28: Chapter 28 The Wei Family Cuts Off Food Supplies: A Final Ultimatum

One week later, at Huahai University of Finance and Economics.

The cold wind of early winter swept through the tree-lined path, whipping up withered, yellowed sycamore leaves.

The bell for the end of class had just rung, and the area was swarming with students heading to the cafeteria.

Shen Du walked with one hand in the pocket of his black jacket, moving against the flow of the crowd toward the dorms.

"Buzz—buzz—"

The Nokia in his pocket vibrated.

Shen Du took out the phone, pressed the answer button, and held it to his ear.

"Young Master Shen, it's done."

As soon as the call connected, Red Phoenix's confident voice came through.

Shen Du turned slightly to avoid a boy riding a bike toward him, his tone flat.

"Speak."

"I've figured out the bottom line for the Old City District's livelihood department. They're being stubborn about one thing: the year-end employment rate."

Red Phoenix spoke quickly: "As long as Meituan can recruit enough laid-off workers and get them placed in jobs, they don't care if Meituan has an office building in the Old City District."

"Even if you go to the Old City District right now and set up a canvas tent on the ruins, as long as there are people there collecting wages and working, they'll smooth over any regulatory violations for you, and that 50 million subsidy will be approved without a hitch."

Shen Du didn't stop walking.

His leather shoes crunched on a withered leaf, making a soft sound.

He didn't interrupt, waiting for the rest.

"As for the New City District, I found out something even more interesting."

Red Phoenix lowered her voice: "That Wei Ziang has been running around the last two days registering a network technology company."

"He's pulling strings and looking for connections everywhere, trying to swallow the exclusive food delivery rights for the New City District in one gulp."

"But this kid only has a 10 million special loan that was just approved, and Qin Tiankuo was the one who acted as guarantor."

At this, Red Phoenix paused: "A few days ago, Wei Ziang took Qin Tiankuo, Young Master Han, Gao Yang, and that whole crowd to drink at 'Yonglu'."

"Security at Yonglu is tight, so my people couldn't infiltrate the inner courtyard. I only know that they drank until very late that night before breaking up. I couldn't find out what plans they were hatching in the private room."

After finishing her report, Red Phoenix waited quietly for instructions.

On the tree-lined path, Shen Du stopped.

He stood in the cold wind, watching the bare sycamore branches swaying overhead.

A faint electrical hum came through the receiver.

Shen Du withdrew his gaze.

"10 million?"

Shen Du's tone was flat: "Tossed into the internet market, that amount of money is no different from throwing a coin into the ocean."

Red Phoenix on the other end of the line was stunned.

She was used to physical businesses and clearly couldn't keep up with the 'burn rate' logic of the internet.

Shen Du didn't bother explaining server bandwidth or on-the-ground promotion subsidies to her.

He bluntly laid out the situation:

"Wei Ziang is being slaughtered like a pig, and he's even helping them sharpen the knife."

"Don't worry about them. Since he's so eager to embrace this landmine, let him hold onto it until it kills him."

"Alright, I understand."

Shen Du didn't waste words: "Good work."

Without waiting for Red Phoenix to reply, Shen Du pressed the hang-up button.

Immediately after, he tapped on the keypad.

He dialed the number for Gong Jun, Meituan's person in charge in Shanghai.

"Mr. Shen!" The call was answered instantly, Gong Jun's voice filled with urgency.

"Listen clearly to my requirements; I'll only say this once."

Shen Du began walking toward the dorms while issuing his instructions:

"In the Old City District, absolutely do not rent a physical office building; don't even go look at one."

"Contact the surrounding building materials markets and buy second-hand shipping containers, or the color steel plate portable cabins used on construction sites."

Gong Jun on the other end gasped, stammering: "Shi—shipping containers? Mr. Shen, this..."

"Find the people from the livelihood department and lease some wasteland on the edge of the Old City District's demolition zone."

Shen Du didn't give Gong Jun a chance to ask questions, his tone firm:

"Use the shipping containers as a temporary dispatch headquarters and distribution center for the delivery drivers."

"They want laid-off workers to be able to start working immediately, not for us to build a skyscraper."

"As for the New City District..."

Shen Du paused: "Leave it on the back burner for now."

"Wait until the personnel arrangements here in the Old City District are settled and the situation is stabilized before we do anything else."

Finally, Shen Du lowered his voice:

"The move to get shipping containers in the Old City District must be fast, and it must be done quietly. Before we've finished recruiting, you must not let a word slip."

"Do you understand?"

"Understood, Mr. Shen!"

Gong Jun on the other end agreed.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I'll go meet with the head of the livelihood department right now."

"Don't worry, within half a month, I will definitely get this temporary headquarters set up for you!"

