Chapter 596: A Man is a Cup of Wine

With shared equity stakes, common business ventures, and aligned interests, a platform like this would foster a much closer relationship than any club or chamber of commerce.

“Hahaha… I was thinking along the same lines. The logic is sound, it’s just a matter of the specific equity percentages… What are your thoughts?”

You Shaoqiang was very satisfied with the plan Lin Chu proposed, which was similar to what he had in mind himself. Of course, he still had to fight for the best terms he could get.

With a pie this big, every extra percentage point could mean multiples in returns if this venture succeeded.

“The Unity Association’s share is ten percent. That’s the maximum. We welcome any and all asset audits… Also, I’ll definitely be investing more down the line, so this percentage will likely be diluted. Your side should be prepared to either make additional investments or have your shares diluted.”

Lin Chu stated calmly and objectively.

Hearing this, a flicker of surprise crossed You Shaoqiang’s face.

‘That little?’

‘An investment of five billion for a ten percent stake… does that mean in Lin Chu’s mind, this newly formed company is already valued at fifty billion?’

‘And it’s only going to get higher?’

But Lin Chu had spoken with such confidence that for a moment, he wasn’t sure what to make of it.

He glanced at Lin Chu and smiled. “Isn’t that percentage a little low? After all, I’m not the only party involved on my end. Once we divide it amongst ourselves, it’ll look even more bleak.”

“That’s non-negotiable… This is all there is. I can’t squeeze out another drop.”

“Let me break it down for you. For an operation this big, you have to account for the state-owned capital, right? You have to account for the royal family’s share, right? And I’ve already got some leads with the banking consortiums in Europe… Plus, there are all sorts of other channels and friends. Everyone who wants in is going to get a piece…”

“This is one big communal pot, and as the one dishing it out, I have to divide it all up beforehand. Don’t worry, everyone who comes to the table gets the same price.”

Lin Chu stated with an air of nonchalant certainty.

You Shaoqiang gently bit his lip, a flicker of emotion in his eyes.

‘So many different backers and stakeholders?’

‘To be honest, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a deal of this magnitude.’

“Alright, I’ll confirm with everyone else tonight, but in principle, I’m on board.”

You Shaoqiang agreed cautiously.

At his words, Lin Chu gave a casual nod. Beside them, Lu Ming was composed enough, having seen a thing or two by now, but Chen Yuanxing was already starting to feel light-headed. The tea wasn’t intoxicating, but as the saying goes, a man can get drunk on the moment itself.

‘I never thought things would get on the fast track so quickly.’

‘It’s been full-steam ahead from the start, with all the big shots getting involved.’

‘And to think, just a moment ago I was showering this Young Master You from the Unity Association with flattery, buttering him up in conversation. But now, in front of Lin Chu, he’s clearly on the back foot.’

‘Is this the kind of pull Lin Chu has?’

After finishing their business, they made small talk for a while longer. When it was almost ten o’clock, Lin Chu smiled, stood up, said his goodbyes, and headed back to his room to sleep.

‘I said I’d be disciplined this year, and that’s not going to change.’

‘Charisma is something that seems intangible, but it’s cultivated through the little details, one by one.’

‘The Royal Princess’s love at first sight might have been a bit random, but in the future, once my charisma is maxed out, things like this will probably happen more and more. And that’ll be a testament to my own skill.’

“The Little Prince set me up on a strange sort of blind date today. He has a sister, a Royal Princess, who’s madly in love with me and insisted on meeting.”

“I went to their place and chatted with her for a bit. She was acting like a total fangirl… And you know how she said she fell for me?”

“She said it was when I first came to Dubai. She saw me at the airport, just one glance, and was instantly smitten. It’s kind of like what the kids online call a ‘crush’…”

Lying in bed before going to sleep, Lin Chu was casually chatting with An Yunzhi and told her the whole story.

‘It was no big deal.’

‘Honesty is part of the charm, after all.’

‘Lin Chu was now completely disgusted with all the typical womanizing tactics—the coaxing, the lying, the physical isolation… To be honest, it felt a bit like he was finally letting himself be free… This is just who I am, I’ve figured life out.’

Hearing this, An Yunzhi was stunned for a moment, then couldn’t help but feel speechless.

‘What does he mean… “the kids online”?’

‘He’s a young person himself.’

