Chen Pingjiang and Qin Han were not familiar with each other from their first meeting.
He was familiar with Lu Lizhen, but had never dealt with her husband.
Rashly asking someone to take him to such an invitation-only cocktail party would be fine if they agreed, but everyone would be awkward if they refused.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Pingjiang logged into QQ using Zhao Shaoyang's laptop, found the person named "ωеι命名,罪亽" and sent a message.
(TL: I know its weird username but that is the username in the RAW. The romanization is "wei mìngmíng, zuì rén" it can be translated to "Not Yet Named, Sinner")
"Liu Can, come out."
After a while, the avatar started shaking.
"What's up, Brother Chen?"
"I have a task for you. Go to your dad's study and take a picture of an invitation, probably for an entrepreneur's gala."
Liu Can was Lu Lizhen's son.
Chen Pingjiang had already connected with this guy.
Liu Can greatly admired Chen Pingjiang, thinking this big brother was simply omnipotent.
"Damn it, Brother Chen, I respect you so much, and you actually want me to be a spy."
"What spy? It's just an invitation to a cocktail party. If you don't go, I'll tell your mom about your puppy love, and she'll skin you alive."
"Don't be impulsive, Brother Chen, I'm going now."
Soon after, a picture was sent on QQ, which was indeed a photo of the entrepreneur's gala invitation.
Chen Pingjiang nodded with satisfaction and replied with a message:
"Later, I'll take you to an internet cafe to play CS."
After that, he logged off QQ.
Early the next morning, Chen Pingjiang went to the city, searching high and low until he found a fake document maker hidden in an alley.
Chen Pingjiang took out the photo and showed it to the man,
"How much does it cost to make an exact replica?"
The fake document maker eyed Chen Pingjiang with a wary look.
Thinking that Chen Pingjiang, being so young, probably wasn't a policeman, he gradually relaxed:
"Two hundred."
"Why the hell don't you just rob someone? A diploma is two hundred, and this torn invitation is also two hundred?"
Chen Pingjiang, seeing the other party's exorbitant demand, immediately cursed.
"What the hell do you know? This is harder than a diploma. The materials for a diploma's cover are readily available. For yours, I have to find someone to design it, and the paper color difference can't be too big."
Chen Pingjiang didn't speak.
Instead, he observed the guy's facial expression, and after a while, said:
"I'll add one hundred for you, but I need it tomorrow."
"Deal. Come pick it up tomorrow afternoon."
Passing by a suit shop in the city center, Chen Pingjiang spent a long time choosing and bought a complete set.
A black suit, white shirt, and tie, along with a pair of leather shoes and socks.
Standing in front of the mirror, he looked at himself from left to right, and instantly felt incredibly handsome.
"Clothes make the man," this saying is clearly true.
Chen Pingjiang had a cheerful personality, a bit rascally and smooth.
With the formal wear on, his whole demeanor became more composed.
"Can I get an invoice?"
"Yes, tell me the title for it."
After swiping his card, Chen Pingjiang directly asked the sales assistant to cut off the tag.
Chen Pingjiang then went to the first floor of the mall and got a watch that looked very intimidating but didn't actually cost much.
His current net worth couldn't withstand extravagance; if it weren't for business needs, casual wear would have been just fine.
After leaving the store, Chen Pingjiang took a taxi directly to a 4S dealership.
It was time to buy a car.
After all, he now had a certain status and was going to attend a cocktail party; he couldn't very well ride a scooter in a suit.
He had received his driver's license two days prior.
Wan Qiping had pulled some strings to arrange the fastest possible test and certification for Chen Pingjiang.
Doing business in reality wasn't like stories in novels; situations where a rich person pretends to be poor or a seemingly poor underdog is actually wealthy are definitely not mainstream business thinking today.
Aside from bosses who are genuinely wealthy from their families, for self-made businesspeople, the first impression is quite important.
Clothing, watches, and cars are all means of showcasing strength to strangers.
