Triumph Manor.
Located in the heart of Capitalview City, this is a wine reception venue with a deliberately old-fashioned manor style. The entire building is framed by brown-yellow stone walls, giving it a sense of history.
Inside the manor, there’s a garden and a swimming pool, and a grand statue stands at the main entrance—majestic and imposing.
Today marks the Capitalview City Chamber of Commerce’s business exchange event.
Events like this are mainly for Capitalview’s business owners from all industries to meet and network—it’s basically a platform for connections.
The reception hall is filled with wine tables, each loaded with various red wines and desserts. The men are mostly in suits, looking sharp, while the women are dressed in evening gowns, all carefully made up.
“Did you hear? A few days ago, the Wei family and the Zhou family had a big conflict over at the Zhou’s White Crane Manor. Someone actually died, and Wade Wei is still in the hospital.”
“No way. The Wei and Zhou families have always been at odds, but it’s never gotten to the point of real violence, right?”
“Who knows? But look at the past few days—neither family has made a move. Instead, both have gone unusually quiet. Feels like something big is brewing.”
A group of boys in fitted suits, all about seventeen or eighteen, are pretending to be mature—holding glasses of wine and chatting loudly.
Nearby, a few girls dressed to the nines put on just the right surprised expressions whenever the boys bring up these topics.
Most of these kids came with their parents. Ostensibly it’s just a fun outing, but really, they’re here to find like-minded friends. Don’t be fooled by the surface equality—their circle is strictly hierarchical.
The leader, a boy in a white suit, is named Tim Ruan—the son of Daniel Ruan, vice-chairman of the Capitalview Chamber of Commerce.
He’s only eighteen, but carries himself with confidence—one hand in his pocket as he talks, brimming with self-assurance.
The other boys listen to him, nodding along enthusiastically.
The girls look at him with obvious admiration.
Tim soaks up the atmosphere, clearly enjoying the attention. Right now, his gaze is fixed on a girl in a light blue dress, holding a glass of wine and glancing toward the entrance—Lynn Chen—his eyes full of desire.
“Linyan, I heard your dad’s company just officially opened. You’re about to start bidding for projects, right?” Tim walks over, carefully choosing his words and flashing what he thinks is a cool smile.
He’s met Lynn Chen a few times before—when Charles Chen came to Capitalview to start his company, Daniel Ruan invited him over thanks to the Wansheng Real Estate connection, and they had a casual meal together.
Tim was there too, instantly attracted to Lynn Chen. Since then, he’s been calling and texting her, but she’s always cold to him—leaving Tim frustrated.
Tim even went so far as to beg his dad, Daniel Ruan, to talk to Charles Chen about it, but every time Daniel brought it up, Charles just laughed it off, saying he doesn’t meddle in his kid’s affairs.
That left Daniel Ruan a bit helpless and a little annoyed.
Just now, as soon as Charles Chen arrived with Lucy Lu and Lynn Chen, Tim immediately invited Lynn over for a chat. In this situation, Lynn couldn’t really refuse, so she came along.
From the moment she got here, Lynn has been watching the entrance, completely uninterested in the conversation. She has no intention of joining in. Every so often, she notices Ryan Ren across the hall, sneaking glances their way, his face full of grievance and anger—which just leaves Lynn speechless.
“I guess so. I’m not really sure,” Lynn replies, barely paying attention.
Someone nearby immediately chimes in, “Then you should have Tim ask his dad! Uncle Ruan knows a lot of people—especially when it comes to project approvals. My dad got his project approved thanks to Uncle Ruan’s help!”
“Yeah, and Tim is really easy to talk to. Uncle Ruan is a great guy too.”
Everyone around joins in, and Tim just smiles, looking quite pleased with himself. He turns to Lynn and says, “If Uncle Chen ever needs help with anything, just let me know. We’re all friends in the same circle now—we should help each other out.”
“Mm, thanks,” Lynn nods politely.
Tim isn’t satisfied with Lynn’s attitude, but for the moment, he can’t find a way to get closer to her.
“Tim! Come here for a second!”
At that moment, Daniel Ruan waved at Tim from across the room, calling out, “And that young lady—Linyan, right? Haha!”
Standing next to Daniel Ruan are several of Capitalview’s top business leaders.
Charles Chen is there too, while Lucy Lu has been pulled aside by Daniel Ruan’s wife to chat with a group of wealthy ladies.
With Daniel Ruan’s gesture, Tim calls Lynn over; Lynn, a bit reluctant, follows him.
After all, tonight’s banquet is pretty important for Charles Chen.
“Hello, Uncle Chen,” Tim says as he steps over and greets Charles Chen.
Charles Chen nods and smiles, “It’s only been a short while since I last saw you, Tim, and you’ve already grown taller.”
“Isn’t that the truth? Old Chen, your Linyan has gotten even prettier lately. These days, Tim talks about Linyan nonstop at home. If I hadn’t met her myself, I’d think he was obsessed! Haha.”
As soon as Daniel says this, Lynn’s mood sours, while Tim just keeps grinning.
“Tim and Linyan—what a perfect match. They’re made for each other.”
“Exactly! And Daniel’s company is in construction materials, which ties directly to real estate. Once Charles’s company starts bidding for projects, he’ll definitely need Daniel’s help.”
The old hands in the group catch Daniel’s meaning right away.
With Wansheng Real Estate backing Charles Chen, no matter how far he goes, for now he’s definitely Daniel Ruan’s best possible partner!