124 Old Classmate

The results of just one night of cultivation were surprisingly significant, leaving Xiao Yao feeling both delighted and energized. This efficiency was at least ten times greater than Pan Wu’s. Having reached this conclusion, Xiao Yao gained newfound confidence in his future progress. While he might not be able to reach the highest realm of this technique, extending his lifespan by three to five hundred years should be well within reach.

With a cultivation speed ten times that of Pan Wu, he estimated he could enter the initial stage—the Innate Realm—in three to five years at most. Once he successfully entered this stage and established the foundation of the Mysterious Primeval Energy, he could then utilize medicine or other auxiliary methods to aid his subsequent cultivation. The Foundation Establishment period, originally expected to take thirty to fifty years, had been shortened to just three to five years. This unexpected surprise was incredibly invigorating, and Xiao Yao remained in high spirits for several days.

That afternoon, just as Xiao Yao pulled his car up to the Taigu Building, he received an unexpected call. "What are you busy with, Xiao Yao? Is your restaurant still open?"

To his pleasant surprise, the caller was Li Wenxuan. Li Wenxuan had been his classmate and roommate in college. Xiao Yao had always been rather selective about his friends; as he grew older, the number of people he truly recognized as friends had dwindled. Throughout his entire university career, the only two people he had fully trusted were Li Wenxuan and Shi Feng. Aside from being his classmates, both were his roommates. Li Wenxuan was a local from the province, while Shi Feng was from Inner Mongolia. After graduation, the three went their separate ways, only keeping in touch sporadically through WeChat.

Receiving a call from Li Wenxuan so suddenly caught Xiao Yao off guard. "I’ve always been someone who finishes what I start. Since I decided to open a restaurant, I’m certainly going to run it well. It’s still open, and business is booming. What made a busy man like you think of calling me all of a sudden?" Xiao Yao’s tone was light and cheerful.

"I’m truly envious of you bosses. Someone like me, a member of the proletariat, wasn't born to be a boss, so I can only work hard as an employee." After this bit of sarcasm, Li Wenxuan explained, "I just secured the Hanzhou agency for Tianquan water purifiers. It cost me quite a bit of money, and the pressure is immense, so I rushed over here to open up the market. Before I came, I called Jiao Shen, and to my surprise, he was quite generous, ordering six enterprise-grade water purifiers from me right away. I just finished signing the contract. I’m hosting dinner tonight, and you must come. You can help me fend off some drinks; otherwise, I’m sure they’ll drink me under the table."

"No problem, I’ll be there for sure." Xiao Yao readily agreed, then countered, "You’ve secured a provincial capital agency, yet you still have the nerve to tease me for running a small restaurant? Don't expect me to block any drinks for you tonight. I’m so green with envy that I’m more likely to be the one trying to drink you under the table."

"Don't be like that, man. My bad, okay? I finally made a little money, can't you let me show off a bit?"

"Six enterprise-grade units—that shouldn't just be 'a little money,' right? At least ten thousand each?"

"You really know me. A little over ten thousand, so I made about seventy thousand in total. The profit margin on water purifiers is high, and this was already the lowest market price, which is why Jiao Shen signed the contract so readily. I definitely didn't cheat him; this deal is a win-win." In business, profit margins are typically top-secret, but Li Wenxuan shared this information with Xiao Yao, a testament to his absolute trust.

"That’s a great start. I’m sure you’ll earn back your agency fee in no time." Xiao Yao was genuinely happy for his old classmate.

"That’s just the beginning. I drained all my savings to scrape together that eight-hundred-thousand-yuan agency fee. The pressure is huge; I’m terrified of losing money and having nothing to tell my parents." There was a hint of heaviness in Li Wenxuan’s tone.

"It’s only eight hundred thousand, right? You’ll make that back after selling sixty or seventy units like the one to Jiao Shen. Among our classmates, you have the widest social circle. Reach out to a few more people, and you should earn it back quickly. Although I’m just a small restaurant owner, I can certainly help you solve part of the problem. We’ll talk more when we meet."

"I wasn't planning on letting you off the hook anyway, though I’ll pass on your small restaurant; I’m afraid it wouldn't do my product justice. Could I ask you to take me to see Uncle Xiao another day to see if I can secure a contract with the Municipal Company?" Li Wenxuan asked bluntly.

"I can't promise ten out of ten, but seven or eight out of ten is likely. Here’s a bit of good news: Uncle Xiao is highly regarded by his superiors and is now a Vice General Manager at the Municipal Company. As far as I know, they haven't purchased enterprise-grade purifiers yet, so your chances of landing that deal are quite high."

It wasn't a major favor, and Xiao Yao was certainly willing to help where he could.

"My luck is just too good—don't be jealous! Once I’m rich, I’ll definitely spend money to buy you more lottery tickets. I’m determined to see you win a prize at least once."

Li Wenxuan hadn't expected such an unexpected windfall. He had originally assumed that landing a deal with the Municipal Company would be quite difficult, as Xiao Yao’s father was merely a section chief who could only serve as an introducer, with the final decision resting on the leaders. Now, hearing that Uncle Xiao had become a Vice General Manager, Li Wenxuan was overjoyed. He had previously dared not hope for much, thinking that selling two or three units would be enough, but now he immediately raised his expectations. With such a good connection, he figured he needed to sell at least ten units to call it a success.

After chatting a bit more, Xiao Yao finally said, "Since I’m in the catering business, let me handle dinner. Don't bother finding a place."

"You run a small restaurant and you call yourself a 'catering business'? I just landed a big deal, so I’m definitely the one hosting. Don't worry about it; I’ve already called and booked a table."

Sensing Li Wenxuan’s persistence, Xiao Yao gave up on the idea of hosting. "Fine, since you’ve got money to burn, I’ll save mine. I have plenty of good liquor, so don't bother with the white spirits—I’ll bring some over myself."

After hanging up, Xiao Yao considered how many units he could help Li Wenxuan with. After making a rough estimate, he decided to prepare a surprise for when they met. He currently owned two properties: the Taigu Building in this city and the Yuanghang Building in the Financial Street of the capital. If he installed enterprise-grade water purifiers in both, a conservative estimate would be seventy or eighty units. His order alone should be enough for Li Wenxuan to recoup his entire agency fee.