Chapter 109: Affection Grows Over Time

Sun Yibin wore a humble smile and said, “Young Master Ling, I know your taste is exquisite, so I’ve brought out the top beauties from the bar’s best reserve. Rest assured, these four ladies are genuine and have received professional training.”

“So you mean to say they’re not just ornaments, but embodiments of both beauty and wisdom?” Ling Tian teased.

“Embodiments of beauty and wisdom?” Upon hearing this, Sun Yibin quickly waved his hand and said, “Young Master Ling, in all of Yunhai City, there’s only one person worthy of that title—your fiancée, Miss Mu Qingcheng. Compared to her, these four beauties are merely mortals.”

Such flattery was executed with remarkable finesse. It also subtly conveyed to Ling Tian that Sun Yibin was somewhat capable—he had already learned about what transpired tonight at the Nangong Family Hotel. His purpose was to catch Ling Tian’s attention, understanding that befriending powerful individuals requires a certain level of capital.

Ling Tian smiled faintly, thinking to himself that Sun Yibin was clever; conversing with him was easy, and he grasped things immediately.

“I prefer dealing with intelligent people,” Ling Tian said lightly.

Sun Yibin smiled and replied, “Compared to you, Young Master Ling, I’m just a minor wit. You possess great wisdom. I’ve always believed that only by following the strong can one grow stronger. And one must follow wholeheartedly; otherwise, there’s no place to be buried.”

Hearing this, Ling Tian nodded quietly. Sun Yibin knew when to advance and retreat—a seasoned operator. He was expressing loyalty. From Ling Tian’s recent observations, he felt Sun Yibin was someone he could cooperate with. Sun Yibin had a foothold in Yunhai City, and with his help, Zhao Ming could grow rapidly.

“I brought Zhao Ming here today; you should understand my meaning. So, how you arrange things is up to you,” Ling Tian said calmly. If one wished to tag along, they had to show some sincerity and capability.

Sun Yibin nodded and said, “I’ve already begun making arrangements. By my calculations, my friends should be arriving soon. Please wait a moment; I’ll go and urge them.” With that, Sun Yibin stood, took out his phone, and went out to make some calls. Ling Tian could clearly hear his anxious voice urging them from inside the private room.

“Zhao Ming, what business is your boss in?” Ling Tian asked casually.

Zhao Ming, now a bit more accustomed, had his complexion return to normal, though he still looked somewhat nervous.

“I work at a stone factory, cutting stone—mostly precious stones. Oh, now that you mention it, I just remembered something. Recently, our boss brought in a batch of stones, and one of them was very strange. When cutting it, we found a fist-sized black stone inside, extremely hard,” Zhao Ming said, his expression strange. It was evidently his first time encountering such a thing, and it was quite eerie.

Ling Tian’s interest was immediately piqued. Perhaps it was a rare treasure. He quickly asked, “Tell me the details; maybe I can make use of it.”

Hearing that Ling Tian might find it useful, Zhao Ming perked up. Since high school, Ling Tian had been helping him; now that he could return the favor, how could he not be excited?

“Don’t rush. Let me think carefully,” Zhao Ming said, trying to calm himself and recall the events.

After about a minute, his eyes suddenly brightened. “Because that stone came from Meishan—natural stone—and was quite expensive, the boss specifically instructed that it must not be wasted. We had to find a way to cut open the black stone inside and then use fuel to dye it the same color as the surrounding stone.”

Zhao Ming paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing, “We tried many methods but couldn’t cut it open, even going through ten blades. Later, we tried cutting it with oxy-fuel welding, but that didn’t work either.”

Oxy-fuel welding had no effect? That was over two thousand degrees Celsius!

Ling Tian was almost certain that it was a treasure of some kind. What exactly it was remained unknown, but to find out, he would have to see it in person.

“Where is it now?” Ling Tian asked eagerly. On resource-scarce Earth, it was rare to come across such a valuable item, and he absolutely couldn’t miss it. He was itching to go see what kind of treasure it was.

Zhao Ming replied, “I’m responsible for that stone. Before leaving work, I put it in the workshop.”

“Then tomorrow morning, we go immediately. It would be a shame if it got lost,” Ling Tian said excitedly.

Zhao Ming smiled, “The big stone surrounding the black one weighs several tons. Even a forklift can’t lift it. Don’t worry. Also, I have the workshop key.”

Hearing this, Ling Tian completely relaxed. After calming down, he scolded himself for being so nervous. Besides himself, no one else would know the stone’s value. Nobody wasted time on worthless things.

At that moment, Sun Yibin pushed the door open. Behind him were four strangers, all in their thirties, looking shrewd and experienced. As soon as they entered, their eyes immediately fixed on Ling Tian. Clearly, they knew he was the main figure.

