Chapter 93: A Bunch of Opportunities

Chapter 93: Chapter 93: A Bunch of Opportunities

Zhao Hui was another story entirely. Before joining Yino Group, even a few hundred yuan had been a huge sum to him. He’d rarely seen a spectacle like this, even in television dramas.

His thoughts went even further. ’Junxiao Capital is my sister’s company. Chen Xiao just told Xu Wu to acquire Jiangzhou Wansheng Square in its name. Doesn’t that mean the scale of my sister’s enterprise has already...?’

He didn’t dare to think about it. The implications were terrifying!

And it didn’t end there. After giving Xu Wu her instructions, Chen Xiao told them to have a seat while he poured the tea himself.

He dialed a number and said into the phone, "This is Chen Xiao. Have Huang Guangyuan call me."

Huang Guangyuan? The name meant nothing to Zhao Hui, so he had no particular reaction. But Liu Haoran knew exactly who that was.

That was the general manager of Jiangzhou Ganglong International. Although Ganglong International only had one location in Han River, it was because they were a high-end luxury shopping center. Most provinces were limited to a single Ganglong International location.

Even though they only had one store, Huang Guangyuan’s influence in Han River was far beyond what someone like Peng Yu could hope to match. To put it another way, the two of them weren’t even in the same league.

Huang Guangyuan dealt exclusively with the heads of international luxury brands, whereas Peng Yu mostly interacted with the heads of second-tier domestic brands and regional retail agents.

In terms of business volume, the sales revenue from the single Jiangzhou Ganglong International location exceeded the combined sales of all fifteen Wansheng Square locations in Han River.

Liu Haoran wasn’t sure if the Huang Guangyuan Chen Xiao spoke of was the same general manager of Ganglong International, but based on his tone, he was clearly summoning the man from a position of superiority.

He had a gut feeling it was the same person, yet he found it unbelievable!

Chen Xiao sat down to drink his tea without mentioning the matter, and Liu Haoran didn’t ask.

After they had another round of tea, Chen Xiao’s phone rang. Since he was sitting close by, Liu Haoran could hear the voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello, President Chen. This is Huang Guangyuan!"

"This is Chen Xiao. Mr. Huang, I need you to coordinate two things."

"Please, give me your instructions!" Huang Guangyuan was nervous on the other end of the line. A moment ago, the secretary of the board had called to inform him that a major shareholder, a certain President Chen, required him to return a call.

When he inquired further, he was shocked. This President Chen held 5% of Ganglong International’s shares. That made him a major shareholder, without a doubt, one with significant influence in the company.

Despite Huang Guangyuan’s impressive public image, he walked on eggshells during meetings at headquarters. If he could get on the good side of a major shareholder, wouldn’t his future at the company be secure?

That was why he was being so utterly respectful on the phone with Chen Xiao, terrified of saying the wrong thing.

"For the brands currently in Jiangzhou Ganglong International that also have stores in Wansheng Square locations outside of Jiangzhou City, I want them to pull out. After all, Ganglong and Wansheng are not in the same tier of shopping centers."

"By opening stores in Wansheng Square locations in non-capital cities, they’re cheapening their own brand image and, by extension, affecting Ganglong’s prestige."

"Second, I need you to coordinate getting ’Yi Rui,’ a brand from Yino Group, into Ganglong International. Afterwards, I’ll have their President Qu follow up with you!"

Liu Haoran knew at once that the person on the phone was indeed Huang Guangyuan. He was shocked that even someone like Huang Guangyuan was so meek and deferential before President Chen—he was acting even more subservient than Liu Haoran himself.

’And this was a man he couldn’t have even dreamed of meeting in the past.’

"Understood, President Chen. I’ll get on it right away. I will personally contact the General Manager of Yino Group!"

Huang Guangyuan didn’t try to negotiate or mention any potential difficulties. Chen Xiao appreciated that attitude. All that mattered was that the man showed him the proper respect.

Liu Haoran found Chen Xiao’s influence to be even more unfathomable.

