It was precisely this straightforward and honest disposition that drew him in.
"I currently manage dozens of carving factories that require metal cutting machines," he immediately stated. "While the cutting machines from Wu Ji Machine Tools are not the absolute best in the country, they still have a reputation. I was planning to find a new company to cooperate with, and your cousin works in that very field. As the saying goes, 'Don't let opportunities go to outsiders.' Why don't you invite your cousin over sometime? I'll discuss a collaboration with him in person."
Liu Yifeng listened, his expression one of surprise. A collaboration was already settled? He hadn't even said anything yet.
Seeing Liu Yifeng still looking somewhat bewildered, Wan Hui chuckled, "Brother Liu, my boss does things his own way and doesn't act solely on emotion. So, don't feel too much pressure. As long as your cousin's company's cutting machines meet the quality and precision standards, the collaboration is as good as confirmed."
Liu Yifeng finally snapped back to reality. He raised his wine glass and looked at Director Tan, "Director Tan, I'll thank you on behalf of my cousin. I'll tell him about this when I get back, and he'll contact you personally!"
After the meal, Liu Yifeng was already slightly tipsy. However, the dinner had been well worth it; at the very least, it had facilitated a potential collaboration between Kai Chen and Director Tan. Even though Director Tan hadn't explicitly stated he would collaborate, the fact that he had invited Kai Chen to meet and discuss the matter made it highly probable.
As they exited the private room, Liu Yifeng headed to the restroom. After finishing his business and washing his hands, he was about to head back. However, in the corridor, he encountered the man surnamed Gao who had previously tried to take his parking spot.
The other man also saw Liu Yifeng and couldn't resist a sneer, "I didn't expect you to actually get in. It seems I underestimated you!"
"We're both people. If you can get in, why can't I?" Liu Yifeng retorted.
"People are divided into different classes. This five-star hotel isn't a place just anyone can walk into. For someone like you, getting in even once is a stroke of luck." With that, he deliberately bumped into Liu Yifeng with force and then walked towards the restroom.
This scene was coincidentally witnessed by Tan Jiming. He asked Wan Hui, who was beside him, "What's going on with that guest? He seems to be targeting Mr. Liu!"
"Boss, that guest is Gao Haida. He's a regular at our hotel. Mr. Liu is dining here for the first time. By rights, they shouldn't know each other, should they? I'll investigate it later to see if there's some misunderstanding between them."
Tan Jiming nodded, "Although Liu Yifeng isn't a big shot yet, I can see he will have a significant presence in Haicheng in the future. Maintain a good relationship with him. As for our regular guest, it's not a big loss if we lose one. We certainly don't lack guests at our hotel. And you know why we don't lack guests? The core reason is Liu Yifeng. So, you need to know what's more important."
His words clearly implied that if it turned out Gao Haida had deliberately harassed Liu Yifeng, Liu Yifeng would be prioritized, and Gao Haida would be banned from the hotel.
Wan Hui was surprised by the high level of affirmation his boss gave Liu Yifeng after their first meeting.
At this moment, Liu Yifeng approached, "It's getting late, so I'll be heading back." He didn't mention the incident, not because he was weak, but because some people and situations weren't worth wasting his breath on.
"Mr. Liu, I've already arranged for a driver to wait outside. Please visit again when you have time!" Director Tan said.
"Brother Liu, I'll escort you out," Wan Hui gestured.
Finally, Liu Yifeng had an opportunity to speak with Wan Hui alone. He expressed his gratitude, "Manager Wan, I'm very thankful for your help with my cousin's matter. Otherwise, Director Tan wouldn't have agreed to meet and discuss it so readily."
"Brother Liu, you're being too formal. Besides, I didn't do much. It's because our boss genuinely appreciates you that he's willing to collaborate with your cousin."
"Appreciates me?" Liu Yifeng looked surprised.
Wan Hui quickly clarified, "Please don't misunderstand. When I say 'appreciates,' I mean admires, not in that sense. Our boss has children; his sexual orientation is absolutely fine."
Liu Yifeng nodded, "I also quite like your boss. He's different from the big bosses I imagined. He doesn't put on airs at all and speaks very approachable."
Liu Yifeng spoke these words sincerely. In his experience, most bosses were arrogant. Facing someone like him, a nobody, most people would dismiss him with disdain. But Director Tan was different. From the moment they met, his eyes were always smiling, showing no hint of contempt. He even proactively offered to collaborate with Liu Yifeng's cousin. Who else would readily agree to such a proposal? After all, collaboration involved significant financial investment.
"The most important thing for a boss is their vision. Whether they are ordinary people or important figures, they shouldn't judge others with prejudice. There's a saying, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river,' and 'Never scorn a young man for being poor.' No one remains poor forever, and no one remains rich forever. In short, more friends mean more paths, and more enemies mean more walls. You don't have any deep hatred, and you've brought a lot of business to our hotel. Our boss has already considered you a valuable asset. Come to the hotel for drinks anytime, and I'll cover the bill."
"Oh, that would be too much. Not paying for meals would be like freeloading!" While occasional exceptions were fine, doing so repeatedly would tarnish even the best impression. Liu Yifeng understood this well.
Upon arriving outside the hotel, a black Audi A6 was parked precisely in the center of the hotel entrance. This was the latest model for the year, a popular choice for business executives. Looking at its sleek exterior, Liu Yifeng felt a pang of desire. He had been planning to buy a new car himself; it wasn't ideal to keep borrowing Qiangzi's car.
"Brother Liu, where are your minivan keys? I'll have someone drive it back for you!" Wan Hui opened the rear door of the Audi and gestured for Liu Yifeng to get in.
Sitting in such a luxury car, Liu Yifeng suddenly felt his own vehicle seemed a bit inadequate. Indeed, a minivan close to being scrapped looked out of place at a five-star hotel. Being looked down upon was understandable. However, it was still Qiangzi's car, and he had to return it even if he wasn't going to drive it anymore. He immediately handed his car keys to Wan Hui.
"Drive safely!" Wan Hui closed the car door and then handed the keys to a staff member. The staff member looked at the Wuling Hongguang keys and thought he must be mistaken. Which guest at their hotel drove a car worth tens, hundreds, or even millions? This was the first time he had seen someone arrive in a Wuling Hongguang, and Manager Wan was treating the owner with such importance. He must be an extraordinary person. If he was so extraordinary, why would he drive such a car? However, he was just an employee and dared not ask further questions. Taking the car keys, he followed at a distance.
After watching the car drive away, Wan Hui found the security guard who had initially accosted Liu Yifeng.
"Manager Wan, do you have any instructions?" The security guard, seeing Wan Hui approach, feared he was about to settle scores and his voice dropped.
"I want to ask you, when Mr. Liu was parking, besides you, did he have any unpleasant encounters with anyone else?"
Since Liu Yifeng had been at the hotel the entire time, he couldn't have had an unpleasant encounter with Gao Haida in the interim. Therefore, it must have happened before Wan Hui picked him up, or they had known each other for a long time. If there was a prior feud, Wan Hui wouldn't interfere. But if the unpleasantness occurred within their hotel, then he would take full responsibility. Therefore, he wanted to confirm whether the incident happened at the hotel or elsewhere.
The security guard replied truthfully, "Mr. Liu had an unpleasant encounter with Mr. Gao. Mr. Gao not only took Mr. Liu's parking spot but also said some unpleasant things. However, Mr. Liu has a good temper and didn't stoop to Mr. Gao's level."
This was the result Wan Hui least wanted to hear. However, since it had already happened, he needed to provide Liu Yifeng with an explanation. "Alright, I understand!"