Xu Lu brought over some water at this point.


    After setting the water down, she glanced at the landscape painting.


    Then she froze, unable to help but admire, "This painting is so beautiful!"


    Having been surrounded by art from a young age, she had some understanding of paintings.


    The skill exhibited in this painting was clearly superior to her father''s!


    As for how advanced it was, she wasn''t quite sure.


    Without lifting his head, Mr. Xu said, "The craftsmanship of this painting is absolutely at a master level; the artistry is profound and remarkable. These mountain peaks, the Li River, are drawn so perfectly, fully capturing the scenery of my hometown."


    "Master level?" Xu Lu was somewhat surprised.


    Zhao De didn''t really understand what ''master level'' meant, so his expression didn''t change.


    Mr. Xu said, "Someone who can paint at this level is one in a million in our country. Just with this skill, if put up for auction, it would fetch at least several hundred thousand."


    "What? How many hundred thousand?" Zhao De''s eyes widened upon hearing this.


    Smiling, Mr. Xu looked at him and said, "You heard right, several hundred thousand. Tell me, who painted it?"


    Zhao De, realizing his cover was blown, didn''t try to hide it any longer because that would only make the other party dislike him more.


    He said, "Mr. Xu, I really like Lu Lu, and indeed the painting wasn''t done by me; it was my classmate who helped me do it."


    "Your classmate?" Mr. Xu was in disbelief.


    How old could his classmate be to have such profound artistic skill?


    Zhao De nodded, "He''s a good brother of mine, ranked second in our dormitory. We all call him ''Second Brother.'' Lu Lu also met him today."


    "He painted this?" Xu Lu was surprised.


    He knows how to paint?


    Mr. Xu could tell that Zhao De wasn''t lying and exclaimed, "A new generation replaces the old, impressive, very impressive!"


    Zhao De, seeing that he had read the room well, quickly said, "Mr. Xu, if you like it, feel free to take the painting. If it''s not enough, I can ask my brother to paint a few more."


    "That would be very embarrassing."


    Although Mr. Xu said this, his eyes and hands never left the scroll.


    He truly loved this painting because his hometown was Xilin, and seeing the painting gave him a sense of kinship. Most importantly, it was definitely the work of a famous artist, worth collecting.


    Zhao De, "It''s nothing, Mr. Xu. It''s just a painting. My brother can whip one up in about fifteen minutes. If you like, I can have him paint a few more some other day."


    "Good, Xiao Lu, go buy some vegetables and meat later. I will cook lunch myself to treat Xiao Zhao."


    Having received such a prized painting, Mr. Xu felt very happy and found Zhao De much more appealing as well.


    The news of Qin Hao acquiring Tianquan Wine Industry still had not been fully contained.


    "Founder of Jiangshan Roasted Duck Food Co., Ltd, Qin Hao, acquired Tianquan Wine Industry."


    "Is he intending to enter the white liquor industry and compete with Ma Bing?"


    "Has he lost his mind? What does he have to contend with Dayuan Group?" someone incredulously said.


    "Dayuan Group has been pressuring his companies; is this his counterattack?"


    "Although Qin Hao is young, he would not do something foolish; he must have a plan. There might be a good show to watch in Jiangshan," Deng Zhenyuan remarked.


    Ma Bing from Dayuan Group promptly convened a high-level company meeting.


    The focus was to guard against Tianquan Wine Industry, or to be more precise, Xinghui Wine Industry, as the new company name would be adopted in the next few days.


    He also sent out people to investigate the details of the new winery, wanting to know where Qin Hao''s confidence came from to compete with him for market share!


    What trump card did he hold?


    Nowadays, the market share of the white liquor industry in Shuinan Province has been entirely occupied by major liquor companies, leaving no room for a newly established winery to develop, able only to exist in the gaps.


    ...


    Once the news spread, An Linxuan was the first to call Qin Hao, "Mr. Qin, the news about your acquisition of Tianquan Winery has leaked!"


    Qin Hao knew it couldn''t be kept secret for long and was unconcerned, "Don''t worry about that, just continue with the preparations."


    An Linxuan replied, "Mr. Qin, the factory preparations are nearly complete. We can start operations in a couple of days. We''ve sent out invitations, inviting friends in Jiangshan for the opening. Will you have time to come back on the opening day, Mr. Qin?"


    Qin Hao responded, "The school is starting its sports event tomorrow, and I''m quite busy. If I can make it, I''ll definitely come back."


    "Alright, Mr. Qin."


    After hanging up, Qin Hao placed a call to Kang Youyi.


    "What''s up, Hao?"


    Qin Hao: "The Xinghui Winery is about to start operations. I''ll send you the secret recipe and the brewing process for Xinghui Wine through the office system later. Then, find a few reliable people to handle these."


    "Got it, Hao."


    The security measures on mobile phones are not strong enough, and someone could buy call records with money. Even regular online chat software did not give him peace of mind.


    The office system he developed, he was fairly confident in.


    It would be nearly impossible for outsiders to breach it.


    After sending the information to Kang Youyi, Qin Hao received a text message from Li Moying, "Master, come and help me!"


    "What''s wrong?" Qin Hao replied in confusion.


    "My stomach hurts, it''s so uncomfortable!" And she sent a pitiful emoji to emphasize her point.