Chapter 289: Not Afraid of the Wind Blowing My Waist

Time passed quickly, and soon the second meeting regarding the highway was held at Yun Tian Hotel.

Morning sunlight streamed through the curtains as Zhou Ming opened his eyes and sat up. He heard a displeased groan beside him. Turning his head, he saw Shen Xin pulling the blanket over herself, her brows furrowed, clearly unhappy with Zhou Ming getting up and taking the blanket with him.

Since that day when Shen Xin seduced Zhou Ming with her bold demeanor and they had their second encounter, Zhou Ming had been staying here for the past few days.

At first, both Zhou Ming and Shen Xin were quite cautious. Their relationship was somewhat improper, considered an affair. However, since they were in a hotel away from home and largely unnoticed, they gradually relaxed.

Over these days, Zhou Ming had come to realize that beneath Shen Xin's mature and rational exterior, she was actually a bit of an extreme young girl. Perhaps due to her upbringing and environment, she had a stubborn temperament. Once she set her mind on something, it was hard for her to turn back. Just like Zhou Ming himself, once she admired him, she fixated on him, treating him as her own. This was why, when Zhou Ming inadvertently touched her stockings back in Hong Kong, she remained quiet and cooperated with his advances.

It was somewhat unbelievable, but it was probably her character that had led her to become the chief reporter at Hong Kong's financial media at such a young age.

However, every trait has its pros and cons. Shen Xin's stubbornness had its upsides but could also be problematic. What if she fixed her mind on Zhou Ming, but Zhou Ming turned out to be a bad person, like Xing Yuan, who was a scumbag that liked to toy with women? Would she still refuse to turn back?

Zhou Ming had asked Shen Xin about this, and her response was that a man who could conquer her could never be a scumbag like Xing Yuan. She judged people not by their wealth but by a comprehensive evaluation. In other words, if a man did not appeal to her, even if he held hundreds of billions of dollars, it was of no use. Conversely, if she was attracted to a man, even if he were a dirty beggar, she would follow him.

A beautiful and educated reporter with grace, and a dirty beggar living in a shanty?

It seemed like a cliché from an adult novel, but Zhou Ming's intuition told him that if possible, Shen Xin could indeed do it.

"But now I've been conquered by Zhou Ming. My heart is very small and can only accommodate one person. So you don't have to worry about me being snatched away by someone else! Also, even if you don't want me in the future, I'll still cling to you. Of course, you don't have to worry, I won't disrupt your life. As long as I am loved and cherished by you, I'll be content."

These were Shen Xin's words to Zhou Ming later on, which reassured him. Zhou Ming thought to himself as he pinched her delicate nose, that it was fortunate he was the one who first won her over. If it had been someone else, who could tell what excessive things such a girl with Shen Xin's personality might do?

No matter how despicable Xing Yuan was, he was still a super-rich man with billions. He was pretentious in front of everyone, yet he still used his women to bribe others to achieve his goals.

"Really can't tell if you were lucky to meet me, or if I was lucky to meet you."

Zhou Ming sighed, his large hand trailing down her face to her perky bottom, giving it a firm pat. "Get up!"

But Shen Xin, clearly displeased, muttered something and turned away to continue sleeping. Zhou Ming found it amusing and leaned down to whisper in her ear, "If you don't get up, I might just decide not to want you anymore."

Hearing this, Shen Xin immediately opened her eyes, pouting and looking at Zhou Ming with a touch of grievance. "You always use this to threaten me."

Zhou Ming shrugged, laughing heartlessly. "What can I do? It's your weakness."

Of course, it was a joke, but Shen Xin quickly got up. They washed up, dressed, and went downstairs for breakfast. Around 8:30, they arrived at the lounge.

Before the meeting started, everyone gathered to discuss the meeting's agenda. This had become a habit, especially with many entrepreneurs participating, making it a great opportunity to build relationships, which businessmen never missed.

"That disgusting guy is here too," Shen Xin suddenly said.

Zhou Ming knew who Shen Xin was referring to. Following her disgusted gaze, he saw Xing Yuan. He was still acting arrogantly, chatting with several Lingnan entrepreneurs, but the bandage on his head made him look quite comical.

That bandage was the result of Zhou Ming smashing a bottle on his head. After the crackdown, such deliberate harm was severe for ordinary people, but for Zhou Ming, it was nothing. With figures like Chen Yunfei, the Executive Vice Governor of Lingnan, and the Cao family, resolving such a minor issue was straightforward. In fact, Zhou Ming didn't even need to get involved personally; someone would naturally handle it.

