Chapter 33: The Jade Factory

The antique car driving down the road was an eyesore. It was so outdated that it seemed almost laughable, but anyone daring enough to drive such a vehicle must have some background, and no one dared to mock them openly.

"Could it be the old principal's car?" Wang Haoran suddenly thought and decided to use his X-ray vision to check. "Well, well, it really is the old principal... and Chu Bai is with him!"

No wonder Chu Bai had asked for leave—he was out with the old principal. But where could they be going?

Wang Haoran became curious. The antique car and his Cullinan were heading in the same direction, and as he checked the map, he realized that this road led only to various factories.

"A factory... could it be the Jade Factory?"

Everything became clear to Wang Haoran. Chu Bai had the power of X-ray vision, and with that ability, a scene involving gambling on jade stones was almost inevitable. 

Although there wasn't a major market for stone gambling in Qingling City, it didn't mean there were no raw stones at all. Jade factories occasionally procured raw stones, and if a CEO like Tang Bingyun was at the factory, the setting was ripe for such a plot.

If Chu Bai used his power to score big by selecting valuable jade, it would certainly leave Tang Bingyun awestruck. This was a typical scenario in stories like this.

If Wang Haoran had previously thought there was a 90% chance Tang Bingyun was a female lead, he now believed it with 100% certainty.

"Step on it! Go as fast as you can!" Wang Haoran ordered the driver. 

With its superior speed, the Cullinan would leave the antique car far behind. Plus, Wang Haoran had scattered some nails on the road to further delay them...

Twenty minutes later, Wang Haoran arrived at the gate of the Jade Factory, while the antique car was still far behind, taking at least another 40 minutes to catch up.

Tang Bingyun, having been informed in advance, sent her assistant to guide Wang Haoran into the factory. 

On the way, the assistant mentioned, "Ms. Tang is currently with friends at the factory floor, so I'll take you to the reception area first."

"May I ask what Ms. Tang is busy with?" Wang Haoran asked with a friendly smile. The assistant, flustered by his charm, eagerly answered, "The factory purchased some raw stones, and Ms. Tang invited her friends over to check them out."

As Wang Haoran suspected, there were raw stones involved. "Could you take me to have a look?"

"Of course," the assistant agreed and changed their course toward the factory floor, knowing that Ms. Tang had instructed her to treat this guest well.

After a few minutes, they reached the factory floor, which was a large aluminum structure, set up temporarily to house the raw stones. 

Inside, there were about ten people, both men and women of various ages. Among them, a young woman in a black dress stood out. Wang Haoran immediately recognized her as Tang Bingyun.

As the assistant led Wang Haoran closer, he took in Tang Bingyun's appearance. She was stunning, with an aura of confidence and cold detachment. In Wang Haoran's book, she was a solid 98/100—higher than Xu Muyan by a single point, though only because Xu Muyan, being a student, hadn't fully blossomed yet. If she did, she could easily match Tang Bingyun.

Two 98-point female leads—Wang Haoran couldn't help but marvel at how much effort the original author had put into setting up the protagonist's romantic life.

Tang Bingyun gave Wang Haoran a quick, indifferent glance before looking away, her demeanor icy and aloof. Despite his high charm, she didn't seem to be impressed.

The assistant, noticing Tang Bingyun's apparent disinterest, hurried to explain, "Ms. Tang, he said he wanted to take a look at the factory, so I brought him here."

"Since he's already here, let him stay," Tang Bingyun replied curtly, casting another frosty look at Wang Haoran. She seemed to harbor a natural dislike for spoiled rich kids like him.

Wang Haoran smiled politely and greeted her, "Hello, Ms. Tang."

"Such rudeness!" Tang Bingyun scolded coldly. "Your mother and I are on a first-name basis."

"Hello, Auntie Tang," Wang Haoran corrected himself with a smile, though inside, he was seething. 

Calling someone younger than Song Zhenyu "Auntie" was absurd, especially since Wang Haoran was, in reality, older than Tang Bingyun by a good margin. But for now, he swallowed his pride, though he vowed to make her pay for this insult later.

"Good boy. I'm busy with my friends right now, so you'll have to wait," Tang Bingyun dismissed him.

"Of course, Auntie Tang. I'll wait for you. But I hope you can finish by 5 PM since I have evening classes and don't want to be late," Wang Haoran replied, looking genuinely concerned. "If you're not done by then, I can always come back another day."

His innocent tone and sincere expression might have fooled anyone into thinking he was a dutiful student.

Even the driver-bodyguard was stunned by Wang Haoran's Oscar-worthy performance. If he hadn't witnessed Wang Haoran's escapades firsthand, he might have believed it himself!

Tang Bingyun, momentarily taken aback by his earnestness, couldn't help but reassess him. Perhaps this rich kid wasn't like the others she had encountered before.

Just then, a notification pinged in Wang Haoran's mind:

*Ding! The host has altered the female lead Tang Bingyun's perception and affected the original plot, earning 100 villain points.*