Chapter 931
"Bad News"
5 month 17 day.
Under the clear blue sky of the South China Sea, the azure surface shimmered with tiny diamond-like sparkles under the blazing sun.
A sleek, all-white luxury yacht is cutting through the waves, the deep roar of its engine being broken up by the sea breeze and scattered across the boundless blue.
The sunshade on the deck cast comfortable shade, and the air was filled with the aroma of sunscreen, expensive perfume, and chilled champagne.
Xiao Jun lay comfortably on the sofa in the spacious stern lounge area, his bronze chest gleaming healthily in the sunlight.
His left arm was around a hot blonde model wearing a revealing bikini, while his right arm was around the waist of a dark-haired woman with a sweet smile.
Surrounding him sat four or five equally well-dressed, flamboyant young men, all his childhood friends from the circle of rich second-generation kids in Shenzhen.
The ice buckets were filled with expensive champagne and beer, and the table was littered with empty bottles and fruit platter remnants, creating a scene of decadent luxury.
Xiao Jun had a thick cigar dangling from his mouth, his eyes filled with a smug, dreamy look as he squinted at several colorful buoys bobbing on the distant sea.
He had just instructed his crew to cast the bait and was now waiting for a big fish to bite—of course, for him, the more important "fish" at this moment was to gain face in front of his brothers.
"Hey guys," Xiao Jun exhaled a thick cloud of white smoke, his voice rising a few decibels amidst the engine and sea breeze, carrying an undeniable air of boasting, "keep an eye on things, let's see if I can catch a grouper for you guys today! But fishing is nothing, the 'big fish' I caught recently, that was truly exhilarating!"
Liu Shao, who was standing next to him, immediately chimed in, winking and asking, "Brother Jun, what big move are you up to now? Show us what's going on!"
Xiao Jun laughed heartily, then gave the young model's smooth shoulder a hard squeeze, eliciting a soft, coquettish cry.
He glanced around, basking in the attention of everyone, and said in a deliberately low voice, as if announcing some earth-shattering secret, "You guys know Little Prodigy, right? He's one of the top electronics giants in our city, no, in the whole country!"
“Who doesn’t know that? Brother Xiao, aren’t you the CEO there?” another rich second-generation named Ahua chimed in.
"President?" Xiao Jun scoffed, flicking his cigarette ash, his eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. "That's all in the past! Before long, President? Hmph, that position is too small! What I want to sit in is the highest chair, Chairman!"
"Holy crap!" Liu Shao exclaimed dramatically, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Brother Xiao, you're so awesome now, doing so well? That was a child prodigy!"
"Of course!" Xiao Jun drawled, each word ringing with conviction, as if he could already see himself sitting in the chairman's office, looking down on everyone. "What do you think I've been busy with lately? I've been laying the groundwork! Just wait and see, by the end of this year, or at the latest next year, 'Little Divine Power' will be renamed 'Xiao Group'! Then, brothers!"
He slammed his hand on the table, making the wine glasses clatter. "If there's anything I can do to help you, just say the word. In this small corner of Pengcheng, I, Brother Xiao, have your back!"
These bold words immediately ignited the atmosphere on the deck.
"Really? Brother Xiao, that's so encouraging!" Young Master Liu was the first to excitedly rub his hands together, leaning closer with a fawning smile on his face. "Then... Brother Xiao, about that thing I mentioned to you last time... what do you think?"
"What's up?" Xiao Jun raised an eyebrow, feigning nonchalance.
"It's...it's about the young prodigy's exclusive agency rights for western Guangdong next year...Do you think you could...let me take over?" Young Master Liu said cautiously, his eyes full of anticipation.
This is a huge, lucrative opportunity; taking it on means sitting back and counting money.
"The general agent for western Guangdong province?" Xiao Jun squinted, seemingly deep in thought.
He picked up his glass, took a sip, and felt the cool liquid slide down his throat before slowly saying, "Tsk, if you were referring to Guangdong Province just now, then I can't agree to that."
He paused deliberately, enjoying the feeling of everyone holding their breath, "The general agency for Guangdong Province has been handled by a subsidiary of the Qian Group. The Qian Group now..."
The image of Qian Youyou's shrewd and capable face flashed through his mind, along with her brother-in-law Lu Yang, whom he both envied and feared. "But it's managed by my sister, and the relationships are very complex. It's not easy to mess with him."
