ABT ### Chapter 194: The Kid and the Dragon Spitting Beads

Time flies when you're having fun. Li Fanyu and An Ning spent the day eating and playing, stuffing themselves with various snacks and buying a bunch of quirky little trinkets. An Ning, who hadn't relaxed like this in a long time, found herself enjoying the various traditional accessories, even if some seemed a bit childish. As long as they were gifts from her beloved, she cherished them. They had a great time together until they were tired, and it was nearly time for the annual conference. They left Yu Garden, hailed a taxi, and headed to the Aurora Building.

Every place has its customs and rhythms, but in China, one thing that remains constant is the chatty taxi drivers you encounter. Li Fanyu had heard about Beijing taxi drivers' storytelling skills and Harbin drivers' enthusiasm. It was in Pu City that he discovered the drivers had the heart of gossip reporters.

As soon as the slightly bald taxi driver learned they were headed to the Aurora Building, he began probing into their identities.

"Young man, you’re going to the annual conference, aren't you?" the driver asked, glancing at Li Fanyu in the rearview mirror.

Surprised, Li Fanyu replied, "How did you know?"

"Of course I know. The China Automotive Association’s annual conference is being held there today. Entrepreneurs from all over the country are heading there."

Li Fanyu gave a thumbs up. "You’re well-informed, driver."

The driver smiled mysteriously, clearly pleased with the compliment. "Of course. Driving a taxi sharpens your ears and eyes. I can tell a lot about a passenger just by looking at them."

Amused, Li Fanyu said, "So you’re almost like a detective. Can you guess what I do?"

The light turned red, and the driver stopped the car, taking the opportunity to scrutinize Li Fanyu and then An Ning, who was sitting beside him. "You, young man, probably just run errands for a company. But this young lady, she has an extraordinary aura, like a dragon spitting beads."

Li Fanyu's smile froze, feeling awkward and at a loss for words, while An Ning laughed, covering her mouth with her hand.

When they left Tiancheng, An Ning had prepared a formal suit for Li Fanyu for the conference, but he found the vest and tie too restrictive, opting for a casual black suit instead. Compared to An Ning's elegant silk velvet cheongsam and cashmere shawl, he did indeed look like an assistant. No wonder the driver had mistaken his role.

Seeing her laugh at him, Li Fanyu pouted, thinking that this driver's observational skills were nowhere near those of Captain Lin.

The light turned green, and the driver smoothly started the car, not missing a beat in chatting up An Ning. "Miss, you must have parents who are big shots in some car company, right?"

An Ning smiled. "Not really, I just work for an unscrupulous boss." She glanced teasingly at Li Fanyu.

Surprised, the driver said, "Wow, you’re too modest. Attending the annual conference means you’re either a company president or a high-ranking executive. You, young lady, are probably a gold-collar worker. Is this young man your subordinate? Which company are you from?"

Rolling his eyes, Li Fanyu thought to himself that the driver seriously needed glasses. Did he really lack the aura of a CEO?

An Ning didn't take the driver's flattery seriously and turned to smile playfully at Li Fanyu. He replied, "Tiancheng Zhengxin."

The driver perked up immediately upon hearing this. "Oh wow, Zhengxin! You guys are great, making us Chinese proud. Let me tell you, before your A4 came out, mid-size cars in Pu City were ridiculously expensive. You’d have to pay extra and endure bad service at those foreign car dealerships. Once the A4 hit the market, their attitudes changed completely."

Li Fanyu loved hearing this. "Really?"

"Absolutely. Our taxi company currently uses Hyundai cars. If your A4 wasn't so hard to get, we were planning to switch all our cars to A4s. Our manager bought one, and I got to drive it. It’s a fantastic car."

Feeling vindicated, Li Fanyu gave An Ning a triumphant look, as if to say, "See how awesome I am?"

An Ning, seeing his childish pride, could only shake her head with a smile.

Just then, An Ning's phone rang. Seeing the number, she answered, "Director Liu, we’re almost there."

"No need to arrange parking; we came by taxi."

"It’s really no trouble. We’re almost at the intersection. No need to come meet us."

"Thank you, you’re very kind. We’ll talk more when we meet."

She hung up, shaking her head. Seeing her expression, Li Fanyu asked what was wrong.

An Ning was a bit emotional. Although she was the vice president of the association, they had previously treated her as a pretty face for decoration. Back then, association members spoke to her with a mix of mockery and frivolity. Now, with her semi-leadership role in Zhengxin and the market impact of Zhengxin Audi, those same people spoke to her with flattery and respect. It felt so superficial.

Sensing her change in mood, Li Fanyu, thinking she was recalling the difficult days of being harassed by Zhang Yong, gently held her hand and made a funny face.

Touched by his concern, An Ning’s heart warmed, and she pushed aside the unhappy thoughts.

As they chatted, the taxi weaved through traffic and arrived at the entrance of the Aurora Building.

The China Automotive Association, true to its lavish style, had rented out the entire building. The grand entrance was decorated as if for a grand opening, with a giant LED screen displaying clips of various car companies and the names of association members.

Two rows of welcoming hostesses stood at the entrance, greeting the stream of attendees.

When Li Fanyu and An Ning arrived, a small group was already waiting there.

Liu Wenhai felt a bit regretful. Today had been so busy that he forgot Zhengxin’s representatives would likely arrive without their own car. He should have sent someone to pick them up. Considering the recent rumor circulating in the association, he felt uneasy.

Despite the chilly evening, he stood at the entrance, constantly checking his watch, fearing he might miss them.

Seeing the association’s organizing director standing nervously in the cold, attendees assumed a VIP was arriving.

So, when An Ning and Li Fanyu got out, they saw a shivering Liu Wenhai briskly walking over to open the taxi door for them.


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