Chapter 1598
Fierce Battle
The greatest truths are the simplest, and Zhang Yuan understood this very simple principle.
That is, food tastes better when everyone is scrambling to eat it.
This applies to most people and to a wide range of life scenarios.
Restaurants have limited availability, people are snapping up deals on their phones, and houses are sold through lotteries...
Men are the same.
Why do some women like to leech off their best friend's boyfriend?
Because many so-called best friends are actually just fake friends; they seem harmonious on the surface, but in reality, they are competing with each other.
If I can seduce your man, wouldn't that prove that as a woman, I am more charming and stronger than you?
There are also quite a few men who say things like, "I fucking love my sister-in-law."
So, Ms. Lian, who had previously "bumped into" him at a banquet in Hong Kong and then traveled abroad, was now anxiously calling him.
They completely abandoned their previous angry declaration of never seeing each other again.
With a new storm brewing, how can we afford to stand still?
He doesn't care how many rumors circulate about him or how many people try to seduce him.
I'm the daughter of a family worth hundreds of billions. How could those "cheap girls" compare to me?
It's really just a feudal family dynamic; if you manage it well, everyone will know, and there will be endless gossip.
Little Ma, Jun'er, Wang Chuanfu, Zhang from ByteDance, Zeng from Ningde—aren't they all people with thousands of small goals?
Are there people who are constantly in the entertainment news?
Do you have children who are always in the public eye?
There is only one giant company that has several wives and children in the entertainment industry, but their names cannot be mentioned, otherwise it would be unpatriotic.
Hong Kong and Taiwan mainly benefited from their early start in developing a market economy.
Those so-called big families and wealthy clans will eventually become middle-class families in the face of China's giant private enterprises.
But do Miss Lian's family really not know about this?
If her father hadn't known, he wouldn't have bought the animal heads and planned to donate them.
This is also why their family has their eye on Zhang Yuan; it would be best to find a rising star in mainland China to facilitate their entry into the inland market, especially the northern market.
Although you went to great lengths and used various schemes against me, such as deceiving the heavens, secretly crossing the Chencang pass, and feigning indifference to lure me in.
But I have only one plan: to turn the tables on them.
Clouds in the blue sky, water in the bottle, let heroes face heroes, let good men face good men.
Now that you've turned into your own infighting, how will you deal with it, Miss?
Even if you add your "external brain" this time and get your mom to come up with ideas, what difference will it make?
You few from the same den are the ones with the deepest hatred!
The enemies outside are not scary; what's scary is the ones at home.
Besides, it's the same principle: if you lose, you're not just losing a son-in-law, but also losing face within the family, proving that you're not as skilled as others!
You won't get anything when it's time to split the money!
Why bother with stratagems? Let's just be swift and decisive.
She quickly swallowed her pride and rushed to find him.
"I admit my attitude wasn't good before," Miss Lian apologized immediately without saying another word.
Many people from such families know how to be flexible and adaptable.
"The matter concerning Wu Ke-qun is entirely my problem, and I have no reason to be angry with you."
Please forgive me.
This girl's voice is so soft now.
And the apology wasn't the end of it; they wanted to go further.
"I plan to come to the capital."
"I have never seen Tiananmen Square, nor have I ever eaten authentic Peking duck."
"You said before that you would treat me."
Does that statement still hold true now?
"Of course," Zhang Yuan replied readily.
The other party immediately said they would let them know their schedule, their tone becoming much more cheerful.
"But I've been busy with some things this past week."
"I might not be available."
"Are you... still angry with me?" the other person asked cautiously.
His attitude suddenly became humble.
Sure enough, in a one-on-one fight, she was no match for him.
Zhang Yuan estimated that he could train her into a little toy within a month.
But there's no need for that.
"No, I have an exam to take and I need to prepare for it."
"I'll have time after the exam, just wait a few days for me."
"Oh, I see. Okay, I'll wait until you're free."
This person unconsciously followed his rhythm completely.
Zhang Yuan wasn't lying to her; he really was preparing for the exam.
I've been reading at home for several days in a row.
A week later, someone suddenly spread rumors online, making a firm statement.
"A well-known mainland Chinese male star is retiring from the entertainment industry for love and is preparing to study abroad!"
That's him.
The rumors were quite detailed, claiming that after meeting Sister Liang and her daughter at a fashion gala, he wanted to become her son-in-law and "marry" into a billionaire family.
