Chapter 412: Dig At My Corner In Front of Me?

The next afternoon, as dusk fell, a cocktail party hosted by LaShou’s website officially began, lighting up the venue.

Inside the luxurious hall, a red carpet stretched from outside the door to the interior leading to tables laden with wine-filled goblets and a massive champagne tower facing the entrance.

Crystal chandeliers dangled magnificently from the ceiling, sparkling in conjunction with the wine glasses, casting shimmering reflections.

Jiang Qin arrived at the venue and found Tan Qing already waiting, so he picked up two glasses of wine and handed one to her.

“Boss, can I not drink?”

“Not used to this?”

Holding her own glass, Tan Qing looked at the wine and nodded lightly.

After some thought, Jiang Qin said, “Let’s go!” and took her to the front desk to secretly swap their wine with cola.

When they returned, their drinks were now dark and fizzy, bubbling distinctly not like genuine red wine, but given the crowd and glaring lights, it was unlikely anyone noticed.

At that moment, Zhang Wenchao, who had dined with Jiang Qin the day before, also arrived. He looked around upon entering the venue and soon spotting Jiang Qin, he headed straight over.

Upon entering a new environment, especially when playing an inconspicuous role, people instinctively look for someone they know, both as a psychological comfort and almost reflex action.

“You’re quite early.”

“Yeah, there’s nothing much to do at the hotel.”

Jiang Qin responded and raised his glass to gesture, which Zhang Wenchao noticed and quickly picked up a glass from the table.

At the same time, he sneakily mimicked Jiang Qin’s way of holding his glass.

Soon after, Song Yaqian, Guo Feng, and others also arrived, gathering around Zhang Wenchao again.

“Hurry and get a drink, don’t act like it’s your first time at such an event.”

“Oh right, right, I almost forgot,” Zhang Wenchao exclaimed.

The group turned and picked up their glasses.

Zhang Wenchao, seeing this, smiled and then glanced at Jiang Qin who was whispering to a woman nearby.

Following his gaze, Guo Feng couldn’t resist coughing, “He actually wore a Patek Philippe here.”

“The big shots here can spot a fake in a second.”

Someone named Xu, unable to resist, chuckled and added, “But no big shot here cares about us anyway.”

“Maybe not, Yaqian isn’t just here for nothing, maybe she’ll introduce us to some later, right Yaqian?”

“Sure, though I don’t know many, just a few.”

As Song Yaqian spoke, she suddenly tapped Jiang Qin and pointed at his watch subtly, “People can tell, cover it up a bit.”

“?”

Jiang Qin looked down at his accessory, his expression changed, and he quickly pulled his sleeve over it.

Damn, that was close to showing off wealth.

Seeing this, Song Yaqian thought he felt embarrassed about wearing a fake piece, sighed heavily—really, the quality of people that group buying attracts is so mixed.

Guo Feng and Zhang Wenchao wanted her to introduce them to top industry figures, unsure whether Jiang Qin would follow, she didn’t know how she’d introduce him.

Soon, the peak time for arrivals came; Nuomi’s delegation arrived first followed by a flurry of greetings among dispersed participants heading towards the center.

Representatives from Suixin Group, LaShou, and various other groups like 24Coupon and WoWo arrived shortly after.

With their arrival, the once quiet venue instantly buzzed with activity.

Jiang Qin, holding his drink with visible boredom, managed to impress some bystanders who unconsciously tried to emulate him but couldn’t quite match the flair.

“Ye Ziqing, Cui Yiting, even Liu Yin are here, so that guy must be Zhou Zhenhao?”

“Should be,” Tan Qing nodded.

Jiang Qin crossed his arms, “That means two things; Sui Xin’s operations in Shanghai are stable or they’re struggling to continue.”

Whispering, Tan Qing shared, “You’re right, boss. I heard Zhou Zhenhao didn’t have a smooth start, and the market he just entered was taken back.”

“If Shanghai’s market doesn’t break through and Shanghai’s market is under dual pressure, they’ll have to sell soon or it’s over.”

“Will they sell?”

