The Rich Man's Life Begins with a Comeback

Chapter 174 The Wolf Pack and the Wolf King (4k)

Night fell, and silver frost spread out.

Fine snowflakes drifted slowly down from the sky, like thousands of light feathers.

At the mountaintop villa, the ground lights in the courtyard emitted a soft and warm glow, illuminating the falling snowflakes as if they were twinkling stars, shimmering with a crystalline and gentle light.

Outside, the wind was biting cold.

Inside, it's warm like spring.

Gu Heng, Jiang Ruan, Qian Zhengxing, Wang Baoshan, and Jiang Man sat around a round table made of natural marble. In the center was a traditional Chinese copper pot with enamel decoration. Under the closed base, charcoal fire blazed, and the broth was boiling, filling the room with a fragrant aroma.

"Ruan Ruan, where's the case of wine I just carried downstairs?"

Gu Heng, dressed in dark blue silk pajamas, greeted Qian Zhengxing and the others while asking Jiang Ruan, "Find it and bring it over."

"Ok."

Jiang Ruan was using serving chopsticks to add seafood to the hot pot to enhance the flavor of the broth when she heard Gu Heng's instructions. She immediately put down her chopsticks and walked towards the elevator.

She was wearing the same style of pajamas as Gu Heng, except that her pajamas were off-white. The two of them standing together looked just like a young couple at home.

Jiang Man, who was taking care of Xu Mo for Gu Heng, and Qian Zhengxing, who was taking care of Luo Xiwen for Gu Heng, remained unfazed and took the scene as normal.

Having lived most of their lives and being prominent figures in society, they were already used to many things.

Even ordinary middle-aged tycoons at the A9 level can have very public polygamous relationships, let alone young top tycoons like Gu Heng at the A10 level.

Jiang Ruan wandered around the elevator area for a while and quickly found the case of wine that Gu Heng had mentioned, then carried it over.

Wang Baoshan sat next to Gu Heng. He looked at the box of liquor that Jiang Ruan had brought over and showed a hint of surprise: "Is this the original box of 13-year-old Maotai?"

"Yo?"

"Mr. Wang truly lives up to his reputation as a professional connoisseur of fine wines; he has an excellent eye!"

Gu Heng responded with a smile, and at the same time found a utility knife, raising his hand to cut open the plastic seal on the box.

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"Wait a moment!"

Upon seeing this, Wang Baoshan instinctively reached out to stop him.

"What's wrong, brother?"

Gu Heng paused, looking at Wang Baoshan with some confusion.

"Brother!"

Wang Baoshan explained, "We're just having a regular family dinner today. You can just have a couple of bottles of regular Moutai. There's no need to bring out the national brand Moutai. Besides, this is the original case of national brand Moutai. You can keep it as a collector's item!"

"Brother Wang, let's wait until we've had our fill of food and drink."

"I'll take you upstairs for a tour and show you what I've found on this trip."

Gu Heng smiled and said, "For a brand like Guomao, it seems it's not quite up to par to be my trump card."

As he spoke, a sharp utility knife was drawn and used to open the case of liquor in front of him.

"not to mention……"

"Who said today was just a typical family gathering?"

"I just heard that Dean Jiang has some good news coming up soon."

Gu Heng turned his gaze to Jiang Man directly opposite him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Ok?"

"What good thing?"

Wang Baoshan was taken aback and also looked at Jiang Man.

"Chairman Gu, your information network is quite impressive."

Jiang Man looked slightly surprised: "You found out about something that just happened this morning tonight?"

"Dean Jiang, it's not that I have good connections."

"I just heard it from Qian Xing. When it comes to being well-informed, Qian Xing is the best."

Gu Heng took out bottles of Maotai in brown packaging from the box, responding with a smile.

"no?"

"So you all knew, but I wasn't, huh?"

Wang Baoshan glared, a look that made everyone smile.

"Nowadays……"

"The organization spoke with me."

Now that Gu Heng and Qian Zhengxing already knew, Jiang Man stopped hiding it and, with a slight smile, brought the news to the table.

"Fuck!"

"Jiang Man, you're really something!"

"You've got such a great deal to offer, and you're keeping it from us!"

Although Wang Baoshan is a businessman, he is also very knowledgeable about many things within the system, so he clearly understands what Jiang Man's words mean.

Previously, Jiang Man was merely the vice president of Jilin University Ninth Hospital.

