My American magical life
Chapter 400 - 400 44 Cheng Daqi almost burst into tears of laughter_2

400: Chapter 44 Cheng Daqi almost burst into tears of laughter_2 400: Chapter 44 Cheng Daqi almost burst into tears of laughter_2 Doing business is all about interacting with people, and he was well aware that Dingyi was a huge pitfall.

However, this pitfall that had been operational for so long must have something going for it, and it deserved respectful treatment in the process of engagement.

That was Sun Dongxin’s magnanimity, and it was also why he could become an important member of the elite business club on Egret Island.

“Regarding the price…”

“I haven’t finished yet.

What I want to say is, Shanhaiguan currently hasn’t found a profitable model, and I have no idea when it will start making money in the future.

Recently, Shanhaiguan appears to be quite popular online, but it’s just a money loser.”

Sun Dongxin truly didn’t look down on those running Ponzi schemes, and his warning was even rather disadvantageous for the upcoming price negotiation—if there could really be an agreement.

Brushing her bangs aside, Xu Xiuhua felt uncomfortable.

The big shot had made it very clear that the company Shanhaiguan wasn’t profitable.

But Dingyi’s interest in Shanhaiguan wasn’t because of its profitability.

Xu Xiuhua knew that what Lao Sui wanted was Shanhaiguan’s marketing prowess.

Yet, this truth couldn’t be spoken…

Xu Xiuhua certainly couldn’t say, “We are very impressed with Shanhaiguan’s ability to hype things up online and attract the masses, and we want to acquire it to serve as a traffic-driving window for Dingyi—to lure even more people.”

This was a tough spot.

“CEO Sun, everyone says that you are a rare figure in the Minnan business circle, and only after meeting you today do I realize how much I fall short.

But investments that offer guaranteed profits without losses are always scarce, and Dingyi Jinghua has suffered its share of setbacks.

We will definitely conduct thorough research before investing.”

Xu Xiuhua’s response first flattered and then made a stance, showing enough humility and sincerity; she truly wanted to make this deal happen.

A Ponzi scheme is essentially a fraud that requires a continuous inflow of new funds to sustain itself, and Dingyi needs Shanhaiguan—CEO Cheng played it too brilliantly, completely enchanting the great swindler, Lao Sui.”

Sun Dongxin thought for a while, then slowly began to speak.

“How about this, Shanhaiguan is just downstairs.

I’ll take you down for a visit; definitely won’t let you make a wasted trip.

If you have any thoughts, you can discuss them with CEO Cheng.”

Cheng Daqi was cunning, and there was absolutely no need for him to make decisions for him.

Taking Xu Xiuhua to see Cheng Daqi for a talk would allow her to make her own judgments.

The model at Dingyi had its issues, but that didn’t mean their money was tainted—all gold bars are the same, made of gold.

“Now?” Xu Xiuhua was a bit bewildered.

Was this an agreement or not?

Sun Dongxin was extremely pleasant but also very tight-lipped, showing no signs of relaxation.

“Yes, CEO Cheng should be available now.

I’ll take you to meet him.”

Having said that, Sun Dongxin stood up and directly took Xu Xiuhua downstairs.

—————–

Shanhaiguan was in the Dongxin Building, which had a highly secure security system—Sun Dongxin liked to joke that he led a battalion made of grassroots troops, a security team composed entirely of ex-soldiers.

However, Ai Guobei had no trouble entering the building.

His face was all too familiar to those within the Dongxin network; Shanhaiguan was treated as one of their own.

If CEO of Shanhaiguan got bitten by a dog, many within the Dongxin network would pay extra attention.

So, this man, no, Mr.

Ai Guobei, simply relied on his face to breeze through security.

But standing in the Shanhaiguan floor, looking at its sign, he didn’t dare to go in.

Despite Shanhaiguan being brightly lit with people coming and going, and even the receptionist looking quite cute, in Ai Guobei’s eyes, it was no less than entering a dragon’s den or tiger’s lair; he dared not step inside.

As soon as Ai Guobei entered, the security on the first floor of Dongxin had assigned two men to follow him, and the team captain immediately notified CEO Cheng of his arrival.

The security captain was very clear, “CEO Cheng, if he doesn’t behave, we can help him be civil.”

He might as well have patted his chest in front of CEO Cheng as a guarantee.

Having worked in Dongxin for so many years, and because Sun Dongxin was always so civilized, there had been no chance for him to flex his muscles; the team had gotten soft.

Today, finally, a ‘big fish’ had come in, and the security captain was all too eager for Ai Guobei to make trouble and give him a chance to shine.

“Mr.

Ai Guobei?”

