Heartthrob, Your Image is Crumbling!

Chapter 438: Negotiation

Zhou Yuwen wasn't sure what this girl's background was, so he could only reply with a polite smile. Many people at this party were already waiting for an opportunity to network with him.Furthermore, under the subtle encouragement of Liu Jing and Jiang Xinyi, almost everyone now believed that Jiang Xinyi was Zhou Yuwen's girlfriend in name.

To be honest, Zhou Yuwen did not like this feeling.

However, he didn't object to it either.

Zhou Yuwen had already noticed the President of Ele.me's Southeast Region standing nearby, gazing longingly at him. Seeing Zhou Yuwen glance his way, the man walked over to greet him without a second thought.

Meanwhile, the girl in front of him, Tang Xinrou, kept showering him with endless flattery, her motives entirely unknown. A hint of admiration even seemed to gleam in her eyes.

She mentioned that she had done some research on Zhou Yuwen before coming.

She was highly optimistic about his vision for the university student food delivery market.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen merely smiled and turned to Jiang Xinyi beside him, quietly telling her that he had other matters to attend to.

"Take charge of entertaining the guests here for me," Zhou Yuwen whispered softly, leaning close to Jiang Xinyi's delicate face.

Jiang Xinyi nodded slightly, acting the part of a virtuous and supportive wife.

Afterward, Zhou Yuwen made his way over to connect with the waiting Ele.me President.

"President Zhou, please allow me to introduce myself,"

"President Lu, your reputation precedes you." Before the man could even pull out a business card, Zhou Yuwen had already stepped forward to shake his hand.

"Oh, President Zhou knows of me?" the man asked in surprise. The man standing before Zhou Yuwen did not look very old. He had a fair, somewhat plump complexion, appearing to be in his early thirties. Dressed in a brown suit and sporting black-rimmed glasses, he clearly gave off the vibe of a tech-oriented executive.

When Ele.me and Meituan initially clashed over market share, they completely overlooked the niche Zhou Yuwen was targeting. It wasn't until recently, when Zhou Yuwen suddenly rose to prominence, monopolizing the entire university student food delivery market in Southern Jiangsu and thoroughly routing Meituan's former regional president, that Ele.me began to re-evaluate this student-led startup.

Lu Youcai, the head of the Southeast Region and one of the rare executives with real speaking weight at Ele.me's headquarters, had specifically come to this party just to make Zhou Yuwen's acquaintance.

"How could I not? You are treating me like an outsider with such words, President Lu. Anyone doing food delivery in Jinling knows who you are. Shall we head upstairs to talk?"

"Excellent, excellent!"

A few simple words from Zhou Yuwen made Lu Youcai burst with joy, making him feel that this acquisition negotiation was already half successful.

Come to think of it, since Zhou Yuwen had a falling out with Meituan previously, Ele.me was likely the only viable buyer left. As long as he showed enough sincerity, Lu Youcai was confident this deal was in the bag.

And so, the two men headed upstairs together.

On the way, Zhou Yuwen spotted Zhu Hong standing alone by a dining table, holding a glass of champagne.

She looked like a neglected lover, gently swirling the champagne in her hand and staring at Zhou Yuwen with a hint of reproach in her eyes.

Zhou Yuwen made eye contact with her but merely offered a light smile, completely unfazed.

When you discuss business, the highest bidder wins.

He couldn't possibly restrict his sale exclusively to her just because Zhu Hong was beautiful and had accompanied him for a few meals and a few rounds of sports, right?

After all, anything was possible.

As Zhou Yuwen led Lu Youcai upstairs, they ran into several people along the way—some familiar, some strangers. They all greeted him warmly, repeatedly praising him as a man of striking appearance and offering similar compliments.

Zhou Yuwen simply smiled in response.

This villa featured two terraces on the second floor, one facing north and the other south, and a smaller terrace on the third floor. This small third-floor terrace was closed to the public today, reserved exclusively for business discussions.

The two arrived on the third floor. Before stepping onto the terrace, Zhou Yuwen thought about calling a waiter to bring up some food and drinks.

Spotting a part-time female worker in a cheongsam, he beckoned her over.

"President Zhou!" Minmin hurried over, flashing a bright smile.

"It's you?" Zhou Yuwen still retained some impression of her.

"Yes, President Zhou!" Minmin said, her face beaming with joy.

However, this was no time to catch up. Zhou Yuwen instructed, "Ah, go down to the first floor and have the kitchen prepare some hot food to bring up, and fetch two glasses of champagne as well."

"Right away, President Zhou!"

Minmin instantly felt the weight of this responsibility, determined to execute the task flawlessly to win Zhou Yuwen's favor.

The small terrace on the third floor wasn't as spacious as the ones on the second floor, but it made up for it with an expansive view and a quiet, comfortable atmosphere.

As soon as Lu Youcai stepped outside, he marveled at Zhou Yuwen's keen eye.

He praised him for choosing such a prime piece of real estate.

Zhou Yuwen casually brushed it off, stating that he just happened to study at a university nearby, so he bought a property as a temporary residence.