Now, the title of "deputy" may soon be removed from Jiang Man's title.

"I didn't mean to hide it from everyone; I just wanted to wait and see before making a decision."

Jiang Man explained, "After all, it's just a conversation right now, and there might still be some variables."

"Good good!"

"Such good news is definitely worth celebrating!"

Wang Baoshan was in high spirits: "Consider today as a warm-up. After you officially take office, Jiang Man, I'll treat you to a proper celebration!"

Jiang Man is about to be promoted from vice president to president. Although it is only a step away, the social status and resources between the two are worlds apart. It is no exaggeration to describe it as a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

In the system, no matter which department, the top leader has almost absolute power. The Ninth Hospital of Jilin University, where Jiang Man works, is a provincial-level top-tier hospital. Its medical resources are among the best in the province.

If Jiang Man's original position had a power level of 10, then her new position would have a power level of 100. Moreover, the latter has absolute control over the former. If the latter wishes, she can reduce the former's power level to 1 or even to zero at any time.

"thank you all."

Jiang Man smiled at everyone: "But you should keep this to yourselves and not spread it around for now. We'll talk about it after everything has settled down."

"rest assured."

“We all understand.”

Qian Zhengxing continued, "I only mentioned this to Chairman Gu. I thought that since Dean Jiang was able to come today, he probably didn't intend to keep it from us. I hope Dean Jiang won't blame me for being nosy."

"how come."

"Qian Xing is overthinking it."

Jiang Man shook her head.

While everyone was talking, Gu Heng had already opened the wine.

Jiang Ruan held a tray containing exquisitely crafted wine dispensers.

As the wine flows out, its rich aroma immediately fills the air.

Guomao, whose full name is Guoyan Maotai.

Compared to regular Feitian Moutai, Guomao is made using the traditional Moutai brewing process and is brewed from base liquor aged in caves for more than 15 years. It is considered the top-quality Moutai and has even reached the level of a collectible.

This single box alone is worth over 35 yuan.

A box contains six bottles, averaging nearly 6 yuan per bottle.

Even someone with Wang Baoshan's wealth and Qian Zhengxing's social status would only bring out a couple of bottles for everyone to try at important business banquets.

People like Gu Heng, who would casually bring over a whole case of Maotai and drink it like it's nothing, were honestly reluctant to do so. "Come on!"

Let's have a drink!

"Wishing Dean Jiang every success and smooth sailing in advance!"

Jiang Ruan distributed the wine dispenser and glasses to Wang Baoshan and the others, while Gu Heng took the lead and raised a glass to start the event.

"cheers!"

"Welcome home, Mr. Gu!"

"You won't come home until you're drunk!"

When Wang Baoshan, Qian Zhengxing, and Jiang Man saw Gu Heng standing, they all stood up from their chairs. The group clinked glasses and took a sip before sitting down again to start eating hot pot.

……

Fresh mutton is quickly cooked by briefly swishing it in a steaming copper pot of broth. Then, it is coated in traditional sesame sauce mixed with chive blossoms and eaten with pickled garlic. The satisfaction is indescribable.

Especially with the harsh weather outside, including wind and snow, the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere was further enhanced.

"Qian Xing, Mr. Wang, has either of you had any dealings with Chu Zhengxiong?"

Gu Heng noticed that everyone was eating much less frequently. He picked up a tissue to wipe his mouth, raised his wine glass to everyone, and casually asked Qian Zhengxing and Wang Baoshan a question.

"Chu Zhengxiong?"

Qian Zhengxing took a sip of his drink: "Chu Zhengxiong from Xingchuan International?"

"Yes."

Gu Heng nodded.

“I’ve dealt with him once.”

"We were just strangers who met by chance; we weren't very familiar with each other."

"However, I often hear people around me mention it."

After Qian Zhengxing answered truthfully, he pressed Gu Heng for an answer: "Why did you suddenly bring up Chu Zhengxiong, Chairman Gu?"

"Oh……"

"Some time ago, Xingchuan International had financing needs."

Gu Heng smiled at Qian Zhengxing and the other two: "I happen to have some spare cash on hand, so I invested a little bit."

"How much is a little?"

Wang Baoshan subconsciously pressed for an answer.

"not much."

"It's only four hundred million."

Gu Heng responded lightly.

"Four hundred million!"

"Isn't that enough?!"

Wang Baoshan's voice rose eight octaves, and his eyes widened to resemble bull's eyes.

