Just as Guo Dapan was questioning life itself.

Jun Xinghe eagerly reached over, picked up a slice of ham, and placed it in his mouth.

The meat was tender, not at all dry, with a pleasant chewiness. The aroma was exceptionally rich, without the slightest hint of gaminess!

This was followed by a faint, clean aftertaste of oak.

Jun Xinghe was astonished.

This ham was somehow much more delicious than the ones in his own collection.

But the thing was, his hams easily cost hundreds of thousands.

’How is Jiang Liu’s ham this good?’

’Is Jiang Liu using ham that’s even better than ones costing hundreds of thousands?’

’Where did he get it?’

’He couldn’t figure it out.’

He quickly pushed the question to the back of his mind.

Because Guo Dapao, sitting across from him, was eating like a man starved, stuffing five or six slices of ham into his mouth at a time.

His table manners were atrocious.

Xia Changzhi squinted, took an unhurried sip of his beer, and set down the glass. "Well? How is it compared to your ham?"

"Fuck, this is so damn good! It’s so fucking good! I’d have come sooner if I’d known!" Guo Dapao exclaimed, his mouth stuffed with slices of ham.

His mouth was filled with the smoky aroma.

Although Jun Xinghe didn’t want to admit it, the facts were right in front of him.

"It’s excellent. Truly more delicious than any of the hams in my collection. It’s hard to imagine that you can experience a taste of pure bliss with such top-tier ham for just three thousand yuan at Boss Jiang’s shop."

As he spoke, Jun Xinghe’s expression was full of regret.

"If Boss Jiang were to open his shop in Jing City, he’d have a much bigger stage."

"What’s so great about Jing City? You can’t beat the lifestyle on Yangzhai Street. It’s a blessing for us residents that Boss Jiang opened his shop here."

Xia Changzhi looked insufferably smug.

Jun Xinghe glanced at him but didn’t say a word.

’I absolutely have to win Jiang Liu over for my daughter,’ he thought, his resolve hardening.

The food on the table was quickly polished off.

In the meantime, Jun Xinghe had another three glasses of juice.

He got them himself.

He usually enjoyed ordering people around, but since Jiang Liu was his preferred choice for a son-in-law, he had to make a good impression.

The three of them lowered their heads and dug in.

"BURP!"

"Ah, that hit the spot. Forget a three-hour flight—I’d fly back from abroad for a meal like this!"

After letting his stomach settle, Jun Xinghe asked, "I heard Boss Jiang also had braised potatoes the day before yesterday?"

"That’s right. And not just braised potatoes, but also shrimp paste crepes, steamed egg custard, Souffle bread, and more. A lot of stuff, and all priced at just a few dozen yuan."

After speaking, Xia Changzhi looked at Jiang Liu with admiration.

’If Jiang Liu ever closed up shop, he’d honestly have a breakdown. After all, having such delicious food right on his doorstep was a dream come true—the kind you’d wake up laughing from.’

Hearing that he’d missed so many delicacies, Guo Dapan thought, ’What a pity.’

Jun Xinghe glanced at the busy Jiang Liu and said, "I guess Boss Jiang offers these dishes to cater to ordinary customers. For just a few dozen yuan, you get to eat something this delicious. I’m sure a lot of people are very happy with that."

As soon as he said that...

The other two realized what he meant.

Guo Dapao nodded. "This Boss Jiang knows how to do business. It’s a shame, though. If only he could be my son-in-law, I’d open a hundred branches for him tomorrow."

Jun Xinghe was suddenly struck by a sense of crisis, like a prized flower was about to be trampled by a pig.

"Ahem, Dapao, I’d advise you to give up on that idea. I’ve already called dibs on Jiang Liu for my daughter, so don’t you try to compete with me."

"Pfft, doesn’t your daughter already have a boyfriend? As the saying goes, one should keep the good stuff within the family..."

"Shut your mouth!"

Jun Xinghe glared at Guo Dapao.

’No one was going to steal Jiang Liu away from his daughter!’

Guo Dapao: "..."

Jun Xinghe thought for a moment.

He decided to take the initiative.

So he looked up at the busy Jiang Liu and called out, "Boss Jiang?"

