13: Chapter 13 The Player's Stance: Exposing the New Elite of Zhongguancun

As soon as the words fell, the semi-transparent, pale blue panel in front of Shen Du's retina began to flicker rapidly.

[Command confirmed! Era Dividend '30% Core Shares of Meituan' is being distributed!]

[Asset legalization procedure initiated... Through the legal shell of the 'Shen Family Overseas Capital Group', the cross-shareholding of the underlying architecture and the angel round capital injection changes have been completed!]

[Congratulations, Host! The stock ownership confirmation letter and business registration change certificates with absolute legal validity have been sent to the system space. Currently, you are the absolute largest shareholder of Meituan, with no exceptions!]

Watching the prompts on the panel, a light flashed in Shen Du's eyes.

Thirty percent of the original core shares.

This meant that in this upcoming Thousand-Group War.

He was no longer anyone's subordinate, but a chess player with the power to speak.

Before he could digest this information, the system popped up a new task again:

[Ding! Detected that the host has entered the core track of the era, officially triggering: Rise Main Quest II: 'Iron-Blooded CEO'!]

[Task Objective: Assist Meituan to stand out from the strangulation of the Thousand-Group War and become the hegemon in the industry! At the same time, use this achievement to completely suppress the second-generation descendants of the same industry within Huahai University of Finance and Economics, and become an unshakable 'Shanghai Tycoon'!]

[Task Reward: Upon completion, obtain the 'Era Genius Nine-Select-Three' recruitment card (can designate and recruit top talents from the next decade to serve loyally).]

[Hidden Mechanism: If the host over-fulfills the task with a crushing posture and causes a great sensation in the industry, the reward will directly evolve into the ultimate 'Six-Select-Three' version!]

[Warning: If failed, you will incur a debt of thirty million US dollars.]

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

In the quiet dormitory, the phone by the pillow suddenly vibrated violently, and the urgent ringing interrupted his thoughts.

Shen Du withdrew his gaze from the system panel and picked up the phone.

On the screen, an unfamiliar number with the location "Beijing" was jumping.

Looking at this number.

Shen Du narrowed his eyes slightly, already having a prediction in his heart.

He pressed the answer button, held the phone to his ear, and his tone was calm:

"Speak."

From the other end of the line, an anxious yet solemn middle-aged male voice immediately came through:

"Hello, Mr. Shen! I am Wang Xing!"

The other party did not engage in any pleasantries and cut straight to the core:

"I am very sorry to bother you! But the company is currently at a dangerous and important turning point. As the company's largest investor at present, please, no matter what, find time this afternoon to participate in an important meeting concerning the life and death of Meituan!"

Listening to the plea for help coming from the receiver.

Shen Du leaned against the cold bed railing, his gaze cast through the gap in the curtains toward the sky outside, listening quietly to the movement on that side.

In the receiver, Wang Xing's slightly hoarse and anxious breathing was clearly audible.

Shen Du held the phone, his gaze watching the daylight outside through the gap in the curtains, not rushing to give an answer.

Catching an afternoon flight to Beijing, there was plenty of time.

But he didn't plan to do so.

In capital games, being at beck and call is the posture of a subordinate.

As the largest shareholder bringing a huge cash flow to save the situation.

Rushing over in a panic just because of a phone call would only lower his value, and might even lead to losing the initiative in the upcoming negotiations.

Controlling the rhythm is far more important than blindly fighting fires.

Letting the silence on the phone ferment for a full five or six seconds, Shen Du slowly spoke.

His tone was not infected by Wang Xing's anxiety, remaining steady and firm:

"I am very clear about the predicament Meituan is facing. But please, do not worry."

Without waiting for Wang Xing to reply, Shen Du directly set the itinerary: "I am currently in Shanghai, and I will be in Beijing within three days. Regarding the competition issues the company is facing, I will bring a solution with me. During these three days, hold your ground and wait for me to come over."

The other end of the line fell into nearly a minute of dead silence.

Shen Du did not urge him, listening calmly to the heavy breathing coming from the receiver.

A minute later, Wang Xing's voice, sounding relieved, rang out again with obvious respect:

"I understand! Mr. Shen, I was a bit impatient. I will wait patiently in Beijing for your arrival."

