Chapter 35 Business War Warning: The value of a cat is irreplaceable, and so is that of a person...
When Shi Wan received the invitation email to visit the local ecological agriculture demonstration park, she was staring blankly at the cat order she had just received.
The email notification sound pulled her back to reality from her wild daydreams.
“Oasis Ecological Agriculture Demonstration Park…” Shi Wan murmured the name softly.
She knew this place; it was quite well-known in the city and even the province, specializing in high-tech, large-scale agriculture, and frequently appeared in local news reports.
Zhou Jianming, the person in charge of the ecological park, is also quite prestigious.
Invite her?
A small farm that mainly produces pet food?
Normally, Shi Wan might have considered this a rare learning opportunity, and might even have felt flattered.
But at this moment, Shi Wan's subconscious mind kept thinking of the mysterious man from that day.
Why would such a large corporation suddenly extend an invitation to her little-known farm without any warning?
Shi Wan's small online store is doing quite well, but in a truly mature corporate market, it's still a small player with a lot of room to grow.
She is self-aware.
Reason told her she should be cautious, but she really disliked this feeling of apprehension and paranoia.
You can tell what they're up to just by looking.
She replied to the email accepting the invitation and scheduled a visit.
She wanted to go and see for herself what kind of place it was.
On the day of the visit, Shi Wan specially wore a neat casual outfit, brought her laptop, and drove to the Oasis Demonstration Park located in another direction on the outskirts of the city.
The demonstration park covers a vast area, with a continuous stretch of modern glass greenhouses. The park roads are clean, the signs are clear, and staff in uniforms operate various intelligent agricultural machines. Everything appears orderly and highly intelligent.
In contrast, her Mianmian Mimi Farm is more like children playing house; calling it a farm is less accurate than calling it a furry home.
Zhou Jianming personally received her.
He looked to be in his forties, slightly overweight, and had a friendly smile.
Not only was he dressed in a suit and tie, but his hair was also meticulously combed, and his speech and manners exuded the confidence and sophistication of a successful entrepreneur.
"Ms. Shi, it's an honor to meet you! I've heard so much about your cat farm, and I'm so glad to finally have the chance to meet you today!" Zhou Jianming warmly shook Shi Wan's hand, beaming with smiles.
He took Shi Wan on a tour of their automated seedling factory, hydroponic vegetable workshop, and intelligently controlled orchard.
Everywhere it goes, it embodies the high level of technological intelligence.
Zhou Jianming spoke eloquently about their patented technologies and market share, his tone filled with pride.
"Look, everything here is standardized and scaled up. From seedling to fruiting, the amount of light, water, and nutrients a strawberry plant needs is precisely controlled to ensure absolutely consistent quality and high yield," Zhou Jianming said, pointing to rows of neat and uniform strawberry plants.
Then he added seemingly unintentionally, "Unlike some small farms that rely on the weather, the quality of their products fluctuates greatly, making it difficult to establish a stable brand effect and thus having little value."
Shi Wan maintained a polite smile and nodded in agreement, but in her heart she didn't quite agree.
Intelligent technology has its advantages, but non-intelligent technology also has its own unique warmth.
She didn't think either one was superior.
After touring the main areas, Zhou Jianming invited Shi Wan to his office.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhou Jianming changed the subject and got down to business.
"Boss Shi, to be honest, I admire you." He leaned forward slightly, crossed his hands on the table, and adopted a sincere attitude. "For a girl to run a small farm so successfully and seize the opportunity of the pet economy, you have great vision and courage."
"Mr. Zhou, you flatter me. I'm just doing something I enjoy," Shi Wan replied cautiously.
“However,” Zhou Jianming sighed, his tone becoming somewhat “earnest.”
“Running a business requires more than just passion. You may feel good about it right now, but you’ll soon encounter bottlenecks. Your brand influence will be weak, your production capacity will be insufficient, and your ability to withstand risks will be poor… You’ll be like a small boat that can’t withstand the storms in the sea of commerce.”
He picked up a folder that looked like a market analysis report, flipped through it casually, and placed it in front of Shi Wan.
"I understand your situation. You mainly rely on online sales, which has a very narrow audience and limited profits, right? Also, I heard... you recently bought a large batch of surveillance equipment online? Did you run into any problems?"
Shi Wan was startled; the other party had indeed come prepared.
She ordered a batch of surveillance equipment online a few days ago, but it hasn't arrived yet.
The fact that Zhou Jianming knew about this suggests he must have already investigated her.
Shi Wan had a bad feeling.
The more prepared Zhou Jianming was, the more suspicious she became of his ill intentions.
She thought to herself how unlucky she was, but she remained outwardly calm, saying, "It's just a few minor issues, nothing difficult to handle."
“Even if we handle it once, there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again.” Zhou Jianming shook his head. “Small-scale measures are ultimately not a long-term solution. Boss Shi, have you ever thought about finding a more powerful platform for your cat farm to allow it to realize greater value?”
They've finally arrived.
Shi Wan thought to herself, "Finally, the true intentions have been revealed."
"What does Mr. Zhou mean?"
“Our Oasis Demonstration Park has high hopes for the Cat Farm brand and your unique product line.” Zhou Jianming’s face showed a “I’m doing this for your own good” expression. “Although your specifications do not yet meet my standards, I am willing to make an exception for you.”
“No need to thank me too much,” he said with an air of self-satisfied friendliness. “I’ve convinced the shareholders to invest in acquiring the farm’s brand and all the technical formulas. And I can also bring your team to work with us, to take charge of our high-end pet food division. You can be the head of that division.”