"Hm?"

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"Sure, go ahead," Jiang Liu replied casually.

Jun Xinghe gathered his thoughts before speaking. "Boss Jiang, I’d like to know what kind of girl you like."

"Uh... that’s a bit too general. I’m not really sure myself."

Jun Xinghe pressed on. "Let me give you some examples, then. Do you prefer the gentle type or the cool, aloof type? Someone who’s a good earner or someone more family-oriented?"

’Uh...’

’Jiang Liu had no idea why the man was asking this.’

Out of politeness, he still answered, "I don’t think those things are important. I prefer someone with a good personality, someone who’d be good to both me and my daughter. Whether she can make money doesn’t matter. What’s important is that she’s kind-hearted and a decent person."

Jun Xinghe’s heart sank.

’If that’s the case, doesn’t my daughter stand a chance??’

His face contorted in agony.

’That good-for-nothing daughter of his had an ice-cold personality and especially loved to torture people.’

’When she used to work for him at the company, she tormented her subordinates until their lives were a living hell.’

’Would Jiang Liu really be interested in someone like that?’

’Probably not...’

’Maybe... I should just let Guo Dapao have him?’

At this thought, Jun Xinghe felt as miserable as if he’d stepped in dog shit.

’Such a great son-in-law, how could I give him to that oaf!’

’But it was worth a shot. Otherwise, he’d have to keep waiting in line if he wanted to eat here in the future.’

Jun Xinghe nodded. "Alright, I understand, Boss Jiang. How about this, then? What if I introduce you to a girlfriend? She’s pretty good-looking, has a lively and active personality, and most importantly, her family is rich. Would you consider meeting her?"

’Jiang Liu wasn’t surprised in the least.’

’From the man’s tone, he had guessed he was about to be set up.’

’A lot of people had tried to set him up with someone lately.’

Jiang Liu shook his head. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I already have a girlfriend."

"Ah???"

Jun Xinghe’s eyes went wide, his pupils trembling in shock.

He asked in disbelief, "Boss Jiang, did you say you already have a girlfriend?"

"That’s right."

The corner of Jun Xinghe’s mouth twitched.

He felt as if his company had just gone bankrupt.

Not only could he not be his father-in-law, he didn’t even qualify to be the matchmaker.

Guo Dapao asked, gloating, "President Jun, are you still going to renovate that house? Why not just sell it to me? After all, your cooked duck has flown the coop. No use keeping the house now."

He’d heard that Jun Xinghe had specifically bought a detached house with a courtyard and was spending a fortune renovating it, all to give to Jiang Liu as a gift from his future father-in-law.

Jun Xinghe was silent for a few seconds. "Of course I’m still renovating it. I plan on living here after I retire."

’At the thought of having to queue up every day in the rain and scorching sun, Jun Xinghe’s expression twisted in despair.’

’If Jiang Liu were his son-in-law, he wouldn’t have to deal with all this trouble. He could even have him cook delicious meals at home!’

Jiang Liu looked at Jun Xinghe, whose face had gone deathly pale, and felt baffled.

He asked, "This... sir, do you have a daughter?"

Hearing Jiang Liu’s question, Jun Xinghe snapped back to reality. He sighed and said, "I suppose I do. We haven’t seen each other in a long time... As a father, I raised a disobedient daughter. Sigh."

Jiang Liu could hear the disappointment and dissatisfaction in the man’s voice.

"Did you have a falling out with your daughter?"

"Something like that. Our relationship is very frosty. Why are you asking, Boss Jiang?" Jun Xinghe gave Jiang Liu a strange look.

Jiang Liu smiled and said, "Well, I can tell you’re not an ordinary person, and I’ll probably be meeting my girlfriend’s father in a few days. He’s also a successful man, and my girlfriend tells me her father has a bad temper, is very strict, and has very high standards. I’m telling you all this because I wanted to get your perspective—if someone like you were picking a son-in-law, what kind of man would you be looking for?"

Jun Xinghe felt a pang of jealousy.

It was a jealousy so sharp it made his teeth ache.

’Which lucky, thousand-year-old bastard was going to be Boss Jiang’s father-in-law?’