Li Yinghe’s face froze when he heard this. The tension between them spread, and Li Yinghe couldn't understand how the person standing calmly beside Tang Wu could suddenly become so aggressive.Li Ying...Chapter 4: The Backyard Conversation

Seeing Old Man getting angry, everyone fell silent and dared not speak, including those who had previously looked down on anyone who could talk to the old man.

But now they all turned their heads to stare at Su Cen. They wondered where this kid came from and how he casually threw out a theory about beer, making Old Man look at them as if they were trash.

"All of you should go back to what you were doing. Even a child is more reliable than all of you. This kid appeals to me; I want to talk with him! You all can leave!" The old man said angrily while holding his cane, but he looked like an angry child. No one dared to stay put and exchange glances before deciding it was better to leave.

In the Building Corporation General Company, Old Man was a figure above everyone else. He always did as he pleased and had many connections in Oak City. He often had strange moods, sometimes even scolding people after just three sentences. People from six or seven years old all the way up to his former subordinates would feel intimidated when they saw him and spoke carefully, trying to cater to his mood.

Today this kid was unknown, speaking nonsense without any fear, and had a confident demeanor. Many people tried to win Old Man over in the past, including some vice managers who were hired after obtaining master's degrees and believed that they could impress him with a few words. However, many of them ended up being criticized harshly.

Now that Old Man called for everyone to leave, none dared to stay behind but started calculating how long this kid would last in conversation with the old man face-to-face. Could he even last through a few exchanges

No one had ever heard of this eccentric old man having any habit of nurturing young talent.

"Do you understand what we just talked about" When everyone had left and it was quiet in the backyard, Old Man glanced at Su Cen.

Looking into his eyes, if Su Cen said he didn't understand, Old Man seemed ready to take out his anger on him. After all, how could a 17-year-old kid know anything The old man might have just made up an excuse to get rid of this group.

Su Cen pondered for a moment and smiled, saying, "I think it's them who don't understand...

"A child shouldn't comment on adults' affairs," the old man snorted from his nose, making the atmosphere somewhat tense. "Then tell me, how are they not understanding"

"They probably don’t understand that Grandpa you value the path of a century-old business more than just joining the club with assets over a billion dollars," Su Cen said with a smile.

"From Dao Ding’s rise, enriching the people and revitalizing industries." This was personally written by this old man for the Construction Group. The meaning behind these words wasn’t easy for many to comprehend. Su Cen knew that after his son died in an accident, the Construction Group declined; when this old man stepped on a landmine in his youth, he developed lingering health issues which worsened due to this incident and prevented him from handling business affairs properly. As a result, the Construction Group gradually fell into decline but didn’t completely collapse because of its state-owned background. It was neither strong nor weak, just coasting on its existing resources.

However, judging by the current development framework and philosophy set by this old man, it was clear that Da Xiang Construction’s business wasn't limited to the provincial market but also extended to out-of-province and international markets. His goal was to extend the company's industrial chain, optimize its structure, expand its scale, and enhance competitiveness not just in one specific area.

Da Xiang Construction’s current expansion into the international market included countries like Kenya, Somalia, Angola, Egypt, and Israel, laying groundwork for future ventures in Dubai. Of course, this information was partly revealed by Feng Jianjun out of pride, but it also showcased Da Xiang Construction's grand vision.

This old man, with a somewhat odd temperament that made him hard to read, actually possessed the courage to sweep across the world behind everyone’s puzzlement.

Su Cen believed his words had the power to clear away clouds and penetrate fog, hitting right at this old man's deepest ambition. However, what Su Cen saw was not a swift gleam of interest in the old man’s eyes but rather calmness as he lowered his head and rubbed his cane, whose red paint had long worn off due to frequent friction.

Raising his head calmly, the old man looked at him and said, "Oh, you’re Su Cen."

Su Cen was genuinely surprised. He was just a minor figure, yet here he was in a group with over 10,000 registered employees and nearly 70,000 staff members, making the top leader aware of his name. This was enough to astonish Su Cen.

Seeing how stunned Su Cen looked, the old man smiled, wrinkles spreading across his forehead like furrows on a field, giving him an unexpectedly kind appearance. "When did you move here"

Su Cen’s heart was full of doubt but he remained respectful as he replied, "Yesterday, I only arrived today."

The old man nodded slightly and said, "Are you getting used to it Even if you’re not comfortable yet, you have to get used to it because this place will be your home from now on.

