Chapter 279: Gains and Losses
This woman really is... quite narrow-minded.
Her actions inevitably led Li Liqin, who happened to see this, to misunderstand.
"Do you know this pretty lady? Do you want to invite her over?" Li Liqin inquired seemingly naturally, with a calm tone.
Chen Feng originally wanted to explain, but felt it was unnecessary. They had just met, and he really didn't need to explain anything to her, so he said, "Not really, ignore her."
"Oh?" Li Liqin was clearly a bit skeptical, but didn't ask further, as they had just gotten acquainted.
Chen Feng picked up the cappuccino in front of him, it was a bit hot, so he blew on it and took a gentle sip. The taste was indeed unique.
This coffee, he had only heard about it before and never tasted it. Giving it a try now, there was a strong coffee flavor in his mouth, a mix of bitterness and richness, with the bitterness carrying a sweetness, yet harmoniously balanced—truly magically delicious.
"Can you tell me more specifically about the products you design?"
The two couldn't just sit idly, so Chen Feng proactively brought up a topic.
"We design a wide variety of products, mainly focusing on healthcare products and cosmetics at the moment. We also do some soft furnishing design, which mainly serves those high-end clients, targeting private design."
Li Liqin casually mentioned her work content and then asked Chen Feng, "What about you? Do you have any other businesses besides the film company you just set up?"
"I've also invested in another company. So, just two companies at the moment."
Chen Feng didn't deliberately hide anything.
"What company have you invested in?" Li Liqin inquired further.
Chen Feng glanced at her and casually said, "Dianchuang Culture Company, have you heard of it?"
Li Liqin thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I've seen it somewhere before, it's somewhat famous here in Xiu Zhou, isn't it?"
"Yes. It used to be the leading company in the same industry here in Xiu Zhou, but it has declined in the past couple of years."
"Since it's declined, why did you invest?"
With a curious expression, Li Liqin observed him. This man had a calm demeanor, appeared casual, exuded confidence and affability, and naturally carried a sense of mystery. It changed her previously perfunctory mindset.
In fact, the main reason she proactively arranged this meeting with Chen Feng was due to pressure from her uncle, Li Shengping. She had been close to this capable second uncle since childhood, while she had little respect for her own nice-guy dad.
Originally, she didn't hold much hope for Chen Feng, this "blind date candidate," but upon meeting him in person, she had to admit he had striking looks. Although a bit chubby, he was undeniably handsome, and his overall demeanor was very pleasant.
And now, after a brief chat, she appreciated his eloquence, especially when, earlier, a young pretty lady at another table raised her coffee cup to signal him, yet Chen Feng remained indifferent, which made her regard him highly.
Generally, men wouldn't remain so unaffected under such gestures from a beautiful woman.
Now she heard Chen Feng had invested in another somewhat notable company, indicating financial status wasn't an issue.
"It's precisely because it declined that I could invest. Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten a share. Actually, I used to work at this company, and I have some affection for it. Just as it happens, a few original shareholders wanted to sell their shares, so I bought them."
Upon hearing this, Li Liqin became more interested, quickly asking, "You worked at this company before? What exactly did you do?"
"Planning consultant. The core departments of Dianchuang Culture Company are planning and sales. I used to work in the planning department for several years."
"So you used to be in planning! That's really impressive. It's a very brain-consuming job, and being able to do it for so many years, it shows your capability is quite high."
Li Liqin considered herself to be highly educated and intelligent, and indeed, she was. Naturally, her ideal partner also had to meet similar standards.
Previously, she had several—not just the two romantic experiences she mentioned to Chen Feng—boyfriends both domestically and abroad, but all were ultimately proven to lack the intellectual and knowledgeable levels she required in a mate.
Now, although Chen Feng was only a 985 university graduate, being able to work in a planning company for several years clearly indicated he was intelligent.
Moreover, Chen Feng now possessed assets worth over a hundred million, which allowed her to overlook some of his shortcomings. In any case, from what she had observed, Chen Feng had no noticeable deficiencies—a rare find for someone as picky as her.
"Thank you for the compliment. Compared to you, a designer earning over a million annually, I'm far off. My highest salary barely crossed ten thousand before."
"In fact, I don't earn that much. My current monthly salary is only fifty to sixty thousand, and with bonuses at the end of the year, it hardly exceeds eight to nine hundred thousand a year."
"Isn't that close to a million?"
"After all, it's not quite there. It must be my uncle bragging again."
"It's not that far off. Your uncle wasn't exaggerating much."
"No matter how accomplished I am, I'm just an employee now. The company only gives a little bonus every year. But you're the boss—compared to you, I'm nowhere close."
Chen Feng smiled, shaking his head, saying, "You're being too nitpicky. Why compare with me?"
"That's true." Li Liqin laughed and asked, "But, how did you get rich? You're not a second-generation rich, are you?"
"You might not believe it, but I won the lottery—a jackpot—and that's how I got rich."
Li Liqin was momentarily stunned but then laughed, "If someone else said that, I wouldn't believe it at all. But since you said it, I somehow do."
"You clearly differ from the average woman, having your own mind," Chen Feng complimented.
"That's gender discrimination. Do ordinary women not have brains?"
"Haha, I didn't say that. It's just that most people don't believe me when I say that."
"Actually, at first, I didn't believe it either. But since you're not a second-generation rich and suddenly became wealthy, assuming you didn't do anything illegal, winning the lottery is quite a reasonable explanation. It's the most likely reason after excluding other factors."
"Alright. Your analysis is sharp, you're indeed sharp-minded."
"So you've bought a house in Xiu Zhou now? Where is it?"
This was pretty direct.
"Red Villa Bay, have you heard of it?"
"Of course, it's a large residential area, not too far from here. Back when it opened, my family wanted to buy a place there, but unfortunately, the prices were too high for us to afford it."
"Where does your family live now?"
"My parents still live in the old housing unit assigned by their workplace. They're both teachers at the same school. My dad is now retired, and my mom continues to shine at an off-campus tutoring center."
"So you've moved out to live alone now?"
"Yes, I'm twenty-eight this year. At this age, living with my parents doesn't look right. Besides, I don't want to be controlled by them all the time."