Chapter 158: Old Habit

“Brother Zhang really said that?” Jin Yanchao muttered, his eyes unfocused.

If the total investment was under one hundred million, he would cover whatever amount was missing?

Was that something an ordinary person could say?

In such a large group, how many people could casually produce tens of millions without even blinking? Forget tens of millions-even those few self-made entrepreneurs in the group would probably struggle to take out that much liquidity.

He subconsciously glanced at Xiang Xiaotian. Seeing the fleeting admiration in her eyes when she mentioned Zhang Yang, his heart suddenly ached.

It felt terrible.

“Well, Xiaotian, we’d like to invest a bit too.” Nearby, several self-made entrepreneurs whispered among themselves. One of them let out an awkward laugh and spoke up.

“Me too. A project like this actually has real significance.” Another person added.

All of a sudden, the previously stagnant confirmed investment amounts began to move.

Without someone leading the way, none of them dared act.

But now that a heavyweight had entered, they were all tempted.

That evening, Zhang Yang was in his apartment at COFCO Seaview No. 1, casually grilling wagyu beef while checking the group chat.

The car club members had invited him out for a small gathering that night, but he didn’t go.

Sometimes you have to squeeze your way into a circle, but sometimes the circle gathers around you on its own.

Looking at the group chat filled with flattering messages and people trying to cling to him,

Zhang Yang couldn’t help finding it a bit amusing.

“They’re all Rolls-Royce owners, aren’t they? Why are they acting so spineless?”

He actually understood it.

For these rich second-generation kids, who only received small monthly allowances from their families and at most could ask for some money to invest, producing tens of millions at once was something they could only look up to.

Zhang Yang felt no pride at all.

Because he believed there was nothing to be proud of. In a city as vast as Shanghai, talents were everywhere. What had he achieved so far?

In the following days, everything proceeded step by step.

Zhang Yang could no longer be considered a complete hands-off boss. So during the day, whenever he had time, he liked to drive his Cullinan around leisurely and check on his businesses.

In huge Shanghai, he now owned two properties.

One was Prosperity Plaza.

The other was Nimbus Capital.

Prosperity Plaza was stable and worry-free. Office building rents were always steady, and the commercial area had a high occupancy rate. It required no effort from Zhang Yang and generated tens of millions in income each year with ease.

The book café in Prosperity Plaza’s commercial area was also being renovated intensively.

With that café, Bei Wei could become a carefree owner in the future-driving her Panamera there every day, reading a book, drinking coffee, and spending an entire day leisurely.

As for Nimbus Capital, it was something Zhang Yang paid more attention to at this stage.

After all, it had an annual investment quota of three hundred million.

Even though it was essentially cost-free investment money provided by the system, he still didn’t want to waste it. If he could exchange it for some promising companies with potential, that would be perfect.

So Zhang Yang often gathered a group of investment managers for meetings, listening to their opinions and reports.

Just because he wasn’t a professional didn’t mean he wouldn’t listen.

Sometimes brainstorming could spark new ideas.

Perhaps because he had been coming to the company more frequently lately, from parking his Cullinan downstairs to entering the office building, he often ran into employees from other companies in the building.

Especially some newly graduated young women.

Over time, quite inexplicably, Zhang Yang had become the rumored “male god boss.”

Strange coincidences happened often.

This day:

“At this hour, everyone who should be at work is already working.” Zhang Yang walked unhurriedly into the elevator.

This office building didn’t have executive elevators.

So he often shared the elevator with other office workers.

But after working hours started, there weren’t many people.

Zhang Yang pressed his floor, glanced down at the time on his watch, and waited quietly for the elevator doors to close.

“Sorry, sorry, please wait!”

Outside the elevator, a beautiful office worker in a tight skirt and professional outfit ran over, her face flushed from rushing.

Zhang Yang glanced at her and pressed the button to hold the door.

“Thank you.” The woman entered, bringing a pleasant fragrance into the elevator.

“You’re welcome.” Zhang Yang replied casually.

“Thanks to you. Otherwise I probably would’ve missed the time.” The office worker lightly pressed her chest to steady her breathing, then secretly looked at Zhang Yang.

She even casually brushed her hair behind her ear.

“Your company starts work at nine-thirty?” Zhang Yang asked in surprise.

“Well… my position is a little different, so my working hours start later. What about you?” The office worker looked at him with her watery eyes.

