BF Chapter 13

At the project team meeting on Wednesday morning, Xu Shen waited in the conference room for over twenty minutes; his secretary called each person to urge them to arrive, and everyone finally gathered late.

Xu Shen leaned back in his chair, playing with the gold coin between his fingers without saying a word, no emotional fluctuation visible on his cold face.

The other vice manager, Fang Zhanhua, sat beside him to keep him company, explaining awkwardly, “A few of them made plans to go drink morning tea together this morning…”

“Drinking morning tea now… are they only planning to come back at noon? What about the afternoon? Have afternoon tea, and then leave when it’s time to clock off?”

Xu Shen turned his head, asking the other party with a faint, unreadable smile, “How many hours a day do they work? Is Zhaoqi’s salary really this easy to earn?”

Fang Zhanhua’s smile grew even more unnatural: “Manager Liao took a long leave, so everyone thought today’s meeting wasn’t going to happen.”

Xu Shen shot back, “Manager Liao took a long leave, but the project team hasn’t been disbanded. Could it be that during these two months he’s on leave, the project doesn’t need to be pushed forward?”

Fang Zhanhua shut his mouth.

When this Young Master Shen had just entered the company, everyone thought he was naive and easygoing, just here to loaf around. Who could have expected that after only a week, when something happened to Liao Zhihong, this guy immediately turned restless, refusing to be sidelined? However—

Xu Shen glanced at his wristwatch, gesturing to his secretary: “Wait another five minutes. Anyone who hasn’t arrived by then is fired.”

Fang Zhanhua’s face changed instantly: “Young Master Shen, they were all sent by Second Young Master to follow up on the Mong Kok project, Second Young Master is the overall person in charge of this project…”

“I don’t want to make things difficult for my second brother either,” Xu Shen’s expression turned increasingly icy and distant, “but last night my dad asked about this project. He’s recuperating at home and still has to worry about company affairs—as his son, I have to help relieve some of his worries, don’t I?”

Xu Shiji indeed had asked, but the person he asked wasn’t him, it was Zhan Shili.

Now that he brought out Xu Shiji, who still dared to object? As for whether they were secretly convinced or not, that was another matter entirely.

After Xu Shen’s secretary re-notified them, those who had received Liao Zhihong’s instructions and intentionally delayed time finally arrived, making it just before the last minute of the deadline.

Xu Shen stopped wasting words and went straight to holding the meeting.

At the beginning of the year, Zhaoqi had won a planned site at the junction of Sai Yee Street and Prince Edward Road West in Mong Kok with a land price of nearly eight billion yuan through Town Planning Board approval, planning to construct a iconic landmark commercial building over three hundred meters tall, while revitalizing and redeveloping several old industrial buildings and tenement buildings nearby, creating a large-scale commercial community with a futuristic urban concept.

The entire project’s investment was expected to exceed forty billion yuan; currently, old building acquisitions had stalled at over sixty percent. First, the acquisition prices for three old industrial buildings had not been agreed upon. Second, residents of nearby tenement buildings persistently refused to move and had been constantly causing trouble.

“One of these three industrial buildings is in the hands of Ma Shide, that nouveau riche is putting on airs and demanding astronomical prices, refusing to yield, while the ownership of the other two buildings belongs to Ryder Fund, whose representatives have also consistently refused to take a stance. Then, there are those tenement building residents causing trouble…”

Also a vice manager, Fang Zhanhua was willing to swallow his pride and throw all the difficult problems out, handing them over to Xu Shen.

The others were the same; when asked by Xu Shen what stage communication had reached now, their answers were all that negotiations were still ongoing but a bit troublesome, and unless the budget was raised to satisfy the other party’s unreasonable demands, it would be difficult to negotiate it down.

After a few words, everyone shut their mouths at the same time.

—This meeting was what you, Young Master Shen, wanted to hold; how it should be handled, you teach us then.

