Time flew by, and it was late October.
On this evening, Chen Pingjiang hosted a dinner in a small private room at the Xiaochen Barbecue main branch.
Zhu Guangtong led a middle-aged man in his fifties into the private room and gave Chen Pingjiang a meaningful look:
"This is Dean Kuang. Dean, this is the class monitor from our class I told you about."
Kuang Minghong was the associate dean of the School of Industrial Management.
He had a good relationship with Zhu Guangtong, and Chen Pingjiang and Zhu Guangtong were also very close.
Zhu Guangtong thought about whether he could support Chen Pingjiang on his entrepreneurial journey, so he shamelessly invited Kuang Minghong.
Chen Pingjiang prepared a table full of rich dishes, plus two bottles of Maotai, truly sparing no expense.
If it were an ordinary student's invitation, Kuang Minghong, as an associate dean, wouldn't shamelessly show up.
Their statuses were different, and they wouldn't normally interact.
However, through Zhu Guangtong's continuous descriptions, Kuang Minghong's interest in this student from his own school grew stronger and stronger.
"Dean Kuang, please sit here."
Chen Pingjiang saw Kuang Minghong about to sit in the serving position and quickly rushed over to help Kuang Minghong by his arm.
Kuang Minghong waved his hand,
"No need to be so formal, any seat is fine."
"Dean Kuang, in life, you are our elder; at work, you are Teacher Zhu's leader and also my teacher. If you don't take the main seat, then we can only stand and eat,"
Chen Pingjiang said with a smile.
Kuang Minghong nodded, looking at Chen Pingjiang with satisfaction.
Chen Pingjiang's first impression on him was that this student was polite, understood social etiquette, and was articulate.
He no longer declined and sat in the main seat.
"Oh, there are only three of us, why did you order so many dishes?"
Kuang Minghong saw that in a short while, the table was completely covered with dishes.
Chen Pingjiang opened the Maotai and poured it for Kuang Minghong and Zhu Guangtong respectively, saying with a smile,
"It's not easy to have you for a meal, and I wasn't sure what dishes would suit your taste, so I ordered a few more. Please try our restaurant's specialties. I heard, Dean, that you are from Huaijiang, so today I specifically asked the chef to prepare some Huaiyang dishes. Please see if they are authentic or not."
"You've ordered too many dishes."
This is a phrase often heard when dining with clients or superiors.
The quality of the response directly determines the other party's first impression of you.
Chen Pingjiang's answer was perfect: firstly, it showed his warm hospitality; secondly, it conveyed the other party's esteemed status in his heart; and thirdly, it then recommended dishes, leading the conversation in a more relaxed direction.
Hearing Chen Pingjiang's words, Kuang Minghong and Zhu Guangtong exchanged glances, both with approval in their eyes.
Chen Pingjiang spoke flawlessly and was so good at handling situations that Zhu Guangtong also gained a lot of face.
He admitted to himself that even after many years in society, he didn't possess Chen Pingjiang's skill.
He knew when to advance and retreat, understood boundaries, was experienced in dealing with people and social interactions, spoke comfortably, made people want to continue talking with him, and had good perception.
After the meal, Kuang Minghong had a very good impression of Chen Pingjiang.
Such an impressive student actually came from his own school.
Moreover, Chen Pingjiang possessed a temperament unsuited to his age; he was remarkably calm and never made a request from beginning to end, which was very rare.
Chen Pingjiang didn't mention it, but Kuang Minghong brought it up first:
"The chef at your restaurant is very good. I heard your branch has already opened at the Sports Academy?"
Chen Pingjiang was about to pick up some food when he heard this and put his chopsticks aside:
"Yes, Dean, by the end of the month, we plan to open our third branch near the Normal University."
Zhu Guangtong said at the opportune moment:
"Student Chen Pingjiang is very good. Not only has he made achievements in the catering business, but he is also currently preparing an SNS social platform similar to Xiaonei Network, which is set to launch soon. Additionally, he has recruited many work-study part-time students within the school."
