Liu Yutong genuinely felt that she had made the right decision by securing this reception assignment from her academic advisor.
Upon arriving, she had already gathered plenty of useful information, allowing her to prepare in advance and prevent the Wan family from potentially using their sub-brand, VGO, to undermine Wanlong Supermarket—just as she had suspected.
With graceful poise, Liu Yutong slightly bowed and introduced herself: "Greetings to all the esteemed seniors and alumni. My name is Liu Yutong, and I’m a freshman this year."
"A freshman? So you’re practically a new student," Huang Yu remarked in surprise, eyeing her up and down. "For a freshman to carry such composure is truly impressive."
Initially, none of them had paid much attention to the young woman. After all, they were nationally renowned tycoons, and while her looks were striking, in the world of business, capability and status were what truly mattered.
However, as Liu Yutong displayed a demeanor far beyond that of an ordinary student, their impressions of her began to shift.
Most students meeting such high-profile figures for the first time would naturally exhibit nervousness or admiration.
Yet, they detected none of that in this girl. Moreover, as seasoned business veterans, they could tell her confidence wasn’t an act—there was even a faint air of authority about her.
Such a presence usually belonged to those who had already established themselves in their careers and possessed a strong, assertive nature—much like themselves.
That a seemingly inexperienced young woman carried this same aura was undeniably intriguing.
The revelation that she was only a freshman further piqued their curiosity.
Typically, reception duties like this were handled by sophomore or junior student council members—never a newcomer. But now, her presence made sense.
When Lin Ke heard the name "Liu Yutong," her gaze sharpened slightly. She had heard of this girl—her son was apparently pursuing her.
She hadn’t expected to meet her here.
Liu Yutong politely acknowledged the praise: "Thank you for your kind words, President Huang."
Huang Yu grinned. "Perfect timing, Liu. Why don’t you give us your take—between Gome and Suning, which one has a brighter future?"
Zhang Dong couldn’t help but interject, "President Huang, aren’t you putting a young girl on the spot here?"
Huang Yu chuckled. "President Zhang, don’t tell me you’re afraid of hearing the truth? Besides, General Manager Song just said the future belongs to the younger generation. I’m simply curious about their perspective."
"Go ahead, Liu. I’m sure President Zhang won’t mind," he added with a teasing glance.
Zhang Dong shook his head in resignation. He made a mental note to avoid future events with Huang Yu—this man always had to turn everything into a competition.
Taking a deep breath, Liu Yutong responded with calm assurance: "President Huang, President Zhang, I’ll speak candidly then."
"In my opinion, neither Gome nor Suning will emerge as the ultimate winner."
The moment these words left her mouth, Huang Yu, Zhang Dong, and the other magnates present were stunned—some even wondered if they’d misheard.
Such audacity! Did this girl have any idea who she was addressing?
One was last year’s richest man, the other a billionaire in his own right—and here was a freshman declaring they’d both lose?
Huang Yu narrowed his eyes. "Explain."
"Under your leadership, President Huang, Gome has achieved remarkable growth and set many industry benchmarks. However, reckless expansion comes with risks. Rapid development demands substantial capital, and relying solely on Gome’s current revenue and profits to sustain it is unrealistic. I suspect Gome must be employing unconventional methods to bridge this gap."
Liu Yutong stopped short of explicitly naming those methods, though they weren’t hard to deduce—extending supplier payment terms and collecting customer deposits upfront to bolster cash flow for expansion.
Naturally, she chose not to voice this directly.
"Additionally, have you calculated Gome’s current compound annual growth rate? While mergers and rapid store openings drive scale, such artificially high growth often masks underlying dangers—management complexities, cultural integration challenges, or growth plateaus in saturated markets. Moreover, consumer demands evolve constantly. If Gome fails to adapt strategically, it risks being left behind..."
Her analysis of Gome’s vulnerabilities was razor-sharp, leaving Huang Yu visibly unsettled. He never expected a college student to understand his empire so thoroughly.
Gome might appear thriving now, but its problems ran deep—enough to eventually land this very tycoon behind bars for regulatory violations.
Zhang Dong, initially stunned, felt a surge of schadenfreude.
Huang Yu had long targeted him, driven by ambitions to swallow Suning whole. Hearing a freshman strip the billionaire’s facade with such bluntness was downright satisfying.
"Hah! Liu’s insights are spot-on," Zhang Dong laughed. "President Lin, your university truly breeds exceptional talent. Her critique is flawless."
Lin Ke merely smiled, staying neutral. She had no intention of getting tangled in their squabble—not when both men were potential clients for her bank.
Huang Yu scoffed. "Don’t celebrate yet, President Zhang. Liu hasn’t dissected Suning."
Zhang Dong waved magnanimously. "By all means, Liu. Speak freely. I’m not one to take offense."
Nodding, Liu Yutong continued: "President Zhang, your asset-heavy expansion model is undoubtedly steadier, aligning with your cautious nature. However, over-reliance on this approach blinds you to critical shifts—like the meteoric rise of e-commerce. If Suning fails to adapt swiftly, it may cede ground to nimbler competitors..."
Before long, the Suning CEO’s jovial expression darkened.
The girl might as well have pointed at him and called him indecisive and shortsighted.
Yet her words held truth. In 2007, industry forecasts projected China’s e-commerce GMV to surpass a trillion, while Suning’s internal estimates lagged at half that—a gross underestimation of the sector’s growth.
This miscalculation cost Suning its digital transformation, allowing an upstart—once a penniless student arriving with just 72 eggs—to overtake them.
Moreover, after Huang Yu, the boss of Guo Mei, was sent to prison, Suning became the dominant player in the market and began to grow complacent. Their decision-making slowed in certain areas, or perhaps they became too cautious, causing them to miss the perfect opportunity to diversify beyond electronics.
Instead, JD.com, which had once been crushed by Suning, staged a complete comeback. Later, failed investments and misguided transformations worsened the company's financial losses, leading to insolvency and eventual bankruptcy restructuring.
Time passed little by little.
In the Guining Hall of Jinghua Pavilion,
the big shots seated on the sofas went from relaxed banter to stunned silence as the situation unfolded.
Observing their reactions, Liu Yutong finally spoke, her words laden with meaning:
"All gatherings must end, flowers fall and lives fade without notice—this world changes far too quickly."
