Chapter 432
: Pattern and "Killer Weapon"
Chapter 432: Pattern and "Killer Weapon"
"Boss Zhou, everyone envies the glamour of Shanghai. Businessmen from other places would try every possible means to get in here if they have connections. But is it really so easy to gain a foothold here?"
After the first round of toasts, Jian Zhuoran, who was sitting on Zhou Wang's right, smiled with emotion and said:
"I can be considered one of the first batch of people who went into business in the Magic City. I started from scratch and worked hard to get to where I am today. I have witnessed too many rises and falls. It really fits the saying that, at least in this land where there is no smoke of gunpowder, it is true that one general's success is the result of the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers..."
"I came to Shanghai more than ten years ago. My feelings may not be as deep as Mr. Jian's, but they are almost the same. Mr. Jian described this place as a battlefield without the smoke of gunpowder. In my opinion, this place is a big stage..."
Shi Tian, the only female among the five CEOs, dressed maturely and appropriately, was specially arranged to sit on Zhou Wang's left. She smiled and said:
"Just like the 'Nine-Color Moutai Liquor' on this table, it's really a wonderful competition!"
The wine drunk at today's banquet is still the Chinese people's favorite, but it has been played with in new ways.
Since 15, Moutai Co., Ltd. has successively launched a series of colored Moutai, with eight colors respectively, so it was initially called "Eight-Color Moutai". This is not the official name, but a gimmick created by collectors or wine merchants for promotion.
Of course, it has to be said that this also gives the originally ordinary Feitian Moutai some more good meanings when it is served at banquets, and it is hard not to be liked by leaders or wealthy people.
After all, money comes from all directions!
What Jian Zhuoran and others treated Zhou Wang to today was not the eight-color Moutai, they added another color, calling it the "nine-color Moutai".
The meaning is even more awesome.
After all, in the Chinese tradition, nine is the ultimate number, representing longevity and perfection. Even the emperor is known as the "Nine Fives". The nine-color Moutai naturally symbolizes the ultimate blessing.
Blue bottle, white bottle, rose gold...
If Zhou Wang were to comment, it would be just too flashy and did not arouse much interest in him.
After all, no matter how it is packaged, it cannot conceal the fact that the wine in these bottles is actually just ordinary "Feitian Mao", and it is difficult for Zhou Wang, whose taste is becoming increasingly picky, to feel surprised.
Essentially, this cannot be blamed on Zhou Wang. He is not a man who is easily carried away by success. He just eats too much fine bran, so when faced with ordinary coarse grains, it is inevitable that he finds it a little difficult to swallow.
Hmm... "Feitian Mao" has become a coarse grain, it seems a little too proud of itself?
In short, if anyone else had experienced what Zhou Wang had experienced, when faced with these ordinary luxury goods with a mass nature, I'm afraid their hearts would become calm.
However, on the surface, Zhou Wang still showed due courtesy. Facing the toasts from everyone, he did not pretend to be reserved or just "lick it".
After all, Jian Zhuoran had thoughtfully prepared the smallest cup for Zhou Wang. To be frank, one could probably drink ten cups in a row from this cup without feeling too much, while they themselves used a normal three-qian cup, and Zhou Wang felt embarrassed to shortchange him.
The only thing Zhou Wang needed to control was the rhythm of their toasts, so as to avoid drinking too quickly... and choking himself.
This is also simple...
When he didn't want to drink, he would take a few bites of food and chew slowly. While Zhou Wang was eating, Jian Zhuoran and others would naturally not be tactless to interrupt him. Only when Zhou Wang put down his chopsticks would they take the opportunity to pour out the nice words they had prepared in advance and melt them into their wine glasses.
"Boss Jian, I have something I want to ask you."
After putting down his chopsticks, before Shi Tian picked up the wine glass, Zhou Wang wiped his mouth, took a cigarette out of the cigarette box, and asked at the same time.
"Mr. Zhou, you are too polite. I don't deserve your advice. If Mr. Zhou has any questions, I will tell you everything I know!"
Jian Zhuoran quickly waved his hand and immediately reached out to light a cigarette for Zhou Wang.
There is only "tell everything you know" but no "say everything you know", so you see how interesting the words of these old foxes are, they always leave room for themselves.
However, Zhou Wang just smiled and didn't expose him. Instead, he asked, "Mr. Jian has been working in the Magic City for many years. I think he knows this place very well. I would like to ask, what is the current situation of the business community in the Magic City?"
This question really stumped Jian Zhuoran. He said in embarrassment: "Mr. Zhou, this topic is a bit broad. I'm afraid I can't give an answer to it..."
"It's okay, just treat it as a casual chat. If Jane feels that this topic is a bit vague, you can talk about something more specific."
