After that night, a new chapter began in Murong Feng's life.
Tang Qing couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated with Murong Feng. He was still so young, yet she couldn't see any ambition or drive in him like she saw in other men.
People are strange—if Murong Feng had been a very ambitious and driven man, Tang Qing might not have felt that inexplicable attraction to him in the first place. It was precisely Murong Feng's calm and indifferent demeanor that made Tang Qing find him special and want to be close to him. But now, having become familiar with him, she hoped Murong Feng could be more like other successful men, full of ambition and dominance.
"Murong, are you just going to spend your days lounging around like this? Haven't you thought about doing something?" Tang Qing couldn't help but ask. Murong Feng looked at her in surprise, seeing her usually graceful and composed face now furrowed with concern. He laughed, "I am doing things—writing articles for the magazine, working on the research group's reports, handling matters for Fengxing Company. Oh, and I attended the board meeting of Huayou a couple of days ago," he said, counting off on his fingers. His demeanor made Tang Qing both exasperated and amused.
"You write a week's worth of articles in a day, the research group's report was finalized long ago, and I remember you saying that the group is currently preparing for a company survey, so you haven't written a report for two weeks. And as for Fengxing Company, it seems like Ding Jun works more efficiently without you actually around!" Tang Qing effortlessly dismantled his arguments one by one. Murong Feng was stunned, "Janney, how do you know all this?"
Tang Qing couldn't help but smile wryly, "I come here to exercise and keep fit, but you seem to be training to become a professional fencer. You've even surpassed me on the fencer ranking board. Hobbies are good, but they shouldn't be your main occupation... Murong, you should put in more effort!"
Murong Feng nodded silently, reflecting on the mindset he had gained while filming "Striving Youth" and the sweet happiness of being in love with Ye Zi. He realized he hadn't been doing much productive work lately. He smiled at Tang Qing, "Yeah, I guess I have been a bit lazy recently." Although he enjoyed a free life, it didn't mean he didn't want to be more successful and make more progress.
Seeing that he was willing to listen to her, Tang Qing was delighted and said, "It's rare for our great Murong to be so open to advice. By the way, Murong, there's a delegation from the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce visiting Beijing in the next two days. Some of them are my good friends. Do you have time in the evening to meet with them? It seems they're very interested in investing in the mainland. Maybe you can discuss potential collaboration opportunities."
Murong Feng thought for a moment. He had nothing planned for the evening, and Ye Zi had mentioned she had to work late. So, he nodded and agreed, "A delegation from Hong Kong? Are they from those wealthy families? Should I change into something more formal?" Tang Qing gave him a scrutinizing look before smiling, "No need, you look quite handsome as you are."
Tang Qing's smile was absolutely stunning, mesmerizing anyone who saw it. Even Murong Feng, who was quite resistant to her charm, found himself momentarily dazed. He shook his head and sighed, "Janney, please, your smile is too lethal. Save it for tonight to charm those wealthy princes." Tang Qing gave him a sidelong glance, "Oh, since when did Master Murong become susceptible to my smile? Should I feel honored? Now it seems no woman can catch your eye besides Ye Zi, right?" Murong Feng quickly raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, I give up!"
Chang'an Club, one of Beijing's top four elite clubs, was located in the heart of the city on East Chang'an Avenue, adjacent to the Forbidden City and government offices. Because its founder, Ms. Chen Lihua, was a renowned Hong Kong tycoon, it had always been favored by Hong Kong's wealthy elite. Many of Hong Kong's top tycoons, such as Mr. Cheng Yu-tung, Chairman of New World International Limited, Mr. Li Ka-shing, Chairman of Cheung Kong Holdings, and Mr. Kwok Ping-sheung, Chairman and CEO of Sun Hung Kai Properties, were honorary directors of the Chang'an Club. This time, the delegation from the Hong Kong Chamber of Commerce included many members of the Chang'an Club, and the evening meeting was arranged to be held there.
Tang Qing, feeling lazy, didn't drive her convertible Mercedes-Benz CLK350 Grand Edition from the fencing club. Instead, she hitched a ride with Murong Feng back to the city. As they chatted idly in the car, Tang Qing joked, "You are one of my customers. If you find any issues with this car, let me know, and I'll have it replaced with a new one for you!" Murong Feng laughed, "That sounds great. Can I get another one for free?" Tang Qing laughed back, "Sure, if you're willing to buy another one of these, I'll give you a C-class car for free." Murong Feng scolded her jokingly, "You really are a shrewd businesswoman. Buying another one would cost almost 2 million, and you'd only give me a 300,000 car for free. Besides, Miss, company promotions aren't decided by you, right?"
Tang Qing scoffed, "You don't understand. Which promotion by Mercedes-Benz isn't decided by this young lady?" Murong Feng then remembered her position as the Marketing Director and was left speechless. Tang Qing, delighted to see him at a loss for words, laughed heartily. Unable to argue with this enchantress, Murong Feng quietly continued driving.
There was some traffic on the way, and by the time they arrived at the Chang'an Club, night had fallen, and the lights were just coming on. As they parked the car in the lot in front of the club, Tang Qing looked at the understated six-story building and frowned, "I don't understand why they like this old-fashioned place. It's all opulence and grandeur." Murong Feng, curious, asked her about it, learning that this club, unlike other top clubs, mainly enrolled members aged 45 to 55, including business leaders and government officials, and maintained a high level of privacy. If you weren't a member, you typically wouldn't be allowed inside. Murong Feng thought to himself, no wonder Zhou Haitao hadn't given him a membership card here.
Since Ms. Chen Lihua was of Manchu descent, from a noble family, she had a special affinity for red sandalwood from a young age. Due to her love for red sandalwood, her private collection of red sandalwood sculptures became a ubiquitous sight within the Chang'an Club. Red sandalwood, valued at tens of thousands of yuan per ton, adorned the club, showcasing its luxury and prestige. The red sandalwood sculptures at the entrance, the intricately carved red sandalwood screens in the Chinese restaurant, and other red sandalwood items were so exquisite that even the artisans from the Palace Museum admired them. The gilded, grand replica of the Golden Throne Hall at the entrance was striking, exuding an air of wealth and nobility. No wonder Tang Qing, who had studied in Europe for many years, didn't like it.
Tang Qing pouted, "My brothers are all members here. I usually avoid this place to prevent running into them and getting nagged." Saying that, she took out her phone to make a call.
Soon, a few young people came out from the club's main entrance. Seeing Tang Qing and Murong Feng, they approached with delighted expressions.