Chapter 516 - 308: Old Money and New Money, Snakes and Rats Have Their Own Ways

Chapter 516: Chapter 308: Old Money and New Money, Snakes and Rats Have Their Own Ways

Do I fucking have to teach you that?

Li Kexin: "..."

The reply left her a bit stunned, but after a moment’s thought, it didn’t seem out of line.

"Understood, President Lin. I’ll report your request as soon as possible, but things at headquarters can be a bit slow."

"If there’s anything I can do to help you personally, please don’t hesitate to ask."

Li Kexin chose her words carefully, first issuing a disclaimer before quickly trying to take on the responsibility herself.

She knew perfectly well what her company was like.

The higher-ups might not even care about such a huge client, but she certainly did!

"You?"

"I want to buy a world-renowned luxury brand, or at least one of its sub-brands. You think you can make that happen?"

Lin Chu typed back casually, shaking his head with a smile. He wasn’t taking it seriously.

It wasn’t that he was trying to provoke her.

In fact... he’d welcome being proven wrong.

She was just a translator. Lin Chu really didn’t think she could be of any real help.

What he’d just told her wasn’t even one of his real goals.

Long-term goal: acquire Louis Vuitton.

Short-term goal: buy a bank.

Li Kexin: "Umm..."

’This...’

She hadn’t expected Lin Chu’s target to be so massive. Clearly... this was beyond her capabilities.

’Still... I’ll have to go through family channels.’

Suddenly.

An idea sparked in her mind.

"Mr. Lin, personally, I don’t have the connections or channels for that at the moment."

"However, Habsburg has a dedicated commercial intermediary agency here in Paris that provides headhunting and consulting services. If you need it, I can send you the contact information for the person in charge there."

’I have to make the connection!’

’I absolutely have to!’

’With a deal this big, even if I can’t be directly involved, just getting a foot in the door and making a small contribution would be more than enough to set me up.’

"Sure, send it over."

Lin Chu didn’t refuse, agreeing readily.

Bian Gaige was already on the move.

But it didn’t hurt to have a two-pronged approach.

’Intermediaries have their own connections. As long as the money is right, anything is possible.’

’You get the service you pay for.’

After getting Lin Chu’s affirmative reply, Li Kexin thought it over and finally settled on a middleman.

So, she made a phone call.

"Hey, Senior, how are you? ... I’ve got a deal here involving a multi-billionaire. Want to try your luck?"

The "Senior" on the other end of the line was a department manager at a business consulting firm under their parent company. He was also her alumnus, Wang Yuzhe.

For something like this, it was best to go to one of her own.

"Hmm? What kind of deal? Tell me about it."

From the phone, Wang Yuzhe’s tone sounded very interested.

The keyword was multi-billionaire!

Li Kexin quickly described the situation in detail—the client’s spending power and his requests—but she omitted Lin Chu’s name.

She was afraid he’d try to cut her out of the deal.

"What a great project!"

"This is great. Do me a favor and send me President Lin’s contact information."

Wang Yuzhe’s voice was filled with delight.

This kind of windfall was a direct result of having the right connections. He had a very strong impression of this junior of his—she was beautiful, capable, cunning, and quite reliable in how she handled things.

"Sure. But how are you going to thank me?"

Li Kexin said in a leisurely, slightly mischievous tone.

In front of Lin Chu, she was utterly respectful and forthcoming. But now, she was playing her cards.

The reward, of course, couldn’t just be an empty promise. It had to be something concrete.

On the other end of the line, Wang Yuzhe was taken aback for a moment, a wry smile appearing on his face.

’The deal isn’t even close to being a sure thing yet.’

’It’s just a potential lead, and she’s already demanding her cut?’

Still, with such a big fish dangling in front of him, he couldn’t help but feel the itch of temptation.

He wasn’t angry, though.

In fact, it made him more confident in the reliability of her information.

’Li Kexin would never dare to scam me with something like this. If she has the guts to ask, she must have the confidence to back it up.’