Zhou Wang smiled and said, "For example, I'm curious about who is the richest person in Shanghai. Is it really Mr. Huang from Bingxixi as people say online?"
"If you're talking about these aspects, then I know a thing or two."
Jian Zhuoran breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "In the eyes of the general public, the most famous people in the Magic City are naturally the big guys in the Internet field. But in fact, if you look into it carefully, in the business community of Magic City, they are not the ones who really have the final say."
(The author solemnly declares: The following is a parallel world structure, please do not take it seriously, any similarities are purely intentional)
"Oh?" Zhou Wang asked, "Who is that?"
"I don't think anyone dares to speculate on the true wealth of those on the rich list. After all, no rich person is willing to disclose all of his or her background."
Jian Zhuoran smoked a cigar and said with a smile, "You see, their rankings are always changing, but no matter how time changes, there are always some people or forces in this land that have always been rooted here."
"For example, 'Two Guos and One Chen' and 'Two Lius and One Shen'?"
Wang Yan, who was also a local but was the last one to sit at the table, finally found an opportunity to interrupt and continued with a sentence.
"Does it rhyme like this?"
Zhou Wang raised his eyebrows.
"It's true that the rumor spread because it was easily spread. Of course, there are definitely more than just a few top family groups in Magic City. They are just more representative."
Jian Zhuoran smiled and nodded, "Take the 'two Guos' for example. In the past, the old demons should have been a family, but later they separated due to various conflicts. The two brothers of the Guo family are not ordinary people. They each run their own business very well..."
"One of the people at the helm of the Guo Group is called Guo Wangshan, right?"
"Yes, it's Guo Wangshan. His father's generation was relatively low-key, but when it comes to Mr. Guo's generation, there are many drastic actions. A lot of land in the new district across the river was acquired by the Guo Group..."
Jian Zhuoran was not surprised that Zhou Wang knew Guo Wangshan's name. After all, he often appeared in the news and was a legendary figure in the business world of Shanghai.
"What about the other 'Guo'?"
Only then did Zhou Wang take the opportunity to ask what he really wanted to know.
"Compared to Guo Wangshan, another head of the Guo family, Guo Sanli, is much more low-key. His name is almost invisible in financial news. But in fact, their tentacles have also extended to various fields in the Magic City. As far as I know, many unicorn companies in the heavy industry and electronic devices in the Magic City have the shadow of Guo Sanli behind them..."
Jian Zhuoran sighed at this time, "Unfortunately, that's all in the past."
"So, the rumors are true, and Guo Sanli really... fell?"
Zhao Zeyi, who was not in the Magic City most of the time, couldn't help but ask, and said that he must have some concerns at the end, and made a gesture.
"It's not really a rumor. It should be known to everyone in the Magic City who has a little bit of status."
Li Shengli, another financial business owner, said, "It seems like there were signs of this a few years ago, but unfortunately, we still don't know who the Jiangnan Guo family offended. They suddenly couldn't hold on this year... Guo Sanli's nephew came to me for help a few months ago, but how could I dare to lend them money?"
"This is indeed a mystery. The Guo family has prospered in this land for decades. Who could have expected that they would be suddenly wiped out overnight?"
Jian Zhuoran sighed, "So, as the saying goes, there are always people who are better than you, and it is the hard truth to always remain humble and respectful!" Guo Sanli...
While several people were feeling emotional about this, Zhou Wang was silently pondering the name in his heart.
It seems that I am not completely without impression.
That should have been when he was in his sophomore or junior year. Guo Nansheng's parents came to Mingcheng to see him and treated the entire dormitory to a meal. Zhou Wang vaguely remembered that the middle-aged man wearing a leather jacket and looking honest was probably called this name.
"Mr. Zhou, apart from these few, the top ones are probably the financial group representatives from Hong Kong Island. However, they are more cautious in their actions, and I don't have much contact with them."
While Zhou Wang was lost in thought, Jian Zhuoran continued, "Besides that, there are some people I dare not talk about, but Mr. Zhou should have heard of them more or less..."
"In short, these are the recognized top people in the Magic City circle. I, Jian, am also well-known in the Magic City, but I don't usually come into contact with these people. So if Mr. Zhou finds that I said something wrong in the future, please don't mind it."
Jian Zhuoran finally laughed, "Because with Mr. Zhou's level, he will definitely have to deal with these people in the future..."
"Boss Jian thinks so highly of me? He's a top star in Shanghai. I'm just a billionaire. I'm afraid I'm not good enough, right?"
Zhou Wang shook his head and smiled.
"Mr. Zhou, you're joking. If you're not qualified to deal with these people, who else can?"