Jiang Qin shook his head, “With Ye Ziqing’s temperament, she’d rather drive it into the ground than let go.”

Tan Qing sighed, “If it were me, I might really not be able to continue in that situation.”

“Exactly, so senior really is resilient, just not sure if that’s a flaw or a strength.”

While they talked, a group of young entrepreneurs from various group buying platforms also started networking.

Predominantly, Song Yaqian spoke, well-versed and experienced in the group buying circle, making her introduction of others seem highly familiar.

“That’s Liao Dong from Nuomi’s marketing, he’s in charge of the Shanghai market.”

“And that’s Kang Jingtao from LaShou’s marketing; he used to handle Shanghai now he’s in charge of Shanghai, I’ve had dinner with him.”

“That should be Ye Ziqing from Sui Xin, starting group buying websites since 2005, truly a pioneer in the field and a representative for us female entrepreneurs.”

Dressed in a sharp black dress, her neck adorned with sparkling pearls, Song Yaqian added, “Let’s wait for the big shots to finish talking then I’ll introduce you.”

Hearing this, everyone thanked her.

They really wanted to sell their websites for quick cash; having someone to guide them felt like a rare opportunity.

After a little while, as the initial mingling in the center of the event wound down, Kang Jingtao from LaShou stepped away from the crowd and began scanning the area. His eyes brightened when he spotted Jiang Qin’s group, and he quickly walked over in his leather shoes.

Song Yaqian felt unexpectedly flattered by this.

Although she had dined with Kang Jingtao before, it was a large gathering, and she was sitting in a corner, surprised he even remembered her.

“Mr. Kang, long time no see.”

Kang Jingtao paused, then smiled broadly, “Yaqian, right?”

Song Yaqian nodded, “Yes, you have a great memory.”

Kang Jingtao acknowledged with a nod and turned to Tan Qing, extending his hand, “LaShou’s marketing manager, Kang Jingtao.”

Tan Qing, taken aback by his sudden greeting, boldly introduced herself, “Icebreaker Queen, Tan Qing.”

“…”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jiang Qin noted Tan Qing’s confident demeanor, impressed by how boldly she wore the nickname he had given.

Meanwhile, the surrounding student entrepreneurs were also taken aback, just realizing that LaShou’s manager was here specifically to meet her.

They had been chatting together without paying her much attention, now feeling somewhat regretful.

Because one came looking and one was sought, the disparity in status was stark.

But the next words from Kang Jingtao truly surprised them.

“Miss Tan, I’ve been in the group buying market a long time and worked as a consultant at a top marketing firm. The only time I was ever thwarted was by you at the Group Buying Food Festival… utterly unparalleled.”

As they talked, Liao Dong from Nuomi also approached.

He initially came to chat with Kang Jingtao, but the latter promptly introduced him to Tan Qing, mentioning she was the manager of group buying.

Liao Dong was stunned, remembering their harsh entry into the Shanghai market via university town promotions; they suffered losses and paid a lot only to learn days ago that all nine involved websites were actually one entity.

Such a dirty trick by a girl? Hard for him to imagine.

“Miss Tan, a sight_motorcyclist formidable—you really had me wanting to cry when I was managing the Shanghai market.”

Following up on Liao Dong’s words, Kang Jingtao spoke again, “Miss Tan, although we were opponents before, I truly admire you. Any chance we could work together in the future?”

“…”

Silence fell over the room.

The student entrepreneur team fell silent because of how Kang Jingtao and Liao Dong, major industry figures, had stumbled against her, something hard for them to imagine.

And Song Yaqian was silent knowing about the competitive encounters with group buying, not realizing the group buying manager was right beside her.

Jiang Qin, Tan Qing, and Liao Dong remained silent, knowing Kang Jingtao’s old habit had surfaced—he wanted to poach Tan Qing.

Suddenly, Jiang Qin began clapping, drawing everyone’s attention.

Song Yaqian, Zhang Wenchao, Guo Feng, and the other students were stunned, fearing Jiang Qin would interrupt the big shots’ discussion—was he mad? Moreover, was this really the time for applause?

