Chapter 274: Xu Shengzhe

Since it was a birthday party and not a business presentation, Chen Rui didn't speak for too long.

After the staff wheeled in a towering seven or eight-tier cake into the hall, Chen Rui quickly cut the cake, made a wish, and the birthday rituals were nearly complete.

The reason for inviting so many people was not solely for the birthday; the main purpose was for networking.

Once the cake was distributed, the crowd that had gathered began to disperse.

Li Dong observed briefly and noticed that Chen Rui's circle of friends and business people rarely mingled.

Apart from a few second-generation wealthy individuals who mingled in the business circles, others seemed to be engaged in their own activities.

Of course, there were also a few people who, like Li Dong, preferred solitude.

Not everyone enjoyed mingling in groups, and some came out of obligation rather than genuine interest.

Zhang Lanyu was busy attending to other guests, leaving Li Dong without anyone to converse with.

Li Dong was quite content with this. He found a less crowded spot to sit and grabbed a piece of bread.

Having eaten little at lunch and not having had a chance to eat dinner, Li Dong was indeed feeling quite hungry.

However, Li Dong wasn't the type to gorge himself like a starving man. There was no need to embarrass himself; he had eaten well before.

...

Just as Li Dong was about to grab a small piece of cake to satisfy his hunger, a figure appeared beside him.

A voice then said with a light laugh, "Mr. Li, why are you sitting here alone? Mind if I join you?"

Li Dong turned and saw not a romantic interest but a young man, around twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

At first glance, the young man seemed unremarkable, but his smile was very warm, and the more Li Dong looked at him, the more he felt this person was approachable and someone worth getting to know.

Although it's said that you can't judge a book by its cover, first impressions are still important. If the person had been intimidating or unfriendly, few would be willing to engage with them.

Li Dong didn't scrutinize him for too long and smiled, "Feel free. It's not crowded here."

The young man sat down and continued to smile warmly, saying, "Mr. Li, it's a pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce myself. I'm Xu Shengzhe."

Li Dong's expression was slightly odd as he said, "Xu Shengzhe, is that from the Chu Ci?"

Xu Shengzhe's eyes brightened as he quickly responded, "Mr. Li also likes the Chu Ci?"

Li Dong shook his head and laughed awkwardly, "I only know Tang poetry and Song lyrics; I don't pay much attention to other things."

Xu Shengzhe's expression dimmed slightly, showing disappointment. "Oh, I see."

Li Dong understood what he meant and explained, "I have a friend named 'Shengzhe.' He used to mention this name often, saying that 'Shengzhe' represents a person with both virtue and talent. I remembered it after hearing it a few times."

Xu Shengzhe laughed, "That's quite a coincidence. When can Mr. Li introduce this friend to me?"

Li Dong chuckled; Xu Shengzhe was indeed quite familiar. 

However, introducing him wasn't an option. That friend was a colleague from Li Dong's past life, and whether they would meet again in this life was uncertain. Naturally, there was no chance for an introduction.

Li Dong casually nodded, "We can talk about it if the opportunity arises."

Xu Shengzhe didn't mind and continued, "I heard Mr. Li is planning to establish a company headquarters this year?"

Li Dong raised his eyebrows and smiled, "Yes, that's the plan."

Li Dong initially thought Xu Shengzhe was here because of the construction project, but Xu Shengzhe quickly shifted to discussing financial matters.

Seeing Li Dong confirm his plans, Xu Shengzhe asked, "Mr. Li, building a headquarters is a significant expense. The domestic retail industry is flourishing, and building a headquarters can be done at any time. I think the priority should be to continue capturing the market."

Li Dong was a bit confused about Xu Shengzhe's intentions.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "You can't become fat overnight. Expanding too quickly might not be a good thing. Faraway has grown rapidly in the past year, so I plan to slow down this year."

Xu Shengzhe continued, "Mr. Li, time waits for no one. What you see as fast, others might not. Jiangbei's economy isn't very developed, and competition pressure is high outside Jiangbei…"

Xu Shengzhe spoke at length. At first, Li Dong didn't quite understand his meaning.

However, after listening for a while, Li Dong finally realized:

Xu Shengzhe seemed to be here to offer money!

Yes, he was here to offer money. The tone and intent clearly indicated this purpose.

Li Dong frowned as he began to grasp Xu Shengzhe's intention and said淡淡道, "Mr. Xu might be mistaken; Faraway doesn't lack funds at the moment."

Seeing that Li Dong had understood his point, Xu Shengzhe didn't hide his intentions any longer and smiled, "Mr. Li, please hear me out. Fifty million yuan for ten percent equity—only dividends, no involvement in management. How does that sound?"

This equity was naturally for Faraway. Fifty million yuan wasn't a small amount but also didn't seem like it was taking advantage of Li Dong.

According to external estimates, Baidu's stock wasn't part of Faraway's assets.