He was willing to give up his booming acting career for this, because the woman's family did not like "actors".
So he plans to study abroad to improve himself and gain the respect of the other family.
When Zeng Jia saw the public outcry, she called him to ask how to handle it.
Zhang Yuan's answer was yes.
"Do not deal with it."
What to deal with?
I'm not afraid of these kinds of rumors.
"It increases my traffic and popularity, isn't that great?"
Zeng Jia thought to herself, "My boss is really easygoing."
Zhang Yuan didn't care at all, because these days the word "studying abroad" is still very high-end, and overseas returnees and international students are synonymous with high-end professionals.
In fact, it turned out that many international students majoring in science were very talented.
Qian Xuesen and Deng Jiaxian were both students who studied abroad.
Even earlier, Zhan Tianyou, the father of railways, was also an overseas student.
It's just that liberal arts students don't qualify.
Let alone later, even a hundred years ago, it was a profession that produced nothing but public intellectuals and scum.
Xu Zhimo, Hu Shi, Miss Soong...
The Western world isn't stupid either; they'll fight tooth and nail to keep science and technology talents, and if you can't stay, they'll make you fight tooth and nail.
After brainwashing you in the humanities, they put you back in the game and use you as a pawn.
At present, Xu Zhimo and Hu Shi are hailed as "national heroes" by a large number of people, and those who have never studied abroad feel inferior in front of those who have.
Zhang Yuan felt that the rumors about him going abroad to study were not a bad thing. The rumors that he was going to marry into the family were a bit annoying, but they also aligned with his current goals.
Moreover, he's not like Hu Ge, who was later forced by his agent to "study abroad".
In other words, Mr. Cai ultimately just fired that agent.
If it were me... haha, if you can still walk for the rest of your life, then I guess my luck was just off.
In an attempt to manipulate celebrities, without their knowledge, the organizers, in conjunction with a television program, staged a public farewell ceremony for the celebrities who were studying abroad...
Hu Ge had no choice but to bite the bullet and actually go to study abroad.
This incident proves two things: Hugo is not a bad person, but some agents are truly wicked!
Would anyone dare to do that to him?
I'm already being nice by not kidnapping my agent.
Moreover, some of Hu Ge's colleagues have also hyped this up, hoping that he will retire from the entertainment industry to study abroad and free up a lot of resources for others.
Am I afraid of this?
Who among you can handle my resources?
Who dares to take this on?
I'll break your legs.
He was not worried about his situation at all.
The so-called "study abroad" rumors are not entirely unfounded, because the people who posted on the forum have "evidence".
The next day, before Miss He arrived in the capital, he went to a dinner party.
A one-on-one dinner!
He spent a long time making the appointment and used many connections to finally get this "distinguished guest" to come.
"Mr. Yu, it's great to finally meet you."
He waited for a long time in the private room of the restaurant, and when he saw the visitor, he got up enthusiastically.
"Come, please sit down."
He even personally pulled out a chair for the other person.
This "imposing" person, whom he had to invite three or four times, was Yu Minhong, the boss of New Oriental.
Mr. Yu was wearing a rather unfashionable suit and a blue and white striped shirt.
He glanced at Zhang Yuan as he entered the room.
She's quite good-looking, but her clothes aren't very nice...
This was his first assessment of Zhang Yuan.
Zhang Yuan deliberately didn't wear the brand's custom-made suit today; he's too trendy.
I bought a domestically made suit for a few hundred yuan, and the leather shoes I wore were cheap ones I bought at the Beijing Zoo Market for a little over a hundred yuan a pair.
Just keep it as simple as possible.
You must have clear goals when doing things.
I'm not here to have dinner with sponsors, so I don't have to dress up like a proper lady.
For someone like Lao Yu, who comes from a poor background and has experienced hardship, what he dislikes most are those who are exceptionally talented and take advantage of their inherent advantages.
I worked so hard and desperately to succeed.
What makes you good-looking people with good family backgrounds compare to me?
He couldn't help but have such thoughts.
Moreover, Lao Yu is notoriously petty.
It's not that he's a bad person, it's just that he's petty and intolerant.
Otherwise, with Oriental Selection and the previous New Oriental Education, anyone who could stand out would not stay; they would all have to leave sooner or later.
It wasn't just because he was stingy; he also had a personality similar to Yuan Shao's—he felt uncomfortable when his subordinates were too capable.