Little did they know, Jiang Qin not only interrupted but also stepped forward and patted Kang Jingtao on the shoulder, “Mr. Kang, congratulations on your new job. Do you have a social security card? I’ll have them start your contributions tomorrow, and by the way, there’s no probation period!”

“?”

Kang Jingtao, puzzled, looked towards Tan Qing, only to see her smiling slightly, “Mr. Kang, Mr. Liao, let me introduce—this is my boss. Mr. Kang, when would you like to start? Since our boss has spoken, there’s definitely no issue. Hope to work well together in the future.”

“Uh, well…”

Kang Jingtao was flabbergasted, thinking to himself, I’m not joining group buying; I was trying to poach you! What’s all this about social security and no probation?

But he couldn’t voice it out. After all, trying to poach someone right to their face, and they still managed to respond with a smile without splashing wine in his face showed great restraint.

Kang Jingtao chuckled briefly, “I was just kidding earlier. How should I address the boss?”

Jiang Qin extended his hand generously, “Jiang Qin. Mr. Kang can call me Daniel.”

“Mr. Jiang, I’ve heard much about you.”

“Ah, calling me Mr. Jiang feels too distant. If you’re hesitant to call me Daniel, just call me boss. I mean what I say—no probation period, starting social contributions tomorrow.”

Knowing he was being mocked, Kang Jingtao could only return a forced smile, “Thank you, Mr. Jiang, for your cultivation. I’ll get my social security card sorted tomorrow.”

After a few more exchanges to ease the awkwardness, Kang Jingtao excused himself because of other commitments.

In truth, as LaShou’s marketing manager, he didn’t need to humble himself so much in front of Jiang Qin given LaShou’s top position, while Group Buying was still relatively unknown.

Yet, there was no choice; attempting to poach someone in their presence without humility really wasn’t feasible—he certainly didn’t want wine thrown at him.

“This kid is quite interesting.”

Watching Kang Jingtao’s retreating figure, Jiang Qin remarked nonchalantly, his casual tone making the surrounding student entrepreneurs’ hair stand on end.

“By the way, Tan Qing, you’re not seriously considering switching jobs, are you?”

Tan Qing immediately widened her eyes, “How dare I, boss? Even if you sold me, I’d still pick up trash all the way back here.”

Jiang Qin turned to her, “Why?”

“Because in the end, you win the game.”

“Tan Qing, you’ve grown.”

As the sound faded, the student onlookers exchanged glances, some grinning sheepishly.

They now understood—whatever about Jizhou Vocational College, this person’s status in the group buying market was far higher than theirs, with even Kang Jingtao having to appease him.

Even so…

Referring to a senior like Mr. Kang as “this kid” still seemed a bit too presumptuous.

“Mr. Kang is a big shot in the industry, polite to keep a low profile, but you can’t really overstep and act like an elder. Is your status really higher than Lashou Network?”

“He calls Mr. Kang ‘this kid’?”

“Feels a bit too much like he’s putting on airs…”

“He only said it after Mr. Kang had left. I guess he wouldn’t dare say it to his face…”

Guo Feng spoke the last sentence, although quietly, and turned to find Jiang Qin looking right at him.

Guo Feng quickly pretended to examine his wine glass and changed the subject: “Er, President Jiang, how do you make your drink froth like that? I can’t seem to do it.”

“It’s because I’m drinking cola.”

“????”

As they were speaking, suddenly three women approached them.

One with long hair draped over her shoulders wearing a champagne-colored evening gown, another in a sparkling silver floor-length dress with a black belt, and the last in a black and gold fishtail dress.

Seeing these three, the group of university student entrepreneurs straightened their backs, adjusting their clothes and ties.

They knew one of them, Ye Ziqing from Suixin Group, and another seemed to be from Suixin’s management.

Although Suixin Group was in a tough spot, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse, so these entrepreneurs hoped to make a good impression, just in case she decided to buy.

But the next second, the girl arm-in-arm with Ye Ziqing spoke up, “Uncle Jiang, long time no see.”

“Long time no see.”