"Yes, but Mr. Zhou, if you really set foot on the top of the mountain in the future, don't forget us old friends who drank with you!"
Jian Zhuoran and the others' understanding of Zhou Wang was actually limited to limited information. They subconsciously did not think that Zhou Wang was qualified to stand at the top of the Magic City, but that did not stop them from praising him to their heart's content at this time.
"You all are flattering me. I am afraid that in the eyes of these people, I am just a young boy. It is hard to say how others view me...Okay, let's not talk about this. What about being inferior to these people?"
Seeing that they were going to continue to flatter him, Zhou stopped the topic in time and continued asking.
"There are many controversies going on. Mr. Zhou, you know that Shanghai has never lacked various billionaires. Some of them you hadn't even heard of yesterday, but suddenly appeared today..."
Jian Zhuoran smiled and said, "Of course, we usually have a thread in our hearts, and this thread is actually related to those top families. Or to put it bluntly, in this area, the more top-notch people are, the deeper the connection with them."
"So, families like 'Two Guos and One Chen' have become the criteria for judgment?"
Zhou Wang quickly understood what he meant and couldn't help laughing.
"If you stand high enough, you can certainly become a benchmark."
Jian Zhuoran nodded, "You may not be at the top of the mountain, but there is no doubt that the higher you go, the closer you are to them. So the social circle is often the most straightforward standard for judging whether you are a second-rate or third-rate person."
"Yes, for example, the young master He Jiang next door. Didn't his father drive for Guo Wangshan's family back then? Now he has become rich thanks to Guo Wangshan. Who wouldn't give this dandy young man some face outside?"
At this time, Wang Yan said with a smile.
"Boss Wang, be careful with your words!"
But his joking words made the other people's faces change slightly, and Jian Zhuoran scolded them in a low voice.
"I'm sorry, I was drunk and said something wrong. Please don't take it to heart..."
Wang Yan also realized that what he said was a bit reckless and quickly apologized.
"Mr. Zhou, actually, I have heard of your name before Mr. Jian mentioned it..."
Perhaps sensing the awkward atmosphere, Shi Tian spoke in time with a smile.
"Oh?"
Zhou Wang looked curiously at this young woman who was wearing heavy makeup but was quite pretty.
"I went to Beidu a while ago, and heard about your deeds from a close friend. Just hearing about your deeds was enough to astound me. It is my great honor to meet you today... So, I would like to toast you again."
Shi Tian smiled sweetly and then picked up the wine glass.
Zhou Wang then realized that the cigarette in his hand had burned out. No wonder this woman had new ideas and started a new round of toasts, or tests.
"I just messed around in Beidu for a while, and I didn't expect to be praised by so many friends. Mr. Shi, please forgive me for making fun of you."
Zhou Wang picked up the cup and clinked it with hers gently.
"How can that be considered as messing around?"
Shi Tian and Jian Zhuoran looked at each other and laughed, "I heard that the powerful people in Beidu are all bowing down, and it is difficult to get a membership. President Zhou's methods are so clever that we are amazed!"
At this time, seeing Zhou Wang smiling and not responding, Shi Tian couldn't help but ask, "Boss Zhou, I wonder what the specific criteria for joining the club are?"
"Yeah, I don't know if we have a chance..."
Another CEO, Zhao Zeyi, observed Zhou Wang's expression as he spoke.
What disappointed them was that Zhou Wang was still vague in his words. He just turned to comment on the dishes on the table and did not respond to their questions.
Seeing this, Jian Zhuoran winked at Shi Tian.
Shi Tian was actually a little reluctant. After all, she had carefully prepared her "trump card" and had originally intended to wait until Zhou Wang was a little drunk before using it to decide the outcome in one fell swoop.
But then she felt helpless, because if the trend continued, even if Zhou Wang was really drunk, they might not be able to get any definite answers.
So after hesitating for a while, Shi Tian smiled and said to Zhou Wang:
"Mr. Zhou, you wouldn't mind adding another pair of bowls and chopsticks, right?"
"Oh, who else is coming?"
Zhou Wang was stunned.
Shi Tian smiled without saying anything, just picked up her phone and sent a message.
Seeing that she was being mysterious, Zhou Wang became interested, because the table was already crowded, but Shi Tian wanted to add more people, which obviously had other purposes...
A moment later, with the sound of high heels hitting the floor, a girl wearing a black suspender dress, with a beautiful face and a tall S-shaped figure, walked in shyly under the guidance of the private room butler.
Under Zhou Wang's stunned gaze, Shi Tian pointed at the girl and introduced her with a smile:
"Boss Zhou, her name is Bai Feifei. She is a member of the girl group that our company recently signed. She has just entered the society and is a little naive. If she offends you in some way, please do not argue with her..."
(End of this chapter)