The person who greeted Wang Xiaoke was a man in his forties with a rugged appearance and a slightly receding hairline. Despite his looks, he spoke with a straightforward and hearty manner, getting straight to the point without unnecessary formalities. Both Wang Xiaoke and Su Man found his personality quite agreeable.

“Boss Wen, thank you for personally showing us around. We’re very satisfied with your grapes. How about we finalize the contract now?” Wang Xiaoke, having toured the vineyard and seen the quality of the grapes, expressed her satisfaction.

“Of course, no problem at all.” Boss Wen, who had been well aware of their intentions from the start, immediately agreed.

He called for his assistant to print the pre-drafted contract.

While waiting for the document, Wang Xiaoke and her companions accompanied Boss Wen to his office, where they enjoyed some refreshing tea to cool off.

“Boss, there’s a call for you from home,” the assistant informed him a short while later.

“Handle it for me. Can’t you see I’m busy?” Boss Wen shouted gruffly, seemingly accustomed to delegating such matters to his assistant.

“But it’s a call from Old Master Wen!” The assistant looked visibly uneasy.

“What? My dad? Why didn’t you say so earlier?” Boss Wen’s tone immediately softened.

Smiling sheepishly, he turned to Wang Xiaoke and Su Man. “Miss Wang, Miss Su, please make yourselves comfortable. I’ll be right back.” With that, he hurried off to take the call.

“I was going to tell you earlier, but you told me to keep quiet,” the assistant muttered under his breath, though no one paid him any attention.

When Boss Wen returned from the call, his expression seemed noticeably uneasy.

It wasn’t until Wang Xiaoke brought up signing the contract again that he awkwardly rubbed his hands together and stammered, “Miss Wang, I’m terribly sorry, but this batch of grapes has already been sold to a bigger buyer offering a higher price. You know how it is in business…”

Seeing the previously straightforward man suddenly become so hesitant, Wang Xiaoke’s intuition told her something was off.

Maintaining a gentle smile, she replied, “It’s alright. Business is business, and we understand your position, Boss Wen.”

“Thank you for understanding! Although we couldn’t make this deal, I really admire your character, Miss Wang. If you ever need anything in the future, don’t hesitate to come to me,” Boss Wen said, visibly relieved and more at ease now.

“Boss Wen, you’re too kind. But I must admit, I’m a bit curious. Who exactly managed to buy out your stock at the last minute?” Wang Xiaoke asked, probing subtly. It seemed far too coincidental that this happened just as they were about to sign the contract.

“This isn’t exactly a secret, so I don’t mind telling you. The buyer is an old acquaintance of my father’s—someone named Lu Kun. I’ve heard their family is also well-known for winemaking. They recently received a substantial investment and are expanding their operations, so their demand for grapes has increased significantly.”

“To be honest, if my father hadn’t stepped in, I might not have agreed to this deal. After all, you came to us first, and we Wens value the principle of first come, first served in business. But with my father’s involvement, I had to give in,” he explained candidly.