Chapter 2690

Guan Shengjie is a reporter for People's Daily, Du Youwei is a reporter for Youth Daily, and due to their profession, most of the attendees today, even if they haven't met in person, have learned about each other through the news.

Moreover, the journalists attending today's symposium received the attendee list yesterday, and aside from Zhou Andong, the most prominent figure is Liu Xiangchun, the former richest man.

"Hello, Mr. Liu, I'm Guan Shengjie from People's Daily." Guan Shengjie extended his hand: "It's a pleasure to finally meet you here."

Liu Xiangchun shook hands with Guan Shengjie and said with a smile: "Before the meeting started, Guan Reporter took my photo right in front of me, and when you just walked over, I recognized you."

At this moment, Du Youwei reached out her hand toward Ma Xianli: "Boss Ma, long time no see."

Ma Xianli politely shook Du Youwei's fingertips and smiled: "Two years ago, at a product exhibition in Germany, after you interviewed me, I haven't seen you since."

"Indeed!" Du Youwei exclaimed: "It feels like just a blink, and two years have passed—Boss Ma, your grace remains unchanged."

Ma Xianli humbly waved his hand: "What grace do I have? On the contrary, Reporter Du, you're even more beautiful and refined than two years ago."

After exchanging pleasantries and sitting down, Zhou Andong looked at Guan Shengjie and Du Youwei and asked: "When did you guys return?"

"We landed at 3 p. m. the day before yesterday." Guan Shengjie placed his camera backpack on the table: "Originally, I wanted to visit you yesterday, but Du Youwei and I received an interview assignment—this very symposium—and knowing you'd be attending, we rested at home for a day."

Zhou Andong nodded and asked: "Has the case over there been resolved?"

"It has." Guan Shengjie stared at Zhou Andong: "Your uncle has been sentenced to death!"

Zhou Andong froze—he truly hadn't expected Yuan Hongbiao to receive the death penalty: "Is it really that serious?"

Guan Shengjie's voice turned cold: "That mining disaster years ago was deliberately caused by Yuan Hongbiao and his group to seize mineral resources."

"He truly deserves it." Zhou Andong's eyes also turned icy, his voice losing all warmth, then he pulled out a cigarette and handed one to Guan Shengjie.

"Besides Yuan Hongbiao, seven others were also sentenced to death." Guan Shengjie took a deep breath, accepted the cigarette Zhou Andong handed him, and continued: "Former deputy county magistrate, former county bureau director, former mining bureau director, former criminal police detachment captain—the remaining three were the instigators and perpetrators."

Zhou Andong fell silent, then asked: "How many people were sentenced in total?"

Guan Shengjie lit his cigarette with a lighter: "Fifty-six in total—those sentenced to death, four with suspended death sentences, three with life imprisonment, and the rest ranging from seven to twenty years."

Zhou Andong snorted coldly: "If it were up to me, they'd all damn well be executed by firing squad."

"By the way!" Guan Shengjie suddenly recalled something: "When we came out of court that day, a woman named Niu Hongjuan approached me, asking if I was from Jingcheng and whether I knew you. Then she told me to pass along a message: Meng Shulin has also been sentenced to death."

Zhou Andong nodded—Meng Shulin was the murderer of Su Su's mother, and this scoundrel receiving the death penalty was a foregone conclusion, merely a matter of time.

Guan Shengjie curiously asked: "Who is Meng Shulin, and what crime did he commit?"

"Rape and murder!" Zhou Andong didn't elaborate, glanced at his wristwatch: "The meeting starts at 1:30 p. m., we still have over an hour—I'll go rest in my room for a bit."

Liu Xiangchun stood up and said: "I'll go rest in my room too—let's go together."

Remembering there were no rooms available, Zhou Andong said: "Brother Jie, Sister Wei, let's go—come rest in my room for a while."

Several people rose and left the dining hall, then took the elevator to the twelfth floor, where Liu Xianghui stood outside room 1208: "This is my room—later, when we head to the venue, knock on the door, and we'll go together."

"I'm in 1210!" Ma Xianli stepped forward a few paces, standing at his door: "Don't forget to knock on mine either."

"Won't forget!" Zhou Andong nodded with a smile, leading Guan Shengjie and Du Youwei forward to room 1220, took out his key, unlocked the door, and entered. It's a standard suite: the outer room is a sitting area, the inner room is a bedroom.

Zhou Andong sat down on the sofa: "Brother Jie, Sister Wei, before you went to Arongqi, didn't you say you wanted to start some business?"

Guan Shengjie said: "You asked me to build a gas station, didn't you? I've been thinking about this for a while, and I think it's feasible."

Zhou Andong smiled: "Now, there's a project very suitable for you and Sister Wei."

Guan Shengjie curiously asked: "What project?"

Zhou Andong whispered: "A news website."

"A news website?" Guan Shengjie murmured—after all, as a reporter, the internet isn't unfamiliar to him, and his understanding isn't inferior to industry insiders: "You want to enter the internet industry?"

"Exactly!" Zhou Andong organized his thoughts: "Nowadays, everyone's discussing the internet, researching it. And I believe the internet will transform many traditional industries—such as news, retail, entertainment, even education and healthcare..."

Those two short sentences made Guan Shengjie and Du Youwei widen their eyes. Guan Shengjie, somewhat incredulous, said: "If what you say is true, wouldn't the internet have changed our entire way of life?"

"One could say that." Zhou Andong stood up, took three bottles of iced red tea from the fridge, turned back, and handed one each to Guan Shengjie and Du Youwei: "As for whether the internet will truly be able to change our way of life in the future—I don't know either."

Having said that, Zhou Andong opened his iced red tea, took a sip, sat down, and continued: "But I want to be an explorer of the internet, to light a lamp for those who come after."

Du Youwei asked eagerly: "Andong, are you really going to launch a news website?"

"Of course!" Zhou Andong looked at Du Youwei and Guan Shengjie: "News is your profession—I'll hand the website over to you, and give you forty percent equity."

Du Youwei glanced at Guan Shengjie, then said without hesitation: "Andong, I appreciate your kindness, but we can't take equity for nothing—according to investment ratio, we should contribute capital."

Zhou Andong shook his head with a smile: "Given the pace of internet development in China, running a news website is just burning money. At minimum, there'll be no profit to be made in the next four or five years."

"So, the equity I give you will definitely be diluted, but I can guarantee that your final shareholding will absolutely not fall below fifteen percent."

Guan Shengjie fell silent—they didn't have much money, and even if they strained to invest, their stake wouldn't be large. Moreover, they couldn't afford follow-up investment, so their shares would inevitably be diluted to almost nothing.

"Brother Jie, Sister Wei, don't hesitate." Zhou Andong urged: "I provide the funds, you provide the effort—this is very fair. Moreover, without your expertise and connections, this news website couldn't get off the ground."