Return to 88: Starting from Marrying My Sister-in-law

"Bald Huang, you're ruthless. Let's go."

Old Liu turned and left with a livid face.

He wouldn't respond to anyone calling him, already knowing he'd been tricked, and staying would only bring him further humiliation.

Doesn't he want to lose face?
The leather seats of the luxury car seemed to have grown invisible spikes, pricking Old Liu repeatedly, making his heart bleed.

Outside the car window, the bustling street scene of Chengdu rushed past, but in his bloodshot eyes it distorted into a blurry and malicious mockery.

His chest heaved violently, and beneath his expensive Armani suit, every inch of his body trembled with extreme humiliation and rage.

"comprador!"

"Lianxiang is just a computer company; they're not qualified to lead us!"

The two sentences that Huang Guang, that bastard, uttered were like daggers coated with deadly poison, repeatedly churning and piercing his mind.

Each repetition brought forth deeper pain and more intense rage.

He slammed his fist on the armrest, the dull thud startling the assistant in the front seat and the investment manager in the passenger seat.

"Huang Guang! Huang Guangtou!" Old Liu squeezed out the name through gritted teeth, his voice hoarse and distorted.

"Shortsighted! Arrogant and ignorant! A frog in a well!"

He racked his brains for every vicious word he could think of, but still couldn't quell even a fraction of the hatred and embarrassment in his heart.

The silent gazes of the employees in the Gome lobby, in his distorted imagination, all turned into naked mockery.

His meticulously planned alliance and the Li family's capital backing, which he considered a trump card, were utterly worthless in Huang Guangtou's eyes, and he was even labeled with the extremely insulting tag of "comprador"!

At this moment, the image in his mind was still the news page showing Gome receiving joint investment from Changhong and Haier.

The glaring headline and the bald-headed man's triumphant photo were like a red-hot iron, burning his eyes.

"Why? Why wasn't there a single word?!" he roared in a low voice, more like he was questioning his assistant.

The overwhelming sense of defeat, like icy seawater, instantly overwhelmed his previous high spirits, and an unprecedented feeling of weakness gripped him.

The boastful words he made to the eldest son of the Li family were still ringing in his ears, but now he was met with a resounding slap from Huang Guangtou. How was he supposed to explain this?

Will the Li family's trust be shaken as a result?
His prized judgment and network of connections seemed to have been completely shattered at this moment.

"Mr. Liu..." The assistant, startled by his growl, spoke cautiously, his voice trembling, "Where...are we going now?"

Old Liu took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to break free of a sliver of reason from the vortex of rage.

The path for Gome has been completely blocked by that despicable Huang Guangtou in the most decisive and insulting way.

There's no point in continuing to wallow in anger; he must change course immediately!

His gloomy gaze swept across the appliance store signs rushing past the window, finally settling on the names of those regional tycoons he remembered.

Commandant Chen of the Yongle Era!
Zhang Dazhong!
Dongze!

And... Yin Mingzhu, Mingzhu Appliances!
His brain was working at lightning speed, filtering through the information he had received earlier.

Chen Xiaowei of Yongle in Shanghai has chosen a strategic contraction, shifting his focus to lower-tier markets. This may be an attempt to avoid direct confrontation, but it could also indicate dissatisfaction with the status quo and a search for a way out.

Zhang Dazhong of Yenching University publicly called for calm and sought alliances and cooperation, which was simply a godsend!
Although his stance wasn't as forceful as Huang Guangtou's, the words "seeking an alliance" sounded like heavenly music to Lao Liu at that moment.

"To the airport!" Old Liu's voice was still hoarse, but it carried a hint of resolute ruthlessness.

"Immediately! Fly back to Yanjing! Contact General Manager Zhang of Dazhong and tell him that I, Liu, have an important matter to discuss concerning the survival of the industry!" He paused, a cold glint in his eyes. "At the same time, get me a call from General Manager Chen of Yongle! Tell him I will call him personally later!"

He cannot stop, and he cannot feel guilty.

