socalfunplaces Chapter 24 Nobody told anyone
Chapter 24 Nobody told anyone
Love, on the chopping board of self-interest, is like a dead fish, easily split in two with a single cut.
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On New Year's Day, the streets of Beijing were already covered with bright red lanterns, swaying gently in the wind, and even the dogs in the alleys seemed to share in the festive spirit. Only the board meeting of "Tianyi" was tense enough to make one spit ice, after all, there were only three months left until the six-month deadline.
Zhang Zhishan's efforts over the past three months have paid off. The goose down market in Gaoyou is booming, and he's also cracked the market in Northeast China, with retail investors buying in large quantities, causing his business to soar. Yu Li's side hasn't been idle either. In addition to securing an exclusive collaboration with ULUL, she's also managed to get connections with several high-end wineries and jewelry stores. Several high-end salon auctions have been held brilliantly, generating a lot of revenue, and the results are quite impressive.
Both paths were going smoothly, but taking too big a step could easily lead to disaster. Follow-up would require a massive investment of money and resources, but the company's funds were barely enough to cover daily expenses. Which shareholder was willing to gamble their entire fortune with these two tyrants? Besides, why should they risk their lives for them?
Zhang Zhishan and Yu Li knew exactly what was going on, so at this meeting they acted as hands-off managers, leaving the "fighting" to Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen.
In fact, Zeng Jia had received Zhang Zhishan's "battle order" the night before and knew that she would be competing today, but she hadn't told Wang Haowen. Now, as she moved from the chair against the wall to the negotiating table, she felt nervous and a little excited, with a touch of guilt for letting her man down.
The week before was her birthday, and Wang Haowen had specially gifted her the "dusty blue" coat she'd always dreamed of. This sudden, unannounced gift felt a little unfair. But after a long internal struggle, a glance at Wang Haowen's calm, roguish grin made it clear: he'd known about today's events all along? He was just playing dumb!
"The essence of a website is both breadth and stability," Zeng Jia said crisply. "The commodity logistics chain in the two main regions of Northeast and East China, which are now in the lower-tier markets, is well-established, and users recognize the Tianyi brand. High-end luxury sounds expensive, but it's like a castle in the air—it looks good but doesn't fill you up!"
Wang Haowen didn't even lift his eyelids, casually retorting, "Secretary Zeng's words sound enlightening, but while your lower-tier market looks lively, can the customer loyalty compare to that of high-end luxury brands? The profit from a single high-end luxury auction is equivalent to selling 100,000 items at 9.9 yuan with free shipping. Don't talk about low profit margins and high volume; I think it's more like working yourself to death with low profit margins. All the money is spent on logistics, warehousing, and upfront financing for inventory. You're just working for the courier companies and warehouses!"
He paused, a faint, shrewd smile playing on his lips. "Besides," he said, "your expansion into lower-tier markets is like a giant twisted dough stick. How much real money will you have to pour in to push it up further? The shareholders' money doesn't grow on trees; can they afford to play around like this?"
"Luxury goods are precious, but are the brands you've negotiated with even remotely competitive in the high-end luxury market? At best, they're considered accessible luxury! Do top-tier brands even care about you?" Zeng Jia spoke slowly and deliberately, unafraid of offending anyone. "To put it bluntly, if a brand isn't happy, they can just pack up and move on. Then the brand will leave, the customers will scatter, and even a high-profit sandcastle will collapse. Small commodities may seem insignificant, but they have a solid foundation; the basic needs are there, and ordinary people can't live without them!"
"A solid foundation? Even that needs a constant flow of money. In this economic downturn, even the richest families are running out of resources. Besides, your high repurchase rate is because your products are cheap, but who doesn't have cheap goods? A customer might buy from you today, only to be lured away by a competitor with an even lower price tomorrow! High-end luxury brands target high-net-worth individuals who value the platform's image and service. Even if the existing brands aren't top-tier, as long as the operation is sound and the service is top-notch, a good reputation will attract top-notch customers."
"You're just busy making grand promises for the future. I admit the high-end luxury segment had impressive results this quarter, but I didn't see any low operating costs. Salon venues, security, professional teams—aren't all of those expensive? To acquire bigger brands and attract more elite clients, you need to invest a lot of human, material, and financial resources. Don't end up putting on a show of wealth only to find yourself unable to keep up!"
Wang Haowen suddenly chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes: "Don't you even realize whether I'm lacking the ability or not?"
Zeng Jia's face flushed instantly, and she was immediately annoyed. He was flirting with her like that during a serious moment, and before anything even happened, he was already acting slick. "I was just reminding Assistant Wang that there's a limit to confidence, otherwise you'll end up like you were back in school, getting your pants pulled down while playing basketball and failing to become the student council president. No matter how fancy the process is, the result is what matters!"
puff!
The board members couldn't help but burst into laughter, which eased the tense atmosphere somewhat. Zhang Zhishan could only sigh that Zeng Jia was a shrew who dared to say anything. Yu Li raised her eyebrows, her expression unreadable. She wouldn't bother with a verbal battle; she was only thinking about how to negotiate the capital injection with the shareholders later.
Wang Haowen's face turned red with anger. Only Zeng Jia dared to provoke him on this matter. "Fine, let's see who's all talk and no action in three months!"
