Actually, it wasn’t that the caller wasn’t anxious at all. Back then, he had signed the contract with the Chu Group on account of their ties of many years and hadn’t gone to see the contract between the Jiahe Corporation and the Chu Group. He even roped his close contacts into the project, getting them to invest some money as well!

  These people had signed the contract with the Chu Group without seeing the contract between the Chu Group and the Jiahe Corporation. They did this simply because Chu Fangzheng said that… the Chu Group was the one leading the collaboration with the Jiahe Corporation. The reason Chu Fangzheng got them to sign the contract with the Chu Group directly was, firstly, because the Chu Group had been involved in scandals lately and wanted to take this opportunity to appear in the limelight with some positive news. Secondly, if a risk were to appear, the risk they faced could be reduced!

  After all, if they signed a contract with the Chu Group, even if a problem were to occur with the project, they could seek the Chu Group directly for compensation, and it wouldn’t be considered a failure of their investment!

  Chu Fangzheng was smart. He spoke of the predicament the Chu Group was in. Indeed, he did need this name to stabilize the Chu Group’s current position, even being willing to forsake a part of his profits for it!

  But everyone felt that no problem could possibly arise since they were collaborating with the big and influential Jiahe Corporation.

  Those in the business circle couldn’t just be concerned about their own interests and completely ignore that of their partners. They wanted to earn money, while Chu Fangzheng needed this fame too much, so they agreed to sign the contract.

  Chu Fangzheng braced himself and laughed cheerfully. “Of course! Don’t worry, we’ve been friends for so long, I would never cheat you!”


  Chu Fangzheng handled a few calls, then hurriedly called Tang Xi. He tugged at his tie anxiously, standing before the French windows, his gaze dark and afraid…


  Chu Fangzheng, who was late to catch on, only started feeling unsure and panicked now!

  Chu Fangzheng had a subtle premonition that something might have gone very wrong despite his early confidence in the matter!

  When the call went through, Chu Fangzheng immediately changed his expression to a toady smile. “My friend, I’m all prepared to set off now, but why did I just see on Weibo that the Jiahe Corporation and the Kaide Corporation are going to collaborate on some project! Don’t tell me it’s our new coastal city project! I’ve already signed the contracts with those SMEs, you mustn’t harm me!”


  Tang Xi’s lips curled up into a cold sneer on the other end. He laughed and said, “I’m not clear about the collaboration between the Jiahe Corporation and the Kaide Corporation yet, but it shouldn’t be the new coastal city project! I’m handling this project, and I didn’t receive any news!”


  Tang Xi didn’t give a certain reply, but the words “shouldn’t be the new coastal city project” was enough to soothe Chu Fangzheng’s nerves.

  “Ok ok ok! With your words, I’m relieved. Then I’ll come over right now and sign our contract… else I’ll be kept on tenterhooks!”


  After hanging up, Chu Fangzheng’s countenance looked terrible…


  Although he already had a premonition that the Jiahe Corporation and the Kaide Corporation had committed to collaborating on the new coastal city project, he had to rush to Jincheng even if he only had a glimmer of hope!

  In the car, Chu Fangzheng turned his head and looked out the window, feeling vexed. He urged the driver to go faster.

  He recalled the events from the time the Chu Group’s share price fell drastically to when he looked for Tang Xi, lowering his stance before him and even offering the Chu Group’s share of the profits from their most profitable project. Even then, Tang Xi said he didn’t care for that little bit of money.

  And then, when Fu Huai’an’s right-hand man Tang Zheng met up with Tang Xi, he did all he could to find out why Tang Zheng was meeting with Tang Xi. The minute he heard they were planning to collaborate on the upcoming Wei City new coastal city project, he recklessly decided he wanted to collaborate with the Jiahe Corporation.

  Actually, it wasn’t that Chu Fangzheng wasn’t aware of his weight or the lack thereof, it was just that the new coastal city project was too attractive. With Jiahe Corporation’s strong background, connections, and financials, the project was bound to be a success!

  Moreover, the Chu Group’s shares had fallen so dramatically that he really needed this opportunity to stabilize the situation by working with the Jiahe Corporation!

  The most important thing was that if the Chu Group got to collaborate with the Jiahe Corporation on this project, the Chu Group’s share price would go up by a lot too.

  By then, the Chu Group’s status in the business world would have a dramatic change!

  With so many benefits before his eyes, despite knowing it was precarious, Chu Fangzheng wanted to gamble for it, yearning strongly to collaborate with the Jiahe Corporation!

  Chu Fangzheng had always been a man of action. After inquiring from Tang Xi, he started taking action!

  If his Chu Group alone didn’t cut it, he would rope in more SMEs. The more parties he roped in, the greater their combined strength!

  He told the bosses of the SMEs about this opportunity and the predicament of the Chu Group, telling them how much the Chu Group desperately needed this fame. Hence, they invested the money, and the Chu Group would be in charge of signing the contract with the Jiahe Corporation!

  Since all those bosses weren’t able to get in touch with a man of Tang Xi’s stature, as well as because Chu Fangzheng had acted so humbly before them, they naturally decided to sign the contract with Chu Fangzheng.

  The contract bound both parties. If Chu Fangzheng wasn’t able to sign the contract with the Jiahe Corporation this time around, the Chu Group… would be doomed!

  Thinking back on it now, Chu Fangzheng was too reckless then!

  All these years, Chu Fangzheng’s style had been efficient and cautious. But this time around, he was too careless because he was too tempted by the profits and eager to get out of the predicament he was in…


  The more Chu Fangzheng thought about it, the deeper his heart sank. If he was 30% certain he was played for a fool before setting off, right now, he was 50% sure of it!

  Chu Fangzheng closed his eyes and leaned back in exhaustion. He lied to himself, saying that… before a corporation made a decision, they had to pass it through a meeting of the board of directors and higher management!

  Moreover, from the decision to collaborate to the signing of a contract, and the announcement to the public, both companies needed to sit down and discuss the fine details, and only after everything was finalized would they be able to sign the contract!

  From the time he planned to collaborate with the Jiahe Corporation, he had spent lots of money to establish a good relationship with several higher management executives in the Jiahe Corporation. He had asked before… and they said that the Kaide Corporation and the Jiahe Corporation had never truly sat down to discuss the details of the collaboration!

  Precisely because of this point, Chu Fangzheng decided to make a trip to Jincheng anyway, for perhaps the Jiahe Corporation and the Kaide Corporation hadn’t signed a contract yet, perhaps he might be able to make it!

  Even if… with the investment of all the money Chu Fangzheng had gathered, he only managed to take up a 40% share of the project… no, even if just 30%! He hoped that the Jiahe Corporation would see his sincerity and choose his Chu Group!

  This time, Chu Fangzheng didn’t hope to get any profits himself, merely hoping to stabilize the Chu Group for now.

  But just in case, just in case… in case he was played for a fool in the end, Chu Fangzheng had to be prepared!

  Right now, a majority of the companies who signed a contract with the Chu Group had already transferred the downpayment into his account. Chu Fangzheng needed to transfer this money into several different banks before transferring it to an anonymous Swiss account, just in case.

  If he was indeed tricked this time and the Chu Group went under, at least Chu Fangzheng would have the capital to start all over again!