Chapter 52: The Big Boss of the Port City (Part Two)

"Are you really the big boss of Port City?" Lin Weixiu, holding a newspaper, stared at Zhou Ming in disbelief. The newspaper in her hand had just been bought by Tang Rannian's father, Tang Jun, and it was exactly the same as the one Zhou Ming had given her earlier. The headline on the second page also featured a news article about Zhou Ming, even accompanied by a photo. Although the image quality wasn't as clear as it would be twenty years later, it was still unmistakably Zhou Ming in the picture.

"It's the real deal," Zhou Ming smiled.

"Oh my! I didn't expect the big boss of Port City to be so young and even make it into the newspaper. That's truly impressive!" Lin Weixiu praised Zhou Ming with a thumbs-up. Her attitude now was completely unrecognizable compared to her earlier behavior.

Zhou Ming wasn't surprised by her change in attitude. From her earlier demeanor and actions, it was clear she was someone who looked down on the poor and revered the rich. In this era, anyone who appeared in the newspaper was either rich or powerful, and this particular article explicitly mentioned Zhou Ming as the boss of a certain fund company in Port City. Though Lin Weixiu didn't understand what a fund was, she knew what a company boss was, and the fact that she didn't fully understand the nature of Zhou Ming's business only made him seem more impressive and mysterious to her.

However, even Lin Weixiu couldn't completely disregard what had happened earlier. She soon turned to reprimand Tang Rannian, saying, "Rannian, how could you know such a big boss from Port City and not tell us? You brought him here today, and your father and I weren't even prepared. It's so embarrassing."

"I kept telling you that he was the big boss from Port City, but you didn't believe me," Tang Rannian replied, feeling wronged.

Zhou Ming noticed the awkwardness on Lin Weixiu's face and said, "It's alright, Auntie Lin. I'm a very easygoing person. Besides, I just arrived in South Jiang myself, so I didn't have time to notify you either. That's my fault for not handling things better."

Glancing at the time, Zhou Ming continued, "Uncle and Auntie, it's getting late. How about we go have dinner first, and then we can chat more?"

Both Tang Jun and Lin Weixiu nodded in agreement. Lin Weixiu even took the opportunity to scold Tang Rannian, saying, "See, Rannian? This big boss from Port City really knows how to talk and handle things. He's so much better than those people from the mainland."

To people like Lin Weixiu, everything a rich person did was right, and everything a poor person did was wrong.

Zhou Ming didn't say much in response to this, only silently sighing in his heart. He knew he couldn't change everyone's mindset or solve all problems, so as long as the people he cared about were doing well, that was enough for him.

Zhou Ming took Tang Rannian and her parents to a hotel next to the mall and booked a private room, ordering a lavish meal.

As they looked at the sumptuous spread, the opulently decorated private room, and the beautiful waitstaff ready to serve them, Lin Weixiu felt a bit out of place. She quietly asked Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, won't this cost a lot?"

"It's not too bad, around five hundred yuan or so," Zhou Ming replied casually.

This answer made Lin Weixiu gasp. She looked at Zhou Ming in awe and said, "Five hundred yuan? The three of us combined don't even make that much in a month, and this is just for one meal? And you say it's not much? Mr. Zhou, you truly are a big boss from Port City. Your magnanimity is something else."

Zhou Ming smiled slightly and asked Tang Rannian's father, "Uncle, do you drink? How about I open a bottle of Moutai for you?"

Hearing the name "Moutai," Tang Jun's eyes widened. "Moutai? Isn't that the liquor that central government leaders drink? It must be very expensive, right?"

"Only about seven or eight hundred yuan," Zhou Ming said as he signaled the waitress to open the bottle.

Tang Jun quickly waved his hand. "No, no, no, Mr. Zhou, just bring me a bottle of local liquor that costs a few yuan. That'll do just fine."

The waitress blinked in confusion at Zhou Ming, who smiled and reassured her, "Go ahead and open it, it's alright."

As the waitress went to get the bottle, Tang Jun said to Zhou Ming, "Mr. Zhou, that liquor is for government leaders. My background isn't that good, and it's too expensive. How could I possibly drink it? You should have it instead. I'll just have some local liquor."

Zhou Ming chuckled. "Uncle, we're in the era of reform and opening up. There's no more talk of backgrounds. If we're really going to talk about backgrounds, as a capitalist, I should have been overthrown by now! And since the liquor is already here, please enjoy it. Drink as much as you like. If you can't finish it, take the rest home and enjoy it whenever you want."

Lin Weixiu also chided Tang Jun, "Exactly! Don't embarrass yourself. Do you expect Mr. Zhou to drink local liquor with you?"

