Chapter 312 - 247: Using the Tiger’s Skin as a Banner

Chapter 312: Chapter 247: Using the Tiger’s Skin as a Banner

Northeast-style iron pot stew is all about being unpretentious and down-to-earth.

When the server lifted all four wooden lids at once, a cloud of hot steam instantly billowed up. Wang Wan Ning, who had never experienced anything like it, lit up at the sight, her dainty, cherry-like mouth falling slightly agape.

"This pot should be stewed goose. Go on, try some."

Gu Heng picked up the serving chopsticks and placed a piece of cut goose leg into Wan Ning’s bowl. The goose, having simmered over a wood fire for more than an hour and drenched in the restaurant’s signature sauce, looked absolutely mouth-watering.

"Brother Gu Heng, you’re amazing."

Wan Ning praised him in a low voice, "You knew what was in the pot with just a single glance."

"In the Northeast, not many geese make it through the winter."

Gu Heng picked out a few more choice pieces for Wan Ning before getting some for himself. "After you’ve had it a few more times," he replied softly, "you’ll be able to tell at a glance, too."

"It’s delicious!"

Wan Ning placed the piece of goose leg in her mouth. After a couple of delicate bites, her eyes grew even brighter.

"Of course it is."

Gu Heng smiled at her. ’Any place chosen by the Changbai Mountain Management Committee for a banquet is bound to be excellent, both in atmosphere and flavor.’

As the dinner had just begun, everyone was still rather reserved.

They exchanged pleasantries while making sure to get some food in them, lining their stomachs before the drinking began. If you started on strong liquor with an empty stomach, you were just asking for a miserable next day.

Today, Zhao Hongbo, as the highest-ranking representative for investment promotion, naturally took the seat of honor. Gu Heng and Fan Hong were seated on his left and right, respectively.

At this point, Zhao Hongbo watched Gu Heng and Wan Ning conversing in low voices. Seeing the grace and poise Wan Ning displayed in her every word and gesture, he couldn’t help but feel a flicker of curiosity.

"President Fan," Zhao Hongbo leaned toward Fan Hong and asked in a low voice, "is that young lady with Chairman Gu his girlfriend?"

"For now, I believe they’re just friends."

Fan Hong replied softly, choosing his words carefully.

"Ah..."

"I see."

A man in Zhao Hongbo’s position within the system naturally had a deep appreciation for the subtleties of language.

Fan Hong’s answer had a clear subtext: Wan Ning wasn’t Gu Heng’s girlfriend *at the moment*. It was a status limited to the present, with no guarantees about the future.

"Chairman Gu isn’t just young and accomplished; he has extraordinary taste as well."

Zhao Hongbo was clearly speaking with a hidden meaning. "Miss Wang carries herself with such grace. I imagine her background is quite extraordinary?"

"I’d say you have a sharp eye as well, Director Zhao."

Fan Hong smiled faintly. "I wonder, has Director Zhao ever heard of the Junyao Group from Zhonghai?"

"Junyao Group?"

"The name sounds familiar."

Zhao Hongbo’s brow furrowed in thought.

"Then surely you’ve heard of Ruyi Airlines and Junyao Dairy, Director Zhao?"

Fan Hong added, seeing Zhao Hongbo’s expression.

"Of course I’ve heard of them."

After replying, Zhao Hongbo froze for a second as a guess surfaced in his mind. "Don’t tell me Miss Wang is..."

"That’s right."

Fan Hong nodded. "Junyao Group is the parent company of Ruyi Airlines and Junyao Dairy, with a current market cap of over thirty billion yuan. Miss Wang’s father is none other than the chairman of Junyao Group, Mr. Wang Junjin."

Fan Hong wasn’t trying to hide Wan Ning’s identity. In fact, just as they were sitting down, he had taken the opportunity to ask Gu Heng if he should keep her identity a secret if Zhao Hongbo and the others asked.

Gu Heng’s answer had been: ’Don’t go out of your way to introduce her, but don’t go out of your way to hide it either.’

In other words, if Zhao Hongbo’s group asked, he could tell them. If they didn’t ask, there was no need to bring it up.

At this stage, Junyao Group was a powerful card for Gu Heng to play.

His ability to win the favor and respect of so many prominent Ji Province entrepreneurs at their annual banquet a while back was inextricably linked to his status as a director of Junyao Group.

A group with a market cap of over thirty billion yuan like Junyao Group might not be at the very top in the talent-filled Yangtze River Delta Region, but in Ji Province, it was a behemoth that towered over the rest.

Aside from Xiaoshu Medicine and Chifeng Gold, every other private enterprise had to crane its neck just to see its shadow. Furthermore, its primary business was aviation—a field that sounded impressive, high-end, and prestigious just by name.

For Zhen Cui Group to secure the most favorable policies from the local government for their investment in the Changbai Region, they first needed to inspire confidence. They had to make the local officials believe that they truly had the ability to boost local employment and stimulate economic growth.

