Chapter 747: Personality Test
The harsh winter had passed, but the air in the night was still full of chill. Under the dim illumination of the street lights a few sparrows were fluttering and flying, braving the chill to seek food to alleviate their hunger.
Right as his cigarette burned out, a black Mercedes Benz drove fast and quickly stopped in front of Tang Xiu’s car. A sturdy man came out and opened the rear door, as Chen Zixue came out and tightened his black windproof overcoat while carrying a roll of papers and going toward Tang Xiu’s car.
“Hello, Mr. Tang.”
Chen Zixue realized that Tang Xiu did not have the intention to get off the car, thus he had no choice but to bow and say.
Tang Xiu wore an expressionless expression. He threw the cigarette butt from the window and saw Chen Zixue’s face slightly change, then said indifferently, “If you have something to say, then say it quickly. The weather is cold, and sleeping on the bed is much more comfortable than outside.”
For a moment, Chen Zixue was silent. He suddenly let out a smile and said, “I’m very sorry for disturbing you this late at night, Mr. Tang. The chief purpose why I did that is concerning the construction project of your company that is about to be held. There’s also a saying that Mr. Tang may have heard as well, that delicate works require time and slow labor. And due to your company only giving a short period of time, I personally took charge of the architect team to draw the blueprint design. We could only finish 60% of it. Please take a look at it.”
Tang Xiu casually glanced at him, then took the design roll. His vision immediately focused as he opened the roll and observed it a few times.
The design was done exquisitely with excellent skills according to the main design given by Tang Xiu. It had been carefully well divided and segmented, either the floor height, the distribution of buildings, the use of architectural design and space... all of them were well done and excellent. Despite having only a shallow knowledge of modern architectural design, Tang Xiu still felt astounded.
Unfortunately, it was an unfinished, or rather, a semi-finished product!!
Tang Xiu observed the other dozens of design drawings and then rolled them up again, handed it over to Chen Zixue, and said, “It’s too cold here. Let’s find some place to chat.”
A glint suffused in Chen Zixue’s eyes as he returned to his car without hesitation. The two cars drove for less than 10 minutes as they finally stopped at the entrance of a 24 hours convenience store on a nearby street.
“Welcome.”
The young and beautiful female clerk raised her head and greeted them. This 24-hour convenience store had two male and one female clerks, and all three of them were very young. However, when the female clerk in the counter saw Tang Xiu, she lightly blanked for a moment before she said with amazement, “Tang Xiu?”
Tang Xiu, who just entered the store, did not pay attention to the female clerk. When he heard her calling his name, he glanced at her from the distance. What he did not expect was that the female clerk turned out to be Yi Lianyan.
“Why are you here?”
Seeing Tang Xiu was a pleasant surprise to Yi Lianyan. Looking a bit embarrassed, she said, “I’m short on money, so I’m working to earn my living expenses. What about you? … How come you are out late at night like this?”
“I just came out to discuss some things with a friend of mine. Never thought I would meet you here,” said Tang Xu. “If anything, just tell me if you are short on money, as long as it is less than 7 digits I promise you can work for me later.”
Yi Lianyan couldn’t help laughing. “Do you want to pay my salary in advance, by chance?”
“Yup!” Confirmed Tang Xiu.
“Nah, if a gentleman cannot eat from charity, so am I as a woman.” Yi Lianyan slightly shook her head. “Pay me my salary when I officially work for you!”
The nearby male clerks curled their lips and shot contemptuous looks.
Seven digits?
What a bull! Pretending to be some rich redneck! If you want to support and take Yi Lianyan as your mistress, just say it directly. Why the empty words to deceive her?
HYPOCRITE!
The duo directly labeled Tang Xiu inwardly.
Tang Xiu turned his head to look at Chen Zixue, who wore a smiling face without speaking behind his back. He pointed to a table placed by the window and said, “Yi Lianyan, give us an Oden serving each and two bottles of water.”
“Got it. Please wait a bit.” Yi Lianyan smiled and left.
Tang Xiu and Chen Zixue came to the window and sat at the table. Then, Tang Xiu straightly spoke, “I have seen the design drawn by your company and they are indeed excellent. But there’s something I don’t get. Why did you still dare to come to Shanghai while you have yet to complete it? More so that you even dared to find me so late at night like this?”
“It’s for benefit and interest. Hence, coming here to find you is a must,” said Chen Zixue with a smile.
“Benefits, huh?” Tang Xiu commented with a disdaining expression. “Everyone wants to get benefits. But do you think you can slice a piece of the cake by looking for me now?”
“It’s a simple truth that what I’m doing is a fool’s dream to take the unfinished design, and yet I still want to win this Magnificent Tang Corporation’s big project tender. I’m very clear about that, because I know that no company would hand over the project without a complete design. But I’m betting and turns out that I’ve already gotten 40% of the bet.”
“Why is that?” Asked Tang Xiu with interest.
