Chapter 221: The Treasure that Guards the Mountain

**Evening, at the Bird Restaurant.**

When Li Dong arrived, he didn't get out of the car. Instead, he checked the time from inside. It was nearly 7 PM. He took out his phone and called Shen Qian. It took a while before she answered.

As soon as the call connected, Shen Qian started complaining, "President Li, I'm a manager too; why don't I have a car?"

Li Dong opened his mouth but hesitated for a moment before asking, "Where are you now?"

"Almost there. Taking a cab is really annoying. It's so hard to get one from where I live," Shen Qian grumbled again.

Li Dong found it both amusing and frustrating—who would have guessed she didn't have a car?

In his circle, everyone he knew had at least one private car, and some even had more than one. Shen Qian was the only one who told him she had to take a cab. It was almost embarrassing for someone from a wealthy family.

Without giving her more time to complain, Li Dong quickly said, "You can apply to the finance department for a car. I'll approve it."

It's just a car. Even someone like Wu Jianguo, a minor figure, had received money equivalent to the cost of several cars from him. Li Dong didn't mind approving one for Shen Qian.

As soon as Shen Qian heard this, she beamed with joy and asked, "Really? Can I choose the car myself?"

"Do as you like. Where are you now?"

Just as Li Dong asked this, someone knocked on his car window. He glanced out and saw Shen Qian waving at him with her phone in hand.

Li Dong got out of the car and sized her up for a moment before saying, "I asked you to join me for a meal, not attend a gala. Why are you dressed so formally?"

Tonight, Shen Qian looked different from usual. She had not only put on fresh makeup but also changed into a more formal dress. Her usual ponytail was let down, and her long, dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, adding a touch of femininity.

Shen Qian, unhappy, responded, "Hey, what do you mean by that!"

Li Dong shrugged, not bothering to explain further. As he walked, he said, "Just don't talk during the meal later. Let me handle everything. You're just here as an accessory, got it?"

"Hmph!" Shen Qian snorted and mumbled something under her breath.

Li Dong couldn't help but laugh. The more he interacted with Shen Qian, the more she reminded him of a child who hadn't yet grown up. When she first joined the company, she acted like a capable professional, but now it seemed that was just a façade. In reality, she was a playful, immature girl.

If she wasn't, she wouldn't constantly pester him about becoming a vice president. It was like a child asking for candy—persistent until she got what she wanted, and once she did, she might just run off.

Thinking this, Li Dong became even more convinced that it wasn't the right time to promote her. Otherwise, she might quit out of boredom after a while.

While these thoughts occupied his mind, Li Dong didn't slow down. He quickly reached the private room on the second floor of the restaurant.

Shen Qian hurried after him, asking, "Who are we meeting for dinner tonight? Why did you ask me to come? Can you handle it all by yourself?"

Li Dong deflected, saying, "You'll see when we get inside. Just remember to stay quiet."

As they talked, Li Dong found the private room. He pushed the door open, and Zhang Lanyu was just about to stand up to greet them when she saw Shen Qian behind him. The still-seated Chen Rui also noticed and stood up, saying, "President Li, Shen Qian, you came together?"

Shen Qian glanced around the room and, after recognizing the people there, frowned and muttered, "So it's you guys. If I'd known, I wouldn't have changed clothes. What a waste."

The room wasn't large, so everyone heard her grumbling.

Chen Rui's mouth twitched even more, and Zhang Lanyu, looking awkward, said, "Qian, have a seat. Let's talk."

Shen Qian huffed and nudged Wang Siwen, saying, "Move over. Li Dong and I will sit here."

Wang Siwen smiled and, without argument, moved to a different seat.

Shen Qian didn't take his seat but pulled Li Dong down next to her, then sat beside him herself. She casually remarked, "So it's you guys again. Is this about the construction project?"

She's not stupid. These people had pursued Li Dong all the way to Dongping, and considering Li Dong's meeting earlier that day was about the distribution center and Yuangfang Tower, Shen Qian naturally guessed their intentions.

Usually, she wouldn't involve herself in such matters, but since she happened to be here, she couldn't resist speaking up.