Xu Shen scanned the crowd, making a decision directly: “Then we won’t negotiate anymore. The project team is disbanded now; I’ll go back and inform the chairman that this project can’t be pushed forward, let’s stop here. Meeting adjourned.”

Everyone was stunned, and upon reacting, they tried to persuade him one after another: “Young Master Shen—”

Xu Shen paid no mind to anyone, getting up and taking his secretary to leave straight away.

Zhan Shili came over after the afternoon. Seeing the person pushing the door open and entering, Xu Shen raised his chin to gesture to him: “Sit.”

Zhan Shili closed the door and walked over to sit opposite his office desk: “Taught people a lesson in the morning meeting?”

“News travels quite fast,” Xu Shen said disdainfully, “It’s absurd, every single one was making a mountain out of a molehill, wanting to use the project to make things difficult for me without considering that the person overall in charge is my second brother—if it really can’t go on, who is the one who will ultimately be held accountable by the board of directors?”

Zhan Shili reminded him: “Who was it that said last time that new employees should keep a low profile and not cause trouble for others, lest they make the second young master unhappy?”

“Did I say that?” Xu Shen refused to admit it, “I don’t remember.”

Zhan Shili very cooperatively skipped this topic: “What do you plan to do?”

“Not counting on others anymore,” Xu Shen made up his mind, “We’ll take it one step at a time, starting with the building that Ma Shide has in his hands.”

“This person has a bad temper,” Zhan Shili said, “His company’s capital accumulated quickly and expanded rapidly in recent years, and their methods of doing business and seizing terriority were aggressive, truly a very nouveau riche style.”

Xu Shen actually knew; Cai Lihao had also dealt with Ma Shide in business before, and his evaluation of him had only been two words: local rogue.

“You said it yourself, that was a few years ago. I heard their Ma Family currently has too high a debt ratio, already on the verge of bankruptcy, preparing to undergo debt restructuring. Zhaoqi acquiring the building in their hands at this time can be considered extending an olive branch in a desperate situation, yet he still dares to open his mouth wide like a lion asking for such an exorbitant price, leveraging their misfortune. He’s simply a scoundrel.”

Zhan Shili explained: “That’s because he knows Zhaoqi is determined to get this building, and Zhuosheng is also negotiating acquisition matters with them, so he’s staking it out for the best price.”

“Zhuosheng?” Xu Shen understood instantly. Last time when having dinner together with those old friends of Xu Shiji, Zhuosheng’s chairman He Mingzheng gave Xu Shiji no face at all. No wonder.

Zhan Shili nodded: “He Mingzheng probably doesn’t really want that industrial building, he’s just stringing Ma Shide along to cause trouble for Zhaoqi; with him interfering like this, this building’s final acquisition price might carry a huge premium.”

Xu Shen scoffed: “Just get someone to put a sackcloth over both of them too, and give each one a beating.”

Zhan Shili asked calmly, “Do you think that’s possible?”

“No, it’s impossible,” Xu Shen abandoned the thought, “But why do I have to fight to the death with Ma Shide? He takes advantage of a crisis, so I’ll pull the rug out from under him. I heard his building’s debt claims are over at Huidu Bank, so why don’t I bypass him and go talk directly to the bank?”

Zhan Shili expressed agreement, “Then let’s go.”

“Go where?”

“To talk with the bank you have to find the right person. I’m taking you to meet someone.”

While riding the elevator downstairs, Xu Shen suddenly thought of something: “Nic, were you planning to do this all along?”

“Mn,” Zhan Shili admitted, “though there was no need for me to bring it up in the end, since you thought of it yourself.”

Xu Shen smiled, “Then would you say we have a tacit understanding?”

Zhan Shili glanced at him, didn’t answer, and after the doors opened, stepped out of the elevator first.

When getting into the car, Zhan Shili received a phone call from Xu Zikang; this Third Young Master happened to arrive near the company and bought some pastries to deliver to him, not wanting to go upstairs to let too many people see, asking Zhan Shili if he could come down to get them.