The so-called process of attracting investment was, in fact, not much different from a matchmaking session.

The better the suitor’s qualifications, the more exceptional the partner he could attract.

In this context, the level of confidence inspired by a Zhen Cui Group with the backing of Junyao Group was naturally worlds apart from that of a Zhen Cui Group valued at a mere few hundred million yuan.

"No wonder Miss Wang is so graceful. So her family background is that illustrious."

As expected, upon learning Wan Ning’s identity, Zhao Hongbo’s voice unconsciously took on a tone of awe.

"There’s something else you might not know, Director Zhao."

Fan Hong added nonchalantly, "Besides being the chairman of Zhen Cui Group, our Chairman Gu is also a director at Junyao Group and the second-largest shareholder of Ruyi Airlines. That’s how he and Miss Wang became so well-acquainted."

Gu Heng wore many hats. The only people who knew the full extent of his roles were either the top-tier Ji Province entrepreneurs who stood in the front row at that banquet, or his most trusted confidants.

Even Wan Ning herself only had a partial understanding of his many roles; she didn’t know the full story.

A director at Junyao Group!

The second-largest shareholder of Ruyi Airlines!

With Fan Hong’s revelation, Zhao Hongbo completely lost his composure.

If Wan Ning’s identity was a symbol of Gu Heng’s vast personal network...

...then Gu Heng’s positions within Junyao Group were a testament to his own power.

Just a moment ago, he had been puzzled. Even if Gu Heng was the chairman of Zhen Cui Group and worth several hundred million yuan at such a young age—a bona fide young talent—it didn’t seem quite enough to make an heiress like Wan Ning so deferential and attentive.

It turned out that Zhen Cui Group was merely the tip of the iceberg. The true behemoth was the part of the iceberg hidden deep beneath the surface.

’Director Huang...’

’It seems you were a bit too full of yourself today!’

Zhao Hongbo sighed inwardly. He didn’t doubt the truth of Fan Hong’s words. He wouldn’t have gone out of his way to investigate something he didn’t know about, but now that the claim had been made, verifying it would be all too easy.

...

To Zhao Hongbo’s left, Gu Heng caught the two men whispering out of the corner of his eye. A knowing smile touched his lips.

"Here..."

"Eat up."

Gu Heng placed two more black pork spare ribs in Wan Ning’s bowl. "Iron pot stew is best right when it’s first served. There’s a wood fire under the pot, so as long as it’s burning, everything keeps cooking and just gets more and more tender."

Compared to the common white pigs found on the market, black pork is more flavorful and nutritious, and thus far more expensive.

Having been slow-cooked over the fire for so long, the black pork ribs had absorbed all the rich broth and sauce from the pot.

A single bite left a fragrant, savory taste that lingered long after.

"You should eat more, too."

"Aren’t you going to be drinking later?"

Although Wan Ning ate with elegant grace, a bit of oil from the stew inevitably glistened on her red lips, making them look as shiny and delicate as flower petals and inexplicably alluring.

"I’ll be drinking tonight, but not too much."

Gu Heng tapped the glass of distinctly yellow liquid in front of him. "This is a specialty liquor they brew here in the Changbai Region. It’s fine for these middle-aged men to drink a lot of it, but if someone my age has too much, I’ll be in for a rough night."

"Why is it fine for them, but you’ll have a rough time?"

Wan Ning stared, looking slightly puzzled.

"Do you know what the local specialties of the Changbai Region are?"

Gu Heng didn’t answer her directly. "Look them up online. Once you see the effects of those specialties, you’ll understand why."

"Oh..."

Hearing this, Wan Ning obediently did as he said and started searching on her phone.

The internet quickly provided the answer.

Ginseng: Nourishes the five major organs, greatly restores vital energy.

Sika Deer Antler: A kidney tonic and aphrodisiac; promotes essence and enriches the blood.

Forest Frog Oil: A kidney tonic that boosts essence; nourishes yin and moistens the lungs.

Schisandra: Astringes the lungs and nourishes the kidneys; stops perspiration and preserves essence.

...

As Wan Ning read through the search results, her cheeks gradually turned crimson. She now understood exactly what Gu Heng had meant.

The so-called "specialty liquor" of the Changbai Region was obviously brewed using these local ingredients. And a liquor made from such things... could you even call it a specialty liquor?

It was clearly an aphrodisiac brew!

Her Brother Gu Heng was already in the prime of his youth, full of vigor. If he drank too much of this stuff, the consequences would be...

The more Wan Ning thought about it, the redder her cheeks became.

"Figured it out?"

Seeing her expression, Gu Heng knew she’d understood.

"I... I have..."

Wan Ning lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. Her flushed, devastatingly beautiful face was the perfect embodiment of the phrase "good enough to eat."