He abruptly changed the subject, his face once again displaying a smile of complete control: "But as for Western Guangdong Province... haha, that's no problem! Leave it to me! Just wait to sign the contract next year!"
They can easily change to a different provincial distributor!
Such a major event, concerning the lifeline of a huge regional market, involving hundreds of millions or even billions in revenue and a vast distribution network, would never have been something Xiao Jun, as the president of Little Prodigy, would never have dared to make so lightly in the past.
This requires complex evaluations, board discussions, and may even trigger infighting among internal factions.
But now, Xiao Jun's mindset is completely different.
He felt an unprecedented sense of elation, as if he had already touched the pinnacle of power.
As long as his plan proceeds smoothly, as long as he can weather this critical period, and ascend to the chairman's throne next year... Hmph! At that time, the entire Little Prodigy will be his independent kingdom, and he, Xiao Jun, will be the only king!
What kind of board of directors is hindering us?
What faction balance?
They must all grovel before his will!
Changing the provincial agent? That's just a matter of a word from him. At that point, no one will be able to influence Xiao Jun's decisions!
"That's great! Brother Xiao! You're really my brother!" Young Master Liu was so excited he almost jumped up, as if he could already see mountains of gold and silver beckoning to him. "Here's the deal! We have to celebrate tonight! The best high-end club in Pengcheng, you can choose any one you like! All expenses are on my tab! Don't try to save me any money!"
"Great! Young Master Liu is really generous!" Xiao Jun laughed heartily, feeling extremely pleased.
"Brother Xiao, what about us? You can't show favoritism!" The other rich kids immediately chimed in.
"Yes, yes, yes, let's all go together! Young Master Liu is treating, everyone have a great time!" Xiao Jun waved his hand, full of heroic spirit.
"Sure! No problem! I'll take care of it!" Young Master Liu patted his chest and agreed, his face beaming with joy.
The atmosphere instantly reached a climax.
A group of people laughed and joked without restraint, telling dirty jokes, clinking glasses, and the young models giggled, creating quite a lively scene.
Xiao Junzhi leaned back on the sofa with a smug look on his face, enjoying the praise from his brothers and the soft touch of the beauty beside him. He felt that this was the pinnacle of life.
He even began to imagine how, once he became chairman, he would gradually transform Xiao Shentong into a true Xiao empire of his own, and how he would make Lu Yang, that guy who always seemed so nonchalant, look at him with new respect...
Just as this clamor and extravagance reached their peak— "Boom—!!!"
Without warning, a deep yet extremely penetrating roar, like a god beating a drum in your ear, suddenly exploded in the clear sky!
Everyone was startled by the sudden, loud thunder, and their conversation and laughter came to an abrupt halt.
Xiao Jun lost his grip on the wine glass, and it crashed onto the teak deck with a "crack," scattering expensive champagne and shards of glass everywhere, staining the young model's fair ankles and eliciting a piercing scream.
Everyone looked up in astonishment.
Just moments ago, the clear blue sky was cloudless, but now it was being swallowed up by thick, rolling dark clouds at a speed visible to the naked eye!
The dark clouds surged and billowed, like splashes of thick ink, quickly obscuring the sunlight and instantly darkening the sea and sky.
A sudden gust of wind arose from the ground, whipping up salty seawater that slammed against the ship's side with a loud "whoosh."
The calm sea surface seemed to be enraged, and began to rise and fall violently.
"Damn it! What kind of weather is this?!" Ahua was the first to curse, gripping the handrail tightly to steady himself. "Didn't the weather forecast say it would be sunny all day? How did it suddenly change its mind?"
"Damn it, this rain just started out of nowhere!" Liu Shao panicked, looking at the sea that had suddenly turned eerie and terrifying. "Call it out! That's it! Let's head back to shore! Safety first!"
"Yes, yes, yes! Tell the captain to turn around quickly! Let's get back as soon as possible!" Another rich kid chimed in, "Let's go for the models! The club is safe and comfortable!"
"Yes, yes, let's get the models! Who cares about the storm outside!" The group was terrified by the sudden turn of events and echoed each other's desire to return to port, wanting to escape this now dangerous sea area as quickly as possible.
