Chapter 14

Wei Yuhuan’s mood was so good that he was almost bursting with joy. From the moment he entered the conference room, he wore a mysterious smile on his face.

Li Xiuya couldn’t stand it anymore and kept glancing in his direction, sensing that Wei Yuhuan’s current state was somehow related to the “thief” downstairs.

The business manager of Shen Xuan Company introduced the important issues to be discussed at the meeting in a customary manner. Wei Yuhuan held a cup of Tie Guan Yin tea, listening while sipping. After twenty minutes, he still couldn’t relax and sent a text message to the driver downstairs.

“Are you there?”

“Yes, I’m watching, Mr. Wei, don’t worry.”

The curve of Wei Yuhuan’s mouth deepened. Little crab, little crab, I finally caught you. It won’t be easy for you to escape again.

The main topic of the meeting with Huan Ye Investment was to negotiate the acquisition of several investment and wealth management companies in S City.

Huan Ye Group started with foreign trade and expanded into services, real estate, tourism, and other industries. After decades of development, it became the leading commercial conglomerate in the local area. However, Huan Ye did not delve deeply into the private wealth management and investment industry. Instead, it was the six-year-old Huan Ye Investment that had talented people and rich experience.

A few years ago, private wealth management industry emerged in China, and companies of all sizes sprung up. However, the market was chaotic and lacked regulation. After a few years of ups and downs, Huan Ye Investment gradually emerged as a leader. This cooperation between Shen Xuan and Huan Ye was their plan to use Huan Ye’s strength to stand firm as the leader in the wealth management industry.

However, their acquisition would face a very difficult challenge – Hongrui Group.

Hongrui was an old-fashioned business that was founded by its founder, Wang Daqi, who was over fifty years old. It was said that he followed a general in the army and went into business after retiring. With the help of his military connections, he once dominated the business world in S City. However, Wang Daqi was a thug who did not read many books. Although he was like a wolf on the business battlefield, his business model had gradually become outdated with the changing times.

In recent years, Hongrui seemed to have expanded in a big way, dabbling in all kinds of fields. However, they were not good at anything and failed at everything. Wang Daqi’s two sons were both well-known playboys in the upper circle of S City, who did nothing all day and lived off their family’s wealth. If things continued like this, Hongrui would sooner or later become an empty shell.

But no matter what, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Huan Ye Investment would still be far from a match for Hongrui if they wanted to compete alone.

After listening to the introduction, Wei Yuhuan asked Shen Xuan with his arms crossed, “What’s your idea?”

Shen Xuan pondered for a moment and said, “Even with Huan Ye’s help, if we try to compete head-on, we will both end up losing. Why not find a way to use Hongrui’s reputation to first make Huan Ye’s reputation bigger?”

Wei Yuhuan raised an eyebrow, “So, do you want to pretend to cooperate with Hongrui first?”

Shen Xuandao said, “Not bad, Xuanye has strength but lacks fame. Hongrui has fame but lacks ability. If we can establish a presence in Hongrui, we can turn the situation around, and then Xuanye will gain a wider reputation, and we can slowly eat away at Hongrui.”

Wei Yuhuan said, “But as far as I know, Wang Daqi is extremely self-confident and won’t listen to anyone’s advice. Hongrui used to dominate the industry and never thought of sharing the market with others. Huan Yu also came here after being oppressed by them. Now they are on the verge of collapse, and countless people are waiting to take advantage, but the time is not ripe yet, and no one can shake them.”

Indeed, not listening to others is Wang Daqi’s biggest flaw. Otherwise, with such a large conglomerate and many talents, they would not have ended up in this situation.

Shen Xuandao said, “Actually, he is not without humanity. I have investigated privately, and Wang Daqi has also helped some small companies over the years, but these small companies’ bosses have a common trait.”

Wei Yuhuan asked, “What is the common trait?”

Shen Xuandao smiled and said, “They can drink.”

Wei Yuhuan was speechless.

Shen Xuandao said, “Wang Daqi is different from us. People from his era and environment are real heroes in the drinking scene. As long as you can beat him at the table, he will respect you, admire your talent, and even recognize you as a brother. He is willing to discuss anything with you. But unfortunately, he has a good drinking capacity. I heard he can drink five catties of pure 60-degree white liquor on an empty stomach without turning red or skipping a beat while bragging and talking nonsense with you.”

Everyone was shocked, including Wei Yuhuan. His grandfather always boasted about his good drinking capacity, but he had never seen him drink more than two catties of white liquor, most of which were 39-degree and 52-degree Wuliangye. If he drank too much, his blood pressure would rise.

Drinking five catties of white liquor was unbearable for most people, let alone the people helped by Wang Daqi, who were apparently superhuman!

Shen Xuandao sighed and said, “If we can find someone with a better drinking capacity than him, then there may be a chance, otherwise, if we meet him at a drinking table, it will be a matter of life and death, and he can easily outdrink ten of us without batting an eye.”

Someone exclaimed, “This is almost the standard of a national drinking companion!” But national drinking companions are national treasures and civil servants. How can they take on private jobs?

Wei Yuhuan narrowed his eyes at the words and suddenly thought of the little crab that he had left locked in his car downstairs.

That night, although Wei Yuhuan was drunk, he still had some consciousness left. He remembered every word that Xie Xiaojiang had said to him.

“Don’t rush to reject this idea,” Wei Yuhuan rubbed his chin and said, “I know someone who can hold his liquor pretty well. I’ll ask him how much he can drink.”

