Chapter 129 The 129th day since I stopped running...
Like his father, Wilson also loved fishing.
However, Wilson only enjoys sea fishing when he goes out to sea.
When he returned from his usual deep-sea fishing trip and got off the yacht, he saw two elegantly dressed Asian women on the dock. He glanced at them and then picked up his fishing rod and headed towards his car.
"Mr. Wilson."
Wen Chan and Zhang Yurong both walked over.
Upon hearing the name, Wilson slowed his pace, pulled down his sunglasses, and carefully examined them. "You are—"
“Do you remember Li Yi?” Zhang Yurong extended her hand. “I am May, the boss of their company. This is Wen, Li Yi’s superior.”
Wilson looked thoughtful. He nodded, shook hands with them, and said, "It's nice to see you all. I thought you had all gone back to New York."
“Yes, we went back, and we’re back again,” Zhang Yurong said with a smile. “If you don’t mind, why don’t we find somewhere to talk? It’s not suitable to talk while we’re walking.”
Wilson wore that indifferent smile.
He shrugged and said to Zhang Yurong and Wen Chan, "Ladies, I know why you've come. You're probably like Goldman Sachs, planning to persuade my father and brother by persuading me, but I can tell you, that won't work. I'm in a hurry. The top-quality trout I caught are still lively and jumping around, they're the best ingredients. If they die, the taste will change."
He picked up his fishing bucket and was about to leave.
Wen Chan asked, "Mr. Wilson, are you willing to be treated like nobody by your family?"
Wilson had already taken a few steps when he heard this. He stopped, turned around, and his sun-reddened face showed some anger. "What do you mean by that?"
Wen Chan handed the bag to Zhang Yurong, strode over, met Wilson's gaze, and said without backing down, "I mean, you are the eldest son of your family, but how much say do you have in the family now?"
“My shares are no less than anyone else’s!” Wilson said firmly, veins bulging on his neck.
Wen Chan nodded: "Of course I believe that. Your father is a fair man and would never mistreat any of his children. However, you and I are not children anymore. Holding shares doesn't mean equal power. Your younger siblings all hold significant power in the family, while you are marginalized. They may respect you now, but what about in the future? Also, you must know very well that your family is able to maintain unity now because your father is still alive. If he were to pass away one day—and I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear this, but we all have to face reality—your father's health isn't very good. If he were gone, how much influence would you have left? And how much would your children, your grandchildren, receive?"
The problem is not scarcity, but inequality.
This principle applies worldwide.
Even if the shares are the same for now, those who hold power will always find ways to make underhanded moves.
Wilson's face gradually darkened.
The joy of returning from the sea was completely wiped out.
Wen Chan took out a business card and handed it to Wilson. "This is our phone number. I think you definitely need an opportunity to let others hear your voice."
Wilson frowned, staring at the business card.
Wen Chan continued to win the film, showing no sign of backing down.
After a long while, just as the people coming and going on sea excursions were curiously looking this way, Wilson took the business card and looked at Wen Chan: "I'm curious how you guys are so confident that you can win?"
Wen Chan smiled and said, "It's not that we want to win, it's that we want to win. Even if we get shares, we can't help much, but at least you'll have an ally, right?"
She said meaningfully, "Moreover, I don't think your father is willing to accept investments from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup right now. He might be waiting for a dark horse to emerge."
You said my father is waiting for you?
Wilson squinted, a hint of confusion on his face.
Wen Chan smiled and said, "You are welcome to give it a try. After all, the worst outcome for you is that things will remain the same, right? But if you succeed, the future will be different."
Wilson stared at Wen Chan for a long time before leaving with his things.
Zhang Yurong walked over and said to Wen Chan, "How did you know what Old Sam was thinking?"
Wen Chan said meaningfully, "Do you know why a couple might date for more than three years but still not get married?"
"Why?" Zhang Yurong asked in return.
Wen Chan stretched and picked up her bag. "Of course, it's because either of them wants to keep their options open while they're still looking for something better, or one of them is constantly thinking about keeping their options open while they're still looking for something better. Goldman Sachs and Citigroup have come up with so many tricks, and almost three weeks have passed, but they still haven't taken over Walmart. That in itself is the biggest problem."
Wilson returned home at noon. The Walter family members mostly lived nearby, and he instructed his wife that he would not come home for lunch.
His wife looked surprised. "What about these fish?"
Wilson glanced at the fish. "I'll take two with my father. You and the children can have the rest."
