[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-what-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich":3,"chapter-what-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich-what-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich-chapter-60":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","What's Wrong with Me Being the Last to Get Rich?",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2272637,4439,"Chapter 60: 059 Selling Oneself (10,000 Characters for Monthly Votes)","what-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich-chapter-60",60,"\u003Cp>Zhenai.com offered a honest price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was good news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the very least, he could now use it to negotiate higher prices with Jiayuan and Baihe.com.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regardless of Zhenai.com’s motivations or offline experiments, the other two companies were in nearly identical shape—after all, there wasn’t much difference among the three.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhenai.com’s offer of one million yuan gave Yu Xing a huge sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier, Wei Jialin’s call about investment had only discussed changes to the cooperation model, not price; Yu Xing had assumed she was still working from the original valuation—but now…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He no longer needed to consider selling at rock-bottom prices.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dumped on hands \u002F rock-bottom price \u002F psychological price \u002F sucker price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing quoted Zhenai.com five million yuan, naturally hoping to use a sky-high bid to secure a higher price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, his psychological valuation for the company was around two million yuan; although Guai’ai.com had achieved million-yuan revenue, it was operating on credit, and many problems were indeed as Wei Jialin had pointed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the financial crisis drew nearer, Yu Xing planned to sell the company by September 23rd during the Internet Conference, regardless of whether the outcome met his expectations—he would no longer wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting at one million yuan, highest bidder wins, cash in hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing did not immediately inform Zhong Zhiling and Lu Haiying of Zhenai.com’s latest offer; he planned to wait until Cui Jingwei met with Jiayuan, and if this Shanghai-based company also made an offer, the starting price would be based on that figure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daytime work remained busy; whether full-time or part-time, Guai’ai.com’s energy had visibly revived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, its performance from late August to September 5th, though lifted from the trough, still paled compared to the graduation season in June and July.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During graduation season, product conversion rates hovered around ten percent; now, during the new semester, they were only three percent—a significant gap, easily understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Talking about marriage to college students was simply too distant; their romantic keywords were play, ease, joy, freedom—not practical concerns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, Yu Xing sat in his apartment, smoking as he crafted a PowerPoint presentation on Guai’ai.com’s expansion plan: growing from five cities to ten within three months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sometimes he wrote smoothly; sometimes he struggled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Campus data was genuinely verifiable—he could detail team size, conversion rates, and operational specifics—but data for expanding into the general public needed careful fabrication, and even that fabrication had to align with the muddy, imperfect figures he held.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing smoked one cigarette after another, his mind racing, hoping this PowerPoint would further inflate the company’s perceived value in buyers’ eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 9:40 p.m., the phone on his desk lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing flicked ash and saw it was Liu Wan, whom he hadn’t contacted in days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, Sister Ying?” Yu Xing set down his cigarette and drank some water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan greeted him: “Boss Yu, haven’t run off yet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing chuckled: “Not only haven’t I run off—I’m about to harvest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan was surprised: “So soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. Today someone walked in and shoved a bag of cash onto my desk—man, stacks and stacks of red bills, made my heart itch.” Yu Xing described the scene. “No sound, but I swear I heard cash rustling.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan didn’t quite grasp the scenario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When you’re poor, your ambitions shrink; you go blind for money. I figure the guy who threw cash at me today thought exactly that.” Yu Xing smiled. “One million yuan, all told.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Sister Ying had no urgent matter, Yu Xing took the chance to update her on recent developments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The August slump, all the hardships; September’s revival, bringing both expected and unexpected problems with part-timers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing didn’t spin tales—he simply shared what had surprised or frustrated him—but these frontline stories made Liu Wan listen with keen interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good for you, Boss Yu. Once you sell the company and take your ‘people-centric’ and ‘honesty-first’ approach with you, won’t the sea be wide enough for fish to leap?” Liu Wan laughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing thought a moment, then said: “We’ll probably need another profitable venture—we’re planning to do something in the internet space.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan caught his meaning, paused for two seconds: “So selling Guai’ai.com still won’t cover your losses? How much did you lose? Your entrepreneurship is like dancing with shackles…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing didn’t answer, but asked: “What about you? Didn’t you want to buy a mansion in Xiangjiang? Do you have enough? If not, aren’t you shackled too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan didn’t answer either, laughing: “Alright, no wonder you can dance—you’ve got the right mindset.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ying, have you ever considered starting your own business?” Yu Xing closed his laptop, stood, and walked out of the apartment as he spoke. “Your salary’s surely high, but have you thought about earning faster?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why earn more?” Liu Wan laughed. “I’m saving until I can retire early, then travel and enjoy life. My current job is already getting me closer to that vision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing was surprised: “Not buying a mansion in Xiangjiang anymore?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Joking. Xiangjiang property’s too expensive; spending hard-earned money on it always feels wasteful.” Liu Wan said. “But real estate may still rise—I’ll see. Right now, I crave freedom outside work. You probably won’t understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing said seriously: “I understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan, sensing his sincerity through the phone, fell silent for a moment, then laughed: “Now that you’re making money, treat me to dinner.