"You got me... a big deal?"
On the phone, Ron repeated, puzzled, "Boss, wait a minute for me, I might have had one too many, I’m hallucinating. Don’t hang up, let me find a quiet place, and we can talk again!"
The guy still couldn’t believe it.
Bai Xiaosheng smiled and waited patiently.
During this time, Bai Xiaosheng also called Ron to check on operational issues, and upon hearing everything was going smoothly, he didn’t ask further.
It could be said that Bai Xiaosheng never interfered with specific affairs.
The new company wasn’t short of business either, mainly coordinating with Tengyun Group and starting to make a profit. The profits were then reinvested to expand the team, recruiting some top-level and reliable talent to strengthen the company’s growth.
The global market database was also being developed without any faltering.
Ron was currently engaged in "team building"—drinking, eating spicy crayfish.
Bai Xiaosheng heard sounds of water and face washing over the phone; it seemed Ron was sobering up.
"My boss, how come you’re running a side hustle? Are you that bored?" Finally, Ron’s voice came through, full of teasing.
The two were friends, and Bai Xiaosheng didn’t like Ron being all too serious about really treating him as a boss.
After several instances, Ron got used to speaking this way.
Moreover, it was after working hours.
So, Ron was even less inclined to be formal.
Of course, his loyalty to Bai Xiaosheng was beyond question.
"I’m serious," Bai Xiaosheng said.
"Alright, you’re serious," Ron stopped being contrary, "So, what kind of big deal did you bring me, bigger than Tengyun? Or are you thinking of making us cooperate with Zhongjing Media? Let me tell you, even if this company is yours and you are the Zhongjing Media General Manager, I won’t deduct a penny of the money we’re owed! After all, I have to be responsible to my boss, and even if he’s generous, I can’t let him be recklessly generous. Okay, go ahead!"
Even with a bit of alcohol in him, Ron’s eloquence hadn’t diminished; his words were slick and roundabout.
It left Bai Xiaosheng laughing and crying at the same time.
Bai Xiaosheng’s promotion to Zhongjing Media General Manager was something Ron knew about; he even used that as an excuse to celebrate with spicy crayfish.
Bai Xiaosheng wasn’t in a hurry to reply. He paused, allowing Ron on the other end to settle down too, and then spoke softly, "It’s Kelson."
These few words seemed magical.
On the other end, silence fell.
When Ron left Zhongjing, he knew that Bai Xiaosheng had represented the company in signing a cooperation with Kelson, and he had been very magnanimous about it.
However, Ron’s understanding of what Kelson did to Kaisen didn’t mean he could cooperate with Kelson without any reservations.
"Kelson! No, I don’t want to work with them!" Ron’s voice came again over the phone, predictably much colder.
"Sheng, I’m not a qualified businessman, never have been. I can let go of hating them, but I also don’t want to work with them. After all, they personally destroyed my Kaisen," Ron’s voice was calm.
But beneath that calm was a clear resistance.
Bai Xiaosheng inwardly sighed.
Actually, he had anticipated this. He believed Ariel and the others must have expected it as well, otherwise they wouldn’t have offered ten million euros. They wanted to show goodwill.
Kelson was demonstrating their utmost sincerity in this way.
After all, on the business field, apologies and good intentions are ephemeral; only real cash truly shows sincerity.
Of course, as friends with Ariel, and with Zhongjing Media being partners with Kelson, it was only right for Bai Xiaosheng to lend a hand, regardless of the perspective.
"They are willing to spend ten million euros to purchase some key market data about UH Country, as well as analysis reports," Bai Xiaosheng said, "Ariel is also my friend."
There was silence on the other end.
"But at the same time, I don’t want to make things difficult for you either," Bai Xiaosheng sighed.
On the phone, there was a long silence.
Finally, Ron sighed, "Sheng, let me think about this! In fact, I know what Kelson did in the past was not wrong, but something in my heart... If it hadn’t been for meeting you, my dreams, our dreams, might have been destroyed by them. I am human too; I have emotions, and I hold grudges! In business wars, there’s no right or wrong side, but human hearts have their warmth and cold!"
These words also made Bai Xiaosheng reflective. He spoke in a very sincere tone, "Okay, I’ll give you time to consider. If it really doesn’t work out, I’ll think of another way!"
"Thank you!" Ron’s voice carried a hint of emotion. Bai Xiaosheng was not only his friend and his boss but also showed him such respect.
There was another moment of silence before Ron said, "Actually, what I said earlier was said in the heat of the moment. From a work standpoint, my personal feelings will absolutely not affect this big deal! If I can’t get past it, then I will step down temporarily and let my deputy take over and complete the job! But... I worry that members of my team may have objections! I need the time you’ve given me to communicate with them!"
"Alright!" Bai Xiaosheng naturally understood.
After all, it was the whole team that Kelson had hurt initially.
After hanging up the phone, Bai Xiaosheng remained silent.
To be fair, both parties were his friends. Although there were degrees of closeness and distance, having less confrontation and more goodwill between each other was always a good thing.
After all, cooperation was inevitable in the long run.
"More things to deal with?" Bai Xiaosheng gave a wry smile and shook his head. Now he had to consider the matters of Zhongjing Media’s reporting, as well as helping Ariel and Kelson solve their database issues, and also needed to pay attention to the team building of all his companies.
"I am indeed a bit busy," Bai Xiaosheng reflected, "It seems I’ll have to poach Weiwei to my own company. With her involvement, I would have much less trouble!"
Bai Xiaosheng was already contemplating the idea of poaching talent.
"The Future Group is also mine, what’s mine is even more so mine, so does that count as poaching from myself?" Bai Xiaosheng couldn’t help but joke to himself.
He stood up and poured himself a cup of hot tea.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Bai Xiaosheng went to open it and found that it was the takeout he had ordered.
It was almost 10:40 now, not really dinner time, but more of a late-night snack.
Bai Xiaosheng took the takeout.
After closing the door, he carried it back to his desk and began to eat.
Being well-fed and content was truly a great happiness; it even improved his mood significantly.
As he was eating, an idea suddenly struck Bai Xiaosheng.
Ron Team had almost had their livelihoods destroyed by Kelson, their dreams were at stake, and with the team members’ families lacking security, it was natural for them to harbor resentment.
This resentment was the heart of the problem!
Bai Xiaosheng put down his chopsticks, picked up his phone, and called Ariel directly.
"Hello?" came Ariel’s voice from the other end.
"Ariel, regarding the partnership, Ron Team seems to have a resistant attitude," Bai Xiaosheng said.
"Is that so." Ariel’s voice sounded somewhat disheartened.
"However, I’ve thought of a way to resolve the conflict between you!" Bai Xiaosheng said with a smile.