Chapter 237: A Small Request Isn’t Too Much to Ask
Yun Zijin simply nodded at Wen Sier in greeting.
Most of the attendees at today’s conference were older researchers, so Wen Sier had planned relatively simple looks for Lu Yunque and Yun Zijin.
Yun Zijin’s was a sleeveless white gown with an asymmetrical ruffled hem.
Lu Yunque wore a classic black formal suit, adorned with a fine jewelry brooch.
The brooch was something Lu Yunque had picked from his own collection of accessories, and he had also prepared all the jewelry Yun Zijin was wearing today.
Her pieces were crafted from the same natural diamond as his brooch.
This was a bit of sly planning on Lu Yunque’s part. He’d had the matching couple’s jewelry set made long ago, just waiting for an opportunity to wear it with Yun Zijin.
This way, even if they weren’t wearing matching outfits, anyone who saw their jewelry would know they were a couple.
Throughout the process, Yun Zijin was like a doll, letting Wen Sier apply this and that to her face.
"Miss Yun’s skin is wonderful, so I won’t apply too much makeup..."
From the first moment he saw Yun Zijin, Wen Sier felt as if he had encountered his muse.
A very pure and simple kind of muse.
That was why his attitude toward Yun Zijin was even more enthusiastic than it was toward Lu Yunque while he was styling them.
Lu Yunque watched from the side, green with envy, but he knew Wen Sier had no ulterior motives toward Yun Zijin.
His eyes held only professional appreciation for Yun Zijin, not the affection between a man and a woman.
’It was just a habitual pang of jealousy, but he could still control himself.’
At noon, just as Lu Yunque had promised, he had already arranged for food to be delivered, so Yun Zijin didn’t have to go hungry.
Because the styles were relatively simple, their looks were finally complete by 3:00 p.m.
The conference was scheduled for 5:00 p.m. and would last for about three hours, ending at 8:00 p.m.
This schedule was supposedly set to keep the researchers from having to stay up late.
End at eight, get home by nine, wash up by ten, and be in bed just before eleven.
However, since Yun Zijin and Lu Yunque finished their styling right at 3:00, the timing was perfect. The drive to the conference hotel would take about an hour, or possibly two if they ran into traffic.
But 3:00 p.m. wasn’t rush hour, so Yun Zijin figured they probably wouldn’t run into any traffic.
Not long after the two got into the car, Lu Yunque’s phone rang.
Yun Zijin glanced over inadvertently and saw only the name "Li" on the caller ID.
’Of all the people around Lu Yunque with the surname Li, the only one she knew of was Li Yuexing. Li Yue Xuan didn’t count.’
Lu Yunque put the call on speakerphone.
"Old Lu, where are you? We should all head in together in a bit!"
’Judging by his tone, Li Yuexing must have received an invitation too,’ she thought.
"I have my girlfriend with me. I’m not like you guys."
In previous years, Lu Yunque had always entered with Li Yuexing and the others, but this year was different. He was now a man with a girlfriend by his side.
’No, more accurately, they had both received invitations. They were equals, not one being the other’s accessory.’
"What! You have a girlfriend?! Since when? How come we didn’t know?"
Li Yuexing’s tone was filled with utter disbelief, as if it were absolutely impossible for Lu Yunque to find a girlfriend.
"We haven’t told anyone, so you’d better not go spreading it around."
The main reason was that Yun Zijin felt it wasn’t appropriate to be too high-profile while she was still a student.
If people found out she was the girlfriend of President Xiao Lu of the Lu Family, they would dig up every last thing about her.
Yun Zijin didn’t want to add to Mei Lin’s workload.
"Who is it? It couldn’t be... Zijing, could it?"
There had indeed been some rumors about Yun Zijin and Lu Yunque circulating recently, but Li Yuexing hadn’t believed them for a second. In his mind, Yun Zijin deserved someone better... someone like him, for instance.
Lu Yunque fell silent. ’Silence is admission!’
Li Yuexing’s mood instantly soured, but he couldn’t get angry at Lu Yunque or Yun Zijin.
In the end, he could only hang up the phone. Out of sight, out of mind.
The conference was being held at the Jinsheng Hotel, and the Lu Family was its sole sponsor.
The drive from Wen Sier’s studio to the Jinsheng Hotel took about forty minutes.
Although it wasn’t time for the event to start, the venue was already filled with quite a few people.
But Lu Yunque didn’t want to wait in the main hall, so he led Yun Zijin directly to the private room he had arranged for himself at previous conferences.
It was an annual tradition. Without Lu Yunque even having to say a word, Mo Bin would have it all arranged for him down to the last detail.
"It’s not time yet, so let’s wait here. Li Yuexing and the others should be here soon."
After so many years, it was a given. Lu Yunque knew they would come over without them even having to say anything.
Yun Zijin nodded. This suited her perfectly, as she had no desire to stand around waiting in the main hall in her formal gown.
"I have a list of today’s conference attendees. Want to take a look?"
Once inside the room, Lu Yunque produced a document from out of nowhere.
Besides the conference’s internal staff, only Lu Yunque could obtain it, since the event was held at the Jinsheng Hotel, a property of the Lu Family.
For Yun Zijin, this was a pleasant little surprise.
"There’s a list? Are you sure I’m allowed to see it?"
’Isn’t this sort of thing supposed to be confidential?’
"Everyone attending is a public-facing researcher. There’s nothing confidential about it."
"As long as you don’t post it online without permission, there’s no problem."
Yun Zijin wasn’t interested in their research projects. She was looking for who had the most influence. If she were to invest money, she needed to know if it would help her achieve her desired outcome.
She wasn’t trying to make money from the investment; her main goal was to secure the permits to build her own private manor.
"Then who on this list do you think has the most influence?"
"For your private manor?"
Lu Yunque didn’t have any particular feelings about investing in research projects. After all, they typically required large investments and offered little hope of a short-term return.
As the president of the Lu Family’s corporation, he always had to consider the company’s best interests.
However, if Yun Zijin wanted to invest for the sake of her private manor, Lu Yunque did have a few candidates in mind.
"Exactly. I’m providing the investment, so it’s not too much to ask for a little something in return, right?"
’This money will most likely disappear without a trace. I can’t even make a small request?’
"In that case, I’d suggest you consider the first ten people on this list. The others likely won’t be able to deliver what you need."
Although Yun Zijin’s request seemed simple, the Xia Family’s plot of land in the South Suburb was, after all, within Dijing’s city limits. Getting approval from the higher-ups to build a private manor there would not be an easy task.
Lu Yunque had attended this conference several times before, so he had a basic understanding of most of the attendees.
Following Lu Yunque’s advice, Yun Zijin began to carefully review the names and brief introductions of the first ten people on the list.
"This Mr. Tang Zhaosong... his name sounds rather kind, doesn’t it?"
Yun Zijin pointed to the very first name on the list.