Chapter 17: Qin Lin's Banquet and a Business Plan Worth Hundreds of Millions

As night fell, a taxi pulled up in front of the Fuhua Grand Hotel. A greeter in a light, summery uniform came forward to open the door.

"Fourth Uncle, you all wait for me down here. I should be out in about two hours," Zhang Tianfeng said.

Upon hearing that Zhang Tianfeng was attending Qin Lin’s banquet, Zhang Jizheng became a bit uneasy and decided to tag along.

"Alright, just call if you need anything," Zhang Jizheng replied, tapping the pager at his waist before walking toward the hotel with two companions.

Guided by the greeter, Zhang Tianfeng headed straight to the sixth floor.

"Such a large banquet hall for just one table—doesn't that seem a bit extravagant?"

"Entertaining a young genius like you, it's best to keep the crowd small," Qin Lin said as he stepped out from the side, gesturing toward a cart. "Would you like white spirits, something foreign, or beer?"

"White spirits, please. Strong and memorable," Zhang Tianfeng replied.

"Alright, go have a seat on the balcony. I’ll have them bring it over."

Zhang Tianfeng nodded politely and walked calmly to the balcony.

From the tallest building in Xiyan City, everything below was laid out before his eyes.

"I hear you wanted to talk business with me. What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I want to make at least a million here with you, Boss Qin, and I need a special transit pass to Harbor City."

Harbor City was the first stop on Zhang Tianfeng’s journey, but it was notoriously difficult to access—a special permit was required. This permit had to be applied for at the local government offices, and just filling out the paperwork took two or three days. Even if the application sailed through, the permit itself would take another two or three months to be issued.

By then, it would be too late.

Qin Lin was able to bring goods in from Harbor City, which meant he had his own special channels—it would be a waste not to take advantage.

"At least a million? You’re quite confident!"

"I believe what I’m offering will truly interest you."

"Since dinner hasn’t started yet, why don’t you tell me now?"

Zhang Tianfeng set down his backpack, took out a blue plastic document folder, and produced two sheets of paper, which he handed to Qin Lin.

The title on the cover read: The Economic Effects of Vehicle Advertising.

This was the famous vehicle advertising concept from his previous life, which had been taken to extreme lengths by small clinics and hospitals—ads on the body, the doors, even the seats, especially on buses running between towns and villages, where they became ubiquitous.

Qin Lin’s interest was piqued; he studied the papers closely while Zhang Tianfeng sat beside him with calm composure, neither arrogant nor servile.

He was here to negotiate business, not to curry favor. Why should he lower himself?

Even if he didn’t work with Qin Lin, he had other ways to make money. In the future, his achievements would far surpass a mere ten million in assets.

After reading the two pages, Qin Lin put them down reluctantly. “This is well written. I’m even more intrigued by you now.”

"Answer me this: whose front man are you, really?"

"I am my own man. No one is qualified to use me as their proxy."

"Then how is it that you've never been to a coastal city, yet you know the follow-up plot to Liang Kun’s story?"

"Comics are drawn by people, novels are written by people—if they can create them, why can’t I?"

Zhang Tianfeng had already prepared his answer for this; whether Qin Lin believed him or not was irrelevant. His ultimate goal would always circle back to the operational model for vehicle advertising.

As expected, Qin Lin nodded. “You’re right. I’ve read your Summer Romance, too. It does carry a touch of Mr. Qiong’s style—no wonder it drives those girls crazy.”

"So, about the vehicle advertising..."

“You’ll have to pay before you hear the rest. As for the two pages you’ve just read, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. I’ve already conducted an experiment for you. At the latest, you’ll see the results in a day or two.”

There was no need to wait even that long—Qin Lin already knew the results when he returned.

He had previously assigned someone to shadow Zhang Tianfeng, replicating all his commercial strategies for a pilot run in the provincial capital.

They’d used Harbor City’s trending elements to open the market, tied customers in with the Summer Romance story, and overlaid it all with the same vehicle advertising.

The result was sheer madness.

The three professional designers he’d hired were exhausted, and the day’s takings exceeded a hundred thousand yuan.

Qin Lin knew full well that if Zhang Tianfeng were unleashed in the provincial capital, he would leave those self-important merchants scrambling for cover.

Wait...

Thinking back over how they’d gone from strangers to acquaintances, to finally meeting face-to-face, it seemed Zhang Tianfeng had set his sights on him from the very start.

“So your ultimate target was me, not Niu Li,” Qin Lin chuckled ruefully.

“Him? He’s just a stone in my path to wealth. Jewelry is small change, a stage I set up for you to observe. I thought you’d already figured out my intentions.”

Qin Lin didn’t know what to say and could only keep smiling wryly.

He had thought himself an outsider, only to discover he’d been part of the plan all along.

It seemed Zhang Tianfeng’s designs were far from fully revealed—there were probably still many unexpected moves to come.

He felt a twinge of anxiety at having lost the chance to glean more about his rival’s intentions.

“Boss, the banquet is ready,” Old Li the butler announced as he approached.

Qin Lin handed him the two sheets of paper, then turned and said, “Come, let’s eat and talk. Good business is best discussed with food and drink.”

“Very well, I’ll gladly accept.”

Facing Qin Lin, Zhang Tianfeng sat down calmly.

Tonight’s dishes included lobster, caviar, cod pastry, steak—each plate costing tens of thousands, with air-freighted seafood fetching even higher prices.

“Do you need me to show you how to use the cutlery or how to eat these?” Qin Lin asked.

“No need.”

“Then let’s begin. There are no rules at my table—just enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you.”

Zhang Tianfeng picked up his knife and fork, cutting a piece of steak and eating unhurriedly.

Qin Lin watched closely. Observing Zhang Tianfeng’s adept use of tableware, his poise and manner, Qin Lin was taken aback once more.

That kind of bearing couldn’t be cultivated in a few short years—this young man was becoming ever more fascinating.

After several rounds of drinks, Zhang Tianfeng rose. “Excuse me, I need to use the restroom.”

“Straight ahead to the left,” Qin Lin replied.

Once Zhang Tianfeng disappeared around the corner, Li Chenggong came over.

“Boss, this kid is no ordinary character.”

“No kidding. I’ve never met anyone who understands me this well,” Qin Lin muttered.

During the meal, he had tried to probe Zhang Tianfeng with questions. Whatever he asked, Zhang Tianfeng answered, and everything matched the information he had gathered.

The most striking moment came after the eighth question, when Zhang Tianfeng suddenly said, “You’ve already investigated me—why bother asking all this?”

At that instant, Qin Lin felt utterly exposed, with not a secret left hidden.

Zhang Tianfeng knew him too well. That frightened Qin Lin—he feared being completely outmaneuvered, left powerless to resist.

“What’s your assessment of this business proposal?” Qin Lin asked.

“I haven’t seen the full follow-up, but judging by the content in these two pages, its economic value is at least in the tens of millions,” Li Chenggong replied. “The details here are far ahead of anything those Harbor City folks have tried.”

“If we had the complete plan and executed it well, that figure might rise tenfold.”

“In ’93, a business plan worth a billion—what sort of prodigy have I stumbled upon?”

Zhang Tianfeng was formidable, formidable enough to make Qin Lin uneasy. He felt a pang of compassion—he wanted to recruit Zhang Tianfeng. If not, he would have to eliminate him, for otherwise, this youth would become his strongest rival.

“Dad, you’re here having a feast and didn’t even invite me!”

Just then, Gao Ran burst into the room.