“Allow me to introduce. This is Ling Tian, Mu Qingcheng’s fiancé and a distinguished guest of the Nangong Family. This is Ling Tian’s good brother and also my good brother, Zhao Ming,” Sun Yibin said.

Then he introduced the others: “This is General Manager Zhang… this is General Manager Wang… this is General Manager Li…”

Sun Yibin knew Ling Tian wanted Zhao Ming to start a company and do big business, so he brought over his closest and most powerful friends to help Zhao Ming build connections. In China, connections are paramount. With enough connections, making money becomes easy.

After Sun Yibin’s introductions, Ling Tian and Zhao Ming stood up and shook hands with each of the four. Both wore calm expressions. Ling Tian had seen all kinds of scenes; a few mere managers didn’t faze him. Zhao Ming, having witnessed Ling Tian’s strength, was already numb to such things.

However, the four managers were delighted beyond measure. Sun Yibin had called them, saying he would introduce two big shots, so they hurried over. But none of them had imagined that the person introduced would be such a formidable figure.

He was a distinguished guest of one of the Four Great Families—the Nangong Family—and the fiancé of Mu Qingcheng.

Setting everything else aside, simply winning the heart of the famed ice-cold female CEO of Yunhai City was remarkable.

The four men scrutinized Ling Tian carefully. He was too young—only about twenty—and his looks were unremarkable except for his deep, penetrating eyes.

How did he become a distinguished guest of the Nangong Family? How did he capture Mu Qingcheng’s heart? Their minds brimmed with questions.

But knowing Sun Yibin’s reputation for rigor, never exaggerating and even conservative, it was clear this young man was truly extraordinary.

“Greetings, Young Master Ling, Young Master Zhao,” the four managers greeted respectfully, their attitude even more devout than Sun Yibin’s.

Ling Tian nodded indifferently, then pointed to Zhao Ming and said, “This is my brother. I hope you’ll take good care of him.”

Zhao Ming stood and greeted the four managers.

Sun Yibin lifted his glass and said to Ling Tian, “Young Master Ling, your brother is our brother. If there’s anything you need, just say the word. If we can do it, we will not hesitate.”

“That’s enough for me,” Ling Tian replied lightly, then raised his glass and drank it down in one gulp.

The meal lasted over an hour.

Ling Tian knew well that the four newcomers were wealthy, and with their combined resources, they could be helpful. They were the kind who were not adept at helping in times of dire need but excelled at adding value when things were going well. They could be used and cooperated with but not trusted as close friends.

As for Sun Yibin, he seemed acceptable for now but still needed further testing.

After the meal, Zhao Ming felt drowsy and leaned back on the sofa, yawning repeatedly. Long nights at work had left him perpetually fatigued.

Sun Yibin said, “The rooms are ready. Gentlemen, please proceed upstairs.”

The four pure and lovely young women split into two pairs, each following behind Ling Tian and Zhao Ming. It was obvious they were there to attend to them overnight.

Before entering the room, Zhao Ming fidgeted nervously and said, “Um, you guys can go back. I’m used to sleeping alone.”

Ling Tian smiled. He knew Zhao Ming wouldn’t do anything improper, so he said, “Sun Yibin, my brother is introverted. I think we should let this matter drop. Also, I hope you don’t punish these four young ladies because of this.”

In many entertainment establishments, if something like this happened, the boss would punish the room hostesses, blaming them for angering the distinguished guest.

Sun Yibin smiled awkwardly, knowing Ling Tian misunderstood, and quickly explained, “Young Master Ling, you misunderstand. These four girls came from difficult backgrounds, and I sympathize with them. That’s why I never force them to do anything against their will. Today’s arrangement was made with their consent.”

“Actually, I also trust the character of both of you,” Sun Yibin added with a smile.

Suddenly, Ling Tian noticed Zhao Ming’s gaze fixed intently on one of the four beauties, his eyes nearly popping out. Ling Tian laughed, “You’re calculating even us.”

Sun Yibin, a keen observer, immediately realized Zhao Ming had taken a liking to one of the girls.

“Young Master Ling, it seems one of these four ladies is definitely staying tonight,” Sun Yibin teased.

Ling Tian smiled faintly. Zhao Ming’s interest was a good thing for both him and the girl. With Zhao Ming’s character, he would never abandon her after causing trouble. For the girl, escaping her current situation and marrying a good man was the best outcome. That was why the four had agreed to attend Ling Tian and Zhao Ming overnight.

“Miss, would you be willing to marry my brother?” Ling Tian asked the girl.

She blushed shyly and nodded. For them, love was secondary; being treated well was paramount. After all, love could be cultivated gradually.

Zhao Ming was startled and quickly waved his hands, “No, we have no emotional foundation. I don’t want to take advantage of her…”

“What foundation or not? Don’t you know that affection grows over time? In ancient times, couples didn’t even meet before marriage, yet they lived happily ever after,” Ling Tian joked, deliberately emphasizing “affection grows over time.”