"With the resources of Oasis, funding and promotion are not problems! We will definitely be able to quickly achieve true commercialization and scaling in the shortest possible time, and create more profits!"
He spoke with great passion, as if he were painting a magnificent blueprint.
Shi Wan remained silent and did not respond immediately.
She knew the important part was yet to come.
As expected, seeing that Shi Wan did not show the expected excitement, Zhou Jianming's smile faded a bit, he leaned back in his chair, and his tone carried a subtle sense of pressure.
"Mr. Lin, it's good for young people to have dreams, but they also need to be realistic."
“I can tell you that our park has recently launched a pet food project, and the investment will be huge. With our capabilities, when our products hit the market, how competitive do you think your small farm will be?” He tapped the table lightly. “At that point, it probably won’t be a partnership anymore. The outcome of the competition… well, I think you can foresee it.”
Shi Wan couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly.
A classic example of dates and a big stick.
First, paint a rosy picture, then subtly threaten.
These middle-aged men, with their distinctly mature and sophisticated airs, are all the same in the workplace.
He looked down on female employees but wanted to claim their work as his own. So he adopted a condescending attitude and spared no effort to belittle and humiliate women in every way.
I've encountered several of these older women over the years in my work.
But she felt that no one could rival the one in front of her.
It's been so many years and it's still the same.
nausea.
"So, what are the specific acquisition conditions, Mr. Zhou?" Shi Wan asked directly, her voice calm.
Zhou Jianming quoted a price.
The figure was so low it was almost humiliating, representing less than six months of revenue for the farm.
Shi Wan almost laughed out of anger.
"Mr. Zhou, this price is probably not realistic." Shi Wan tried her best to keep her tone calm.
"Mr. Lin, you need to be rational." Zhou Jianming waved his hand, as if to say, "You don't know anything about this."
“Your brand currently only has a little online recognition, so its value is limited. To be honest, your recipes are not difficult to imitate; they are simply combinations of cat grass, chicken, and strawberries, with no technological barriers. What we value is your early exploration and accumulation, and we just want to save some time.”
He began to list the farm's "defects".
Small scale, fragile supply chain, insufficient brand premium... The words were meant to belittle the value of Shi Wan's hard work, trying to make her doubt herself.
“It must be so hard for you, a young woman, to run this farm all by yourself. Accepting the acquisition will make things much easier for you, and you can continue to leverage your talents on the platform we provide. It’s a win-win situation!” Zhou Jianming finally put on his “thinking of you” face again.
"Why do girls have to work so hard? Once you get married and have children, you won't have the energy to manage these things anymore. Women should prioritize their families. Why don't you hand it over to us now, so the farm doesn't fail in your hands? I'm helping you out."
PUA, blatant PUA.
First, they belittle you, making you feel worthless, then offer a cheap, seemingly "redemptive" solution that makes you grateful.
Looking at Zhou Jianming's seemingly sincere but actually calculating face, Shi Wan's lingering longing and anticipation for the large-scale demonstration park vanished completely.
She calmed down instead.
At this moment, she thought of the lively cats on the farm, the cat grass fields exuding a natural fragrance under the sun, the sense of accomplishment she felt when she gradually figured out the formula and gained customer recognition, and the increasingly human-like customer service representative Miao...
These are things that this profit-driven person in front of me cannot understand.
Her farm may be small, but it is definitely not something that can be simply measured in money.
Moreover, the price offered by the other party was not fair at all.
On the other side was a menacing robber who disguised his robbery with a noble facade, forcing her to give up her hard work.
Shi Wan stood up, her polite smile gone, replaced by a more determined look in her eyes.
"Mr. Zhou, thank you for your kindness and... guidance."
She paused slightly on the word "pointing out," adding, "However, the farm is my life's work, like my child, and I have no intention of selling it."
The smile on Zhou Jianming's face finally vanished completely, and his eyes became sharp and cold.
"Mr. Shi, I suggest you reconsider. Opportunities don't come every time. The business world is like a battlefield; being too emotional is not a good thing."
This was an undisguised threat.
Shi Wan met his gaze without flinching. "I believe that making good products with heart and treating customers sincerely is the way to long-term success. Thank you for your hospitality, goodbye."
After saying that, she strode away from Zhou Jianming's office.
On the drive back to the farm, Shi Wan's mood was not completely calm.
She knew that rejecting Zhou Jianming's acquisition offer meant facing suppression from him.
The farm is indeed very vulnerable and has little ability to withstand risks. A simple smear campaign could bring heavy damage.
However, she did not regret it.
The farm has evolved to the point where it's no longer an ordinary farm. Even without the binding system, even if it were just an ordinary farm, Shi Wan would still not agree to acquire it.
Back at the farm, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed everything in a warm hue.
The cats gathered around as usual. Oreo rubbed against her legs, Tangyuan squatted on a high place and watched her quietly, while Mianmian made a coquettish meow.
This instantly soothed her anxiety and resentment.
She took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of grass and earth, and felt her energy return.
Just then, the system notification sounded.
She opened it and saw that it was a message from Miao.
"Miao: A potential business war warning has been detected, and a basic defense plan has been activated."
Shi Wan was stunned when she saw the message.
Did Miao anticipate the actions that Oasis Demonstration Park might take?
She had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but the feeling came and went quickly, and she soon had new questions.
How wide is the capability range of this system?
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Author's Note: Tangyuan: Reject workplace manipulation; even the smallest cat is a shining cat.
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