The crew immediately got to work, reeling in their fishing rods, securing their belongings, and preparing to return to port.
However, amidst the chaos and clamor, no one noticed that Xiao Jun, who had just been full of vigor and pontificating, was now frozen in place as if under a spell.
He was clutching a black, rugged-looking satellite phone tightly in his hand, the screen of which displayed a text message he had just received.
The color drained from his face at an alarming rate, turning from a rosy glow of triumph to a deathly pale as paper. His eyes stared blankly at the phone screen, as if it were not words but a judgment from hell.
Just moments ago, the sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear, but in the blink of an eye, thunder roared and dark clouds loomed overhead.
Isn't this also true for him personally at this moment? Or even more so!
"Ah... Holy shit!!!"
A heart-wrenching roar, filled with unbelievable rage and despair, suddenly erupted from deep within Xiao Jun's throat!
The sound even drowned out the roar of the engine and the howling of the waves!
The deck fell into a deathly silence.
All movement, all laughter, all complaints ceased.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden, wounded beast-like roar and turned to look at Xiao Jun.
The man who had been so spirited just moments before, "Brother Xiao," now had a ferocious and twisted face, bloodshot eyes, bulging veins on his forehead, and his body was trembling slightly from extreme anger and some kind of huge blow. He looked a hundred times worse than if his own mother had died!
"Brother Xiao...?" Liu Shao was closest to him, and his voice trembled with fright at Xiao Jun's appearance. He cautiously asked, "What... what's wrong with you? What's wrong with you?"
"Damn it... damn it... damn it!!" Xiao Jun seemed oblivious to the stares around him. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped his face hard.
My palms were wet, and I couldn't tell if it was from the champagne that had just splashed on me, the sudden cold raindrops, or... tears of humiliation and anger.
He felt a metallic sweetness rise to his throat; it was a sudden surge of anger!
He abruptly turned his head, no longer looking at anyone, no longer looking at the churning, raging sea and the pitch-black sky. Like a trapped beast that had been thoroughly enraged but had nowhere to vent its anger, he staggered but rushed into the cabin, leaving behind a group of bewildered rich kids and pale-faced young models on the deck.
It turned out that at the same time as that bolt from the blue, his rarely used satellite phone, which he used specifically for handling the most urgent and important matters, started vibrating.
The screen displayed the name of his personal assistant.
An extremely ominous premonition instantly gripped him.
He answered the phone, and his assistant's usually calm voice now carried an undisguised panic and urgency. Each word, transmitted through the airwaves, felt like a cold awl, piercing his eardrums and his heart.
"President Xiao! Something terrible has happened! Just now, almost simultaneously, China Telecom and China Mobile released major announcements!"
"China Telecom announced that its WAP wireless application protocol service has been officially and fully launched for commercial use today!"
"At almost the same time, China Mobile also announced that its 'Global Pass' brand officially launched WAP services!"
"The two telecommunications giants, who had recently separated, coincidentally announced to the whole society, centered around WAP technology, that the era of mobile internet access has officially arrived!"
The assistant paused, seemingly giving Xiao Jun time to process this explosive news.
"Less than half an hour after China Telecom and China Mobile released their announcements, Sina Corporation held an emergency press conference!"
Sina announced that it will quickly and deeply develop its WAP business! They immediately launched a mobile version of 163 Mail! At the same time, they will provide the first batch of 13 mobile services, including news flashes, email services, and flight search!
"Even more significant is Sina's announcement that it will vigorously develop its SMS (text messaging) business, and simultaneously launch a mobile SMS sending service platform—SMS163.com!"
"Furthermore, Sina has officially joined China Mobile's 'Mobile Dream Network' program, becoming the first major portal website to join the program!"
The assistant's voice was almost trembling: "Mr. Xiao! What does this mean? It means that Sina, the leading 'portal website,' has taken the lead in fully embracing the mobile internet! With the help of the huge channels of the operators and the newly launched WAP and SMS services, their user base, traffic, and business model will experience explosive growth, and the capital market will be crazy about it!"
The assistant's final words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back.
This caused Xiao Jun to completely lose his composure.
"Clap!"
The satellite phone slipped from Xiao Jun's completely limp hand and crashed heavily onto the yacht's deck. (End of Chapter)