Chapter 88 - 83: Improvising
Chapter 88: Chapter 83: Improvising
After finalizing the new formula, Jiang Miao had his brother-in-law memorize it.
Fortunately, Zhang Xincheng’s dietary therapy had sharpened his senses considerably. While the effects weren’t as potent as the brain-boosting regimen Jiang Miao and his wife followed, it was still a great help. It took him two days to painstakingly memorize the entire new formula.
He also practiced mixing it several times in the preparation room to reinforce his memory and stockpiled a supply of the new feed for emergencies.
...
「In the blink of an eye.」
Four more days passed uneventfully.
That afternoon, Zhang Xincheng was getting ready to head home with his dinner box, just like any other day.
Suddenly, a few men in suits and ties appeared at the entrance to the aquaculture base. They claimed they wanted to tour Hailufeng Company’s facility and were preparing to purchase a batch of eel fry and Hai Xue feed.
Hearing this, Zhang Xincheng immediately grew suspicious.
「Inside the manager’s office.」
While preparing tea, Zhang Xincheng asked with a smile, "Are you gentlemen from Min Nan?"
"We are! Manager Zhang," Xie Xiaowei replied without a hint of shyness.
"Where in Min Nan is your farm, Mr. Xie? Why didn’t you go directly to our company’s sales point in Min Nan? If you’re just here to buy eel fry and Hai Xue feed, there’s no need to come all the way to Shanmei in person. And you’ve come to the wrong place, anyway. Sales are handled by the company’s sales department. I’ll call them in a minute. If you want to buy something, you should go to our company headquarters and talk to the sales department!" Zhang Xincheng said as he poured the other man a cup of tea.
Xie Xiaowei just smiled, his grin growing wider. He then sidestepped the question, saying, "Heh heh, Manager Zhang, your company has made hundreds of millions over the last six months or so, hasn’t it!"
"We just earn a hard-earned living, that’s all. Drink your tea," Zhang Xincheng said, picking up his own teacup.
"The money Manager Zhang earns is certainly hard-earned. After all, you have to manage this entire massive farm by yourself. If I were General Manager Jiang, I’d definitely give you ten percent of the shares," Xie Xiaowei said provocatively, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Hearing this, Zhang Xincheng was now eighty to ninety percent certain these guys were up to no good.
But whether they were or not, he could easily find out.
A strained smile appeared on Zhang Xincheng’s face. "Heh heh... I’m just helping out my little brother-in-law. Talking about shares is too much. Let’s not talk about it, let’s not. Drink your tea."
Hearing this, Xie Xiaowei was ecstatic.
For the next half an hour, Xie Xiaowei kept steering the conversation toward topics like shares, dividends, and family ties.
Zhang Xincheng played along beautifully, gradually showing signs of dissatisfaction with Jiang Miao and his father-in-law, Jiang Dahai.
What the other man clearly didn’t know was that Hailufeng Company had already decided to implement an internal share reform, using virtual shares to incentivize employees. As a founding member and Jiang Miao’s brother-in-law, Zhang Xincheng knew he was guaranteed a substantial portion of those virtual shares in the future.
Therefore, he had absolutely no interest in the few million Xie Xiaowei was dangling in front of him.
However, to set a trap for the man, he had to appear greedy and indecisive.
Seeing Zhang Xincheng’s indecisive expression, Xie Xiaowei knew he had to strike while the iron was hot. If the man changed his mind and told Jiang Miao, it would be much harder to proceed.
He casually took the tea box that one of his underlings had brought over.
"Manager Zhang, this is some High Mountain Oolong tea from my hometown. Please, have a taste."
As he spoke, Xie Xiaowei gently opened the box.
Zhang Xincheng’s gaze froze. He stared at the bright red "tea bricks" inside the box as if mesmerized. His eyes flickered, but his mouth said, "This is too valuable. I can’t accept a gift for which I’ve done nothing. Please, Mr. Xie, take it back!"
"Just a token of our new friendship! Whether this deal works out or not, I’m determined to become friends with you, Manager Zhang," Xie Xiaowei said, closing the tea box and pushing it over.
"This..."
Seeing Zhang Xincheng still hesitating, Xie Xiaowei upped the ante. He pulled a small box from the inner pocket of his suit. "I heard Manager Zhang’s child just started elementary school. Please accept this pair of bracelets as a little introductory gift from me."
Zhang Xincheng took the heavy box and found a pair of solid gold bracelets inside. A glance at the certificate showed they weighed a full kilogram.
Clearly, the man had spared no expense.
Zhang Xincheng’s wife, Jiang Xia, managed a gold shop, so he knew that gold bracelets were typically either large and hollow or small and solid. They rarely weighed more than fifty grams, as anything heavier would be uncomfortable to wear.
This pair of large, solid gold bracelets from Xie Xiaowei weighed a kilogram. It was a blatant attempt to buy him.
’To deal with a country bumpkin like this, you have to hit him with cold, hard cash and gold. If I gave him a Patek Philippe watch, or some antique calligraphy and paintings, he probably wouldn’t even know what they were worth,’ Xie Xiaowei thought to himself.
Each man harbored his own ulterior motives.
Soon, Zhang Xincheng "succumbed." Face flushed, he put the heavy gold bracelets and the large box of bright red "tea bricks" away in his desk drawer. Then, he said with a smile:
"Xiaowei, you’re too kind. If you need anything in the future, just ask. As long as it’s within my power, I’ll definitely help."
Hearing this, Xie Xiaowei knew he had succeeded. He laughed and said, "Brother Zhang, since you put it that way, I won’t be polite either. I have a big deal in mind, I just don’t know if you’d dare to take it on."
"Oh?" Zhang Xincheng didn’t play dumb. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and shot back, "Xiaowei, you’re not after the eel breeding technology, are you?"
"Heh heh, Brother Zhang, how much can you really make in a lifetime of slaving away as a manager here? A million? Two million?"
"But he’s my brother-in-law, after all. It would be hard to explain to my wife!" Zhang Xincheng said, his words a refusal, but his expression seemed to be waiting for Xie Xiaowei to up the ante.