"Young Master Li, Mr. Tan mentioned that you currently hold two corporate assets you intend to liquidate. Is that accurate?"
Sitting upright in her high-backed leather chair, Andy glanced out at the dazzling panoramic skyline and the unfiltered stars beyond the glass dome before returning her gaze to the man opposite her.
She possessed zero background knowledge regarding the true lineage of this 'Young Master Li.' However, witnessing him effortlessly clear an entire premier landmark venue like the revolving dome restaurant on a whim proved his administrative standing sat well above Old Tan's.
Even with Tan Zongming's status as one of the wealthiest titans in Shanghai, forcibly shutting down an iconic establishment on zero notice was an impossible logistical hurdle.
Of course, regardless of the man's mysterious background, Andy maintained her clinical detachment. She was here strictly to execute a corporate acquisition.
"Indeed," Adrian smiled smoothly, leaning back. "However, I barely touched the appetizers at the banquet downstairs. Miss He, would you object if we reviewed the terms over a casual meal?"
Before Andy could formulate a polite response, Adrian raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"What is... this?"
Andy stared in disbelief as two waitstaff in immaculate suits wheeled over a traditional, heavy brass copper hot pot, placing it directly onto the center of the linen-covered table.
Enjoying traditional Beijing-style copper hot pot inside Shanghai's most exclusive, ultra-luxury French rooftop restaurant?
Wasn't this venue historically reserved for multi-course continental gastronomy?
"I harbor little patience for the pretentious portions of French dining," Adrian noted, picking up a pair of polished chopsticks and dipping a slice of marbled mutton directly into the simmering broth. "I trust Miss He has no aversion to authentic hot pot?"
"Young Master Li is certainly a man of distinct character," Andy forced a polite, somewhat bewildered smile. Picking up her chopsticks, she followed his lead, selecting a few greens from the porcelain platter.
"The two corporate entities currently under my disposal are the Gu Group and the Qu Group," Adrian stated after a couple of bites, cutting straight to business. "I assume Miss He has encountered their profiles?"
Andy's brow furrowed slightly as her mind instantly indexed her mental database. "As far as my records indicate, both the Qu Group and the Gu Group are privately controlled family enterprises, are they not?"
Operating as a human supercomputer endowed with photographic recall, Andy had systematically memorized the financial footprints of thousands of corporate entities across Shanghai over the preceding months. While she wouldn't claim to know every minor detail, the core structural data was permanently cataloged in her head.
Of course, to qualify for Andy's personal mental ledger, an enterprise had to command an asset baseline of at least one billion yuan. If she were to record every ten-million-yuan workshop in the municipality, the sheer data volume would overwhelm even her memory!
"Their past corporate structure is entirely irrelevant," Adrian waved his hand with total indifference. "What matters is that every single share of both conglomerates currently resides under my absolute authority."
These two corporate husks were merely administrative offerings delivered to his doorstep by Acting Governor Yao Daping and Vice Mayor Xu Guangxi. Adrian possessed zero interest in navigating the tedious day-to-day operations of commercial enterprise.
'Given my absolute lineage in the capital,' he mused silently, 'I would have to be insane to waste my life playing businessman.'
"Both entities can only be classified as mid-tier industrial operations," Andy analyzed objectively, her executive tone reasserting itself. "While they maintain a degree of localized cash flow within their respective niches, their long-term growth trajectories are severely constrained. If Young Master Li intends to offload their entire equity portfolios to Shengxuan Group, the final valuation may fall short of your expectations."
"Regarding the acquisition price... Miss He may calculate and finalize the number entirely as she sees fit," Adrian smiled effortlessly. "Simply inform me of the total once your team concludes the audit."
He cared nothing for the financial valuation. Even if the Qu and Gu corporations were reduced to hollow, debt-ridden shells, his personal standing in the capital allowed him to effortlessly demand tens of billions in liquidity from state lenders whenever he pleased.
The corporate sale was merely an elegant pretext to engineer private, unhurried contact with Andy He.
This woman occupied an entirely different stratosphere than his previous targets. Andy commanded an immense international reputation across Wall Street and the domestic financial ecosystem. Her closest confidant and protector was Tan Zongming, while her biological father was Wei Guoqiang—a heavyweight cadre within the State Economic Development apparatus. In terms of systemic protection, Andy stood miles ahead of ordinary socialites.