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing readily agreed: “Of course, no problem. I still have debts, but you earn to spend. You’ve helped me so much—dinner’s nothing; even a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast won’t be too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Manchu-Han Feast is too extravagant,” Liu Wan chuckled. “Just treat me to some lobster when you’ve got time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing smiled: “Alright. Once we expand to Yunnan, I’ll come personally to treat you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m looking out my window at the Oriental Pearl Tower right now,” Liu Wan laughed loudly. “Just need a big lobster.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing was startled: “Sister Ying, how’d you get to Shencheng?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Routine work—finish one city, fly to the next.” Liu Wan gazed at the hotel’s night view. “Unless you’re a boss like you, employees are tools—used wherever the task demands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sighed: “Employees are tools, projects are tools, companies are tools—you founders are just rushing to cash out your tools.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing checked the time—it was ten p.m. He replied: “I hope my tools are valuable enough, so I don’t betray the partners who helped build value.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ventured: “Lobster’s fine—if you want it, I’ll leave now. Your hotel might still serve it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too late. Wait for free time,” Liu Wan drank water. “See if I’m free this weekend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your ‘tool theory’—huh—we’re about to hit the same note.” Yu Xing abandoned the urge to rush back for his ID. “Sister Ying, really—if you’re free this weekend, take a look at our project. Is it worth investing in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan scoffed: “I just want one lobster from you, and you’re trying to pull investment cash from my pocket. Aren’t you being a bit ruthless?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s meet and talk, Sister Ying. Give me a chance,” Yu Xing’s spirits lifted. “Guai’ai.com at least proves our team’s fighting strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan thought it over—it wasn’t untrue; this rough team had delivered results.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she’d nearly witnessed their entire growth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sister Ying, like you said, we’re planning two internet tools.” Yu Xing spoke firmly. “We’ve even found a legal representative.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan thought of Guai’ai.com’s situation and laughed: “Your junior again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, new person this time, Sister Ying. Let’s set it for the 8th evening.” Yu Xing tried to lock in the date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan thought a moment, then agreed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the call, Yu Xing politely added: “Sister Ying, now you’re in Shencheng, you won’t get to see your friend’s cats anymore—they looked so cute.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan: “…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few seconds, she snapped: “Cute, cute—of course cats are cute!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing grunted: “Black cat and white cat—I prefer the white one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan bit her lip: “Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing froze. Why would you like something? Does liking need a reason?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated, sensing Liu Wan still waited for an answer, so he said: “Because white cats are white—I like white.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan felt oddly teased, yet she’d noticed the difference in the photos herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She ended the call with one final line: “You’re full of nonsense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing hadn’t even said goodbye before the dial tone cut in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stared blankly, shoving the phone into his pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Sister Ying prefer black cats?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if she did, you have your preference—I have mine. You can’t interfere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing puzzled over it endlessly, finally dismissing it as elite moodiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constant travel must be tiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing pushed the white cat from his mind and walked alone along the river, his thoughts returning to business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Late at night, one couldn’t help but reflect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Guai’ai.com’s founding in June, everyone—including himself—had poured in sweat and effort; to sell it now really felt…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just thinking of it made Yu Xing smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was genuinely delightful to imagine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, something even more delightful arrived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guai’ai.com’s operations vice-director, Cui Jingwei, called their Shanghai-based competitor Jiayuan and successfully met with their executives that afternoon, clearly conveying his boss’s message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhenai.com: one million yuan, ready to sign anytime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jiayuan didn’t dawdle; after brief discussion, they raised their offer slightly, willing to pay 1.2 million yuan for Guai’ai.com’s growth potential.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Cui Jingwei also brought back Jiayuan’s surprising condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 1.2 million yuan included a demand that the founding team—Yu Xing, Zhong Zhiling, Lu Haiying, and others—must join Jiayuan and continue developing Guai’ai.com’s business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Jiayuan would assign additional management and staff to this business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing was taken aback by this new condition: “So they want the company and the people too? Didn’t you counteroffer? Selling talent and selling the company aren’t the same price—if they want people, shouldn’t the price go up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He suddenly recalled a certain contract in sports: signing bonus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, Boss Yu, they said if you don’t all join Jiayuan together, and if you take the money and immediately start a similar company, the acquisition would be wasted effort.” Cui Jingwei said seriously. “I tried to negotiate. Didn’t budge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing tapped his desk: “You can sign non-compete agreements during acquisition—you don’t need to force people to join Jiayuan. Oh, Cui Jingwei, you could go—you’ve got family who think Guai’ai.com’s unreliable. Jiayuan’s probably more respectable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Jingwei nodded silently. Jiayuan did carry more weight with family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing thought a while, checked further, but to be safe, he planned to consult a professional lawyer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He signaled Cui Jingwei to return: “Alright, Cui Jingwei, thanks for your hard work. Just hold on till month-end.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Jingwei took two steps, then couldn’t help asking: “Boss Yu, are we really selling the company?