Just as Qin Chuan had said, this banquet was not of a high caliber. If it were, he probably wouldn't have sought out Bo He to temporarily replace Tang Mi. But even though its low caliber meant things could be more casual and his female companion didn't need to be meticulously chosen, it didn't mean she could be unpresentable. Qin Chuan could feel that Bo He's hand, looped around the crook of his arm, was clearly stiff. He discreetly glanced at her. The latter had a smile on her face, yet showed no signs of nervousness. When people came over to exchange pleasantries, Bo He diligently fulfilled her duties as a female companion. She didn't interrupt rashly, but when the other party also brought a female companion, she would proactively start a conversation about the other woman's jewelry. Qin Chuan also discovered a small, clever trick of Bo He's. Bo He, like most young women nowadays, had a general knowledge of the dazzling array of luxury goods, but was completely clueless when it came to appraising or identifying them in greater detail. So, she would often start by praising the other person's jewelry, prompting them to mention the brand, and then smoothly continue the conversation from there. When it came to ladies who loved beauty, it wasn't just in-depth knowledge that could facilitate conversation; a skillful compliment could also spark their interest in talking. Objectively speaking, Qin Chuan had to admit that as a female companion, Bo He was already basically qualified. What she lacked was merely due to the limitations of her social class and a lack of specialized training. Halfway through the banquet, the two of them naturally went their separate ways. A few years ago, Shengming Company was just a rising star in the industry, its name still somewhat unfamiliar. Even with the golden signboard of the Qin Group behind Qin Chuan, at most, it only served to give the people he talked to a little more confidence and a few more smiles. Those who could navigate the business world for many years were either old foxes or slippery old dogs. Most of them valued their businesses and the money in their pockets more than the lives of their own family. No matter how much confidence they had in the Qin Group, it didn't mean they had confidence in Qin Chuan. A few years ago, at receptions of this caliber, Qin Chuan would have had to personally go and greet everyone one by one just to make his face known. But now, aside from a few important leaders and figures, he could remain stationary for most of the time, waiting for others to approach him. It wasn't as if no young women came to strike up a conversation, but Qin Chuan dismissed them all with a few uninterested words. His goal for tonight was simply to make an appearance here, exchange a few pleasantries with the event organizers' leaders, and show his sincerity. Once the leaders had left, there was little point in Qin Chuan staying. Rather than continue to waste time, he might as well go home and play games. He scanned the room, intending to call Bo He and leave together. As he was thinking, Qin Chuan's gaze paused, landing on a spot not far ahead. Bo He was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a man, their backs to Qin Chuan. Both had their heads down, shoulders touching, and Bo He seemed to be holding a phone in her hands. Separated by several people, Qin Chuan couldn't see clearly whether they were talking or looking at something else. But he recognized the man next to Bo He. He more than recognized him; when he had just come in, he had proactively gone over to greet the man. Wei Feizhou, a real estate mogul who, unlike Qin Chuan, had truly built his empire from scratch. Although China is vast, if people are in the same industry and their business reaches a certain level, they are bound to run into each other. There will always be some interaction. But it was common knowledge that Wei Feizhou and the Qin Group did not get along. Wei Feizhou would never participate in any project that involved the Qin Group. Of course, in projects that Wei Feizhou's company was involved in, there was no sign of the Qin Group either. Qin Chuan didn't know the reason why, because this feud already existed by the time he graduated, returned to the country, and joined Shengming Company. A while ago, the city was planning to develop an exclusive new cultural district, moving the museum, art gallery, and other such institutions there. This served both as a division of regional functions and to further develop the tourism industry in the future. And within the area designated by the government, there happened to be a plot of land situated right on the edge of the new district. It wasn't technically considered part of the new district, but its geographical location was extremely advantageous. To its left was the city's botanical garden, and to its right was the future art gallery. The environment was beautiful, transportation was convenient, and its potential for appreciation was enormous. When Wei Feizhou first won this plot of land at auction, no one was optimistic about it. It had formerly been an execution ground during the Republic of China era, the location was remote, the surrounding area was desolate, and many Chinese people were superstitious about such places. Even though it was next to the botanical garden with its fresh air, property prices in the vicinity had long failed to rise. Many people secretly called Wei Feizhou a sucker. But just one month after he acquired the land, a new mayor took office. An inspection team dispatched from the capital toured the city, and the official approval, which the previous two mayors had failed to finalize for so long, was finally granted. There were many other plots awaiting development on the edge of the new cultural district, but the one in Wei Feizhou's hands was by far the most valuable. The "chicken rib"—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard—had become a hot commodity in the blink of an eye. Everyone's opinion of Wei Feizhou also changed from "sucker" to "farsighted." Suddenly, all eyes were on the plot of land in Wei Feizhou's hands, yet he made no move to develop it. Soon, all sorts of rumors began to spread like wildfire. Some said Wei Feizhou's cash flow was tight and he no longer had the spare funds to develop it independently. Others said he had already found a buyer and was preparing to transfer the land at a high price to make a hefty profit. The rumors were many and varied, and no one could agree on the truth. Qin Chuan was also keeping an eye on that plot of land. According to the information he had obtained, Wei Feizhou had another project under development, and his funds were indeed rather tight, making it unlikely he could develop that plot independently. However, Wei Feizhou was also unwilling to sell the land, so the only way forward was a partnership. Lately, countless people had been trying to get on good terms with Wei Feizhou, Shengming Company included. In Qin Chuan's view, Shengming Company's scale wouldn't overshadow Wei Feizhou, nor would it be overshadowed by him. The two parties were evenly matched and both needed to cooperate. If this deal could be struck, it would naturally be a win-win situation. To show his sincerity, he had personally visited several times, but unexpectedly, the other party was as stubborn as a mule, impervious to all persuasion, and simply wouldn't play ball. When Qin Chuan brought up cooperation, Wei Feizhou would just beat around the bush. If Qin Chuan spelled it out, Wei Feizhou would reject him outright, saying there was absolutely no possibility of him cooperating with anyone surnamed Qin. Qin Chuan had heard long ago that this Old Wei was stubborn, eccentric, and extremely difficult to please. He hadn't thought much of it at the time, because Qin Chuan himself was also a difficult person to please. But after a few interactions, Qin Chuan was convinced. This Wei Feizhou was, indeed, a very difficult man to please. No matter what gifts were sent, the other party refused them all. He was completely devoted to his wife and had no weakness for beautiful women. Wei Feizhou had his own money, so offering him more was useless. Antiques, calligraphy, stamps, jade—anything that had the slightest chance of working, others would have sent them even if Qin Chuan hadn't. But no one had managed to sway Wei Feizhou. In short, Qin Chuan had tried everything he could think of, but still failed to secure the partnership. On top of that, Wei Feizhou and the Qin Group already had friction between them, so the chances of cooperation were minuscule. But, Qin Chuan was still unwilling to accept it. In everything he did, he wanted to give it his all, to exhaust every effort, before speaking of success or failure. Wei Feizhou would naturally have received an invitation to this conference as well.