After hanging up, Chen Xiao smiled and said, "Alright, President Liu, I’ve laid the groundwork on my end. You handle the situation with the stores."

"Once my arrangements start to show results, we’ll make our next move."

"Understood, President Chen!" Liu Haoran replied respectfully. He now felt more pressure from Chen Xiao than he ever did from Zhang Shijie.

In just a short while, he had completely turned the tables. The man could command the winds and clouds with a flick of his wrist!

With his plans in motion, all Chen Xiao had to do was wait to reel in his net. His mood improved considerably.

He steeped a fresh pot of tea, refilled their cups, and then asked, "Brother Hui, how are you settling in at work?"

Liu Haoran immediately tensed up. Fortunately, Zhao Hui answered cautiously, "President Chen, I’m doing great. My colleagues are all very good to me, and President Liu has been taking great care of me too!"

Chen Xiao nodded. "Brother Hui, don’t be so formal. Just call me Chen Xiao."

Zhao Hui gave a sheepish laugh but couldn’t bring himself to say the name. Even though he casually called him ’brother-in-law’ at home, he was still a bit intimidated in person.

"Brother Hui, get some solid experience at Yino Group. Don’t limit yourself to the logistics department. Learn as much as you can. There will be plenty of opportunities down the road."

Liu Haoran quickly chimed in, "President Chen, just to update you, my original plan was to have Ah Hui work in logistics for two months, then spend some time in both business development and retail."

"That way, he’ll have a basic understanding of our core departments and will be ready for further advancement."

Chen Xiao smiled. "That’s fine. What I mean is, he shouldn’t feel limited to just Yino Group. There are plenty of opportunities out there."

Liu Haoran suddenly felt a pang of envy for Zhao Hui. ’Look at this guy,’ he thought, ’with a mountain of opportunities just waiting for him. I can’t even begin to compare.’

All Zhao Hui could do was nod in hasty agreement.

He thought Chen Xiao was a great guy, completely without airs. He had no idea that because he had stood up for Zhao Xiangjun, Chen Xiao’s perception of him had completely changed. In his heart, Chen Xiao now truly regarded him as an older brother.

After they sat for a while longer, Xu Wu came over. "The Celestial Star Pavilion upstairs is ready," she said. "Should we head up? President Li and President Cha will be arriving soon."

Chen Xiao had invited Li Guoqiang and Cha Lan for the evening. They were old friends, and this was a good chance for a get-together.

He had also texted Zhao Xiangjun to ask if she wanted to join them, but she preferred to skip such events whenever possible. She wasn’t fond of these kinds of gatherings.

Chen Xiao, of course, didn’t press the issue and just told her to go home and get some rest.

Chen Xiao led Liu Haoran and Zhao Hui to the top floor, and both men were once again stunned by the view. This wasn’t an office; it was a veritable paradise in the middle of the city!

Liu Haoran had always considered himself a successful man, but his visit here today was a real eye-opener. He realized he’d been nothing but a frog in a well!

Zhao Hui felt even more out of his depth, like Granny Liu stepping into the Grand View Garden. It truly felt as if he had entered another world.

Upon entering the Celestial Star Pavilion, they were met with décor that was both classic and grand—the absolute height of luxury.

Chen Xiao smiled. "This place is for hosting our most honored guests. We don’t open it for just any friend who stops by."

Both men were rather overwhelmed by the honor.

He gestured for the two of them to sit on the reception sofa, and a server came over with tea.

For the occasion, the entire core team from Old Jia Restaurant had been brought over. The owner, Old Jia himself, had gone to the market to pick out the ingredients, refusing to buy anything that wasn’t perfectly fresh.

It was Old Jia’s first time using such a luxurious kitchen, and he’d even taken a picture to post on his social media feed.

Everything Zhao Hui saw today was a world apart from his previous life, so he moved with cautious reverence at every turn.

Chen Xiao noticed, but he knew it couldn’t be helped. People always need time to adapt to a new environment and a new way of life.