Chapter 320: Filling in all regrets!

"Two hundred million US dollars, not a penny more."
The man across the negotiating table jumped to his feet, his voice rising eight octaves in astonishment:
"Wait...wait! Two hundred million US dollars?!
We bought this shipping company from you for twelve billion US dollars, and now you want to take it back for two hundred million?!"
"Since your company has no intention of selling, then there's nothing I can do. Let's end today's talks here."
Du Yuanhang, the general manager of Fanghuan Shipping, didn't even raise an eyelid.
He merely let out a very soft, almost sighing snort, then slowly adjusted his cuffs, his expression saying, "Take it or leave it," as he prepared to stand up.
"Our time is precious. The line of people wanting to sell their companies to us stretches from Frankfurt to Paris."
This casually uttered sentence felt like a heavy hammer blow to the other party's heart.
"No, no, no!"
Seeing Du Yuanhang was about to leave, the man panicked completely, abandoning all pretense of composure. He lunged forward, practically grabbing Du's arm.
"Two hundred million...that's outrageous! It can't even settle our debts! How about four hundred million? Give me a break, brother!"
Du Yuanhang stopped, turned his head, and his eyes held a perfectly timed hint of "regret":
"At this time of rampant speculation, it's truly commendable that you've come from so far away.
But since we can't reach an agreement, there's nothing we can do. Please leave, and be careful on your journey."
"Wait! Don't go! Three hundred million! Three hundred million US dollars! We can't go any lower! This is our bottom line!"
The man's voice was now pleading.
It's settled.
Hearing this number, Du Yuanhang smoothly stepped back, effortlessly returning to his seat.
He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, like a shark smelling blood.
"See? That's it! It would have been so much better if you'd done this sooner. I had to waste my breath."
He snapped his fingers.
"Three hundred million US dollars, deal! The draft contract—you were so sincere, you must have brought it, right?"
"..."
The executives from the opposing company looked ashen-faced, their eyes filled with humiliation and absurdity.
They felt less like negotiators and more like lambs being led to the slaughter.
***
After signing the contract, the conference room door closed behind him. Du Yuanhang let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples.
"How many negotiations are left today?" he asked his assistant.
"Reporting to Mr. Du, there are two more.
One requires your personal presence, and the other is a video conference.
The other party has been waiting for quite some time."
Du Yuanhang cracked his neck, a hint of smug exhaustion in his voice:
"Phew... Got it. It's been a long time since I've worked this intensely, it's really taking its toll."
"However, Mr. Du..." the assistant began cautiously,
"With your bargaining methods, our budget... I'm afraid we'll still have a lot left over."
"Oh?" Du Yuanhang raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, we're basically acquiring these companies at rock-bottom prices, much less than expected."
The assistant paused, carefully choosing his words,
"This isn't an acquisition, this is practically robbery!"
"Hahaha!" Du Yuanhang let out a hearty laugh.
"Chairman Su sent me here, isn't this what I'm doing?
In my life, when I sell things, I'm all about blatant overcharging; when I buy things, I believe in absolute bargaining!
This is my specialty!"
Back then, Fang Huan's shipping group was forcibly dismantled by those Europeans, and he managed to sell each piece of the "corpse" for exorbitant prices.
And that huge sum of money, as instructed by Su Hao, remained untouched, all frozen in the accounts.
Su Hao's initial order was simple: keep the money, don't touch it.
Now the problem is, this dormant fund has finally been unfrozen, but at the current rate of acquisition at "rock-bottom prices," even after the entire task is completed, this sum will still be enormous.
"Didn't Chairman Su say we should spend all the money?" the assistant asked, somewhat puzzled.
“Yes, he said he wants to take back every single piece of business that was stolen from us!”
Du Yuanhang leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant.
“And while we're at it, use this money to fill in all the gaps and holes from all these years of neglect.
But given the current situation, even if we recover all the lost territory, we'll still have more money than we can spend.”
“Yeah! With the remaining money, does Chairman Su mean…
to have us swallow up all those other shipping companies on the verge of bankruptcy?”
The assistant boldly guessed.
These words ignited a fire in Du Yuanhang's heart.
He harbored an unfulfilled obsession, a grand ambition:
That is to completely control the lifeline of this ocean, to build an unprecedented shipping empire!
A behemoth that no longer belongs to the EU or the US, that any government can easily dismantle with a flick of its wrist!
Wait, who gave him this task…?
Chairman Su?
To be honest, he couldn't remember.
Perhaps, this wasn't Chairman Su's order at all.
It was the overwhelming hatred and obsession that had grown within him during those days of hiding after the company was taken over, when he was alone in the darkness, sharpening his fangs!
Whatever!
In any case, now was his only, and possibly last, chance to avenge himself and realize this grand ambition!
Besides, hadn't Chairman Su personally issued the "decree"?
"Spend all the money in the account!"
Given Chairman Su's unfathomable cunning, there must be a profound meaning hidden in those words!
Du Yuanhang's eyes flashed with a sharp light; he understood!
Chairman Su meant that after he reclaimed his lost territory, he should use the remaining money to indulge himself, to indulge himself, to indulge himself...
To vent his anger!
To fill all the regrets in his heart!
To expel the pent-up resentment that had accumulated in his chest for so many years!
"Keep the radar spinning!" Du Yuanhang's eyes flashed as he ordered his assistant.
"It's not just those we've already ruined; the entire shipping industry is at a standstill. There must be a ton of companies trying to sell themselves to stay afloat! Find them all!"
"Yes! But..." the assistant looked worried.
"Mr. Du, are we really sure this frantic expansion is okay?
You said it yourself, the shipping industry is practically paralyzed. Everyone's struggling to survive. Are we really going to take over all this mess?"
"What if, in the end, we have too many ships and too little business, and we end up bloated to death?"
This is a fatal question.
To be honest, Du Yuanhang himself was afraid.
But, would Chairman Su not have considered this?
That seemingly all-seeing genius, capable of seeing through all the illusions of the world, wouldn't he have considered this?
"Chairman Su certainly won't let us blindly rush in and become suckers just because shipping prices are cheap now."
Du Yuanhang's eyes became incredibly firm.
"Then..."
"Since we've reached a low point, that means... it's time for a damn rebound!
To be honest, I was also puzzled and afraid at first."
The shipping industry right now is a giant abyss; if we jump in, we'll most likely be buried alive.
But fear aside, who gave the order? It's Chairman Su!
Then we need to think about this differently.”
“You mean… the shipping industry will definitely recover, no matter what?”
“That’s right! As for how exactly it will recover, I don’t understand either. But that’s not important!”
In everyone’s eyes, the shipping industry is a ticking time bomb; whoever touches it dies.
The reason those company representatives succumbed to Du Yuanhang’s wrath, crying and begging him to take over their companies, was because they believed the shipping industry was dead, and even if it could be revived, it would be a distant prospect.
“But since Chairman Su dared to make us swallow all of this now, it means the recovery of the shipping industry is not far off!”
Du Yuanhang chose to obey blindly.
To him, Su Hao’s order was divine will, a divine decree!