Then he picked up a wet wipe from the table and wiped his middle and index fingers.
Only then did he speak at the right time: "So, this hotel project of mine can be described as a joint laboratory with Rice. At that time, Manager Wang will make requests from the perspective of hotel operations and top-tier guest needs; your Cloud Rice technical team will be responsible for research and development to overcome challenges. Once successful, it will not only be Xingchen's flagship hotel but also a benchmark case for your Rice solutions, and even more so, a 'gilded' testing ground for your technology."
"Joint laboratory..." Lei Jun repeated the phrase, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
"This is a good idea. We used to always think about how to sell products, but what's truly high-value is the ability to create scenario-based solutions. Hotels, especially the kind of top-tier hotels you want to build, are one of the most complex scenarios."
After speaking, Lei Jun's originally smiling face suddenly became shrewd.
"By the way, President Chen should have mentioned it to you; Viomi truly wants to be deeply bound with Xingchen's hotel project. Regarding high-end smart scenarios, we've looked for many partners, but in terms of operational capability and brand tone, no one compares to you, President Jiang."
He paused, his tone shifting with a hint of subtle forcefulness: "Of course, regarding the gambling agreement, I personally feel it's quite unnecessary. We're all sensible people; cooperation emphasizes mutual trust, and gambling agreements hurt feelings. Viomi is backed by the Rice ecosystem; in the smart home appliance track, we are the absolute leader. Entering in the Pre-IPO round, it's a guaranteed profit after listing."
Jiang Cheng rubbed the warm rim of his cup with his fingertips and looked up at him, his tone flat and devoid of emotion.
"President Lei, I see your sincerity in this cooperation. But regarding Viomi's valuation and its performance after listing, I have my own judgment. For a Company where seventy percent of revenue relies on mobile phones and yet claims hardware profits don't exceed 5%, how long will the capital market buy into that? When Rice's stock price drops below its IPO price on the first day, I'm afraid Viomi's valuation will follow suit in an avalanche."
He paused, each word carrying weight: "A gambling agreement, phased investment, and no-logo customization. These three conditions—if even one is missing, there's no deal."
Only then did Wang Yuyan finally breathe a sigh of relief, her back already drenched in a thin layer of sweat.
When she was being teased by Jiang Cheng just now, she had secretly planned to flirt back with him later.
After all, flirting with a man is much simpler than with a woman.
She wouldn't even have to end up like her, with a perfectly good pair of Balenciaga stockings getting a hole in them for no reason.
But just as her hand touched Jiang Cheng's thigh, she heard his words.
Jiang Cheng's words weren't aggressive at all, yet every sentence struck a vital point, completely dismantling the difficult problem Lei Jun had just thrown out.
At this moment, there wasn't a hint of the playful banter in his eyes, only the calm and composure of someone in full control.
With him suddenly becoming so serious, Wang Yuyan didn't dare to make another move.
She quietly withdrew her hand, and even her breathing became a bit lighter.
For fear of disturbing the atmosphere at this negotiation table.
Seeing Jiang Cheng so assertive, the smile on Lei Jun's face froze for a moment.
Just as he was about to retort, the door to the private room was gently pushed open by a waiter.
Two Waitresses carried the dishes and quietly placed them on the dining table.
When they entered, the door opened a bit wider, and the commotion in the hallway clearly drifted in.
"President Zhao, give me another month or so. As long as the commercial complex in West City successfully tops out and pre-sales open, the funds will be recovered immediately. I'll pay back your money, principal and interest, not a penny less!"
A deep, hoarse, yet urgent voice crashed into Lei Jun's ears.
He subconsciously turned his head to look, and when he saw the person's face clearly, his action of drinking tea paused instantly.
Isn't that Xu Jiayin?
At this moment, Xu Jiayin was still standing tall in a well-tailored custom suit, his tie knotted meticulously.
It's just that the white hair at his temples had increased significantly compared to when they met six months ago.
The bloodshot streaks in his eyes couldn't hide the exhaustion from days of running around.
He was bowing slightly, speaking rapidly to the middle-aged man in front of him.
His posture appeared extremely humble.
Seeing this, Lei Jun was momentarily speechless.
Who didn't know that this year was Xu Jiayin's most successful year?
After all, he was the richest man this year.
Usually, one would have to make an appointment half a month in advance just to see him.
Why did he look like this today?
Thinking this, he immediately shifted his gaze to the middle-aged man beside Xu Jiayin.
He saw the man's face full of impatience as he raised his hand to interrupt Xu Jiayin.
"Xu Jiayin, it's not that I'm not giving you face. Your bidding qualification for the prime land in South City was revoked, and your overseas trust funds are tied up. Who in the circle doesn't know how big the hole in your Xu Group is right now? I wouldn't dare throw real money down the drain."
Seeing him leave with his people immediately after speaking, Xu Jiayin froze on the spot.
It was clear he was faintly trying to control his emotions.
But even though his back was straight at this moment, it couldn't hide the aura of defeat radiating from him.
Xu Jiayin raised his hand, gently pressing his fingertips against his brow to suppress the weariness in his eyes.
Although the current Company hadn't reached a dead end yet.
Xu Zhi's series of actions had made the entire group feel like it was teetering in the wind and rain.
A profit and loss of tens of billions was already enough to bother him.
But starting from this morning, several major projects on hand were suddenly halted, and the banks also began to tighten credit.
This series of problems was what truly gave him a headache.
In just one night, Company had directly walked into a predicament.
Currently, the liquid funds on Company's books were barely enough to maintain the basic operations of the group.
So as soon as it was dawn today, he quickly flew from Peng City to Kyoto.
But he didn't expect that once this wave of problems appeared, those partners who were originally closely linked would somehow catch wind of it and avoid him one after another.
At this moment, the person he hated most in his mind wasn't Xu Zhi, but Jiang Cheng!!