Chapter 289: Chapter 289: Benefactor Zhou

"So, Chairman Zhou means..." Lu Youxi finally took the initiative to ask, prompting Cao Zhijie to get straight to the point.

Cao Zhijie felt that he had already analyzed the pros and cons with Lu Youxi enough, so he said, "Chairman Zhou wants to invest in Little Pink Book in his personal capacity."

"Oh?" Lu Youxi raised an eyebrow, but she wasn’t about to let anyone come in and start dictating how their company should be run.

Moreover, Zhou Xueyi’s sudden suggestion was really quite strange.

The words Cao Zhijie had just said clearly indicated that he didn’t want Little Pink Book to continue getting involved with Chengzhou.

But Zhou Xueyi wanted to invest personally.

It seemed that Zhou Xueyi really had high hopes for Little Pink Book.

"President Lu can rest assured, Chairman Zhou is only interested in investing, not in taking a controlling stake," said Cao Zhijie. "As far as I know, among the three current shareholders of Little Pink Book, the other two have invested purely in the form of technology. Before the support from Chengzhou, all of Little Pink Book’s capital investment has come from President Lu."

"However, President Lu’s own finances are somewhat strained. It can be said that the money squeezed out by pinching pennies has all been allocated to Little Pink Book," Cao Zhijie said.

Lu Youxi raised an eyebrow - who had told him this?

Her, pinching pennies?

And then she thought, oh right, it seemed like she was the one who had put it that way.

"Chairman Zhou means that he could be the next largest shareholder after President Lu, but he is actually willing to take responsibility for the majority of the investment," said Cao Zhijie.

"..." It took a moment for Lu Youxi to suppress a sigh, "Chairman Zhou... really is a benefactor."

Benefactor Zhou!

Cao Zhijie: "..."

Why did he feel that there was a hint of sarcasm in Lu Youxi’s tone?

Or was it his imagination?

This kind of opportunity, which was practically like picking up money for free, would have made Lu Youxi ecstatic, so she shouldn’t be sarcastic, right?

In the blink of an eye, Cao Zhijie convinced himself.

"When does President Lu have time? We would like to discuss this matter with you as soon as possible," Cao Zhijie said.

Lu Youxi raised an eyebrow - their haste made her even more suspicious.

A rushed deal is no deal at all.

Besides, why was Zhou Xueyi in such a hurry to donate money to her fledgling company?

Lu Youxi narrowed her eyes slightly. There must be something going on here.

She wanted to see what Zhou Xueyi really intended to do.

Understanding Zhou Xueyi’s purpose would allow her to be better prepared for the future.

Next time Zhou Xueyi tried something, she would probably have an idea.

She couldn’t afford to reject him hastily, knowing that the other party might be scheming but not understanding their intentions.

"Sure, I’m available anytime," said Lu Youxi. "I just don’t know when Chairman Zhou would be free?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhijie thought to himself that Lu Youxi really couldn’t wait.

Inside, Lu Youxi was extremely excited, wishing she could meet with Zhou Xueyi immediately and secure his investment. However, she still put effort into maintaining a composed and professional demeanor - a difficult feat indeed.

But Lu Youxi was still young after all. She thought she was disguising it rather well, unaware that it couldn’t fool him at all.

Little did Lu Youxi know, Cao Zhijie was feeling quite confident in his own perception.

"Alright, then I’ll see what Chairman Zhou thinks and get back to you," Cao Zhijie said.

According to Zhou Xueyi, it would be best if they could meet this afternoon.

But he couldn’t just tell Lu Youxi that, as it would make Zhou Xueyi seem desperate.

"Alright, then I’ll wait for the good news," encouraged Lu Youxi.

Sure enough, as Cao Zhijie said goodbye to Lu Youxi, he thought that she truly couldn’t wait.

After hanging up the phone, Lu Youxi thought for a moment and sent Zhou Shuyan a text message, "Are you available to talk now?"

Zhou Shuyan was in his office, and upon receiving the text, he immediately called Lu Youxi.

"What’s up?" Zhou Shuyan asked.

Lu Youxi hadn’t expected a response so soon after sending a text message, thinking Zhou Shuyan might be busy.

To her surprise, Zhou Shuyan called her the next second.

"Do you know about a board member from your group named Zhou Xueyi?" Lu Youxi asked.

Zhou Shuyan really hadn’t expected to hear Zhou Xueyi’s name from Lu Youxi.

"I know," said Zhou Shuyan. "Why are you asking about him? Have you been in touch?"

"His assistant, named Cao Zhijie, contacted me, saying he wanted to invest in Little Pink Book personally. He doesn’t want the largest share, just one less than mine is okay. But for the investment, he can contribute a lot and offer full support."

"This kind of deal, which is pretty much like getting something for nothing, I don’t think it’s a good thing," said Lu Youxi. "If the person’s identity is real, as a businessman, why would he do something that benefits others at his own expense?"

"Besides, I sensed a certain urgency in their attitude," Lu Youxi continued. "That sort of eagerness doesn’t bode well for business. I’m afraid he’s got some scheme waiting for me. So, I wanted to ask you if you know of any recent policy rumors within your company."

"I just don’t understand, why is someone like Zhou Xueyi, who is a novice when it comes to the business world, so eager to invest in a small start-up like mine?" pondered Lu Youxi.

Zhou Shuyan was also surprised and couldn’t quite grasp Zhou Xueyi’s reasoning.

He tried to think with the somewhat unconventional logic of Zhou Xueyi.

"I did hear about something," Zhou Shuyan replied.

"What is it?" Lu Youxi immediately asked.

"I actually wanted to discuss it with you tonight," said Zhou Shuyan. "It seems that Chengzhou Technology is interested in taking a stake in Little Pink Book, but they still respect your opinion. They should be contacting you soon to discuss the matter."

"Isn’t that a coincidence? Chengzhou Technology wants to invest, and so does Zhou Xueyi?" Lu Youxi didn’t doubt that Zhou Shuyan would know.

He had some friends in the company who always caught wind of things.

"They think so highly of my Little Pink Book?" Lu Youxi raised an eyebrow.

"From what I’ve heard, I believe that Chengzhou Technology is looking for a closer collaboration with Little Pink Book," said Zhou Shuyan. "They are planning to divert more of their resources to Little Pink Book. However, doing so would go beyond the scope of the support plan. Chengzhou Technology is also in business to profit, and they don’t want to be at a loss, so they are considering taking a stake. Once Little Pink Book develops well, it will also benefit Chengzhou Technology."

"Think it over yourself, whether to agree or not. If you don’t, it’s fine; Chengzhou won’t trouble you. They will still cooperate as they have been, and won’t make things difficult for Little Pink Book over this."

"Now that you mention it, that Cao Zhijie did imply that Chengzhou Technology might be aiming to take the largest share and directly control the narrative," said Lu Youxi.

"That won’t be the case," Zhou Shuyan affirmed. "Chengzhou Technology has always focused on its own product domains. Chengzhou has a habit of investing in products or companies they see potential in, sort of like casting a wide net."

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