xu led Nie Yunyang into the private room.

Inside, a man in his thirties was holding a sexy beauty, the two of them chatting and laughing together.

The man was dressed in casual wear, his hands naturally embracing the beauty's slender waist. Peering down the neckline of her deep V-neck dress, one could catch a glimpse of the magnificent scenery within.

This person was none other than Ni Jie, the chairman of Geheng Corporation!

"Boss, Mr. Nie has arrived," Wang Xu reminded him.

Only then did Ni Jie release the beauty in his arms. He stood up leisurely and said with a smile, "Brother Nie, I've finally waited for you. Come, come, take a seat."

Before coming here, Nie Yunyang had already investigated Ni Jie's background. However, information about this man on the internet was scarce, not even a single gossip scandal. It seemed the public relations department of Geheng Corporation was remarkably competent.

He smiled faintly and said, "President Ni, I've long admired your reputation. I'm finally getting to meet you tonight. Please take care of me."

These were typical polite remarks. After all, it was their first meeting, and they were strangers to each other.

Ni Jie waved his hand, signaling the beauty to leave first. He slowly walked up to Nie Yunyang, patted the latter on the shoulder, and said, "Brother Nie, save those polite pleasantries for others. Although this is our first meeting, there's no need to be so formal. To be honest, I appreciate Brother Nie a great deal. I'm thirty-two this year, slightly older than you. If you don't mind, just call me Brother Ni."

Hearing this, Nie Yunyang had no idea what medicine Ni Jie was selling in his gourd, but since the other party's attitude was so friendly, he couldn't keep him at arm's length either.

"How could I mind? I'm just afraid I'm climbing too high above my station. After all, a sparrow flying up to a high branch still cannot become a phoenix," Nie Yunyang said.

Ni Jie burst into laughter and said, "Brother Nie, you're being too modest. I've spent decades in the Mountain City, and my eye for people has always been sharp. A dragon among men like you could never be content with mediocrity. Sooner or later, you'll soar into the sky and become a powerful tycoon who commands the wind and rain. Tonight, it's just the two of us brothers here. If you remain so distant, I'll be displeased."

"Brother Ni."

Nie Yunyang obediently called out.

Ni Jie nodded slightly and said, "That's more like it."

"Xiao Wang, go outside and urge them. Brother Nie has already arrived, why aren't they serving the dishes yet?"

"Yes, boss," Wang Xu said respectfully, then pushed the door open and left.

Soon, waiters walked in carrying plates of delicacies: pan-fried French Rougié foie gras, nourishing wild pheasant and black mushroom soup, pan-seared sea bass, golden silk shrimp balls, Wellington steak, garlic-flavored glazed squab, charcoal-roasted duck breast with fruit wood...

Ni Jie thought for a moment and asked, "Brother Nie, can you drink?"

"Yes, I didn't drive," Nie Yunyang replied.

Ni Jie asked with a smile, "Hard liquor or red wine?"

"Since we're having Western food, let's go with red wine," Nie Yunyang said.

Ni Jie beckoned with his hand and said, "Xiao Wang, have the waiter bring two bottles of Lafite."

At the dining table, there were no third parties. Nie Yunyang and Ni Jie sat opposite each other, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.

After all, he was not Cao Weihua. Right now, he was merely an employee of a private club; by what right did he deserve such favorable treatment from the CEO of a listed company?

"Most of the dishes served here are French cuisine. I wonder if you're used to it?" Ni Jie asked.

Maintaining his usual expression, Nie Yunyang calmly replied, "Having eaten too much Chongqing cuisine, having Western food on occasion makes for a nice change of pace."

"Haha, everyone who comes here says that. Come on, let the two brothers clink glasses first."

Ni Jie raised the wine glass in his hand and said with a smile.

The waiter had already poured a glass of red wine for Nie Yunyang. He picked up his glass and drained it in one go.

"I heard that you are a native-born Chongqing local, Brother Nie?" Ni Jie asked.

Nie Yunyang took a deep breath and said, "I studied here for more than ten years, but ultimately failed to get into university. It's truly shameful."

This question was extremely subtle; it could be considered a formal entry into the main topic. Nie Yunyang knew very well that since Ni Jie could invite him to a banquet, he must have conducted an investigation beforehand. What he just said was a form of probing, and Nie Yunyang had no intention of hiding it. After all, in the information age, finding out a person's basic background was simply too easy.

"What a pity. I thought Brother Nie, like me, was a graduate of Chongqing University," Ni Jie remarked.

Nie Yunyang pondered briefly and said, "So Brother Ni is an elite graduate from Chongqing University. I am impressed, I am impressed. No wonder you became the CEO of a listed company at such a young age!"

"Brother Nie, you'll succeed sooner or later. After all, young men like you are rare nowadays, not to mention you also have the support of President Cao," Ni Jie said.

President Cao?

Nie Yunyang's expression shifted slightly. The other party actually knew about his relationship with Cao Weihua; they had indeed carried out a thorough investigation.

"Brother Ni, I'm just a nobody. Making my way in the Mountain City, I only want to earn a living," Nie Yunyang said.

Ni Jie waved his hand and said, "Brother Nie, excessive modesty is pride. You must be very curious as to why I want to see you, right? We are both smart people; going back and forth and beating around the bush for dozens of rounds might not even get us to the main point. We might as well get straight to the subject!"

"Brother Ni, I do indeed want to know why you value a nobody like me?" Nie Yunyang asked.

Ni Jie wore a solemn expression and asked in return, "What do you think?"

"I'm sorry, I really can't guess," Nie Yunyang said.

Ni Jie gave a cold smile and said, "Brother Nie, you don't need to pretend anymore. Someone who dares to kill Sun Yufan is certainly no nobody!"

This single, simple sentence struck like a bolt of lightning, exploding in Nie Yunyang's ears and leaving him dazed for a long, long time.