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Tony was undoubtedly a great businessman, or perhaps an impeccable executor, leading everyone to appreciate the grandeur of Huankezhao without leaving any room for contemplation. What followed was a fierce verbal battle, filled with sharp words and cutting remarks, catching the envious buyers off guard.
Once everyone was seated, Tony took out the evaluation results of various bidders from the experts at Huankezhao, opening a sleek black folder. He glanced through it briefly, ensuring he had a clear understanding.
"I never expected that among those present today, there would be such sincere and knowledgeable individuals, and not just one. This is indeed a fortune for Huankezhao and for consumers on Earth. Now, I won't waste any more time; let's get straight to the point. Among the twenty-three bids submitted, two bidders have offered the highest price of five billion each: Zongheng Express and Jinhai Industries. As for the final outcome of the bidding, I will ask the representatives of these two companies to elaborate further."
Tony announced the highest bids, which inevitably elicited gasps from those present, especially from several companies that had already gritted their teeth to raise their offers to forty-five billion. If it weren't for Huankezhao's formidable strength, some might have considered forging two empty checks. After the initial shock wore off, attention shifted to the two companies mentioned, with everyone secretly anticipating a fierce clash.
The representative from Jinhai Industries was a portly middle-aged man, his shiny bald head barely clinging to a few sparse strands of hair. Behind his golden glasses, his clever eyes sparkled with confidence.
"I am Liu Xiang, the Deputy Manager of Jinhai Industries, responsible for sales operations. Jinhai Industries has been a commercial giant for sixteen years since its establishment by Earth Huaguo. Allow me to boast about my company with some pride; just last year, we successfully entered the interstellar top five hundred enterprises. Although our ranking is relatively low, the weight of this title and our sixteen years of hard work speak volumes."
Liu Xiang paused for effect, scanning the faces of various company representatives in attendance. He noticed their shocked expressions upon hearing about the interstellar top five hundred and smiled with satisfaction. Jufeng naturally picked up on this and smiled in response; however, their smiles clearly conveyed different meanings.
"Of course," Liu Xiang continued, "I do not take pride in Jinhai Industries' achievements alone; it is because a top-tier manufacturing company like Huankezhao requires a strong and capable partner. I heard that Zongheng's funding is secured by mortgaging spacecraft. In my experience within Earth's business circles, I have yet to hear of your company; I wonder if you are truly formidable or simply overestimating yourselves?"
Liu Xiang's words were undeniably sharp; instead of highlighting his own strengths, he chose to undermine his opponent's weaknesses—a tactic that seemed somewhat unfair. However, apart from a hint of pity on the faces of those glancing at Jufeng and his companions, no one found anything amiss; after all, business is akin to warfare. They seemed to forget that just moments ago, they themselves lacked even the qualifications to compete on stage.
After finishing his remarks, Liu Xiang sat down without sparing a glance at Jufeng and his team. His head was held high in an air of confidence as if victory was already assured. It must be noted that their preparation was thorough; among those present, only a few companies would go to such lengths to understand their competitors as Jinhai Industries had done—an impressive display in such a setting.
Tony shifted his gaze from Liu Xiang to Jufeng without any hint of disdain or sarcasm—only a moderate politeness. The rest of the audience turned their attention toward Jufeng as well, causing Bill to feel a flush of embarrassment.
After stealing a glance at Jufeng's expression, Bill intended to stand up for his master’s dignity but was stopped by Jufeng's hand. Chuyang obediently rose from Jufeng's side and stood aside to give him space to respond.
Jufeng stood up with a slight smile while Chuyang watched her father’s face intently; in that moment, she thought he was undoubtedly the most handsome man in the world.
"There is an old saying in Huaguo: heroes emerge from youth. Would Jinhai Industries have achieved its current scale if it hadn't been established from the start? I am Jufeng and I must respectfully disagree with you. The Deputy Manager named 'Xiang' made an excellent point: only when strengths are comparable can true cooperation occur. Your company ended its partnership due to rampant piracy; thus I believe that having the capability to combat pirates should be our primary concern in collaboration. As for selling goods on Earth—well, with Huankezhao's brand effect after sixteen years in operation—even an old farmer could meet demand."
Upon finishing his statement, Jufeng received numerous appreciative glances; youthful ambition resonated with many striving individuals present. Moreover, he deftly downplayed his disadvantages while redirecting focus onto key issues—turning the tide back in his favor. It seemed this bidding war was indeed intriguing.
Adding humor to the situation were several younger attendees who couldn't help but laugh when they heard Liu Xiang referred to as "Xiang," leaving others puzzled.
It was just a nickname; what was so serious about it?
Seeing himself overshadowed by someone else’s wit left Liu Xiang's expression darkening as he replied coldly: "I didn't expect this young man would be so eloquent. Very well then; since we are discussing security issues now, let us compare notes. Jinhai Industries possesses two Destroyers and ten civilian mechs; we have also selected former military elites from Huaguo’s veteran ranks—what are mere pirates compared to us?"