Lao Yu has long been dedicated to cultivating and supplying high-level talent to society.
Zhang Yuan deliberately concealed his shortcomings and downplayed his external advantages so as not to make the other party hate him at first sight.
It can be considered as "catering to their preferences".
And the other party's "goodness" is not limited to one thing.
"Mr. Yu, it's a pleasure to meet you."
“Here, I’ve specially prepared some drinks for you today.” He pulled back the red cloth covering a small food cart.
Mr. Yu's small eyes behind his glasses lit up.
A whole truckload of alcohol!
He mainly consumes strong spirits, with baijiu and brandy being his favorites.
Moreover, Mr. Yu doesn't like Moutai; he prefers Wuliangye.
The brandy is from Rémy Martin; it's strong, which suits him.
Logically speaking, Han Chinese traditionally drink yellow wine and rice wine.
The first large-scale consumption of strong liquor occurred after the Yuan Dynasty entered the Central Plains, bringing grassland customs to the Han lands.
After Zhu Rongji came to power, he made it clear that drinking strong liquor was a barbarian custom, and that Han people should drink yellow wine.
After all, he's from the South.
Therefore, drinking Shaoxing wine became popular during the Ming Dynasty.
Baijiu (Chinese liquor) regained popularity during the late Qing Dynasty.
Warlords were everywhere, and military thugs loved to drink strong liquor.
Furthermore, the collaboration between merchants and warlords in trade and the vigorous promotion of liquor culture contributed to the formation of this custom.
If we're talking about authentic baijiu, it has to be Fenjiu.
Ultimately, Moutai's popularity is largely driven by speculation.
The most famous story of breaking a bottle at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition to attract foreigners with the aroma of wine and win a major prize is entirely fabricated.
In reality, Moutai only received an honorary award.
That year, Fenjiu was the one that actually won the top prize.
Clearly, those who make good products can't compete with those who tell good stories.
Zhang Yuan came today to "tell Lao Yu a good story".
"Mr. Yu, how about we chat while we drink?" Zhang Yuan poured him a drink.
When he saw that he was using a small cup instead of a small wine cup, Old Yu laughed.
"What if you drink like this and then collapse?"
“It’s alright, I promise to take you home,” Zhang Yuan replied magnanimously.
Old Yu smirked. This kid's got guts!
He meant, "What if you fall?" but Zhang Yuan replied, "He will fall."
Old Yu is absolutely confident when it comes to drinking!
It's what he's most confident about besides his hard work.
At gatherings of entrepreneurs, he often stood firm and persevered until the very end.
It is known throughout the Chinese business community for its massive scale.
And this skill even saved his life.
By the mid-90s, New Oriental had become a hit, collecting millions of yuan in tuition fees every week.
During winter and summer vacations, we need to find a place for intensive training, so we booked a resort for students to stay and attend classes.
I prepaid 20 yuan for accommodation, but the final bill was only 17 yuan.
Logically, 3 should be refunded.
However, the resort owner had already spent the 20 yuan.
Old Yu is very generous. He said there's no rush for the 3 yuan. We can use this place again next year, and we'll recoup the cost then.
It was supposed to be a good thing, but the problem is that there were no good people among them.
The other party thus learned a piece of information.
3 yuan is nothing to this person; he's very rich!
In the 90s, 3 was no small sum.
You can buy a house in Beijing.
The resort eventually went out of business. After following Lao Yu for several months, the owner and a few of his underlings finally found out his address.
Furthermore, banks were not necessarily open on weekends in the 90s, which happened to be the days when New Oriental students were at their busiest and paying tuition.
So every Sunday, Lao Yu would bring home a million yuan in cash for tuition fees and store it in a safe at home, then deposit it in the bank on Monday.
They seized this opportunity!
They rushed into his house and gave him a shot from behind.
It's the kind of tranquilizer dart used on elephants!
If this continues, even Sun Yue will collapse.
She fainted on the spot. After the robbers looted all valuables, including cash, they prepared to leave.
This group of people are professionals and have already pulled off several heists, but Lao Yu is the richest one.
None of the previous bosses who received the injection woke up; they all went into a coma and shock, eventually dying in a state of confusion.
Old Yu slowly woke up just as the group was about to leave.
I'm going to kill them right now.
But the leader stopped them.
And then there's that 3 yuan.
It both nearly cost Lao Yu his life and saved his.