“I called you and succeeded in making you leave your comfortable bed in the middle of the night. That proves that I have succeeded in about 20%. Then, you looked at the unfinished design, adding another 20%. Added to the previous, it’s 40%,” said Chen Zixue with a smile.
Tang Xiu nodded and said, “You’re very confident, something I can appreciate. So, tell me straight. You came directly and took your semi-finished design to look for me, were you prepared to impress me?”
Chen Zixue himself had recited his own script for countless of times, so he could reply with confidence, “The Magnificent Tang Corporation is planning to build a big construction project of an industrial park and HQ, while my Senyuan Group will only earn a slice, 100 million yuan from start to finish. Once we win this project and start it, your Magnificent Tang Corporation can send someone to supervise all the processes of the entire project, including all the capital expenditure required for the project.”
100 million?
Tang Xiu furrowed his brows deeply. He did not expect that Chen Zixue only wanted 100 million yuan—way too little. Based on the calculation he made with Kang Xia, the construction investment of the Magnificent Tang Corporation’s HQ and industrial park in Shanghai must be at least 10 billion.
Earning 100 million from a ten billion yuan worth project was definitely not something any construction company was willing to do.
“This matter shouldn’t be as simple as that, no?” Tang Xiu subconsciously took out a cigarette as Chen Zixue swiftly took a lighter and lit it up for him.
“Boss Tang, for you to have such achievements at such a young age proves that your intelligence and wisdom are extraordinary,” said Chen Zixue. “I want to use your plan to build the Magnificent Tang Corporation’s HQ and buildings in Shanghai as an introduction, or you can call it a gift. As long as Boss Tang gives your promise to give all future construction projects of the Magnificent Tang Corporation to my Senyuan Group.”
Tang Xiu’s face slightly changed and a cold glint suffused his eyes. He took out his phone in front of Chen Zixue and quickly dialed a cell number, saying, “Inspect all the senior executives of the Magnificent Tang Corporation. I want to know who has leaked out the new plan of the company’s branch development.”
“Understood.” The voice of the Chief of Intelligence of the Everlasting Feast Hall transmitted out of the phone.
Chen Zixue kept smiling with a calm expression and waited until Tang Xiu finished the phone call. Then, he touched his nose and smilingly said, “Boss Tang, you company has made this development plan and I believe that the scale of the project and investment in Shanghai will be quite big. Furthermore, it will be inevitable for you to seek cooperation partners. Frankly, my Senyuan Group has been engaged in real estate business for more than 20 years and can be ranked amongst the top ten construction companies in China. However, my company has reached a bottleneck at preset. If I want to break through this state and propel our development a level, we must find another shortcut and do unconventional gambits. And your Magnificent Tang Corporation can give us a way out.”
“Then, I wanna ask you something,” Tang Xiu said indifferently. “Do you know how many branches and exclusive stores my company is going to build?”
“I dunno about that,” Chen Zixue shook his head. “But I dare say that it will definitely be a lot.”
Tang Xiu knocked on the table as he squinted his eyes and said, “Let’s say I hand over the construction project of the Magnificent Tang Corporation’s HQ and industrial park to you, are you not afraid that I’d take back my commitment after you’re done with the construction?”
“What I’m betting on here is your character and moral integrity, to be honest,” said Chen Zixue solemnly.
“Sometimes one’s character is not worth mentioning at all once one is facing the interests and benefits in front,” said Tang Xiu casually.
“I’m betting that your character is worth the stake,” once again, Chen Zixue said. “In addition, I give you my personal guarantee that my Senyuan Group will not be greedy in the follow-up cooperation. We will take what we must earn and we’ll constrict ourselves to not take a dime from anything that is not ours. What I can guarantee compared to the other construction companies is that we can definitely reduce the budget for building any branch office and the exclusive store of the Magnificent Tang Corporation, but still ensure the quality of the project.”
“So, what you meant by benefits is just that you want to go over the path of quantity, no?” Said Tang Xiu indifferently.
“That’s right!” Chen Zixue firmly nodded.
Tang Xiu just nodded in response. Not only did he not give any promise to him, he looked at Yi Lianyan instead, who placed the two Oden servings on the table, and said with a smile, “This stuff tastes great; I once had it here before. So, how about trying it first?”
Chen Zixue nodded in response. Although he ate it, he could not taste it at all as he swallowed it. He was calculating inside whether his chance of impressing and moving Tang Xiu increased, and how much the percentage would be.
Tang Xiu quietly ate his serving and occasionally glanced at Chen Zixue’s face, scrutinizing his pensive look. It secretly made him surprised and also a bit regretful.
What made him surprised was that this man really had the ability and the capital that satisfied and moved him. What made him regret was that Chen Zixue had too much ambition. Although he was not afraid of people with ambition, he did not want to waste too much on him.
“Can I ask you something?”
After finishing half the bowl of Oden, Tang Xiu wiped his mouth with a tissue and smilingly said.