Chapter 90: Please Enlighten Me

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Please Enlighten Me

To be honest, when Su Yunzhou first agreed to attend this dinner, he thought it would be a dreadfully dull social obligation filled with high-sounding pleasantries. But Ye Sen, the chairman of Moriyama Mirai, and his wife completely overturned his preconceived notions.

There were only five people at the table: Su Yunzhou, Liu Yiyi, the Ye couple, and their daughter.

The dinner started off a bit stiffly, but under Madam Ye’s skillful guidance, the atmosphere quickly became cheerful. The table was laden with delicacies; every exquisite dish had been given a highly symbolic name.

However, Ye Sen chuckled and said, "No matter how beautiful the food looks, its essence is just to fill the stomach.

"So eat as much as you’d like. Don’t worry about all those so-called table manners; they’re just shackles that boring people impose upon themselves."

These words greatly improved Su Yunzhou’s impression of the entrepreneur sitting before him. The unpretentious and genuine tone in his voice made anyone in his company feel entirely at ease. ℴ

Encouraged by Ye Sen’s words, the group dropped their reservations and quickly devoured dish after dish of food worth thousands.

Ye Sen and his family raised their glasses once more. "Su, even though you’ve told us several times to skip the pleasantries, our family still must formally thank you for saving our little girl."

Su Yunzhou picked up his glass. "President Ye, you’re truly too kind. I only did what anyone should do."

Liu Yiyi also raised her glass and stood up to join the toast.

Their daughter, Ye Xiaofei, who didn’t look at all like a typical spoiled rich heiress, walked over with a glass of juice to offer a toast. This made Su Yunzhou a little embarrassed, reminding him of Liu Yiyi’s teasing joke about him marrying into their family.

But in all honesty, this girl really was ideal marriage material. Setting aside her family background, Ye Xiaofei had an excellent personality with no airs about her. She spoke in a soft, sweet voice and gave off a very obedient, well-behaved vibe.

The pleasant atmosphere made Su Yunzhou a bit more talkative than usual. Smiling, he sought Ye Sen’s advice. "President Ye, I actually really want to ask you a question, but I’m not very good with words."

"Speak freely," Ye Sen said with a faint, gentle smile.

Su Yunzhou asked earnestly, "You’ve made so much money. Why haven’t you retired yet to enjoy life?"

Ye Sen didn’t expect the young man to ask such an... unconventional question. He quite liked having meals with young people, but most of the time, they would seize the opportunity to ask for advice on how to accumulate wealth, how to conduct business, how to do this or that... This was the first time a young person had asked him why he didn’t retire early.

HAHAHA.

He chuckled inwardly, "Haha, how interesting."

Beside him, Madam Ye also put on an attentive expression upon hearing the question, very much looking forward to her husband’s answer. Ye Sen didn’t rush to reply, teasing that he would need a moment to think about it. He then opened a bottle of Yajia Spring water, poured it into his glass, and took a sip before speaking.

"Your question really has me a bit stumped as to how to answer."

Everyone shared a good-natured laugh.

With a trace of nostalgia in his eyes, he said, "Actually, starting a business in the beginning was a forced move. Because we hit a wave of layoffs and neither of us had any particularly outstanding skills, we just tried to find a way to put food on the table.

"We started by setting up street stalls, accumulating wealth step by step, and learning how to do business. Along the way, we met many benefactors who helped us, and only through a stroke of luck did we make it to where we are today."

Ye Sen turned his gaze to his wife. "I’ve actually seriously considered retirement. Not to boast, but with our current savings, we can be considered to have achieved financial freedom!

"But... I just can’t bear to let it go. Watching the company that I poured my heart and soul into building from the ground up, it feels just like my own child."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Moreover, I can’t bear to part with the comrades who have fought alongside me for decades. On top of that, so many employees in the company rely on their jobs here to make a living.

"Finally, I’m afraid that my successor might lead the company to ruin.

"This is the sorrow of enterprises in Dragon Country. There are very few century-old businesses. Many seemingly glorious companies fall into decline and ruin within just a few short years.

"Ah, I’ve talked a bit too much."

Ye Sen raised his glass and took a drink by himself. Liu Yiyi nudged Su Yunzhou’s arm, and the two of them also raised their glasses.

After drinking, Su Yunzhou put on a thoughtful expression. He had asked the question purely out of curiosity, not expecting such a rigorous and earnest answer. Thinking it over carefully, it still came down to a difference in their levels. In Su Yunzhou’s subjective view, he just wanted to be a carefree ’Second Generation of Unification’ who only looked after himself. But for an entrepreneur like Ye Sen, he carried numerous social responsibilities on his shoulders. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to retire; it was that he truly didn’t dare to, nor could he find the peace of mind to do so.

SIGH.

He thought, "Living like this must be truly exhausting."

Riding the momentum of their tipsy conversation, Su Yunzhou asked the second question he desperately wanted answered. "President Ye, my apologies, but could I ask you one more question?"

"Of course! Your questions are quite interesting indeed." Ye Sen smiled good-naturedly, able to sense the genuine sincerity in the young man’s tone.

In truth, when interacting with others, one shouldn’t worry about being a smooth talker or overthink unnecessary details. As long as you were willing to be open and honest, you naturally wouldn’t be met with a cold shoulder.

His wife also cast a curious glance over. Truth be told, she had accompanied Old Ye to countless business dinners—from high-ranking officials to ordinary employees. At the dining table, everyone was always overly polite, mostly asking for advice with feigned humility masking their ambition. However, this young man who had saved their daughter was completely different from the rest. How should she put it? His questions seemed purely driven by a desire to satisfy his own curiosity. To put it bluntly, he was just being gossipy, completely uncaring whether he was wasting this rare dinner opportunity. She was also quite curious about what other unconventional questions he might ask. Besides, it had been a long time since she last saw Old Ye in such high spirits.

Su Yunzhou, of course, had no idea that his "earnest questions" would so profoundly intrigue these two seasoned veterans of the business world. His next question was a serious inquiry to help plan for his future. He was someone who always prepared for a rainy day. The God-Tier Tycoon System had certainly brought him an extraordinary life experience, but what if one day it disappeared? Therefore, he had to take advantage of his current opportunities and conditions to amass a fortune of his own.

After a moment of thought, Su Yunzhou said, "President Ye, my question is a bit materialistic. I’d like to ask, are there any business ventures that offer a lot of freedom but are still highly profitable?"

"HUH?!"

The question suddenly seemed serious, but on closer inspection, it didn’t seem all that serious at all.

Madam Ye covered her mouth and chuckled. Looking at her thoughtful husband, she replied to Su Yunzhou with a rhetorical question, "Freedom and wealth are like having your cake and eating it too."

"Ah." Su Yunzhou nodded. "It seems you really can’t have both."

"Actually, there is a way," Ye Sen said suddenly. "However, there are two almost impossibly harsh prerequisites. If you fulfill them, you can be a hands-off boss."

Curiosity sparked in Su Yunzhou’s eyes. "Please enlighten me, President Ye."