Shen Yanshan quickly said, "I'm planning to take over a factory near Ningcheng. I've been scouting locations these days and should be settled soon."
Li Chuchu nodded. Seeing his nervous state, she felt a bit awkward herself. "It's okay. I was just asking casually. You don't need to be so tense."
It was as if she were here to inspect his work.
Li Chuchu didn't know how to remind Shen Yanshan. She could only imply, "I saw in the newspaper today that they're cracking down on speculation recently. Ningcheng might not be peaceful. You're always on the move, so be careful."
Shen Yanshan nodded. Li Chuchu probably had some idea of what he did, which was why she kindly reminded him.
He explained, "I've been trying not to do that kind of thing. It's too risky. I've been mainly busy with the factory recently."
Li Chuchu wanted to remind Shen Yanshan but didn't know where to start.
Should she say someone was trying to frame him?
That someone was going to report him?
What puzzled Li Chuchu the most was that since Shen Yanshan had no such plans, why would someone still try to push him into this situation?
Moreover, the system said the person framing him was from the male lead's side. But this part wasn't mentioned in the plot. It wasn't the male lead's intention. It was only later, when this matter was dug out and found to be related to the male lead's people, that Shen Yanshan developed a feud with Duan Jingqi.
Li Chuchu fell silent for a moment. Shen Yanshan thought she was still worried about him. He reached out and patted her intertwined hands on her knees, consoling her, "It's okay. I know what I'm doing."
Li Chuchu's mind was in a mess. Finally, she let out a deep breath.
This stupid system didn't give any task hints. If there were even a little clue, she wouldn't be so passive.
She pouted. "If anything happens, you can tell me. We'll figure it out together."
Shen Yanshan had never discussed things with others before, and no one had ever helped him solve problems. Since he was ten, he had been alone.
He never thought someone would say such words to him one day.
Shen Yanshan hesitated for a moment. "I'll try."
The word "try" was said reluctantly, but it was the most Shen Yanshan could promise. Even if it wasn't absolute, Li Chuchu was already very satisfied.
...
In the afternoon, after Shen Yanshan finished cleaning the dishes, he went to find Huzi.
As soon as he entered the door, Huzi immediately stepped forward. "Brother, there's a good news and a bad news. Which one do you want to hear?"
Shen Yanshan slightly raised his eyebrows. "The bad news."
"Factory Director Wang just called and said that after we left, another group of people came to the factory. They're also interested in acquiring Huaxing Electronics Factory. But since we were there first and they haven't paid the deposit yet, he called to ask for our opinion. If they pay the deposit, we won't be able to sign the deal."
In the business world, verbal agreements don't count. It's always the one who pays the deposit first.
Huaxing Electronics Factory had a prime location. Shen Yanshan wasn't the only one who had his eye on it.
But for some reason, Shen Yanshan felt there was more to this than met the eye.
So he didn't make a decision right away.
He sat on the bench and tapped his fingers on the table.
"What about the good news?"
When it came to this, Huzi got excited. "I told Factory Director Wang about the aging equipment in the factory. He just happens to know a Hong Kong merchant and can introduce him to us. He specializes in refurbishing and importing second - hand electronic equipment, and the price is only one - third of the market price."
Huzi said excitedly, "Brother Shen, luckily we made this call. Otherwise, we wouldn't have known Factory Director Wang had such connections. People in this industry really have a wide network. He even gave us the Hong Kong merchant's phone number and told us to contact him first. But if the other party pays the deposit, they won't be able to reserve the factory for us."
Huzi handed Shen Yanshan a slip of paper.
Shen Yanshan took it and saw the Hong Kong merchant's phone number on it.
Huzi was still excited. "Brother Shen, why don't we go for this? I think Factory Director Wang seems like a nice guy."
Shen Yanshan frowned slightly.
It seemed like good news, but everything was too coincidental, pushing him step by step into a corner where he had to make a choice.
But if he gave up Huaxing Factory just because of his suspicion, he would be really reluctant.
Shen Yanshan didn't want to let go of this fat piece of meat.
There weren't many electronics factories in Ningcheng in recent years, and there was still a big gap in the home appliance market. This was a crucial moment. If he seized the opportunity, he could succeed. If not, he didn't know when he would get another chance.
He was determined to get this piece of meat, even if he had to look ugly in the process.
There was a cold glint in Shen Yanshan's eyes.
Shen Yanshan still called the number on the paper.
A person with a Cantonese accent answered the phone. "Who is it?"
Shen Yanshan said, "I was introduced by Factory Director Wang. I heard you specialize in refurbishing second - hand electronic equipment?"
The person on the other end paused for a moment and switched to broken Mandarin. "You mean Lao Wang? I know him well! You're the one who wants to take over his Huaxing Electronics Factory, right?"
Shen Yanshan ignored the small talk and directly asked, "What's the general process for updating the equipment?"
The person on the other end talked at length. "We have the core control modules and matching integrated circuit boards for the imported chip - mounters that are compatible with the old machines in Huaxing Factory. We'll send them to you, and you just assemble them yourself. That's okay."
"What about the specific cost?"
As soon as this was mentioned, the tone of the person on the other end changed.
"These things would cost at least 100,000 yuan, maybe even 150,000 yuan on the market. But we only charge 50,000 yuan. If there's any problem, just come to us. Our company provides after - sales service."
Shen Yanshan asked many more specific questions. The other side said that if Shen Yanshan didn't trust them, they could let someone from his side go and watch their workers load and unload the goods.
Moreover, the after - sales service was absolutely guaranteed. They promised that there would be no problems within a year. If there were any problems, they would send technicians to repair them.
After a year, they could also replace the equipment with new ones.
It seemed there were no major problems.
After Shen Yanshan hung up the phone, Huzi quickly came up and asked, "Brother Shen, how was it?"
Shen Yanshan sat at the table and thought for a while. "First, sign the contract for Huaxing Factory. I'm planning to go there this month."
"Ah? You're going to Hong Kong? What about the customs formalities?"
Huzi was shocked.
Shen Yanshan lazily lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "I don't trust this company. I need to go and check them out. There won't be any problem with the customs formalities. I'll figure it out."
Factory Director Wang shouldn't cause any problems. If there were problems, it would most likely be with this Hong Kong merchant.
The conditions were really tempting, but Shen Yanshan never fought a battle without preparation. He had to go and see for himself to be at ease.
Huzi immediately understood Shen Yanshan's intention. He nodded. "Okay, I'll call Factory Director Wang back. We can't let the other side get ahead of us."