The Destroyer is a model of aircraft that can only accommodate ten ordinary mechas, typically equipped with slightly more powerful Shells. However, it cannot be compared to Bill's manned aircraft.
Indeed, Jufeng chuckled and said, "Manager Xiang, it seems that you have forgotten something important. Just now, we mentioned that Zongheng Express relies on mortgaging aircraft for bidding funds. Do you really think that an aircraft worth five billion would have firepower weaker than your two broken ships and ten people? Moreover, regarding combat strength, I see that the bodyguard behind you is quite capable. Why don't we have a contest right here? If you win, I will gladly withdraw. If I win, I kindly ask the manager to let go, and we can look forward to future cooperation."
Liu Xiang turned around to look at his bodyguard, a burly and dark-skinned middle-aged man who had always been the second bodyguard of Jinhai Industries. He held significant weight in the company and under normal circumstances, Liu Xiang would never dare to let him stand behind him. This time he came because the chairman valued this cooperation, which showed how extraordinary this bodyguard's skills must be.
After receiving confirmation from the bodyguard, Liu Xiang turned back to Tony. The host seemed pleased to see everyone showcasing their abilities but reminded them not to hurt feelings and to keep it light.
Everyone stood up and stepped back, leaving space in the middle for Jufeng and the dark-skinned bodyguard. To be honest, no one had high hopes for Jufeng; after all, he appeared weak and looked like a Young Master. Who would believe he was a five-meter-tall demon unless they saw it with their own eyes?
As they took their positions, the middle-aged man threw the first punch, stepping forward quickly as his arm struck like a whip.
Just this move revealed that the dark-skinned middle-aged man was indeed no ordinary opponent; he was at least at Chang Guohong's level. His movements were steady and powerful. In the realm of stars, such techniques were not uncommon; martial arts often shared similarities. However, Jufeng remained calm and measured. At the moment the arm descended, he swiftly countered with a cylindrical object pressed against the man's throat, causing his arm to halt mid-air.
"You cheat! You actually used a weapon!" Liu Xiang shouted angrily.
Jufeng shrugged and spun the Second-Grade Knife from Huankezhao in his palm twice before dismissively saying, "If I don't use weapons, who will buy knives made by Huankezhao? Does Deputy Manager Xiang look down on weapons? If so, continuing this business might tarnish Huankezhao's reputation."
All's fair in war; this situation exemplified that principle. Although Jufeng could easily win without resorting to tricks, he did not want to reveal too much of his strength.
The dark-skinned middle-aged man seemed to understand something and returned to Liu Xiang's side, whispering a few words that silenced Liu Xiang's outburst. Just then, a staff member from Huankezhao approached Tony and whispered something in his ear. Tony nodded; it appeared that today's negotiations were coming to a conclusion.
"As everyone has seen just now, this Jufeng... gentleman won easily. Although there may be some suspicion of trickery involved, when facing pirates, wit and courage are clearly indispensable. After discussions among our Senior Management team, we have decided to award this contract to Zongheng Express for cooperation. As for our other friends here, thank you for coming; we hope for another opportunity to work together."
Tony's words sealed the deal. Seeing that the prize had an owner now, everyone began to take their leave one by one. Liu Xiang clearly felt reluctant; thoughts of his boss's numerous reminders weighed heavily on him as he left with a dejected expression. However, with Huankezhao's decision final, no one could change it. Liu Xiang had no choice but to leave with his dark-skinned bodyguard. As they exited, the bodyguard cast a meaningful glance at Jufeng, who smiled back in acknowledgment with an understanding look only they shared.
The subsequent matters were simple; Jufeng exchanged pleasantries with Tony while Bill would handle the specific details of their cooperation. Chuyang gained nothing from this meeting; although Jufeng felt disappointed inside, he knew better than to rush things and could only proceed slowly.
Once everyone had left, Tony hurried up to the top floor where a young man dressed casually yet exuding an air of nobility awaited him in front of a display screen showing images from the conference room.
"Tony, what do you think of that young man?"
In front of this young man, Tony—who usually maintained composure—bowed deeply and dared not meet his gaze directly.
"He is quite a character. In business, he seems like a bit of a fool, but anyone who dares to mortgage a spacecraft has guts; there have been very few throughout history."
Tony's evaluation was already quite high. In fact, after spending over a decade navigating the upper echelons of the universe, it was rare for him to describe someone as a "character." This was also related to his last move; although Tony didn't understand martial arts, he knew that mere tricks would never convince a veteran.
Upon hearing Tony's assessment, the young man let out a light laugh and murmured, "That last stunning move of his really surprised me! Interesting, very interesting!"
For some reason, he felt a strange familiarity when he saw the child in Jufeng's arms, which led him to think of someone else, causing his emotions to become inexplicably agitated.
"Find out Jufeng's information for me. Also, notify everyone to search the entire universe. I want her found, even if it means turning the universe upside down."
Tony nodded obediently, lowering his head even further, fearing that if the young man were displeased, the entire universe would be thrown into chaos.
(To be continued)
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