Chapter 11: The Ten Million Proposal

Chapter 11: The Ten Million Proposal

Chen Li's meeting went on forever, and Zhao Yu spent two painful hours in the afternoon trying not to doze off before slipping out during a break to use the restroom.

He yawned as he walked out of the conference room and noticed something odd about the atmosphere in the work area—everyone was stretching their necks to peek at the reception room.

"Hey, is that really Gu Hansheng?"

"It must be. Angel's rumored boyfriend—I've seen his photo online."

"Is he here to see Ms. Chen? Why doesn't someone go in and get her?"

Zhao Yu glanced toward the reception room and through the glass door saw the man sitting on the sofa, on the phone, looking as chill as if he were in his own office. Spotting Zhao Yu, he finished the call in a few quick sentences and hung up.

Zhao Yu pushed the door open. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Since you wouldn't come to me, I came to you." Gu Hansheng walked over to him, his gaze sweeping past the employees peeking in. Suddenly he pulled Zhao Yu into the room, shut the door, and drew the blinds. "What do you have going on tonight? Is Chen Li sending you to one of her drinking parties?"

The man stood blocking the door, giving off a quiet, looming presence. Zhao Yu could sense he was a bit upset and was just thinking about how to explain when he heard him say, "Is she trying to get you to butter up someone again?"

Zhao Yu went stiff, then realized he had misunderstood—thinking Chen Li was using her son to win over investors again.

"Brother, even if she asked me to do that, I wouldn't." Zhao Yu said. "I came to this meeting just to be here for my mom. When the company is in trouble, I can't just sit back and do nothing. And didn't I tell you I like you? Don't you trust me by now?"

Hearing his explanation, Gu Hansheng's expression softened, the dangerous pressure dissolving in an instant.

"My bad. That's on me." Gu Hansheng took his face in his hands, looking at how tired his eyes looked. "Staying up late every night? I told you to go to bed earlier—why don't you ever listen?"

"Do I really look that rough?" Zhao Yu instinctively touched his own face, but his hand landed on Gu Hansheng's instead. He hesitated for a moment before pulling it back. "I haven't really been staying up that late. The other day I just fell asleep at my desk without realizing it."

"Is your neck still sore?" Gu Hansheng's hand moved from his jaw to the back of his neck, giving it a gentle squeeze.

The back of his neck tensed up involuntarily. Zhao Yu's pain was long gone, but now his skin felt super sensitive under Gu Hansheng's touch, a blush spreading up his neck.

"It doesn't hurt." Zhao Yu almost leaned into him.

"So you really can't make time tonight?"

"I've got something important to do this week. Brother, are you free this Friday? Just three hours is all I need."

"I'm free Friday afternoon. What for?"

"I'm working on a proposal, and I want a chance to pitch it to you."

Gu Hansheng arched an eyebrow. "A proposal about what?"

Zhao Yu said, "I'm still figuring out the details, but I'll do my absolute best. You'll hear me out, right?"

He looked at Gu Hansheng eagerly, genuine nervousness showing in his eyes, looking as endearing as possible. Of course Gu Hansheng couldn't say no.

"Friday at 2 PM, second floor of Tuotu. I'll be there waiting." Gu Hansheng's eyes darkened. "You can focus on your passions and dreams. Business plays by different rules—it's not like piano. I'll say it again: no matter what Chen Li pulls, I'll always have your back."

"Thanks, but I still want to try."

Seeing his persistence, Gu Hansheng didn't push it. He'd already figured out what Zhao Yu was working on. It wasn't going to be easy, and he was also thinking about whether acquiring Chen Li's company was viable.

The proposal opportunity he was giving Zhao Yu was essentially a pipe dream—there was no way an amateur could put together something that would impress a businessman like Gu Hansheng. Giving him the chance was just to keep him happy. Gu Hansheng figured he just wanted to try it out, so he'd play along.

That night's get-together was a friend's birthday party. Gu Hansheng arrived with two gifts and got booed as soon as he walked in.

"Old Gu, what's your deal? Showing up with two gifts—are you trying to make us all look bad?" Song Wenhao slung an arm around his shoulder.

"Knock it off." Gu Hansheng nudged him away with his elbow.

The Song and Gu families had been close for generations. Song Wenhao had grown up pampered, stayed out of family business, and spent his days carefree and reckless. Though he often pulled some shady stunts, among all their friends, he was the only one with zero financial entanglement with Gu Hansheng, which made them extremely close.

Gu Hansheng delivered the gifts, exchanged a few pleasantries, and settled onto a sofa in the courtyard. The second gift had originally been prepared for "Chen Xitong," but unfortunately, he hadn't brought him along.

Song Wenhao offered him a cigarette, but he waved it off. "Quit."

"Something's off here. Old Gu, you're not seeing someone, are you?" Song Wenhao grinned and perched on the armrest of the sofa.

"Rather than gossiping about me, maybe figure out how to deal with your two girlfriends."

"Man, I have no idea how those two even met, and they still managed to get tangled up together! Look what they did to me." Song Wenhao rolled up his sleeve to reveal scratch marks. "It hurts like hell!"

Gu Hansheng scoffed. "You made your bed, now lie in it."

"Don't change the subject. I'm talking about you—if you're dating someone, why keep it a secret? Bring them around to meet us."

"He's busy."

"Busier than you, the workaholic?"

Someone inside called them over to play FIFA, but Gu Hansheng waved them off, saying he wasn't in the mood.

Song Wenhao patted his shoulder. "What's up? Getting serious over a relationship? It's not like you're getting married. If you get too hung up, you're done for."

