Special Conditions for Securing a License

On the outskirts of Jiangcheng, at the foot of Mount Tianrong.

Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the air here was filled with the fresh scent of soil and vegetation. A sprawling farmhouse, built against the mountain and beside the water, was hidden within the dense bamboo forest.

This was no cheap food stall with a makeshift tent by the roadside, but a high-end private farmhouse specially prepared for the top billionaires of Jiangcheng who were tired of exotic delicacies and wanted to experience authentic rustic charm. Without an introduction from an acquaintance, one couldn't even find the front gate.

A black Rolls-Royce Phantom parked steadily in the bluestone courtyard of the farmhouse.

The car door opened, and Su Bai stepped out first, followed by the person in the back seat.

"Uncle Liu, we're here," Su Bai said with a smile.

Liu Chenhu, dressed in a casual Tang suit and looking hale and hearty, emerged from the car. As soon as he stepped out, his eyes were drawn to the large iron pot bubbling with steam over a wood fire in the courtyard, as well as the free-range chickens wandering in the nearby bamboo grove.

"Great place! What a truly great place!" Liu Chenhu took a deep breath of the wood-smoke-scented air, and an extremely comfortable smile appeared on his weathered face.

As a renowned real estate tycoon in Jiangcheng, what top-tier restaurants hadn't Liu Chenhu visited in the better half of his life? Three-star Michelin restaurants, private clubs, and even state-banquet-level chefs—he had tasted them all. But at his age, those exquisitely delicate Western meals, sea cucumbers, and abalones had long since made his stomach turn sour.

Deep in his bones, what he missed the most were these earthy, smoke-filled farmhouse dishes.

"Su Bai, you really know me well," Liu Chenhu said, patting Su Bai's shoulder, his eyes full of undisguised appreciation. "A few days ago, those developers who wanted me to approve land for them kept coming up with different ways to invite me to French restaurants and Japanese joints, making me feel sick all over. The place you arranged is much more to my taste!"

Su Bai smiled faintly, his hands in his pockets, as he led Liu Chenhu inside. "As long as you like it, Uncle Liu. I know you have a lot of social engagements and are tired of rich foods, so I specially had someone find this quiet place. The ingredients here are all homegrown or caught wild in the mountains. The main focus is on authentic flavor."

The two walked into a private room overlooking the water.

Three sides of the room featured massive floor-to-ceiling glass windows, offering an excellent view of the sparkling wild reservoir outside.

As soon as they sat down, the owner of the farmhouse personally walked in carrying a tray.

A steaming, golden, and translucent bowl of wood-fired stewed local chicken, a braised bighead carp weighing seven or eight catties that had just been caught from the reservoir, plus a few plates of bright green, freshly picked farmhouse stir-fries instantly filled the entire room with a rich aroma.

Su Bai did not call for a waiter; instead, he personally opened an unlabeled white porcelain bottle of Moutai.

This was a special vintage liquor he had obtained through his system channels. It was completely unseen on the market and couldn't be bought even with money.

As soon as the cork was pulled out, an incredibly mellow liquor aroma wafted through the air.

"Whoa! Good liquor!" Liu Chenhu twitched his nose, his eyes instantly lighting up as he stared at the white porcelain bottle in Su Bai's hand. "You really have a lot of good stuff on you. Based on the vintage, this must be at least thirty years old, right?"

"Good eye, Uncle Liu. Thirty-five-year-old raw liquor." Su Bai smiled and poured Liu Chenhu a full glass. "It's just the two of us today, no outsiders, so let's drink freely."

"Hahahaha! Good! Just for this bottle of liquor, I'm going to enjoy this meal today!"

Liu Chenhu laughed heartily, picked up his glass, clinked it against Su Bai's, and tilted his head back to down half the glass in one gulp. The spicy, mellow liquor rolled down his throat, and he let out a long, comfortable sigh before picking up a piece of tender stewed chicken and stuffing it into his mouth, eating until his mouth was covered in oil.

After a few rounds of drinks and several bites of food.

The atmosphere in the private room had become extremely harmonious. Liu Chenhu's face was slightly flushed from drinking, and his gaze toward Su Bai grew increasingly satisfied.

His precious daughter, Liu Chenyang, had liked dressing up as a boy since she was a child, and her personality was as wild as a boy's. As a father, he had worried so much about this that his hair had turned white. Yet, ever since she got together with Su Bai, not only had she obediently switched back to women's clothing, but she had also blossomed into a graceful and thoroughly stunning beauty.

Just based on this alone, Liu Chenhu was a hundred percent satisfied with Su Bai as his prospective son-in-law. Not to mention the terrifying financial power and development momentum of White Night Holdings, which Su Bai currently controlled—it was enough to make even an old hand like him feel a surge of trepidation.

"Su Bai, you specially invited an old man like me to such a nice place today and brought out such fine liquor. It surely isn't just to keep me company for a meal, is it?" Liu Chenhu set down his glass, picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, and looked at Su Bai with a shrewd gaze.

Having spent most of his life navigating the business world, Liu Chenhu's judgment of people was incredibly sharp. No one visits a temple without a cause; Su Bai definitely had something to ask of him.

