Yu Xin and Chu Yang had just left the restaurant when Gu Yebai and Lu Hong walked into the private room with two bottles of fine wine.
Upon entering, they saw only Zhou Muchen and Xue Chen inside, but the girl was nowhere to be seen, which left them somewhat puzzled.
Gu Yebai was the first to speak up, asking, "Muchen, where is she?"
Zhou Muchen casually tossed the towel aside and said, "She's gone, naturally."
Gu Yebai was taken aback. "Gone? Did you reach an agreement? Your efficiency is impressive."
Lu Hong also smiled and said, "Then we've hit the jackpot this time."
Zhou Muchen, however, shook his head. "No agreement was reached. She refused."
Hearing this, both men were momentarily stunned, struggling to process the information.
"What? It really fell through?"
"Well, this is interesting. That girl actually dared to turn us down. She certainly has guts."
Xue Chen, sitting to the side, couldn't hold back and interjected, "I told you that woman doesn't know what's good for her! Brother Chen offered her a deal and she didn't want it. If you ask me, we should just teach her a lesson!"
A single glance from Zhou Muchen silenced Xue Chen immediately, and he didn't dare say another word.
"She's not ungrateful. It's because the real decision-maker isn't her; it's that young lady from the Wanlong Society. To be honest, if I hadn't double-checked and confirmed the information was accurate, I wouldn't have believed there was such a formidable figure in Pearl City."
Hearing the name, Gu Yebai found it somewhat familiar. "Muchen, are you talking about that young lady, Liu Yutong?"
Zhou Muchen nodded. "Let me ask you both, what are your impressions of that Yu Xin from earlier?"
Gu Yebai and Lu Hong exchanged a look. They had only crossed paths with the girl; they hadn't even exchanged a word with her before she left. Asking them was practically pointless.
Nevertheless, they gave it serious thought.
After a moment.
Gu Yebai spoke first. "Knowing who we are, that Yu Xin remained completely composed. That's no small feat; she's definitely not just a pretty face."
Lu Hong nodded in agreement. "The girl is very clever, and most importantly, decisive in her actions—no hesitation or messing about. Also, judging by the bodyguard she brought along, who seemed highly skilled, the fact that she can command someone like that speaks volumes about her own capabilities."
These assessments were based entirely on first impressions, supplemented by inferences drawn from Xue Chen's disheveled state.
After listening to their evaluations, Zhou Muchen turned his gaze to Xue Chen, who still looked sullen. "Xue Chen, what do you think?"
Xue Chen, currently seething with hatred for that woman, naturally wouldn't have a good word to say about her. "What do I think? She's just a woman who doesn't know her place!"
"Brother Chen, you personally offered to reserve shares for her, and instead of being grateful, she had the nerve to walk out in a huff. What's there to say about a woman like that who doesn't understand the rules or recognize what's good for her? If she ever falls into my hands, I'll make sure she learns some manners!"
Although Zhou Muchen inwardly despised this useless Xue Chen, he didn't let it show on his face.
After all, Xue Chen was on his side.
The more Xue Chen disparaged the girl, the more it highlighted her remarkable qualities.
Being able to handle Xue Chen so effortlessly wasn't something just anyone could do—or rather, something most people wouldn't dare to do.
It showed just how strong-willed and confident Yu Xin's character was.
Of course, it was precisely because he admired Yu Xin's capabilities that he had made the snap decision to offer her team a 9% stake.
It was just a shame she refused.
"So it seems you both have a rather favorable view of that Yu Xin," Zhou Muchen asked again.
Gu Yebai and Lu Hong nodded simultaneously. "Setting aside our opposing positions, the girl is indeed talented. It would be even better if we could secure Wanhui Youxuan and keep her on board."
"Muchen, if we could really get her to work for us, giving her a small share wouldn't be out of the question."
Zhou Muchen said, "I already told her what you suggested. I was willing to set aside 9% for her and her team, but she didn't agree."
If Yu Xin had heard his words, she would have spat in his face.
Using their Wanlong Society's assets and talking as if it were his charity?
Have you no shame?!
"Of course, that doesn't change the fact that I think highly of her. She is indeed a woman of courage, skill, and daring."
"But that's not the point. The reason I asked you is to tell you that according to the information I obtained, the truly formidable one isn't the Yu Xin we met today."
"It's the woman behind her, named Liu Yutong."
"To put it this way, Yu Xin's abilities are probably not even one percent of Liu Yutong's."
Hearing this, Gu Yebai and the other two were stunned once more, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Really? Muchen, aren't you exaggerating a bit?"
"Muchen, you can't just say things like that. That Yu Xin is already considered a rare talent. If what you say is true, and that Liu Yutong is really a hundred times more capable than Yu Xin, then is she even human?"
"Exactly, she's just a woman. How could it be that exaggerated?"
"......."
Zhou Muchen looked at the stunned reactions of the three and continued, "My initial reaction was the same as yours, but the source is absolutely reliable. This Liu Yutong is truly extraordinary."
He then gave them a general rundown of Liu Yutong's information.
How she rose from an ordinary high school student with no background to become the young lady of the largest society in Pearl City.
How she demonstrated astonishing business acumen, step by step pushing the valuation of the Wanlong Group into the ten-figure range, reaching billions in scale.
Even though it's a valuation, it's terrifying enough.
Even if you don't count the valuation, the net assets alone likely exceed a billion.
And she accomplished this in less than a year.
Also, how the Wanlong Society she established became the largest society in Pearl City under her leadership, and how she swept away various forces in Pearl City within a mere six months—those underworld bosses either dead or imprisoned, almost completely wiped out by her.
All of this fully demonstrates that this Liu Yutong not only possesses top-tier business brains but also formidable methods. She can truly be described as accomplished in both literary and martial arts.
In short, a young girl with no foundation, able to rapidly consolidate resources, eliminate obstacles, and establish a vast empire combining business and society in such a short time, certainly can't be explained by mere luck.
"Muchen, hearing you say all that, this girl is indeed impressive!"
"To achieve this starting from scratch is truly remarkable. Just from this point, she is indeed more formidable than that Yu Xin."
"It's not exactly starting from scratch, is it? Didn't she have a father mixed up in the underworld?"
"An underworld father? Heh... wouldn't he be like a mouse seeing a cat when encountering us? We could handle him however we please."
"Meow..."
"Hahaha............"
"Muchen, I admit I'm interested in her now. How about we go to Pearl City to meet her?"
Zhou Muchen was about to nod, because to completely secure controlling ownership of Wanhui Youxuan, they had to make a trip to Pearl City to negotiate with the other party face-to-face.
Of course, you could also call it delivering an ultimatum.
As someone said earlier, Wanlong ultimately has that layer of being a society, which is a point of vulnerability.
Zhou Muchen had received insider information that the provincial authorities had already sent an investigation team down.
Perhaps by then, he wouldn't even need to exert any effort to make them comply obediently.
