272: Chapter 272 Ambitious

Shen Yan didn't expect Gu Hui to be so persistent. He looked at Gu Hui with a puzzled expression and asked, "Why? What is your reason?"

Gu Hui retracted the smile on his face and said to Shen Yan, "I see the same thing in you that I see in myself. I think we can cooperate, grow bigger and stronger together."

"Although I can't tell you what I'm doing right now, I believe that like me, you possess immense ambition."

As he spoke, he suddenly narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to Shen Yan, asking, "Do you want to go higher?"

Shen Yan certainly wasn't naive enough to think that 'going higher' referred to simply going upstairs.

If he guessed correctly, Gu Hui's 'going higher' meant transcending social classes.

Because he had started from scratch, even though he had reached the position of CEO of a listed company, his social standing was still akin to that of a nouveau riche.

Truthfully, he wasn't unmoved by Gu Hui's proposal, but he didn't feel that Gu Hui was someone who was genuinely kind-hearted.

"Do you genuinely just want to cooperate with me, with no other intentions?"

Shen Yan asked while scrutinizing the expression on Gu Hui's face.

He was trying to find flaws in the subtle changes of Gu Hui's expression.

"I already said it: you are very similar to me when I was young. I think you can become the next me."

"Of course, I don't mean for you to replace me. I just feel that instead of cooperating with those cunning old foxes, it's better to cooperate with someone like you who possesses both ability and ambition. Perhaps we can spark a different kind of chemistry."

Gu Hui's expression had been completely self-possessed from beginning to end.

Shen Yan couldn't find any trickery or flaw in his answers or expression.

Shen Yan: "...Fine, give me some time to consider."

Gu Hui knew Shen Yan wouldn't agree so quickly, so he readily accepted.

...After leaving Gu Corporation, Shen Yan returned to the company.

"Old Shen?!"

As Shen Yan walked into the office, he heard Chen Guangke call him from behind.

He turned around, glanced back, and asked Chen Guangke, "Isn't it after work? Why are you still here?"

Chen Guangke waved the documents in his hand and replied, "Isn't this me being busy selecting an assistant? Why are you back?"

Shen Yan pressed his temples and replied to Chen Guangke, "This matter is a long story. It just so happens I also want to ask for your opinion. Come in."

Chen Guangke followed Shen Yan into the office, looking puzzled.

"Close the office door."

Hearing this, Chen Guangke's expression became even more confused.

"It's after work hours now, most people have left. Why do we still need to close the office door?"

Shen Yan let out a 'tsk' sound, "Then just close the door if you're going to. Why all the unnecessary chatter?"

Chen Guangke pouted, got up, closed the door, and then walked back to sit opposite Shen Yan.

"Go ahead, what unspeakable thing do you want to tell me?"

Shen Yan didn't beat around the bush and immediately told him what Gu Hui had just said.

"Wait, wait, wait... You mean Gu Hui approached us to build the software for bridging domestic and international connections, and he also said he wants to continue cooperating with you?"

Shen Yan leaned back in his chair and replied, "You've got the cause and effect mixed up. It's because he wants to cooperate with me that he asked me to build the software for bridging domestic and international connections."

Chen Guangke looked utterly bewildered, "But why does he want to cooperate with you? Haven't you only met him a few times?"

Shen Yan nodded in response, "I asked him too. He just said he saw his own shadow in me and felt cooperating with me was better than cooperating with anyone else, so he actively extended an olive branch to me."

Saying this, he frowned and asked Chen Guangke, "Considering our current situation, do you think cooperating with him would bring more benefits or more drawbacks?"

Chen Guangke replied without hesitation, "It would definitely bring more benefits."

Then, he hesitated slightly, "But... if we really get into gray industries, I just feel uneasy about it."

Shen Yan wasn't necessarily feeling uneasy.

He just felt that the matter wasn't that simple.

"Cooperation is something that if there's a first time, there will be a second."

"If I don't refuse this time, he will definitely approach me again next time."

Chen Guangke nodded in agreement, "That's right, I think he's set his sights on you. However... our company is genuinely short on money right now. Why don't we just try it out first?"

"In short, let's secure the money first, and we'll see about the rest later."

Shen Yan asked again, "What if after cooperating once, he demands a second cooperation?"

Chen Guangke looked troubled.

"Then what do we do?"

"If we don't have this cooperation opportunity, where will we get a large sum of money to inject into the project?"

"The Finance Department sent me another report today. The two hundred million that Gu Mingming invested has basically been squandered by Jiang Yuan."

"If new funds aren't injected, I'm afraid we won't even survive the first cycle of the project."

If it weren't for this situation, he would absolutely never let Shen Yan agree to cooperate with Gu Hui.

After all, as the saying goes, if you walk by the river often, you're bound to get your shoes wet.

If conditions allowed, he wouldn't want the company to touch any gray industries or projects on the legal fringe.

The gloominess on Chen Guangke's face was so thick that Shen Yan couldn't ignore it. He got up, patted Chen Guangke's shoulder, and said, "Alright, you go back and rest first. I'll think about it some more."

Chen Guangke frowned and said to Shen Yan, "How can that be? Such a big decision definitely needs everyone to discuss it together."

"If Wu Ya hadn't already gone home, the three of us would definitely be holding a small meeting right here."

Shen Yan looked exasperated, "You two already have enough on your plates. I don't want to add extra burdens to you."

"That's settled. Just listen to me, leave this matter for me to handle myself. I'll go ask around and see what risks there are after the cooperation."

Since Shen Yan had said this, Chen Guangke couldn't argue further.

As a technical talent, he truly wasn't very proficient in business matters.

"Okay, but if you run into any difficulties, you must remember to tell me. No matter what, your brother will always have your back."

Shen Yan curved his lips and lightly kicked Chen Guangke.

"Don't worry. While sharing prosperity might be hard between us, sharing hardship is definitely possible."

Hearing this, Chen Guangke immediately laughed and kicked back.

"Get lost!"

After sending Chen Guangke away, Shen Yan sat alone in the office contemplating the entire situation.

Too much work recently had left him with little time to sort out his chaotic thoughts.