Super Rich: It all started when I met a young woman in a sleeper car.

Chen Xun watched the man in the gray jacket leave on the monitor screen, then turned to the three women and said...

"The fish have been circling around for two nights; it's time to add some serious bait."

He took out his phone and called Zhou Wenbin directly.

The call was answered instantly.

"Brother Zhou, how's the situation? Have they made any further moves?"

Zhou Wenbin's voice was low but tinged with excitement: "Brother Chen, guess what? Just now, a manager surnamed Wang from Jiang Tianxiong's side contacted me again. This time it wasn't a test, it was a formal message."

"How so?"

"He said his boss 'greatly admires' the 'Xunwei Instant Noodles' brand, and having heard we've encountered some 'minor difficulties' in our recent expansion, he's willing to 'lend a helping hand.' The gist of it was either a complete acquisition or they'd inject capital and take the lion's share." Zhou Wenbin paused. "I acted out our script, pretending to be hesitant, saying that Boss Chen was too ambitious and might not agree. Guess what that guy surnamed Wang said?"

"How so?"

"He said, 'Boss Zhou, in business there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. Boss Chen is young and may not understand this right now, but reality will teach him a lesson. Could you please pass on a message that the price is negotiable, but opportunities don't wait for anyone?'" Zhou Wenbin mimicked the other person's tone, "Isn't that just a threat? That's really ugly."

Chen Xun laughed: "That's exactly the effect they want. Brother Zhou, reply to him and say you'll try to persuade me again, but I'm stubborn and it might take some time. We also need to see 'sincerity.' Keep them hanging on, and it would be best to arrange a meeting in person. You decide the location, and it should look like you've 'secretly' arranged it."

"I understand, it's a strategy of feigning indifference." Zhou Wenbin laughed. "Don't worry, I'm a master at playing a double agent. I'll tell you the time and place once I've gotten it out of you."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun repeated Zhou Wenbin's words.

Yang Xiaotao's face puffed up with anger: "They really dare to say that! Teach them how to be decent human beings? Do they even deserve it!"

Lin Xinyue frowned: "Chen Xun, they're in such a hurry, it seems they're convinced we're in financial trouble. The fake report and those updates worked."

Li Qian had already sat back down at her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard: "I'm tracing the source of the calls that manager surnamed Wang made to Zhou Wenbin, as well as other possible means of contact. If we can find traces of their internal communication, the chain of evidence will be more complete."

"Xiao Tao," Chen Xun looked at the monitor screen, "has that person come again these past two nights?"

Yang Xiaotao nodded quickly: "Come on! They came last night too, around the same time, taking pictures and walking around the store. They even seemed to sit at the milk tea shop across the street for a while, like they were observing our evening customer flow."

"Keep an eye on it," Chen Xun said. "The more carefully they confirm it, the more it shows they believe it and how much they value it."

【Ding! 】

[It has been detected that hostile forces have formally contacted the "bait" and expressed a clear intention to acquire it.]

[The "luring the enemy into the trap" plan's execution rate: 65%.]

[Opponent's level of luring in: Deeply hooked.]

[Investment Risk Rating: Extremely High. Potential return rates continue to rise, significantly increasing the probability of a huge return.]

The system's notification reassured Chen Xun.

High risk, high reward. He now firmly believes this.

The next afternoon, Zhou Wenbin's message arrived.

"It's arranged. Tomorrow morning at 10 a.m., at the 'Quiet Heart Tea House' in the west of the city, in the Bamboo Rhyme private room. The guy surnamed Wang said that only he and his 'assistant' will come, and he asked me to make sure you 'invite' them. I told them you'll go, but you might be in a bad mood, so please ask them to be patient."

Chen Xun replied, "Received. Brother Zhou, you go tomorrow too. Just sit next to me, don't say much, just watch. In case anything happens, you'll be a witness."

"Understood. Is there anything I need to bring? A voice recorder?"

"No need, I'll prepare it."

Chen Xun put down his phone and called the three women over.