The humiliation inflicted by Huang Guangtou must be repaid a hundredfold!
The alliance must be formed!
He must hold on tightly to the powerful Li family!

Zhang Dazhong, who publicly expressed his desire for cooperation, should be his best choice at this moment. And then there's Chen Xiaowei of Yongle, that seemingly retreating but clever man... He just doesn't believe that anyone can truly remain unscathed under the shadow of the behemoth that is the Century Group!

"Calm down...I must calm down..." Old Liu roared to himself in his heart, his nails digging deep into his palms, trying to use the pain to suppress the humiliation and rage that was about to burn away his reason.

The luxury car quickly arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport.

While waiting for the plane.

The air in the VIP lounge at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport was as still as lead.

Old Liu sank into the large leather sofa. His expensive Armani suit now felt like a layer of cold iron armor, which not only did not bring him any dignity, but also made his face look even paler.

Outside the porthole, the massive engines of the Boeing 747 roared as it glided toward the runway, the sense of power rushing toward the distance now seeming like a silent mockery of his miserable situation.

Every scene in the Gome lobby just now felt like a red-hot branding iron, repeatedly searing his nerves: the stereotypical cold smile of the receptionist, the scathing words of the middle manager, and the scene on the TV news of Huang Guangtou's triumphant signing contracts with Changhong and Haier... The word "comprador" was like a poisonous needle, deeply piercing his heart, each heartbeat carrying the sting of humiliation.

He gulped down a mouthful of ice water, trying to suppress the metallic taste in his throat and the rage that was almost burning away his reason.

Just then, the mobile phone in my pocket emitted a sharp and continuous beeping sound, and the number flashing on the screen was from Mid-Levels in Hong Kong.

Old Liu's heart suddenly clenched, and a chill instantly overwhelmed his anger.

The eldest son of the Li family!
The manager next to him, Mr. Li, acted even faster than he had expected.

"Hello, Mr. Li?" Old Liu answered quickly, his voice, though deliberately steady, carried a barely perceptible tension.

He adjusted his posture, trying to straighten his back, as if this would convey the illusion that he had not been defeated through the radio waves.

On the other end of the phone, the eldest son of the Li family spoke with his usual calm voice, but beneath that calmness lay an unmistakable chill: "Liu Sheng, Manager Li has already briefed me on the matter in Rongcheng. This seems to contradict what you promised my father before. What explanation do you have?"

Old Liu's heart sank, and he cursed inwardly that the man surnamed Li was indeed unreliable.

He immediately interrupted, raising his voice several decibels, his tone urgent, as if trying to appear insightful while simultaneously trying to defend himself: "Mr. Li! Huang Guangtou of Gome is a frog in a well, a short-sighted wretch! He can't see the big picture at all, his hands and feet are completely tied by the local interests of Changhong and Haier! Does he think he can withstand the storm from Century Group by clinging to two 'pillars of the earth'? Naïve! Ridiculous! His rejection of us, his rejection of the Li family's capital and vision, is Gome's biggest loss, and also irrefutable proof of Huang Guangtou's lack of respect and vision!"

He spoke very quickly, giving the other party little room for questioning, and swiftly steered the conversation toward the next plan he had just come up with.

"Mr. Li, we don't need to waste our energy on a bald man like Huang Sheng!"

"True value lies in Yenching University and Yongle University in Shanghai!"

"Zhang Dazhong publicly called for alliance cooperation. Although Chen Xiaowei has strategically scaled back, he is definitely not content with the lower-tier market. Once their size and network are integrated, their potential is also enormous and will not be inferior to Huang Guangtou's Gome!"

"To be honest, I'm at the airport right now, flying to Beijing immediately to personally finalize the deal with Zhang Dazhong. To be on the safe side, I dare to suggest, Mr. Li, that you fly directly from Hong Kong to Shanghai?"

"With your personal involvement, given the Li family's prestige and sincerity, we are sure to capture Captain Chen in one fell swoop!"

"We'll take a two-pronged approach, launching attacks in Beijing and Shanghai simultaneously. Once we've secured Dazhong and Yongle, we'll immediately march south to Hunan Province and bring Yin Mingzhu's Mingzhu Department Store under our control!"

