Chapter 1328: Persuading Ono

They say home is a place where the soul can rest, and that saying is absolutely true.

Having a hotpot meal with Fan Baobao, even without discussing company matters with her, Zhao Fusheng's mood had improved considerably, and he even felt much lighter overall.

It was a heartfelt sense of ease and joy.

"Feeling better?"

Hooking her arm through Zhao Fusheng's, Fan Baobao said with a coquettish smile.

Zhao Fusheng nodded gently and smiled. "How could I not feel good when our Ms. Fan has graced me with her company for dinner?"

Hearing his words, Fan Baobao giggled, clearly in a good mood as well.

That's how relationships work—you always have to let the other person feel they can do something for you. Otherwise, if one person simply gives and takes care of the other, it might not feel like much at first, but over time, the harm caused by this emotional imbalance becomes irreparable.

"From now on, let's go out to eat together every week," Fan Baobao said with a grin.

Zhao Fusheng nodded. "Sure, but I'm afraid you'll be too busy then."

"Me, busy?" Fan Baobao was taken aback, clearly not understanding what Zhao Fusheng meant.

Zhao Fusheng laughed, a hint of mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, they say once a woman has a child, she has no time to take care of her husband. You'll definitely be busy."

"Ah, you're annoying!" Fan Baobao was startled, then blushed shyly, her face as red as an apple as she began swinging her fists to 'chase' Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng certainly wasn't going to wait for her to 'domestic abuse' him; he jogged all the way toward home.

Bickering and laughing, Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao's figures gradually faded into the distance. The setting sun cast long, long shadows of the two, at first far apart, but slowly drawing closer until they merged into one.

No noise, no disturbance, no ups and downs, no sound at all—just a quiet stroll, away from the city's hustle and bustle, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

This is probably what a man seeks in a wife: as long as she's not the type to flee at the first sign of trouble, she'll always be a caring companion. Even Qin Hui had a wife like Wang Shi, let alone Zhao Fusheng.

Perhaps because he had lived two lives, Zhao Fusheng no longer pursued passionate love. He only hoped that the person by his side would be considerate, someone who would offer a warm embrace when he had nightmares.

…

…

Leisurely days always pass quickly. After enjoying a day of happiness in the warmth of his home, Zhao Fusheng received a call from Dong Chenxi the next evening: Ono Masao had returned to the capital.

"Tomorrow morning, he will personally visit the company headquarters to see you," Dong Chenxi said over the phone.

Zhao Fusheng nodded, naturally understanding Dong Chenxi's implication. Ono Masao had rushed back to China in a hurry, clearly because of the news he had given him.

After all, as long as he wasn't an idiot, he should know that Alibaba was a big piece of cake.

The reason he had chosen to trade with Future Investment back then was to position himself in the U.S. market. Now that Zhao Fusheng intended to discuss a joint effort, Ono Masao certainly wouldn't let this opportunity slip.

Sure enough, early the next morning, Zhao Fusheng saw the long-missed Ono Masao in his office.

"Mr. Ono, long time no see. You're looking more and more radiant," Zhao Fusheng greeted Ono Masao politely. Ono Masao was a true China hand, so communicating with him required little effort.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Ono Masao laughed and extended his hand to Zhao Fusheng. "Chairman Zhao flatters me. I'd say you're the one riding high. The Facebook you invested in the U.S. is developing so well; I bet you're laughing in your sleep."

"Old fox!"

Zhao Fusheng cursed inwardly, but kept a smile on his face as he said to Ono Masao, "Mr. Ono, please have a seat. How about we chat over tea?"

"Sure," Ono Masao said without standing on ceremony, taking a seat in the chair opposite Zhao Fusheng.

Since it was a private meeting between the two, not a business negotiation, Ono Masao's secretary and assistant did not follow him in; Dong Chenxi entertained them instead.

"I flew all the way back from Osaka. Chairman Zhao, you were so eager to see me—is there something you need my help with?" Ono Masao said with a smile after sitting down, looking at Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng sneered inwardly. He had clearly had Dong Chenxi send the materials to Ono Masao's assistant, yet this guy was playing dumb and asking what help he needed. How clueless.

"Mr. Ono, I think you misunderstand. I'm not asking for your help," Zhao Fusheng said, glancing at Ono Masao coolly. "I'm merely informing your company of the possible developments at Alibaba."

Ono Masao was taken aback, then frowned, his expression darkening.

He had originally thought that Zhao Fusheng's urgent request to meet him was to seek his help, but now it seemed that wasn't the case at all.

Of course, it was also possible that this guy was outwardly strong but inwardly weak, just putting on a show.

With that in mind, Ono Masao glanced at Zhao Fusheng impassively and slowly straightened up.

"Chairman Zhao, are you saying that Yahoo intends to exchange all of Yahoo China's assets plus one billion U.S. dollars for two-fifths of Alibaba's shares?" Ono Masao said, looking at Zhao Fusheng, enunciating each word.

Zhao Fusheng nodded. Compared to Ono's formality, he appeared more relaxed, explaining, "Ma Xiaoyun told me himself when we met before."

"What do you mean?" Ono Masao was startled, somewhat surprised. He had assumed Zhao Fusheng had obtained the news from elsewhere, not that Ma Xiaoyun had personally told him.

Zhao Fusheng smiled but said nothing.

Ono Masao's brow furrowed deeply, and he remained silent for a long time.

After a moment's thought, he understood Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

Ono Masao had dealt with Ma Xiaoyun before and naturally knew what kind of character he was. When SoftBank had partnered with Alibaba, Ma had shown a rather unexpected side. Later, his secret dealings with Future Investment had only come to Ono's attention afterward. Now, clearly, Ma Xiaoyun had made contact with Yahoo, which was why Zhao Fusheng had come to him.

Though it sounded absurd, in the business world, this was nothing new.

The only question was how determined Zhao Fusheng was—was he really planning to completely fall out with Ma Xiaoyun?

Ono Masao didn't know, because he didn't understand Zhao Fusheng.

Ono had always prided himself on being a smart man, and in his view, being smart meant a combination of knowledge, insight, and life experience.

Although Zhao Fusheng was young, Ono Masao had to admit that while he might be somewhat lacking in knowledge, his insight and life experience were no less than anyone Ono knew.

Sometimes, he even felt that looking at Zhao Fusheng now was like looking at Son Masayoshi back in the day.

After all, that was the impression Son Masayoshi had given people back then.

Time ticked by, minute after minute. Neither Zhao Fusheng nor Ono Masao spoke, as if they were competing to see who had more patience. Neither opened their mouth; they just sat there.

After a long while, Zhao Fusheng sighed, glanced at Ono Masao, and suddenly laughed.

"Mr. Zhao, what are you laughing at?" Ono Masao looked at Zhao Fusheng suspiciously, clearly not understanding why he would laugh out of the blue.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged and said, "Nothing. I just feel that Mr. Ono seems to have some misunderstanding about me."

Misunderstanding?

Hearing this, Ono Masao almost cursed. This Zhao Fusheng actually dared to say he had a misunderstanding about him. Had this guy not looked in the mirror before leaving the house?

From the very beginning of their dealings until now, Ono Masao could say with certainty that there was absolutely no misunderstanding between him and Zhao Fusheng.