Su Bai didn't hide it either. He put down his chopsticks, took a napkin from the table to wipe his mouth, and spoke in a calm tone.

"Uncle Liu is straightforward, so I'll just say it." Su Bai looked at Liu Chenhu. "I want to get a piece of land in Jiangcheng and build a private school."

"Build a school?" Liu Chenhu was stunned, his chopsticks holding a peanut pausing in mid-air.

He originally thought Su Bai was looking for him to enter the real estate industry or wanted to develop some large commercial complex, but he never expected that Su Bai actually wanted to build a school.

"Yes, a top-tier private school covering everything from kindergarten to high school, the best in all of Asia." Su Bai's tone was calm, but his words carried an undeniable domineering aura. "I want the best hardware facilities, and I want the world's top teaching staff. As for the budget, I have no upper limit. I plan to throw in a billion initially just to test the waters."

Clack.

The peanut in Liu Chenhu's chopsticks dropped onto the table.

His weather-beaten eyes widened abruptly as he stared fixedly at Su Bai, his breathing stopping for two seconds.

A billion?!

And no upper limit?!

Even a real estate tycoon like Liu Chenhu, with a net worth of tens of billions, felt his scalp tingle upon hearing this number. Developing a large high-end residential complex covering hundreds of acres would only require an initial investment of a few billion at most. Su Bai actually wanted to build a school? This was simply burning money!

"You kid... you're not joking with me, are you?" Liu Chenhu took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart.

"Does Uncle Liu think I'm joking?" Su Bai smiled faintly, picked up his glass, and took a sip. "Money is just a string of numbers to me. The current education environment is too fiercely competitive. I just want to establish a set of my own rules so that in the future, my children, as well as the children of the people around me, won't need to fight with others over those pitiful educational resources."

Hearing this, Liu Chenhu gasped. Just to prevent his children from facing extreme competition, he was directly throwing billions into building a top-tier school? What kind of god-level domineering CEO mindset was this!

However, shock aside, Liu Chenhu quickly regained the composure of a business magnate.

He frowned, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop, and his tone became serious. Su Bai, Uncle Liu admires your financial resources and boldness. However, running an educational institution in this country, especially a top-tier K-12 private school, isn't something you can achieve just by throwing money at it.

The water here is very deep, Liu Chenhu lowered his voice. The operating license from the Education Bureau, the educational land approval from the Land Planning Bureau, the special fire safety inspection from the Fire Department, and various international curriculum certifications. The approval procedures for these departments are so tedious they can skin a man alive. If you get stuck at even a single step, your school will never be built.

Especially for this kind of large-scale educational land, the city's control is extremely strict. Without an incredibly strong background and powerful connections reaching the very top, even if you handed them ten billion, they wouldn't approve it for you.

Every word Liu Chenhu said hit the nail on the head. This was the real reason Su Bai had come looking for him today.

That's exactly why I invited Uncle Liu out for a drink today, Su Bai smiled, personally refilling Liu Chenhu's glass. Within the territory of Jiangcheng, when it comes to connections, background, and the ability to deal with those higher-up departments, who could possibly compare to you, Uncle Liu?

Hearing Su Bai's flattery, Liu Chenhu stroked his chin, thoroughly enjoying the compliment.

Su Bai was right. He, Liu Chenhu, had been deeply rooted in Jiangcheng's real estate industry for thirty years. Whether in the underworld or the legitimate business world, in politics or commerce, which department didn't have his connections? Approvals that others couldn't get, Liu Chenhu could settle with a single word.

You kid, you certainly found the right person. Liu Chenhu picked up his wine glass, a flash of pride and confidence in his eyes. If it were anyone else, this matter would be next to impossible. But with me, as long as your funds are in place, I'll handle the rest!

Whether it's the license from the Education Bureau or the best plot of land in the city center, I will personally step in and pull the strings for you! I guarantee that in three months at most, I will hand over all the approval procedures and school qualifications to you, perfectly intact!

Liu Chenhu patted his chest, displaying the formidable tactics and confidence of a Jiangcheng real estate tycoon.

Then thank you very much, Uncle Liu. Su Bai raised his glass.

Hey, don't rush to thank me just yet.

Just as their glasses were about to clink, Liu Chenhu suddenly withdrew his hand.

His face, which just a moment ago was full of bold, chivalrous spirit, suddenly broke into an extremely amiable, even somewhat eager smile. He leaned closer to Su Bai, rubbed his hands together, and his eyes flashed with a shrewd light.

Su Bai, regarding the license and the land, as your father-in-law, I'll absolutely get it done for you without a second word. However... Liu Chenhu chuckled. Since I'm doing you such a huge favor, shouldn't you agree to one condition of mine?

Please speak, Uncle Liu.

My condition is simple. Liu Chenhu stared right into Su Bai's eyes, his tone becoming extremely serious and urgent. You and our Chenyang need to hurry up and have a child! I'm almost sixty this year, and those old buddies who fought alongside me are now showing off their grandchildren on social media every day, making my eyes red with envy. Once your school is built, it'll be perfect for my grandchild to attend! You need to get Chenyang pregnant quickly; this old man is anxious to hold a grandson!