The leader thought Lao Yu was a righteous person.
"Mr. Yu is a good person, let it go."
He pulled his younger brother away, sparing his life.
Even the most ruthless people say he's not a bad person, so this guy, who's considered decent among capitalists, isn't a truly wicked or evil individual.
After struggling for a while, Lao Yu gritted his teeth and called the police. The police arrived and took him to the hospital, where he was saved.
Afterwards, many people around him said that it was because he had been drinking strong liquor for a long time that his body had a stronger tolerance to anesthesia than the average person, which allowed him to wake up.
This is based on medical evidence.
If he hadn't woken up that time, there would have been no later events.
But this isn't over yet!
These robbers went to Northeast China to set up a factory, but ended up losing everything.
The bandits went into business; I don't know what they were thinking.
When I'm out of money, I think of Lao Yu again.
However, this time Lao Yu already had bodyguards, and after the last incident, he was much more cautious than before.
He sensed their presence before they even made a move when they returned.
However, the other party pulled out a gun and pointed it at him.
Old Yu was a tough guy; he remained calm in the face of danger and knew that if he was forced into the house again, he would be finished, and the other party would not leave him alive.
He actually snatched the gun from behind and crushed it in his hand.
It was later discovered that it was a fake gun, but he didn't know that at the time.
Human survival instincts drove him to unleash unparalleled power.
But the group escaped again. Several years later, the police came and said they had caught them.
Old Yu was quite carefree; he asked the police, "Should I take a few bottles of wine and go check on them?"
The police were so angry they laughed, saying he was a murderer.
I just didn't kill you!
How ruthless are these people?
Before they came to see Lao Yu for the second time, they had already kidnapped six bosses. After getting the money, all of them were killed, leaving no evidence and their bodies nowhere to be found.
The background story of "Conquer" was even born in neighboring Shijiazhuang.
Why do so many big bosses believe in fate and metaphysics?
Can you not believe me?
How do you explain Lao Yu's situation?
He survived twice.
The best explanation for your good fortune and divine protection can only be found through metaphysics.
That's why many people say that you don't believe in fate because you haven't met your own destiny yet.
When the moment truly arrives, when "everything is predestined and nothing is up to us," those who previously disbelieved in fate become more devout than anyone else.
Now, at the table, two "chosen ones" are drinking together.
Zhang Yuan didn't know whether he or Lao Yu had a tougher life.
But when it comes to drinking capacity, I'm second to none!
Today we're going to go head-to-head!
How many drunkards have I taken advantage of over the years?
Old Yu is known for his drinking capacity; he claims to drink over 100 jin (50 kg) of brandy a year.
The amount of baijiu (Chinese liquor) is not counted.
Many of his entrepreneur friends were impressed by his words.
What about Zhang Yuan?
Standing behind him was Zhao Benshan, who used to be able to drink two jin (1 kg) of liquor before he went on stage to perform Errenzhuan (a traditional Chinese folk art form).
Brother Qian drank 20 pitchers of beer in one sitting.
And then there's Teacher Guo, who used to have a bottle of Erguotou with every meal when he first arrived in the capital.
drink!
Drink it!
Putting everything else aside, let's get to work.
After finishing the first bottle of Wuliangye, Lao Yu smiled.
But they found that Zhang Yuan was also calm and composed.
"Shall we try something different?"
"Okay," Old Yu nodded in agreement.
Another bottle of Rémy Martin.
They clinked glasses and drank merrily, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
After the bottle of brandy was empty, Lao Yu's cheeks were rosy, and he seemed to be getting into the zone.
Not only did they not back down, they fought even harder.
Zhang Yuan, however, remained calm and composed, gesturing with his hand.
"We can't drink foreign liquor, let's switch back to baijiu."
"Row."
The hot dishes had barely reached the fish when the two of them had already downed a pound of baijiu and half a pound of brandy each.
Old Yu's expression changed slightly.
He wasn't drunk.
His expression changed when he saw that Zhang Yuan wasn't drunk either.
A worthy opponent?
"Mr. Yu, the aperitif is almost ready."
"How about we have a proper drink?" Zhang Yuan took a deep breath and gestured with his hand.
Old Yu thought to himself, "Are young people these days really that awesome?"
Damn it... Looks like I, as an old-timer, need to teach you a lesson!
"please."
"please!"
The two locked eyes; this fierce battle had only just begun… (End of Chapter)