Su Cen was quite surprised and honored. He had heard that this old man was notoriously irascible, often yelling after just three sentences if he wasn't satisfied. However, now it seemed the old man could be quite amiable.

The old man noticed Su Cen's slightly nervous expression and said, "If you need any help in your daily life, feel free to ask. Since you're going to treat this place as your home, you should live comfortably."

Su Cen was moved by these words from such an influential figure who represented the top decision-makers of the construction company. He thought that just a small piece of information from him could change their family's status entirely. With this in mind, he immediately replied, "Grandpa, I really want to make myself feel at home here, but my father hasn't been officially placed at his new job yet."

"Your dad isn't on the job" The old man frowned and nodded. “I understand.”

A man dressed in a suit with gold-rimmed glasses appeared again under the trees of this backyard, probably needing the elderly man to handle some matters. The old man then got up with his cane and walked toward him along with Su Cen, saying, "Tomorrow is our company's annual meeting; you should come."

"Sure." Su Cen nodded. The man in gold-rimmed glasses looked at Su Cen with surprise. From the perspective of this influential figure, Su Cen didn’t appear to be part of upper management but rather a child of an employee. It was quite surprising that he would chat so casually with this boy.

Soon after, the elderly man was picked up by a black Audi car. Standing beneath the trees of the company headquarters, Su Cen wondered why Xu Zhe, the venerable Secretary and Chairman of Grand Construction Group's head office, showed such favor towards him, who was currently just an insignificant figure And how did he know his name

After dinner, the doorbell rang. Guo Xiaozhong appeared at the doorstep with a look of anticipation on his face when Su Cen opened the door. "You"

The boy's expectant expression wavered slightly as he remembered that he had promised to treat Guo Xiaozhong today. He quickly told Zeng He they were going out for fun and then went downstairs with Guo Xiaozhong.

Outside, the neon lights had just come on in the neighborhood. It was a commercial street with soft lighting and many people walking around. Su Cen asked, "What would you like to eat"

"I've already eaten," Guo Xiaozhong replied, pointing at a newly set-up barbecue stall on the pavement. "But if not for that, we could go get some barbecued food."

Su Cen smiled and said, "This is my first time treating you; naturally, I should treat you to something better. Didn't you say that Butterfly Shattered Coffee was the most luxurious place here, one you must visit this winter break We don’t have to wait for the holidays to go there."

Sitting in the grand hall of the cafe, surrounded by elegant decor and a serene layout, with young and pretty female waitresses who speak softly. When the menu is placed before Guo Xiaozhong, he suddenly realizes that he is truly sitting inside the Butterfly Fragments Cafe, which was something he could only admire from afar as a child living in an old courtyard and certainly couldn’t afford.

Seeing the stylishly dressed men and women around him, with soft Italian music playing, some tables lit by small candles, and occasionally hearing giggles of girls chatting.

The fashionably dressed ladies lounged elegantly in the booths. As they passed by, a quick glance was enough for them to swiftly size up these two young boys from top to bottom before giving a slight upward curl of their lips, clearly forming an opinion.

Guo Xiaozhong, who was originally carefree, suddenly became bashful when he looked at the menu where each Mocha or ice blend cost over fifty yuan, which could be equivalent to his two weeks' pocket money.

The waitress was very nice despite seeing that they were first-timers and didn't give them a look of disdain.

Su Can's fondness for him grew when he saw Guo Xiaozhong blushing shyly, finding the young boy rather cute.

At this moment, a surprised voice rang out from beside them, "Guo... Guo Xiaozhong!"

"Guo Xiaozhong!"

The place was quite quiet with soft music and many people seated around. However, everyone spoke softly, and even when a boy elicited a giggle from his girl friend, he quickly realized it and controlled himself.

Among the people here were twenty-something office workers as well as seventeen or eighteen-year-old boys and girls who seemed to come from good families. In Fuzhou where the average monthly salary of ordinary employees was around 400 yuan at that time, if one wasn't from a decent family, high school students wouldn't be hanging out here trying to emulate small-bourgeois tastes.

The surprised shout broke the calm atmosphere and drew many gazes.

A girl in a cake skirt who could be described as sweet and pretty, along with a boy next to her wearing a Hanguk-style T-shirt and jeans, were staring at Guo Xiaozhong on the table with looks of amazement akin to spotting an Ali Baba out of place in Alice's Wonderland.ous boyfriend."The girl glanced at Tang Wu with an indifferent expression, immediately placing herself on the opposite side from Tang Wu. She seemed to belong to one of the two common factions found i...