Chapter 1713: Negotiations

Xu Ke was actually quite worried before coming.

After all, the information he had gathered in advance was too suspicious.

Although it is not unusual for company presidents to engage in charity, entrepreneurs like Xu Hongxing are still very rare.

For decades, he has consistently used 5% of the company’s revenue for charity, a feat not everyone can achieve.

Initially, Xu Ke thought he was just putting on a show, or secretly bribing some journalists.

But through his observations and recent understanding, Xu Ke could roughly confirm in his heart that this matter was indeed true.

“I didn’t expect President Xu to be such a person of character. You also like helping those children, don’t you?”

Upon hearing this, Xu Hongsheng showed a smile.

This smile was genuine, making anyone who saw it feel very comfortable.

“What person of character? I’m just doing my modest part. I came from the mountains, so I know better what some children need. Although I am successful now, I have not forgotten where I came from. Even though I help those children every year, I always feel it’s far from enough. What I can do alone is really too little. I hope more people can join me in this endeavor.”

Xu Ke never considered himself a great philanthropist. He believes everything he does is from a business perspective.

But after hearing Xu Hongxing’s words today, Xu Ke found that what he did seemed far from enough.

It seems from the beginning, she had positioned herself incorrectly.

Although he is now the CEO of Xu Group, everyone prefers to call him President Xu.

Strictly speaking, Xu Ke is just a businessman, while Xu Hongxing is truly an entrepreneur.

The gap between a businessman and an entrepreneur is not insignificant.

Although Xu Ke has done a lot of charity work, those efforts were mere convenience for him.

As long as he sees something, he lends a hand. But for things unseen, he is powerless.

“President Xu truly earns my admiration. Collaborating with someone like you reassures me a lot. Now, let’s discuss our upcoming collaboration.”

Upon hearing Xu Ke mention collaboration, Xu Hongxing immediately became energized.

He urgently needs to cooperate with Xu Group to help him overcome the crisis.

Xu Hongxing is actually quite reluctant to ask Xu Ke for help, especially since many years ago, Xu Ke’s grandfather, the old Mr. Xu, once helped him.

Unexpectedly, after so many years, history is repeating itself once again.

However, this time, the protagonist has changed to Xu Ke, but Xu Hongxing is still the same Xu Hongxing from back then.

“I wonder why President Xu suddenly thought of cooperating with me? I remember before this, we didn’t have any collaborative projects.”

Although anxious, Xu Hongxing is not foolish.

Previously, there was no relationship between the two companies; they were like different worlds. Why would Xu Ke suddenly reach out to him?

Xu Hongxing roughly guessed that Xu Ke might be coming for the 35% shares.

But he still wanted to confirm, as it is indeed a major issue for the company.

“I believe President Xu is a wise person, so I’ll be direct here. Not long ago, I learned from my grandfather that he owns 35% shares in your company. I wonder if, after all these years, these shares are still valid.”

“Valid, how could they not be? The old Mr. Xu helped me so much back then, and these shares were promised to him. As long as my company doesn’t go bankrupt, these shares will always belong to the old Mr. Xu.”

At this moment, Xu Hongxing had confirmed that Xu Ke was indeed there for the shares, and at the same time, he felt a slow release of tension in his heart.

In such a circumstance, the company’s shares have already dropped dramatically.

Unless he can safely pass this challenge, the company’s stock price might become worthless.

“I knew President Xu was an honest person. I am straightforward too, so I’ll speak openly. I originally didn’t plan to have any cooperation with your company, but I have changed my mind after our conversation earlier. As far as I know, your company is currently facing some small issues, and you are also troubled about financing.”

Although Xu Hongxing knew Xu Group was extremely capable and influential, he didn’t expect Xu Ke to be so well-informed about his recent situation.

Although these issues are known publicly, they remain internal matters of his company.

Upon Xu Ke proposing help, Xu Hongxing felt a slight hesitation.

Although he desperately wanted Xu Ke’s help, he was not so desperate as to take anything indiscriminately.

Nothing is free in this world, and Xu Ke would not help him freely.

Xu Hongxing believed Xu Ke was doing this with certain conditions.

Before knowing Xu Ke’s conditions, Xu Hongxing could not agree lightly.

“Didn’t expect President Xu is already aware of my predicament. Since that’s the case, I won’t hide it anymore. My company is indeed facing a financial shortage now. If the funds are not replenished in time, our company will face bankruptcy. Recently, I’ve sold off everything sellable, but it’s still just a drop in the bucket for these funds. Since President Xu wants to help me, then tell me your conditions. We’re all businessmen, at this point, we can be frank.”

Xu Hongxing’s words were quite blunt, but Xu Ke didn’t mind at all.

In fact, for someone like Xu Hongxing, saying such words makes it more believable to others.

Xu Ke never intended to help them for free, he naturally had his own purpose for doing so.

Essentially, Xu Ke is still a businessman now. Being a businessman naturally means making money.

Just now, Xu Ke had already thought it through; he had no interest in this domestic service industry at present.

Since Red Star Group is so outstanding in this field, Xu Ke didn’t mind letting them dominate the industry.

Although this might sound a bit ridiculous, Xu Ke was very serious.

He knows there are risks in doing this, but what venture doesn’t have risks?

Moreover, Xu Ke’s current proposal is to directly increase his shares to 49%.

With these 49% shares, he would have a decisive voice on the Red Star Group board.

Xu Ke intends to earn more profit from Red Star Group.

Originally, he was thinking of entering the domestic service industry, but now he had changed his mind.

Now that there are existing resources available, why should he exhaust himself from the start?

After all, the ultimate purpose is to make money, and Xu Ke feels this approach is quite effortless for him.