It wasn't anything complicated—just laying the groundwork to poach Director Xiao from Hengda Group in the near future!

As Xiao Qiang frowned in confusion, Ye Chen smiled lightly and spoke directly.

Little did she know...

His response left Xiao Qiang momentarily stunned.

What?

Poach her from Hengda Group?

"President Ye, are you joking with me?" Xiao Qiang chuckled.

"Do I look like I'm joking? If you hadn't reached out to me, I wouldn't have come today." Ye Chen replied earnestly.

Hearing this, Xiao Qiang squinted slightly, her mind racing.

Judging by Ye Chen's serious demeanor, she knew he wouldn't joke about such matters.

"President Ye, are you planning to enter the real estate industry?" she asked directly, locking eyes with him.

Though it was obvious to everyone that the golden age of real estate was fading, and even Hengda Group had started shifting focus to other sectors, the only reason she could think of for Ye Chen to recruit her was if he intended to step into real estate.

But what puzzled her was that, given Ye Chen's extraordinary foresight and analytical skills, how could he possibly be interested in a declining industry like real estate?

"Does it sound unbelievable?" Ye Chen smiled confidently.

Xiao Qiang nodded and shook her head at the same time. She was conflicted.

Real estate was no child's play—if he planned to go big, it was purely a game of capital.

Did Ye Chen have that kind of financial strength?

Sure, the miraculous Wuxia Ointment could potentially generate wealth, but whether it could survive ruthless competition and sabotage was still uncertain.

Yet, in this situation, he dared to entertain the idea of real estate?

Was he crazy?

"President Ye, with all due respect, do you understand the real estate industry?" Xiao Qiang questioned.

Ye Chen smiled but didn't respond.

She continued, "I think you should focus on ensuring Yi Ren Ru Xue survives the storm, rather than prematurely expanding into other sectors—especially real estate, which is purely a capital-driven game. If I remember correctly, you once told Director Xu that taking too large a step could backfire. Yi Ren Ru Xue is still in its infancy, and now you're already eyeing another industry, and real estate of all things?"

"Director Xu might risk pulling a muscle, but I have the confidence not to," Ye Chen replied confidently.

To Xiao Qiang, however, this confidence bordered on arrogance.

"President Ye, expanding ambition too early isn't always a good thing."

"Who knows? Let's give it a shot. The world is full of miracles, and I want to cover the longest distance in the shortest time. That way, I can retire early, right?" Ye Chen chuckled and shook his head. "Enough about me. Let's talk about you, Director Xiao... Can I convince you to leave Hengda and help me break into real estate?"

"You don't even have a foundation, yet you're already thinking of poaching me? Isn't that a bit premature?" she replied with a half-smile.

"Fine, once I have the foundation, I'll come to you. Consider this the groundwork for our next poaching meeting!" Ye Chen laughed.

"You're so sure I'll leave?"

"Yes, I believe you'll be convinced the next time we meet."

After finishing his tea, Ye Chen took a sip of water.

"That's it for today, Director Xiao. I think this meeting will give you something to report to Director Xu, and it also lays the groundwork for our next encounter. A win-win, wouldn't you say?"

With a meaningful smile, Ye Chen stood up.

"President Ye, are you really not considering collaborating with Hengda Group?" Xiao Qiang asked once more.

"No, but apart from Wuxia Ointment, I believe future collaborations between me and Hengda Group are inevitable."

Leaving Xiao Qiang puzzled with those words, Ye Chen walked out of the café gracefully.

Xiao Qiang, however, was left deep in thought.

Future collaborations with Hengda Group are inevitable?

Was he bluffing, or did he have something planned?

Clearly, that wasn't something she could figure out at the moment.

With a deep breath, she shook off the confusion.

As she stood up, a server passed by.

Recalling the staff's respectful attitude toward Ye Chen earlier, Xiao Qiang couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, may I ask about Mr. Ye Chen who was just here? What's his status here at Café A?"

"Mr. Ye Chen? He's one of the holders of A's Purple Gold Black Card," the server replied.

In an instant, Xiao Qiang was stunned, standing frozen like a statue.

A's Purple Gold Black Card?

The globally recognized, highest-tier membership card that allowed holders to enjoy premium services without paying?

How could Ye Chen possibly possess that?

The issuance of the Purple Gold Black Card was extremely limited, and in China, holders were rare. Even Director Xu Jia of Hengda Group didn't have one. Not that Director Xu cared for such things or frequented such places for meetings.

Could the information collected about Ye Chen have been wrong all along?

Even as she returned to her Audi Q7, Xiao Qiang hadn't recovered from the shock.

Starting the car and turning on the AC, she didn't drive off immediately.

Instead, she pulled out her phone and called Director Xu Jia.

"He refused, didn't he?" Xu Jia spoke first, even before Xiao Qiang could say anything.

"Yes, Director Xu," she replied with a bitter smile.

"I expected as much," Xu Jia sighed regretfully.

Sitting in the office of Hengda Group's headquarters, Xu Jia rubbed his temple.

He had foreseen the inevitable capital crisis looming over Hengda Group, and he firmly believed in Wuxia Ointment's potential. If Hengda could secure a stake, he was confident Yi Ren Ru Xue could become a financial powerhouse, reinforcing Hengda's future.

But unfortunately... Ye Chen preferred to weather the storm alone rather than let Hengda shield him.

"What did he say?" Xu Jia asked again.

"He said Hengda's offer was generous, but from the moment Yi Ren Ru Xue was founded, he never intended to dilute his shares."

After a pause, Xiao Qiang added, "He seems confident he can handle the challenges ahead."

Xu Jia fell silent.

As silence filled the air, Xiao Qiang pondered for a moment but decided not to mention Ye Chen's plan to enter real estate or his intention to poach her.

Instead, she said, "Director Xu, there's something else I should tell you."

"Go ahead," Xu Jia replied.

"He holds A's Purple Gold Black Card," she revealed.