After the heated debate at the meeting, Yu Li and Zhang Zhishan acted as if nothing had happened, leaving the meeting room arm in arm, chatting and laughing, their acting skills were superb.
Zeng Jia and Wang Haowen were packing up their documents, deliberately lagging behind by a few steps. The large conference room was instantly empty except for the two of them, and an indescribable atmosphere filled the air.
Wang Haowen glanced at the doorway, making sure no one was paying attention, then leaned close to Zeng Jia's ear, "You're ruthless, aren't you, Zeng Xiaojia? You always pick on my weak points?"
Zeng Jia, clutching the documents, retorted defiantly, "Who told you to play dirty tricks first? You deserved it, you asked for it!"
Wang Haowen looked aggrieved. "Do you think I don't know you? You're just blaming me for not giving you advance notice, but isn't this the rule you set yourself? Everyone's on their own side, so confidentiality is off-limits? Is there no reasoning with you?"
These words were like a tiny thorn, gently pricking Zeng Jia. But what flashed through her mind wasn't the original agreement, but the night she spent sleeping in the police station... Her eyes flickered, and she felt inexplicably guilty. As she quickened her pace to leave with the documents in her arms, her voice softened a bit: "Okay, okay, I admit I spoke too quickly. I won't hurt your feelings next time. I was wrong this time. I'm sorry."
"Just wait until we get home, I'll teach you a lesson..." Wang Haowen's words were cut short when his phone rang. Upon seeing that it was Yu Li calling, he instantly switched to a respectful tone: "President Yu."
"Book a flight to Shanghai this afternoon," Yu Li's voice on the other end of the phone was cold and crisp. "I've had the nanny pack my luggage. You can pick it up and come back to pick me up and take me to the airport."
"Okay, I'll take care of it right away." Wang Haowen hung up the phone, wondering to himself: Why did he suddenly return to Shanghai? Isn't that a bit too hasty? This didn't happen before the meeting.
On the way to the airport, Yu Li waved to Wang Haowen in the front row, a rare gesture, and said elegantly, "Little Wang, come sit in the back row, let's have a chat."
Wang Haowen was stunned for a moment, then unbuckled his seatbelt and moved to the back seat, sitting properly. This was the first time Yu Li had called him over to talk about something, so it seemed that things were getting a bit complicated.
"Chairman Zhao and Chairman Li disagree with injecting capital from within the company and insist on bringing in external investment."
Yu Li rubbed her delicate brows, a rare, barely perceptible hint of fatigue showing on her face. "I have to personally negotiate with several investors in Shanghai. Whether they succeed or not will directly affect the subsequent development of this line. You've left BJ here to keep an eye on Zhang Zhishan for me. Even if he goes to buy a cup of coffee, you have to tell me immediately. Maintaining relationships with BJ is also entirely up to you, understand?"
Wang Haowen was shocked. He hadn't expected Yu Li to place such a heavy burden on him. He'd only been with the company for three months; he was still a newbie. Could it be... that the company's veterans were all opportunists and unreliable?
"President Yu, please take good care of me. You can command remotely. I will report to you immediately if there is any movement here, without hesitation!" Yu Li nodded, looking at Wang Haowen with rare emotion. She never expected that the person she had forcibly taken from Zhang Zhishan would actually become her confidant.
"Xiao Wang, are you single?" She suddenly changed the subject, which was a bit abrupt.
Wang Haowen was immediately stunned. "Huh? Yes, you're single, Mr. Yu." Zeng Jia also said she didn't have a boyfriend last time, and even forced him to pretend to be her father to deal with Zhang Zhishan.
Yu Li visibly relaxed and nodded slightly. "Then you can move into my house. The driver is available for you to use, so it will be convenient for you to get around. And Zihao, I'm worried about leaving him alone after I leave. Could you keep an eye on him for me and make sure he doesn't do anything reckless?"
Wang Haowen was stunned for a moment, his tongue almost tied in knots: "Move to your house? President Yu, isn't that really inappropriate?" If he moved to Yu Li's villa, wouldn't that mean he would have to separate from Zeng Jia? But he had just said that he was single, and if he made up an excuse now, wouldn't that be like protesting too much?
"What's inappropriate about it?" Yu Li said forcefully, leaving no room for argument. "It's convenient for you to stay at my place, saving you from having to travel back and forth and wasting time on the road." She was habitually domineering, and in her mind, the matter was settled.
Wang Haowen gritted his teeth and could only vaguely agree, "Well... alright then, Mr. Yu, I'll go check on things regularly and keep an eye on things." He didn't dare to give a firm yes right away; the sight of that gold-plated villa made him feel uneasy. Besides, he couldn't really abandon his home and leave Zeng Jia all alone.
At this moment, Zeng Jia was also dragged to Zhang Zhishan's office.
Zhang Zhishan leaned back in the large leather boss's chair, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, his fingers habitually tapping on the smooth rosewood armrests.
"I have to fly to Hong Kong immediately to discuss financing. Those old hands have made their stance clear: the company can't touch a single penny. I have to look outside." Zhang Zhishan was also a little indignant. "Normally, I would definitely take you with me, but now you have to stay in Beijing and keep a close eye on Yu Li's side. You have to report to me immediately if there's any movement from her team. There can't be any carelessness, understand?"