Xia Feng emerged from the villa, and Du Labi greeted him immediately.
"Master, are we going home now?" Du Labi asked respectfully.
"Home," Xia Feng replied.
Hearing this, Zhou Gangyi hurried ahead to open the car door for Xia Feng. As for how Long Aotian would get back, he didn't care; his priority was to take his Shigung back.
After all, his Master would be staying here to deal with the two from Mount Lao. He couldn't possibly let his Shigung take a taxi back, could he? Even if Xia Feng was willing, they wouldn't dare.
After Xia Feng got into the car, Zhou Gangyi tiptoed and gently closed the door. Du Labi then sat in the passenger seat, and Zhou Gangyi carefully drove the car towards the villa.
Seeing his Shigung in action for the first time today, Zhou Gangyi's state of mind underwent a seismic shift. His Master was right; his Shigung was truly like an immortal.
Fortunately, this was his own Shigung, Zhou Gangyi thought, filled with pride and excitement. With such a Shigung, Zhou Gangyi felt an unprecedented sense of psychological satisfaction. Although he was Old Man Zhou's grandson, he had never considered not working hard because of his lineage. Unlike Liu Liwei or Li Changhe, he possessed immense ambition. Compared to these two top young masters, the gap with Zhou Gangyi was indeed significant.
Upon returning to the villa, Old Wang saw Du Labi and Zhou Gangyi return with Xia Feng and knew that the matter must have been resolved. Without Old Wang needing to ask, Zhou Gangyi gave him a slight nod. Old Wang understood immediately and gave him a knowing glance.
The matter had come to a close.
The next day, Old Wang received a call from Xu Jiaying of Hengtai Real Estate.
"Mr. Wang, how have things been lately?" Xu Jiaying's voice came through the phone.
"Very good. I'm quite content with my daily life. I hear that President Xu hasn't been doing so well recently," Old Wang said with a smile, speaking the truth. "These days, life has been incredibly smooth and happy."
"Alas... I'm finding it hard to cope and wanted to ask for your advice," Xu Jiaying sighed. His company's market value had shrunk by trillions, and it was heavily indebted, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Even his beloved football team, Hengtai Football, had been disbanded; he lacked both the funds and the inclination to continue. The concept of a trillion-dollar market value shrinkage was unimaginable to ordinary people. Even with so many tycoons contributing to Fenglin Entertainment, they only managed to pool a few hundred billion. However, market value was not directly comparable to cash. Those who could readily provide 50 billion in liquid funds were top-tier magnates. Therefore, when Fenglin Entertainment was established, these magnates contributed fifty to a hundred billion each, which was their limit. Any more funding would require them to sell stocks, which would inevitably lead to negative news and panic in the market, causing their company assets to shrink further. Now, Xu Jiaying was facing overwhelming debt, and the Hengtai Group could no longer sustain the current situation. Old Wang had been in a similar predicament back then, but now Old Wang had overcome his difficulties and returned to the rich list. As someone who had been through it, Xu Jiaying naturally sought his guidance humbly.
"What high strategies do I have? I simply sold off assets to get out of trouble," Old Wang stated directly. Old Wang had liquidated his domestic assets around 2017, during the peak of the real estate frenzy. He had sold them off wholesale, never lacking buyers. He sold many Wanda Plazas, Wanda Theme Parks, and Wanda Properties. He sold everything he could, effectively crippling himself. Old Wang was also a discerning individual; after selling his assets, the entire real estate industry began to decline. Those capitalists who thought they had gotten a bargain from Old Wang found themselves in an unenviable position; this wasn't a bargain, it was buying a ticking time bomb.
"But the current situation is different from yours back then. The real estate industry is now stagnant. Even if I sell at a thirty percent discount, people are still hesitant. You can't just watch me die," Xu Jiaying pleaded, his voice growing more pathetic. His company had reached this point, and there was truly no other recourse. He was reluctant to sell at a low price because even after selling, the debt wouldn't be fully repaid, and he would have no capital to start anew. In this regard alone, Xu Jiaying lacked the ruthlessness of Old Wang. Old Wang would sell decisively without any hesitation, and he did so during the peak of the real estate boom—a magnanimity few could match.
"Yes, that's the current market situation. Out of the goodness of my heart, if I buy a piece of your land, I won't even ask for thirty percent, just fifty percent," Old Wang quipped. If Xu Jiaying were truly willing to sell at fifty percent, he would be happy to take it. After all, he had now overcome his difficulties and still needed to hold onto land.
"Old Wang, you're kicking me when I'm down," Xu Jiaying said with frustration.
"If I were kicking you when you're down, would I offer you fifty percent?" Old Wang replied, bewildered.
"Just kidding, just kidding. Old Wang, can you help a brother out?" Xu Jiaying quickly changed the subject, becoming serious.
"Oh? What is it?" Old Wang finally realized that Xu Jiaying's call today wasn't about seeking advice, but about the matter he was about to discuss. Initially, he had come to lament his situation and talk about seeking advice, which was all nonsense. The main point was only now beginning.
"I know you have a distinguished expert behind you. Can you introduce me? I want to save my company. If your expert is willing to help, I, Xu Jiaying, will be eternally grateful." Xu Jiaying's plan was to approach Xia Feng. For an entertainment company, these tycoons were willing to pool around 400 billion and get started on a whim. If Xia Feng were willing to help him, wouldn't it be easy to overcome his difficulties? Xu Jiaying was not wrong; if Xia Feng were to help him, it would only take a word, and he could easily overcome his predicament. At most, 200 billion could solve Hengtai's issues. Once 200 billion in capital entered the picture, and with figures like Ma Huateng, Jack Ma, Old Wang, and others appearing, along with Du Labi and Orville, and if necessary, the DuPont and Morgan families lending their support, this would be a significant boon to Hengtai Group. The market value would soar, and he would have 200 billion in cash, allowing him to do whatever he pleased. Of course, no matter how well Xu Jiaying calculated his plan, he had approached the wrong person. If he had approached Old Wang, Old Wang might have tried his best to help, but he approached Xia Feng? He might as well think about flying.
"Mr. Xu, you must be joking," Old Wang's tone suddenly shifted.
Xu Jiaying, not noticing Old Wang's change in tone, continued to plead, "Old Wang, help a brother out with this. I'm willing to give one-third of my own shares to the expert behind you." Xu Jiaying was indeed willing to go to some lengths; as long as his company could be saved, he was willing to part with one-third of his shares. All smart people would do this; if the company is revived, its value would be immeasurable, but if it fails, everything would be lost, so what's the point of talking about shares? Therefore, Xu Jiaying's willingness to offer one-third of his shares was also a consideration for his own future.
"Are you not awake? Still dreaming? Don't be offended by what I'm about to say," Old Wang questioned.
"What?" Xu Jiaying quickly asked.
Seeing Xu Jiaying inquire, Old Wang didn't hesitate to curse: "Look in the mirror. What kind of person are you?"