Chapter 455 - 431: When One Person Attains the Dao, Chickens and Dogs Ascend to Heaven (Part 2)

Chapter 455: Chapter 431: When One Person Attains the Dao, Chickens and Dogs Ascend to Heaven (Part 2)

The group chatted for about another half hour before Lin Gaoyuan and Ji Wanqiu finally made their belated appearance.

"My apologies, everyone. Something at the factory held me up a bit." Lin Gaoyuan walked in wearing a suit. He seemed to have put on a little weight since last year—a likely sign of his frequent business dinners.

"Old Lin, we know you’re a busy man, so I won’t say much more. You know the drill—three penalty drinks for being late," Jiang Wende boomed with laughter.

"How about tea? I’ll have tea instead of alcohol. I drove here today, so I can’t get drunk and drive back."

"You rascal..."

Watching the two bigwigs chat so casually, Shen Jianjun could only stand to the side with a stiff smile. This wasn’t a conversation he could join.

"Old Lin, Wanqiu, come, let me introduce you. These are Shen Ying’s parents." Jiang Wende leaned in and whispered, "I trust you know what tonight’s dinner is all about?"

"Relax, I get it."

Lin Gaoyuan patted Jiang Wende’s shoulder. He was a boss, after all—the richest man in Wanzhou, in fact. His usual business dinners were with the heads of major corporations or high-level officials. He was a shrewd judge of character and could read the room in an instant.

Besides, Gaoyuan Toys depended on Qitian Animation. It was Qitian Animation’s exclusive merchandise rights that had allowed his toy factory to grow to its current size.

And that was without even considering his daughter’s relationships with Li Weiya and Shen Ying.

The fact that Li Weiya was now vice president of Qitian Company and Wang Ming had complete control over the *Cat and Mouse* project was reason enough. Wang Ming would likely helm even more successful projects in the future. That alone was sufficient reason to maintain a good relationship with Shen Ying’s parents.

"Hello, I’m Lin Gaoyuan. My daughter and Yingying are classmates and good friends. They’re very close. If there’s ever anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask," Boss Lin said generously.

Shen Jianjun was suddenly overwhelmed with anxiety. The famous Boss Lin was not only speaking to him first and showing goodwill, but he was also being incredibly humble.

He hadn’t felt this way with Jiang Wende. He knew Jiang Wende used to be a taxi driver; even though his son was successful now, at his core, he was still an ordinary person, just like him.

But Boss Lin was different. A man’s reputation precedes him. Gaoyuan Toys was famous, to say nothing of the powerful presence he’d cultivated after so many years as a boss. It was impossible not to feel nervous.

"President Lin, hello. Hello, President Lin." He quickly wiped his sweaty palms on his clothes before shaking Lin Gaoyuan’s hand.

"If you don’t mind my asking, Brother Shen, where are you working these days?" Lin Gaoyuan asked casually.

Shen Jianjun scratched his cheek. "I’m an electrician. I do low-voltage maintenance at a small factory."

"Ah." Lin Gaoyuan turned to his wife. "Wanqiu, isn’t our factory still hiring electricians?"

Ji Wanqiu immediately knew what her husband was thinking. ’He just wanted to tie their two families closer through work.’

"Yes, we’re still hiring," she said with a smile.

After getting the confirmation, Lin Gaoyuan smiled and said, "Brother Shen, if you’re not opposed, you could come work at my factory. We’ll pay the standard rate, provide a full benefits package, and give out holiday bonuses and such."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jianjun froze for a moment, then his face lit up with joy.

He had applied to Gaoyuan Toys once before because of their great benefits, but he hadn’t been accepted. ’And now it’s all settled with just a word from Boss Lin?’

"Thank you, President Lin! Thank you so much," he said, nodding profusely.

"Haha, it’s a small thing. We’re all family now, we should help each other."

After speaking, Lin Gaoyuan turned to Ye Qiuju, whose features bore a slight resemblance to Shen Ying’s.

"And what about Shen Ying’s mother?"

Ye Qiuju froze. ’Does he want to arrange a job for me, too?’

She hesitated for a moment before saying, "I’m a cashier at a supermarket right now. The pay isn’t great, but I’m fairly happy with it."

"A cashier, you say? That means you have a good sense for prices. My factory is currently hiring for sales positions. Besides a base salary, there’s also commission. If you’re interested, you’re also welcome to come work at my company," Boss Lin said with a smile.

"Well..."

Ye Qiuju suppressed her excitement. "Thank you, President Lin."

