Xiao Ma and Zeng Liqing saw Shen Fang and Shen Kun drinking coffee and quickly walked over.
Xiao Ma and his companion embraced Chen Fang.
"Brother, you've been waiting for a while now, haven't you? The plane was delayed by half an hour today, good heavens."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "Isn't it normal for flights to be delayed?"
Little Ma looked at Chen Fang: "Brother, NetEase is in a mess now, there's no need for you to get involved."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "There's a reason why things are in such a mess now. Ding Sanshi was framed."
Little Ma nodded: "I know about this. Old Ding also told me that someone is playing dirty tricks behind the scenes. What do you want to do, brother?"
Shen Fang offered a cigarette to Little Ma, who, being a heavy smoker, took it, lit it, and took a deep drag. The word "airplane" had made him feel quite choked up.
"Ding Sanshi has some absolute control. I am very optimistic about Fantasy Westward Journey under his control. As long as trading can be resumed, NetEase can still be saved. Now is a good time to buy at the bottom."
Zeng Liqing took a drag of his cigarette: "President Shen, why don't we acquire NetEase?"
Upon hearing this, Pony Ma shook his head: "It's not worth it. Right now, Ding is preparing to sell the company for $40 million. If you acquire NetEase, you'll still have to clean up the mess. What's more, there are villains behind it. Acquiring NetEase would require a complete overhaul, and Tencent doesn't have that many talents in reserve right now."
Shen Fang smiled and gave a thumbs up: "Brother Ma, great minds think alike. I don't plan to acquire NetEase either. I just want to take advantage of this good opportunity to buy at the bottom, revitalize NetEase, and incidentally recruit Ding Sanshi as my subordinate, so he can become Tencent's henchman in the future."
Upon hearing this, Brother Ma grinned mischievously: "I'm just afraid that Fatty Ding won't agree."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "Money can make the devil turn the millstone."
Little Ma nodded: "That's true, but Old Ding seems a bit down lately, I'm worried..."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "I came here this time to help Ding Sanshi resolve his worries. This culprit is now thinking of acquiring NetEase. Let's put on a big show with Ding Sanshi."
Little Ma adjusted his glasses.
What plan do you have?
Shen Fang smiled: "Deceive the heavens and cross the sea."
Upon hearing this, Zeng Liqing asked, "What does 'deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea' mean?"
"Little Ma and I will pretend to invest 200 million yuan to acquire Ding Sanshi's shares, and then let the media expose that Ding Sanshi has left NetEase and started a new company. At that time, someone will definitely stand up to cause trouble. Whoever steps forward at that time is the mastermind behind the scenes."
“If that traitor Lai King-fai and his backers show their faces, this matter will be easy to handle.”
Little Ma thought about it for a moment.
"This is feasible. As long as we acquire Lao Ding's shares, the person behind the scenes will definitely try to disrupt the deal. NetEase is a lucrative target right now, and the person behind the scenes certainly won't let us get involved. But, brother, what are the chances of NetEase's restructuring? Even if it does, it might not be viewed favorably. I'm worried about that."
Shen Fang smiled and said, "I consulted JPMorgan Chase, and they also hold shares in NetEase. There shouldn't be any major issues with the audit. As long as the correct financial statements are submitted within six months, the audit can proceed. As for the rest, just watch me handle it."
Little Ma nodded: "Let's go then, Xu Xinjie and Lao Ding are already waiting for us."
Shen Fang nodded.
"Let's go."
Hangzhou, Zhuangyuanlou (状元楼).
Shen Fang and his three companions entered the Scholar's Pavilion.
Then a waiter came to greet us.
"How many of you are having lunch?"
Little Ma smiled and asked, "Where is the 'Heaven, Earth, and Harmony' private room?"
The waiter smiled and said, "Please come with me, everyone."
Shen Kun glanced at the inscription in the center of the hall: "Three hundred and sixty professions, every profession produces a champion; joyfully ascending the Champion's Tower, savoring the champion's dishes." The front and back were densely covered with the names of various dynasties.
"How many top scorers are there in total?"
The waiter smiled and said, "There are 287 people in total. Among them, 13 top scholars came from Ningbo. The origin of our Zhuangyuanlou restaurant is also due to the inscription written by one of the top scholars."
Zeng Liqing became interested.
“Tell us about it.”
The waiter smiled and said, "Back in the second year of the Xianfeng reign, which was 1856, Zhang Yun was going to Beijing to take the imperial examination. On the eve of his departure, his friend, who was also his classmate, wanted to see him off. So the two of them came to the Sanjiang Restaurant at the confluence of the three rivers, which was founded in 1785 during the fiftieth year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty."
The two went upstairs and enjoyed a drink by the window overlooking the river. As their wine warmed them, a waiter brought them a plate of soft-shelled turtle with rock sugar. The two looked at the plate: the green and yellow colors complemented each other, the oil tightly coating the fish pieces, and the taste was smooth and mellow, with a perfect balance of sweet, sour, and salty flavors.
The two men couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, asking the waiter, "What kind of dish is this?" Seeing that the two men were dressed as scholars, as if they were preparing for the imperial examinations, the waiter, quick-wittedly, secretly wished them good fortune, saying, "This means you will be the best in the imperial examinations!" The two men were delighted to hear this.
Later, perhaps by chance, or perhaps by divine intervention, Zhang Yun indeed passed the imperial examination with flying colors that year. Upon returning to Ningbo, he made a special trip back to this restaurant, picked up a brush, and wrote the three characters "Zhuangyuan Lou" (状元楼, meaning "Top Scholar's Restaurant"), which he then had used as the restaurant's signboard. From then on, the restaurant became famous for its dishes, and the dishes enhanced the restaurant's reputation, leading to even greater success.
The waiter spoke vividly and without any pretense; Shen Fang could tell at a glance that he had received professional training.
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