Zhan Shili made an appointment with him to meet in the underground parking lot, then hung up the call.

“So thoughtful, coming deliver pastries just for you,” Xu Shen said sourly, “no wonder you’re willing to coax him.”

Zhan Shili reached his hand over and pinched his chin: “You also say he’s thoughtful; then what about you? What have you done for me? All you do is demand that I coax you.”

Xu Shen asked, “Did you coax me?”

Zhan Shili responded, “What do you think I’m doing right now?”

Xu Shen held his knuckles, “Nic, am I making things very difficult for you?”

He’s starting again. Zhan Shili was too lazy to expose him, giving his chin a firm pinch before withdrawing his hand: “Behave yourself.”

Xu Zikang’s car arrived very quickly, stopping in the parking space ahead of them.

Zhan Shili pushed the door open and got out of the car, walking over to the side of Xu Zikang’s back seat; Xu Zikang had the driver lower the car window, handing the pastry box out: “Freshly baked, eat it while it’s hot.”

Zhan Shili took it and said a word of thanks.

Xu Zikang’s gaze fell over, seeing Xu Shen who had gotten out from his passenger seat, and asked, “Are you guys going out?”

Zhan Shili answered: “Going to find someone to communicate about a project.”

Xu Zikang was understanding: “Then go ahead you two, I won’t delay you guys.”

Xu Shen also walked over, stopping beside Zhan Shili, and smiled at Xu Zikang: “Don’t worry, Third Brother—I’ll supervise Mr. Zhan to finish eating all these pastries.”

Xu Zikang felt awkward: “Eat together with him, I bought a lot.”

Xu Shen didn’t decline, either: “Then I won’t be polite, thanks a lot, Third Brother.”

After saying this, Xu Zikang’s car drove off.

Zhan Shili turned around first: “Let’s go.”

After getting back into the car, he handed the pastry box over to Xu Shen: “Here, you take this.”

Xu Shen didn’t take it: “No, he specifically bought it for you, how could I have the nerve to actually eat it?”

Zhan Shili said nothing, set the pastry box on the armrest compartment, withdrew his gaze, fastened his seatbelt, and started the car.

The car drove out, and as it passed a trash can, he rolled down the car window and casually tossed that box of pastries inside.

As the car window slowly rolled back up, Xu Shen wore a look of regret: “Things from this shop are quite hard to buy; I heard my secretary say before that the queue time is at least an hour.”

Zhan Shili said with little interest, “I don’t like eating these things.”

Xu Shen found it novel, hearing this: “You don’t like eating them, and he doesn’t know? Or is it that every time he buys them for you, you’ve never refused?”

“Why refuse?” Zhan Shili said nonchalantly, “If he’s happy to give them, I’ll just accept them; making him happy isn’t a bad thing.”

“I’m genuinely curious,” Xu Shen tapped his chin, “about how exactly you and this third brother of mine get along for you to be able to coax him into being so head over heels for you?”

Zhan Shili didn’t answer: “Guess for yourself.”

“I don’t want to guess,” Xu Shen said, “anyway, you’re better to him than to me. I know, you’re definitely going to say ‘first come, first served’ again, that I have no right to be picky.”

Listening to his voice laced with resentment, Zhan Shili said: “Even if you know, it’s useless. You’re far harder to coax than he is.”

Xu Shen thought otherwise: “Is that so?”

Zhan Shili said, “Whether you are or not, you know it clear as day in your heart.”

“Tch.”

The car drove out of the company parking lot, stopping at an intersection to wait for the red light.

Xu Shen suddenly asked, “Nic, have you slept with him? Can that sickly weakling satisfy you?”

Zhan Shili saw the undisguised fervor in his eyes.

At the very last second before the red light turned green, Zhan Shili raised a finger to Xu Shen’s lips, stopping him from saying any more.

“Shhh.”

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