Lin Gaoyuan smiled and handed her a business card. "You can come in anytime. Just give me a call directly when you do."

Shen Ying’s parents glanced at each other, feeling dizzy and overwhelmed. To suddenly have jobs at a major company that everyone envied... It felt like a dream. It was unbelievable.

Shen Jianjun looked at his daughter and couldn’t help but sigh to himself. ’Is this what they call "when one person succeeds, their whole family rises with them"?’

In the past, he would have gone his entire life without ever interacting with people like this. But today, the class divide seemed to have vanished.

All because his daughter was dating Wang Ming.

Seeing that everyone had more or less caught up, Wang Ming signaled for the waiter to begin serving. It was a Chinese-style meal, with exquisite dishes that tasted wonderful.

The other two families kept asking Wang Ming about his work, wanting to know how the young couple, Jiang Xia and Lin Yanwan, were doing these days.

The conversation drifted from work to the recent Dimensional Feast, and then to the release of the *Cat and Mouse* feature film. As the guests of honor for the evening, Wang Ming and Shen Ying naturally became the center of attention, which inevitably included some lighthearted teasing from their elders.

"Aunts and Uncles, Jiang Xia, Yanwan, and my mom couldn’t make it back because of work. I also have to leave the day after tomorrow. With the New Year just around the corner, it’s a real shame the family can’t be together. So, on their behalf, I’d like to wish everyone an early Happy New Year. To all the aunts and uncles, I wish you good health and may all your wishes come true in the coming year."

Wang Ming raised his teacup, stood up, and addressed the elders with great sincerity.

"You’re toasting your elders for the new year with tea, kid? That’s not very sincere of you," Boss Lin joked.

Ji Wanqiu couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him. "Why would you say that to the boy? It’s not like he’s one of your old drinking buddies. Wang Ming, don’t listen to your Uncle Lin. Tea is just fine."

"I was just joking with him," Lin Gaoyuan muttered.

Everyone at the table couldn’t help but smile.

"Wang Ming, since you’re leaving for the Imperial Capital in two days, what about Shen Ying...?" Xia Shanshan suddenly asked.

Wang Ming inwardly cheered. ’Nice!’ He had been wondering how to bring this up.

At her words, everyone else turned to look at Shen Ying.

She took a deep breath and mustered her courage. "Dad, Mom... for the New Year, I want to go to the Imperial Capital with Wang Ming. The film crew has been so busy with promotions, they won’t be able to celebrate properly. So... I want to go be with him."

Shen Jianjun and Ye Qiuju exchanged a helpless smile. Their children’s relationship had already reached this point, and with the other two families present, could they really refuse?

To put it bluntly, their recent good fortune was entirely thanks to Wang Ming. Unless they were complete idiots, they weren’t about to be the ones to break up the happy couple.

"Go on, then. We’re not going to stop you from being together. If you get homesick, just give us a call. Don’t worry about us here at home. Just make sure you take care of yourselves out there. Support each other, in life and in work."

Ye Qiuju looked at Wang Ming and said kindly, "Xiao Wang, I’m entrusting my daughter to you today. I hope you two will get along well. If you have disagreements, talk them through. Please don’t fight."

Wang Ming nodded emphatically. "Don’t you worry, Aunt Ye. I will absolutely take good care of her."

Lin Gaoyuan and Jiang Wende both started clapping and teased, "So, when do we get to attend the wedding?"

Shen Ying blushed.

Wang Ming chuckled. "Uncle Lin, if we’re going in order, shouldn’t Jiang Xia and Yanwan’s wedding be first? I’ve been waiting for years."

"Hahaha! You’ve got a point there, kid. We should be celebrating their wedding first. Speaking of which, have they mentioned to you when they plan on getting married?"

Wang Ming blinked. "They haven’t. But I don’t think it will be too long."

"Old Jiang, if you want a grandchild to hold, you’d better start nagging them," Lin Gaoyuan said to Jiang Wende across the table.

Jiang Wende couldn’t help but roll his eyes. "The boy isn’t even of legal marrying age yet, what’s the point of nagging him? Besides, as the future father-in-law, why are *you* in such a hurry?"

"What’s wrong with wanting to hold my grandchild?"

The private room was filled with lively chatter. Wang Ming stood up and headed for the restroom outside. Shen Ying watched him go, then, after a moment’s thought, furtively followed him.

The two of them embraced and kissed in a stall. He pressed her against the door, her delicate lips as vibrant as flower petals.

"You dummy," she whispered. "Thank you for everything tonight."