His wife nodded, not thinking much of it. After all, Wilson was a well-known filial son, and he shared similar interests with his father, Old Sam, so the two had a very good relationship.
The two families lived very close to each other. Old Sam was getting on in years and had hired a cook to prepare his meals. The trout that Wilson brought was handed over to the cook to cook.
Old Sam also admired the fish he had caught with great interest, saying, "These fish are good, very lively. It seems your fishing skills are getting better and better."
"It's all thanks to Dad's excellent teaching," Wilson said with a smile. "It's a pity you can't drink alcohol, otherwise we could have had some red wine with the fish at noon."
Old Sam laughed heartily and patted Wilson on the shoulder.
"It's okay if we don't have red wine, we can save some money. Let's go outside and talk."
Wilson followed his father to sit down in the dining room.
It's called a restaurant, but it's really just the area off the kitchen. It's not a big place, and the tables are made of cheap beech wood, covered in oil stains and children's paint. The house isn't luxurious; in fact, it's quite simple, which doesn't match the image of a billionaire at all.
Old Sam gestured for Wilson to sit down and poured him a glass of water. "So, what's bothering you? Did you and Mary have another fight, or what happened?"
Wilson took the water glass, paused for a moment, and felt a little uneasy when he looked up and met his father's concerned gaze.
He held the water glass, unsure how to begin.
A person who is used to being a good person will find it difficult to say anything that would put others in a difficult position, especially when it involves their own father and siblings.
But Wen Chan's words kept echoing in Wilson's mind.
As the eldest son in his family, Wilson was taught from a young age to give way to his younger siblings. He was kind and gentle and did not like to argue with others, which could be considered both a good thing and a bad thing.
Because of his kind older brother, the children in the family got along very well, but Wilson himself also gave up his own interests many times.
Even the reason why his father decided to let his younger brother take over the family business was because he was too bad at fighting for profits. This personality trait might be a good thing at home, but it is fatal in business.
The business world is like a battlefield. To gain a foothold in the business world, you absolutely cannot be kind and gentle.
"Father, I want to ask if you and my brother have decided which financial institution's investment to take over?"
Wilson took a sip of ice water and mustered his courage to ask.
A hint of surprise flashed across Old Sam's eyes. He took a sip of water. "What are your thoughts?"
Old Sam went straight to the point, catching Wilson off guard with his questions.
Wilson scratched his head, clenched his fist, took a deep breath, and took out Wen Chan's business card. "The Particle Foundation, the organization that initially approached us for talks, I think they're pretty good. They're very sincere, and I think smaller organizations might offer fewer resources, but they'll also bring relatively fewer troubles and threats."
Some things are incredibly difficult to say before they're spoken, but become much easier once they're said.
Wilson is not a person without insight or ideas. "Moreover, and more importantly, I think the Chinese market is indeed very likely to be our focus in the future. Rather than looking for partners later, it's better to make arrangements in advance and build good relationships. Didn't you also say that giving someone a hamburger when they are poor and hungry is far more valuable than giving them a thousand dollars when they are rich?"
Old Sam held a famous film in his hand, turning it over and over. His relaxed eyelids concealed his gaze, making it difficult to guess what he was thinking at that moment.
How's the proposal coming along?
After Wen Chan and Zhang Yurong returned, they went directly to Li Yi and Dai Lun to ask them questions.
These guys all looked completely drained, especially Matt, who had dark circles under his eyes, and the table was covered with empty coffee cups. It's no exaggeration to say that if they went out now, people would believe they were vampires.
Li Yi pushed up his glasses. "I've already contacted the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and the price they're asking for isn't low."
"It's alright," Wen Chan said. "As long as they agree to cooperate with us, the money we've spent so far is worthwhile."
She glanced through the proposal, a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.
Finance and media have always been inseparable. Sometimes a single news item can send a company's stock price soaring, and sometimes even the entire Wall Street.
The Particle Fund has previously invested too little in personal connections in this area, but fortunately, there is one good thing about the United States: money can buy sentiment.
“We’re prepared for both possibilities,” Wen Chan said. “If Walmart isn’t willing to partner with us, then we’ll go to their rival, Barclays. Their PR department is a complete mess right now. If we can help them restore their reputation, they’ll definitely be willing to cooperate with us. If they are, even better. Once the contract is signed, we’ll immediately call and email the Wall Street Journal to push up Walmart’s stock price! We’ll create hype and let our partner see our strength.”
"yes!"
Li Yi and the others readily agreed, and were all eager to get started!
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