Chapter 423: 419. Aggressive! Overbearing! (Seeking subscriptions, monthly tickets!)

Zhang Ran found a hotel to stay in, and after finishing a video call with the two little ones, he went to sleep.

The next day, Zhang Ran got up very early and even specifically found someone to tidy himself up a bit; after all, a major meeting was to be held today, so he still needed to pay a little attention to his image.

At nine o'clock, Zhang Ran arrived at the venue and nodded slightly as he watched the staff arrange seats for the group of people.

In fact, a large portion of these people were here for the sake of Jiao Zhen; having managed Shangguo for so many years, Jiao Zhen's connections were by no means few.

Even now that Jiao Zhen had jumped ship to Maikai, it did not affect these friendships in the slightest, and they had even deepened.

Because everyone knew that Jiao Zhen had not fallen out with his old employer, but had parted ways peacefully, and although Jiao Zhen had brought his own direct subordinates out with him, he still held some influence at Shangguo.

Take the current head of Shangguo, Liu Donglai, for example; he was also promoted by Jiao Zhen. Although Liu Donglai's ability and qualifications were sufficient and it was his time to rise, the fact that Jiao Zhen had recommended him meant there was a favor involved.

It was hard to say regarding major matters, but making things difficult for one or two suppliers was not a problem at all.

Zhang Ran did not show his face in advance, only watching these people silently from the back. He even discovered some old acquaintances among them, but Zhang Ran did not go up to greet them; there was no need.

Time passed second by second, and more and more people arrived, everyone harboring their own thoughts.

Everyone here understood the purpose for which Maikai Supermarket had brought them over, but even so, they still had to come; no matter what, they needed to know the upcoming development trends.

Once it hit ten o'clock, Jiao Zhen went up to the stage; those who were supposed to come had all arrived, so there was no need to waste time waiting any longer.

"Hello everyone, I am Jiao Zhen. I believe many of you know me, so I won't say any superfluous words. I believe you all had some mental preparation before coming."

"However, the matter we are going to discuss today may exceed the expectations of the vast majority of you. As for the specific situation, I will let my new boss, Mr. Zhang Ran, explain it to you in detail." Jiao Zhen spoke very concisely, completely lacking the long-windedness typical of those who come out of a State-owned Enterprise.

With just a few simple sentences, he had made the matter clear.

As his voice fell, sparse applause rang out from the floor. Everyone didn't have much heart to clap, instead looking at the stage with curiosity.

Zhang Ran didn't keep people waiting long, and soon stood on the stage. Some people revealed looks of astonishment upon seeing that Zhang Ran was so young.

There were too many rumors about the Zhang Ran System circulating on the internet now, and coupled with some information revealed by business bigwigs, many people thought this Zhang Ran was at least fifty-something—and that was a conservative guess; many even guessed Zhang Ran was nearly seventy or eighty.

But the person standing in front of them now looked to be only in his twenties; how could they not be surprised?

Zhang Ran also saw the crowd's surprise and said with a smile, "Are you all very surprised? But don't overthink it; my real age is already over fifty, I just happen to look young."

Zhang Ran did not talk much about the inside story; those who knew, naturally knew, and those who didn't, didn't need to know.

Hearing Zhang Ran say this, some people slightly eased their surprised emotions, though they still felt a bit envious.

The youngest person sitting here was over thirty, and the majority were in their fifties or sixties, and these people looked much older than Zhang Ran.

"There are many old friends present. Boss Li, I have heard of the current prosperity of Li Da Group," Zhang Ran greeted.

Li Da stood up and bowed slightly, saying, "This is all thanks to Boss Zhang's care back then. Thank you."

"It's nothing, just a matter of convenience, no need to take it to heart," Zhang Ran signaled that he didn't need to be so grateful.

Seeing this scene, everyone widened their eyes slightly. What was going on here?

How was it that the boss of Li Da Group acted somewhat respectfully toward Zhang Ran?

"I won't greet the other old friends individually; we can gather after this meeting ends. This time, I am not using connections to speak; everything is about interests, so don't have any psychological pressure."

"I won't say any more superfluous words; saying them is meaningless. I came this time to cooperate with you all, but as for how specifically to cooperate, allow me to speak of that later." Zhang Ran played a bit of a mystery at this moment.

"I believe you have all seen the situation this time, but perhaps some still don't quite understand. Today, I will say it straight: from now on, only one can survive between Maikai Supermarket and Fengchao Supermarket," Zhang Ran said decisively.

Once these words were out, the venue suddenly went quiet!

This was the first time they had seen such a blunt stance, and at the same time, they could hear the determination in Zhang Ran's words, along with a hint of an ominous feeling.

"I believe I have stated my attitude very clearly. Those who want to support Maikai Supermarket can stay; those who do not support us and choose to remain on the sidelines can eat some of the food we have prepared outside; those preparing to support Fengchao Supermarket can leave now, and we will reimburse your travel expenses." Zhang Ran's words grew heavier and heavier, and he sharpened the conflict more and more.

Zhang Ran's meaning was very clear. Although they had done some mental preparation before coming, they hadn't expected Zhang Ran to be so aggressive!

Some Maikai Supermarket employees in the venue saw this scene and didn't know what to make of it. They had originally been full of resentment toward Zhang Ran; after all, everything Zhang Ran had done to them previously could not be called the actions of a good boss.

But now, seeing that Zhang Ran was not only aggressive toward his own people but even more aggressive toward outsiders, they felt a trace of excitement unconsciously.

If Zhang Ran were only aggressive and overbearing toward his own people, these people would likely feel very uncomfortable, but with Zhang Ran facing outsiders even more overbearingly and aggressively, it produced a sense of identification in them, and at the same time, they felt that such a boss seemed not bad after all?

"Mr. Zhang, are you saying this to force us to take a stand?" Someone was not very satisfied with Zhang Ran's words.

Zhang Ran smiled and said, "It is not forcing you to take a stand, but rather that the facts are just so. Perhaps my words are a bit direct, but if you think about it carefully, isn't that the case?"

"We are already prepared to fight Fengchao Supermarket to the death. Now, if you choose to support Fengchao Supermarket, doesn't that make you our enemy?"

"Since you are enemies, there is no need to stay here, don't you agree that this is the logic?"

Although that was the case, many people still felt uncomfortable in their hearts, and they did not want to take a stand.

Once they truly took a stand, what if Maikai Supermarket ended up losing?