While spoiled heiresses like Qu Xiaoxiao and Gu Li carried nominal titles of wealth, their societal footprints were virtually nonexistent outside their immediate party circles. Once their family patriarchs were dismantled, those arrogant girls were easily captured and broken in cages with zero public outcry.
Andy, however, was a prominent public executive tracked closely by dozens of multinational venture capital funds and state entities. Attempting to quietly abduct her off the street would instantly trigger a massive institutional storm.
"What is this beverage?"
Having sampled a few bites of the hot pot, Andy lifted the crystal wine goblet beside her plate, taking a cautious sip before her eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Having dined at elite establishments across the globe, the rich, aromatic liquid in her glass completely caught her off guard. The vintage was extraordinarily smooth and subtly sweet. More remarkably, the second the liquid settled into her stomach, a gentle, soothing warmth radiated through her limbs, accompanied by an exquisite, tingling sensation that melted the lingering tension behind her temples.
"That is a proprietary milk wine brewed exclusively by my private medical staff," Adrian explained casually, taking a sip from his own glass. "It incorporates rare active compounds engineered to maintain cellular vitality and induce deep neurological calm. You could consider it a specialized medicinal vintage."
"A vintage from Young Master Li's private reserve..."
Hearing that the sweet wine possessed potent neurological calming properties, Andy's interest sharpened immediately.
Tan Zongming had recently deployed private investigators to track down the whereabouts of her younger brother, He Xiaoming. Tragically, the reports confirmed that Xiaoming suffered from severe, hereditary mental illness.
According to global epidemiological studies, the genetic inheritance rate for familial psychosis sat as high as 47%. Andy's single greatest internal terror was the haunting possibility that her own brilliant mind would succumb to that same neurological breakdown!
"If Miss He finds the flavor agreeable, I will have my staff deliver two cases to your residence tomorrow," Adrian offered smoothly.
"Then I shall gladly accept Young Master Li's generous courtesy," Andy nodded without the usual corporate resistance.
Had this rare, priceless medicinal wine been offered by a common business executive, Andy would have immediately suspected a calculated bribe intended to influence Shengxuan's acquisition valuation.
'But this man?' Andy calculated, studying Adrian's relaxed, aristocratic posture. 'His aura and administrative leverage eclipse even Old Tan's. A titan who treats multi-billion-yuan corporate groups like disposable pocket change would never stoop to bribing an executive with a few bottles of wine.'
An hour later, having concluded the preliminary acquisition framework, Andy excused herself to return to her apartment at Ode to Joy to model the initial financial spreadsheets.
The moment the private elevator doors closed behind her, the heavy glass doors on the far side of the dome clicked open. Executive Vice Mayor Xu Guangxi stepped onto the terrace, his hands clasped behind his back as he approached Adrian's table with an inquisitive smile.
"Young Master... are you simply permitting her to walk out into the night untouched?"
"What alternative would you propose? Locking her in a cellar?" Adrian chuckled softly, swirling the remaining milk wine in his crystal glass. "If a high-profile figure like Andy He suddenly vanishes into thin air, how would you expect Tan Zongming and the State Development Commission to react?"
Admittedly, with Adrian's supreme backing in Beijing, handling Tan Zongming's legal resistance was trivial. However, natural laws dictated that extremes inevitably invited counter-forces; the brightest moon eventually faced an eclipse.
His current system identity required operating with calculated elegance beneath the surface—unnecessary, chaotic exposure served zero strategic purpose.
"A brilliant, patient calculation, Young Master," Xu Guangxi nodded in total agreement. He paused, turning to the woman standing quietly behind him, his broad palm coming down hard across her rounded, silk-clad hip. Smack!
"Allow me to present my goddaughter, Xiaoping," Xu Guangxi grinned, gesturing to the matriarch of the Ye Group. "I believe the Young Master is already well acquainted with her profile."
Ye Chuanping—dressed in a daring, form-fitting designer gown—lowered her eyes submissively, stepping forward on her heels to bow deeply before Adrian's table.