Chapter 9: Want My Life? That’s Unforgivable!

The entire Yàn family sat in stunned silence as they watched Liú Dì devour food for a full 20 minutes. The seven chefs in the kitchen had nearly exhausted their supply of ingredients just to keep up with him!

Accustomed to elegance and grace, they had never seen such a ravenous display.

Thick slabs of sirloin steak were downed in a single bite!

Cakes and desserts were grabbed by hand!

"Tsk, tsk..."

Yàn Kāikāi stuck out her tongue and whispered, "He might be pitiful, but no way do I want a brother like him! I definitely don't want to live with him!"

Watching Liú Dì's unrefined behavior, Ōuyáng Fēngyù's eyes glimmered with an idea. He turned and fetched a bottle of red wine, presenting it to the elder Yàn with a smile, "Father, before coming here, I specially sourced a rare bottle of 1982 Lafite. Would you like to try it?"

Old Master Yàn, more engrossed in Liú Dì's eating than anything else, merely grunted in response.

Pouring the wine, Ōuyáng Fēngyù whispered into the elder's ear, "Father, as you can see, Liú Dì is of humble origin and lacks refinement. Bringing him into the Yàn family might cause embarrassment at important occasions. Wouldn't it be better to give him a sum of money and let him live his life in peace? That way, everyone wins."

The elder's expression grew increasingly stern.

Ōuyáng Fēngyù then poured wine for everyone at the table, deliberately skipping over Liú Dì.

"Please, everyone, have a taste of this wine. As for Brother Liú, I'm afraid this might be a bit beyond him."

Liú Dì, now feeling much better after the hearty meal, could sense significant improvements in his body's functions. As he swallowed the last piece of steak, he raised an eyebrow and said, "The 1982 Lafite is nothing but a marketing gimmick, designed to fool people like you with too much money."

"Oh?"

The elder Yàn's eyes lit up with interest, "Liú Dì, do tell us more."

While carefully deboning a piece of fish, Liú Dì casually replied, "The 1982 Lafite is expensive because Bordeaux experienced a severe drought that year, drastically reducing grape production. The scarcity drove up the price."

"But in reality, due to the drought, the grapes that year lacked sufficient sugar content, ripeness, and fragrance."

"As a result, the wine made from these grapes is actually inferior—even worse than the vintages of '83, '84, or even '90!"

Liú Dì swallowed the perfectly deboned fish in one bite, chewing as he glanced at the now-flustered Ōuyáng Fēngyù, "You say I can't appreciate wine, but can you?"

Inwardly, Liú Dì chuckled. What a coincidence! He knew nothing about wine, but earlier, with Mótóng's help, he had memorized an entire book on wine tasting in Yàn Qīngwén's car!

"You... you're spouting nonsense! How could such an expensive wine be inferior?"

Ōuyáng Fēngyù trembled with rage, his finger shaking as he pointed at Liú Dì.

Liú Dì merely smirked, "Believe what you will. By the way, about our little archery bet from earlier...?"

"Ah, I..."

Ōuyáng Fēngyù stammered, panic creeping into his voice.

Yàn Kāikāi and Yàn Xīnxīn both quickly covered their mouths, thinking, Oh no! Big Brother is about to lose face!

Liú Dì chuckled, "No need to be so nervous, Brother-in-law. It was just a joke. You can relax."

Yàn Qīngwén, on the other hand, found herself increasingly captivated by Liú Dì's knowledge and insight. The confidence and sophistication with which he spoke left her both impressed and bewildered.

As the evening progressed, the elder Yàn grew more animated, his interest piqued by Liú Dì's seemingly limitless knowledge.

"Liú Dì, what do you think of the Chinese economy?" the elder asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

The Chinese economy?

It seemed that the second book he had read on the way here was about to come in handy!

With a soft smile, Liú Dì began, "The mighty Yangtze River stretches far and wide, embodying the strength of the Chinese dragon! By 2020, the Chinese economy will enter a new era, achieving breakthroughs on three fronts. First, in terms of international standing..."

For the next half hour, Liú Dì spoke eloquently, effortlessly weaving together his ideas on the economy, national policy, entrepreneurship trends, and technological advancements.

His speech was so captivating that even Yàn Hóngxìn, a titan of industry with decades of experience, struggled to keep pace with his insights.

The Yàn children, who had initially regarded him with disdain, were now listening intently, their eyes growing wider with every word.

Yàn Kāikāi and Yàn Xīnxīn, though not fully understanding, were nonetheless struck by how impressive Liú Dì looked as he spoke. He's so cool!

As for Ōuyáng Fēngyù, his face turned beet red, feeling utterly humiliated by Liú Dì's superior knowledge.

Only Yàn Qīngwén, who had studied management abroad and followed her father's guidance, could somewhat keep up with Liú Dì's discourse. She was completely taken aback, realizing that Liú Dì's observations were not superficial but rather deep and forward-thinking, perhaps even ahead of some top-tier economists!

"Who is this man, really?"

Her heart began to race as she unconsciously fidgeted with the metal pen in her hand, clicking it nervously.

The elder Yàn, too, was thoroughly impressed, his excitement palpable as he realized the exceptional talent before him.

"Liú Dì, what are your thoughts on the business of our Yingzhi Group?"

The elder's eyes shone with a keen light, eager for Liú Dì's opinion.

Feeling finally satiated, Liú Dì gently set down his utensils, sighing softly, "Elder Yàn, there's no need to test me further. I'm not interested in becoming your adopted son. I'm sorry."

"What?"

The elder's disappointment was unmistakable, his eyes dimming as he sighed. To him, Liú Dì was not just his daughter's savior but a once-in-a-lifetime business genius. Losing him to another company would be a great loss!

Just then, Liú Dì noticed a red circle appear in his field of vision, focusing on Ōuyáng Fēngyù, who was angrily typing on his phone.

The contents of the message flashed before Liú Dì's eyes:

"This Liú Dì is too much of a threat! Get rid of him within a month!"

"Also, handle that matter with Yàn Qīngwén as soon as possible!"

Damn.

Liú Dì frowned slightly. I've been trying to avoid conflict, and now you want to go after my life? And you're planning something against Yàn Qīngwén too?

Well then, let's play!

"I'm not interested in becoming your adopted son because..."

Liú Dì's tone shifted as he turned to the elder Yàn with a playful grin, "I might have my eye on Yàn Qīngwén!"