In this impetuous society, everyone's time is precious, especially for entrepreneurs, none of whom would waste time on a worthless person.
Otherwise, going to negotiate business wearing a vest, flip-flops, and riding an e-bike—Chen Pingjiang wasn't some Guangdong guy, no one would look him in the eye.
Chen Pingjiang had no interest in other 4S dealerships.
He got out of the car and went straight to the Audi 4S dealership.
In those days, the Audi A6 was considered mainstream in political and business circles.
Chen Pingjiang would have to spend his entire savings just to buy this car.
Further down, the A4 wasn't positioned for business professionals.
The Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series were also good, but Chen Pingjiang couldn't afford them.
Chen Pingjiang circled the Audi A6 display car twice when a male salesperson quickly walked over, smiling enthusiastically:
"Hello, interested in the A6?"
"Give me a big discount. I want to pick up the car today. You have one in stock, right?"
The male salesperson was about to introduce the A6's specifications but was stunned when he heard Chen Pingjiang's words.
What's going on?
He hadn't even spoken yet, and the customer already wanted to pick up the car?
Buying groceries wasn't this fast.
However, seeing Chen Pingjiang in a suit and tie, it didn't seem like he was joking.
"A cash discount of 10,000 yuan, plus a decoration gift package worth 3,000 yuan."
"Sign the contract. I'll have someone transfer the money."
"..."
What was happening?
The male salesperson had been selling cars for two years and had never encountered such a swift customer.
It wasn't that Chen Pingjiang was too casual, but rather that with a decent discount, there wasn't much room for further price reduction, so he wanted to finish quickly and return to school.
After submitting the business license and ID card, the agreement was quickly signed.
Chen Pingjiang called Shu Mang and asked her to transfer the money to the 4S dealership.
Chen Pingjiang chose not to register this Audi A6 under his own name but purchased it in the company's name, which allowed him to deduct value-added tax.
After completing the insurance and temporary license plate procedures, Chen Pingjiang was able to drive off.
After buying the car, the company account only had about 100,000 yuan left.
Chen Pingjiang didn't plan to pay the purchase tax immediately, as it was permissible to pay it within sixty days.
"Back to square one overnight," Chen Pingjiang shook his head.
The male salesperson, holding the pass, ran over and handed it to the guard at the booth.
With this, Chen Pingjiang could drive out.
"Mr. Chen, please drive slowly. The insurance won't take effect until 12 AM tonight."
Chen Pingjiang nodded and floored the accelerator, speeding off.
It took about ten minutes for Chen Pingjiang to refamiliarize himself with the steering wheel.
Holding the temporary license plate, he overtook cars until he encountered an on-duty police officer, only then settling down.
Soon after, driving to the East Finance University gate, Chen Pingjiang went out to smoke a cigarette before driving the car onto campus.
Returning to the Entrepreneurship Park, a group of people immediately started chattering when they saw Chen Pingjiang.
Chen Pingjiang's suit was seriously ascetic, making him incredibly attractive to women.
Especially with his slender figure, he exuded an even more mature charm.
It captivated the female employees.
"Boss, so handsome."
"By the way, Boss, you're dressed so handsomely, are you going on a blind date?"
Even quiet and reserved Shu Mang couldn't help but boldly comment on Chen Pingjiang.
The male employees' attention was on Chen Pingjiang's new car, as Shu Mang had inadvertently spread the news when she transferred money to the 4S dealership.
Chen Pingjiang tossed the car keys to Gao Songbin, who was at the front, and instructed,
"Look but don't touch."
Then he joked with Shu Mang,
"General Manager Shu, you're usually like a Scrooge. You never approve anyone who asks you for money, so why didn't you even ask me today?"
Shu Mang's small face flushed red as she said,
"The money belongs to the company, and it's also yours. What right do I have to stop the boss from using it? Besides, a boss indeed needs a certain image. When you go out, you represent Renren.com!"
Chen Pingjiang gave Shu Mang a thumbs-up,
"Look at our Sister Shu's eloquence."
(End of Chapter)
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