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The competitive landscape has changed—several others are eyeing our business. If we could hold on, I’d be willing.” Yu Xing shrugged. “But after serious thought, I have to be responsible for everyone. Many were hired from Jin Ling—we’re all fresh out of school, inexperienced. Last month, some markets were dead, others did well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think if a seasoned company like Jiayuan or Zhenai were to lead us, our business would develop much better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing explained his motivations and also revealed the company’s performance last month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Jingwei was aware of the general situation in Shanghai’s market, but he didn’t know how other cities were performing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any company acquisition necessarily involves market and performance, but Shanghai, Jin Ling, and Lin’an are all being handled by our own people; this month, Beijing and Yangcheng will undergo further staff adjustments to ensure the data looks acceptable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Jingwei nodded, accepting this explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hesitated: “Director Yu, if the company is sold, do you think I should stay on at Jiayuan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing tossed a cigarette to this team leader who had followed him from Jin Ling and said patiently: “Cui Jingwei, if the acquisition really happens, you’ll enter the new company as Deputy Director of Operations. No matter what, stick it out there—this experience will make you more competitive when you leave later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added with a smile: “Of course, everything’s relative. Paper credentials are just icing on the cake. You must learn and practice more—your abilities are yours alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Jingwei looked at his boss and said sincerely: “Director Yu, thank you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank me for selling you off?” Yu Xing smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah…,” Cui Jingwei said, “I just mean thank you for teaching me so much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing smiled at him, waved his hand, and returned to pondering Jiayuan’s terms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a while, he sent a text message to Liu Wan, seeking her opinion first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About half an hour later, Liu Wan replied: Common issue. Non-compete agreements protect the acquirer; otherwise, as you said, someone just starts a competing company right after, and the acquisition’s value plummets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sent a second message: You don’t necessarily have to stay on. The agreement’s duration is negotiable—up to two years, during which you can’t engage in any business competing with theirs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing stared at Yingjie’s message, thought for a long while, then asked: What if I defame them? Would the contract forbid that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Wan replied quickly: …\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing realized his wording was off and clarified: Not defaming exactly—say I speak publicly or in the media about negative aspects of the industry. Would the contract restrict that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment’s consideration, Liu Wan replied: Generally not. Your case falls under public order or anti-unfair competition laws. Don’t worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing felt considerably reassured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pondered through the night, then suddenly recalled his plan for the “rob the rich, help the poor” scheme: seize initiative, create your own volatility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the buyer insists on binding me to the company…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secrets are secrets—only someone inside can know them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the game myself isn’t out of the question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing placed selling the company first; all other conditions were negotiable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>September 7th—only one week remained until the financial crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Yu Xing woke that morning and saw the date, his heart sank. According to the timeline, he still had to return to his hometown and calm his relatives, lest their emotions spiral out of control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the money from selling the company couldn’t just be handed out to everyone—after all, financial decisions, signatures, and transfers were each family’s own responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this stage, part of the money could serve as emergency relief; the rest needed to be reinvested to generate new wealth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing arrived at the office composedly. After arranging some work, he was about to call Zhong Zhiling when he saw Song Yufeng’s face appear before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Yu, running a website isn’t that easy!” Song Yufeng complained immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing grunted: “Oh? So earning money isn’t easy, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t seen Song Yufeng in days, nor received any calls or texts—guessing the guy had charged ahead enthusiastically, possibly even on his own initiative.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, earning money isn’t easy…” Song Yufeng gave a forced laugh. “That’s why unity is strength.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Director Yu didn’t respond, he said seriously: “I’ve figured it out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing glanced sideways: “Figured out what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be bold enough to be a paparazzo, capable enough to be a paparazzo, skilled enough to be a paparazzo!” Song Yufeng declared confidently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing frowned, thinking he’d gone a bit mad, and said: “Jiayuan is willing to acquire Guiai.com, but wants me to join them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yufeng was stunned—if Director Yu joined Jiayuan, would he still launch attacks against this industry for “those things”?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately urged: “Director Yu, you’re an outsider. Can they truly trust you? Don’t join them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Last night I was thinking—if I go inside these companies, I’ll understand the industry better,” Yu Xing mused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yufeng brightened—Director Yu hadn’t lost his original purpose!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded solemnly: “Director Yu, that makes sense. You should join—this is called going deep behind enemy lines.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Xing sighed and advised: “Fengge, you’re meant to be a paparazzo, not a dog—mind your integrity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Song Yufeng chuckled—he wasn’t aiming to be an ordinary paparazzo; he wanted to be the ultimate corporate paparazzo.\u003C\u002Fp>",2697,"2026-06-19T22:51:34.189Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","795d62252418264f2215577338b9b0e65e7894ed74edfbeb85882a9d4e6dbb94","what-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich-chapter-61","what-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich-chapter-59",328,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwhat-s-wrong-with-me-being-the-last-to-get-rich-cover.jpg"]