Chapter 442: An opportunity not to be missed

Weixin and QQ, Xingchen and Tencent.

The two of them were actually never in the same weight class in the first place. Having existed for eight years and experienced several great battles, QQ possessed more experience as well as a bigger user base that was more closely tied to them. It was indeed also better in terms of research and development, content and service as well as its accounting and finance systems...

More crucially, usage of it had since developed into a long-term habit. The power of habits was a scary thing.

For all he had considered, Xu Tingsheng had ultimately miscalculated Tencent’s determination and thunderbolt-like methods.

He discussed this problem with Hu Chen and He Yutan via video conference for two hours but was simply unable to come up with any solution at all. Against actual competition, if foreknowledge was useless, Xu Tingsheng was really just an ordinary person.

With how things were right now, the three unanimously agreed that they could only prioritise in preserving Weibo with all their might.

Xu Tingsheng reiterated that as long as Weibo was not harmed, Xingchen should view Weixin with the spirit of the empty basket. It would be a profit however much they plucked, even if an overall loss was made.

It just so happened that this was a Friday. Nearing school dismissal time, Xu Tingsheng ended the meeting, turned off his computer and went to pick up Little Xiang Ning at Yanzhou’s first-tier senior high. Chancing upon that Miss Bao, he said hi and exchanged a few words with her. From her, he learnt that Xiang Ning’s performance had improved by quite a bit recently.

After dinner, Xu Tingsheng did not let Little Xiang Ning on the computer as he led her outside for a stroll.

The two crossed the neighbouring bridge and arrived outside the busy construction site of Ning Garden’s first phase flats. The central park opposite was already undergoing construction too.

Xu Tingsheng pointed at where the still non-existent flats would be, asking, “If there was a beautiful flat here...”

He pointed just opposite, “And there was a gorgeous park here...”

“Huh?” Little Xiang Ning asked in puzzlement.

“Just like that, living here for many, many years. Would you like that?”

Little Xiang Ning nodded and said, “Yes, I’d like that. We could go for a stroll together everyday.”

......

At around 9pm, the lights in Lu Zhixin’s office were still lit up. She had dealt with a whole bunch of things since returning to the company after afternoon classes that day.

After that, she had started paying attention to Xingchen’s situation. She had unconsciously begun thinking how she would try to handle things, standing by Xu Tingsheng’s side amidst Xingchen’s crisis...

Such considerations seemed virtually second nature to her. She was used to thinking for him, not wanting him to have it so hard. This could be seen in how she, a girl, had once consumed alcohol to the point of internal bleeding when he had said the larger the loan amount the better. They had also faced Zhang Xingke together in the past, rising together to meet the challenge of Youxin Tongcheng...

She had already long since grown accustomed to fighting side by side with him.

This sort of habit was very hard to change. Without consciously realising it at all, Lu Zhixin had unknowingly spent more than two hours working on this even though everything had already changed. She had written down three detailed plans on paper, ranging from crisis PR to an accumulation of funds to a counterattack proposal...

“I wonder what he will suddenly come up with this time, mightily reversing the crazed tides. That’s what he always does. He’s never lost once...”

Actually, just like the very first batch of Hucheng’s employees, Lu Zhixin had a sort of blind faith, even worship of Xu Tingsheng’s capabilities. Yet, with this time’s matter being a head-on clash, a battle of attrition, they did not know that Xu Tingsheng actually did not have a better method.

It was an indisputable fact that purely in terms of talent in commerce, Lu Zhixin was by far his superior.

Lu Zhixin’s handphone rang once. Her father’s text consisted only of these words: Opportunity not to be missed.

Lu Zhixin flung her handphone away.

A moment later.

She tore up the three pieces of paper in her hand, gnashing her teeth alongside the ripping, “Who asked you not to like me, not to like me...I could care less, I don’t care at all...you just happily play house with that little girl of yours, you good-for-nothing...”

A creaking noise resounded as the door was pushed open.

Lu Zhixin hurriedly caught herself.

“What’s wrong, Zhixin? No, I mean, why haven’t you gone back yet?” Tang Yufei asked rather awkwardly, “I just happened to drive by and saw that the lights were still turned on, so I popped in to take a file and also check on things...”

“Oh,” Lu Zhixin controlled her expression, replying, “I was just about to leave. What about you?”

Tang Yufei hesitated a little before asking, “By the way, Zhixin, I actually have a question I’d like to ask you. Are you acquainted with anyone from Tianyi? I remember that they also hold shares in our company.”

Lu Zhixin was taken aback for a moment as she looked at Tang Yufei before she said resolutely, “No, I’m not well acquainted with any of them. Is anything the matter?”

“Nah, just asking,” Tang Yufei said, “I’ll just go back to my office to grab that file then.”

“Alright. Remember to look the main door! I’ll be leaving first. You take care.”

“Right, you too.”

Tang Yufei said nothing more. Actually, she had felt Lu Zhixin seemingly turning into a stranger over this period of time. It was like she was deliberately maintaining a distance from everyone, including this big sis of hers, Tang Yufei, who had been close enough to teach her ‘stuff’ once.

......

When Tang Yufei reached home, it was already 10 pm. Her parents and little sister were still sitting in the living room, waiting for her.

“Sis~”

Her sister, Tang Yumeng, came forward and latched onto her arm, swinging it as she gazed adorably at her.

Actually, Tang Yufei was already no longer a young girl. She was already in her fourth year of university at Shenghai Drama School. Having the same genetic heritage, she was only slightly inferior to Tang Yufei in terms of looks. She single-mindedly aspired to be an actress, an artiste.

Yet, her family had no connections and her looks were not outstanding amongst her peers. She had never gotten an opportunity before. Being soon to graduate, some of her classmates in university had already long since started acting in shows and advertisement. Some were gradually on the road to stardom, even. Meanwhile, she could only be a side character occasionally, one face out of many to fill up the numbers...

Time was running out. She was getting anxious, and so were her parents.

Tang Yufei had previously advised her sister to give up her dream and find a good, stable job after graduating. She could help her out here. Still, her sister was adamant in refusing to give up her dream of becoming a star.

This issue had previously been over at this point as there was nothing that could be done about it. Tang Yufei had thought that since her wages were pretty good, even if her sister decided to roam about aimlessly...she would be able to help provide for her. It mattered not even if her sister pointlessly wasted a few years away with nothing to show for it.

Still, the release of stocks previously and the capital increase thereafter had not just given Tang Yufei the position of Hucheng’s shareholder. She had also learnt that the reputable Tianyi was actually a shareholder of theirs, with Xu Tingsheng also being a shareholder of Tianyi in turn.

This was actually an opportunity for her younger sister. Still, after some hesitation, Tang Yufei had ultimately decided to remain silent, believing that she was simply not of sufficient status to request this.

Yet, accompanied by Huang Yaming’s rise to popularity alongside for which Tianyi was the producer, more and more people were beginning to pay attention to this issue. How could a mere university student have achieved this?

After investigating Huang Yaming, these probing people naturally learnt of his relation to Xu Tingsheng.

Tang Yumeng was one of these people who had looked into this issue. In doing so, she had received an incomparably pleasant surprise.

In her own words to Tang Yufei: Everyone in the industry is saying this. Apparently, he was the one who raised Cen Xiyu up. It’s him who is standing behind this movie too. He’s a secret mogul, you know? Your boss, Xu Tingsheng, is a shareholder of Tianyi, and you’re his assistant...come on, please help me out, big sis...