Chapter 0092: Happy Cooperation

The phrase 'judging people by their status' is mostly used in a derogatory sense.

But in reality, the words themselves have no error; the real error lies with the people who use them.

Zhao Fusheng knew very well what kind of person Zhu Yushi was—this was his greatest advantage. After all, compared to Zhu Yushi, who knew nothing about him, Zhao Fusheng's foreknowledge naturally gave him the upper hand to some extent.

Of course, this was thanks to the fact that Zhu Yushi hadn't disappeared from this world and had still come up with Brain Gold; otherwise, no matter how many tricks Zhao Fusheng had up his sleeve, they would have been useless.

After all, as the saying goes, one can't make bricks without straw. Even if you want to set a trap for someone, the other party has to give you the opportunity to do so.

"Are you joking?" Zhu Yushi looked at Zhao Fusheng and asked seriously.

Zhao Fusheng looked at him calmly: "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Zhu Yushi was taken aback, then shook his head but didn't speak immediately.

Seeing that he remained silent, Zhao Fusheng wasn't in a hurry. He picked up his cup and took a sip of coffee, but frowned as it reached his mouth—it was too bitter and hadn't even been sweetened, completely not to his taste.

Zhu Yushi sat quietly, leaning back against the sofa, his hands crossed over his stomach, thumbs rubbing against each other. His subordinates around him didn't dare to make a sound, just watching.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled softly and said nothing. If he remembered correctly, such a gesture usually meant that Zhu Yushi was considering something.

He had read about this in an advertising textbook in his previous life, and Zhao Fusheng remembered it clearly.

The reason was simple: in many people's eyes, Zhu Yushi was one of the most famous businessmen in China who succeeded through advertising.

"Those who know me well know that I like to burn my bridges..."

After a long while, Zhu Yushi slowly spoke.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "I know that. I heard that's how the Giant Building collapsed..."

Pfft!

Zhu Yushi couldn't help but laugh himself, and the staff behind him had twisted expressions, as if they would have burst out laughing if the person in front of them wasn't their boss.

"Young man, why don't you respect your elders?" Zhu Yushi looked at Zhao Fusheng helplessly. Clearly, having his old wound exposed didn't upset him.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "It's old news. Everyone in the country knows about it. What's the harm in me saying it? Besides, I think it might not be a bad thing for you, President Zhu. After all, if a person hasn't experienced failure, they won't understand what success really means. If they haven't experienced loss, how can they know to cherish what they have?"

Although Zhu Yushi was a business prodigy, in Zhao Fusheng's eyes, he was just an NPC in a game called 'Restart Life,' a game with only one player—Zhao Fusheng himself.

Of course, someone like Zhu Yushi could be outsmarted. If it were someone who hadn't appeared before, Zhao Fusheng would have to deal with things as they came.

Fortunately, Zhu Yushi was still the same Zhu Yushi. Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, he smiled and didn't take offense. He had heard plenty of flattery and wasn't like that French president during World War II who got carried away with a few compliments.

But regardless, Zhao Fusheng's words had struck a chord with him.

"So tell me, how much do you want for this proposal?" Zhu Yushi asked Zhao Fusheng.

No matter how much they beat around the bush, in the end, they had to get down to a specific figure.

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and held up one finger.

"One million?"

Zhu Yushi was stunned. He hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to propose such a number.

"Do you know what one million means?" Zhu Yushi asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng smiled but said nothing.

Of course, he knew what one million meant in 1999. At that time, the Penguin Company in Shenzhen had just been established not long ago, and its startup capital was barely five hundred thousand.

In Shanghai, Chen Tianqiao borrowed five hundred thousand to start Shanda Company, renting a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment with only six employees, including his newlywed wife and brother-in-law.

In Beijing, on the eve of New Year's Day, Liu Qiangdong held an annual meeting at the Jiutouniao Hotel in Beijing, with only a dozen or so employees in the audience. Liu Qiangdong, in his distinctive dialect-accented Mandarin, laid out his New Year's goal: 'Next year, let's hire a warehouse manager. Of course, that can only happen if we move to a larger office.'

That year, he had a counter of less than four square meters in the newly opened Hailong Building, mainly selling CD burning services, with a foolproof multimedia system thrown in.

And now, Zhao Fusheng, facing Zhu Yushi, who had just announced the bankruptcy of the Giant Group a few years ago and was trying to make a comeback with Brain Gold, was asking for one million to sell him a proposal.

Zhu Yushi gritted his teeth and agreed.

"I agree." When Zhu Yushi said these words, Zhao Fusheng was visibly startled.

He knew very well how absurd his demand was and had even prepared for Zhu Yushi to get up and leave or haggle on the spot.

But he never expected that Zhu Yushi would actually agree.

Zhao Fusheng had always envied the protagonists in rebirth novels, who at a young age could convince their families to believe them and invest hundreds of thousands in a desperate business venture. Or, in their teens or twenties, they would pontificate and confuse a bunch of old bureaucrats.

None of that applied to Zhao Fusheng. His parents had plenty of ideas and didn't care about his opinions. As for Zhu Yushi in front of him, the first time they dealt with each other, he had given Zhao Fusheng a not-so-light lesson.

And now, Zhao Fusheng finally felt a sense of vindication.

"President Zhu, happy cooperation."

After a moment of silence, Zhao Fusheng stood up and extended his right hand to Zhu Yushi. Regardless, since the man had the courage to cooperate with him, he had no reason to refuse.

"Happy cooperation. I hope you won't disappoint me." Zhu Yushi also stood up and said with a smile.

Zhao Fusheng smiled confidently. Some things didn't need to be expressed in words; true strong men let facts speak for themselves.

Since they had decided to cooperate, a contract had to be signed. Zhu Yushi's assistant prepared the contract, and Zhao Fusheng had to go back and prepare his complete proposal. So they didn't say much more, and Zhu Yushi arranged for someone to see Zhao Fusheng out.

Watching Zhao Fusheng's retreating figure, Zhu Yushi suddenly sighed.

"Boss, you..." Behind him, his long-time assistant noticed Zhu Yushi's mood and couldn't help but ask softly.

"What, you think I shouldn't have agreed to his request?"

Zhu Yushi glanced at his assistant and asked indifferently.

"One million is already a sky-high price," the assistant said solemnly. "Is he worth that much?"

As a confidant who had followed Zhu Yushi for years, witnessing his rise from obscurity in Zhuhai, his struggle out of the quagmire of bankruptcy, and his current state, the assistant spoke his mind directly.

"I don't know if he's worth it, but that proposal is worth the money," Zhu Yushi said calmly.

Then, waving his hand, he said, "Prepare the check and the contract. Sign as soon as possible."