I am not just a tycoon

But today, he had come with his cousin Lin Guangyao, whose family was very wealthy, with an uncle who was an entrepreneur making tens of millions annually.

He knew that the backgrounds of the others present were just as affluent as his cousin's family.

For him, everyone at the event was a valuable connection to make, forming the basis for his future climb up the social ladder.

Therefore, facing these dazzling wealthy second generations, he felt that his achievements and income were not worth mentioning, even developing a sense of inferiority.

However, now that he heard someone had arrived by taxi, he regained his sense of superiority, and his chest involuntarily puffed up a bit.

"You're the lucky one, everyone else drove their own car, but I didn't expect you already had a driver," Lin Guangyao said while picking at his food, his words tinged with sarcasm.

The remark was passive-aggressive and somewhat grating, but Shen Yuan just smiled and didn't argue. He was above quibbling over such trivial matters, especially with someone as worthless as Lin Guangyao.

After his family went bankrupt, the notifications on his WeChat decreased significantly. All his so-called "brothers" started to avoid him, with some even deleting him as a contact as if he would start borrowing money from them.

It was a sharp demonstration of the saying, "When misfortune strikes, friends become strangers."

So Shen Yuan had long seen through these people's true colors.

Only Li Yuhang didn't look down on him and continued to maintain their friendship.

Today, his main reason for coming was to talk to Li Yuhang about investing in his speakeasy, so he couldn't be bothered to spar with them verbally.

Seeing his good friend being mocked, Li Yuhang could hardly restrain himself from retorting, but Shen Yuan knew his childhood friend's character well and patted his thigh under the table, indicating it was alright.

Just then, the door to the private dining room was pushed open again, and a woman dressed in professional attire and high heels walked in gracefully.

"Sorry for the delay, there was traffic on the road," she said as she entered, bowing to everyone as an apology, and then walked towards Xie Haijie, who was waving at her.

With the arrival of this professional OL looker, every man's eyes in the room immediately lit up, their gazes attracted to her.

She was wearing a grey jacket over a tight-fitting white U-neck shirt, which clearly accentuated a generous bust.

Most crucially, those long, meaty legs were wrapped in black stockings.

As soon as this outstanding woman appeared, the several techy-looks ladies instantly dimmed in comparison, with the men's eyes involuntarily lingering on her.

Lin Guangyao, in particular, with a faint smile on his face, kept sizing up the woman, a hint of lewdness flickering in his eyes.

Shen Yuan was slightly surprised, because this woman was actually Chen Na, the saleswoman who had assisted him at the store yesterday.

Chen Na was wearing a grey business suit jacket today, which, compared to yesterday's formal attire, added a hint of casualness, but still highlighted her figure.

Facing the envious looks from everyone, Xie Haijie's vanity swelled.

The things a man can show off, aside from cars and houses, boiled down to women.

His financial resources and that 300,000-yuan car seemed somewhat humble in this setting.

But now it was different because his girlfriend had arrived to back him up.

Xie Haijie's lips curled into a slight smile, thinking he might not be able to compete with them in terms of money, but his girlfriend was better looking than theirs!

"Cousin, introduce us to your girlfriend," Lin Guangyao said with a sly smile.

Xie Haijie couldn't wait to stand up and said with a smile, "Her name is Chen Na, a salesperson at the Jaguar Land Rover 4S Store, with pretty good performance. If anyone needs to buy a car, you can look for her."

Chen Na also stood up, nodding to everyone with confidence and ease.

Honestly, she didn't really want to come tonight.

After all, she had just established a relationship with Xie Haijie and meeting his friends so soon didn't seem appropriate.

But she couldn't resist Xie Haijie's persistent cajoling, and the fact he had bought her a Coach bag worth over four thousand a couple of days ago was why she reluctantly agreed.

Chen Na nodded to each person in turn, but when her gaze swept over Shen Yuan, she paused—wasn't he the handsome guy who booked a car yesterday, and what was he doing here?

She had a deep impression of Shen Yuan, who dashed out 880,000 yuan for a Land Rover Defender in less than half an hour. Generous customers like him were rare.

One of the reasons for her good mood these past two days was Shen Yuan.