For a moment, no one in the room responded, unsure of how to proceed.

Li Dong secretly enjoyed the situation but maintained a serious expression, saying, "Shen Qian, don't interfere. I told you I'd handle this, but you insisted on causing trouble."

Shen Qian pinched him secretly, baring her teeth as if she wanted to settle the score with him.

Li Dong quickly whispered, "One meal, one car. If you're not happy, we can just part ways!"

"Bastard!" Shen Qian cursed under her breath, but then she smiled and said, "Just kidding, everyone. Go ahead and talk; I'm just here to join the fun. Pretend I'm not here."

Zhang Lanyu and Chen Rui felt frustrated. How could they just pretend she wasn't there?

They had prepared their pitch carefully, but now it seemed inappropriate.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Lanyu decided not to dwell on it and directly addressed Li Dong, "President Li, as Shen Qian mentioned, the reason we're here is to discuss taking on the construction of Yuangfang Tower and the distribution center. You name the terms."

They hadn't planned to be this straightforward, but with Shen Qian already spilling the beans, there was no point in beating around the bush.

Li Dong didn't respond directly but instead smiled and said, "Miss Zhang, Yuangfang Tower and the distribution center are still just plans. Yuangfang isn't ready to move forward with them anytime soon. Isn't it a bit early to discuss this now?"

"It's not too early. You've already started selecting sites, acquired the land in Huafu, and Yuangfang isn't short on funds. Construction will probably start soon, right?" Zhang Lanyu smiled in return.

Li Dong continued, "I heard you recently acquired a piece of land to develop a housing project. Why are you getting involved in construction now?"

"Real estate and construction go hand in hand. If there's money to be made, why not? Wouldn't you agree, President Li?"

Li Dong nodded but then smiled, saying, "But I also heard that Chengrui doesn't have its own construction company. If you take on the project, are you planning to subcontract it?"

His words weren't exactly polite, but Zhang Lanyu didn't get angry. Instead, she smiled and explained, "President Li, there's been a misunderstanding. Chengrui has already established its own construction company, fully equipped with all the necessary qualifications. If you don't believe me, you can check."

Li Dong smiled without saying anything.

Starting a company isn't difficult, and obtaining the necessary qualifications might be troublesome, but with Chen Rui and his friends' connections, it wouldn't be hard for them. The problem was that even if they set up a shell company, they would still lack experienced personnel. For them to take on such a large project like Yuangfang's was too ambitious.

Li Dong understood their game plan: just like with their previous land deal, they wanted to act as middlemen. They would secure the contract with him and then subcontract it to others.

He'd seen this plenty of times before, so it didn't surprise him.

But this wasn't just any project—Yuangfang Tower would be a place where he'd be spending a lot of time. If it ended up being shoddily constructed and collapsed in a strong wind, it could be dangerous for him.

Seeing Li Dong's silence, Zhang Lanyu frowned, wanting to say more, but Shen Qian's presence made her hold back.

No matter how persuasive she was, some things couldn't be said in front of Shen Qian.

Feeling frustrated, Zhang Lanyu remained silent, and Chen Rui felt even worse. After a long pause, he managed to say, "President Li, to be honest, if we take on your project and partner with Provincial No. 1 Construction, the cost won't be any higher than if you hired them directly. You won't lose anything. Please consider it."

Li Dong looked at him and, after a moment of thought, asked, "And what about the quality of the construction?"

"Don't you trust the reputation of Provincial No. 1 Construction?"

Li Dong smiled without responding. Reputation aside, it was unwise to rely solely on that. Jiangbei's No. 1 Construction Company might be well-known, but in terms of reputation, it might not be as strong as Longhua Group's subsidiary, Longhua Construction.

If it were up to Li Dong, he'd prefer to work with Longhua rather than Chen Rui and his associates.

Li Dong had anticipated their agenda before coming, which is why he had asked Shen Qian to join him. With her presence, Chen Rui and the others were more restrained in their approach. Without her, Chen Rui's attitude might have been less accommodating.

Glancing at Shen Qian, who was happily eating, Li Dong couldn't help but chuckle to himself—his "treasure that guards the mountain" was indeed effective.