"Tomorrow morning, at the teahouse, for a face-to-face meeting. There are two people on the other side. Zhou Wenbin will also be there."

Li Qian looked up: "Do you need me to go with you?"

"No need, too many people would be a bad thing. You have more important tasks," Chen Xun assigned. "Li Qian, you continue to monitor communications and see if they contact the people behind the scenes before and after their meeting. Lin Xinyue, compile all the evidence so far—the recordings of the online trolls, Boss Wu's testimony, Fatty Zheng's lead, and the evidence of their intention to acquire the company—into a clear document for future reference. Yang Xiaotao, when they all come to the teahouse tomorrow, keep a close eye on the surveillance footage inside and outside the teahouse to see if there are any other informants."

The three women nodded simultaneously, without uttering a single unnecessary word.

In situations like these, trust and execution are more important than anything else.

Lin Xinyue asked, "What's your bottom line during tomorrow's negotiations? Are you really going to sell?"

"Sell?" Chen Xun laughed. "My instant noodle empire is just starting out. What's there to sell? Tomorrow I'm going to act in a play, playing a young boss who's anxious inside, trying to save face, but is starting to waver under the weight of 'reality.' I'll make them feel that if they put in a little more effort, they can snag a great deal at the lowest price."

Yang Xiaotao was a little worried: "Big brother, are they very fierce?"

"In a teahouse, under the watchful eyes of everyone, they wouldn't dare do anything," Chen Xun said. "What they want is the shop, the brand, not to fight. It's precisely at times like these that they'll put on a hypocritical act of 'thinking of you.'"

Li Qian coldly added, "Then they'll pull out a pre-prepared, unequal contract and wait for you to sign it."

"Yes." Chen Xun's eyes sharpened. "I'll wait for them to produce that contract."

That evening, Chen Xun sat alone in his office, going over the entire plan in his mind again.

From spreading false information to the other party confirming the location, to taking the initiative to contact them, and now arranging a face-to-face meeting.

Every step the other party took was in accordance with the script he had envisioned.

That feeling of being in control is exciting, and it also makes you dare not relax for even a moment.

He knew that tomorrow would be the key.

At 9:50 a.m. the next day, Chen Xun arrived at Jingxin Teahouse ahead of schedule.

He was wearing a casual suit today, without a tie, and his face deliberately showed signs of fatigue and absent-mindedness.

Zhou Wenbin was already waiting at the door. Upon seeing him, he winked and whispered, "They're upstairs. That Manager Wang, and a young guy, probably his lackey. Their attitude, well, they seem quite polite on the surface."

Chen Xun nodded and followed Zhou Wenbin upstairs.

Sure enough, there were two people sitting in the Bamboo Rhyme private room.

The man in the main seat was around forty years old, with slicked-back hair and wearing a business jacket. When he saw Chen Xun enter, he immediately stood up and put on a smile.

"This must be Mr. Chen Xun, the boss! It's an honor to meet you! I'm Wang Zhen from Dingtai Investment." He extended his hand warmly.

Chen Xun shook hands with him; his hand was a little cold. He forced a smile and said, "Manager Wang, hello."

"Sit down, sit down. This is my assistant, Xiao Liu." Wang Zhen pointed to the expressionless young man next to him.

The four people took their seats. Zhou Wenbin sat near the door, acting as the middleman.

Wang Zhen personally poured tea for Chen Xun, his tone very "earnest": "Boss Chen, your 'Xunwei Instant Noodles' has recently become a huge hit among young people. Our CEO Jiang has been following it closely and greatly admires your creativity and execution. Starting a business is not easy for young people!"

Chen Xun picked up his teacup, but didn't drink it. He sighed and said, "What's the use of fire? You only realize how difficult it is when you expand your business."

Wang Zhen's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly: "I heard from Boss Zhou that you're facing some financial difficulties with the renovation of your new store?"