However, Chen Na saw that Shen Yuan merely nodded at her slightly, without saying hello, and she simply treated it as if it was their first meeting.

After all, trying to cozy up in this kind of setting wasn't quite appropriate.

"A Land Rover, huh? I've been thinking of getting a new car recently; I'll stop by your dealership to have a look."

Lin Guangyao said with a smile.

Chen Na responded with a smile, "Sure, if you decide to buy, I'll make sure you get the best discount."

"Then let's add each other on WeChat," Lin Guangyao proposed.

Xie Haijie was slightly startled, thinking why the rush to add on WeChat.

His cousin hadn't mentioned needing a new car recently, right? Wasn't that Mercedes E just purchased last year, and now there's talk of changing it again?

But Xie Haijie then thought, maybe his cousin's family is so wealthy that there really is a need for a new car. Besides, it's only adding on WeChat, no big deal.

"Then I'll scan your code."

Just like that, the lecherous Lin Guangyao successfully added Chen Na on WeChat.

Shen Yuan watched this scene with some disdain.

He knew what kind of person Lin Guangyao was; clearly, he had his eye on her.

This cousin of his was truly an idiot, not looking very sharp.

Someone was making a move on him, and he didn't even realize it.

Afterward, the mood at the table returned to what it had been, with those eating returning to their dishes, those drinking to their cups, and the bullshitters to their boasting.

Once everyone had their fill of food and drink, their faces became flushed.

And Li Yuhang, seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently warmed up, finally revealed the real purpose behind organizing today's gathering.

"It's like this, guys, hear me out for a moment," he said.

Li Yuhang stood up, shedding his usual frivolous demeanor, and said earnestly:

"You all know I've taken over a speakeasy. I have high hopes for this place, so I want to do it up right, whether it's the renovations or later marketing and promotion, the upfront costs are quite high."

"Today, everyone here is my good buddy, so I want to ask if anyone is willing to invest. We can all make money and prosper together."

"The estimated investment cost is about 2.4 million, and I am willing to let go of 30% of the shares, which means I'm open to an investment of around 700,000."

The crowd, who had been jovially toasting moments ago, almost simultaneously paused, looking at each other with some confusion.

What is Young Master Li up to?

Wasn't it agreed that today was just about dining and going to bars? How did it turn to investment?

Lin Guangyao was obviously even more stunned. With the wealth of Li Yuhang's family, did a speakeasy that only required 2.4 million really need outside investors?

The profits from Li Yuhang's family factory alone reached tens of millions a year, far outstripping his automotive parts factory.

Li Yuhang quietly waited for everyone's feedback, harboring his own unspeakable difficulties. His father's trust had diminished due to his previous failed investment ventures.

So when he proposed opening the speakeasy, Old Li was very strict about financial support, providing only 1.7 million and declaring that if this failed, there would be no next time, and he would have to come back home to help out.

Li Yuhang had little interest in the family business and wanted to make it on his own, so this time, he was putting all his eggs in one basket.

Speakeasies aren't like those thumping nightclubs. They're more like small bars, so the investment should not be particularly large. With renovations, equipment, labor costs, and a reserve fund for three or four months of operation, a little over a million should be enough.

But Li Yuhang thought, if he was going to take a risk, he needed to make a splash. He couldn't settle for an ordinary bar; he wanted a high-end speakeasy.

The target customer base had to be the elite class and above, and the consumption needed to be high.

If the consumption was going to be high, then the decor had to be impressive, and initial marketing and promotion had to be on point. When necessary, they might even need to hire internet celebrities to hype it up.

Therefore, the investment couldn't be low.

He thought 2.4 million was even an underestimate, but mainly because he could only pull together around 1.7 million and didn't want his own share to be less than 70%.

But what Li Yuhang never expected was that after his speech, all these friends who usually called each other "brothers" were now silent as if their fires had gone out.

One by one, they lowered their heads, deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Li Yuhang suddenly felt chilled to the bone. These fucking jerks had been freeloading off him, with nearly all their outings on his dime. Whenever they came asking for a loan, he never hesitated, instantly transferring the money.

Today, when big brother needed their support, they all acted as if they were fucking dead?