Reborn as a Noble's Son-Chapter 741 - 697: Persuasion_1
Chapter 741: Chapter 697: Persuasion_1
What Zhu Zhengkang said didn’t strike Xiao Jie as unusual. Zhu Zhengkang’s family background was virtually insignificant compared to a true aristocrat like Xiao Jie. Every influential family in Jingcheng has several relatives who were high-ranking officials.
Moreover, families like his cousin’s in-laws and the parent famille all belong to the top-tier domestic clans. And his proposed cooperation with them was nothing more than a fairy tale. As Xiao Jie had said, it would essentially be the Wal-Mart Group making Zhu rich.
Although Xiao was unclear why his second sister had sent him to look for Zhu Zhengkang out of the blue, he knew better than to ask questions that weren’t meant to be asked.
Immediately, he stood up, nodded, and said, “If that’s the case, then this matter is settled. For the time being, you can rest assured and focus on raising funds. I will inform you as soon as we officially launch.”
Soon after, Xiao Jie officially represented Wal-Mart Group to sign a formal memorandum of understanding with Zhu Zhengkang. Then, he walked away together with Lin Xiaomin.
At this moment, Zhu Zhengkang felt like he was in a dream, overwhelmed with joy. If minor city officials were akin to ants they could trample casually, then he and his men were no better off in the face of people like Xiao Jie. At most, they were a bit better than ants, maybe comparable to a mouse. This wasn’t self-deprecation, it was just the harsh reality.
...
Now that he had managed to get aboard Wal-Mart Group’s ship, he felt as though he had insurance. Making money and gaining profits were secondary. The leap in his social status was the greatest wealth.
“Yong, pinch me. I can’t be dreaming,” Zhu Zhengkang, usually calm and composed, requested. Otherwise, he would’ve conducted his businesses properly without getting involved in any dubious dealings. But even he was getting excited now.
“Ouch!”
The intense pain from his arm caused Zhu to reflexively squirm. He glared at Meng Yong, “Did you really have to pinch me, Yong?”
Meng Yong, at this moment, was somewhat envious. Zhu Zhengkang had unexpectedly managed to gain such a reward; his luck was staggering. Laughing, he said, “Well, Zhu, didn’t you ask me to pinch you because you believed you were dreaming?”
“Anyway, doing business with the Wal-Mart Group is no longer like running ordinary companies. Zhu, how much investment can you raise?” Meng asked solemnly.
Zhu Zhengkang calmed down once the conversation turned serious. The memorandum on the table stating the intention of the agreement was crystal clear. It was a real matter.
Zhu pondered for a moment before he said, “If I invest too little, Mr. Xiao might underestimate me. This time, I plan on making a big deal. I’ll mortgage the Zhengkang Company to the bank for a loan. Along with what I can scramble together, I can raise up to 80 million.”
Meng Yong’s mind was racing. The Zhengkang Company, having bagged the contract for supplying police equipment in Heishui Province, did fairly well every year. But because they followed standard procedures, they didn’t make much of a profit. Considering Zhu’s spending habits–his purchase of houses and cars as well as his daily expenses–being able to raise 80 million was no small feat.
Meng fell silent for a moment before gritting his teeth and saying, “Zhu, you and I are brothers, so I won’t beat around the bush. How about taking me with you this time? I’ll arrange a loan from the bank using my foreign trade company and properties as collateral. I should be able to raise around 70 million. It’ll be under your name investing in the project. For the total 1.5 billion, you will have 100 million and I will take only 50 million from the dividends.”
Zhu Zhengkang understood Meng Yong’s intentions. He would have agreed even if he had to give up 50 million to form a connection with the Xiao and Yang families. However, Zhu also had his own considerations. Given that he was doing business in Heishui Province, he smiled and said, “Yong, are you trying to test me? Should brothers like us really be making such clear divisions? If you invest, it would make me happy. We’ll divide the dividends based on how much we contribute. Gifting me shares would mean you don’t see me as a brother.”
After discussing these matters, Zhu Zhengkang returned immediately to his company. He summoned the financial staff and executives, conveyed his plan to raise a large amount of cash, and instructed them to start the preparations. Then, Zhu Zhengkang finally calmed down. As the saying goes, excessively polite behavior is a sure sign of trying to get something. He pondered what made him so significant in the eyes of the Wal-Mart Group? What credentials or background did he have to be considered valuable by them?
With these thoughts in mind, Zhu dialed his father, Zhu Lijun’s number. Just after two rings, a voice came through from the other side, “Is it young Zhu? This is Liushanhe, secretary for Secretary Zhu. Secretary Zhu is currently presiding over a provincial political and legal work meeting. Does young Zhu have anything urgent?”