It should be noted that his total assets amounted to just over 300 million yuan, most of which were fixed assets that were not easy to liquidate. Gu Heng's move of 400 million yuan in cash was truly astonishing.

Although Qian Zhengxing and Jiang Man did not utter a sound, their pupils shrank and their faces showed surprise, and they inexplicably felt a dryness in their mouths.

"I exchanged 400 million for a 34% stake in Xingchuan International."

Gu Heng smiled and said, "I'm about to go to Xingchuan International to take over my equity assets, which is why I asked you if you know anything about Chu Zhengxiong."

"Chu Zhengxiong is very capable."

"The people around me all speak very highly of him."

"They have the vision, the skill, and the shrewdness."

"In the words of my friends, if Xingchuan International is likened to a wolf pack, then Chu Zhengxiong is the wolf king of this pack."

"With him around, this wolf pack is invincible."

"Without him, this wolf pack might have collapsed and scattered in an instant."

Qian Zhengxing took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

Compared to Jiang Man and Wang Baoshan, he was actually the most shocked person among them.

Gu Heng spent 400 million yuan to acquire 34% of Xingchuan International's shares, but there was no activity in Gu Heng's China Merchants Bank account.

What does this mean?
This indicates that Gu Heng controls other funds, and judging from their appearance, they should be quite large.

"Chairman Gu, there are no outsiders here today."

"Some things are better left unsaid, you can just keep them to yourself."

"As I just said, Chu Zhengxiong is like the wolf king of Xingchuan International."

What is a wolf king?

"Assess the situation and act accordingly."

"Not afraid of being naked, but good at disguising themselves."

"Decisive in decision-making, never timid."

"Courageous and resourceful, with a strong will."

While it may seem that Qian Zhengxing gave Chu Zhengxiong a high evaluation, these evaluations were likely heard from others, and it's highly probable that many people had said the same thing, which is why he spoke to Gu Heng and the others in this way.

However, those who can become friends with Qian Zhengxing must be of a high social standing. Their evaluations may be somewhat subjective, but they should be more objective in Qian Zhengxing's opinion.

"If you are strong, it will respect you."

"If you are weak, it will bully you."

"In my personal opinion, Mr. Gu, before you formally make contact with Chu Zhengxiong, you must make thorough preparations. You don't need to intimidate him on the first meeting, but at least you should intimidate him so that he doesn't dare to underestimate you."

At this point, Qian Zhengxing took a slight breath and then continued, "Chairman Gu, since you've decided to invest in Xingchuan International, you must know about Xingchuan International's development history, right?"

"know."

Gu Heng nodded.

"Xingchuan International owes its current scale entirely to the cash cows that provided it with funding in the early stages: Perkin Club, Xiyue Club, and Tianmu Hot Spring. We all know exactly what Perkin Club, Xiyue Club, and Tianmu Hot Spring are."

"To put it bluntly, Chu Zhengxiong's rise to power is not clean."

"He's definitely not involved in the black market. If he were, given the level of scrutiny the country has shown in recent years, he would have been dealt with long ago. But while he may not be involved in the black market, he is definitely connected to the gray market."

At this point, Qian Zhengxing subconsciously lowered his voice slightly.

"Take Perkin Club, Xiyue Club and Tianmu Hot Spring as examples. If Chu Zhengxiong wants to maintain the long-term stability of these places and make customers feel at ease spending money there, he will definitely have to employ a lot of people."

"To use an old saying, they're like bouncers."

"To use a new term, it's what's now called internal security."

"Under these circumstances, Chu Zhengxiong's men would inevitably be tainted with a bit of roguishness and江湖气 (jianghu spirit). Otherwise, why would I have initially likened Xingchuan International to a pack of wolves? That's the reason."

There's a saying, "to speak too deeply with someone you don't know well." Normally, Qian Zhengxing shouldn't have said so much or such profound things to Gu Heng today. It's just that the news Gu Heng just revealed to him slightly provoked him.

Gu Heng was extremely important to Qian Zhengxing.

He has been in Jilin Province for three years, and his rotation should be imminent.

The coming year will be a crucial time.

If he could gain some support from Gu Heng at this time, he would receive a higher evaluation from headquarters, which would help him secure more favorable conditions for job rotation.

and so……

Even though Qian Zhengxing knew he had spoken too frankly with someone he didn't know well, he still revealed all that he knew about Chu Zhengxiong to Gu Heng without reservation.

(End of this chapter)