Chapter 275: Wolf’s Ambition, Gu Yifan Turns Hostile

“Yes, our subsidiary is currently preparing to develop a tourism project, which will require a large amount of capital investment in the early stages.”

“We’re hoping President Gu would be interested in a twenty percent stake. For an initial investment of just fifty million, you would own twenty percent of the company’s shares.”

Li Wenyuan said bluntly.

A tourism project?

Heh… Gu Yifan almost burst out laughing.

Tianhong Group got its start in traditional industries. While they did have some tech subsidiaries now, those mainly developed low-end electronics, and the group has rarely invested in new projects in recent years.

Tianhong Group has many subsidiaries, but half of them aren’t worth investing in.

If you had to pick one of their companies that could even compare to Yihe Technology in value…

…it would have to be Tianhong Network.

A tourism project is a sunset industry. There’s no way it has any real potential for growth!

‘The only reason they want me to invest in this is because they see the potential of Madou’s launch. They want to drag Yihe Technology into the mud, set a trap, and swallow us whole later on.’

‘Do they really take me for a fucking idiot?!’

Gu Yifan sneered inwardly but kept a neutral expression.

“A tourism project? This really isn’t a good time to be investing in tourism… President Li, is your market research department completely useless?”

Li Wenyuan’s expression didn’t falter as he replied:

“President Gu, now is the perfect time to invest in tourism! You might not be aware, but the government is heavily subsidizing the tourism industry right now. If we get in now, we’re guaranteed to make a fortune!”

“Heh… President Li, I’m not an idiot. I know a thing or two about your company’s projects. Tourism projects require an initial investment of at least a few hundred million, and the ROI period is incredibly long. I don’t consider that a good investment.”

Gu Yifan scoffed, ruthlessly exposing Li Wenyuan’s lie.

Li Wenyuan’s expression flickered at Gu Yifan’s words.

He hadn’t expected Gu Yifan to know so much about his company’s projects, much less point out their flaws so bluntly.

This put him in an awkward position.

But he was a shrewd man and quickly composed himself.

“President Gu, you have a point. Tourism projects do have their downsides, but our project is different. The initial capital required is small, the ROI period is extremely short, and I guarantee you won’t encounter any of the problems you mentioned.”

Li Wenyuan said, full of conviction.

Gu Yifan’s brow twitched.

‘This bastard really takes me for some clueless college kid!’

‘What a joke!’

Gu Yifan scoffed inwardly.

It was a well-known fact that tourism projects required huge investments and had long ROI periods.

Government subsidies couldn’t change that fundamental reality.

At most, it would only offer a slight improvement.

“President Li, what exactly is this project of yours? Could you walk me through the details?”

Gu Yifan asked, feigning a flicker of interest.

Li Wenyuan’s heart leaped when he heard Gu Yifan’s question.

He was overjoyed. It seemed his words were having an effect!

He eagerly launched into the pitch he had prepared.

“President Gu, our project is primarily an online travel platform. As living standards rise, more and more people are choosing to travel. However, our country’s tourism industry is still rather underdeveloped. Many travel agencies are little more than mom-and-pop operations with inconsistent service quality and opaque pricing.”

“So, we plan to develop an online travel platform to consolidate these small operators and create a unified travel marketplace. This would not only improve the industry’s service quality but also make pricing more transparent, while allowing consumers to book their travel more conveniently.”

“We’ll also develop a mobile app so consumers can book trips, look up travel information, and more, anytime and anywhere.”

Li Wenyuan spoke with great fluency, his face filled with confidence.

When he finished, Gu Yifan adopted a pensive expression.

‘The idea for an online travel platform wasn’t bad; it certainly had some market potential.’

‘But the market was already saturated with similar platforms. Getting a piece of that pie wouldn’t be easy.’

‘Besides… there was no way the investment for this project was as small as Li Wenyuan claimed.’

The tourism industry is incredibly complex, involving dining, lodging, transportation, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment.

Integrating resources across all those sectors would be impossible without massive capital investment.

‘Most importantly, isn’t this the exact fucking business model for one of the sections in my Madou app?’

‘This son of a bitch is trying to horn in on my business!’

“That reminds me!”

“President Li, did your market research department really do a thorough investigation?”

Gu Yifan asked suddenly.

Li Wenyuan froze for a second, then quickly nodded and said, “Of course. Our market research department conducted extensive studies. The project’s feasibility is extremely high.”

“Oh? Is that right?”

Gu Yifan said lightly, “In that case, I’d like to see your market research report. Could you email me a copy?”

At that, Li Wenyuan’s expression froze, and a hint of awkwardness crossed his face.

“Well… President Gu, our market research report is still being compiled. It’s not finished yet.”

“Not finished? Then how did you determine the project was feasible, President Li?”

Gu Yifan asked, raising an eyebrow.

An awkward look appeared on Li Wenyuan’s face.

“Well… I just heard it from someone else.”

“Heard it from someone else? President Li, this is a project worth hundreds of millions, and you think it’s feasible based on hearsay? Don’t you think that’s a bit reckless?”

Gu Yifan scoffed, his words merciless.

An embarrassed expression crept over Li Wenyuan’s face.

He hadn’t meant to run his mouth and blurt out the truth.

He was in trouble now.

Seeing Li Wenyuan’s expression, Gu Yifan knew he’d hit the mark.

‘This tourism project was definitely not as simple as it seemed.’

“President Li, I’m not a fool! You want me to invest in this tourism project for one reason and one reason only: to have Yihe Technology take the fall for you!”

“But let me tell you, you’ve severely miscalculated.”

Gu Yifan said coldly.

“…”

Li Wenyuan’s face fell at Gu Yifan’s words.

He never imagined Gu Yifan would be so sharp—that he would see right through his scheme in an instant…