The smile on Xu Jiayin's face froze for a moment before he steadied his expression again.
"President Jiang, you must be joking. Our capital chain has always been stable; you can rest assured on that. Those are just baseless rumors from outsiders that shouldn't be taken seriously."
"Is that so?" Jiang Cheng set down his teacup and looked up at him. His gaze was calm, yet it seemed capable of seeing through one's heart. "Then what's the deal with the advance payment for the West City shantytown renovation project being delayed for three months? And that plot of land in South City, with its bidding eligibility revoked—I heard it's because the financial backers are no longer willing to fill the bottomless pit?"
As soon as those words were spoken, Xu Jiayin's face turned completely pale.
These matters were indeed Jiang Cheng's doing.
How else would he know these things if he hadn't investigated him?
These matters were secrets that Evergrande had kept tightly under wraps; even within the core management, few were aware of them.
Jiang Cheng watched his suddenly pale face and didn't say anything more. He merely tapped the tabletop lightly, his tone carrying a faint, subtle hint of a reminder.
"President Xu, over the years, you've advanced a lot of money for others and taken the fall for many things, haven't you? It's a pity; some money is easy to advance, but getting it back isn't quite so simple."
"After all, it's not your own money, so it doesn't hurt to spend it. But when it's time to pay it back..."
Jiang Cheng deliberately left the rest unsaid.
Sometimes, what is left unsaid is more chilling than speaking plainly.
Seeing that Jiang Cheng had laid everything out so bluntly, Xu Jiayin's face couldn't help but darken.
Over the years, it seemed like he was at the helm of the Company.
But behind the scenes, there was always an invisible hand pulling the strings.
His land acquisitions and expansions were merely acting as a "white glove" for others; behind those glamorous projects were nothing but bottomless pits.
With things as they were now, Evergrande was teetering in the wind and rain.
If this matter couldn't be resolved...
...and people really came to investigate, he would surely be pushed out as the scapegoat.
As Jiang Cheng laid his cards on the table, Lei Jun no longer even had the heart to drink tea... There was no competitive relationship between him and the Company.
Thus, for him, knowing such inside information was not only useless but could also bring him unnecessary trouble.
The air in the private room was so stagnant it was suffocating.
Xu Jiayin could no longer maintain his dignified facade.
Some things were inherently inappropriate to say in front of Lei Jun.
His fingertips trembled as he gripped the edge of the table.
"In business, it's inevitable to have losses and gains. I've weathered the storms for over a decade now. Over these years, with the help of benefactors and the trust of my partners, the Company has been able to come this far. Regarding the current crisis, as long as they are willing to trust me, I believe we can surely weather it safely..."
Xu Jiayin spoke with such sincerity that even Lei Jun, sitting nearby, showed a hint of being moved.
Unfortunately, Jiang Cheng was someone who had lived a second life.
In the eyes of a devil, such things couldn't move him.
Since everything had been brought out into the open, Jiang Cheng didn't intend to say much more.
"Then I wish President Xu good luck~"
Although the meaning behind Jiang Cheng's words was clearly that he didn't want to discuss things further, Xu Jiayin still hadn't given up hope.
After standing up, his gaze fell back on Jiang Cheng, and his tone became even lower, carrying a final plea.
"I'll be in Kyoto for the next few days. If you have time later, President Jiang, please do me the honor of allowing me to apologize properly and discuss potential cooperation."
After saying that, he turned to Lei Jun and spoke: "President Lei, I'm truly sorry. I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I won't disturb the two of you any further."
Hearing this, Lei Jun immediately stood up.
Pretending he hadn't understood anything just now, he said, "Alright, President Xu..."
Not until Xu Jiayin had left and the waiter had gently closed the door did the turmoil in Lei Jun's heart begin to settle.
At this moment, he only felt his head buzzing.
Back in '18, Rice and the Company were not in the same corporate ecosystem.
That was Xu Jiayin! The man who had just taken the position of the richest person this year.
But the things Jiang Cheng had just said to Xu Jiayin were likely true.
"The money for that plot in Binjiang didn't seem to be the Company's own," "It's easy to pave the way for others, but hard to walk away unscathed," "The West City shantytown renovation advance payment was delayed for three months," "The South City plot's bidding eligibility was revoked."
After going over these words in his mind once more, a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back again.
Jiang Cheng had actually investigated Xu Jiayin's background so thoroughly.
Not only that, but judging by Xu Jiayin's tone in wanting to discuss cooperation, these matters were most likely Jiang Cheng's handiwork.
This Jiang Cheng was simply too terrifying!
To actually drive someone to the point of begging and pleading like this?
He had just been foolishly haggling with Jiang Cheng.
He hadn't wanted to sign the gambling agreement and had even used Viomi's backing by the Rice ecosystem and its position as a leader in smart home appliances as leverage.
Thinking about it now, it was like wielding a broadsword in front of Guan Yu!
Even someone of Xu Jiayin's stature was being toyed with by Jiang Cheng.
What did his little bargaining chips amount to in Jiang Cheng's eyes?
Lei Jun blinked rapidly, his mind racing as he calculated his options.
Previously, he had felt that the three conditions Jiang Cheng proposed were too harsh.
The gambling agreement, staged investment, and no-logo customization—every single one was carving flesh from Viomi.
But looking at it now, Jiang Cheng had clearly seen through Viomi's true situation long ago.
Lei Jun quietly glanced at Jiang Cheng across from him.
He saw that the other man was still sitting there composedly, even thoughtfully picking up some food for Wang Yuyan.
He was calm and unruffled, while Xu Jiayin would likely be so distressed he'd be unable to sleep all night.
But the more it was like this, the more uncertain Lei Jun felt, and the more clearly he understood.
In this cooperation with Jiang Cheng, it wasn't Cloud Rice giving face to Xingchen; it was Xingchen giving Viomi an opportunity.
To be able to connect with someone like Jiang Cheng and hitch a ride on the Xingchen Hotel project was like finding a treasure for Viomi.
Any previous thoughts of haggling were instantly thrown to the back of his mind.
No joke, with Xu Jiayin's fate right before his eyes, he didn't want to fall out with Jiang Cheng and bring trouble upon himself.
Lei Jun took a deep breath and quickly adjusted his expression, his face once again sporting that warm and slick smile.
He moved his teacup a bit closer to Jiang Cheng, his tone several notches more respectful than before.
"President Jiang, what happened with President Xu just now was truly an eye-opener for me."
Jiang Cheng glanced up at him. "What do you mean by that, President Lei? My interaction with President Xu was just normal professional contact, just like with you. It's business—if we can agree, we do it; if not, we don't. It just so happens that I'm not interested in the business President Xu is in..."
Seeing that he seemed to have said the wrong thing, Lei Jun immediately nodded in agreement.
"Yes, yes, yes, I was being foolish. Look at me, I haven't even had any wine yet and I'm already drunk... I'll penalize myself with three cups!"