"Hahaha, that’s not really appropriate, is it? The company doesn’t have a budget for business expenses at this level."

"Let me guess... if he’s a recent major client of the auction house, then I think I already have my answer. It’s that Mr. Lin, isn’t it?"

A deal this big wasn’t exactly a secret within the group. He’d heard whispers, and putting two and two together, he could guess who it was.

Hearing this, Li Kexin didn’t panic. She just chuckled softly and said, "So smart, Senior. But then, I’ll have to ask you to guess why Mr. Lin would tell me about this."

Wang Yuzhe: "..."

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

’Bitch!’

’That’s the advantage women have. A little pillow talk is all it takes to influence whether a massive deal succeeds or fails.’

’Although he considered that this bitch might just be bluffing, he didn’t dare take the risk.’

He wasn’t the only manager like him in the company. She could give this lead to someone else at any time.

"Who else knows about this right now?"

Wang Yuzhe took a deep breath and asked in a more serious tone.

"You’re the first person I came to... You’re my senior, after all. I know one of your directors, too, but we should keep the good stuff in the family, right?"

"So? Are you feeling the love from your junior?"

Li Kexin said in a light and sweet voice.

’The deal is pretty much sealed.’

Based on her understanding of her senior, she was almost certain of it.

"Hahaha, I feel it, of course I feel it."

"What do you think is a fair amount?"

Wang Yuzhe asked, his heart tight with anticipation, though he feigned a relaxed tone.

"Hahaha... I’m just messing with you. Wait for me. I’m booking a flight now. I’ll be in Paris tonight. Let’s have dinner first and talk it over then."

At this point, Li Kexin pulled back. She didn’t discuss the details over the phone; the risk of uncertainty was too great.

If he recorded the call and submitted it to the company or even reported her, she would most likely be investigated.

"Great, I’ll be waiting. I’ll pick you up from the airport. Let me know once you’ve booked your ticket."

Wang Yuzhe replied with a laugh.

After hanging up, a complicated look appeared in his eyes.

’This woman...’

’She’s a real handful.’

But if the information was reliable and he could push this project forward, the returns would be absolutely massive.

Giving her a small cut upfront wouldn’t be a problem.

’Business is just a matter of picking the fruit and then dividing it up.’

...

Of course, Lin Chu had no idea that his casual, half-joking words had just created two more people in the world who were now scheming against each other for his sake.

But even if he had known, he probably would have just shaken his head and smiled.

’I don’t care about the process.’

’I’m well aware that everyone has their darker side.’

’I’m like this myself, so I can’t hold others to a higher moral standard.’

’On this matter, I only care about the results.’

’If they really have the ability to get things done for me, then giving them some money is just a drop in the bucket.’

...

Wandering among the luxury shops of the Champs-Élysées, Lin Chu made a few casual price comparisons and was surprised to find that everything sold here was much more expensive than back home.

Even after accounting for tariffs, the prices were still higher.

’Do they think people are just stupid and rich?’

’Just you wait until I buy all of you out!’

Just then, his phone suddenly rang.

Lin Chu glanced at the screen. It was Bian Gaige. He answered immediately.

He wondered if the old professor had made any progress.

"Elder Bian, this is Lin Chu. Go ahead."

After Lin Chu spoke calmly, he heard Bian Gaige’s hearty laughter.

’Hm?’

’Good news?’

"I have good news and bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Bian Gaige asked with a slightly smug laugh.

Lin Chu was speechless.

"Start with the good news."

"Alright. The good news is, after a morning of comprehensive comparisons and visits with key figures, I’ve basically confirmed that our target bank for acquisition has a success rate of over sixty percent."

’That fast?’

Lin Chu was a little surprised.

"And the bad news?"

"The bad news is, this bank has a very high rate of bad debt. Their condition is that any acquisition must be a full buyout, which means you’ll have to take on nearly two billion USD in bad debt."

Lin Chu: "..."

He scratched his head.

’Heh!’

’How is that bad news?’

’What’s the big deal?’

...

...