Chapter 57: Fifth-Seventh Chapter: Ruthless Enough

"Uncle Fan, it's not that I'm being difficult, it's that I really don't have the time or energy to help you manage Yingfeng. Besides, you know very well what kind of model Yingfeng is; it's just a disguised form of fundraising..."

"I have three choices now: first, stay at Yun University to pursue a PhD; second, study abroad in the United States; third, go to Jinling University for a master's degree. No matter which one I choose, it's more important than being a manager at Yingfeng. Even if I wanted to continue being a manager, my dad wouldn't agree. Dad, don't you think so?"

"Uncle Fan, between the profits from modifying the CD players and selling your shares in Yingfeng, you can earn at least 5 million. Aren't you satisfied yet?"

While eating hot pot that evening, Di Ye said everything that needed to be said and gave all the advice he could, but Fan Dazhi remained hesitant and unable to make up his mind. Seeing him like this, Huang Ya felt somewhat disheartened. On the way home, she said, "Uncle Fan used to be so shrewd; why can't he listen to your words now?"

"There is an idiom called 'profit blinds the mind.' Uncle Fan is currently in that state. If I ever end up like this in the future, you must wake me up immediately."

"You're tall and strong, and I'm short and thin. What would I use to wake you up?"

"You can perform a mixed doubles beatdown with Fangfei."

The hot pot restaurant was very close to the residential complex, so they could walk home. Di Yongchang didn't want to spoil the mood and walked far ahead by himself. Once Huang Ya saw him turn a corner into the complex and disappear from sight, she hammered Di Ye a few times with force and said coquettishly, "I want to wake you up right now."

"Why? I'm very clear-headed right now."

"Clear-headed my foot! Why is there only a bed in one bedroom of the place you rented near the school?"

"I haven't had time to buy one yet. We'll make do for now and buy another one when I have time later."

"No need to buy one. I'll move back home every day from now on; you and Fangfei can go off and live together over there."

After Huang Ya finished speaking, she suddenly laughed and changed her tune: "No, that's not right. It should be that you move back home every day, and Fangfei and I will live together over there. That way, it's not only fair but also avoids people gossiping."

"Hey, hey, hey, that's not a good idea, is it? I'm the one who rented the house."

"Isn't it only natural that we live in the house you rented? If you find it too troublesome to come home every day, you can rent the house next door. If we need anything, we'll just knock on the wall to call you."

"That's no good. Running back and forth between two houses with my butt bare makes it easy to catch a cold."

"How can you be so filthy..."

The two of them played around on the road for over ten minutes before returning home. Zhang Xiuzhi had already gone to sleep, and only Di Yongchang was still in the living room. He called Di Ye to the sofa and asked, "Little Ye, did Professor Liu really recommend you to study abroad in the United States?"

"Teacher Liu helped me contact a few schools in the United States, but I haven't received a reply yet. I can only say there's a chance."

Di Yongchang was very enthusiastic about studying abroad and said longingly, "It just so happens that I've earned quite a bit of money recently, so you don't need to worry about the tuition for studying in the United States. Aren't you going to intern at that big company in the United States in March? You can visit these schools then and take the initiative to contact the admissions office."

Di Ye didn't expect him to still be thinking about the IBM internship. He said, unable to laugh or cry, "Dad, the admissions rules for American schools are different from those in the country. Don't let your imagination run wild. Let's just clear up the CD player business first."

"You were being vague with Fan Dazhi just now, and I was left completely confused. Did something go wrong with your company? Why are you suddenly selling the shares?"

"Everything is normal right now, and nothing has gone wrong. But school is about to start, and Xiaoya and I are both very busy; we don't have time to keep an eye on the company's operations..."

Di Ye didn't want to make Di Yongchang worry, so he still used his busy studies as an excuse to hide the real crisis at Yingfeng. After briefly stating a few reasons, he said, "Dad, Manager Xia told me that over a dozen manufacturers are preparing to mass-produce VCD players. These CD-modified players will soon be unwanted, so finish the remaining work on hand as soon as possible. While Xiaoya and I are still at Yingfeng, we'll transfer the money that belongs to you. Let's just cash out and be safe."

Di Yongchang was a cautious person. Moved by the words "cash out and be safe," he asked, "How much money can I get in total?"

"According to the contract Yingfeng signed with you—the one Xiaoya had you sign a few days ago—you are providing 7,600 VCD players to Yingfeng. You can earn a profit of 500 yuan per unit, totaling 3.8 million. You and Uncle Fan split it 50/50, so that's 1.9 million each."

"That's not right. When Lao Zhou and I calculated it before, there was a profit of 1,200 per VCD player."