"At that time, with the combined efforts of the three companies and the capital injection from the Li family, they will immediately be able to control at least 30% of the mainland electrical appliance retail market!"

"Further integration with smaller chain stores will create a solid foundation. Even without Gome, we will still be a behemoth capable of shaking Lu Yang's foundation! The opportunity remains, Mr. Li! I urge the Li family to remain patient and continue to provide full support! Success or failure hinges on this!"

Old Liu's words came out like a machine gun, full of inflammatory rhetoric and a desperate, all-or-nothing determination.

He had to convince the Li family that Gome's setback was just a minor incident, and that a greater victory was just around the corner.

He gripped the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force, and beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He stared intently at the gray sky outside the porthole, waiting for the answer on the other end of the line that would determine his fate.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone.

Old Liu could hear the eldest son of the Li family slightly turn the microphone away, followed by a series of indistinct whispers, as if he were quickly discussing something with the person next to him.

His voice was extremely low, yet it struck Old Liu's taut nerves like a heavy hammer.

He instinctively held his breath, and even the knuckles of his fingers, which were gripping the phone tightly, turned white from the excessive force.

My heart was pounding in my chest, almost shattering my ribs—Li Ka-shing!

That tycoon from Hong Kong must be right across from the eldest son!

At this moment, his meticulously crafted final move, "Yan and Shen join forces to form an alliance," is undergoing the most calm and ruthless scrutiny from that legendary businessman.

Every second of silence felt like being fried in a pan of oil.

Old Liu could even hear the roar of his own blood rushing through his veins; cold sweat trickled down his temples, bringing a chilling sting. Success or failure hinged on those silent few seconds.

Finally, a clear voice came through the microphone again, the signature calm tone of the eldest son of the Li family, but this time it was devoid of any emotion: "Liu Sheng."

He paused for a moment, as if considering his final decision: "In this light, Dazhong in Beijing and Yongle in Shanghai are indeed the key."

Old Liu's heart leaped into his throat. "As you wish." The eldest son finally said what Old Liu had been longing to hear most, "I'll set off immediately and fly to Shanghai in the mainland."

boom!
His heart, which had been hanging over an abyss, finally fell heavily, almost knocking his soul out of his body.

A tremendous, almost exhausting sense of relief instantly swept through his body, temporarily suppressing even the stinging pain from the humiliation he had suffered at the hands of Gome.

Become!

At least, he's managed to protect the Li family for now!

As long as the Li family is willing to get involved, as long as the eldest son personally takes action to capture Captain Chen, and then works with him to deal with Zhang Dazhong, the framework of the alliance will still be intact!

Lu Yang, young people are still young people. Let's see how you fight me now.

"Mr. Li is wise! Thank you for your trust, Mr. Li!"

Old Liu's voice trembled slightly with excitement and deliberate suppression, carrying the relief of surviving a disaster and an even stronger fervor: "The trip to Shanghai will surely be a complete success! I'll be waiting for your good news in Yanjing. As for Zhang Dazhong, I'll personally go and talk to him, and I'll make sure he's completely convinced and joins the alliance!"

The phone hangs up.

Old Liu let out a long sigh of relief. His shirt was soaked with cold sweat, which clung to the lining of his expensive suit, causing a sticky and uncomfortable feeling.

But he didn't care about any of that. He suddenly stood up from the sofa, his face regaining a near-morbidly excited red glow.

"Let's go! Board the plane now and fly to Beijing!" His voice was loud and clear, filled with a do-or-die spirit, as if he wasn't the one who had just been humiliated at Gome, as if victory was already beckoning to him.

However, reality is far harsher and colder than imagined.

At the headquarters of Yanjing Dazhong Electronics, the atmosphere was far from the "heartfelt and sincere" feeling that Lao Liu had expected.

Zhang Dazhong, a well-known and prudent retail tycoon from the north, warmly received the weary Lao Liu and another representative sent by the Li family later.

