Stronger by Paying Salaries and I Have 1 Billion Employees

’Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao?’

Chen Yansen turned toward the lounge and saw the two men hurrying over. They wore fawning smiles, but their eyes were filled with caution and apprehension.

”President Chen, I apologize for dropping in unannounced. I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion. I’m Chen Dejun of Shentong Express.”

”President Chen, I’m Yu Weijiao from Yuantong Express.”

One after the other, they leaned forward slightly and introduced themselves.

Chen Yansen could see they meant no harm. With a faint smile, he shook their hands and exchanged pleasantries. ”President Chen, President Yu, your reputations precede you!”

’Reputation?’

’Shentong is practically dead because of you!’

Chen Dejun cursed resentfully in his head, but he hadn’t forgotten the purpose of his visit. He got straight to the point. ”President Chen, I want to sell Shentong Express to your company.”

”President Chen, me too,” Yu Weijiao added. Although he had secured more financing than Chen Dejun, only 200 million had actually come through—not nearly enough for Yuantong to survive.

”There was no need for you two to go to all this trouble, coming all this way from Hu City. You could have just contacted Liao Wei.”

Chen Yansen said with a smile.

After all, Liao Wei had single-handedly managed the acquisitions of Yunda and Zhongtong Express. Gao Weilin had merely dispatched a team of financial analysts and legal advisors to assist.

It proved that Liao Wei had put his MBA to good use; at the very least, Chen Yansen had been very satisfied with the acquisition prices.

’Liao Wei?’

’He’s just a mad dog. How much authority could he possibly have?’

Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao exchanged a look, then replied in unison, ”We wanted to speak with you in person, President Chen.”

’Talk to me?’

’I’ll drive an even harder bargain!’

Chen Yansen chuckled to himself. He waved Tian Tian over and asked her to brew a pot of tea and call for Gao Weilin.

”President Chen, President Yu, let’s sit and talk.” Chen Yansen chose a spacious, well-lit reception room on the first floor and led the two men inside.

As soon as they sat down, Chen Yansen said with a look of indifference, ”To be honest, I’m not that interested in acquiring Shentong and Yuantong. After merging with Yunda and Zhongtong Express, Cloud Speed’s transfer warehouses, sorting centers, and terminal network branches are all more or less at capacity for the time being.”

”Of course, you are both seniors in this industry, so since you’ve come all this way, I should at least show some sincerity. I can acquire Shentong, or I can acquire Yuantong.”

Chen Dejun was stunned. He wasn’t an idiot; he naturally understood what Chen Yansen was plotting. It was nothing more than a tactic to drive down the price.

Yu Weijiao secretly glanced at Chen Dejun, a pang of regret rising in his heart. ’If I’d known this would happen, I should have come to see Chen Yansen secretly, without him.’

Chen Dejun didn’t say a word. Taking in every micro-expression on Yu Weijiao’s face, he couldn’t help but sneer and curse the man as an idiot in his head.

’The ”two peaches” gambit... It’s such a simple ploy, yet Old Yu can’t see through it. Where has all his usual shrewdness gone?’

”Boss, your tea. President Gao will be here shortly.” Just then, Tian Tian pushed the door open, set down the tea, and spoke.

Chen Yansen nodded, his burning gaze fixed on Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao.

This was an overt scheme. With one casual ”pick one of two,” he had shattered their alliance.

He had seen through Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao’s little plan long ago. They just wanted to bundle Shentong and Yuantong together for the sale to drive up the price.

Seeing that the two men remained silent, Chen Yansen didn’t press them. He picked up the teapot, filled their cups, and then took a leisurely sip from his own.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! A rap came from the door.

”Come in!” Chen Yansen replied softly, knowing it was Old Gao.

”Boss!” Gao Weilin entered with a smile. He greeted his own boss first before turning to look at Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao.

Although he didn’t recognize them, he had gotten the gist of the situation from the front desk before coming in.

”This is the owner of Shentong Express, Chen Dejun, and this is the owner of Yuantong Express, Yu Weijiao. President Chen, President Yu, let me introduce you. This is Gao Weilin, the Chief Financial Officer of Senlian Capital.”

Chen Yansen said unhurriedly from his seat.

”President Chen, President Yu, a pleasure.” Gao Weilin gave a formulaic smile and sat down to Chen Yansen’s left.

A year ago, Gao Weilin would never have appeared so calm and unconcerned upon meeting Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao.

But now, under pressure from Cloud Speed Express, Shentong and Yuantong were pale shadows of their former selves. Their daily parcel volume had plummeted from a peak of three million to just 600,000—even less than Best Express.

The ”Three Passes and One Reach” alliance existed in name only!

With a valuation of less than one billion, an acquisition of this caliber was something President Gao would typically delegate to his subordinates. He usually wouldn’t get personally involved, at most controlling the pace and overall direction of the acquisition.

Therefore, Gao Weilin didn’t take Chen Dejun and Yu Weijiao very seriously.

”President Chen, if you only buy one, the other will be left to die.” Chen Dejun, after holding his tongue for a long time, couldn’t think of a way to break the deadlock. Helpless, he finally managed this lame reply, his tone verging on a plea.

This was the unsolvable nature of an overt scheme. It was designed with transparent rules, exploiting the inevitabilities of the situation and human nature. Even when his opponents saw through it, they were powerless to break it and could only follow the path he had laid out for them.

”What price did you have in mind, President Chen?”

Chen Yansen asked unhurriedly.

He had no personal grudge against Chen Dejun; it was all just business. If the offer was reasonable, he saw no need to drive the man into a corner.

”1.4 billion.” Chen Dejun was silent for a dozen or so seconds before cautiously naming his price.

Once upon a time, he had been a titan of the express delivery industry, a figure who could command the wind and the rain. But now, sitting before Chen Yansen, he felt a vague, inexplicable sense of panic.