That was why nothing had happened since Zhou Ming left that day, and he almost forgot about it, if not for encountering him today.

The lounge was small, so Xing Yuan couldn't have missed Zhou Ming and Shen Xin's entrance. He saw Zhou Ming and took the initiative to greet them. "Oh! Isn't this Advisor Zhou and Reporter Shen? Didn't expect you two to be here as well!"

Zhou Ming had to give Xing Yuan credit for his ability to maintain a facade. Even though he hated someone, he could still put on a friendly face. This was the mark of a schemer, explaining how a barely educated thug could build such a big business in a few years.

However, since Xing Yuan was so polite, Zhou Ming naturally reciprocated with a smile. "Yes, but you arrived earlier than us, Mr. Xing. It seems you're quite keen on the funding management for this highway project."

"Of course, I'm determined to win it!" Xing Yuan replied with conviction.

Zhou Ming found Xing Yuan's confidence odd. "I'm curious, Mr. Xing, where does your confidence come from?"

Xing Yuan pointed to his head and said, "It's all in here. I know Advisor Zhou has significant connections in Lingnan, but sometimes connections alone can't solve everything. I bet you didn't expect this matter to become so large, did you? Since it's public now with so many outsiders present, it's not easy to manipulate things behind the scenes. Your connections won't be as useful."

"I know Advisor Zhou built the South River stock market and created many legends, but that's all in the past. Now, you're practically out of the game, only offering four to ten percent profits. I'm surprised you even mentioned that," Xing Yuan said disdainfully. "I don't know what plan you'll present today, but I can tell you that I can offer a forty percent profit. That's my capability!"

His statement immediately drew gasps from those around them. They looked at Xing Yuan in disbelief, asking, "Mr. Xing, can you really offer a forty percent profit?"

Xing Yuan nodded confidently. Then someone asked, "But according to Advisor Zhou and foreign economists, such high profits are very difficult to achieve!"

"Foreign stuff is just to deceive you. Those foreign devils wish us harm, so why would they teach us anything useful? As for Advisor Zhou," Xing Yuan's lips curled into a scornful smile, "if he could achieve forty percent profit, he would have become a billionaire in Lingnan like me already. The fact that he lacks my brains means he will forever be stuck with a few million."

Xing Yuan even deliberately asked Zhou Ming, "What do you say, Advisor Zhou?"

Zhou Ming shook his head in resignation. "You really know how to boast. I thought you might have some skill, but now you're just showing off."

Xing Yuan seemed unbothered. "Only those with real skill have the right to show off. If Advisor Zhou can also offer forty percent profit, you can show off in front of me too!"

"I'm not a kid in elementary school; why would I need to show off in front of you? It's pointless," Zhou Ming said. "Besides, you can't offer forty percent profit."

Xing Yuan looked at Zhou Ming with pity. "Advisor Zhou, what can I say about you? I didn't expect you to be so outdated. Can you at least come up with a new excuse? I'm bored of hearing the same old lines."

"Whether you're bored or not, what matters is the key points," Zhou Ming said, noticing that Xing Yuan was about to say something else. He interrupted, "Stop. I'm not interested in chatting with you. I'm leaving."

With that, Zhou Ming turned and walked away. He didn't pay attention to what Xing Yuan said next, but from his boisterous laughter, it was clear it wasn't anything good.

"Xing Yuan is so arrogant. Zhou Ming, you should have smashed a few more bottles that day," Shen Xin said.

"With his small frame, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to handle a few more bottles. No matter how much of a jerk he is, he's still a Jiangnan entrepreneur with billions. If something really happened, even Chen Yunfei and the Cao family couldn't cover it up," Zhou Ming said.

"But seeing him like this makes me unhappy, especially with that attitude of not taking you

 seriously," Shen Xin said.

"Don't worry. Let him be arrogant for a while. This is the only time he can be so arrogant," Zhou Ming reassured her.

"Zhou Ming, you're here."

Nearby, Cao Jianning and Linjiang City Party Secretary Chen Da, along with several other Jiangnan entrepreneurs, arrived. Cao Jianning glanced at Xing Yuan and asked Zhou Ming, "So that guy is being arrogant in front of you again?"

Zhou Ming nodded. "Yes, he even offered a forty percent return today."

"Forty percent?" Cao Jianning sneered. "He really doesn't fear the wind blowing his waist. To think he dares to brag like that. We'll have to make sure he gets what's coming to him today!"