“Me?” Zhang Yang smiled but didn’t say anything.

He didn’t continue the conversation, and the elevator quickly fell silent.

The office worker seemed to be hesitating, gathering courage.

Finally, just before the elevator reached Zhang Yang’s floor, she suddenly extended her fair hand.

“Um… may I add you on WeChat?”

“For what?” Zhang Yang chuckled. “Looking to change jobs or something? Do you know who I am?”

“I…” The office worker hesitated. Facing Zhang Yang’s direct gaze, she could only tell the truth. “I heard before that there’s a male god boss in this building. I didn’t expect to run into you today, so I…”

“If you want an interview, just contact HR.” Zhang Yang glanced at her as the elevator arrived.

He walked out directly, ignoring her request.

Inside the elevator, the office worker looked embarrassed. After the doors closed, she lightly stomped her foot and touched her burning cheeks.

Today Zhang Yang had come to Nimbus Capital for a serious matter.

Xiang Xiaotian had told him the previous night that the investment proposal was finished and wanted to show it to him today.

He agreed and asked her to come directly to the company.

“Good morning, Chairman Zhang.”

As soon as he entered the company, the two receptionists at the front desk stood up and greeted him with bright smiles.

Zhang Yang had always been approachable with ordinary employees.

He smiled and nodded in response, walking toward his office while faintly hearing the two receptionists whispering.

“Chairman Zhang smiled at me just now.”

“Nonsense, he smiled at me. Last time he even talked to me.”

Zhang Yang heard every word and couldn’t help shaking his head with a smile as he opened the chairman’s office.

The spacious office was spotless and more than a hundred square meters in size.

By the floor-to-ceiling windows, green plants thrived with vitality. Outside the windows were the dense skyscrapers of Pudong and, in the far distance, a magnificent skyline.

He stood there for a moment before the phone on the desk rang.

Zhang Yang picked it up.

The front desk was reporting that someone had arrived to see him.

The visitor was none other than Xiang Xiaotian.

“Let Miss Xiang come in.” Zhang Yang said casually.

A moment later, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Zhang Yang spoke while sitting in the boss’s chair.

The company’s staffing was still minimal at this stage. As chairman, he hadn’t even appointed an assistant yet. The general manager, Sun Ziqiang, had suggested it before, but Zhang Yang declined for the time being.

Once the company’s operating funds were fully in place, that expense would be insignificant.

The office door opened gently.

A figure in a long dress with fair skin and striking beauty walked in-it was Xiang Xiaotian.

“Brother Zhang?” Xiang Xiaotian looked a little nervous.

“Sit wherever you like. No need to be nervous.” Zhang Yang had tea prepared and casually invited her to sit.

“Okay.” Xiang Xiaotian found a seat and quietly looked around the office.

The investment proposal had actually been something she had started preparing long ago. After rushing day and night these past few days, she had finally completed it today.

The moment she finished, she contacted Zhang Yang eagerly.

She hadn’t expected him to ask her to meet directly at his company.

“So this is Brother Zhang’s company?” she thought.

An entire floor of office space, an investment company, a hundred-square-meter office, and in front of her, the tall figure sitting behind the boss’s desk.

“Where’s the proposal?” Zhang Yang asked, looking at the slightly dazed Xiang Xiaotian and extending his hand.

He also wanted to finalize this investment quickly.

After all, he was waiting to complete the task.

According to the system, the task would only count as completed once the contract was signed.

Xiang Xiaotian snapped back to reality, quickly taking out the prepared investment proposal and handing it to Zhang Yang.

The chairman’s office was cleverly designed.

Its large space naturally created a sense of distance, highlighting the authority of the leader. The chairman’s desk was slightly elevated, subtly emphasizing hierarchy.

As Xiang Xiaotian walked forward, she unconsciously felt like a junior employee standing before the chairman.

She even felt a little nervous inside.

“Brother Zhang, please take a look first. If there are any problems, feel free to point them out.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. By the way, just sit next to me. Don’t make it look like you’re my employee.” Zhang Yang looked up at Xiang Xiaotian standing there so respectfully and found it a little amusing. He pointed to the seat beside him.

“Well… mainly because just now your presence felt too strong, Brother Zhang.” Xiang Xiaotian immediately relaxed a bit.

“Really?” Zhang Yang shook his head and continued flipping through the investment proposal she had brought.