Hanging up the phone, Gong Jun immediately gathered a few trusted subordinates and split into two groups.

One group headed straight to the suburban second-hand building materials market and the docks.

The other took the recruitment list and knocked on the door of the livelihood department head's office.

Three days later, in the dead of night.

Over a dozen heavy flatbed trucks, with their headlights off, drove into the demolition wasteland on the edge of the Old City District.

Cranes emitted low hydraulic groans as one second-hand shipping container after another was dropped onto the mud.

No foundation was laid, no bricks were used.

The assembled color steel plate portable cabins, accompanied by the sound of electric drills, were erected on the ruins over the course of a single night.

But in Shanghai, there are no airtight walls.

The commotion of dozens of shipping containers landing was passed through various informants to the other faction—the ears of the head of the New City Development Department.

"Bang!"

A briefing report with photos of the scene was slammed onto the Development Department's desk.

In the photos, Meituan's iconic yellow banner was already hanging on the dilapidated shipping containers.

The people in the Development Department instantly understood this strategy:

The shipping containers could be hauled away by a crane at any moment and wouldn't become 'nail houses' that obstructed demolition.

But as long as people were working inside, it met the livelihood department's hard requirement for "employment and job placement."

This meant not only that Meituan was about to brazenly swallow that 50 million subsidy in the Old City District.

It also meant that Meituan had completely severed the noose the Development Department had tried to use to threaten them with the New City District's capital injection.

"They don't know what's good for them. Send out the notice: freeze Meituan's business authorization in the New City District indefinitely!"

The person in charge behind the desk ordered with a grim face.

The infrastructure funding hole in the New City District needed to be filled urgently.

A black Range Rover with a sequential license plate pulled up to the steps of the management committee building.

The door opened.

Wei Ziang, wearing a brand-new custom suit with his hair slicked back, stepped out of the car surrounded by several middlemen.

He had a briefcase tucked under his arm, containing the 10 million promissory note he had just borrowed.

He looked up at the government building in front of him.

New City District Management Committee, third-floor conference room.

"Clap."

An "Agreement on Accelerated Infrastructure Investment and Exclusive Operations in the New City District" was pushed in front of Wei Ziang.

The head of the Development Department picked up a thermos, took a sip of water, and spoke in a business-like manner:

"Mr. Wei, since Young Master Qin recommended you, the exclusive rights for the New City District can be approved for you."

"But the rules cannot be broken. The initial road hardening and infrastructure capital injection are preliminarily assessed at 12 million. Once the funds hit the public account, the contract will take effect immediately."

Hearing this number, the smug expression on Wei Ziang's face froze.

His gaze was fixed on the contract, staring at the number "12,000,000."

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

12 million.

A few days ago at "Yonglu," he had spent over 1.2 million on a single meal without batting an eye.

Add in the flow of expenses over the last few days for renting office space, registering the company, and recruiting—that 10 million loan, as it stood, left only a little over 8 million in the company account.

The funding gap was right in front of him.

But sitting in front of these people, Wei Ziang dared not show any sign of being broke.

He tugged at his tie and squeezed out a smile:

"This amount of money... it's a trifle. Gentlemen, please wait a moment; I'm going to the restroom to arrange for the finance department to transfer the funds."

He stood up and quickly walked out of the conference room.

He rushed into the restroom at the end of the hallway and slammed the stall door shut with a "bang."

Wei Ziang breathed heavily and took out his phone, dialing a number in Yulin, Shaanxi.

"Hello? Dad!"

When the call connected, Wei Ziang lowered his voice, his tone urgent:

"I've picked up a huge government project in Shanghai! Young Master Qin of Shanghai personally made the introduction—it's an exclusive monopoly deal!"

The roar of mining machinery came from the other end of the line, followed by Old Man Wei's rough voice:

"Doing internet business in Shanghai? I suppose that's an achievement! Since you're hanging out with big shots like that, you can't lose face for the Wei family! Tell me, how much are you short?"

"I'm short 5 million! I need to sign the contract right away, it's urgent!"

"Got it! I'll have the finance department go to the bank right now and wire it to you with an express interbank transfer!"

Five minutes later.

"Ding."

The text message notification sounded in the stall.

Wei Ziang stared at the notification on his phone screen: "Interbank transfer received: 5,000,000.00 Yuan."

He let out a long breath.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and leaned against the tiled wall.

He splashed some water on his face.

Wei Ziang straightened his back and pushed open the conference room door again.

He put on his arrogant persona and slammed the promissory note with the gathered funds onto the table.

He pulled out a pen and signed the "New City District Exclusive Food Delivery Rights and Infrastructure Capital Injection Contract."

The person in charge smiled and stamped the official seal.

12 million in cash flow was drained from the account of Wei Ziang's shell company.