Free Web NovelChapter 199: Chapter 187: The Tough and Cunning Lin Chu
They were basically just feeling him out, dropping hints and trying to find out who was backing Lin Chu.
Of course, they came up with nothing.
But it did give Lin Chu the distinct feeling of being a tall tree catching the wind.
For a young man his age to have built such a huge enterprise, it usually meant one of a few things: either he came from an incredible family, had an incredible investor, or at the very least, had an incredible "mentor."
But in his case, it was none of the above. Not a single one.
’My dad is not on that list.’
In this kind of setting, regardless of his opponents’ backgrounds, Lin Chu maintained a firm stance and showed considerable backbone.
’Why be humble with competitors?’
’After all, they were bound to be rivals anyway.’
Their interests were naturally opposed, and attitude wouldn’t change a thing.
His philosophy was simple: ’If you show me an inch of respect, I’ll show you a yard. But if you say one word out of line, I’ll be sure to clap back.’
Neither servile nor overbearing—perfectly fair and square.
"President Lin, you used to be a member at our Mission Hills. Now that you have your own course, I still hope you’ll visit us often. Ah, let me make a small request—I hope you’ll renew your Mission Hills membership next year, hahaha..."
Zhu Yizhen said with a loud laugh.
Mission Hills considered itself the leader of the industry, and he, in turn, considered himself its third-generation heir. His attitude was even loftier than Lin Chu’s.
He was quite a bit older than Zhu Yixian, slightly overweight, and his complexion was less pale, leaning toward tan. His eyes revealed a forceful and domineering nature.
Lin Chu glanced at him, his expression calm. "Well, that will depend on the quality of your service. Oh, right, while we’re on the subject, let me bring something up. Your younger brother Yixian and I are good friends. I quite admire him. I’m a bit short-staffed right now. As his big brother, why don’t you let him come work for me?"
At these words, a dangerous glint flashed in Zhu Yizhen’s eyes.
A truly dangerous glint.
Not long ago, he’d learned that his brother had a meal with Lin Chu, but he hadn’t expected their relationship to have become so close.
Now, for Lin Chu to bring this up so publicly, it felt like an attempt to make him lose face and sow discord between the Zhu Brothers.
’Could it be that Mission Hills couldn’t support or make room for a single Zhu Yixian?’
The muscle at the corner of his eye twitched. He said with a half-smile, "Sure. Give him a General Manager position over here, and I’ll let him go immediately. My, my, President Lin, you’re too kind. It almost sounds like you want to join our Mission Hills Group."
"That’s not what I meant at all, ha. If I really made him General Manager, wouldn’t his position be higher than yours? That wouldn’t look right. The younger brother moving up faster than the older one... you’d lose face, my friend." ƒreewebηoveℓ.com
Lin Chu joked back, all smiles.
In the Zhu Family, although Zhu Yizhen was the designated third-generation successor, his title within the company was merely Vice President. The second generation still held all the real power; his turn hadn’t come yet.
This was both his deepest desire and his greatest sore spot.
Without a doubt, Lin Chu had hit a nerve.
His expression and his gaze darkened.
The others at the table watched on, feigning nonchalance, but they too could feel the palpable tension.
This young President Lin was certainly full of fire.
He was clashing with Zhu Yizhen of Mission Hills right to his face, not holding back in the slightest.
Zhu Yizhen’s gaze swept over the table. Although anger was simmering inside him, he naturally wouldn’t let it show. The smile simply vanished from his face.
"Face is a two-way street. If my younger brother does well, it just proves that I, his older brother, taught him well. That brings me a lot of face."
Lin Chu nodded, deciding to quit while he was ahead.
’After all, I’m the host. Getting into a real argument with him would be undignified.’
"Alright, I’ll consider it."
"Excuse me for a moment. Please, carry on."
Getting to his feet, Lin Chu left the table and went to "patrol" other areas, like a male lion surveying his territory.
Watching his retreating back, the group of competitors exchanged varied glances.
’Interesting.’
’Such a fiery young man.’
Zhu Yizhen snorted, lit a cigarette, and after taking a couple of drags, he also got up and walked straight out the door.
’That kid!’
’He used me as a stepping stone!’
He had originally decided to come in person for two reasons. First, Lin Chu was a member of Mission Hills. Second, they were both young men.
But after testing the waters, he found this young man... hah... was aggressive and quite cunning.
This was Zhu Yizhen’s first impression of Lin Chu.
Thinking of that "Uncle Nine" of his, Zhu Yizhen decided to wait and see. In time, the truth would eventually come to light.
...
He was busy until the sun went down, until the dinner and the reception ended.
Lin Chu finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Li Ziming had thoughtfully prepared a meal—four dishes and a soup—and placed it in the office for Lin Chu to eat.
He had noticed that Lin Chu hadn’t eaten much during the reception.
"Join me."
Seeing that Li Ziming’s face was also flushed, clear evidence that he had also drunk a fair amount, Lin Chu casually invited him.
’To be fair,’ he thought, ’this general manager’s attention to detail was truly impeccable. The entire reception, with so many people, had run in perfect order. It certainly wasn’t my doing.’
Li Ziming smiled. "Alright. I’m actually hungry myself. I’ll grab a couple of bites. Let me go get another bowl of rice."
Just as he was about to leave, Lin Chu remembered something else. "Oh, right. By the way, call Ma Lin in. The three of us will have a quick meeting."
"Did he talk to President Zhou about something earlier?"
Lin Chu asked casually.
’He had just been thinking about this. Ma Lin’s request was somewhat at odds with his own needs.’