Xiao Cao came out; she was the executive assistant, a confidante of CEO Cheng—she was there to receive the visitor on behalf of CEO Cheng.

“Hello, hello, I’m here to see Cheng Daqi, no, CEO Cheng.”

Online I strike with force, in reality I’m meek and compliant—calling Ai Guobei a joker was not at all inaccurate.

He could even respond to insults in person with a smile, but later online, he would start to bite back.

A true keyboard warrior online but a nobody in real life.

“Please come in, CEO Cheng happens to be in the office; I’ll take you to see him.”

Xiao Cao replied with a peculiar expression.

She lacked experience and wanted to smile politely, but it felt inappropriate, so her expression was extremely odd.

Under Xiao Cao’s lead, Ai Guobei entered the office area of Shanhaiguan.

However, because he was not very tall and looked somewhat sleazy, and he was followed by two burly security guards.

So to outsiders, he appeared like a ‘prisoner’ being escorted in.

For the employees of Shanhaiguan, Ai Guobei was indeed a prisoner, this dog had made them work heartbreaking overtime.

Noticing this ‘dog’s’ arrival, the staff of Shanhaiguan subconsciously stopped their work and gave him a glaring salute—each pair of eyes was filled with curses, utterly vile and unspoken.

A few employees with bolder personalities even stood up, ready to give Ai Guobei a good beating if CEO Cheng needed them to.

Under the fierce stares of dozens of people, Ai Guobei felt even more sleazy from the pressure.

He wanted to lower his head, but thought that would be too clownish.

Although he had always been a Joker, the ridicule had been especially abundant recently—who wants to be a joker, after all?

In this eerie atmosphere, Xiao Cao opened the door to CEO Cheng’s office for Ai Guobei.

—————–

“Welcome, Teacher Ai, I’ve long admired your reputation.”

Seeing Ai Guobei being escorted in by the security guards, CEO Cheng could hardly keep his mouth from splitting with laughter.

This Lao Deng really caused him a lot of trouble.

Even though things had settled down smoothly in the end, and he even became the representative of the entrepreneurs of Qingdao, it did not mean CEO Cheng would let Ai Guobei off the hook.

“CEO…

CEO Cheng, I have been wanting to meet you to clear up our misunderstanding.”

Misunderstanding.

No wonder they say spineless scholars are the meanest.

With a flip of his tongue, Ai Guobei had turned his actions—his attempts to drive Cheng Daqi to his death—into mere misunderstandings.

“Haha, we indeed have many misunderstandings, which one are you talking about?”

Cheng Daqi rose, handed each of the two guards escorting the ‘prisoner’ a pack of cigarettes, then leaned against his desk, folded his arms, and looked down at Ai Guobei, who was a head shorter than him.

You explain, I’m really looking forward to your performance.

Not expecting this windfall, the two guards joyfully accepted CEO Cheng’s little gift and then stuck close to Ai Guobei’s sides.

Hmm, make sure Ai Guobei arrives respectably and leaves respectably, giving him no chance to be humiliated.

Flanked by two strong men and faced with another, Ai Guobei felt very hollow inside, trapped in the ‘lair’ of the enemy.

Feeling hollow.

It wasn’t panic or nervousness, but a kind of empty feeling, an expression of extreme insecurity.

“CEO Cheng, my…

my account was hacked.”

Ai Guobei laughed awkwardly, desperately trying to muster some firmness, or a semblance of composure, but he couldn’t muster any.

Cheng Daqi’s pressure, the guards’ pressure, the pressure of a possible jail sentence was almost crushing him.

“Hacked?

Were all three of your platform accounts hacked simultaneously?

You haven’t recovered them after nearly a week?

And what right do you have to say your accounts were hacked, hahaha.”

Cheng Daqi laughed until he nearly cried, uncertain of what he found so amusing.

In that moment, he realized he had strayed far onto a wrongful path.

Bullying others with power felt good, really good.

But he’d become the very kind of person he once despised—possessing great power but not using it rightly, playing with people’s hearts on the edge of legality.

Seeing Ai Guobei trembling before him, Cheng Daqi knew he could not turn back.

CEO Cheng’s laughter was too ‘wild’, and Ai Guobei believed he had the power to be wild.

He had won, completely defeated, pushing himself into a corner.

One more step back, and he might end up in jail.

Today, as he walked here, the mental pressure Ai Guobei faced was already suffocating him.

In this moment, CEO Cheng’s madness completely shattered the last string in Ai Guobei’s heart.

‘Thud!’

It was the sound of a knee hitting the wooden floor.

“CEO Cheng, I kneel before you.

I was wrong in what I did.

Could you…

could you please not sue me?”