"Is that your excuse for playing two women at once?"

"Way to hit a sore spot." Song Wenhao changed tack. "How's your family doing? Are those uncles still eyeing the Tuotu pie?"

Gu Hansheng let out a cold laugh. "They want to take it from me—they don't have the guts."

"Badass! That's my bro. But I don't think they'll give up that easily. They're probably waiting for you to slip up, so watch yourself. If I ever get kicked out by my family, I'm coming to you for shelter!"

"Your mom treats you like the apple of her eye. She'd kick you out?"

"Heh, you never know. I'm heading in to play—don't run off. We're switching venues later for another party."

After the birthday party ended, Song Wenhao rallied everyone to his place, naturally dragging Gu Hansheng along. The noise and chaos carried past midnight, and Gu Hansheng only escaped by citing work the next day. He got home past one in the morning.

He opened "Chen Xitong's" social media and saw a photo he had just posted—the footer of a PPT, showing twenty-seven pages total.

Gu Hansheng tossed his phone aside and looked at the acquisition proposal on his desk. The strategy department had quickly drafted an initial plan to acquire Chen Li's company, and it was highly feasible—especially the section on price suppression, which laid bare the cruelty of corporate warfare.

As long as Gu Hansheng signaled his intention to acquire, no one would dare extend a helping hand to Chen Li.

The only thing holding him back, keeping him from making a move, was the "Chen Xitong" who was still fighting to save his mother's company.

...

Friday arrived in the blink of an eye. Zhao Yu sat in Zhou Lan's car, still memorizing his script. Zhou Lan had helped him build the PPT, and he had revised it several more times himself, finally getting it to over thirty pages. For this, he stayed up until two every night.

Zhou Lan asked, "Nervous?"

Zhao Yu said, "Nervous as hell."

"Just treat it like a class presentation. He probably won't give you too hard a time. Besides, we rehearsed the questions he might ask, didn't we?"

"I know, but I keep having to go to the bathroom."

"You just went before we got in the car." Zhou Lan pulled a pack of gum from the center console. "Chew on this to take your mind off it."

Zhao Yu had no experience with presentations—even in school, he'd never answered a question for more than a minute. He just wasn't built for it. And now this high school dropout was about to lecture Gu Hansheng, an Ivy League grad, on his own field with nothing but half-baked knowledge.

The car pulled up to the Tuotu building. Zhou Lan said again, "You've done all you can do. It's okay to be nervous. If you can't convince Gu Hansheng today, we'll think of another way."

Zhao Yu nodded, took a deep breath, and got out of the car, walking into the Tuotu tower.

Zhou Lan watched him from behind. Even though Zhao Yu wore clothes in Chen Xitong's style and had his hair cut the same way, what Zhou Lan saw wasn't a substitute—it was Zhao Yu, plain and simple. Over the days they'd spent prepping the proposal together, this young man had gotten to him again.

The receptionist led Zhao Yu up the stairs to the second floor. The conference room was right ahead. Zhao Yu took one last look at his notes, crumpled them into a ball, and tossed them into the trash.

He pushed open the door. The "trial by committee" scene he'd imagined never happened—only Gu Hansheng and a secretary were in the room.

Gu Hansheng didn't stand up. He motioned for the secretary to hook up the projector and said, "Let's hear what makes your pitch so special. If it doesn't move me, I'm not gonna open my wallet just 'cause we're tight."

At work, Gu Hansheng always gave off this pressure without even trying. His tone was joking, but his face was dead serious, making Zhao Yu's anxiety spike.

Zhao Yu tried his hardest to look confident and determined, clicked open the first slide of the PPT, and started reciting the stuff he'd been rehearsing in his sleep.

Time ticked by. Zhou Lan sat in the first-floor lobby, his eyes kept drifting to the digital clock on the wall. Four hours had passed, and Zhao Yu still hadn't come out. Zhou Lan grew worried and couldn't help pacing back and forth.

In truth, Zhou Lan didn't have much faith in this whole thing—Chen Li also thought most of Zhao Yu's efforts would be in vain. What worried Zhou Lan wasn't whether it'd work out, but whether Zhao Yu would get grilled and walk away crushed.

Past seven o'clock, nearly all Tuotu employees had left for the day, leaving the lobby empty. Zhou Lan was about to head upstairs to check when he suddenly saw Zhao Yu walk out. He hurried over and asked, "Why did it take this long? Did Mr. Gu give you a hard time?"

Zhao Yu looked dazed and didn't speak until they were out the door and in the car. "He asked me so many questions. I couldn't answer half of them."

Zhou Lan's heart sank. "Forget it, it's fine. Ms. Chen won't blame you. I'll take you home."

A moment later, Zhao Yu scratched his head, puzzled. "He said he'd personally invest ten million into Chen Li's company. Assistant Zhou, am I hearing things?"

Zhou Lan slammed the brakes and pulled over, eyes bugging out. "Ten million?!"

...

In the office, Gu Hansheng shoved the acquisition proposal into the shredder.

The proposal from "Chen Xitong" wasn't perfect—it was clumsy, full of holes in his eyes. But every minute and every bit of effort Zhao Yu had put in hadn't gone unnoticed. This wasn't some life experience thing, and it wasn't just "messing around" either. Zhao Yu's go-big-or-go-home attitude had gotten to him.

Gu Hansheng could have taken Chen Li's company, and he'd originally planned to. But this afternoon, he changed his mind. He couldn't bring himself to take away something the person he loved treasured.