Learning from Liushanhe that his father was currently in a meeting, Zhu Zhengkang knew when to let it rest, and laughingly said, “Brother Liu, I don’t have any important matter. I’ll get back to him after he has finished his meeting.”
It was just after five in the afternoon when Zhu Zhengkang returned home from work to his villa in Hacheng. His phone rang. As soon as he answered, a commanding voice came from the other end, “Zhengkang, why were you looking for me? Did you get into trouble?”
The authority in the voice made Zhu Zhengkang feel somewhat helpless. He said with a laugh, “Dad, don’t you know me by now? I don’t solicit women or gamble, and I would never break the law. What kind of trouble could I possibly get into? Dad, I called to tell you something that has taken me by surprise.”
Hearing this, Zhu Lijun grew curious. He knew his son’s nature well—while Zhu Zhengkang wasn’t much of a student, he never got into criminal activities. Zhu Lijun’s questioning was more of a reminder to his son.
Zhu Lijun, curious, asked, “What is it?”
After Zhu Zhengkang repeated the details of his potential collaboration with the Wal-Mart Group, he said, “The strange thing is this: I have no reason to associate with the Wal-Mart Group. Why would they seek me out? In terms of financial strength, the Wal-Mart Group is well established. Heishui Province Secretary Lin’s son or Meng Yong would be better partners than me. As for power, the Yang family, helmed by Elder Yang, and even the Xiao family, are out of our league. Elder Yang’s wife is the second Miss Xiao, and then there’s the backing from the Nie family.”
Zhu Lijun had been deep in thought. Upon hearing his son’s last sentence, his eyes lit up. He interrupted, “Wait, Zhengkang, are you saying Miss Xiao, the second lady of the Xiao family and the wife of the Wal-Mart Group’s boss, has ties with the Nie family?”
Zhu Zhengkang didn’t know much about the second Miss Xiao. All he knew came from a brief introduction by Xiao Jie. Still, he was aware of her general background. He promptly replied, “Miss Xiao’s full name is Xiao Yali. Her father is Deputy Commander of the Xibei Military Region, Xiao Zhenchang. Her eldest uncle is the Deputy Chief of the military and her younger uncle is former Bashu Province governor, now Nie Guowu.”
At this point, while Zhu Zhengkang was puzzled, Zhu Lijun had started to understand. It seemed that this whole issue was orchestrated by Nie Zhenbang. Zhu Lijun didn’t think anyone else would have an interest in him.
After a moment of silence, Zhu Lijun was a bit troubled. Telling his son to refuse was not practical. They had already signed a preliminary agreement. Backing out now would invite trouble. But why was Nie Zhenbang doing all this? Zhu Lijun began to ponder.
After some consideration, he reassured his son, “Zhengkang, you should go ahead with this. Remember, stay true to yourself and don’t do anything illegal. That’s all that matters.”
…
Zhu Lijun was preoccupied the following day when he went to work. As soon as he entered his office, his secretary Liu Shanheng approached him.
In a low voice, Liu Shanheng said, “Secretary, we got a call from the provincial government. Secretary-General Huang said Director Nie of the San Gong Office wants to have lunch with you today. What do you think?”
The news surprised Zhu Lijun. If Nie Zhenbang was inviting him through Cao Dingkun, wasn’t it a clear message that Nie Zhenbang and Cao Dingkun were now working together? If the invitation had been given a day earlier, Zhu Lijun wouldn’t have thought twice about refusing. In the circumstances, Zhu Lijun hesitated and then nodded, “Alright. Tell Secretary-General Huang that I will be there at noon.”
At noon, in a restaurant just outside the Liaodong Provincial Committee compound, Zhu Lijun arrived as promised. Upon entering the private dining room, he saw that both Nie Zhenbang and Cao Dingkun had already stood up.
Cao Dingkun warmly greeted him with a smile, “Old Zhu, you, the guest of honor, are late. Now you must follow the old rules and drink three penalty cups.”
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Nie Zhenbang, too, shook hands with Zhu Lijun and smiled. The staff quickly served all dishes, and the three started with a toast to their gathering.
Zhu Lijun, preoccupied with thoughts, put down his wine glass and looked at Nie Zhenbang, “Director Nie, I am a simple man. I was a military officer and didn’t study much. I am straightforward. First, I would like to thank Director Nie for taking care of my son. Secondly, is there anything you need my help with?”
Zhu Lijun’s straightforward character left Nie Zhenbang staring, and Cao Dingkun somewhat uncomfortable.
PS: The layout of the third brother must be described in detail. These are all strong representative characters. As for Tian Xujian from Heishui and Li Taishi from Yu Province, they are briefly mentioned. Please enjoy patiently.(To be continued. If you like this work, please vote on (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)