"It's not a little, it's a huge amount." Chen Xun rubbed his temples, his acting on point. "The budget was too optimistic. Halfway through construction, we realized we didn't have enough money. We poured all the cash flow from the old shop into it, but it's still not enough. As for the bank... sigh, let's not talk about it."

His "complaints" were half true and half false, but the emotions were spot on.

Wang Zhen and Xiao Liu exchanged a glance, and Xiao Liu nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I understand, I totally understand!" Wang Zhen slapped his thigh. "That's how starting a business is, nine out of ten times you fail. Boss Chen, I'm not here today to watch you make a fool of yourself, I genuinely want to help you, and I'm optimistic about the prospects of your project."

"Help me?" Chen Xun looked up at him, his eyes filled with doubt and a glimmer of hope.

"Yes!" Wang Zhen took out a document from his briefcase and pushed it in front of Chen Xun. "Our Dingtai is willing to invest at this time to help you overcome your difficulties. This is a preliminary letter of intent for cooperation. You can take a look. The terms are absolutely generous."

Chen Xun picked up the letter of intent and began to read it.

The more he looked, the colder he sneered inwardly.

The terms are written in a grand and respectable manner, mentioning "resource support" and "channel sharing," but the core is just two points: First, Dingtai will invest five million, taking a 70% stake. Second, Chen Xun will retain the titles of brand founder and operator, but major decisions must be approved by Dingtai.

This isn't investment; it's outright robbery.

Chen Xun put down the letter of intent, tapped his fingers on the table, and his struggling expression became more pronounced: "Seventy percent... that's too much. This brand is like my child..."

Wang Zhen immediately said, "Boss Chen, don't just look at the percentage. With this money, your new store can open smoothly and you can continue to expand. Backed by Dingtai's resources, you can grow bigger and stronger, and going public is not a dream! Think about it, would you rather starve to death with 100% of the shares, or take 30% and turn it into a nationwide chain?"

He paused, then lowered his voice: "To be honest, we're not the only ones eyeing this juicy piece of meat. But our CEO Jiang is the most sincere. If you miss this opportunity, the next time they come, the conditions might be even more demanding, maybe even..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the threat was clear.

Chen Xun remained silent for a long time, so long that Wang Zhen began to get anxious.

Finally, Chen Xun raised his head, as if he had made a great decision: "Manager Wang, may I ask, if we cooperate, what specific arrangements does General Manager Jiang have for me and my current team?"

Wang Zhen smiled, knowing there was hope: "President Jiang said, Boss Chen, you're talented, and your team is very capable. Everything will proceed as usual. You can manage things the way you always have. We'll just send a finance person to supervise the use of funds. Let's all make money together!"

Chen Xun nodded, picked up the letter of intent again, looked at it, and then said, "Manager Wang, this is a big deal. I need to discuss it with my team. May I take this letter of intent back with me?"

"Of course!" Wang Zhen said generously. "However, Mr. Chen, time waits for no one, and the market waits for no one either. We hope to get your reply as soon as possible."

"I understand." Chen Xun put away the letter of intent, stood up, and said, "Thank you, Manager Wang, for coming today. I will get back to you as soon as possible."

Wang Zhen also stood up and shook Chen Xun's hand again: "Looking forward to your good news. Boss Chen, a wise man knows when to yield."

After leaving the teahouse and getting into his car, Zhou Wenbin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn, your acting got me all sweaty. Brother Chen, your hesitation and struggle just now was amazing! I almost believed it."

Chen Xun's face showed no trace of fatigue or wavering. His eyes were clear and calm as he took out a small voice recorder from his pocket and pressed the stop button.

"There's more evidence now." He waved the recorder. "They offered to acquire us, used coercion and enticement, and even said things like 'we're not the only ones.'"

Zhou Wenbin said excitedly, "What do we do next? They'll definitely think you've wavered and are just waiting for you to beg them."

"No rush." ​​Chen Xun started the car. "Let them be smug for a while longer. Li Qian should have made some progress as well. Once all the evidence is gathered..."

He glanced at the unequal letter of intent on the passenger seat.

"It's time for us to show our cards."