"Old Yan, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Xingguo was momentarily stunned by Yan Huaili's remark.

He knew a lot about Ye Chen's background—more than once, in fact.

To put it bluntly, Ye Chen was a complete societal degenerate, a disgrace.

What a waste of a college entrance exam score near 600 points.

What a waste of 12 years of diligent studying for a four-year degree.

It's often said that children from humble backgrounds rise to greatness, but Ye Chen squandered every advantage he had.

After one failed entrepreneurial attempt, he spiraled into alcoholism, gambling, domestic violence, and taking out high-interest loans.

Not only did he ruin his once-idyllic life with a loving wife, adorable child, and a warm family, but he also turned himself into a complete mess, in and out of police custody, leaving a criminal record behind.

The last time a loan shark came knocking on his door was just a month or so ago.

Granted, Ye Chen's uncanny intervention in Kong Liqun's incident had reversed Zhang Xingguo's and the Zhang family's fortunes.

It had shattered Zhang Xingguo's prejudices and forced him to reconsider his view.

He had since acknowledged his father's wisdom: "Don't judge people solely by their past or their immediate situation. Look ahead to the future instead."

Even so, it didn't mean Zhang Xingguo was ready to believe Ye Chen's assets could surpass his own!

It had only been a little over a month since Ye Chen was harassed by loan sharks.

And now he'd accumulated assets worth billions?

What kind of nonsense was that?

So Zhang Xingguo was utterly baffled, especially since these words came from Yan Huaili's mouth.

However, Yan Huaili simply smiled and explained:

"Little Ye managed to corner Hengda Group and pull in 460 million yuan in just a few days. Not only that, Jing Shan and the young man from Huaxing Trading each made a billion. If we're talking about cash alone, Zhang Xingguo, you really can't compare to him!"

"What? Is that even possible?"

Zhang Xingguo's eyes widened in shock, his astonishment written all over his face.

Yan Huaili ignored him and continued:

"I've been through decades of ups and downs since arriving in Yanjing after entering Peking University. I've seen many legendary figures, but someone like you, Little Ye, is one of a kind. Xu Jia himself is a legend—a man who made a fortune by exploiting every loophole he could find. But in just a few days, you managed to take several billion from him. If word gets out, you'll become a celebrity overnight. Do you believe me?"

Before Ye Chen could respond, Zhang Jingshan blurted out anxiously:

"Brother Ye, I never told Secretary Yan about this!"

Zhang Jingshan was known for his loose tongue, but even he wouldn't dare gossip about this in front of someone like Yan Huaili.

"It's fine," Ye Chen reassured him with a smile, showing no sign of concern.

He turned to Yan Huaili, his tone casual yet polite:

"Secretary Yan, you're overpraising me. It was just a lucky break."

"Alright, cut the act. Do you think I'd know all this if I couldn't discern whether it was luck or not? Honestly, when the former secretary-general told me about you, I had my doubts. But after spending this brief time with you, I believe it now. The former secretary-general was right—it would take four Xu Jias to equal one Ye Chen!"

At this point, Yan Huaili softened his demeanor, his imposing aura dissolving into the warmth of a genial uncle-next-door.

Still, his years of experience in high office imbued him with an air of quiet authority that couldn't be entirely concealed.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xingguo was growing even more confused.

Why was Xu Jia being brought up now? And why did it take four Xu Jias to equal one Ye Chen?

The former secretary-general actually said such a thing?

"Secretary Yan, if this gets out, I'll become a laughingstock. Are you trying to flatter me to death?" Ye Chen said with a wry smile.

"Get out? How would it get out? If anyone were to blab, it'd definitely be Old Zhang!" Yan Huaili chuckled.

"Hey, do I look like a gossip?" Zhang Xingguo protested, both confused and annoyed.

"Haha!"

With a shake of his head and a hearty laugh, Yan Huaili dropped the topic.

He turned his attention back to Ye Chen, whose expression remained calm and composed throughout.

"Little Ye, considering Jing Shan calls me 'Uncle Yan' and Old Zhang calls me 'Old Yan,' you should know that I came here today purely as a friend for a casual chat over a meal. So stop treating me like a secretary and acting all reserved. That'd take the fun out of it."

"No problem. But what would Secretary Yan like to discuss?" Ye Chen asked with a smile.

As soon as he finished speaking, the wooden door of the room was knocked on.

Moments later, servers handpicked by Nangguo Villa entered to serve the dishes.

Yan Huaili paused the conversation until the servers finished and left.

Then he resumed with a smile:

"Let's eat and chat at the same time."

"Sure, whatever Secretary Yan prefers," Ye Chen replied with a grin.

The dishes were simple, reflecting Yan Huaili's preference for healthy, organic, vegetarian meals.

However, a few seafood and meat dishes had been added to accommodate the younger guests, Ye Chen and Zhang Jingshan.

As they ate, Yan Huaili spoke again:

"The former secretary-general says your foresight is extraordinary. From predicting the rise of Jinlinfu to the stock price surge of Sihai Group, and even to your clever maneuvering with Hengda Group, all have proven accurate. So let's talk about Jiangzhou. Use that foresight of yours to analyze Jiangzhou's future."

"Secretary Yan, isn't that a bit unfair? Jiangzhou's future depends on its leaders. How can an ordinary citizen like me predict it? Every phase, every policy, every leader reshapes the landscape. I really can't analyze it," Ye Chen replied with a bitter smile.

He knew Jiangzhou's future—that it would become one of the world's top cities alongside Yanjing and Shanghai, dominating globally.

But saying it now would make him sound like a madman.

History is filled with unimaginable transformations that only seem plausible in hindsight. At this moment, Ye Chen couldn't afford to share what he knew.

"Little Ye, didn't we agree you wouldn't treat me like a secretary or hold back? Just say what you think, no need for false humility!" Yan Huaili said, smiling as he saw Ye Chen's bitter expression.

He understood it was difficult to analyze the future of an entire city, especially for someone as young as Ye Chen.

But having heard the former secretary-general praise Ye Chen as a "once-in-a-lifetime genius," Yan Huaili couldn't resist hearing what the young man had to say.