Chastened by Lin Weixiu, Tang Jun said no more. Zhou Ming then suggested, "Uncle and Auntie, you don't need to call me Mr. Zhou. I'm not that much older than Rannian. You can just call me Xiaozhou."

At first, both Lin Weixiu and Tang Jun shook their heads, saying it wouldn't be appropriate, but Zhou Ming insisted. Eventually, they relented and started calling him by his name.

"Zhou Ming, the newspaper says you're the boss of some kind of fund company? What exactly is a fund company? Do you deal with gold?" Lin Weixiu asked curiously.

"Of course not," Zhou Ming replied. "In simple terms, a fund is where people give me their money, and I help them invest it in various ventures to grow their wealth."

Lin Weixiu hesitantly asked, "Isn't that just like a bank? But can people really trust private companies with their money?"

"Yes, they can," Zhou Ming explained. "You can think of a fund company as something similar to a bank, but the interest rates offered by funds are generally much higher. Also, many banks abroad are actually privately owned."

Both Lin Weixiu and Tang Jun nodded, somewhat understanding. Lin Weixiu remarked, "No wonder you're so wealthy, Zhou Ming. Being in charge of something like a bank, and privately owned at that—you must be rich. How long have you been in Port City? What does your family do?"

"My family is actually from Lin Yang, so Auntie, you weren't wrong about my accent," Zhou Ming said. "I haven't been in Port City for long. To be honest, I have to thank Rannian. If she hadn't helped me get my passport and visa, I probably wouldn't have made so much money."

Lin Weixiu quickly added, "Rannian was just lucky to get into that unit when they were hiring. It's her good fortune to have been able to help you, Zhou Ming."

As they chatted, the waitress brought the liquor. Zhou Ming had her open it and poured some for both himself and Tang Jun. Though Tang Jun was initially hesitant to drink such an expensive liquor, he eventually relaxed after a few sips. Just as Tang Rannian's parents were starting to feel more comfortable, there was a sudden knock on the door, and Wei Hua walked in.

When they saw Wei Hua, both Tang Jun and Lin Weixiu froze, their faces showing signs of panic. After all, they were the ones who had arranged the blind date with Wei Hua, and as far as they knew, Tang Rannian was still dating him. Though there had been some minor arguments, they were now having dinner with Zhou Ming in a fancy restaurant, and they didn't know how to face Wei Hua.

Wei Hua was equally surprised at first to see Tang Rannian's family in such a luxurious setting. But then his eyes landed on Zhou Ming.

"So, you're here," Zhou Ming greeted Wei Hua nonchalantly.

The moment Wei Hua saw Zhou Ming, his face twisted with anger. Pointing a finger at Zhou Ming, he snarled, "It's you? So you're that bastard who came back! Are you here to steal Tang Rannian from me?"

Wei Hua's fury was beyond control. As a native of South Jiang, he had always felt superior to Tang Rannian, who had always been obedient and demure around him. Her parents also favored him, and he had been confident that he would soon win over this sweet girl. But ever since Zhou Ming arrived, everything had changed. Tang Rannian constantly praised Zhou Ming, even giving up their dates to go meet him at the South Lake border crossing. Now, Zhou Ming was treating her family to a meal in such a luxurious place. If this wasn't an attempt to steal Tang Rannian, then what was it?

Tang Jun and Lin Weixiu looked extremely uncomfortable, their mouths opening and closing as if they wanted to say something but were unable to utter a word.

Zhou Ming, watching Wei Hua with interest, said, "Steal Tang Rannian?

 Wei Hua, are you telling me a story? Rannian is my girlfriend."

Wei Hua quickly turned to Tang Rannian, demanding, "Rannian, tell me this isn't true. He's lying, isn't he?"

"It's true. I am Ming Ge's girlfriend," Tang Rannian replied firmly.

Her words hit Wei Hua like a physical blow, causing him to stagger back a step. But he wasn't ready to give up yet. "Rannian, is it because you think he's rich? I'm not poor either! Whatever he can give you, I can give you too. Don't you see that he's lying to you? You're being fooled. If you stay with him, you'll only end up getting hurt. Please, stop this nonsense."

"I'm not playing games," Tang Rannian said resolutely, looking directly at Wei Hua. "Wei Hua, let me be clear. I've never liked you since the first day we met. I'm Ming Ge's girlfriend now, and I feel very happy."

Wei Hua felt as if his head had exploded. Pointing at Tang Rannian, he shouted, "Tang Rannian, you're just a gold-digging slut! From the first day I met you, I knew you were only interested in my money. And now you're with him because he's even richer, right? You're just a whore, and I should beat the hell out of you!"

As Wei Hua moved toward Tang Rannian, Zhou Ming suddenly stood up and slapped Wei Hua across the face.