"Speaking of which, it reminds me that you are still a student, President Zhou. Truly young and promising," Lu Youcai continued to flatter.

Zhou Yuwen chuckled softly. "President Lu, let's dispense with the pleasantries."

"I'm not a pure businessman. I just had good luck. I brought along a few close friends, originally intending only to help students facing difficulties at home find a way to earn some extra cash. I never expected it to achieve what it has today. I know exactly what my capabilities are; the food delivery market ultimately belongs to you and Meituan."

Before Zhou Yuwen could finish, Lu Youcai quickly waved his hand dismissively. "You are being far too modest."

"Relying purely on brute force could never achieve the current landscape. President Zhou, whether it is you personally or the several companies you have founded, both enjoy very high praise within our corporate group."

"You know the purpose of my visit. Reaching a cooperation agreement to integrate Xianlin Delivery into Ele.me's ecosystem is one goal. Secondly, our company is also exceedingly eager to make an investment in you personally!"

With Meituan serving as a cautionary tale, Ele.me was showing Zhou Yuwen an immense amount of respect during this contact. Despite Zhou Yuwen being a mere nineteen-year-old youth, the Ele.me executive was addressing him as 'President Zhou' at every turn, carefully framing the acquisition as a 'cooperation.'

Hearing this, Zhou Yuwen couldn't help but let out a couple of laughs, telling him there was no need for superfluous talk.

"President Lu, why don't you tell me what kind of terms your company can offer?"

Since Zhou Yuwen cut straight to the chase, Lu Youcai felt significantly relieved. To be honest, he had experienced countless business negotiations in his career, but this was his first time dealing with a nineteen-year-old.

As a result, Lu Youcai hadn't been entirely sure how to approach the conversation. Such a direct and straightforward attitude suited him perfectly.

He nodded, speaking with great sincerity, "President Zhou, you may be young, but you are a straightforward man."

"You truly live up to the title of the distinguished son-in-law handpicked by the Jiang Family Estate! You are on a completely different level from the rest!"

Lu Youcai let out a hearty laugh.

Zhou Yuwen, however, merely pursed his lips into a faint smile upon hearing this.

Shifting into a more comfortable position, he sat back, casually crossing his legs.

'Does the title of the Jiang family's son-in-law erase all of my own talent?'

Lu Youcai then proceeded to earnestly present his offer. Originally, the corporate group had valued Xianlin Delivery at twenty-nine million yuan, which was four million yuan higher than Meituan's offer. However, after attending this party today, Lu Youcai had a change of heart. He privately authorized an additional three million yuan to the bid.

For a small operation like Xianlin Delivery, the Ele.me Group was willing to spend thirty-two million yuan to acquire it. It was also a gesture to befriend this rising business star, Zhou Yuwen.

Beyond a full acquisition, Ele.me proposed an alternative: acquiring a sixty percent equity stake while leaving Zhou Yuwen with ten percent in technical shares. Furthermore, they would hire him as the CEO of Xianlin Delivery with an annual salary of one million yuan.

In the future, Ele.me would carve out a dedicated subsidiary for campus food delivery and hand total operational control over to Zhou Yuwen.

After laying out his terms, Lu Youcai smiled at Zhou Yuwen. "President Zhou, you might want to seriously consider the second option. After all, finding a CEO making a million a year before the age of twenty is practically unheard of anywhere in the world."

Before he even finished speaking, Zhu Hong's voice echoed from outside the terrace. "A nineteen-year-old university student making a million-yuan annual salary is indeed a rarity. But teenagers going to prison for economic crimes are equally rare globally. President Zhou, you'd better look before you leap."

Her voice arrived before she even stepped into view.

Turning their heads, they saw Zhu Hong, sporting her signature big waves, strolling in with champagne and a platter of food.

In truth, Zhu Hong had been eavesdropping outside for quite some time. Eavesdropping on someone's conversation might be immoral, but it was highly effective.

Morals were meant to restrain gentlemen.

Zhu Hong was just a woman.

As for Minmin, whom Zhou Yuwen had dispatched downstairs to fetch the drinks?

She was easily bribed into compliance with a mere few hundred yuan.

Zhu Hong looked absolutely radiant and alluring as she appeared. She deliberately placed the champagne on the table and flashed a sweet smile. "The champagne you two requested."

The moment Lu Youcai saw Zhu Hong, his face clouded with displeasure. "Acting President Zhu, has Meituan sunk so low that they send their esteemed Acting President to play the role of a champagne girl?"

Hearing this, Zhu Hong only smiled more sweetly. "Delivering the champagne was a personal choice, completely unrelated to my corporate group. Much like my relationship with Yuwen. Beyond business connections, I feel we are more like friends, or even siblings, aren't we?"

As she spoke, Zhu Hong shot a flirty wink at Zhou Yuwen.

Zhou Yuwen barely reacted to the display; Zhu Hong showing up here wasn't surprising in the least.

Given the current climate, the university student delivery resources he controlled basically allowed him to corner the market and wait for the highest bid.