The spacious conference room was filled with the aroma of tea, and everyone was all smiles, exchanging pleasantries one after another, brimming with the spirit of "fighting against a powerful enemy together" and "the greater good of the industry."

But when the topic really got to the core, the construction of the alliance and the integration of equity, Zhang Dazhong's round and amiable face still had a smile, but his eyes became as unfathomable as a deep pool.

"President Liu, it is an honor for Dazhong that the Li family would even consider us, and it is also necessary for us to counter that person."

Zhang Dazhong spoke sincerely, personally refilling Lao Liu's teacup, "The alliance, we at Dazhong absolutely support it! We're all in this together! But..."

This "but" set off alarm bells in Lao Liu's mind.

"Dazhong Supermarket was built by my brothers and me from the ground up. It's like our own child. As for the controlling stake..."

Zhang Dazhong shook his head slightly, his smile carrying an undeniable firmness, "It's really inconvenient to hand it over."

"However, to show our sincerity in cooperating and to alleviate the current financial pressure of expansion, we can sell shares to Lianxiang and the Li family respectively, not exceeding... um, 9.5% of each. This amount is enough to demonstrate our sincerity in forming an alliance, and it will also allow the Li family to participate in the development of Dazhong. What do you think, President Liu?"

Nine point five percent!

Sold separately!

The smile on Lao Liu's face froze instantly, as if he had put on a stiff mask.

This is a far cry from his envisioned "integration" and "dominance"!

This is clearly just bringing in financial investors, and their share is so small that they have almost no say in the matter!
For Zhang Dazhong, the so-called "alliance" was merely a matter of paying money to buy a verbal "alliance" from him, rather than handing over the reins of command.

A chill ran down Old Liu's spine to the back of his head.

He suppressed the urge to flip the table, his throat dry, and spoke with difficulty: "Mr. Zhang... isn't this share a bit too small? What we need is not just investment, but the unified strength of the entire alliance..."

"President Liu."

On Zhang Dazhong's round and amiable face, the smile remained as warm as freshly brewed tea, but the deep pool in his eyes remained unmoved.

He gently set down the purple clay teapot, his voice carrying an undeniable firmness, "Dazhong's business embodies the hard work of so many old brothers, like a son. How could we so easily hand over the 'key to the family'? This 9.5% is already the greatest sincerity. The Li family's presence shows they think highly of us; let's all get rich together! As for being on the same page… Mr. Liu, rest assured, as long as it's against that 'Century,' Dazhong will definitely stand on the same side!"

Every word was like a soft nail wrapped in honey, piercing Old Liu's heart with pain.

The muscles in his face could barely maintain that stiff "understanding" expression, and his back teeth were clenched so tightly they were making a grinding sound.

Integration?

leading?

Zhang Dazhong, that old fox, clearly only wants the Li family and him to be insignificant "sugar daddies" who can't even secure a seat on the board of directors!
This is a far cry from his vision of controlling the core of the alliance and commanding all heroes!

A surge of icy anger rushed to the top of his head, almost overturning the seemingly harmonious tea table.

But Lao Liu is Lao Liu after all.

The humiliation at Gome was still fresh in his mind, and he couldn't afford to lose the Li family, his lifeline, no matter what.

He forcibly suppressed his surging anger, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "President Zhang... is loyal and righteous, which is admirable. This matter... allows me to discuss it further with the Li family."

He deliberately emphasized the word "discussion," temporarily passing the buck back and giving himself a final bit of breathing room while waiting for news from Shanghai.

Eldest son!
Now all hope rests on whether the eldest son of the Li family can swiftly and decisively defeat Chen Xiaowei of Yongle in Shanghai!

Once Yongle submits, with this power and influence, I don't believe you, Zhang Dazhong, would dare to act so arrogantly!

However, reality seemed determined to slap him in the face.

Just as Zhang Dazhong "enthusiastically" saw me off from the Dazhong headquarters and I got into the car, the assistant in the front seat handed me a fax he had just received, from Yongle in Shanghai, with a serious expression.

