Chapter 96: Fanning the Flames

Fanghuan Investment, Chairman's Office.
If you were to ask who's the most restless and anxious right now, it's definitely the senior executives at Fanghuan Investment!
Their hearts are on a rollercoaster every day, terrified that one wrong move and they'll lose this sure thing.
"Chairman! Chairman! News from President Su! The final offer has been made regarding the pricing of the 5% stake in Changqing Group!"
The secretary rushed into the chairman's office.
"Finally, it's settled!"
Huang Fengwen, who was pacing back and forth in his office, suddenly stopped, his eyes lighting up instantly.
"Damn it, if it hadn't been settled soon, he'd have had a heart attack!"
Huang Fengwen took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm, picked up the glass of ice water on the table, and gulped down most of it, trying to extinguish the small flame of anxiety within him.
Only then did he ask in a trembling voice, "Tell me, that kid Su Hao... how much did he quote?"
The secretary swallowed hard. "Ten billion."
"Pfft—!!!"
Huang Fengwen spat out the mouthful of water he had just taken a sip of!
If the unfortunate secretary across the table hadn't been quick enough to dodge, she probably would have received a free, ice-cold spa treatment right there.
However, strangely enough, none of the other executives in the office showed the slightest hint of disdain or schadenfreude at Huang Fengwen's "outburst."
Because when they heard the number "ten billion," every single one of them seemed to have been struck by lightning, collectively freezing in shock, their minds going completely blank.
"I...I didn't hear wrong, did that kid stumble over his words when he was stating the numbers?"
"Ten billion?! A two-billion-dollar thing, he's going to sell it for five times that? Is that kid serious?"
"No...this, this price, which father and son at Changqing Group would take it? Unless their heads got caught in a door, or rather, caught in two doors repeatedly!"
The executives were chattering, creating an uproar.
Their agitation wasn't without reason.
According to internal intelligence at Fanghuan Investment, Shen Chengjia and Shen Zekai's maximum acceptable price was a 50% premium.
Even if they haggled at the negotiating table, adding a few extra dollars, it would only be a few percent more at most.
"Five times..." Huang Fengwen muttered to himself, feeling his worldview being shattered like never before.
While it was a harsh statement, to be honest, the price Su Hao was offering was practically no different from highway robbery.
Even opportunistic profiteering wouldn't be this ruthless!
Even if the father and son at Changqing Group are desperate for power and have lost their minds, they wouldn't spend 10 billion for a mere 5% stake, would they?
"Chairman Huang, forgive my bluntness, but from a rational perspective, five times the price is simply a pipe dream!"
A senior executive broke the silence.
"That's right, that's the logic." Huang Fengwen surprisingly didn't refute, but instead nodded, his eyes becoming somewhat complicated.
"But don't forget, that kid Shen Zekai is a ruthless character. To climb the ladder, he'd even stab his own father and brother in the back.
You expect someone like that to be rational? You're kidding!"
There's a famous saying in the investment world, what's it again?
Abandon emotion, think rationally.
Easier said than done! The hardest thing to control in this world is the human heart and emotions.
Especially in the fierce battlefield of power struggles, at first everyone might remain calm, calculating meticulously.
But once they're blinded by greed and lose their temper, it completely turns into a battle for face, a fight for dignity! Whoever backs down first is a coward!
"I think neither Shen Chengjia nor Shen Zekai, if they have any sense left, would take this deal."
"That's right, Chairman Huang, forgive my bluntness, but this price is far too high, ridiculously high! This is completely treating the other party like fools!"
Several executives expressed their opinions, the core idea being the same: Su Hao has really messed up this time!
"..."
The executives' analysis was insightful and profound.
Anyone with a sound mind would find this price utterly absurd.
But the crucial question is, who set this "absurd" price?
"Since it was that kid Su Hao who set the price, there must be a reason."
Huang Fengwen took a deep breath, his eyes suddenly hardening, as if he had made a firm decision.
Within Fanghuan Investment, there are two unwritten rules, or rather, Huang Fengwen's special "imperial sword" for Su Hao:
1. Never question Su Hao's investment decisions! Just follow them, and if anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility!
2. If there's any objection, you'll be punished by copying rule number one a hundred times!
Huang Fengwen, as Su Hao's number one fan and direct superior, treats these two rules as gospel, enforcing them more thoroughly than anyone else.
However, simply saying "trust" isn't enough.
As a leader, you have to do something. Even if you can't offer much help, you have to find a way to encourage him and cheer him on.
Create the most favorable conditions for that kid!
That's what a qualified leader does!
"Did Su Hao reject all the meeting requests?" Huang Fengwen changed the subject.
"He didn't directly refuse," the secretary replied,
"He just said he was busy for the time being and told them to wait. Looks like he wants to keep them waiting for a while, to whet their appetite."
"Oh? Keep them waiting?" Huang Fengwen stroked his chin. "Interesting..."
And what he, Huang Fengwen, needs to do now is fan the flames.
He'll further fuel the anxiety of the Shen family father and son, making them restless and unable to stop.
"Go, send a message to both families,"
Huang Fengwen's lips curled into a shrewd smile,
"Tell them I'm willing to meet. But the condition is that the top decision-makers from both sides must come in person! Anyone else, forget it!"
The meaning couldn't be clearer—he wanted Shen Chengjia and Shen Zekai, this father-son duo who were locked in a life-or-death struggle, to appear at the negotiating table together!
"Chairman, you...you're going to personally handle this?" the secretary asked, somewhat surprised.
"Nonsense! That brat Su Hao has already set the price. As the chairman, it's my responsibility to find a way to sell it. Otherwise, what's the point of being chairman?"
Huang Fengwen slapped his thigh, exuding an air of heroic confidence.