55: I'll help you with this.

The next afternoon, taking advantage of the fact that Chen Li had no classes, Song Lingyun and Tang You specifically invited him to a quiet drink bar off-campus.

The afternoon sunlight was sliced into strips by the blinds, spreading diagonally across the table and swaying gently with the breeze outside the window.

Chen Li pushed open the glass door of the drink bar, and the cool air mixed with the aroma of coffee hit him in the face.

He looked around and immediately spotted Song Lingyun and Tang You sitting in a booth by the window.

The drinks in front of them were already half-finished; it seemed they had been there for a while.

Song Lingyun seemed to be comforting Tang You, while Tang You appeared somewhat restless, her fingers unconsciously stirring her straw.

"Chen Li, over here." Song Lingyun was the first to notice him and raised her hand in greeting.

Tang You looked up at the sound.

Seeing Tang You again, Chen Li was a bit surprised.

She had clearly lost a lot of weight. Although her delicate features remained, she exuded an air of fatigue she couldn't hide.

Compared to the lively and confident girl he had seen last time, she was like a completely different person. It hadn't been long, yet she had become like this.

"Hello, Chen Li." Tang You stood up, her voice a bit restrained.

"Tang You, don't be so formal."

Chen Li sat down across from her. "Lingyun told me about your situation, but I'm afraid... I might not be able to help."

"Chen Li,"

Tang You held the warm teacup with both hands, her knuckles turning slightly white. "If you have any spare money, I truly hope you'll consider it. I definitely won't let your help go unrewarded."

She took a deep breath as if she had made up her mind. "Our family's 'Fu Bao Ling' is a century-old brand. I can't bear to see it collapse like this, or be acquired by foreign capital, which would then control the formula.

If you are willing to inject capital, we can give you equity exceeding the controlling stake.

This means you will own a genuine century-old enterprise—I guarantee this will definitely not be a losing deal."

"What exactly does your family do? How did it fall into this situation?"

Hearing "century-old enterprise," Chen Li finally showed a bit of interest.

Seeing that Chen Li was willing to learn more, Tang You's dim eyes suddenly lit up.

As the only daughter and future heir of the enterprise, she knew everything about 'Fu Bao Ling' like the back of her hand.

She started from the founding of the brand, spoke about her ancestors' insistence on pure natural formulas, and then about the current difficult situation under the pressure of foreign brands... Chen Li listened quietly, gradually piecing the story together.

Ultimately, it was a classic case of "good wine needs no bush" failing—the product had a great reputation but stuck to traditional sales channels and lacked funds to develop new markets.

Without advertising investment, its popularity dwindled, eventually falling into a vicious cycle of losses.

In Chen Li's view, if he were to take over this mess, he would not only need to invest money to stabilize the current situation but, more importantly, open up sales channels.

Tang You's idea was to invite famous bloggers for live-stream sales or even hire current trending stars for endorsements.

She firmly believed that as long as more people learned about the high quality of 'Fu Bao Ling's' genuine ingredients, the order volume would surely explode.

"Today's consumers don't lack money; they lack peace of mind."

Tang You grew more excited as she spoke. "As long as the product is good enough and can withstand the market's scrutiny, it will surely earn the returns it deserves."

Chen Li held his coffee cup. If the product was truly as Tang You described, it would be an opportunity worth considering—on a small scale, it was helping Tang You out;

On a larger scale, it was supporting a conscientious national brand.

Currently, Tang You's family couldn't even produce one million to pay their employees' salaries, let alone sustain expensive advertising costs.

And brand promotion is never something that happens overnight; it requires long-term investment.

Chen Li leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

Looking at the nervous Tang You in front of him and thinking about the brand story he had just heard, he suddenly had an epiphany.

Money? Money was the thing he lacked least right now.

The numbers in the Bank were growing every day. Instead of letting them sit there, it was better to use them for something meaningful.

If he could revitalize this old brand, he would not only have an explanation for his parents but also truly own a physical enterprise.

More importantly, he really couldn't stand the way those foreign companies used capital to suppress our nation's good products.

"I'll help with this." Chen Li sat up straight.

Tang You looked up sharply, her eyes instantly lighting up, and she even held her breath.

"Make the arrangements to meet with your father."

Chen Li continued, "We'll discuss the details of how much money is needed and the equity ratio in person. Just as you said, I want the controlling stake."

"Good! That's great!"

Tang You was so excited her voice trembled slightly, her fingers tightly clutching the hem of her clothes. "Chen Li, really... thank you so much!"

【Tang You】

【Affection Level: +35】

【Figure: 85】

【Appearance: 79】

【number of times kun: 0】

【number of kunners: 0】

"I'll have my fund manager follow up on the whole process. You guys prepare the business plan, financial statements, and other materials, then connect directly with him."

"I'll contact my dad right now."

Tang You nodded hurriedly, her face finally showing the first smile she'd had in days. "He'll definitely be very happy when he finds out."

Watching from the side, Song Lingyun couldn't help but show a gratified smile.

She gently patted the back of Tang You's hand. The two girls looked at each other, both seeing hope in the other's eyes... After parting with the two of them, Chen Li dialed the number of Liu Ming, the fund management manager the Bank had assigned to him.

"Hello, Mr. Chen!" The call was answered almost instantly, and Liu Ming's respectful voice came from the other end.

"Manager Liu, I need you to immediately investigate the details of the company 'Fu Bao Ling' and then evaluate the feasibility of a partnership."

Chen Li got straight to the point. "I plan to invest in and take a controlling stake in this enterprise. Represent me this afternoon to negotiate the cooperation details with them, and report the progress to me at any time."

"Understood, Mr. Chen. I'll get right on it and prepare a specific cooperation plan for your review as soon as possible."

Having the Bank's professional team handle the investigation and investment management was indeed much easier than setting up a team himself.

Professional tasks like background checks, risk assessments, and drafting investment plans were things they were far more skilled at than he was.

Chen Li only needed to grasp the strategic direction and make the final decisions; he didn't have to worry about the specific execution at all... Meanwhile, just as Tang You sent a message to her father, Father Tang couldn't wait and called her.

The voice on the other end was filled with unbelievable excitement: "Youyou, is what you just said true? A classmate really wants to invest in our company?"

"Dad, it's absolutely true."

"If you're free this afternoon, go directly to negotiate the equity matters with his manager."

"According to what we discussed before, he only wants the controlling stake. He won't participate in daily operations or interfere with our formula."

"That's great, but..."

Father Tang's voice suddenly became hesitant. "Does your classmate really have enough funds?"

"This isn't a small amount like a few million; it requires at least tens of millions, or even over a hundred million..."

"Don't worry, he definitely has the strength."

Tang You's tone was firm. "Have the finance department prepare the statements and the cooperation agreement. You can meet and discuss the details this afternoon."

"Good, good, good... These materials are already ready. I'll go prepare them now."

Father Tang's voice finally relaxed a bit. "Youyou, it's all thanks to you this time. If we can really strike a deal, our 'Fu Bao Ling' will be saved..."