“You’re only twenty-five, why do you sound like you’re fifty-two… What, you’re not one of the ‘kids’ anymore? This is perfectly normal. What a humblebrag.”

“So what does the princess look like? Is she pretty?”

She first teased him, then asked with a curious smile.

A woman’s first instinct is jealousy, but An Yunzhi had spent her entire life learning to control her instincts with reason. One should have genuine emotions, but it’s even more important to be rational.

‘When a man tells you this kind of thing, it’s usually when he trusts you the most, when he sees you as an important part of his life.’

‘The real crisis begins when he starts avoiding you and hiding things from you.’

“She’s alright, pretty enough. She’s a princess, so she has good genes, and she takes good care of herself. She’s not going to be ugly. But that’s not the point… The point is, I’m starting to wonder if there’s a crazy gene in their family. You should have seen how she was fawning over me. I thought she was going to start drooling.”

An Yunzhi was speechless.

After her brief surprise, she smiled and replied, “That’s a bit rude, describing a girl like that… But then again, it’s pretty normal. Do you remember the first time you saw me?”

“Your eyes were staring right at me. You were talking to someone else, but your gaze kept darting over to me. I could tell right away. You were racking your brain, trying to come up with some joke to make me laugh…”

Lin Chu was taken aback.

‘Holy shit!’

‘She could tell?’

“Hey, it wasn’t because you were pretty. It was because the club was in trouble, and you came from a powerful family. I was thinking about becoming a kept man.”

“You thought it was because you were just a pretty face, but it wasn’t. Back then, I was treating you like a client.”

“So of course I had to rack my brain, didn’t I?”

“But of course, that being said, your looks were also a factor. You absolutely had the air of a goddess. A commanding presence, for sure.”

He recalled for a moment, then turned on his side to face her, explaining with a smile.

‘It wasn’t a lie, either.’

‘At the time, that really was what I was thinking. It was a classic case of a toad lusting after a swan—I felt like I was punching way above my weight. I was completely stunned by her.’

“Xiaoluan even got jealous over it… Said I was treating you specially. Didn’t she get all worked up later?”

These old stories were now just fond memories to joke about in the bedroom.

A nostalgic look appeared in An Yunzhi’s eyes. His words stirred up a number of bittersweet feelings about the unpredictability of fate, but she quickly snapped out of it, not even letting out a sigh.

“Oh, you… Just count how many girls you’ve hurt. Xiaoluan even cried that time.”

“But I have to say, you’ve really changed a lot. Back then, you were just like any other nouveau riche young man—frivolous, slick, without any real substance. You tried hard to project this grand, sophisticated image, but anyone with a sharp eye could see right through it. Now… when I was watching you read this morning, I was in a bit of a trance. I even wondered, ‘Is this really the same Lin Chu I used to know?'”

“‘What… shaped him into the man he is today?'”

She gazed softly at Lin Chu, her slender eyebrows curving like the crescent moon outside the window.

Lin Chu paused, lost in thought for a moment himself.

He subconsciously reached for a cigarette, but then couldn’t help but smile. ‘I quit.’

“A lot of women, a lot of money, and a lot of experiences…”

“Honestly, compared to most people, I’ve been extremely lucky.”

“But still… sometimes things go smoothly, and other times I mess up. I’ve done plenty of stupid things. Some of my rough edges are still there, others have been worn smooth. I’ve felt pain, and I’ve caused it… Sometimes I want to just stop, moving in fits and starts, taking steps back and then forward, but I’m still gradually moving ahead.”

“As for… which way is ‘ahead,’ I think I have a rough idea now. In the end, no path you walk is a waste. That’s just how it is. The world is vast, but eating and sleeping are what matter most.”

“Alright, it’s getting late. Time for bed.”

Lin Chu turned off the light, rolled over, and gently closed his eyes.

In the darkness, An Yunzhi reached out and gently stroked his face without a word. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, her gaze was as soft as water, and a smile crept onto her lips.

‘Those words made this man seem somehow… endearing.’

‘A man really is like a glass of wine.’

It was as the poem said: “A cup of wine with friends in the spring breeze; a decade of lonely nights under the lamp, listening to the rain.”

All the rights and wrongs were a tangled mess that could neither be cut nor sorted out. One could only be carried forward on the river of time, a journey that ends only in death.