He read it very attentively, not perfunctory at all.

Of course, Xiang Xiaotian’s proposal was also extremely detailed and professional. She truly deserved to be considered an insider in the field.

“Hm?” Halfway through, Zhang Yang glanced up and saw that Xiang Xiaotian was still standing beside him instead of sitting down.

“Why aren’t you sitting?”

Xiang Xiaotian felt a little embarrassed and waved her hand lightly.

Zhang Yang looked around.

Other than the reception area, the chairman’s office naturally didn’t need extra chairs.

After all, how could employees sit on equal footing with the chairman?

“Well then.” Zhang Yang glanced at his own large boss’s chair and moved slightly to the side. “Come on, squeeze in.”

“Huh?” Xiang Xiaotian’s face instantly flushed red.

If they squeezed together, wouldn’t they be sitting right next to each other?

Although she muttered something inwardly, her body was very honest and she sat down anyway.

The boss’s chair was big, but not big enough for two people.

Xiang Xiaotian sat beside Zhang Yang, practically the same as sitting on his lap.

Feeling the warmth so close and the faint scent of pleasant vanilla near her nose, her heart started racing wildly. For a moment she didn’t even hear what Zhang Yang was saying.

“Xiaotian, Xiang Xiaotian?” Zhang Yang looked at her flushed face and absent-minded expression and waved his hand in front of her eyes.

“Huh?” Xiang Xiaotian snapped back to reality. “Brother Zhang, what were you saying just now?”

“Spacing out?” Zhang Yang asked knowingly while half-embracing the girl sitting in his arms. “What I meant is this part-explain it to me.”

“Oh, oh, I’ll… I’ll explain.” Xiang Xiaotian spoke in slight panic.

Zhang Yang smiled and nodded without interrupting, simply holding the warm, soft body in his arms while listening to her trembling voice as she explained.

“Very good!” When Zhang Yang heard a particularly interesting part, he slapped down with his hand.

Xiang Xiaotian cried out in pain.

“Brother Zhang, y-you… why did you hit me?” she stammered, not daring to speak loudly.

“Sorry, sorry.” Zhang Yang glanced at his hand resting on her smooth leg but didn’t move it. “Continue. Your idea here is quite good.”

Blushing, Xiang Xiaotian pretended not to see his hand and continued speaking.

She explained the investment proposal for a long time.

Occasionally she paused to calm herself.

After who knew how long, Xiang Xiaotian finally finished explaining and looked at Zhang Yang hesitantly.

“Young Master Zhang, what do you think?”

“I agree in principle, but it still needs to go through our investment department for review.” Zhang Yang withdrew his hand from her leg.

A red handprint remained on the fair, smooth skin.

“By the way, Brother Zhang, there’s also the matter of the investment shares.” Xiang Xiaotian mentioned the car club’s internal investment intentions. “We can probably confirm just under forty million already. The total investment… the total investment…”

“Didn’t you already write it in your proposal? One hundred million. Don’t worry-just wait for the investment department’s review.” Zhang Yang smiled.

Sixty million wasn’t a small number, but to him it wasn’t painful at all. It only accounted for about twenty percent of this year’s three-hundred-million investment quota.

Opening such a private club would be quite valuable.

And with the Rolls-Royce car club as the foundation to expand the social circle outward, business wouldn’t need much worrying about.

A moment later, the investment proposal was sent to the investment department for review.

“Brother Zhang, then I’ll wait for your news,” Xiang Xiaotian said.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give you an answer soon.” Zhang Yang nodded, stood up, and glanced at Xiang Xiaotian as she adjusted the hem of her dress.

This rich girl was quite interesting.

Zhang Yang escorted Xiang Xiaotian all the way downstairs and watched her get into her pink Rolls-Royce Wraith.

Of course, it wasn’t the original factory pink-there were only four of those in the world, and one definitely wouldn’t be in Xiang Xiaotian’s hands.

“Then… I’ll be going first.” Xiang Xiaotian rolled down the window, the blush still lingering on her face.

“Alright, go ahead.” Zhang Yang nodded.

“Oh, right, Brother Zhang.” Xiang Xiaotian suddenly gathered her courage as if she wanted to say something.

“What is it?”

“You really hit hard earlier. My leg is still red.” Xiang Xiaotian complained softly, as if she had finally come back to her senses.