Excluding Baidu's stock, Faraway's maximum value was only around five billion yuan, including all brands and appreciations.

Xu Shengzhe's fifty million yuan clearly showed sincerity.

However, even if Xu Shengzhe offered more money, Li Dong wouldn't be willing to give away shares to a stranger. He shook his head and said, "Sorry, Mr. Xu, but we don't need to discuss this further."

Xu Shengzhe was a bit disappointed but didn't push the issue. He smiled and said, "Since Mr. Li isn't interested, that's fine. But if you change your mind, consider me next time."

With that, Xu Shengzhe handed Li Dong a gilded business card.

Li Dong took a look and felt relieved.

Anyone who could offer fifty million yuan at such a young age must have significant backing. Originally, Li Dong was guessing which wealthy family's son Xu Shengzhe was. Now, the business card revealed his identity.

"Xu Shengzhe, Vice Director of the Planning Department, Longhua Group."

Longhua Group wasn't a small-time player; it was a massive conglomerate worth over one hundred billion yuan. Being a department vice director was not a position for just anyone.

Plus, Xu Shengzhe was so young and already dealing in tens of millions, indicating his influential background.

If Li Dong remembered correctly, the chairman of Longhua Group was also surnamed Xu.

However, Li Dong was somewhat surprised that this young master was interested in Faraway. Longhua was a real estate company, and entering the retail industry was quite a leap.

As if sensing Li Dong's skepticism, Xu Shengzhe smiled and explained, "Mr. Li, don't misunderstand. This is entirely my personal intention. I'm optimistic about Faraway's future development. If you're interested, I can invest more funds to help Faraway expand beyond Jiangbei sooner, providing more growth space."

This wasn't flattery; Xu Shengzhe's comments about Faraway's development were accurate.

From a store worth only a few million, to becoming a large company with seventy stores and a value of nearly five billion in just over a year, the growth was impressive.

Few people attempted to replicate Faraway's model now. It was too late to start over in 2006. Most markets were already saturated, and entering the retail industry now would be costly.

Faraway was different. With its foundation and reputation, expanding further was easier. In the retail industry, the larger the business, the easier it was to grow, and the bigger the name, the easier it was to make money.

Naturally, there would be people eager to get involved.

Though Xu Shengzhe was a successor at Longhua Group, his father was only in his early fifties and still in the prime of his career. He wouldn't hand over Longhua to Xu Shengzhe just yet.

Xu Shengzhe was still young and didn't want to wait for decades to take over. If he could use Faraway as a stepping stone to make his mark, it would demonstrate his capability more than inheriting his father's legacy.

Li Dong replied, "I will consider it. If we have such a need, I will contact Director Xu first."

Whether Li Dong was sincere or not, it was enough for Xu Shengzhe.

Business deals weren't finalized in a day or decided with a few words.

Xu Shengzhe had the patience and confidence. If Li Dong decided to sell Faraway shares, Xu Shengzhe would be the first to be considered.

In Jiangbei, few people had his level of influence and interest in retail.

Slowly, Xu Shengzhe had not only secured his position as Vice Director of the Planning Department due to his background.

Without genuine ability, his father wouldn't trust him with company decisions, unlike his older brother, who still lived off his family's allowance each month.

After Xu Shengzhe left, Chen Rui came over and, seeing Xu Shengzhe and Li Dong chatting, said with a smile, "I was going to introduce you two, but it seems that won't be necessary."

Li Dong pondered for a moment. Could it be that Zhang Lanyu was planning to introduce him to Xu Shengzhe? However, that didn't seem quite right. From what he had learned about Xu Shengzhe's personality during their conversation, he didn't seem like someone who needed a middleman to make connections.

If it wasn't Xu Shengzhe, then perhaps there was someone else who wanted to discuss matters with him. Of course, this was merely Li Dong's guess, and he didn't feel inclined to inquire further.

With Chen Rui, the host, arriving, Xu Shengzhe didn't linger. After exchanging pleasantries with both of them, he joined a group of other business people nearby.

Once Xu Shengzhe was gone, Chen Rui turned to Li Dong and asked with a smile, "Mr. Li, do you know that person?"

Li Dong nodded slightly, understanding that Chen Rui was referring to Xu Shengzhe's identity.

Seeing Li Dong's acknowledgment, Chen Rui shifted the topic and continued, "Mr. Li, are you really planning to develop that piece of land in Huafu?"

It was an old topic, and Li Dong felt a bit impatient inside, but he replied courteously, "That is the plan."

Chen Rui continued, "Mr. Li, if I may suggest, rather than spending time and effort on development, why not directly purchase a building to use as your company headquarters? It would save you trouble and time. What do you think of this suggestion?"

Li Dong smiled but thought to himself, "Not a good suggestion!"

He was planning to build the headquarters with a long-term vision, including specific requirements such as professional laboratories, not merely a space for offices.

If the purpose was just for office use, Chen Rui's suggestion might be worth considering.