Shen Xuan’s eyes lit up, “Really? That would be great! Wang Daqi is from my grandfather’s generation, and I don’t want to have any conflict with him in the business world. Besides, he has a wide network and knows people in the government. It’s better to make friends than enemies.”

Wei Yuhuan nodded and instinctively took out his phone, sending a text message to the driver.

“Are you still there?”

“I’m still here, Mr. Wei.”

The meeting had lasted three hours and it was already time to leave work.

Shen Xuan invited Wei Yuhuan and his team to dinner at the hotel, but Wei Yuhuan declined, “I won’t go. They are the main force in this battle, regardless of whether I can find someone to drink or not. They still have work to do.”

Shen Xuan’s people nodded repeatedly and showed great morale.

Since Wei Yuhuan was not going to the banquet, Shen Xuan stopped insisting and let his subordinates take Huan Yu and the others to the hotel first.

Wei Yuhuan shook hands with Shen Xuan, “Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Shen.”

Shen Xuan replied politely, “Not at all, it’s my pleasure.”

As they walked downstairs, Li Xiuya asked Wei Yuhuan in a low voice, “Are you really not going, Mr. Wei?”

“You guys have fun. Even if I go, you won’t be able to relax,” Wei Yuhuan smiled and said, “Besides, there’s someone waiting for me downstairs for questioning.”

Li Xiuya couldn’t help but ask, “Who is that person?”

Maybe because he was in a good mood, Wei Yuhuan didn’t want to hide it from Li Xiuya. He leaned in and whispered in his ear, “It’s my new love interest. He’s cute, isn’t he?”

Li Xiuya: “…” Just as he thought!

Watching Wei Yuhuan’s brisk walk towards the car seat, Li Xiuya frowned slightly. Wei Yuhuan always liked people who were refined and cultured, when did even “delivery guys” become acceptable to him?

It was deep winter now, with short days and long nights, and the sky outside was already dark.

Xie Xiaojiang was locked in the car, going from panic and agitation at the beginning, to gradually calming down, silently anxious, enduring more than three hours of agony.

Seeing Wei Yuhuan, his suppressed anger suddenly surged up again.

Wei Yuhuan directly opened the back seat and got in, instructing the driver, “Go back to downtown A district.” Only then did he look at Xie Xiaojiang next to him.

He saw that the little guy had a face like a board, with his fists clenched. Although he was angry, because of the slightly crooked corner of his mouth, he actually had a cute expression of “unhappy baby” — this smiling face clearly didn’t fit with being angry!

Wei Yuhuan couldn’t help but laugh, “What’s wrong, sulking?”

Xie Xiaojiang almost jumped out of his seat, he turned his head to glare at Wei Yuhuan, suppressing the impulse to hit him, and asked, “How do you know Xiaoxi?”

Wei Yuhuan sneered, “Didn’t you tell me, you said you have a little sister.”

…But he didn’t say his sister’s name was “Xiaoxi”! Xie Xiaojiang was so anxious that he felt Wei Yuhuan was crazy!

“I secretly lived in your house! But your house was already empty and no one was living there! I didn’t break anything of yours! You’re so rich! Why are you still so petty!” Xie Xiaojiang said in exasperation.

Wei Yuhuan suddenly raised his voice and scolded him, “You illegally invaded someone’s home and you still have the nerve to argue? I’m going to send you to the police station now, and you’ll be locked up for at least six months, believe it or not!?”

He didn’t want to say such harsh words, but if he didn’t teach this little guy a lesson, he probably wouldn’t know how high the sky was.

Xie Xiaojiang instantly deflated like a punctured ball, his shoulders slumped, looking hopeless.

“Since you think you’re not wrong, then why did you run?” Wei Yuhuan glanced at him and finally asked the words he had always wanted to roar every time Xie Xiaojiang ran away.

Xie Xiaojiang choked for a moment, feeling a little foolish.

Wei Yuhuan was right, he ran away because he had a guilty conscience. He was convinced that if someone with the surname Wei caught him, he would definitely not give him any good outcomes, so he couldn’t be foolish enough to wait for death.

There was silence in the car for a few minutes, and Xie Xiaojiang suddenly said in a low voice, “Okay, I was wrong.”

“Wei Yuhuan: “…”

After a few seconds, Xie Xiaojiang said again, “I was also wrong to kick you last time. I apologize…but, you also just hit me. If you’re not satisfied, I can let you hit me again, okay?”

Wei Yuhuan didn’t say anything and just looked at him with a smile that wasn’t really a smile.

Xie Xiaojiang couldn’t wait for Wei Yuhuan’s response and became so anxious that his eyes turned red. But with his baby face, he looked like he was about to cry, and Wei Yuhuan was defeated by this expression!

Xie Xiaojiang was about to beg Wei Yuhuan again, saying that he would let him hit him, pay the rent, and do anything else he wanted. Just then, he heard Wei Yuhuan say, “I won’t turn you over to the police.”

Xie Xiaojiang was stunned and looked at him in disbelief. Wei Yuhuan had said the same thing in the lobby of Shen Xuan’s company earlier, but Xie Xiaojiang had thought he was saying it to someone else and didn’t take it to heart.

“But I advise you not to try to run away again,” Wei Yuhuan added. “Don’t forget, I have someone watching your sister’s every move.”

Xie Xiaojiang: “…”