Kuang Minghong exclaimed "Oh" in surprise.
No matter how well a barbecue restaurant was run, in his eyes, it was just mediocre.
But an entrepreneurial project involving the internet was different, especially one that recruited work-study students from the same school.
After Zhu Guangtong finished, Chen Pingjiang took the floor and elaborately spoke about Renren Network's development plan and operational strategy.
Kuang Minghong tapped the table with great satisfaction:
"Although it's still in its initial stages, your development plan is far-sighted, and your operational strategy is very clear. By the way, why haven't you applied for office space at the University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Park?"
"There wasn't enough time. I previously consulted relevant parties, and the response I received was that I needed to submit a business plan and, after passing the preliminary review, participate in the project admission defense in December."
Kuang Minghong nodded:
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Some things involving regulations still need to follow the proper procedures. However, you can mention any difficulties before entering the park. You are also a student of our School of Industrial Management, and your achievements reflect well on us."
Chen Pingjiang had been waiting for this very sentence.
He quickly said,
"Thank you, Dean, for your understanding and support. We do have difficulties right now. The newly recruited employees have very poor office conditions; six people share one computer, which greatly hinders work efficiency."
After pondering for a moment, Kuang Minghong turned to Zhu Guangtong:
"Guangtong, as Xiaochen is a student in your class, you have the obligation and responsibility to escort his entrepreneurial project. I suggest you become the supervising teacher for this entrepreneurial project. Submit a report tomorrow when you go to work, and I will approve six old computers for you."
"Alright, alright, Dean."
The old computers had just been replaced a while ago.
They were just sitting there; it didn't matter who used them.
Kuang Minghong himself had a decent relationship with Zhu Guangtong.
Chen Pingjiang was also a student of the School of Industrial Management.
He also liked Chen Pingjiang, this young man.
Most importantly, Kuang Minghong found this project very interesting, and casually supporting a few old computers wouldn't cause any gossip.
Without a second thought, Chen Pingjiang picked up his wine glass and stood up:
"Dean, this glass of wine is not only from me but also represents all my colleagues at Renren Network, thanking you for your support and guidance."
Kuang Minghong waved his hand with a smile:
"You should thank your counselor."
Chen Pingjiang then offered another toast:
"Teacher Zhu, thank you for your continued trust and support. In the future, under your and the Dean's guidance, everyone at Renren Network will strive to do a good job and not disappoint our teachers' expectations."
The toast was to Zhu Guangtong, but it implicitly included Kuang Minghong.
"Xiaozhu, we must support Student Chen Pingjiang's entrepreneurship. Especially since things are complex, manpower is insufficient, and work is very busy in the initial stage, you need to communicate with the course instructors."
"Understood, leader, I'll arrange it as soon as I get back."
In a word, our student Xiaochen essentially received a 'get out of jail free card' for skipping classes.
After the meal and drinks, Chen Pingjiang escorted Kuang Minghong and Zhu Guangtong out of Xiaochen Barbecue through the back door.
Two taxis were already waiting at the entrance.
The drivers were bored, smoking with their windows open, and upon seeing the guests, they quickly extinguished their cigarettes.
Chen Pingjiang had arranged these two cars before dinner, and they had been waiting until now.
Sitting in the back of the taxi, Kuang Minghong had been resting with his eyes closed on the way back.
His right hand suddenly touched a sharp object.
He turned his head and saw a black plastic bag.
"Driver, it seems someone left something in the back seat."
The taxi driver spoke in a local Dongjiang accent:
"It wasn't left by someone else; the young man who saw you off earlier put it there in advance."
"Ah!?"
Kuang Minghong was startled for a moment, then burst into a silent laugh.
He truly was a shrewd and astute person; he even gave gifts in a way that made them impossible to refuse.
Kuang Minghong opened the plastic bag and saw two bright red packs of Huazi cigarettes.
(End of chapter)
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