"Mm."

Shen Du only gave a short nasal sound, then pressed the hang-up button and threw the phone casually on the desktop.

He got up and walked into the bathroom.

Just after washing his face with cold water and preparing to wipe it, the slightly ajar door of the dormitory was pushed open.

Accompanied by a sound of unsteady footsteps, Chen Fei, Xu Hao, and Lin Zimo walked in, swaying.

The three of them had wrinkled clothes, open jackets, and crooked shirt collars.

Shen Du stuck his head out from the bathroom with a towel, his gaze sweeping over the three of them.

At just one glance, he captured those hickeys on their necks and collarbones that they hadn't had time to cover up.

Where they had spent the whole night out was clear at a glance.

Shen Du hung the towel on the rack, his gaze roaming over these three disheveled roommates, breaking the silence:

"Tsk, it seems you all had quite a good time last night."

Hearing this banter.

Lin Zimo, who had the thinnest skin, instantly flushed red and didn't dare to say a word.

He didn't even bother to take off his jacket.

He scrambled up to his upper bunk, pulled the quilt over his head and feet, and covered himself tightly, pretending to be dead inside.

In contrast, Chen Fei was not embarrassed at all; instead, his eyes lit up as he lunged over.

With a dull "thump," this two-hundred-plus-pound fat guy skillfully hugged Shen Du's thigh.

"Brother Shen! From today on, you are my own brother!"

Chen Fei looked up with his fat face, so excited that spittle was flying everywhere: "I've lived for almost twenty years, and I've never eaten any good meat. Those sisters last night... hiss! They really sent me to heaven!"

Shen Du stood in place, letting him hug his thigh, not rushing to kick him away.

He looked at Chen Fei's excited, comical appearance and chuckled.

He raised his hand and naturally patted Chen Fei's round head:

"Look at you, so inexperienced."

"Rest assured. In the future, if there are such activities, I won't forget you."

Xu Hao stood to the side, taking in this scene.

His eyes darted around; he didn't lunge forward ostentatiously like Chen Fei, but instead, with great perceptiveness, he stepped forward two steps.

Standing beside Shen Du, he lowered his head slightly, his tone respectful:

"Brother Shen, thanks to you. In the future, as long as there is anything I, Xu Hao, can do to serve, just say the word, and I will definitely fulfill the mission!"

Shen Du turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Xu Hao's shrewd and sophisticated face.

He understood the demands of people like Xu Hao; they sharpened their heads to get into Huahai University of Finance and Economics just to climb the social ladder.

Since the other party had voluntarily submitted a pledge of allegiance, he naturally wouldn't refuse.

For this business game trip to Beijing, he really lacked someone who could run errands, have good judgment, and get things done.

"Just right."

Shen Du withdrew his gaze and made the arrangement on the spot: "I'm going to Beijing for a meeting in the next few days. Get ready and accompany me."

Xu Hao was sharp-minded; now that the opportunity was right in front of him, he naturally wouldn't miss it.

"Understood, Brother Shen!"

Xu Hao immediately nodded and agreed decisively, taking a step forward: "Send me your ID information, and I will check the schedule right away to get the flight tickets and itinerary arranged properly."

Shen Du nodded slightly.

Subsequently, he moved his gaze away from Xu Hao.

Turning to Chen Fei, who was still grinning foolishly beside him, and Lin Zimo, who was pretending to be dead in the quilt on the upper bunk.

"Chen Fei, and Lin Zimo."

Shen Du instructed in a calm tone, "In the next few days, Xu Hao and I won't be at school. I'll leave the matter of covering for roll calls in class to you two."

Hearing that a task had been assigned, Chen Fei stood straight up nimbly.

His two-hundred-plus-pound frame seemed agile at this moment; he slapped his chest hard, making a "thump-thump" sound, and guaranteed loyally: "Brother Shen, put your heart at ease! Go ahead and handle your big business; even if the sky falls at school, I'll cover for you. Leave this entirely to me!"

The bulging quilt on the upper bunk squirmed twice.

Lin Zimo also poked out half of his flushed head, and although his voice was as thin as a mosquito, he firmly followed up with an "Mm."

Shen Du looked at this scene in front of him and didn't say anything more.