The next afternoon, Chen Pingjiang once again came to the alley.
Looking at the beautifully crafted fake certificate in front of him, almost indistinguishable from the genuine one, Chen Pingjiang was quite satisfied.
"Not bad, you can tell at a glance you're a master craftsman."
The fake certificate seller grinned and boasted with a smile, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth:
"I'm not bragging, but if you can find a second person in Dongjiang who can make one exactly like it, I'll admit defeat."
"Yes, yes, you're quite the character."
Holding the invitation, Chen Pingjiang drove to the Kaiyue Hotel.
Kaiyue was quite famous in Dongjiang; besides being a five-star hotel, it often hosted various receptions and high-end wedding banquets.
It was already evening when he arrived at Kaiyue; Chen Pingjiang, after parking his car in the underground parking lot, took the elevator directly to the second floor.
As soon as he stepped out of the elevator, Chen Pingjiang felt Kaiyue's unparalleled opulence.
The overall theme was noble and elegant gold, exquisite crystal chandeliers cast sparkling light and shadow, adorning the intricate golden patterns on the ceiling.
The surrounding walls were hung with red velvet adorned with gold trim.
To the left of the banquet hall entrance, a service staff member had a smile plastered across her face.
"Sir, please show your invitation."
Chen Pingjiang waved the invitation in front of her.
The service staff handed over a pen and motioned for Chen Pingjiang to sign the signature board, which was taller than a person.
Chen Pingjiang signed his name with a flourish and then stepped into the banquet hall.
This reception adopted a buffet format, with a variety of exquisite food arranged around the perimeter and many dining tables in the middle.
Chen Pingjiang arrived relatively late; the banquet hall already had fifty or sixty people, and no one paid him any attention.
Everyone was clinking glasses, gathered in twos and threes, holding wine glasses, chatting and laughing.
Chen Pingjiang was not in a hurry either; the first half clearly wasn't for him, as old acquaintances always needed to exchange a few pleasantries when they met again.
Since that was the case, then it was time to eat!
Chen Pingjiang, holding a buffet plate, went back and forth, getting food.
Lobsters and king crabs, he didn't let any of them pass, specifically choosing the expensive and good ones to eat.
Calculated this way, the fake certificate only cost three hundred yuan, while a buffet like this would cost at least a thousand yuan, so he actually profited seven hundred yuan.
By the time the Chamber of Commerce leaders began their speeches, Chen Pingjiang was already seven-tenths full; he discreetly loosened his waistband, then began looking around, and before long, he spotted Lü Lizhen and her husband, followed by Qin Han and her husband.
Figuring the time was about right, Chen Pingjiang, holding a glass of champagne, walked towards the group.
"Sister Lü, Sister Qin?"
When Lü Xingzhen and Qin Han turned around, they thought they had seen the wrong person.
"Oh? Little Chen, why are you here?"
Turning to introduce him to the men, she said,
"This is Little Chen I often mention, a very capable young man."
Chen Pingjiang raised his glass in greeting, then smiled and said,
"Our principal somehow got an invitation and insisted I come to broaden my horizons."
Lü Xingzhen's husband was less than 1.8 meters tall, a bit chubby, with a protruding belly.
Qin Han's husband, like Qin Han, paid more attention to his physique, had a well-proportioned figure, and clearly exercised regularly.
Qin Han's husband was still a bit reserved, but Lü Xingzhen's husband, Liu Cheng, warmly shook Chen Pingjiang's hand.
"So you're Little Chen."
He said, "I hear my son and wife talk about you every day. Meeting you today, you're truly remarkable. Oh, and thank you for finding a good tutor for Liu Can, saving us a lot of worry."
"I don't deserve such praise. No matter how good a tutor is, they only provide guidance. If a child doesn't want to learn, even Newton and Einstein couldn't teach them. In my opinion, it's Liu Can's own effort that matters."
Someone praising his son, Liu Cheng was naturally pleased.
"My son often uses the Renren.com you created."
He said, "and I occasionally go on it to have a look, I'm very impressed. University students in the internet field are truly amazing; people like us are just rough and unrefined."
"Brother Liu, saying that is a bit too polite."
Chen Pingjiang continued, addressing Lü Xingzhen,
"Sister Lü, could you introduce me to some people later? Renren.com is launching an online store at the end of the month, and we need some suppliers."
Lü Xingzhen smiled brightly and guaranteed,
"It's a small matter. Your Sister Qin and I will take you around later."
Qin Han's husband, He Zhiyu, who hadn't spoken until now, asked with interest at this moment,
"Little Chen, could you tell us more specifically about your online store project?"
"Of course."
Chen Pingjiang first exchanged business cards, then said,
"I believe you are all familiar with Taobao.com."
"Hmm, my wife often buys things there."
"I heard it's doing quite well now."
"Taobao.com sells a wide variety of things online. Our Renren.com Mall is similar to it: we move goods and services from around university campuses online to open stores, users place orders themselves, and finally, our company's riders deliver them centrally, allowing consumers to buy their desired food or daily necessities without leaving home."
The few people found the project interesting as soon as they heard it, especially He Zhiyu, who ran a large supermarket and immediately felt there might be a possibility of cooperation with Renren.com.
"Winter is coming soon. If delivery speed is slow during rush hour commuting, won't the food already be cold by the time customers receive it?"
Chen Pingjiang shook his head.
"Our first batch of pilot areas is in Xianlin University Town, dividing N business districts around each university within a three-kilometer radius. Users can only purchase goods within their business district; if it's beyond three kilometers, we cannot deliver. This way, delivery speed can be greatly improved. In addition, we equip every rider with a small electric scooter, and each person has an insulated delivery box."
He Zhiyu's eyes lit up after hearing this.
"This is a good idea."
He said, "it not only protects the interests of the merchants but also saves delivery time."
Although he was somewhat impressed, He Zhiyu did not immediately express his stance, planning to wait and see the online store's operation before making a decision.
"This is General Manager Zhang of Weilan Electronics."
"This is General Manager Li of the apparel company."
"This is General Manager Zhou of the construction company."
...
Lü Xingzhen pulled Chen Pingjiang along and introduced him to everyone she knew, and Chen Pingjiang skillfully exchanged business cards with everyone.
"I'll take you to meet the president of our Chamber of Commerce; he's a very good person."
Upon hearing this, Chen Pingjiang immediately stopped, turned his head and looked apologetically at Lü Xingzhen, saying,
"Excuse me, Sister Lü, my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable; I need to go to the restroom first."
After all, he was a fake.
If he didn't greet the president, people might just think he was a family member or friend brought by someone else, but if he went to greet him and exposed his identity, that would be a real problem.
After returning to the banquet hall, Lü Xingzhen was nowhere to be found, so Chen Pingjiang wandered around by himself, occasionally listening in on one group and occasionally exchanging business cards with another group.
After the reception, he collected quite a few business cards; these were all resources.
It was their first meeting, and in such an occasion, there was no way to have a deep conversation; besides, he didn't have any close acquaintances there.
The essence of business lies in resources within small circles, and he wasn't familiar enough or powerful enough to integrate into others' circles yet.
(End of Chapter)
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