"Dad, if you calculate it at a profit of 1,200 per unit, you can only sell a few hundred at most; you won't be able to sell 7,600!"

Di Yongchang was a bit confused and asked, "Why not?"

"Because a profit of 1,200 is too high; it will attract many people to invest. If that happens, I won't be able to monopolize the market. If I can't monopolize the market, Yingfeng won't be able to grow. If Yingfeng can't grow, you won't be able to sell that many VCD players. In short, this is a game of undermining each other and then compromising. A profit of 500 yuan per unit is a number everyone can barely accept. If you ask for too much, the money earned will shrink significantly."

Di Yongchang still didn't understand, but he didn't dwell on it anymore. He said happily, "As long as I can get this 1.9 million, I'll be satisfied. We'll keep 100,000 or 200,000 for your mother and me, and you and Xiaoya can take the rest to spend."

"Dad, you're so generous!"

The next morning, Di Ye and Huang Ya arrived at the Yingfeng Flagship Store an hour early. They cleaned the place, swapped in the spare television, and restored it to its previous state, preparing for the 9 o'clock opening.

At about 8:50, Zheng Yingyong rode a semi-new bicycle to the store. He called Di Ye to the entrance and informed him in a very flat tone, "Ren Datou got into a fight in the detention center last night, was stabbed a few times, and died from excessive blood loss."

When Di Ye first discovered that Feng Shijie had stolen the key to his room, he felt a chill shoot from his spine to his forehead. Now, that feeling returned, even more intensely, making his forehead swell and his whole body cold.

"Does Manager Zhong know?"

"He knew the moment it happened last night. He said this is the retribution for Ren Datou's love of hitting people."

"I'll go to the Hospital to see Bi Wanxi later."

Di Ye took a cigarette case from his pocket, handed one to Zheng Yingyong, and took one for himself, but he didn't light it, just played with it in his hand. He said, "Manager Zheng, I forgot one thing during the meeting last night. I'd like to discuss it with you now."

"What is it? Go ahead."

"Yingfeng has a lot of business now, and I can't handle it alone. I want to hire an assistant so that when I withdraw at the end of the month, the assistant can take over. I wonder if Manager Zheng has any suitable candidates?"

Zheng Yingyong exhaled a puff of smoke lightly and said with a smile, "Manager Di is very thoughtful. I'll go back and ask around to find you an assistant who is both capable and sensible."

"Then I'll trouble you, Manager Zheng."

"No trouble, it's just a small matter. Manager Di, keep up the good work. I won't disturb you anymore. If anyone comes to cause trouble in the future, call me directly."

"Take care, Manager Zheng."

Di Ye watched Zheng Yingyong's back until he disappeared at the end of the street. He threw the crumpled cigarette in his hand onto the ground, returned to the store, and asked Huang Ya for the high-end client registry. He found the information for Zheng Kui, the Deputy Director of the City Construction Bureau, and wrote down his home address and phone number.

"Di Ye, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm planning a new activity."

Di Ye returned the registry to Huang Ya, took the Big Brother phone that Xia Jianwu had given him, and went to a quiet place outside the store. He called Lu Hanming and asked, "Brother-in-law, are you familiar with Zheng Kui, the Deputy Director of the City Construction Bureau?"

"Not really, I just had a meal with him once when I was promoting a package last time."

"Then how did you know Zheng Yingyong was his person?"

"I guessed. They both have the surname Zheng; they must be relatives."

Di Ye was speechless at Lu Hanming. He rubbed his forehead and asked, "Do you have Zheng Kui's business card or office phone number?"

"He seemed to have given me a business card that day. I put it in my desk drawer at work. I'll go find it for you later."

"Alright."

After ending the call with Lu Hanming, Di Ye called Xia Jianwu and learned that his two friends who came to Yuncheng for an inspection had just set off and wouldn't arrive until around 11 o'clock. So, he called Huang Zongshan, who had come to help at the Flagship Store, and drove the Jinbei Van to the Second Provincial People's Hospital to see Bi Wanxi.

When Huang Zongshan heard that Ren Datou had died, he was shocked and lamented, "Ren Datou ran a dance hall over at the Chemical Plant and had over a dozen lackeys. He was so imposing, yet he just died like that."

"What's so imposing about a small-time thug?"

"Was it done by that Manager Zheng?"

Di Ye recalled the expression on Zheng Yingyong's face when he spoke, then shook his head and said, "It should have been done by Manager Zhong, with Manager Zheng helping to pull the strings."

Huang Zongshan was not shocked this time, speculating: "Is President Zhong afraid that Ren Datou will talk nonsense?"

"Nine times out of ten, yes."

"This person is truly ruthless!"