Chapter 713: He Was a Bit Too Flashy

"No."

Zhang Jiangke answered readily:

"If you insist on putting it that way, my only connection to the other party is Old Gu."

"Without him acting as the bridge in the middle, I wouldn't have been able to come into contact with someone of that caliber."

From the expression on his face as he spoke, one could tell he seemed to hold that person in great reverence.

This also piqued Yu Dazhang's curiosity.

"From your perspective, describe carefully—what kind of person is the other party?"

Right now he could only understand the mastermind behind the scenes through Zhang Jiangke's eyes.

To be able to find a trafficker like Zhang Jiangke and use him to achieve his own goals—alone, this method was something no ordinary person could pull off.

It looked like that person was partnering with Zhang Jiangke, but in reality he was exploiting his network and resources.

Yu Dazhang had once heard Qu Tuotuo chat about business topics.

The people who truly make money are the ones whose behavior patterns naturally shift once their understanding reaches a certain height.

A method like Zhang Jiangke's, which relies purely on buying low and selling high for profit, can only be considered the most basic, most rudimentary level of understanding in the business world.

Those with slightly higher understanding will recognize the importance of networks and will do everything they can to turn other people's connections into their own.

At an even higher level, those are the ones playing the "premium" game.

For example, selling memberships.

Whether it's a membership for a video app or a membership for a gym, in reality they're all making money off the premium.

You haven't even enjoyed the full service yet, but they've already pocketed the money for the full package.

Another example—Treasure Taobao.

Peak market cap seventy trillion, later dropped back to ten trillion.

Where did the sixty trillion in between go?

The ones who truly made money were the ones making that sixty trillion in premium.

Round after round of financing—you think they're raising capital?

That's a process of making the cake bigger.

And in that process, those early investors get to enjoy the substantial returns brought by the premium.

So the moment Yu Dazhang heard Zhang Jiangke say the other party was a somebody, his first reaction was that this person must hold considerable status and influence in the business world.

"I've never met him, but just hearing the way the other party talks, I can already picture him being filthy rich."

Zhang Jiangke said, recalling as he went:

"His way of speaking was very strange—sounded very imposing, sometimes downright arrogant, with an unquestionable, hard-edged tone."

"It gives you a feeling, a kind of…"

Speaking to that point, he suddenly stalled, as if wanting to sum it up in one phrase but unable to find the right words.

Yu Dazhang wasn't in any hurry; he just sat across from him, watching quietly.

Zhang Jiangke lowered his head and thought for a long time. After quite a while, he slowly raised his head:

"He gave me this feeling of a fox borrowing the tiger's…"

The moment the words left his mouth, he shook his head:

"No, still not accurate enough, but the meaning's about right—what was that word again?"

As he muttered to himself, his brows knit tightly, as if rapidly searching his mind for that more fitting word.

Seeing this, Yu Dazhang couldn't help but offer a hint:

"A dog relying on its master's power?"

The instant his words came out, Zhang Jiangke immediately looked over at him:

"Right, that's it—a dog relying on its master's power."

"I can't explain why either. Clearly the way he spoke had poise, had boldness, but it just gave me that feeling."

After a pause, he thought for a moment, then went on:

"Probably because he lacked that kind of composure and confidence that comes from having everything under control. He was a bit too flashy—it reminded me of those characters in period TV dramas, the kind like a household slave."

A household slave? Yu Dazhang felt his description was a bit exaggerated.

What era is this? The concept of household slaves has long ceased to exist. Even the nannies and butlers working for the Qu family only had an employment relationship with Qu Wannian.

They were completely free to decide, according to their own wishes, whether to continue in that job.