Old Liu's fingers trembled slightly as he unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning it rapidly.

After reading only a few lines, his face turned ashen at a visible speed, and his last bit of composure shattered completely.

Captain Chen's reply was even more resolute and colder than Zhang Dazhong's!

Yongle not only agreed to release only a very limited number of shares (even lower than Dazhong's 9.5%), but also made it clear in black and white that it would refuse to join any so-called "alliance" under the banner of opposing "Century Group" and would never be cannon fodder charging ahead!

In his fax, Chen Xiaowei emphasized Yongle's unwavering "encircling the cities from the countryside" strategy in an almost declarative manner, and "inadvertently" revealed that Yongle had reached a new in-depth strategic partnership with a certain domestic white goods giant (though not named, the implication was clear, referring to only a few companies).

The implication is that Yongle is not short of money or partners, and doesn't need to be subservient to anyone!

If the Li family and Lianxiang feel that this condition is not suitable, then the "cooperation" can be called off. Yongle "deeply regrets but will not force it."

"Bang!" Old Liu slammed his fist hard on the leather seat, his body trembling slightly from extreme anger and frustration.

The humiliation from Huang Guangtou, the cunning of Zhang Dazhong, and now the backstabbing from Captain Chen who is unyielding to both soft and hard tactics and undermines everything!

His meticulously planned "supermarket alliance" grand scheme, before it could even officially unfold, showed signs of complete collapse under these two resounding slaps.

Lieutenant Chen didn't even bother to hide his contempt for the "Anti-Century Alliance" banner, which stung him and made him feel more powerless than Zhang Dazhong's polite refusal.

With trembling hands, he dialed the encrypted satellite phone of Li Ka-shing, the Li family's CEO.

The background noise on the other end of the phone seemed to be coming from the terrace of a private club, with the faint sound of golf clubs hitting the ball.

Old Liu, suppressing his humiliation, painstakingly recounted the conditions of Dazhong and Yongle, especially Chen Xiaowei's almost humiliating refusal and the implication that "he already has a backer."

You could even hear Li Ka-shing's signature steady breathing on the other end of the phone, which seemed to pause for a second or two.

“…I understand. My son called before you.” Li Ka-shing’s voice came through the airwaves, seemingly calm but sharp like a knife dipped in ice water, carrying an undeniable decisiveness. “The 9.5% of Yanjing University, your share, I’ll have my son transfer it to you first, and you can transfer it to me after you buy it. As for the share of Yongle in Shanghai, take it according to their terms first, and we’ll deal with it later.”

Old Liu's heart sank, as if he had fallen into an abyss: "Mr. Li! This...this condition is simply too..."

“Yagyu.” Li Ka-shing interrupted him calmly, his tone carrying an undeniable weariness and cold realism. “There’s no better choice. Secure your position first. Having the Li family’s name on your side is better than having nothing at all. As for the alliance… we’ll talk about it later.”

The busy tone of the phone call ending sounded like a dirge for the "Supermarket Alliance".

Old Liu, clutching his now-silent mobile phone, sat frozen in his seat. The gray, early winter sky over Beijing outside the window seemed to reflect his utterly desolate state of mind.

It's over. His meticulously planned grand scheme, which he considered his trump card for turning things around, was utterly shattered after Huang Guangtou's humiliation, and then by Zhang Dazhong's cunning and Yongle Chen Xiaowei's betrayal. All that remained were two insignificant financial investment seats that the Li family barely managed to retain, and a completely bankrupt alliance dream.

He closed his eyes wearily, overwhelmed by a tremendous, unprecedented sense of weakness.

They lost, and lost utterly, with even the last glimmer of hope for a comeback being ruthlessly extinguished by reality.

Am I wrong?
Should the Li family not have been involved?
He was beginning to realize that the reason why, apart from Huang Guangtou in China, even Zhang Dazhong in Dazhong and Chen Xiaowei in Yongle were not interested in his alliance plan was probably due to their wariness of capital.

What a miscalculation!

If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have dragged the Li family into it. What should I do now? What's the next move? (End of Chapter)