Richest Rag-picker

Chapter 524: Chapter 496: A Simple Home-cooked Meal

"Hmph, you brat. If you were really worried about this old man, you’d come by more often. But no, you just tossed the blueprints at me and then disappeared for months."

Professor Wu might have been complaining, but Fang Chenyi could see right through him. The old man was clearly exhausted, yet he was still full of vigor—and in an exceptionally good mood.

’It made sense, though.’ For a man of Professor Wu’s age, participating in a project that was leading the world was a fitting capstone to a lifetime of research.

"Professor Wu, what a surprise to see you here."

Just then, Brother Xiaoma, who was off to the side, caught sight of Professor Wu approaching, a look of utter surprise on his face.

’He never expected a titan of Huaxia’s academic world to be here.’

’He remembered trying to hire Professor Wu to design the Penguin Headquarters years ago, but the professor hadn’t even given him the time of day.’

’But then again, considering the sheer scale of this commercial district, it made perfect sense that Professor Wu would be involved.’

When Professor Wu heard the voice, his gaze followed the sound.

"Heh, Xiaoma, you’re here too. Since you two have business to attend to, you go ahead and chat. This old man will be taking his leave."

Professor Wu was an academic, a man of letters, and with that came a certain aloof pride. Even knowing Brother Xiaoma’s immense wealth, he saw no need for excessive pleasantries.

After saying this, he turned back to Fang Chenyi.

"Brat, when you’re done here and have a moment, swing by. This old man has a lot of things I still don’t quite get and wanted to ask for your input on."

At these words, Brother Xiaoma’s eyes went wide.

’Did I just hear that correctly? Did Professor Wu just say he wanted to ask *Fang Chenyi* for his input?’

’How is that possible? Professor Wu is the foremost authority on design in all of Huaxia! Why would he need to consult with Fang Chenyi?’

’My god, could it be that Fang Chenyi’s skill in design has already surpassed Professor Wu’s?’

’If that’s the case, then this whole commercial district... wasn’t it designed by Professor Wu? Could it have been designed by the young man standing right in front of me, Fang Chenyi?’

’How is that possible? The young man not only has an extraordinary intellect but also immense nerve.’

’And now it seems he also has a prodigious talent for design. And he’s just a young man in his early twenties...’

Thinking about everything Fang Chenyi had accomplished, one thing after another, it completely shattered Brother Xiaoma’s perception of reality.

’It seemed this kid was full of secrets, and his talents ran far deeper than anyone knew.’

’No wonder he’s amassed such a fortune at his age. It must be directly related to his incredible skill set.’

After a few more words, Professor Wu turned and left.

Now, amidst the bustling workers coming and going, only their small group remained.

Once Professor Wu was gone, Brother Xiaoma moved to Fang Chenyi’s side.

"My friend, this place you’ve built is truly perfect. However, I do have one small proposal... I’m not sure if it’s workable."

Hearing this, Fang Chenyi gave Brother Xiaoma a quizzical look, waiting for him to elaborate.

Brother Xiaoma considered for a moment before speaking.

"It’s like this: since this tower now belongs to us, is it possible for us to be involved in its design?"

’Involved in the design?’ The moment the words left his mouth, Fang Chenyi’s brow furrowed. He hadn’t expected such a request.

’He knew that even if he let them move in now and take over the tower’s construction, he wouldn’t have to be too worried. After all, even if they got their hands on the technology, they’d never be able to replicate the profound intricacies of the coordinated airflow system.’

However, seeing Fang Chenyi’s frown, Brother Xiaoma knew he must have misunderstood and quickly rushed to explain.

"Haha, my friend, don’t get the wrong idea. It’s my fault, I didn’t explain myself clearly. What I mean is, can *we* decide on the tower’s exterior design?

As you know, we at Penguin Group want to make our headquarters into something unique—a building that serves as a major landmark and a powerful piece of marketing."

After hearing Brother Xiaoma’s explanation, Fang Chenyi’s brow relaxed slightly.

’So that wasn’t his intention.’ ’If he really had wanted to meddle in the tower’s core construction, Fang Chenyi wouldn’t have hesitated to take the Earth Tower right back.’

"Sigh... Normally, that would be a simple request, but I’m afraid I have to say no, Brother Ma.

The main structure of these towers is specially designed. Every single contour, down to every last curve, serves a specific purpose.

But don’t worry, Brother Ma. Each tower was designed with one entire facade reserved for the resident company to showcase itself.

Take this facade, for instance. Come, look at the blueprints here. This entire wall is a built-in, customizable creative zone.

As long as your design is innovative enough, this space is guaranteed to capture everyone’s attention.

This is also the only place where you can put up any kind of branding. This rule doesn’t just apply to you; it’s the same for my Sun Tower and all the other buildings. No external advertising or billboards are permitted."

Fang Chenyi’s motive, of course, was to prevent anything from disrupting the unified structure of the commercial district.

Brother Xiaoma listened and gave a helpless nod. If Fang Chenyi was holding his own building to the same standard, then his plan was clearly a non-starter.

After observing the site for a while longer, Fang Chenyi took Brother Xiaoma on a tour of the commercial district. By the time they finished, it was already noon.

"Haha, there aren’t many great places to eat here in Qinhuang Island. How about we just head back to my place for a meal? I hope you don’t mind the simple hospitality, Brother Ma."

Brother Xiaoma waved his hands in response, insisting he was being too kind.

Without needing to be told, Qi Xiaotian, who was standing by, had already pulled out his phone and called Char.

By the time the group drove back to the villa complex, Char and his team had already prepared a wide variety of ingredients.

Upon returning to the villa complex, Fang Chenyi didn’t entertain Brother Xiaoma himself. Instead, he left him in Qi Xiaotian’s care and went back to his own villa to see if Bai Menghan was awake.

It was now early autumn, and a chill was in the air, so dining in the outdoor pavilion was no longer an option.

Inside the dining room of the villa where Char and his team were based, Fang Chenyi, Bai Menghan, Qi Xiaotian, and Brother Xiaoma all took their seats.

"Haha, my place is a bit simple, but we’re well-stocked with ingredients. Brother Ma, whatever you’d like to eat, just say the word."

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