Zhou Yuwen picked up a glass of the champagne Zhu Hong had brought and said, "Since Sister Zhu is already here, why don't you join us and listen?"

"Of course, I intended to do exactly that." Zhu Hong unapologetically pulled up a bench and sat down.

Lu Youcai was visibly dissatisfied with this. Just as he opened his mouth to object, Zhu Hong cut him off, "What's wrong, President Lu? Surely you don't find a helpless little woman like me to be an eyesore here, do you?"

That remark effectively shut Lu Youcai up. He could only sneer coldly. "How could I? Everyone knows Meituan has produced an iron lady who managed to seize the top seat in the Southeast Region at such a young age. Nobody would ever mistake Acting President Zhu for a 'simple little woman.'"

Zhu Hong gave a faint smile. "Then I thank you for the compliment, President Lu."

With that, she raised her champagne glass and lightly clinked it against the glass sitting next to Lu Youcai.

Clearly, she had no intention of leaving; she had even brought up three glasses of champagne from the start.

Around thirty years old, Zhu Hong was as ripe and mature as a juicy peach, exuding the peak charm of a woman. This was especially evident in the way she sat there with her graceful curves casually draped across the seat, bearing that sweet, mesmerizing smile.

Her earlier retort had left Lu Youcai completely speechless, forcing him to knit his brows to display his displeasure.

Zhou Yuwen turned to Zhu Hong and asked what she had meant by the topic of 'going to prison for economic crimes.'

Reclining in her chair, Zhu Hong first took a deeply satisfying sip of her champagne.

She had studied abroad and was deeply influenced by Western culture. Furthermore, in moments like this, her very role was to introduce a wild card and disrupt the proceedings—her timing was impeccable.

The April weather, accompanied by a gentle breeze, was enough to make anyone feel lazy and sleepy.

Particularly up here on the third-floor terrace, with a few pristine white clouds drifting across the deep blue sky.

In the distance lay the lush, garden-like landscaping of the residential area.

Zhu Hong sighed wistfully, remarking on how beautiful the weather was today.

Lu Youcai pushed up his glasses and said, "President Zhou, let's just ignore her. If Meituan hadn't acted like a corporate bully throwing its weight around a few months ago, I imagine you wouldn't have been forced to burn through several million in promotional fees for nothing."

"That is entirely inaccurate, President Lu. A few months ago, we did indeed raise rider commissions to seize market share, but don't pretend Ele.me didn't immediately follow suit!" Zhu Hong fired back at once.

But Lu Youcai retorted, "That was only because your Mr. Wang forced our hand! If it weren't for your corporate group, neither we nor President Zhou would have had any reason to drastically inflate rider wages to the unsustainable heights they are at today!"

"Hehe, President Lu, you should own up to your actions. Since you brought up the matter of President Zhou's millions in promotional fees, why don't we do this: President Lu, why don't you reimburse those millions in promotional fees? Now that would show true sincerity," Zhu Hong chuckled lightly before speaking.

She then raised an eyebrow and looked over at Zhou Yuwen. "Isn't that right, President Zhou? You must have spent quite a fortune on promotions recently."

Zhou Yuwen lowered his head to grab a piece of fruit, not bothering to check their expressions. He casually replied, "Not that much, just around seven million."

At those words, the expressions on both Lu Youcai and Zhu Hong's faces underwent a subtle shift.

Seven million.

Ele.me had already offered Zhou Yuwen thirty-two million. Adding another seven million...

Wouldn't that make it thirty-nine million?!

'Why don't you just go rob a bank, Zhou Yuwen!?'

Lu Youcai was violently cursing in his heart.

Zhu Hong also raised an eyebrow, thinking to herself, 'This little rascal really isn't easy to deal with.'

She had done her homework before coming here. At the absolute most, Zhou Yuwen's early promotional costs were around five million.

With a single sentence, he just pocketed another two million.

Zhou Yuwen picked up a slice of cantaloupe and began eating. Looking up to see the looks on their faces, he feigned confusion. "What's the matter, you two? Are you still interested in acquiring my food delivery company?"

"Seven million is nothing. Let's do this, President Zhou. I'll give you a round number. I'll value your company at forty million, acquire sixty percent of your shares, and hire you as the CEO of Ele.me's campus division with an annual salary of one million plus commissions!" Lu Youcai declared directly.

Zhou Yuwen nodded as he listened, smiling faintly as he replied, "Ele.me is truly generous, dropping forty million just like that."

However, as he said this, his gaze shifted toward Zhu Hong.

Zhu Hong interjected, "A valuation of forty million, but the actual cash in hand would only be twenty-something million. Moreover, serving as CEO carries legal risks. Who knows if Ele.me might pull the rug out from under you later on? Being a lone wolf with limited power, could you really withstand that, President Zhou?"

"Zhu Hong! Don't push your luck!" Lu Youcai slammed his hand on the table in a sudden burst of anger.

What?

'Is a woman's only tactic to be an unreasonable nuisance!?'